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Strawberries and Cream Rice Crispy Cupcakes

A bag of soft, pink, strawberry marshmallows have been sitting on the shelf for a few weeks now.  The kids asked me many times if they could eat them.  My answer has been, "No!  I'm gonna make something with them."  Of course they wanted to know what I was planning.  I wasn't really sure until I found a recipe for Strawberry Rice Crispy Cupcakes.  That's what I'm making...

Ingredients (printable recipe)
3 Tbsp. butter
1 bag (8oz.) Strawberry marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
cream cheese frosting or whipped cream
6-12 fresh strawberries (large berries can be cut in half)
Directions
Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 45 sec. or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1.5 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 sec. Add cereal; mix well. Press firmly into a greased 12 cup standard cupcake pan. (I buttered my hands and pressed the mixture evenly into each cup.)  Let cool. Remove from pan; Top with a dollop of frosting or whipped cream and a strawberry.  Makes 12.  Store extras in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Dirty Laundry

The Results...
Watch out!  These are super sweet!  I used cream cheese frosting on top and my husband thought it made this dessert too sweet.  He would've liked something lighter like whipped cream on top.  I didn't hear any complaints from the kids.  They loved these little crispy cupcakes and gave them 4 1/2 stars.  It was worth the wait.  I will make these again, but I won't serve them so close to bedtime.  Sugar rushes and bedtimes don't go well together. :)
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Cheese Pinwheel Rolls

At first, when I saw these on Pinterest, I thought they were cinnamon rolls.  But, I looked closer and realized these rolls are filled with CHEESE!  I knew I had to give them a try.

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 ball pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
2 Tbls. butter
1 – 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
garlic powder
Directions 
Lightly grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass baking pan. Set it aside.
On floured surface, roll out pizza dough into a rectangle.
Spread melted butter on top.  Sprinkle cheeses, salt, pepper, and garlic powder on top of butter.
Roll up lengthwise (like cinnamon rolls) and cut 12 pieces with a sharp knife or dental floss.
Carefully place rolls in prepared pan.  Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 30 mins. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes. They are done when dough is cooked and cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Makes 12 rolls.

Adapted from The Hungry Mouse

The Results...
I was really looking forward to trying Cheese Pinwheel Rolls and I thought my family would love them.  We are all cheese lovers.  Unfortunately, these rolls weren't as good as I had hoped.  They were a bit greasy and not big on flavor.  Dipping them in tomato sauce helps.  They were just OK and we gave them 2 1/2 stars.  It was worth a try, but I don't think I will be making these again.
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Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pie


Ricotta Pie

From Denny:  Exploring travel sites sometimes yields some delicious recipes!  This hefty pie enjoys three pounds of ricotta cheese.  A slice of this could be an entire meal considering the protein level.

The pie includes cooked barley which gives it a nutty flavor.  Barley is also great for calming the nervous system since it is chock full of B vitamins.  FYI :)

The whole process is like making a cheesecake because of the spring form pan.  You also lower the baking temperature a couple of times to gently lower the cooling off temperature gradually and prevent the ricotta from drying out.

What's even better is that this is a recipe meant for sitting in the fridge overnight or for a day before serving.  So, it's the perfect make ahead dessert like for a holiday or special occasion.



Ricotta Pie

From:  ExploreAsheville.com

Estimated Cost: $30

Ingredients:

3 lb. ricotta cheese
6 or 7 eggs
2 c. sugar
1½ c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. vanilla
1½ c. sweet chocolate chips
1 c. citron
1½ c. barley

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Soak barley for 30 minutes. Boil water and cook barley for 20 minutes. Drain well. Add flour to coat barley.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients well, folding the barley into the mixture last. Grease spring pan.

Combine graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Add graham cracker crust to the bottom of pan.
Then, pour pie mixture into spring pan.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and heat for 30 minutes.

Then, lower oven temperature to 300 and heat for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven off and let the pie stand in the over for 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool in refrigerator overnight.  Serve next day.







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The Social Poets: Funny Photo For Tax Day: Tax The Big Dogs! Funny Tax Quotes, Jokes

Tax
Tax (Photo credit: 401K)
The Social Poets: Funny Photo For Tax Day: Tax The Big Dogs! Funny Tax Quotes, Jokes: From Denny:  Check out this grin for Tax Day!  Special thanks to Paulo Block on Google +
OK, all you tax time procrastinators, you have until midnight tonight to get your returns in the mail!
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Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Lemon and blueberries make a wonderful flavor combination.  I've seen a lot of lemon-blueberry recipes lately all over the web.  I came across this recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen for Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf.  It looks moist and delicious.  I decided I had to give this recipe a try!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
For the Loaf: 
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour + 2 Tablespoons, divided
1/2 cup WHITE whole wheat flour*
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain non-fat yogurt
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
For the Lemon Syrup:  
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:  
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:  
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides (shortening--not spray) of two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoons of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaves to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

While the loaves are cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaves. Brush the top and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the loaves cool completely.

To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 4-6 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving. 
Yield: two 9x5 inch loaves
*You can use only all-purpose flour.  I ran out of all-purpose and used a little WHITE whole wheat flour.
Note: 
~This recipe will also yield about 24 standard muffins, baking time adjusted.
~It could be baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.

Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

I thought since I used a non-stick pan I could get away with just spraying it.  Obviously, it didn't work.  I should have followed the directions and greased and floured the pans, lesson learned.
The Results...
Although I mangled the loaves since I didn't grease the pans well, they still came out quite tasty.  The loaves were very moist and the lemon and blueberry flavors complemented each other well.  I heard 4 maybe even 4 1/2 stars (out of 5).  That's a great rating at my house.  I plan on making this recipe again as muffins for breakfast or as a bundt cake for picnics or potlucks.


I share recipes at these linky parties.
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Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos

Isenheim Altarpiece: The Resurrection by Matth...
Isenheim Altarpiece: The Resurrection by Matthias Grünewald, completed 1515 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos: From Denny:  When you blog for a few years you start amassing some interesting posts on a theme.

Check out the fun facts posted about Easter on my blogs from traditions, origins of the holiday, a photography post of awesome sunrises by many good photographers, a funny Easter Bunny Rap music video, recipes and Spring renewal Easter poems.

May you enjoy your renewal this Spring!
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Poems From A Spiritual Heart: The Long Road, An Easter Poem

The Road to Loneliness Poems From A Spiritual Heart: The Long Road, An Easter Poem: From Denny:  An Easter poem about how sacrifice can deliver unexpected pleasant surprises.  With global protests against oppressive governments, like the Arab Spring in the Middle East, and against greedy Big Business like the Occupy Protests in the West, it is evident there is great need in the world.

When economic times and society get hard pressed what is the one thing you can do about all the wrong going on around you?  You can be a friend.  You can slow down, even come to a full stop on your own life, and look around to see what is happening in your vicinity.

To address the needs, think of offering some real friendship and mentor those around you.  You will be surprised how many people will tell you how glad they are you took time for them as they thought no one would ever notice how much they were struggling.  It could be at work, at church, your neighborhood, the local grocery store, anywhere.  Offering the fact that you care is often the most appreciated.
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