Easy vanilla cupcakes

One thing that can always help me unwind after a long day (other than a big glass of red wine) is baking some delicious cupcakes... My mouth is watering just thinking about it. However the last thing I want when I am craving a cupcake is 20 steps to get there but I hate the box stuff! I have been using this recipe for years.

Pretty much the best cupcake recipe! Only a couple steps and you have tasty desert :)

Here's what you need:

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup room temperature butter
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract (highly recommend this be bought from Costco.. Most bang for your buck)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup cold milk
1 1/4 cup fresh fruit (optional)

For the frosting
1 cup room temp butter or 2 sticks
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Color dye of your choice

Preheat the oven to 350

Steps:
1. Cream butter and sugar mix together until creamy. Then beat in eggs on by one. Add in vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add dry mixture to the butter mixture and then add the milk.

4. The optional step adding in fruit.. This time I made strawberry vanilla cupcakes, which were amazing but I was also thinking peaches or blue berries would be pretty amazing as well :)

5. Fill your cupcake tins and bake for 18-26 minutes. For cooking rookies you'll know they are done when you stick a knife in and pull no batter out.

6. Mix the vanilla and the butter and gradually add in powdered sugar until cream (and delicious!). Add your choice of dye (optional) and frost away... once those cupcakes cool of course!

And Enjoy!

White girl enchiladas

I call this recipe white girl enchiladas because there are pretty far from being authentic but let me tell you right now they are amazing. Best part is you can make them and freeze them for a quick meal later! Nothing I love more after a long day at work and having dinner practically ready.

Here something about me, I am single so I usually don't make a it in a big pan I make them in single size servings for my self freeze them and have meals for a while! I use containers like that >>>>>
And follow the same baking instructions.

So I have been planning on making these for a while do I bought almost all the ingredients last weekend and today went to the store to get the last couple things... Mainly went for tortillas. So I get home and I am unpacking the stuff and realize in my bag I had celery cheese and tomatoes... Yes, the one thing I went for I forgot.

Alrighty it's enchilada time! Now for the filling you can make just this part in advance or you can do the whole thing.

Here is what you need.
20 oz package of lean ground turkey
1 stock of celery chopped
1 red onion diced
1 10 oz can rotel
2 7 oz cans diced green chilies
1 16 oz can red kidney beans
1 16 oz can black beans
12 oz frozen corn
12 oz las palmas green chile enchilada sauce (it's the best one there is!)
1 lb shredded pepper jack cheese (or 2 lbs if you like it cheesey like me)
80 count corn tortillas... You probably won't need that many but they are so cheap I got the big one!

Steps:
1. Brown the turkey meat.. I use a little olive oil because the turkey meat is so lean there isn't a lot of fat that comes off.

2. Add onion and celery cook until soft

















3. Add rotel, kidney beans, black beans, ortega chiles, and corn. And I add some of the enchilada sauce just for a little more flavor.

4. In a separate pan heat some vegetable oil and lightly fry your tortillas. I put mine in the oil for about 10 seconds but it really depends on how how your oil is.



Now we put it all together...






5. Take your fried tortilla dip it in the enchilada sauce and you want it completely covered but not soggy. Next you take a spoon full of your turkey mix and a pinch of cheese roll it up and put the open side down.

And repeat until the pan is full... Drizzle enchilada sauce on the top and cover with a layer of cheese.

6. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes cover with tin foil and then bake for additional 15 minutes and enjoy.




Now if you Prefer red that is the sauce to go with... Personal I don't like the red sauce but this is by far the best that I have EVER tried... And I have tried many

  Soo I was house sitting when I Made these and decided I would be the best house guest ever... Well and I made a ridiculous amount of filling so I made an extra batch for my best friend... I mean they are so easy to make, then why not?! Any way I wrote the instructions on top and tossed them in her freezer and let her know there was a surprise in there for her and her family after a long road trip!

Spaghetti Squash

I am trying to get back into the swing of things, eating very heathy and exercising, simple concept but it doesn't always work out does it? So now I am trying to find a happy medium, really heathy dinner and some not so healthy dessert!

So here is what is cooking for dinner! Spaghetti squash, yummy!! I used to always be afraid of experimenting with cooking new things but now I love to try new flavors. And if you are anything like me then you'll love being able to switch out carbs for an even better flavor ;)

And there you have it, my simple how too...

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half.

2. Scoop out the seeds just like you would a pumpkin.

3. Season it! Give it a kick, I personally love SPICEY (speaks volumes of my personality) So I use cayenne, garlic salt and pepper. In reality at least give it some salt and pepper!

4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how large the squash.

5. Let rest for 10-20 minutes.

6. Grab a fork and scrape it out, literally comes apart like pasta. The texture is AMAZING!

7.  Now you just need your favorite pasta topping and you have your self a delicious healthy meal!

Just getting started..

Well today I decided I wanted one spot where I can put all of my recipes that I through together or dinner ideas so I can refer back to it, because lets face it I am far from the most organized person in the world. So here is me trying to get organized! So here is too good food, drinks, people, and a damn good time ;)