Our first week of back to school-done!  It wasn't without drama, let me tell you!  My boy, he did fine.  I love him so.  My girl, my little kindergartener, she did fine...for the first two days.  On the third day, she got off the bus, lip quivering and eyes watering, and melted into a sad little puddle when I wrapped my arms around her.
We both cried at the bus stop.
We cried while other moms and kids watched us.  We cried while my second grader son watched in horror, begging us to start walking home.  It could have been that it was 107 degrees outside or that he was embarrassed that his mom and sister were sobbing, I'm not sure.


Needless to say, by Friday morning, my girl was determined that she was not going back to school.  No way!
"Mommy, you'll break my heart if you make me go back to school.  I want to be with you."
Oh, help me!  Homeschooling, here I come!

I managed to get her into the front doors of the school Friday morning, and right before we turned to go down the kindergarten hallway....meltdown city.  Girlfriend was screaming, crying and jumping around like a lunatic.  Oh mercy.
Broke.
My.
Heart!

Her sweet teacher helped get her into the classroom and she was fine the rest of the day.  She was fine, except for the disaster that involved forgetting to raise her hand when she really, really needed to go to the bathroom. 

So!  I'm planning especially easy and tasty dinners this week.  We all need some comfort food. 




Linked up to Menu Plan Monday

I love a Rolo.  I do!
Do you?
Chocolate and caramel, I mean really, there is no better combination, in my humble opinion.  Now, add some Rolos to a chocolate cupcake...shut the front door! 


Not only is there a cute little Rolo adorning the top of this cupcake, there's also a Rolo baked in the center. 
Mmmmmhhhmmm!
Oh yeah, I'm bad.
So bad.


I can't take credit for dreaming up these gems.  I saw them on My Baking Addiction and I've been counting the minutes until I could make them!  They are divine, incredibly rich and so worth the trip to the gym to erase the guilt. 

There are so many ridiculous things going on in this cupcake.  Ridiculously delicious things.
I've already mentioned the fact that the chocolate cupcake has a Rolo baked inside.  Then there is the caramel buttercream, the chocolate ganache drizzle and another Rolo.  Help me!

You need to make these soon.  You really do.  They're easy friends!  They start with a cake mix.  I know!  Don't be hatin' on the cake mix though.  That's not nice.  Trust me, the cake mix will help you get these cupcakes made and in your belly faster, and that's a good thing.  So, get to it!


Rolo Cupcakes
24 cupcakes
Source:  My Baking Addiction
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Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
1 (18.25 ounce) package Devil’s Food Cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
24 frozen Rolos (freeze for at least 2 hours)

For the frosting
4 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup caramel syrup
1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar

For the ganache
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla

24 Rolos for garnish

Directions:
Prepare the cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, water and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Gently push a frozen Rolo into the center of the batter and smooth the surface making sure to cover the candy with batter.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch.  (A small divot may appear in the center of the cupcake, but it will be covered with frosting.)
7. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

For the frosting:
1. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and caramel syrup and combine well.
2. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more caramel syrup. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.

For the ganache:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until very hot, but not boiling.
2. Place chocolate pieces in a heat safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and thoroughly combined. Whisk in the honey, corn syrup, and vanilla. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Do not let the ganache sit for too long or it will harden up before you spoon it over the frosting.
3. Spoon the ganache on the tops of the frosted cupcakes, allowing it to drip down the sides a little bit. (Don’t add too much, or it will drip all over your liners.)
4. Top each cupcake with a Rolo.
5. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator. Remove them to room temperature one hour before serving.



This post is linked to:  Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday Tutorials
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
Savory Sunday
What's Cooking Wednesday
What I Made Wednesday
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Friday Food
Fresh Food Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday

I think about cupcakes.  I think about them much more than I really should.  I'm always thinking about the next cupcake that I want to make.  Always.  This particular version was on my mind for several days.  I kept daydreaming about a strawberry cupcake topped with a combination of lightly sweet strawberry buttercream and cream cheese frosting.   Focus...focus...

Mmmmm...cupcake dreams really do come true...

I topped the cupcakes with a strawberry jelly bean.  Cute, no?
These were a truly tasty summer treat.  Make some soon!

Oh yeah, the Rolo Cupcake is coming up next!  Stay tuned... :)

Strawberry Cupcakes 
Source:  slightly adapted from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski
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For the Cupcakes:
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup whole milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper or foil liners.  In a small bowl, stir together the preserves and chopped fresh strawberries.  Set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat until well combined.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Fold in the chopped strawberry mixture just until combined.
3.  Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.  Top with buttercream frosting and then a small dollop of cream cheese frosting.  The strawberry jelly bean is optional. 


For the Strawberry Buttercream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup strawberry puree
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Beat the butter and strawberry puree together at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and salt, beating at low speed until well blended. Beat at high speed about 2 minutes or until creamy.


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 (8oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating at low speed until blended.  Beat at high speed about 2 minutes are until creamy.



This post is linked to:  Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesday
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Muffin Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
What I Made Wednesday
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Friday Food
Fresh Food Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday

Hi friends!  Another week--GONE!  My kids are starting back to school this week, and I'm sure our evenings will be quite hectic as we adjust to a new routine.  That's why our menu this week is all about quick and easy!  Best wishes to all of you with kiddos going back to school!  It really hurts my heart to send them off to school, especially my brand new kindergartener.  It's all okay though, all okay!  (I'm going to be repeating that until I convince myself.)

Don't give up on me, friends!  This week is super busy for me.  I'm baking up a storm and getting my kids ready to go back to school.  I'll be back next week though!  I have some really tasty things coming up.  I promise!

Well, another week has come and gone.  You'll be happy to know that I survived the circus.  It's true, I did!  It was quite fun, actually.  I did have a tense moment standing in line for a $13 box of popcorn, but no harm done.  I kept my cool and the personal space invader stepped off.

My babies start back to school next week, so this week is crazy!  With so much going on, I know I'll be glad to have a plan when dinner time rolls around.

Here it is, the plan.  :)

Remember when I teased you about some really tasty cupcakes that I made.  The cupcakes that my chocolate-hating husband rejected.  How could a sane person reject these?
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes!


I told you that I would share
the recipe soon,  and I'm making
good on that promise.  I have a
guest post over on Alli-n-Son.
Jump over there and check her out!
While you're there, you can grab
the recipe for these cupcakes.
Her blog is all about photography,
parenting and food-especially
sweets!

Bananas, bananas, bananas!
I always have bananas languishing in my fruit bowl.  We never seem to eat all of the banana bunch that I buy every week.  You know what that means!  Banana baked yummy stuff!

One might think that I over-buy bananas on purpose.  :)  Maybe I do!
(Mmmmwwwhahahaha...sinister plots, that's all I'm good for.)
This time around, I made Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake.


It has a hint of cinnamon in the streusel layer, which tasted great with the banana flavor and chocolate chips.  I was pleasantly surprised, as I sort of hesitated to add cinnamon to something with chocolate chips.  It worked though!  It worked very nicely.  Give it a try...you know you have bananas that need to be used.  Use them or lose them, friends!  Brown Banana Power!  :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake
Source:  slightly adapted from Back to the Cutting Board
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Ingredients:
3/4 chocolate chips
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons buttermilk


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8" baking pan or line with parchment paper.
2. Prepare streusel layer:  Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl until well blended; set aside.
3. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, room temperature butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
5. Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel.
6. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.


This post is linked to:  Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Workshop Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Delightfully Inspiring
Friday Food
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
Tuesday Tutorials

Well, it's that time again.  Menu Plan Monday!  I mentioned last week that I start with Sunday.  I know that's not the norm, sorry!  That's just what works for me.  One day, I'll be cool like everyone else and start with Monday, but not today. 

So!  Here's the plan.

Pucker up!
No, I'm not smooching with you, I'm trying to prepare you for the lovely lemon-ness of these lemon bars!
I like a lemon bar that means business.  No flat, barely lemon-tasting bar will do.  It just won't!

I like 'em big.  I like 'em chunky. 
I like 'em big.  I like 'em plumpy.
Chunky....chunky, chunky...chunky
and plumpy....plumpy, plumpy...plumpy
...ain't nothing wrong with lovin' chunky...

(Name that song or the movie it's in!) 


So!  Let me just say that these lemon bars do not disappoint.  They are big.  Big and packed with lemon goodness.  The lovely ribbon of raspberry preserves really adds something special.  I hope you try them!

Lemon-Raspberry Bars
Source:  Marcy Goldman-The New Best of Better Baking
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest

For the lemon topping:
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp pure lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp flour
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 9" square baking pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper.  Set aside.
Prepare the crust:  Combine all the crust ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.  Press evenly into the prepared pan.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then let cool for 15 minutes.
Prepare the lemon topping:  Combine all the topping ingredients, except the raspberry preserves, in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.  Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the baked crust.  Slowly pour the lemon topping mixture over the raspberry layer.  Bake for 22-24 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 325F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes longer or until topping is set.  Transfer the baking pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.




This post is linked to:  Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday Tutorials at The Kurtz Korner
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Workshop Wednesday
Tasty Tuesday
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Delightfully Inspiring
Friday Food
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday