I'm making a COME BACK!

Hello Bloggers! I'm baaaacckkk!!! This has been a busy busy busy busy busy year, yet a successful one! I started a new job and have had only time to eat, sleep and work. BUT, I am back and able to spend more time with the thing I love to do most, COOKING! Since September I've been cooking up a storm, it's been my stress reliever : ). I've made some new recipes and some recipes that my family and I make on a weekly basis. I'm back to share all that I have learned and all that I have made... So enjoy! Don't be afraid to email me if you have a question or need a recipe for a certain occasion (mlynndeb@gmail.com)... Now Lets Get Cookin' !!!!!


Let's start with something sweet. This was a huge hit at work and with my family and friends. And the best part you can put whatever filling you want, sweet, savory you name it! :

The Easiest and Yummiest Cream Puffs EVER


1/2 cup of butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs


First add water and butter into a small pot and heat until mixture is melted and boiling. Once boiling, add flour and quickly stir and mix ingredients until forms and ball (maybe stir for about a minute). Take off stove and add 4 eggs one at a time, stir each one in and then add next egg. Dough should be really sticky.


** If you would like to, add a table spoon of sugar and mix well, this will add a little sweetness to the puff.


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Now, if you want to get fancy, add mixture to a larger zip lock bag, snip the corner and squeeze little puffs onto the sheet. For me, I just take a tablespoon and make my own little plumps of goodness. Each little ball should be a bit bigger than bit sized.


Bake for about 35-40 minutes.


Filling:


THIS IS THE MOST SIMPLEST FILLING EVER!


When I began to make cream puffs it was around Thanksgiving. So, I wanted to pick a flavor to go along with this holiday. I picked pumpkin mousse.  Ya I know tell me about it, you are definitely going to love this.


1 tub of lite cool whip
cinnamon
1 can of pumpkin
1 pkge of butterscotch pudding (sugar free/fat free)


First make pudding according to the pkge ( I put a little less milk). Once fully mixed, add whole tub of cool whip, then add the whole can of pumpkin and about a tablespoon of cinnamon (You can add less or more or not at all, totally up to you).


Then fill cream puffs once they cooled and have been sliced (longitude ways  : D).


Then Enjoy!! : )

*****This is an awesome low fat mousse that you can serve on its own! The best part about this is you can substitute any flavor of sugar free/fat free pudding to cool whip (minus the pumpkin) and make instant mousse! I add cinnamon to the chocolate mousse, it brings out the chocolate flavor, simply yummy!

Chinese takeout anyone?

Alright Gurus, so here is a nice easy chinese stir fry that will curve your cravings for that yummy and greasy chinese food. I make this when my family and I don't know what else to make! So instead for paying 20-40 bucks worth of chinese take out, make your own for less than 5 dollars a person!! So here it is...

Chinese Stir Fry

For this dish, be creative! Use your favorite veggies and throw them in the pan to add to your stir fry. Also, in this recipe I use hoisin sauce. This is a chinese sauce that you can keep in your pantry and it hard ever goes bad. It is always nice to have to add to anything ti add a tangy rich flavor. You can even add it to chicken breast and use it like barbecue sauce! Believe me definitely worth having in your pantry,

Ingredients:

6-10 pieces of chicken (you can also use beef tips, etc. whatever your in the mood for!)

Veggies: I use,

1 package of sliced mushrooms

1-2 yellow onions

1 stalk of fresh asparagus

Peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic

Hot pepper flakes

Salt/Pepper

About 1 cup of hoisin sauce

For serving: Brown rice (you can buy the 10 minute rice, its cheap and it comes with four bags!)

Tip: When you buy fresh ginger, you need to remove the outside. Since you bought fresh ginger, and usually there is a lot left over, you can actually wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it! It will stay for about 5 months.

Directions:

I bake the chicken first. It makes this dish easier to put together. As the chicken is cooking you can work on the veggie. So cook chicken (seasoned with salt/pepper/oil) on 350 degrees for about 30; Chicken breast about 40 minutes and tenders/cutlets 20. 

First pour oil in a large skillet turn on medium high heat. Add asparagus and let cook for about 5 minutes. Then add onion, ginger, hot pepper flakes, salt/pepper and garlic. Let cook until asparagus and onions turn tender and when the ginger and garlic are fragrant. Now add mushrooms (peppers optional). Let this all cook for about 10 minutes. Once chicken is finished and cooled, cut into shredded or bit sized pieces. Add chicken to the veggies. Stir all together. Now add the hoisin sauce. Stir again and this time taste to see if there needs to be more or salt/pepper. Now serve this up with some rice and EAT! : ) 

I also bought Sriracha (a red spicy sauce usually found in chinese restaurants) to dab on top of the stir fry. It is SOOO yummy with this dish.

Enjoy!