National Toasted Marshmallow Day-Amy's Way

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow day.
So who doesn't automatically think of S'MORES??  Since I am not a huge fan of the traditional s'more, I decided to do it my way!

Cakeball S'more

I used to make cake ball, what seemed like every day. I think its been at least a year since I have made any, but I thought it might just go well with a little bit of graham cracker and marshmallows. So if you know anything about cakeballs, this will be easy for you!

There are 3 components to this amazing dessert.
1. Graham cracker crust.
2. Cakeball "dough"
3. TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS

Start off with your graham cracker crust. You can use a store bough pie crust if you would like. I mixed mine.
1 3/4c Graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c Sugar
1/3 c Melted butter.
Mix together and press into baking dish. ( I was making a small batch, so I used 3 mini spring form pans and had a bunch left over. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool.

For the Cakeball "dough", you are going to make a chocolate cake (I used a cake mix).
Bake as directed.
Once cake is baked, let it cool.
Crumble cake
Add about 1/3 container of store bought frosting (yes store bought)
Mix crumbled cake and frosting (I used the kitchen aid mixer). Mix until well combined.
Once Graham Cracker crust is cooled you are going to take your cakeball "dough" and press it into your baking dish to cover your crust.

Now for the TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS. Cover the top of the "dough" with marshmallows and place in the oven on broil. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM... they will toast fast!

Pull out of the oven. and Enjoy!!!!!

National Toasted Marshmallow Day - Kim's Way

S’mores aren’t the only option for toasted marshmallows, they are just the most popular one.  When I think beyond s’mores, I think of fluffernutters. 

A fluffernutter is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme, usually on white bread.  The sandwich was first created in the early 20th century after marshmallow creme, a sweet marshmallow-like spread, was invented in Massachusetts. 

I had my very first fluffernutter at a women’s tea at church.  It was so cute!  The bread was cut into a perfect little circle, topped with peanut butter, then half of a large marshmallow, and toasted!  Yummy!  I was hooked!

I searched Pinterest for the perfect recipe for this holiday, and found this one from Jennifer at Not Your Momma’s Cookie.

Fluffer Nutter Blondies

1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
Approximately half a bag of large marshmallows, cut in half (mini marshmallows could also be used)

Click here for complete instructions.

The result is a moist GOOEY delicious bar!

Notes:

• The marshmallow is messy to cut - just to warn you!

• The blondie was much thicker than I expected it to be.  This recipe could easily be make in a jelly roll pan or half sheet pan.  Just adjust the number of marshmallows accordingly.

National Toasted Marshmallow Day- Stacy's Way

When I think about toasted marshmallows I naturally think of s'mores, however, for National Toasted Marshmallow Day I didn't want to JUST make a s'more... I wanted to make something MORE! I had a few things inspiring me for this wonderful holiday: 

1. My love for Fluffer Nutter's 
2. My love for Reece's peanut butter cups on my s'more in place of the plane ol' Hershey bars 
3. My love for Ice Cream 

With all that love floating around, I decided on...

Fluffer Nutter Ice Cream

   8 egg yolks   
   1 cup sugar
2.5 cups half-and-half
2.5 cups whipping cream 
   4 tsp. vanilla 
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
   1 cup marshmallow cream

In stand mixer, mix eggs and sugar together. Grandually add half-and-half until well mixed. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add peanut butter and marshmallow cream. Heat until steamy, but not boiling, stirring constantly. Peanut butter and marshmallow cream should be melted. Return to stand mixer and add whipping cream, vanilla, and salt.  Once mixed, let chill overnight. Place in ice cream maker and mix according to your ice cream maker's directions.  Then ENJOY!!!

My original idea was to make an ice cream sandwich s'more using my homemade Fluffer Nutter ice cream. That turned out pretty messy, so I decided to do a layered ice cream sundae as well. It gave me all the same flavors of a Fluffer Nutter S'more Ice Cream Sandwich without the LOOOONG name and it wasn't quite so messy, but had all the same yumminess!! For that, I filled the bottom of the glass with crushed graham crackers and topped with mini chocolate chips and a chocolate dipped graham cracker to achieve a s'more like flavor! This gave me the "s'more but something more" I was looking for!

Notes

• Adapted from Kitchen Aid ice cream maker french vanilla ice cream recipe.
• I used a Kitchen Aid ice cream maker and ice cream was still very soft. After mixing it for the recommended 20 minutes I placed it back in freezer for 4 hours before enjoying. You will definitely need to plan ahead to make this recipe.
• The s'more ice cream sandwich tastes much better if left in the freezer over night so the graham cracker gets soft.
• There are SO many ways you could tweak this recipe! If you try it and/or tweak it, let me know! I'd love to hear what you did!!!

National Potato Day-Amy's Way

So today I was trying something different. Have you ever had those GOOD potato tacos? The good ones? Well that is what I was going for with these Potato Nachos. So here it goes. 

Potato Nachos

Potatoes-
5 Russet Potatoes
2 Small cans of diced Chilies
1 onion
1 Clove of Garlic Finely minced

Peal Potatoes and boil with chilies and onions. Mash with a fork leaving lumpy. Add garlic. Season with butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Salsa-
Hand full of minced Cilantro
1/2 an Onion
Pinch of Dried Oregano
2 Cloves of garlic
2 large Tomatoes
3-5 Serrano peppers.

1/2 and boil Chilies, tomatoes, and onions until soft. Blend in a blender using some of the water that was used when boiling. Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Should be a smooth consistency. 

Use your favorite tortilla chips, and top with potatoes, cheese, beans, avocado, salsa, sour cream and tomatoes. ENJOY!

National Potato Day - Kim's Way

Potatoes.  So simple.  They are a staple in our house.  We like them baked (well, most of us do), we like them mashed, we like them as breakfast hash browns, we like them as soup (again, most of us do).  I thought for sure National Potato Day would be one of the easy challenges.  But I can't just do "easy" and slap it on this here RIVALry blog, can I?

A couple days ago, I made my first potato recipe fully anticipating that I could whip it up, snap a couple pictures, and post it.  To my dismay, that was not the case.  The recipe was "good," but not blog-worthy.  Well, a couple of us thought it was good - the kids, not so much.  Neither one of them would eat it (skin on potato).  

So, I went in search of a new potato recipe.  Something safe.  Something fancy - but not difficult.  Something new.  Without further ado, I give you...

Dutchess Potatoes

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 cloves garlic, halved

¼ cup butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Seasoned salt

Ground black pepper

2 – 4 tablespoons milk

2 eggs

½ cup grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a covered large saucepan boil potatoes and garlic for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Grease a baking pan or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, mash potatoes and garlic with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed.  (Try to remove the big lumps so it doesn't clog when you pipe it.) Add the 1/4 cup butter and the nutmeg. Season to taste with seasoned salt and pepper. Gradually beat in enough milk to make mixture light and fluffy. Cool slightly. Beat in eggs and cheese with an electric mixer on low speed.

With a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe potatoes into mounds onto prepared baking pan. Drizzle mounds with the 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.

... Serve with a Santa Maria Rubbed Tri Tip and you have a perfect dinner.

I forgot to drizzle with melted butter.  They were still yummy!

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.  (I slightly adapted the directions and ingredients.  The recipe made 12 mounds, with some left over.  I put the left over in a ramekin and topped with grated cheddar cheese and baked.  I'm looking forward to that as leftovers.)

National Potato Day- Stacy's way

Who would have thought National Potato Day would present such a difficult decision? I make potatoes all the time and all different ways, so how hard could it possibly be, right?! Wrong! Turns out when you are the self proclaimed "looser" from last weeks competition (I lacked creativity, resources and alcohol) you can't just whip up any ol' potato recipe! I tossed around LOTS of ideas and narrowed it down to 4! That was after TONS of thought. I reached the point where I had to turn off the computer because there are just too many things you can do with potatoes! In my family we LOVE 2 things, bacon and potatoes! Usually we see the combination of those 2 things at breakfast side by side on the plate. Well folks, not this time... I present to you:
                                          

Bacon Wrapped Spuds

1 package of bacon, cut in half horizontally 
3 potatoes
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of thyme
Cheddar cheese
Chives
                                                              

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Cut potatoes in half, then in quarters. Cover baking sheet or drip pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix olive oil, steak seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt and thyme and set aside. Place potatoes in pot of water and bring to a boil. Once water boils, allow to cook for an additional 3 minutes. Drain, rinse and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Once potatoes have cooled toss them in oil and seasoning mixture. Wrap each potato with 1 half slice of bacon and place on baking sheet until all bacon is used. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish immediately with shredded cheese and chives.

*Serve with ranch dip or sour cream on the side MMMmmm!

My inspiration for this recipe can be found Here!

National Creamsicle Day- Stacy's Way (kind of)

I went into the first round feeling pretty confident. This was a concoction that I had made in the past, I knew what I was doing, knew it was good, and I had tested it on my target market... Kids! Without further ado:

Dreamsicle Mocktail

For the kids that can only dream of cocktails on National Creamsicle Day

 1oz. creamer (preferably nondairy)
 6-8 oz. of any Orange flavored soda
 Ice
*Sugar

Mix creamer and soda together and poor over ice. ENJOY! 

*To make it extra special add sugar to the rim of the glass!

Best part about this drink is that its so easy, kids can mix it up themselves and join in with the adults while they sip on Kim's version!

                                                 CHEERS!

National Creamsicle Day- Amy's Way

So imagine a hot summer day... Temp up to about 100 or so... Well that was today. And yes, a Creamsicle sounds so delicious and refreshing! So let’s turn on the oven and heat up the house to make some Orange Sugar cookies. Sounds fun. So I did. My take on the Creamsicle was a little different today, but I tell you...... when the flavors blend together in each bite.... Yummo!

Here it is folks. The Creamsicle Ice Cream Sandwich!

A great combination of orange flavored cookie with some rich creamy vanilla ice cream. 

As you will see, many of my recipes will more than likely be pulled from this amazing cook book I have found online. Pinterest!  

Thank you to: Two Peas & Their Pod for sharing is this cookie recipe! I did tweak it a little bit to fit our challenge, but the cookies turned out amazing! The only changes I made were, I used oranges instead of lemons and did not add vanilla. Easy!

So after the cookies were baked, I let them cool while I went to the store to get my ice cream. Came home, slapped a scoop on the bottom cookie, smashed it with the top cookie, and wala! I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and then put them in the freezer. In MY opinion.... They taste better after they have been in the freezer for a while.... Not that I had two or anything... I just had a bite to try it, and then let it sit in the freezer. 

Happy National Creamsicle Day!

National Creamsicle Day - Kim's Way

For this first challenge, my competitive nature is hiding.  I'm certain as we go, I will get more creative, more elaborate, more difficult.  However for today, I am going to sit back and enjoy this simple Creamsicle Coctail.

Creamsicle Cocktail

2 ounces Whipped Cream Vodka

4-6 ounces Orange Soda

Ice

Whipped Cream

Mix vodka and soda in a glass with ice.  Top with whipped cream.

This recipe comes from http://mikefuller.hubpages.com/hub/WhippedVodkaOrangeCreamsicleDrinkRecipe