25

Jun

Peachy Jicama Salad

Do you ever eat jicama?

Jicama–AKA yambean, native of Mexico and South America, is similar to the potato (you can bake, steam, boil it), but you can also eat it raw (unlike the potato).

  • 46 calories per cup
  • 6 grams fiber (25% of your daily needs)
  •  crisp, refreshing taste

Peachy Jicama Salad with Tangy Lime Dressing
Makes 2 sizeable salads
2 peaches
1 TB margarine
1 jicama 
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 lime
1 TB sugar or agave nectar
4 mint leaves, chopped

1) Slice peaches in half and take out the pit. Scoop out the hard flesh around the pits, too. Spread the flesh sides with margarine and put face down in the toaster oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
2) In the meantime, peel the jicama. I used a knife and peeled it by hand, making slices downward. Cut the inside into bite-sized strips. Layer on two plates for serving.
3) Make the dressing: Combine lime juice, sugar and vinegar in a small cup/bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. 
4) When peaches are soft, remove from toaster and carefully slice into “O” shapes. Layer on top of the jicama. Then pour some of dressing on top of salad. Garnish with mint.


Hope your day’s peachy! (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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31

May

Strawberry Mint Muffins

It’s time for a muffin recipe! After a wonderful week with Matt’s (and my) friend, Rob, visiting from Kansas, we thought it would be fun if the guys had a golf weekend and I went to Houston to help my parents clean out part of my grandmother’s house.

It was a great weekend, including Dad surprising us with tix to the Astros game on Saturday! (Thanks, Dad!!) I ate so well this weekend! But, after rich foods at restaurants and special meals with friends and family, I was ready for a homemade ______. (fill in the blank, I wasn’t sure)

This overgrowing mint plant was a hint. (Yes, I have a Topsy Turvy, and it’s wonderful…don’t judge!)

These strawberry mint muffins are slightly sweet (not too much) and have some healthy things in them, and they’re SUPER EASY! The mint flavor is very subtle, but you can add 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract if you’d like more.

STRAWBERRY MINT MUFFINS

*makes 24 mini muffins*
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk + a splash
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
5 mint leaves, chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped (about 7 berries)


TOPPING: (optional)
2 tablespoons margarine/butter 
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3 tablespoons brown sugar



In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir with large spoon until all ingredients are blended. Pour batter into muffin cups.

If you desire to add the topping, mix the 3 ingredients in a separate bowl until all oats are moistened. Using your hands, form quarter coin-sized bits and place on each muffin cup in the pan. 

Then, bake at 350 for 12 minutes. 
  


With and without topping
Make these when you need to take something to work for the group, to sub as a dessert or freeze and pull out when you need a little breakfast on the go. If you freeze, heat up for 25 secs in the microwave. 
Happy Memorial Day!
I am consistently amazed by the strength and sacrifice of those in the military and their families. A huge thank you to all, including my 7 great uncles who served in World War II.




 

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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08

Feb

Cake Pops!

Okay, I officially have a new love…

CAKE POPS!
I got this cookbook last week,in hopes of making some for my mom’s birthday (Feb. 5th). Angie Dudley is a self-proclaimed “non-baker,” and–thinking of all of my kitchen disaster incidents–her book intrigued me. The ideas were so cute and basic enough to try it myself, so I did.
Here’s how they turned out….
Cupcake Pops, purple and pink dipped in mint chocolate

Mom’s nickname at work, “The Payroll Queen,” made its royal debut in dessert form. Aren’t they cute?
 They are such a blast to make! It’s pretty simple…

1) Bake a cake (from a mix is fine, just follow the directions), any flavor, in a 8X12 (or so) baking pan.

2) After cake is cooled, cut into 8 squares. Over a large mixing bowl, pick up 2 squares and rub them together. You are “crumbling” the entire cake into the smallest pieces possible.

3) Once the crumbling is complete for the entire cake, add 12 oz. of frosting to the cake. Mix it in using the back of a metal or wooden spoon. (The book is right…do NOT use the entire 16 oz can of frosting…the mixture will be TOO moist!) Mix together until it all becomes a moist bowl of cake happiness. Taste this, but don’t eat it all!

4) Now put the cake in the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 20 minutes.
5) Roll chilled cake into balls, about 1–1 1/2 inches in size. If they are not sticking together, put the cake back into the fridge to cool some more. Place the balls onto a cookie sheet lines with wax paper.
6) You can make the oh-so-tasty cake balls at this step, heating candy melts (like Wilton) in a deep microwavable bowl. Stir in between 30 second increments. A 1/2 pound batch (1/2 bag) should take about 3 minutes in the microwave to completely melt. 

7) Using 2 small spoons, dip/immerse the cake ball into the melted candy (I used dark chocolate mint) and juggle the ball between the spoons to drip off the excess candy.

8) Cool on wax paper for a few minutes. Eat! There are a million ways to decorate them, and it gets a bit complicated from there. However, this is TOTALLY worth 2 hours of your life!! I loved it, and I think my mom enjoyed the package she received for her b-day. 



I have so many ideas for using these cake balls for Cake Pops!…but some of you might be receiving those as gifts, so I shan’t post it here. 


Happy Baking!
~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL 43 Comments

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