The Cook Queen!

Jackie's mangoscicle fruit square!

I made this up....and it was quite tasty if you ask me! A nice refreshing summer way to enjoy your fruit even more. I actually made this for a diabetic group, so it's sugar free EXCEPT of course the fruit and the mango sorbet has sugar in it so if you want a sugar free altogether recipe, then go for sugar free sorbet.  MMMMMM! Isn't it soo pretty too! I think the colorful-ness is just awesome! Get creative, have some fun. I won't tell no one! ?? I don't know. I guess I'm a little chipper this morning. There's really not as much fruit here as it looks like as you would proportion it to the square of sorbet. It's just that I have a frozen round thing under the square in the pie pan, so the fruit is above and around that. Make sense? Probably not. Sorry!

Ingredients:
1 pint mango sorbet (can substitute for any other flavor I'd say)
sugar free vanilla Ice Cream (gol, I'm not sure how much. I'd say I used about half of a half gallon box - but it's really up to you!)
Assorted Fruits:
Melon balls (honeydew, cantaloupe) strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and kiwi (not in this) would also be great! Lime slice for decoration, if desired (?)

For the square "mangoscicle" (instead of dreamscicle), I used a smaller metal cake pan and scoop out small chunks of the mango sorbet to fill the bottom of the cake pan evenly. Then I used to spreader and spread it and pressed it in to make it even on top and smooth. Then I did the same thing with the vanilla ice cream using much more, and then pressed with a spreader on the top of that to make it even and smooth. Then I put it in the freezer for a good two or three hours.

I cut up all the fruit. Melon balls are so fun to make. I used the pampered chef melon ball tool, but I'm not sure what would work in it's place, although I know it can be done! Blueberries I used were just frozen. I think they add good color to this. Raspberries tasted the best with it if you ask me, so it's a must have in this recipe.

Once I thought the ice cream was solid again and ready to go, I took it out of the freezer and turned it upside down on the serving platter I was going to use and placed a HOT towel on the bottom of the cake pan. I rewarmed it several times until the cake came out of the pan. Then I cut the sorbet/ice cream into the shape I wanted. It was round to begin, but I decided to go square since I needed to half it. You can see from this picture- the sorbet/ice cream one on top of the other. It's very fun to do and sooo easy. Try it out!! 

Add fruit in a decorative fashion of course. Take pictures, send them to me...or tell me what you think in comments!

Old World Manicotti

Hello! This is a delish recipe. I add meat because my husband loves meat and I am a people pleaser when it comes to food. I'll just settle for not my style stuff in order to please others. Don't get me wrong, I do whatever I can to please myself, just not when I'M cooking. he he!! Anyways...my point is that this recipe is really good with or without meat. I personally like it better without and my husband personally likes it better WITH. So there you have it and I'm sure you'll figure out which category you fit in for yourself! WARNING: My pictures of this are HORRIBLE. It just doesn't look like something I'd run and cook. But hey, it's better than NO pictures!                                                                                                                    

Ingredients:
12 large manicotti shells
4 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese instead)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 2 tablespoons dried basil (I use pampered chef italian seasoning mix - this stuff is amazing!!!! I use it in everything italian I make and it makes it so much more wonderful! - a must try!)
1 jar (26 ounces) prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1. preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cook spray.

2. cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels. (I put mine out on wax paper).

3. For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella cheese with the ricotta cheese and basil. Using a teaspoon (or your hand) carefully stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture. (careful is so true as these little buggers fall apart SOO easily).

4. Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta shells  over sauce. I like to pour the spaghetti sauce before (duh) I stuff the shells so I have a place to put them stuffed. Pour remaining sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

5. Bake 15 minutes, add parmesan and then return to cook 10 additional minutes. Serve immediately ( as opposed to? )

Sorry for the sarcasm throughout, I just think it's funny how recipes are written as if they are speaking to a 3 year old child. And they throw in meaningless details like serve immediately, or "cold" half and half. I might be losing MY own mind, but isn't it pretty much rotten at the point that it's not cold anymore!?!? Ha ha! So that's where my (duh) comes in!

Let me know if you likey!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

All I'm going to tell you is the recipe for the glaze that goes over this cake. It's very peanut buttery! This is a chocolate lovers madness. Oh and especially for those that love peanut butter too! It's soaked in drippy glaze! MMMMM!!        

ingredients:
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp caramel ice cream
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter, divided
spanish peanuts (optional)

1. Combing chocolate morsels, whipping cream, ice cream topping and 1 tbsp of the peanut butter in bowl and place in microwave for 15-30 seconds or until melted; stir until smooth. Set aside. Place remaining peanut butter in small bowl and microwave for 10-20 seconds or until melted and smooth; set aside.

2. Assemble cake by cutting in half and cutting edges so they are even. Spread half the glaze over bottom layer of cake. Carefully replace top layer of cake and repeat with remaining glaze, allowing glaze to drip over the edges. Drizzle with melted peanut butter and swirl into glaze using small knife. If desired, sprinkle with peanuts and enjoy!

The cake for this recipe is delicious too. It's not an everyday average cake recipe. This glaze will taste great on any regular cake recipe, but if you want this cake recipe, I shall share.

Tell me what you think!!

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Chews

<font size="2"> My hubby loved these!!! </font> It would have been WAY better had I made sure the crust was a lot more moist before baking. I used the exact ingredients called for, so I have a suggestion I'll mention while listing the instructions that I think would help a lot! These definitely have potential and I'm anxious to try them again when they are more moist because they made me thirst for water. But they are delish for the most part!

Ingredients:
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup butterscotch caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 package (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine oats, 1 1/2 cups of flour, brown sugar, and baking soda in medium bowl. Add butter; (this is where my tip comes in... I would suggest that once you mix the butter in, if the dry ingredients don't seem moistened, that you add more melted butter. Or make sure that you do 1 cup butter melted, not a cube of butter and then melt it. Get it? I hope so!) Reserve one cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb micture onto bottome of baker. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Combine ice cream topping and remaining 1/4 cup flour in small batter bowl; whisk until smooth. Drizzle over bottom crust; carefully spread to edges.

3. Combine pecans and reserved mixture in small bowl. Sprinkle crumb mixture and chocolate morsels evenly over caramel mixture. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

We kept ours in the fridge for a couple days afterwards and hubby really really really kept raving about them. He really liked them cold so that was just an extra little tip I thought I'd share! If you try this, share your thoughts with me in comments!! Thanks!! and enjoy...

Chocolate Chip Sensation

Ok well I know it's been a while, but I'm making it more of a priority to post on this cooking site! So I hope you enjoy this! This dessert is one that I made on Friday night for a bunch of friends. Most people really liked this one, or at least they commented and said they did! So here it is...

Ingredients:
1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 pint (2 cups) cold (as opposed to...ha ha!) half-and-half
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1/4 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Shape cookie dough into a ball in center of large round stone (or I guess a cookie sheet if you don't own a stone....or BUY one cuz they are the awesomest thing in the world. And I say that as a friend, not a salesman!! ha haha!) Using lightly floured bakers roller, roll out dough to 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edge is set. (cookie will be soft. Don't overbake.) Cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using serrated bread knife; cool completely on baking stone.

2. In small bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until well blended; set aside. Pour half and half into medium bowl; add pudding mix and whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes until thickened.

3. Spread cream cheese mixture over thoroughly cooled cookie to within 1/2 inch of edge. Spread pudding over cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Cut into wedges. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (duh)

This particular recipe makes 16 servings. Which is always divided by two in my opinion. On most recipes at least!

If you try this, please come back and let me know in comments. Thanks!!

Strawberry Margarita Squares

This is a refreshing, yet strong type of dessert. Kind of like cheesecake. Cold and tasty but strong and you can only eat one piece. But most people don't only eat one piece. I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this one, but the problem with me is I don't like anything I make, which makes it 100% ironic that I have a cooking blog, but hey...other people like it occasionally so everything's cool...settle down. Oh and if I ever say I DO like something I cook then it must be good. LIKE...Chicken Tortilla Soup...coming up. SOO GOOD!!          

Ingredients:
Crust -
2 cups fat free mini-twist pretzels (1 cup crushed) (I used good old graham crackers for a more cheesecake like feel. Couldn't find the pretzels at my small store here)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugarFilling -
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened (I left one out and it was still really cheesey tasting...? go figure)
1/2 cup thawed, frozen margarita mix concentrate (non alcoholic) (I used strawberry bacardi daiquiri mix)
2 containers (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup

1. preheat oven to 350F. For crust, finely crush pretzels in resealable plastic bag using bakers roller. Melt butter in microwave on high 30 seconds or until melted. Add crushed pretzels and sugar; mix well. Press mixture onto bottom of rectangular baker. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For filling, beat cream cheese and margarita mix in medium bowl until wll blended. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Using spreader, carefully spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust. Refrigerate while preparing strawberry layer.

3. Place gelatin in Medium bowl. Stir in boiling water; stir until completely dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir until steawberries seperate and gelatin is thickened (a spoon drawn through mixture will leave an impression). Whisk in 3 cups of the whipped topping. Pour over cream cheese later, spreading to edges. Refrigerate 3 hours to set.

You can garnish this with a srawberry and lime slice and or a dollup of whipped cream!

Tell me your thoughts on this!

Eggs Benedict!

Here she is. Not too fancy. My camera sucks for taking food pictures. This camera at least. I didn't want to use my other one. Which also isn't too great. Anyways... nonetheless...you get the idea.

Eggs Benedict

Hollandaise sauce (recipe below)
3 english muffins
3 Tbsp butter or stick margarine, softened
1 tsp butter or stick margarine
6 thin slices Canadian Style Bacon or fully cooked Ham
6 poached eggs (or sunnyside up)
Paprika (if desired)

1. Make Hollandaise sauce; keep warm
2. Split english muffins; toast. Spread each muffin half with some of the 3 tbsp butter; keep warm
3. Melt 1 tsp butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon in butter until light brown on both sides; keep warm.
4. make poached (or sunnyside up) eggs.
5. Place 1 slice bacon on each muffin half. Top with egg. Spoon warm Hollandaise Sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Hollondaise Sauce

3 large egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup firm stick butter *

1. Stir egg yolks and lemon juice vigorously in 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of the butter. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly with whire whisk, until butter is melted. 2. Add remaining 1/4 cup of butter. Continue stirring nutil butter is melted and sauce is thickened. (be sure butter melts slowly so eggs have time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling.)
3. Store covered in refrigerator. To serve refrigerated sauce, stire in small amount of water when reheating over very low heat.

ENJOY!!!