Banana Coconut Muffins topped with Walnuts

My mother in law loves nuts.  I am pretty sure it is all nuts.  Whenever we go to a restaurant she always asks for nuts in her salad.  She also loves coconut.  I am pretty sure whenever she goes to Cold Stone or any self serving ice cream place she always picks coconut as her topping.

So for Mother's Day I wanted to make a muffin that she would enjoy.

Banana Coconut Muffins topped with Walnuts
Adapted from Amandeleine

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 12 muffin cups
2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together.
3.  Cream butter and sugar
4.  Add banana until combined.
5.  Add egg until combined.
6.  Add vanilla extract and coconut
7.  Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.  Do not over mix!
8.  Use a ice cream scooper to scoop batter into lined muffin cups.
9.  Top each muffin with chopped walnuts
10.  Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 23 minutes.

These muffins where nice and moist and full of banana flavor.  The in laws took quite a few home for morning coffee for the rest of the week.  Now we all know I am not a fan of coconut or nuts so I was more than happy to pack these little lovelies in a take out box.

This is Khloe the pup modeling her X-men shirt.  The pup does a natural look back.  Born model. 

Bake on friends!

XOXO

Banana Apple Raisin Cranberry Bread

So my banana apple raisin bread has become quite popular in my circle of family and friends. 

Since my mother in law loves dried fruit I decided to make it for Mother's Day Brunch.  Calm down!  Other items were served as well.  You didn't think the bread was the only item I served did you?

Banana, apple, raisin, cranberry bread
Adapted from Anncoo Journal

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 tablespoons milk 2% fat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup cranberries, dried
1 Fuji apple, grated
3 large bananas, mashed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini loaf pan
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Mix well and set aside.
3.  Combine eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, grated apple, and mashed bananas.  Mix well.
4.  Add in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  Mix until combined.
5.  Add in raisins and dried cranberries.
6.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes.

I am normally not a big fruit fan in my bread but there is something about this bread that is so yummy.  I think it's a good snacking bread.  Does it fall under fruit cake?  I am not quite sure.  Make it and let me know!

So Khloe the pup has a little issue when playing fetch.  Don't get me wrong, she is a awesome fetcher.  The problem is getting her to let go once she brings the ball back.  El Hubby and I have been working with her by giving her a treat to get her to let go of the ball.  It's working.  For now.  But who wouldn't do something for a treat?  If someone held up a mini snickers bar and asked me to "let go" I would do it.  Oh well.

Bake on friends!

XOXO

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This Mother's Day my family decided to do a late lunch.  My awesome godfather cooked, my mom and grandparents prepared fruit, and I made some sweets.  My family is easy.  We love food.  The only requirement is that it is good.

So since I was already bringing some muffins and bread from brunch to share (more on that later) El Hubby convinced me to make cookies.  He really had to twist my arm on this one.  With it being so hot lately it was hard to want to start up the oven.

But then I remembered that I had bags of Reese's mini peanut butter cups from the after Easter sale at Target.  Oh you know I hit up the candy aisle after the holiday.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

Ingredients:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (3.5) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 bags Reese mini peanut butter cups unwrapped

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper
2.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3.  Add pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4.  Whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.
5.  Slowly add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just incorporated.  DO NOT OVER MIX!
6.  Fold in the mini peanut butter cups
7.  Using a cookies scooper, scoop 2 tablespoons cookie dough on prepared baking sheet.
8.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown.  Remove and place on cooling rack.

These cookies were amazing.  Just the right about of chocoate-EE-ness and oh the pieces of peanut butter cut is so yummy.  I will for sure be making these again.  These would be good sandwiching some ice cream.  Oh the possibilities ca be endless.  

The fur baby gave me lots of kisses for Mother's Day and that is all a fur mama could ask for.  That and maybe some snuggle time which I got a lot of too.

The pup spent the morning hanging out with my in laws for Mother's Day brunch and then off we went to have a late lunch with my extended family.  Khloe the pup had a very full day.  By the end of the night she was ready for bed.

Cookies make everything better. 

XOXO

Banana Bread

Okay, I am really trying to leave my banana phase.  Especially because we are in spring and there are so many fruits and berries to choose from. So many fruit stands ... strawberries, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, etc.

So of course my mother would drop off brown bananas to me.  Of course I cannot waste food.  Of course I made a banana bread.  Blame my mother. 

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, soften
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 overripe bananas
2 eggs
4 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup toffee pieces

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a mini loaf pan (4 mini loaves)
2.  Beat butter and sugar until creamy
3.  Beat in eggs one at a time.
4.  Add the rest of the ingredients until just combined.
5.  Mix in toffee pieces
6.  Pour mixture into prepared mini loaf pan.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This bread came out nice and tender.  I personally feel like it was full of banana flavor.  However, it was sweet.  Definitely could pass as dessert.

Hopefully the Tzu Chi math tutoring students and volunteers enjoyed the bread.

Sometimes laziness just takes over and there is nothing we can do.    Of course when you are a pup it seems to happen quite often.  The pup must be tired from guarding the house all day.  Well done!

Keep baking friends!

XOXO

Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Sundried Tomatoes

Most of the time when I don't know what to make for dinner I resort to making pasta.

El Hubby:  What's for dinner?
Me:  I don't know.  Pasta?
El Hubby:  I don't really feel like pasta
Me:  Well I don't feel like making dinner.
El Hubby:  Pasta sounds good.

Okay okay this exact conversation did not happen but some sort of it has happened.  I would say "poor husband" but the likelihood of me not feeding his is usually quite small.

Pasta has been on my brain ever since I say my cousin in Taiwan post her Facebook about eating pasta.  Ever since then I have had pasta on the brain.  I wanted something simple to make.  Of course I had not gone to the grocery store in days.  So I went through my stack of "recipes to try" and luckily found this.  And luckily I had all the ingredients.  Oh at least I made it work.
  

Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Sundried Tomatoes
Adapted from Smells Like Home

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb chicken, boneless, skinless, trimmed, sliced thin
1 onion, small
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bottle Alfredo sauce
salt and pepper
1 lb broccoli, florets only
12 oz penne pasta

Directions:
1.  Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Salt and pepper chicken.  Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.
2.  Lower the heat to medium and add 1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet.  When the olive oil is shimmering add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3.  Stir in a bottle of Alfredo sauce.  
4.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Add broccoli in 3 minutes before pasta is done.  Drain pasta and broccoli.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. 
5.  Add the chicken to the sauce.  Cook chicken until done, about 2 minutes. 
6.  Add pasta and broccoli to sauce.  Toss to combine.  Stir in pasta water until you get desired consistency in sauce. 
7.  Serve hot!

This pasta came out amazing.  It is for sure going into the recipe binder.  Oh and let me tell you, the leftovers were even better.

I don't know about other pet owners but I talk to my pup.  This is her face when I talk to her.  Most of the time I think she thinks I am crazy.  Which I am.  Crazy in love with my fur baby.

Get ready for spring and fruits and baking with those fruits!

XOXO

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Sometimes you feel like a nut.  Sometimes you don't.  Okay I never feel like coconut.  But El Hubby loves coconut so the good wifey that I am I make it for him.  It's crazy how much coconut goes through my pantry when I not only don't like coconut but have self proclaimed to hate coconut.  Sorry coconut lovers.  It's true.  I hate coconut.  Except ... when it is covered with caramel and  chocolate and on top of a cookie.  Dang those Girl Scouts and their cookies!

These cookies do not disappoint in the chewy department.  They are moist and CHEWY!  For real!

Chewy Coconut Cookies
Adapted from Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup coconut

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside
3.  Cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth and creamy (about 3-4 minutes)
4.  Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy
5.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture
6.  Mix in the flaked coconut
7.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour
8.  Scoop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet.
9.  Bake for about 9 minutes or until just golden brown.  Cool on wire racks and then enjoy

With some experiment I have found that cookies are tastier when you refrigerate the dough.  I am no science major but I think it has something to do with science.  Whatever the reason refrigerate your dough.  Your cookies will come out more flavorful.  Maybe that's why store bought cookie dough is good.  Hmmmmm!

Sometimes no one can be trusted.  Especially when it is a prize possession you are keeping safe.  Sometimes the only thing a pup can do is sleep next to her biscuit so she can keep an eye on it. 

Time to put those running shoes on.  Spring is here and summer is right around the corner. 

XOXO

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Most nights it's a real struggle for me to come up with what to make for dinner.  I start dreading about dinner as soon as I come back to the office from lunch.  I go as far as asking my co workers what they plan on making for dinner.   Then there is always the dreaded text from El Hubby "what's for dinner".  Some times I just want to text back "poo".  Actually sometimes I do.

I literally threw this together and it was a pretty big hit in my house.  You can probably substitute chicken instead of shrimp or hey go all out and just add some chicken to the shrimp.  You can also probably pretty much use any kind of pasta.  Of course this absent minded wife only hand bow tie pasta so that's what I used.  I am sure you could substitute asparagus for broccoli.  You get the idea. 

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails removed
1 lb bow tie pasta
broccoli
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Italian seasoning
black pepper
red pepper flakes
salt

Directions:
1.  Boil pasta in water according to package directions.  Add broccoli at last 2 minutes of cook time.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for use at a later time.  Drain pasta.
2.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add shrimp and cook until they are a little pink.  Add garlic and cook 5-7 minutes.  Add olive oil and continue to cook shrimp until they are pink.
3.  Add pasta and broccoli to the skillet, season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt.  Add enough of the saved pasta water until the mixture is not dry but not simmering in liquid (start by adding 1/4 of a cup and work your way up from there).
4.  Keep tossing all the ingredients around in the skillet until it is well combined and hot.

This will definitely be filed under "make when you have no idea what to make" recipes.

This face brings a smile to my face.  How do you stay mad at a face like that?  

Get those allergy pills read, spring is coming!

XOXO 

Banana, Raisin and Apple Bread

I am always trying to find recipes that my Asian family and friends will like.  Not that I don't care about my other friends but lets be honest the Asians are more critical.  Especially when it comes to dessert or anything sweet.  The Asians like to complain a lot about if something is "too sweet".  So finding something sweet to satisfy these people can be really hard.

The banana, raisin and apple bread was pretty easy to make.  I will be honest.  The recipe originally called for dried cranberries but I was out (El Hubby has been eating oatmeal in the morning and apparently used up all the dried cranberries) so I substituted with raisins. 

This bread turned out amazing.  Seriously.  I brought it to Tzu Chi on Sunday and I came home with a empty container.  The Asian people all seemed very happy.  I think the only thing I would have to comment on is that the raisin kinda sunk to the bottom.  So I guess I need to save some flour to sprinkle on them next time to prevent all the raisin form sinking to the bottom.

Banana, raisin and apple bread
Adapted from Anncoo Journal

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1 apple, grated
3 large bananas, mashed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 360 degrees and grease a mini loaf pan
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Mix well and set aside.
3.  Combine eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, grated apple, and mashed bananas.  Mix well.
4.  Add in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  Mix until combined.
5.  Add in raisins.
6.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes.

Bake this bread friends.  I promise it is worth it.  I would not classify this as a dessert.  But it passes with flying colors for breakfast, brunch, or snack.

The pup loves her biscuits.  It's one of the few words she knows and knows well.

Keep baking friends!

XOXO

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

What is better than a chocolate chip cookie?  NOTHING!  Okay wait ... how about a chocolate chip cookie with toffee in it?  Oh yeah!



These cookies are amazing.  Just amazing.  They are chewy and light.  Yet packed with flavor.  My picky Asian mother ate 2 in one setting.  That says a lot. 



Any dough that calls for melted butter instead of soft butter is my friend.  Come on!  Who has the patience to wait for butter to soften.  Melt that sucker and lets make some cookies!



I have come to the conclusion that cookie batter that is made with melted butter instead of soften butter really should be refrigerated before baking.  It just gives it more umph.  You know what I mean?  Of course you now what I mean.  

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
Adapted from The Baker Chick

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped toffee

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3.  Mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.
4.  Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined
5.  Add dry mixture and beat until just combined
6.  Stir in chocolate chips and toffee
7.  Refrigerate cookie dough for about 1 hr (more is even better)
8.  Use a cookie scooper to scoop cookies.  Bake for about 11 minutes.
9.  Cool on cookies sheet until able to lift without breaking.  Cool on wire rack.

These cookies have been moved to the top of my cookie list.   I will be making these again for sure.

Khloe the pup is always up for a adventure.   She always has her eye out for when she gets to go somewhere.  And oh man she is always excited.

Keep feeding your friends and family good food. 

XOXO

PB&J Marshmallow Oreo Stuffed Cookies

Let me start out saying these cookies are the mama jama of cookies.   There's peanut butter.  There is marshmallow.  There is M&Ms.  And if all that was not enough ... stuffed inside is a berry burst oreo.  Take that normal little cookie! 

However, I am suppose to making cookies for math tutoring that contains not nuts, gluten free, etc.  Clearly I did a epic fail. 

These cookies are so big you have to make them in a muffin tin! 

WARNING!  These cookies are not for the faint at heart.  They are rich.  Rich in flavor and content.  Please eat with care and preferably with a big glass of milk. 

 I hope Kraft never stops making mallow bits.  These things are awesome!  Got get some at your local Target store if you have not already done so.  If you don't bake you can at least enjoy them in your hot chocolate. 

PB&J Marshmallow Oreo Stuffed Cookies
Adapted from: Recipes from Kevin & Amanda

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Bits
1 bag milk chocolate M&Ms
1 pkg Berry Burst Ice Cream Oreos

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a standard size muffin pan with cooking spray.
2.  Beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes)
3.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.
4.  Whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt.
5.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.  Stir in marshmallow bits.
6.  Add 5-6 M&Ms to bottom of prepared muffin pan.
7.  Add a scoop of cookie dough, one Oreo, another scoop of cookie dough and press down to flatten.  Top with 5-6 more M&Ms.
8.  Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to turn brown.

 These cookies were amazing!  However, I could only eat 1.  The husband however has been chowing down on them.  Oh and then he has a co worker who ate 2 and then took 3 home to his family.  Ah I love people who love my baking. 

 Seriously I think I need to start entering Kong balls in our financial budget.  The pup loves them.  They are everywhere in my home.  My favorite is driving away and seeing a ball that has escaped the front gate onto the porch. 

 Keep baking and eating good food!
XOXO

Bacon Cheese Beer Bread

Ever since my friend Leslie introduced me to beer bread I have been in love.  There is just something about it that makes you want to keep eating.  Oh and beer bread is always so simple to make.

This bread is savory and great with chili, soup or pasta.  I served this bacon cheese beer bread with meatloaf and it was a big hit with El Hubby.

Bacon Cheese Beer Bread
Adapted from:  The Slow Roasted Italian

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup shredded cheese
1 12 ounce bottle of beer
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray bread pan with cooking spray and set aside
2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar with a whisk.  Make a well in the center.  Add bacon, about 3/4 of cheese and full beer into the well
3.  Stir mixture with a spoon until combined
4.  Pour mixture into prepared bread pan.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Bake for 30 minutes
5.  Remove from oven and drizzle remaining melted butter over the top
6.  Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until browned on top and loaf thumps when you tap the top
7.  Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. 

This bread was super yummy.  The cheese I used was a mixture of colby and cheddar and the beer I used was MGD.  Nothing too fancy but the bread turned out well.  El Hubby and I enjoyed the bread with some meatloaf.  This bread was also very good by itself.  We toasted it for breakfast and it was just as yummy.

I am starting to feel that my fur baby is quite spoiled. 

Maybe even spoiled rotten sometimes. 

Lately she has started this thing where she wakes me up in the middle of the night to pet her.  The pup will jump on the bed and repeatedly stick her head under my hand until I wake up.  Then she turns on her back and wiggles until I start to pet her.  El Hubby says I have spoiled her rotten.  Sad!

Continue to eat good food and play with your fur babies.

XOXO

Diner Meatloaf Muffins

I am always trying to think of things to make for dinner that is fast.  After all, who really wants to wait over 1 hour for dinner to cook? Wait time really kills me.

Okay I will be honest.  I am not a fan of meatloaf.  I don't know what it is.  But then most of the time I am not a fan of a slab of meat.  Must be really weird for most people.  Oh well.  However, my husband is a fan of meatloaf.  So as the wonderful wifey that I am I make meatloaf for him.

Now if I have to eat meatloaf it better be fun.  I had seen this recipe to make meatloaf using a muffin pan to reduce time.  Ha!  What a fabulous idea!  Plus, then dinner can be cute.  Of course I decorated the meatloaf with mash potato and bacon to make them look like cupcakes.  I am weird.  I don't apologize. 

Diner Meatloaf Muffins
Adapted from From Dahlias to Doxies

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup Club crackers (about 20), finely crushed
2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, garlic and oregano to the pan and saute a couple minutes.  Set veggies aside to cool.
3.  In a large bowl, combine beef, ketchup, crackers, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Add the cooled veggie mixture and eggs; mix together well.
4.  Coat muffin pan with cooking spray.  Use a ice cream scooper to scoop meat mixture into muffin pan.  Top each muffin with BBQ sauce.  Bake for about 25 minutes.

I love that there are veggies in this meatloaf.  Somehow it makes me feel like I am serving something healthy.  This was fairly easy to make.  Ingredients were all items that should be easily found in the pantry.  You can even substitute any kind of crackers.  However, Club crackers are nice and buttery and ohhhhhhh sooooooo good.  Use them if you have them.  Making the meatloaf into little cupcakes really made me happy.

On Saturdays that El Hubby and I feel like giving ourselves a special treat we walk to a near by breakfast restaurant and eat outside with the pup.  Those are my favorite breakfast times.  It's nice and relaxing eating outside on a nice day.  Sadly usually people do not opt to eat outside in Fresno.  It's quite sad.  Cause in other towns such as San Francisco it is quite common.  But I guess that means move room for my little family.  The pup loves going to Country Waffle.  She loves when people walk by and ask to pet her.  But mostly she loves when she gets eggs.  Oh and we are good pet owners who bring the pup's own bowl and stuff.  (don't want to make some people cringe by letting the pup eat off human plates)  However the last 2 times that my little family went our favorite waitress has not been there.  She is always so nice, pets the pup and makes sure we have water to give to the pup.  My little family needs to start looking for another breakfast place near by because apparently all the other waitress are not too keen in serving people outside even though they have a patio.  El Hubby heard one of the waitresses say "well they better leave a big tip".  Now coming from a family of restaurant owners and having been a waitress at one time in my life before leaving a tip is very important to me cause I remember a time living off of tips.  However, I would never say it out load.  Plus, we never leave a mess and always clean up after ourselves.  Whatever!  Rude people make me angry and sad.  So the hunt for a new breakfast place has begun.  Hopefully I will find a place in walking distance that will let my little family eat outside. 

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO

Peanut Butter Delight Pupcakes

My fur baby turned 2 years old yesterday.  I can't believe how fast time flies.  It's been almost 2 years since El Hubby and I adopted the pup from the shelter.  I cannot imagine life without her.  Especially those moments when she just comes over to me and snuggles all on her own.  Can  you tell the fur baby has me wrapped around her little paw?

So of course I spoiled her and took her to doggy day camp and to get groomed.    

She got new toys and her own pupcake.  Khloe's gammy would be proud of her new toys.  Her gammy always insist that the pup needs to be a vegetarian to live a long life (gammy says seafood is okay cause it's not meat cause it does not contain blood.  Gammy is a weird lady).  I think the lime is her favorite. 

Peanut Butter Delight Pupcakes
From Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin cups with liners.
2.  Whisk together flour and baking soda.
3.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
4.  Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full or use ice cream scooper.
5.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. 

The pupcake was super easy to make.  Also it's kind of nice knowing what exactly is in the food I am giving her.  I spread some cream cheese on the pupcake and decorated it with a biscuit.  

The pup waited patiently as I took pictures before she could eat her pupcake.

Once the husband said the magical release word "okay" she tore into that pupcake.  Not lady like at all.  The pup is eating so fast that I can't even get the camera to focus. 

Of course I had to make treats for the humans in her life.  Cupcakes for the humans.  These were nothing fancy.  Just a box devils food cupcake mix (yeesh sorry yes box cake), cream cheese frosting and a Scooby snack as decoration. 

I hope my fur baby had a good birthday.  She sure was tired by the end of the night.

Keep baking friends and remember to show your loved ones that you love them everyday. 
XOXO