White Trash Cupcakes

I saw this recipe for Chocolate Cherry Dr. Pepper Cupcakes and knew I had to make them.  My father-in-law LOVES Dr. Pepper so when they came over for dinner last weekend, I decided it was time to bake ‘em up.  I told one of my friends that I was making DP cupcakes and she immediately responded with, “That is so white trash.”  Oh well.  If being white trash means I can have DP in cupcake form, then white trash I’ll be.  ( I haven’t tried them yet, but I did freeze one- ok, maybe 4 or 5- for myself. ) The photo on So Sinful It’s Sweet’s blog looked pretty gourmet to me. Alas, not so much with mine.

I need to work a bit on piping skills. Until then, this is what you get. These smelled like Texas sheet cake with Dr. Pepper in them. Chris said the DP was more of a background flavor. He also liked them better after they were refrigerated.

Shrimp Lo Mein

I based this off of Coconut & Lime’s recipe for chicken lo mein.  My husband’s a little on the picky side and doesn’t like shiitake mushrooms or bamboo shoots so I left those out.  I also used shrimp ( obviously ) instead of chicken.

veggies for the lo mein

I wish I had lightning quick knife skills, but alas I don’t, so it took me a bit longer to prep the veggies than I would have liked. My noodles were also super long and kind of stuck together ( maybe I overcooked them? ) so it was a bit hard to get them tossed well with the veggies. The first servings had lots of noodles and not many veggies while the last servings had lots of veggies and little noodles. I need to work on my noodle tossing technique. Overall, it was a tasty dinner.

Cinnamon Sugar Yumminess

These donut muffins were *oh wow* good.  Especially hot out of the oven.  Even then, they still weren’t bad cold.  Mmm…hot, cinnamon sugary donut muffins and a tall glass of cold milk.  Yum!

What’s for Dinner? 5/11 - 5/17

This last week we found out our little guy is definitely allergic to milk, eggs, wheat and almonds.  Until I get him completely on soy formula, that means I can’t eat any of those things either.  Major bummer.  I’ve managed thus far to tailor our dinners to these confines, but it’s a bit of a challenge.  I’ve been checking out some vegan recipes.  However, nothing’s really jumped out at me.  I suppose I should just bite the bullet and try one. 

Here’s what’s up for Menu Plan Monday:

Sunday- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (no bun for me ), Pan Fries & Veggie Sticks

Monday- Sausage and Mushroom Ragu on Quinoa Pasta & Salad

Tuesday- leftover ragu

Wednesday- Black Bean Croquettes w/ Fresh Salsa & Spanish Rice

Thursday- leftover croquettes

Friday- Baked Chicken Nuggets, Fries (again- I’m so uncreative) & Fruit

Saturday- Tuna Melts & Salad (this one should be interesting for me- maybe I’ll try soy cheese )

Check out more menus here.

Pot Stickers

When I was little, we used to get bags of pot stickers from Costco.  My sisters and I could eat tons of them.  I saw this recipe in Everyday Food Magazine a couple years ago and they made it look super easy to make your own pot stickers.  And they are!  It’s also cheaper to make your own.  I must use smaller wonton wrappers or not use as much filling because I get way more than 24 out of one recipe.  I freeze the extras and can have pot stickers whenever my little heart desires.

In the original recipe, you fry the wontons first and then steam them. We boiled them and then fried them when I was a kid so I still do it that way. I tried their way, but didn’t like it as much. I do have to say their way was less greasy, but not as crispy. I like crispy. Either way you like it, try them. They’re delicious!

Spaghetti & Meatballs Again?

For now, Chris and I are the only ones that eat real food at dinner (well, I guess Makua’s mooshed carrots is real food, but not really appetizing for big people) so I often look for cookbooks or recipes that feed just 2 people (Chris is not a fan of leftovers).  I borrowed Cooking for Two from the library a while back and I’ve made this recipe quite a bit.  It’s one of my favorite meatball recipes.  The original recipe includes fusili with a hearty tomato sauce, but frankly I was getting tired of the same old pasta and meatballs deal.  So we tried sub sandwiches instead.  Tasty and super easy alternative to pasta.

An EXTREME close-up of a sandwich and some “Italian” fries (I baked the fries in the oven and then grated Parmesan cheese over top. I know- I’m a dork. )

What’s for Dinner? 5/4 - 5/10

Last week’s menu was delicious!  My favorite was the Asian Chicken Salad.  The Fragrant Fish Soup was a pleasant surprise.  Even my picky husband liked it- and I quote, “I was a little skeptical at first, but this is actually pretty good.”

What we’re eating this week…

Sunday- Breakfast for Dinner

Monday- Broiled Za’atar Chicken Thighs , Israeli Cous Cous & Cucumber Salad

Tuesday- Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches , Fries & Carrot Sticks

Wednesday- leftover pulled pork

Thursday- Shrimp Scampi w/ Angel Hair & Salad

Friday- Mushroom Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Salad

Saturday- leftover salisbury steak

Check out more menus here.