Now That's a Cupcake!

Photo Credit Courtesy of the Food Network

Duff Goldman, host of Ace of Cakes, puts the finishing touches on the world's largest cupcake.


Record holder: Duff Goldman
Location: Mall of America, Minneapolis
March 30, 2008

The Food Network's Duff Goldman lives up to his Ace of Cakes title by baking the largest cupcake in history — now entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 61.4-pound creation is more than a foot tall and entirely edible. Reportedly 150 times the size of a regular cupcake, this record-breaker called for 16 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of sugar, and three ounces of food coloring. The mammoth confection supported the Great American Bake Sale, which raised $10,000 and awareness for Share Our Strength, a charity working to fight hunger across America.

Article Courtesy of MSN Food News and Events

Mini Frozen Bananas

This is a very kid friendly dessert. My kids love it! It also sneaks in a little nutrition using bananas.

I used 5 bananas and cut them into bite size pieces. I then put a mini craft stick into each one and laid them on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze for at least 1 hour. I heated up an entire bag of chocolate chips because I like them really coated! Then refreeze for another hour. Yum!

Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Slit 8 hot dogs lengthwise to within 1/2" of each end without cutting through. Place 1 Tbs. shredded Cheddar cheese in each slit. Divide 1 tube (8 0z.) refrigerated breadstick dough along perforations into 8 pieces. Stretch each piece into 24"-long strip; cut in half crosswise. Crisscross dough strips around each hot dog; sprinkle all with 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning. Bake on baking sheet 8 minutes or until golden. If desired, serve with honey mustard or ketchup. Makes 8 hot dogs.

Breakfast Parfait

This is a quick and yummy breakfast!

Ingredients:

4 sliced fresh strawberries

1/3 cup fresh blueberries

1 container Yoplait Light Stawberry Shortcake

1/2 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Just Bunches Caramel Flavor

Layer strawberries on bottom of dish and top with half of yogurt container. Next add cereal reserving 1 tbsp for top. Layer blueberries and the rest of the yogurt on top. Top with 1 tbsp. of Just Bunches Cereal. Voila!

Serves one.

This is a wonderful cereal for parfaits!

I'm loving the new Yoplait flavors! Who doesn't like strawberry shortcake?

Idaho Annual Spud Day

Hurray for spud day! Being Idahoans we just had to celebrate potato day. After all aren't potatoes what alot of people associate with Idaho? We ate creamed potatoes and peas. I already saved this recipe on my blog under the potato link. It's one of my husband's favorites.

Creamed potatoes and peas with pot roast.

Then for dessert my mom made an apple raisin cake with potato crust. It was so good we had to sample it before dinner! You can see her recipe on http://rhondasrantsravingsandcravings.blogspot.com.

You couldn't even tell it had potatoes in the crust. It tasted more like pie.

We also had to make Idaho potato doughnuts. Yum! The recipe is on my previous post. If I wasn't so lazy I would have made hash browns for breakfast too!

Idaho Potato Doughnuts

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 packages active dry or cake yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees Farenheit)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups prepared Instant Mashed Idaho Potatoes, cold
• 1 T. lemon extract
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to luke warm
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6-8 cups sifted flour

Glaze:

• Boiling water
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside.
2. Cream sugar and shortening. Beat in cold potatoes, eggs, cooled milk, yeast water, salt and lemon extract. Mix in flour adding just enough to make a soft dough. Knead well.
3. Place dough in greased bowl; cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a well-floured cutter. Let rise uncovered about 30 minutes. Deep fry in oil heated to 375 degrees Farenheit. Drain on paper towl.
4. To make glaze, gradually add enough boiling water to powdered sugar and vanilla to make thin glaze. Drizzle over doughnuts.
   
   

Purple Pancakes

Ingredients:


2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup frozen blueberries



Place blueberries into microwave safe container. Microwave for 15-20 seconds or until thawed. Set aside. In medium mixing bowl mix Bisquick, milk, and eggs. Stir in blueberries. (Can drain some of the juice but we like to mix it in to get the purple color.) Pour batter in 1/4 cup increments onto hot greased griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Flip; cook until golden.



Makes about 14 pancakes.




Small batch of eggless pancakes.


1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup frozen blueberries with juice


Prepare like above mixing applesauce with batter instead of eggs. Makes 3 large thick pancakes.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

APPLESAUCE-OATMEAL COOKIES

These soft cookies are low in fat and can be made eggless.

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1. In medium mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg and applesauce till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour and the rolled oats.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wore rack and let cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

67 calories per cookie, 2 g total fat

Make it Eggless: Substitute 5 ml each baking soda and vinegar for the egg.