Cinnamon Crisps

Ingredients

1 stick Butter, Melted
3 whole Flour Tortillas
1 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Brush butter on one side of the flour tortillas. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. Flip tortillas to the other side, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 15-17 minutes until very crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Break into pieces and eat as snacks...or serve with ice cream!

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

Hot Fudge Sauce:

⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Pie:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

¾ cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus whipped cream, for garnish, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces shaved milk chocolate
Chopped peanuts, optional

Directions

1 (9-inch) baked chocolate cookie pie crust

Sauce: Add the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie: In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and the peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, sprinkle with the shaved milk chocolate and freeze for 4 hours.

If desired, serve with the hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and chopped peanuts.

Source: Pat & Gina Neely

Double Layer Cherry Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

For the cherry layer:

⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ tablespoon cornstarch

pinch of salt

⅔ cup milk

1 cup cherry puree, see note below
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon butter
Red food coloring, optional

For the chocolate layer:

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch salt
1⅓ cup milk

2½ ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate

2 egg yolks

⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter

Directions

For the cherry layer:

Place egg yolks in a medium sized bowl, whisk lightly and set aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed medium sized saucepan. Add the milk, whisking to remove any lumps. Stir in the cherry puree. Over medium heat, cook and stir the mixture until it is thick and bubbly. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Remove half of the cherry and milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks. Whisk until well mixed. Return to the saucepan. Bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Turn heat to low. Stir in butter until melted, and then remove from heat.

Optional: for a darker color, stir in 1-2 drops of red food coloring.

Divide cherry pudding between 3-4 serving dishes. Set aside while you make the chocolate pudding.

For the chocolate layer:

Place egg yolks in a medium sized bowl, whisk lightly and set aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed medium sized saucepan. Add the milk, whisking to remove any lumps. Over medium heat, cook and stir the mixture until it is thick and bubbly. Stir in the chocolate. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Remove half of the chocolate and milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks. Whisk until well mixed. Return to the saucepan. Add the vanilla. Bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Turn heat to low. Stir in butter until melted, and then remove from heat.

Divide chocolate pudding between 3-4 serving dishes, layering it on top of the cherry pudding. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with a cherry on top, a mint leaf, or fresh whipped cream, if you wish.

If you do not wish for a skin to form on top of the pudding as it chills, cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap.

Note: Run about a cup of thawed, frozen dark pitted cherries through a food processor until smooth. Add additional cherries, as needed, until you have 1 cup of cherry puree.

Source: Paula Deen

Philly Cheesesteaks

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight White Velveeta

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ cup Milk

6 Tablespoons Butter
6 whole Deli Rolls
1½ pound Thinly Shaved Good Quality Deli Roast Beef

1 whole Yelow Onion, Peeled And Sliced Thick
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
Optional: Spicy Mustard, Horseradish, Worcestershire Sauce, Hot Sauce

Directions

First make the cheese sauce by combining the Velveeta, black pepper, cayenne, and milk in a small pan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's melted and hot. Keep warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on a griddle over medium heat, then place the deli roll halves on the griddle until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the roast beef and move it around with a spatula, breaking it up a bit as you go. Cook/warm for about a minute or so, then remove it to a plate and set it aside.

Add the remaining tablespoons butter to the same skillet and throw in the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the veggies until dark golden and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

To build the sandwiches, place a pile of beef on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon cheese sauce over the beef. Top with peppers and onions, then top with more cheese sauce. Place the top half of the roll on top and serve immediately!

Options:

* Spread spicy mustard on the rolls before building the sandwiches
* Mix horseradish with mayo and spread it on the rolls before building the sandwiches
* Add a few dashes of Worcestershire or hot sauce to the meat and peppers while cooking.
* Add prepared horseradish to the cheese sauce.

Source: The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Ingredients

4 cups Easy Mac and Cheese, recipe follows
8 slices white bread, buttered
4 slices American cheese
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch slices

Frank's Red Hot, Optional

Directions

Evenly spread the Easy Mac and Cheese in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut the mac and cheese into 4 equal-size squares.

Preheat a griddle over medium-low heat. Place each mac and cheese square on a slice of bread, top with 1 slice American cheese and 2 slices bacon. Top with a second piece of bread and griddle the sandwich until golden and warm, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

Note: For the adults, toss the tomatoes in some hot sauce and add on top of the bacon before griddling your sandwich.

Easy Mac and Cheese:

8 ounces elbow macaroni

Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 ounce processed cheese, such as Velveeta
1½ cups shredded sharp yellow Cheddar

Splash hot sauce, or pinch of cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water to al dente and drain.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for a couple of minutes, making sure it's free of lumps and the flour taste is cooked out. Stir in the milk, bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the processed cheese and Cheddar until melted, add the hot sauce and fold in the macaroni. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Source: Sandwich King

Marcia Brady Just Turned 57

Happy 57th birthday, Maureen McCormick!

The star who played Marcia on "The Brady Bunch" is no longer the adolescent you watched grow up on screen--or even the newlywed you saw in "The Brady Girls Get Married." McCormick has been married to the same man for 28 years, and the couple has a 24-year-old daughter, Natalie.

If anything, time has only made the Brady Bunch star featured above even more beautiful. Even so, news like McCormick's 57th birthday makes us here at Huff/Post50 feel like we've been around for a while.

source: Huffington Post

Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 ounces wide egg noodles
Cooking spray
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until all of the pink is gone from the meat. Get an adult to help you drain off the fat. Add the onion and the green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Fill medium pot half full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the noodles and boil for about 8 minutes, until tender. Get an adult to help you drain the noodles, Return the noodles to the pot. Pour the tomato mixture over the noodles and stir until blended.

Put the noodle mixture into a baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Enjoy it has a family meal, then refrigerate the leftovers.

Take leftovers to school in a small microwave-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Before heating, unsnap the lid to allow steam to escape. Heat casserole in the microwave oven for about 90 seconds.

A little truth and inspiration

Who's going to destroy the institution of marriage?

An Unforgettable Image

We have all seen countless images of the Civil Rights Movements. This is one that I had never seen until today when I stumbled across it on Pinterest.

This is a picture of Coretta Scott King and Harry Belafonte at Dr. King's funeral in Atlanta, Georgia (1968). Their emotions are palpable. Her devastation, loneliness; his anger and sadness. This image stuck with me all day.

Bubba Watson Bought Chipotle for 60-Plus People

PGA golfer Bubba Watson enjoys burritos just like the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, however, Watson can also pay for 60 other people's burritos.

Webb Simpson's caddie shared a photo of Bubba's long receipt from Chipotle after Watson shot a 69 in the second round of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

According to Simpson's caddie, not only did Watson drop $500 on all of the meals, he tipped $100 on top of it. He definitely won't get any of the heat New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees recently received.

@bubbawatson made over 60 people happy they chose #chipotle tonight. pic.twitter.com/a11TuNARET
— Paul Tesori (@PaulTesori) August 2, 2013

The Happiest States In America In One Map

Which way to happy? Geographically speaking, it's the route to Hawaii, Maine or one of the clusters of blissful cities in California and Colorado.

The map below is based on results from a study of geotagged tweets published earlier this year in PLoS ONE by researchers at the University of Vermont. The team scored more than 10,000 words on a positive-negative scale and measured their frequency in millions of tweets across the country, deliberately ignoring context to eliminate experimental bias. What emerged was significant regional variation in happiness by this calculation, which correlates with other lifestyle measures such as gun violence, obesity and Gallup's traditional wellbeing survey. A sadness belt across the South includes states that have high levels of poverty and the shortest life expectancies.

Geography is, of course, just one predictor of moods expressed on Twitter. The researchers also used their "hedometer" to look at daily happiness averages over the past few years — and the peaks (holidays, especially Christmas) and valleys (tragedies including the Newtown shooting and Boston Marathon bombing) are not surprising.

Until there's a hedometer that can analyze tweets in every language, we have to look at other wellbeing measures to see how happy the U.S. is compared to other countries. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Better Life Index, Switzerland scores highest on life satisfaction with the U.S. coming in behind New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Israel and some Western European countries. And a recent Ipsos poll spells global good news: more people describe themselves as "happy" now than before the financial crisis of 2008 began.

Source: Huffington Post

Verse of the Day

Cherry Cheesecake Shooters

Ingredients

12 whole Graham Crackers
2 packages 8 Ounce Cream Cheese
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds

Directions


Put the graham crackers into a ziplock bag and smash them with a rolling pin until they're fine crumbs.

Spoon graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of mini wine glasses.

Add cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip them together until fluffy.

Fill a pastry bag or zipper bag with the filing. Snip off the end and pipe a big helping over the crumbs in each of the glasses.


Top with a big spoonful of cherry pie filling.


Top with chopped almond flakes.

(Note 1: Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter into the crumbs if you'd like them to be a little more moist.)

(Note 2: 1 package of cream cheese makes for a more pudding-like texture; 2 packages makes for a thicker texture.)

Source: The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

S’mores Martini

Ingredients

1 Graham Cracker
1 oz., weight Chocolate, Melted
2 oz., fluid Marshmallow Vodka
1 oz., fluid Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz., fluid Creme De Cacao
2 oz., fluid Cream
3 Marshmallows

Directions

Crush the graham cracker into a shallow bowl using your hands. It’s okay if there are some chunkier pieces. Place the chocolate into a second shallow bowl and microwave for a few seconds until melted. Dip the rim of a martini glass into the chocolate and then into the graham cracker pieces. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set.

Add the marshmallow vodka, chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao and cream to a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, shake well and pour into the prepared glass. Spear the marshmallows on the end of a skewer or long fork and hold over an open flame for a couple of seconds until the ends get toasted. Thread them onto a cocktail pick and garnish the drink.

Source: The Hungry Couple

S'mores Pie

Ingredients

1 stick Softened Butter
½ cups White Sugar
1 whole Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Flour
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup Marshmallows
¼ cups Chocolate Chips

7 ounces, weight container Of Marshmallow Creme
8 whole (1.55 Oz Bars) Hershey's Chocolate Bars

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9″ pie pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar together until combined, then add egg and vanilla and stir them in. Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder.

Divide the dough in half. Press half the dough in the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan. Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom crust. Separate chocolate squares and place on top of the Marshmallow Creme. Place 1 cup of marshmallows on top.

Using the remaining crust, pat sections of dough on top of and around all the marshmallows (they will still show through and that is great!). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chocolate chips, then bake 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting, or you will have a gooey mess. Not that I know …

Source: 4littlefergusons

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

3 cups Cake Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Butter, Room Temperature
1 cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 whole Lemon, Zested
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract

For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

½ cups Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
3 cups Confectioners Sugar
1 whole Lemon, Zested
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Food Coloring (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time stirring after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until combined. Gradually add in flour mixture combined.

Chill dough for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll 3 tablespoons of dough into a ball (see note below for shaped cookies). Use flour on your hands if needed. Place ball on baking sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick, molding sides to keep round shape if necessary. Continue with remaining dough, placing each 2 inches apart.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, using an electric mixer, combine butter and confectioner’s sugar, gradually adding the sugar. When all sugar is added, add in lemon zest, lemon juice and blend on medium until fluffy. Add in food color if desired. If frosting is too thick, add more lemon juice, water or milk until desired consistency is reached.

Note: For shapes, roll out chilled dough ¼ inch thick on a well floured surface. Flour rolling pin and cut out to prevent sticking. Cut out desired shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool for a few minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool.

Shapes will spread from the baking powder. To define the shape used after the cookie has cooled, place cookie cutter on top of cookie and firmly press all the way down, removing any excess cookie for the edges.

Sourrce: Mother Thyme

What is your message?

At the ESPY Awards earlier this month, Robin Roberts was presented the Arthur Ashe Courage Award by Lebron James. This is a quote from her acceptance speech.

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bread

Ingredients

2 Eggs
1¼ cup Sugar
½ cup Ricotta Cheese
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Zest of 3 Lemons
½ cup Buttermilk
1¾ cups all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

1 stick Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl and beat until thoroughly combined and lightened in color. Beat in the butter followed by the ricotta cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until mixed. Fold in the blueberries and mix by hand just until combined.

Pour the batter into a buttered and floured loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Source: The Hungry Couple

Robin Roberts' touching speech at ESPYs

Robin Roberts wanted to be a sports journalist in an era when women, let alone women of color, weren't seen in that role.

But, as the "Good Morning America" co-anchor told the audience at the ESPY awards Wednesday, she doesn't let fear stop her.

The inspirational media figure was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage award, a recognition given to someone who reflects "strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril, and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost."

Roberts, who was radiant in a red gown, graciously accepted the award with a speech that has become one of the night's most memorable moments.

"I realize there are many worthy of holding this honor. Others who have exhibited far more courage, strength and resilience," Roberts said. "It's humbling for me to represent you tonight. I draw strength from you. You give me the courage to face down any challenge, to know that when fear knocks, to let faith answer the door."

Roberts has been a living example of that philosophy as she's faced two life-threatening health problems. The sports journalist and broadcaster was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, and then with a rare blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome in 2012.

After receiving a bone marrow transplant with the aid of her sister Sally Ann, Roberts was able to recover and return to "GMA," stronger than ever.

"Those of us who are fortunate to have overcome some form of illness or adversity are told that we are strong. I didn't find that strength on my own," she said Wednesday. "It was the kind that grew with every kind word of support - every tweet, every email, every phone call. ... Through it all, I learned that strength, true strength, isn't when you face down life's challenges on your own, it's when you take them on by accepting the help, faith and love of others and knowing that you are lucky to have those."

After the ceremony, Roberts tweeted that the ESPYs were "memorable for many reasons," not the least of which being the graciousness of the athlete who introduced her, LeBron James:

Last night was memorable for many reasons. LeBron was so gracious, thanks! “@305heatgang: @KingJames & @RobinRoberts pic.twitter.com/yn7fZKgIQR”
— Robin Roberts (@RobinRoberts) July 18, 2013

Source: CNN's Marquee Blog