Blender Salsa

We can all agree that fresh salsa tastes so much better than anything you can find on the shelf at the store. But we can also all agree that making homemade salsa takes a lot longer than just cracking open a bottle of Pace Picante. But what if there were a happy middle? A salsa that tastes fresh, but takes half the time? Wish granted. By using canned tomatoes you avoid the time it takes to blanch, peel and seed the tomatoes (and your hands aren't made raw in the process) and this can be made year round when tomatoes aren't in season or cost a ridiculous amount (paying $1.50 per tomato here was getting real old real fast). And honestly, this tastes amazing. I actually prefer this texture over salsa with fresh tomatoes which tend to get a bit watery with all the tomato juice.  10-15 minutes tops and you've got fresh salsa on the table ready to be devoured! And believe me, it will be.

1 can regular diced tomates
2 cans “Rotel” brand diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Juice from 2-3 limes
2 garlic cloves
half a white onion, chopped
½ c green onions, sliced
1 green bell pepper (can add a red too if you like), chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients, except one can of diced tomato, stir that in after it is blended to add a little texture. Can eat immediately, but if refrigerated in a covered bowl for a couple hours the flavors meld beautifully. This makes a lot, so you can also half the recipe.

Source | Brooke Maureau

{copy cat} Nesquik Mix

I love a good copy cat recipe. It's like a little taste of home. I was excited when I came across this recipe and the kids were even more excited when they came home from school and found this waiting for them. Super easy, super cheap and definitely going to be a staple in our pantry from now on!

1/3 C cocoa powder
2/3 C sugar
pinch of salt

Mix well then add 1-2 tablespoons to a glass of milk (you do need to stir it a little extra so that the sugar dissolves). Store mix in an airtight container.

Source | Saving With Shellie

{healthy} Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Fruit Dip

Another favorite after school snack that is not only delicious but protein packed too. Only 4 ingredients, most of which are always on hand (I'm not the only one who keeps a year supply of chocolate chips on hand, am I??)  and it takes no more than 5 minutes to whip together. Meaning the kids are happy and mom is too!

1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
1 tablespoon organic honey
1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chips

Add greek yogurt, almond butter and honey to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and serve with fresh fruit.

Source | Fit Foodie Finds

Berry Detox Smoothie

I'm a creature of habit. I eat the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch and my afternoon snack. Yes, I feel like a kid having a scheduled afternoon snack. But honestly, between 2-3:00 I become ravenous. I get the munchies in a real bad way and if I'm not conscious about having a healthy snack prepared then I will dig through the pantry and come up with all the junk food that I can find. So for like the past year this has been my go-to snack.  It is sweet enough to satisfy my sugar craving, but with all natural ingredients I can eat it without feeling guilty. I've found that if I sprinkle about 1/4 cup muesli (or granola) on top then it gives it a little more substance so that I feel full after eating it. I know there are about a million and one smoothie recipes out there, but this is my absolute favorite, so I thought it was worth sharing!

1 large banana (best if cut into chunks and frozen)
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup almond milk (or more, depending on how thick you like it)
1 Tbs ground flaxseed, ground linseed, protein powder or wheat germ- just something to give it a little extra nutrition
1/4 cup muesli or granola
fresh berries to top (optional)

Add the banana, spinach, blueberries, almond milk and flaxseed to a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with muesli/granola and fresh berries.

*makes one smoothie

White Chocolate Dipped Granola Bites

These right here are the best little accident. We're planning a road trip this weekend, and road trip = a full day of baking. Road trips in New Zealand are usually to pretty remote locations without a lot of food options so I end up doing a lot of baking and cooking before hand to bring with us. Sometimes I really miss cheap fast food on every corner, but we sure eat a lot better! So after we fell in love with these White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars I thought I'd try my hand at adapting my favorite Peanut Butter Granola into granola bars. They tasted delicious, which was no surprise, but they were a little crunchier and thinner so when I tried to cut them into bars they broke into pieces. I just so happened to have leftover white chocolate chips in the pantry. And cue angels singing. These turned out way better than I could have imagined. I think these may just be our new favorite road trip snack or anytime snack!

4 cups old fashioned oats
3 Tbs wheat bran (optional)
3 Tbs ground flax seed or linseed (optional)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut (finely grated-optional)
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Lay oats in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring half way through. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. While the oats are toasting, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, peanut butter and cinnamon. Bring it to a boil and continually stir for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat. Put the toasted oats in a large bowl, stir in the wheat bran, flax seed and coconut. Pour the peanut butter sauce over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Gently mix in the chcolate chips then scoop the mixture into the prepared dish. Press firmly and evenly, then refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove and break into bite sized chunks. Put white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds, stir then heat for another 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until melted and smooth. Dip each granola bite into chocolate then refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

BBQ Potato Chips

We love BBQ potato chips around these parts so when the kids found out that I was going to attempt a home made version they were equally excited and skeptical, not sure if they could beat the store bought variety.  My daughter had the tedious task of patting dry each individual slice but after eating just one chip she said it was totally worth it and volunteered to pat dry the potatoes every time as long as I promised to make them lots. And I couldn't stop the other kids from sneaking some while we were making them. I'll tell you what, I've never gotten a reaction like this from store bought chips, so to say they were a hit is a definite understatement!

4 russet potatoes
vegetable oil (for frying-enough to fill about 2 inches of the pot)

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash fresh black pepper

Wash or peel the potatoes then use a mandoline (or I just used a cheese slicer and it worked great) to thinly slice potatoes about 1/4-inch-thick. Try to cut them evenly so that they will cook at the same rate. Fill a large bowl with water and immediately soak potatoes for about 30 min to remove the excess starch. Meanwhile, mix the seasoning ingredients together and set aside. Remove potatoes and use paper towels to pat dry and remove all excess water. Heat vegetable oil in a stockpot over medium high heat. Working in batches, add potato slices to form a single layer in the pot, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes (a little longer if they are sliced thicker). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately lightly sprinkle with seasoning mix.

Source | Kitchenaid 

Cinnamon French Toast Sticks

French toast sticks have been a hit around our house for quite some time, but when my sister posted about this cinnamon version, I just knew we had to give it a try. I tweaked it a little using my favorite french toast sticks recipe, but the addition of the crusted cinnamon and sugar coating just made these to die for! And just when I thought they couldn't get any tastier...

8 slices Texas Toast (or 1 loaf bakery or homemade bread, sliced thick)
5 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
butter, for frying
maple syrup for dipping

Coating:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Cut bread slices into 1 inch thick strips. Preheat large griddle or non-stick skillet. Mix 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in bowl, set aside for coating. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and whisk until combined. Butter the griddle or skillet. Dip one slice of bread at a time into the egg mixture, flipping over once to coat the other side. Place on hot griddle. Cook on each side until golden brown. Remove from griddle and coat in cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with all slices of bread until coating mixture is gone. Add more butter to griddle or skillet as needed. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Source | Six Little Chefs

 

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have my faithful go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that has never given me reason to stray away, but in an effort to try and eat a little healthier I thought I would give these a try. I know, I know, "healthy" and "cookie" don't really belong in the same sentence, but if I'm going to make cookies (which you know I will) I might as well add a little more nutrition to them. The oatmeal combined with the coconut adds such a delicious flavor and texture. These were a huge hit and made me glad that I decided to venture outside my familiar little chocolate chip cookie box. Before my kids were even done eating one they were already requesting that I make them again!

1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the egg, butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes. Add the oats, flour, coconut, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the chocolate chips, and stir until just combined. Using a 1/4-cup measure, form 12 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls and flatten slightly. Arrange on cookie sheet 2 inches apart then cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (if unchilled, cookies will bake thinner and flatter). Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 11-13 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cookie rack.

Source | Averie Cooks

 

White Chocolate & Cranberry Granola Bars

We went camping this past weekend and as I was trying to figure out what snacks to bring along I was so excited to come across these on my sister's blog. They were seriously amazing! They're delicious, aren't packed full of preservatives or processed ingredients, and are quite filling to keep little tummies full between meals. They're also easy to make and make quite a large batch, so totally hit the jackpot with these!

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups Rice Krispie cereal
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Line a baking dish with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix oats, cereal and shredded coconut. In a small sauce pan, melt the coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add honey, brown sugar and salt. Stir together then bring to a boil. Once the boil has reached all the way around the edges of the pan, begin timing. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes. You may need to turn down the heat so it doesn't overflow, but keep it boiling. After two minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture. Stir thoroughly until oats are completely covered. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate, or whatever mix-in's you choose. Pour mixture into parchment lined baking dish. Use your hands to press firmly into pan. If you don't press firmly enough, the bars will fall apart. Place pan in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove parchment paper from pan and place on firm, flat surface. Cut into bars and store in airtight container.

Source | Six Little Chefs

Homemade Graham Crackers

One of our favorite snacks used to be graham crackers dunked in milk, and since they don't have graham crackers here in New Zealand my kids have really missed that. I came across the recipe for homemade graham crackers a while ago and it sat on my pinterest board for quite some time. I don't know if it was because I thought they would be time consuming or because I thought they would be just another pinterest fail, but for whatever reason I never got around to making them. Well, one of my new year's resolutions is to choose healthier snack options for me and my kids, so I thought I would give these a try and now I am kicking myself for not making them earlier! Think of all those months that we could have been nibbling on these, I'm definitely making up for lost time. They don't take any longer than a batch of cookies to make and they are seriously so good and so much healthier. Even when we do move back to the land of graham crackers and $1.89/gallon milk, I think we'll still be making these. My kids were in heaven and thanked me profusely as they drowned them in a glass of milk. And then their friends came over and finished off the batch because they were so good, so of course they're begging me to make more tomorrow. I think I can do that.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon wheat bran
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, room temp
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
*optional: for cinnamon graham crackers, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on dough before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together wheat flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, wheat bran and baking soda. Cut butter into flour mixture until course, add honey, water and vanilla then use beaters to mix together until evenly distributed. Shape dough into a ball then roll flat (about 1/4 inch thick) on a floured surface. You don't want it to be too thick or too thin, see the middle picture above as an example. Use a pizza cutter to cut into squares then use a fork to make the design in the center. Place on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Cool and serve with a cold glass of milk.

*Source: Love to Be in the Kitchen

No Bake Cookies

These right here are my kryptonite. I can't help that they are so freaking good and so freaking easy. I can, however, help that I always happen to have the ingredients on hand for whenever the craving hits. And it happens to hit quite often. You don't even know how tempted I am to pause typing this right now to go whip up a batch. These aren't a novel concept, this recipe has been around for ages but it is definitely one I want for our family recipe book because I have a feeling when my daughter goes off to college she'll be making plenty of batches of these!

2 C sugar
½ C butter
½ C milk
3 Tbs cocoa powder
3 Cups oats
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then set the timer for 6 min and continue boiling, stirring regularly (if it isn't cooked long enough then they will be gooey, if it is cooked too long they will just crumble and fall apart. Six minutes is my magic number, but if they still seem a little gooey you can return the cookies, oats and all, back to the pan and cook for another minute or two). Remove from heat and mix in cocoa, oats and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper and let cool.

 

Sugar Cookies with Whipped Buttercream Frosting

I'm a bit of a sugar cookie snob. They have to be perfectly buttery and flakey, not too dense, too chewy, too sweet or too crunchy. And then of course there's the frosting. The cookie and frosting have to compliment each other perfectly and this right here is a divine cookie matrimony. These right here are perfection and with sugar cookie season upon us I use every excuse possible to make them.

Cookies:

1 C real butter (room temperature, but not too soft)
2/3 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 ½ C flour
½ tsp salt

Cream together sugar and butter, then add vanilla and egg. Mix flour and salt then add to creamed mixture. Ball together and refrigerate for 30 min-1 hr (it may be a little crumbly, but after being handled the butter softens and makes it easier to work with). Roll out dough about ½ in. thick and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes.

Frosting:

6 Tbs butter
2 C powdered sugar
6 Tbs heavy cream
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla

Whip butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and salt, continue beating on high speed as you add cream and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar or cream if necessary until desired consistency is reached. Add food coloring if desired, then mix well.

*source: Cookies: Chelsea Figgins, Frosting: My own trial and error

 

Blueberry Banana Crumb Bread

I have this bad habit. Ever since I made these Apple Crumb Muffins I can't help but put a crumb topping on every type of muffin or bread that I make. It just transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary and I find myself licking every last crumb off the plate. Literally. It's kind of embarrassing when you get caught doing it.  I love banana bread and I also love blueberries and for the life of me I can't remember where I got this recipe. I think maybe it was a combination of a banana bread recipe and a blueberry bread recipe? I don't know, but what I do know is that this bread is so moist and delicious, I guarantee that I won't be the only one licking my plate clean.

3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 medim mashed ripe bananas
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Crumb topping:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat one large loaf pan or 4 small loaf pans with cooking spray. Whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, butter and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, sift together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Mix crumb topping ingredients together then sprinkle on top. Bake about 60-65 minutes for a large loaf, and 30 minutes for the smaller loaves, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool before slicing.

*Source: Unknown

 

Puff Pastry Donuts

We used to love making homemade donuts using Pillsbury Grand's biscuits. Add that to the list of things we can't get here and another mission to find something to replace it. I tried a few different recipes from scratch and I must be a donut delinquent because they were all too time consuming and never turned out the way the picture looked. When I came across this recipe it was like the heavens opened and angels began to sing. Not only do we have puff pastery, but it is super quick, super easy and super delicious. Little dream puffs on a plate is what these are.

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry. Cut circles out of puff pastry using two different sized circle cookie cutters, a larger circle for the outside and a smaller circle for the center. Fill a large pot with an inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook donuts and donut holes in hot vegetable oil, flipping when one side is golden. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, milk and vanilla to make glaze. While the donuts are still hot, dip them in the glaze.

*Source: Six Sister's Stuff

Hot Pizza Dip

You might not want to make this, because once you take one bite you're not going to be able to stop. Which is exactly what happened several years ago at a family Christmas party when my cousin brought this. I wanted to hide in the pantry and eat the entire thing. It's just a creamy, cheesy, saucy hot mess that you can't keep your hands off. Seriously, the quickest, easiest and most delicious appetizer ever!

8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese,
1 8 oz jar pizza sauce
1 loaf french bread, cut into 2 inch cubes

Combine softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning then spread on bottom dish. In bowl combine mozzarella and parmesan then sprinkle half on top of the cream cheese, followed by the pizza sauce then top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve with cubed bread for dipping.

*Source: Krystal Lloyd

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

When my husband and I were poor newly wed college kids we had a job taking care of the sweetest twin disabled girls. It was such a rewarding experience in so many ways. Their family quickly became our family and so many times we would show up to take the girls out and their mom would have delicious homemade goodies waiting for us. These were my absolute favorite. Fifteen years later and they still are. I think of them every time I make them and am grateful for the wonderful people that I've had in my life. And when those wonderful people happen to be amazing bakers, it's just an added bonus :)

3/4 cup butter, softened
½ c sugar
1 c brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ c flour
2 c oatmeal
1 egg
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter

Frosting:
3 c powdered sugar
1 ½ Tb cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs milk

Preheat oven to 325. Beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar and egg. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt then mix into butter mixture until smooth. Press dough onto greased 9x12 pan. Bake for 15-17 min, or until light brown and fluffy. Let cool. Then spread peanut butter evenly on top. For frosting, combine all ingredients then whisk in milk until desired consistency is reached then spread on top of the peanut butter.

*Source: Ann Gonzales

 

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Do you know what I miss from the states? Cold cereal. An entire aisle filled with nothing but cold cereal is something I will never take lightly again. We have about 5 different choices here, most of which have "wheat bix" in one form or another on the title. And most of which are like $7 per box. And not a single rainbow shaped marshmallow in sight, such a pity. I mean, it's like really a good thing I'm not pregnant here, that's all I ate for 9 months straight. But being forced to think outside of the cold cereal box has been a good thing. Whenever I think of bran I think of dry, tasteless and pretty much blah. These right here have changed my opinion. A friend of mine passed along this recipe years ago and I never thought I'd see my kids inhale anything bran related, but these disappear faster than any bowl of Lucky Charms and I can feel good knowing they're having a healthier start to their day.

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease or line muffin tin. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes. Beat together oil, egg, brown sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

*Source: Chelsea Figgins

 

Marshmallow Popcorn

I mentioned earlier that there are a few neighbor Christmas gifts that have really stood out over the years. The first is this Cheddar Ranch Cheese Spread and the next is this marshmallow popcorn. I never did get the recipe from our neighbor, but I found one that was pretty similar when I was feeling the craving for this sweet, ooey gooey marshmallow dream. So if you're still desperately trying to come up with a last minute neighbor gift this is your answer. It's delicious, quick, inexpensive and easy to make in large batches. Or if you want to make a big batch for yourself to inhale while watching Elf for the fifth time, by all means. I won't judge.  

1 bag mini marshmallows
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Pop popcorn and place in a bowl. Add the marshmallows, brown sugar and butter in a separate microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, or until it is melted and smooth, mixing every 30 seconds. Poor over the popcorn and mix well

*The marshmallows here come in a mix of pink and white, but you could always add food coloring for a fun pop of color

*Source: Oh Sweet Basil

Salted Caramel Apple Dip

Caramel and apples go together like peanut butter and jelly, like macaroni and cheese, like Will and Kate. They're just made for each other. I've never had much luck making caramel apples (I can never get the caramel to stay on!), but this dip, now this is something I can do. There is something about this sweet and salty homemade caramel sauce that is just divine. It's a perfect gift for teachers or neighbors or make a batch then store it in your fridge for up to a month (although I can guarantee it won't last that long) so that you can grab it out for a quick snack with apples, or to drizzle on ice cream or even french toast. Also perfect for these amazing gourmet apple slices. The options are endless!

1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ tsp salt

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and stir over low heat for 6-9 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the syrup to a boil. Cover the saucepan and let the syrup boil for 2 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil the syrup while stirring regularly for 5-7 minutes until it turns a dark caramel color. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter. Gently stir until the butter is melted then whisk in the cream, vanilla and salt. Let cool to thicken then serve. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Reheat on low power in the microwave or in a saucepan, adding a tablespoon or two of water if the sauce is too thick.

*Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Giada's Fried Ravioli

I love appetizer foods. I've been known to order nothing but appetizers when we've gone out to eat. I mean, mozzarella sticks and stuffed potato skins are totally considered a well balanced meal. One of the things I love most about the holidays is all the parties with all their fabulous party foods where I can nibble and sample to my little heart's content. They don't really do holiday parties here (or maybe we're just not cool enough to get invited to them?), but I was craving all my favorite appetizers so instead we threw our own little party on the last day of school to celebrate summer/Christmas (homemade hot chocolate just isn't the same in summer, in case you were wondering). This right here is one of my all time favorite appetizers both to eat and to bring. Giada De Laurentiis was demonstrating it on a talk show during the holidays years ago and I knew right then and there that this dish would be accompanying me to our next party. I mean, cheese ravioli covered in breadcrumbs, deep fried then dipped in a savory marinara? Poke me with a fork, I'm done. It was a huge hit and the rest of this love story is history...

Olive oil, for frying
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1 package refrigerated cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Put the buttermilk and the breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip the ravioli in the buttermilk to coat completely, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge the ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, while you coat the remaining ravioli. Heat 2 inches of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and puffed up, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan cheese and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping

*Source: Food Network