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Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes
I don’t have cable so I’m always trying to find seasons of things to watch on Netflix. When I lived at home I would keep my TV glued to either Nick, Discovery Health, or TLC. I really miss TLC shows and recently have been watching a TON of Cake Boss. When doing this, I’ve found episodes that I haven’t even seen before and also have had a HUGE craving for cake. This past week I went to a local cupcake shop and picked some up and they were delish! That’s when I decided I wanted to try to make my own “gourmet” cupcakes. These are what I ended up with and yes – they were just as delish!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes
What you”ll need:
01. 1 box of white cake mix ($1.00)
02. eggs, oil, and water (as directed on box)
03. 1 cup of peanut butter ($1.50 for a jar)
04. Reese’s cups ($2.50 for a snack sized bag)
05. Chocolate syrup
06. 1 container of chocolate frosting ($1.50)
TOTAL COST: $6.50What to do:
01. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or as the box of cake mix states.
02. Prepare cake mix as described on box. (With eggs, oil, and water.)
03. Take 1 cup of peanut butter and put in a microwave safe bowl. Heat it for about 20 seconds, just so it’s a little soft and easier to combine with the mix.
04. Add the peanut butter to the mix and beat well! (Batter will be thick.)
05. In lined cupcake pans, put 1 spoon of batter into the bottom of each cupcake.
06. Add in 1 swirl of chocolate syrup to each one.
07. Add another layer of batter so that it covers the chocolate syrup and fills the cupcake liner about 3/4 full.
08. Bake as directed on the mix box. I left mine in about 15-20 minutes and the tops were a golden brown.
09. While cooking or waiting for the cupcakes to cool, in a bowl take the Reese’s cups and chop them into pieces. This will be your topping.
10. Once cool, frost and top with your Reese’s chunks.(Keep in mind that all prices are “about” amounts and can vary by store. All prices are of whole items (ie. 1 box of something). A lot of products that we use are store brands, to keep the best value.)
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Peanut Butter Pie
Another entry in a week? Wow, right? I’m sitting here at home and it’s almost 11pm. I feel pretty accomplished about all that I did today with having the day completely off from work. Ran some errands, renewed Peach’s dog license, and even did some much needed cleaning. (I am happy to say that my kitchen is SPOTLESS!) Instead of posting an entry for a dinner dish, I thought I’d throw something sweet into the mix. After all, I’ve been watching episodes of Cake Boss like it’s my job! (Also look out for the recipe for my mum’s famous peanut butter cookies. They’re MUCH different and quite amazing!)
Peanut Butter Pie
What you’ll need:
01. 1 graham cracker crust ($1.00)
02. 1 regular sized tub of Cool-Whip ($1.30)
03. 1 small box of non-cook vanilla pudding mix (plus milk) ($.70)
04. 2 1/2 cups of peanut butter ($1.50)
05. 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar ($1.50)
TOTAL COST: $6.00What to do:
01. In a medium sized bowl, add 1 cup of peanut butter.
02. In that same bowl, add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Use a spoon or knife to “cut” the powdered sugar and peanut butter together. It should end up being in small little balls.
03. Once finished, put about 3/4 of the peanut butter/powdered sugar mini balls into the bottom of the crust and make sure the entire thing is covered.
04. In a large bowl, prepare the vanilla pudding mix as it says on the box.
05. Once finished, add 1 cup of peanut butter and blend together with a mixer. (Sometimes I add a little more peanut butter because I love it!)
06. Add about 3/4 of the tub of Cool-Whip and fold with a large spoon into the peanut butter pudding.
07. Now put the peanut butter pudding mixture into the pie crust.
08. Take the remaining Cool-Whip and spread it over the top of the pie.
09. Sprinkle with the remaining peanut butter/powdered sugar mini balls.
10. Make sure to refrigerate this one for about 3 hours or until the pie is firm and won’t fall apart when cutting into it. Also remember to refrigerate any leftovers!(Keep in mind that all prices are “about” amounts and can vary by store. All prices are of whole items (ie. 1 box of something). A lot of products that we use are store brands, to keep the best value.)
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Beef Stroganoff
I can’t believe that I haven’t posted an actual entry here since July. Over the summer I was quite busy with work. Toward the end of the year it wasn’t that I was too busy, just things happen…I guess. Every month when I pay my hosting bill, I think about all the things that I want to do with my domain and this website and just never get around to it. Needless to say, I have no motivation when it comes to these things. However, maybe if I write this entry, I’ll want to keep trying. However, as you can see, I’ve been doing some “guest” posts or “break” entries, as I call them. A few I’ve passed up, but I guess sometimes those “break” entries are better than nothing…
I really haven’t been cooking much as of lately and when I do, it’s just the same old things. A few months ago I wanted to make something with beef stew meat, but didn’t want to get out the slow cooker and worry about when it’s done or when it’s not done. That’s when I decided to make a homemade beef stroganoff.
Beef Stroganoff
What you need:
01. 1 pack of beef stew meat ($5.00)
02. 1/2 cup flour
03. 3 cups water
04. 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
05. 1 packet of brown gravy mix ($.50)
06. 1/4 bag of egg noodles ($1.50)
07. 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
TOTAL: $7.00What to do:
01. In an eletric skillet, add 3 tbs of oil.
02. Add the thawed stew meat and throw the flour over it until it’s covered. Heat skillet and brown the meat.
03. After meat has browned, add 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce.
04. Turn skillet on medium heat, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes while occassionally turning over the meat. The meat is a little tricky for me. I’ve found that by about a half hour, on medium to high heat that the meat is almost done. I’ll usually take a piece of the meat to cut in half to make sure it’s to my liking.
05. When the “sauce” with the meat is thick and a medium brown, mix in the remaining 1 cup of water and the packet of brown gravy mix. Heat covered on high for about 8-10 minutes.
06. Boil egg noodles until tender.
07. Once the gravy is thick and the meat is tender/done, I always take my spatula and sift the meat out so I have an even “meat to gravy” ratio to spoon over the noodles.
08. Plate and enjoy!(Keep in mind that all prices are “about” amounts and can vary by store. All prices are of whole items (ie. 1 box of something). A lot of products that we use are store brands, to keep the best value.)
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Parents retire
Parents retire
Thanks for the post from Sylvester Campbell
My parents just retired. I didn’t think the day would ever come. They have always needed to be busy and I thought retirement was just not for them. I thought they would work for as long as they could, but they both decided it was time to retire. And to make it even more shocking, they decided to move to Michigan. I think I was more shocked they were moving to Michigan than I was that they were retiring. I don’t mean to sound mean, but the first think I wanted to know is if Internet Michigan existed. I wanted to know I would at least be able to email my parents. They have never been very good about answering the phone, so at least I will be able to email them what is going on in my life. Maybe one day I will move up there too, but for now I enjoy where I am. I hope my parents like their new home and their new life and I hope most of all that they are able to enjoy it.
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Renting somewhere else?
Have you ever thought about renting somewhere else? Like not where you would think that you would want to live, but is still beautiful? Like Cochrane, maybe?
Today I was watching a show on Netflix about a guy who goes places in the US and takes them from his point of view – being as he’s from England. I can’t recall the name of the show, I just know Bear has been watching it. Either way, he was going through a ton of states and it’s cool to see the history of the places and the things they do there, but what about Canada? I’ve always thought Canada was kind of interesting. They seem to have their “stuff” together. I mean, you don’t hear about Canadian’s going to war, right?
I have a few “online friends” who live in Canada, but no one ever really talks about the place they live and the history in it. From what I know though, Alberta is a pretty cool place. I can think of one from who rents and I think she lives near Cochrane. However, I’m not sure how prices run out there. I think I live in a farily affordable area (from what I know of how much other people pay for rent) and I still can’t afford this place on my own. I hope one day I’m like those old people who have 2 houses – a winter house and a summer house. That would be awesome!
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Me and Mom – Thanks for the post from Kirk Wood
Me and Mom
Thanks for the post from Kirk Wood
Mom and me recently moved in together – I know, I know, it sounds like a terrible idea but I recently got divorced and mom was getting pretty lonely since dad died anyway. It’s been pretty challenging thus far, mostly because we’ve just got really differing opinions on how a household should be run but I think that all in all it’s going to be really good for she and I to reconnect on this level. We were really close when I was growing up and I know she and I both really miss having that kind of relationship. I went to www.cabletelevision.com after we got the place and got us satellite and I told mom I want us to have at least once-weekly movie night. It will be fun for us to sit down together for a couple of hours every week and I know we’ll both be able to open up more once we’re spending time together. My mom is just the greatest person in the whole world!
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It’s been awhile…
Life has been SO busy lately and thus I feel like I’ve neglected this blog quite a bit. I’m really hoping that once summer is officially over and hours are tame between both of my jobs, that I’ll be able to get this place back up and running! Like I said – work has been quite crazy. Each week I’ve been working between 52-62 hours. Although it’s crazy and tiring, the extra cash is well welcomed! With having your own place, there seems to be a lot more bills so anything helps. Not only those bills, but there’s other expenses that need to be accounted for as well. This past month has been a pretty good example of that.
Why is that? Two words: Car trouble. Bear’s car decided not to start in the parking lot at my afternoon job while he came to visit. His car isn’t too old, but it’s paid off and with putting nearly $600 into it in about 2 weeks, he thought maybe he should start looking for another car. I told him about when my older brother bought his truck and he had the dealership locate the truck with the exact specifications as he wanted. The dealership offered auto transport option so they could get it to him. Luckily they found the truck just a few states away, but it was still pretty interesting.
I mean, I’ve always wondered how people can have some interesting cars these days. Seeing ones from different countries just blows my mind. I guess I never realized that car shipping was so popular. I guess when you have a lot of money to spare and really want something off the wall and a real head-turning car, car transport is totally the way to go!
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BBQ Breaded Chicken
I’m proud of myself that I’ve made it about a week until I’ve had time to post another entry. It seems that nowadays it takes me over 2 weeks. (Haha.) Either way, I’m pretty exctied that I have a week of vacation coming up! Both Bear and I have taken next week off from both of our jobs so we can spend it together. It’s supposed to be a really hot one so we’ll see how that goes. We had originally planned on going to the ocean, but because of the uncertainty I had of getting the vacation from my second job, we didn’t get to book a hotel. I’m kind of bummed about it, but we’re planning a few other things to do around town and out of town for the week.
I also wanted to take a second to notice a friend of mine’s Etsy shop! Her name is Sarah and her shop is located here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Thesarahmonster She makes THE CUTEST lip balm jars that I’ve ever seen. This past week I ordered 2 of them and can’t wait to get them by the end of this week. She’s been doing a lot of giveaways and things at her shop’s FaceBook page so I suggest you hobble over there and take a look if you like her things!
And now…the recipe! This one I got from a friend of mine named Jon. He likes to cook and I find myself wanting to try his things but since he’s too far away, I asked him for a few recipes. He sent me one for a bbq chicken that was to be done in the deep fryer. Since I don’t have one, I adapted the recipe for the oven. And might I say – it turned out delicious!
BBQ Breaded Chicken
What you need:
01. 1 pack of chicken tenders ($4.50)
02. 1 packet of chicken breading ($1.50 for 2)
03. 1/2 bottle of your choice of bbq sauce ($1)
TOTAL COST: $7.00What to do:
01. In a large bowl put the chicken strips and bbq sauce in. Move around until all of them are saturated. Poke holes into the chicken with a knife and let sit for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
02. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
03. Put the chicken breading mix into a bowl and lay each chicken strip in one at a time until covered. (I also added in some breadcrumbs to make the mixture have a little more.)
04. Place into a baking dish and bake for about a half hour or until the chicken is white inside.
05. Plate and enjoy!It’s such a simple recipe and so very good. I love how it’s both breaded and bbq’ed. It really gives it a lot of flavour and the “crunch” that I love about breaded chicken.
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The Cabin – Guest Post by Gerard McDaniel
The Cabin
Guest post by Gerard Mcdaniel
When I was 16 my mom and dad bought a house in the Catskills outside of the city and it was a really welcome respite when I was a kid. My sister and I would go up there and run around in the woods and we even learned to shoot skeet one summer! I got a lot more outdoorsy and when mom and dad decided to sell the place last year I asked if I could take over it. It’s been a great decision because now my kids can bond and get some fresh air and we get to get out of the city for a while both in winter and summer. It’s a wonderful place to spend Christmas! We had to do a few upgrades and we even went to www.NEWYORKENERGYrates.com to try and get that heating bill down (I don’t know if you’ve heard but it gets cold in New York) and now it’s exactly how we wanted it to be! Mom and dad even come up and stay with us!
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Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice
Oh man…I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve posted! (Well, it probably has.) I’ve been so busy with work and other events. With it being summer, retail has certainly picked up so needless to say, I haven’t had very much spare time between the 2 jobs. I also recently became an assistant manager at one of them, which I’m very excited about. I’m really hoping that it’s promising enough to eventually get full-time and be able to leave my morning job. Not only this, but I just had my 26th birthday. (Yesterday, actually.) Time was spent with my family, my Bear, and my Pug. We had a good day.
I’ve had so many recipes and reveiews lined up but just not enough time to do any of them. Today I got off work at 5pm and told Bear that I would make him dinner so he had something when he got home from work tonight. He loves Chinese and is always stopping by his favourite place for teriyaki chicken and rice with broccoli. I decided to take that and try my own hand at it. So I bring you this…
Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice
What you’ll need:
01. 1 pack of chicken tenders ($4.50)
02. 2 bags of boil in bag rice ($2.50, pack of 2)
03. 1 bag of frozen broccoli stir fry veggies ($2.00)
04. teriyaki sauce ($1.50)
05. 1 egg
06. 2 tbsp. margarine
07. a dash of salt
TOTAL COST: $10.50What to do:
01. Boil the rice on the stove top until done. Place in a bowl and chill for about 10 minutes.
02. Beat up the egg. Add both the chilled rice and beaten egg to an eletric skillet (or wok, if you wish) and toss until egg appears scrabled and done.
04. Place rice into a baking dish. (I use a big round stonewear one.)
05. In the same skillet, fry up the veggies with the butter and a few dashes of salt to taste.
06. Once tender, add the veggies on top of the rice in the baking dish.
07. Take the thawed chicken strips and cut into smaller “strips” or cubes. Add to the already warm skillet, with as much teriyaki sauce as you wish. Fry until done, turning as you go to ensure that everything is cooked all the way through. I also put the lid to my skillet on for a few minutes to let the meat really cook.
08. Once the chicken is done, add to the top of the veggies.
09. Plate and enjoy!(Keep in mind that all prices are “about” amounts and can vary by store. All prices are of whole items (ie. 1 box of something). A lot of products that we use are store brands, to keep the best value.)
About
My name is Tk and I’m 26 years old. I live in an awesome townhouse with a boy named Bear and a Pug named Peach! I'm a coffee addict, photography lover, and an Etsian. I have 2 jobs - part-time in a cash office, and a part-time assistant manager at a shoe store. Ever since I was young, I loved to cook. I helped a lot with my mum as a kid and eventually started to do things on my own. Moving into this townhouse made me want to not only cook more to provide good meals, but also to start this blog!
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