Chocolate chip cookie dough frosting 

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One day our girls’ Guncle brought them over chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. They were sinful and the girls didn’t stop talking about them. So when I asked Bitty what kind of cake she wanted me to bake for her birthday dinner she knew exactly what she wanted. A blue cake, because Alice’s dress is blue, with chocolate chips in it, and chocolate chip cookie dough frosting. 

Hummmm, to come up with a recipe, and fast! Or worst case senerio, run to Guncle Alex’s favorite bakery if I screwed it up. So I took to pinterest. Looked at a few ideas and got to work. I was really unsure of the outcome until they got home from school and I had them and my friend’s kiddos taste test it for me. Kids are always brutally honest and that’s what I was looking for. All six kiddos LOVED it. Turns out I had enough left over that we’re going to use it for a dip at her party too. They were really excited about that idea.

-Creamy Cookie Dough Frosting-

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature 
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 
  • 8 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 2 tsp butter vanilla bakery emulsion 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 16 tbsp whole milk (1 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 
  • 1 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips 

Directions:

  1. Beat brown sugar & butter together in mixer on medium until smooth & creamy.
  2. Add flour, vanilla extract, butter vanilla bakery emulsion, & salt into mixer until fully combined. 
  3. With mixer on low, add milk 1 tbsp at a time until fully combined. 
  4. Sift powdered sugar and gradually add to mixture until fully combined. 
  5. Remove bowl from mixer & add mini chocolate chips. Stirring by hand until incorporated. 

Side notes:

  1. If using for cupcakes and wanting a firmer frosting add small amounts of additional powdered sugar until desired firmness reached. 
  2. I found the butter vanilla bakery emulsion at a local craft supply store. Otherwise I’d use the same amount of butter extract in its place. 
  3. Can be used for a frosting or a dip to serve with cookies or pretzels. 
  4. I’d keep it refrigerated until serving in either form. 
  5. Surprisingly it’s not excessively sweet. It taste like chocolate chip cookie dough, minus the eggs of course. If you wanted it sweeter you could try maybe adding a 1/2 cup of regular sugar to the mix. This was more sugar than I’d typically use in any recipe so I opted to not keep adding more, especially after seeing how much the kids all liked it.
  6. I also made some chocolate cupcakes with this frosting for her to share with her friends at dance class (though I wish I had thickened it up a bit).
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MLK day 2017

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Some of my favorite quotes by Martin Luther King Jr…

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” 

“Darkness can not drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate can not drive out hate. Only love can do that.” 

“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.”

And likely my very favorite…

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I love the little things you do.

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This evening we celebrated my birthday with family, and friends came by throughout the day. I am thankful for the calm day we had together. I’m thankful for the little things they all did to show me so much love. Each of them finding little ways of their own. Be it dropping by earlier because they had prior engagements this evening. My mom cooking a dinner she knew I’d love. My husband baking me a very unique and fabulous birthday cake. A make believe coffee “just like the one you order from starbucks mama” made by my 4 year old. Her singing happy birthday to me in her little pink microphone. Some family that had a really rough week still coming when I knew they should have stayed home and rested. Presents that couldn’t have been more “me”. Tickets to a concert that is sold out and I am beyond excited about. Balloons & decorations picked out by my 11 year old daughter and her daddy. A birthday card that brought me to tears, those damn hallmark cards always get me. A private letter from my husband that I had to pause in reading, because I couldn’t see through my stinkin’ tears (what is with everyone making me cry today, ha ha). My 7 year old daughter sitting in my lap while they sang happy birthday to me. The priceless look on her little face that I later saw in pictures. My dad getting me a pot that he remember me telling him I wanted to get like my Granny & Paw-Paw once had. Honestly, so many loving gestures that have truly left me in awe. Once again, I find myself saying I’m so thankful for all of the beautiful people in my life. The ones that no matter what, find ways to show me in big and little ways, how much I mean to them.

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Turkey & veggie soup 

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I love seeing a recipe and giving it my own spin. I recently saw a recipe floating around on Facebook for a beef and cabbage soup. It looked delish, only I don’t cook beef. So I decided to try a different twist. The outcome was a house full of family that loved it. 

This could be made in an instant pot or on the stove. I went the instant pot route because I jump on any chance to cook with it. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey 
  • 1 small head of cabbage (chopped up)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 4-6 stalks of celery (sliced)
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots (sliced)
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp creole seasoning
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 28 oz petite diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups turkey stock 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Going the instant pot method, put the instant pot on the saute setting. Pour olive oil in. When heated (happens quickly) add ground turkey and cook until browned. Just a few minutes. Add onion, carrots, & celery and saute a few more minutes. Add minced garlic, salt, creole seasoning, turkey stock, and diced tomatoes. Stir well. Add cabbage and stir again. Then add Bay leaves and put lid on and close valve. 

Manually set to pressure cook on high heat for 20 minutes and use natural release. Remove bay leaves and stir. Ready to serve!


Side notes:

  • Can be served over rice or as is. We liked it as is.
  • Can do it with ground beef and beef stock if you prefer. Or ground chicken and chicken stock. Or maybe no meat at all with a veggie broth. Can virtually change it up any way you’d like to your preferece. 
  • I save all veggie scraps and peels and freeze in a gallon zip lock until it’s full and then make a veggie broth with it. 
  • For stove top method, follow all of the above instructions and then simmer on low for 45 minutes to an hour. 
  • The turkey stock I used was the stock I made from our cajun turkey we cooked for Thanksgiving. So it was full of flavor already. Can use store bought broth, but may need to add more seasoning to taste. 
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