Clown Cupcakes - Letter "C"

Ingredients:
1 regular size box of cake mix - I use Pillsbury Funfetti.
1 container of icing - again I use Funfetti
1 box of sugar ice cream cones
assorted candies: m&m's, gum drops, and whatever you prefer
mini Nilla Wafers
1 tube of decorative gel icing

Directions:
Bake your cupcakes and allow to cool completely. Frost the cupcake and then decorate! Have fun!
sugar ice cream cones - hat
mini Nilla Wafers - ears
m&m's - eyes
red gum drops - nose
gel icing - mouth & top of hat

Eggs in a Nest - Letter "E"

This was such a fun recipe to make with Olivia! We had a great time! You can choose to make just chocolate, just butterscotch, or both. We chose to make both! The recipe yields 12 large nests of each kind.

Ingredients:
1- 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1- 11 oz. bag butterscotch chips
1-  12 oz. bag of La Choy Chow Mein noodles
1- small bag of Brach's jelly beans
wax paper

Directions:
In a sauce pan (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate chips on low heat until creamy. Then add half the bag of noodles and stir thoroughly. While still hot, place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the wax paper. Next put jelly beans in the center. Repeat this with the butterscotch chips. They should be hard within 30 minutes. Very easy!! And very tasty!!

Look at that sweet hand!

This one cracked me up because she put LOTS of jelly beans on it!

I really expected the chocolate ones to be my favorite but I actually liked the butterscotch ones better!

Apple Volcanoes - Letter "V"

We made Apple Volcanoes for Letter "V"!
Apple Volcanoes
4 small apples
3 dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP butter
4 marshmallows
Mix raisins, apricots, oats and honey in a small bowl. If apples don’t sit flat, slice off a little on the bottom. Using a fork make fork pricks on the outside of the apple. Put the apples in a baking dish. Core apples with corer or knife, make sure there is a hole big enough to fill. Using fingers stuff oat mixture in the apples. Top with a pat of butter and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until apples are fork tender. Take the apples out and place one marshmallow on top and return to oven until they begin "erupting"!:)

I had some left-over oatmeal mixture so I used 6 apples instead of 4.

Shrimp and Grits

Recipe courtesy Joe Barnett

Ingredients
Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds (26-30 count) Wild Georgia Shrimp
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (recommended: Tone's Louisiana Cajun seasoning)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
Grits:
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (recommended: Knorr)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup quick grits (recommended: Quaker)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 1/2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
1 slice sugar-cured country ham
Directions
First, peel and devein the shrimp.

 In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, paprika, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside.

Next, make your grits. In a medium saucepan, bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cream, and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the grits become creamy. Don't skimp on the butter and the cream, folks.

Now saute the shrimp. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they're just done and tender. Don't overcook. Remove the shrimp from the saute pan and set them aside in a bowl. You can taste 1 or 2, to see if they're okay.

The roux is next. With all those wonderful drippings from the shrimp in the saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.

And last, a little country ham. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a saute pan, and cut into cubes.

To serve, and this is the best part-place a few heaping spoonfuls of steaming cheese grits onto a place, top with several sizzling shrimp. Drizzle that wonderful roux sauce over top of the shrimp, and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham. Enjoy.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/shrimp-and-grits-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Banana Pudding - Letter "B"

Olivia is studying letter "B" and I couldn't think of a better letter "B" recipe than my Nana's Banana Pudding! Nana graciously gave Olivia and I a cooking lesson to learn how to make her pudding.

Ingredients:
5 bananas
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 box of Vanilla Wafers
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Directions:
1. First, set your eggs out for one hour to come to room temperature.
2. After an hour has passed, put 2 cups of milk into a sauce pan on medium heat. Keep stirred with a whisk.
3. Put a layer of wafers on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Next cut up all of the bananas. Using about half of the banana pieces, line a row of bananas on top of the wafers.

4. Separate the eggs. With the egg yolk, add 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 heaping tablespoons of flour, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Gradually add about half of the milk to this mixture and stir. Then pour it all back into the boiler and stir. Pour half of this pudding mixture onto the wafers and bananas in the dish.
5. Next add another layer of wafers and bananas, followed by the remainder of the pudding.
6. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they are stiff. Add a dash of salt. When the eggs get frothy add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Spread this on top for the meringue.
7. Bake at 350 degrees until the meringue is slightly brown on top. Enjoy!

Yummy Snowflakes - Letter "Y"

Ingredients:

• 6 flour tortillas
• 6 teaspoons oil or butter or cooking spray (for frying)
• powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Just like you would a paper snowflake, fold the tortillas and cut out shapes from it.

2. Open up the tortillas and see your snowflake.

#'s 3. and 4. are optional

3. Fry them.

4. Dust them with powdered sugar.

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Yummy-Snowflakes-Recipezaar

This book by Janet Craig is a great one to read before you start  making your snowflakes.

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Fiesta White Chili

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can corn, undrained

1 can Rotel, undrained

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1- 8 oz. package light cream cheese

2 chicken breasts

Directions:

*This is a crock-pot or slow cooker recipe*

Cook and shred the chicken first. Then drain and rinse the black beans. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot, then corn, Rotel, and black beans. Top all of this with the chili and onion powders and the ranch mix. Stir. Place the cream cheese on the very top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!:)

*If you want the chili to be thick, add some brown rice in the mixture but watch the chili carefully and add water as needed. 

I only remembered to take this picture before cooking the chili. I will try to remember to take a picture of the finished chili next time.