Recipes!

So the last few weeks I have been on a "trying out new recipes" kick. First off I have given up coffee for lent. This is something that needed to happen. Spending almost $4 for a cup of fancy coffee practically every morning is no good. So I have replaced coffee with a morning smoothie that I found on the Cheapskate Cook blog I mentioned in my last post. See recipe below. It has spinach in it which may scare some people off, but you can't even taste!!!! The fruit flavors totally overpower the spinach. I think this is my new favorite way to get my vegetables in my diet.


Makes 1 big smoothie or 2 small smoothies

INGREDIENTS:

•1/2 C. water
•1/3 – 1/2 a small orange, peeled and sectioned OR a generous spoonful of frozen orange juice concentrate
•4-5 medium-sized strawberries (if frozen, make sure they’re sliced)
•3/4 of a banana, sliced into 1” chunks
•3-4 handfuls of fresh spinach
•Optional: You can throw in a few chopped baby carrots, slices of cucumber, almonds, and /or ground flax seed for added nutrition. Or even protein powder.

DIRECTIONS:

•Layer the ingredients in the blender in the order listed
•Blend together, beginning on a low setting, then increasing until it’s on high. Maintain a vortex in the middle of the mixture while blender is running. If there is no vortex, add more water as necessary
•Thanks to the marvelous blend of all these different colors, you will probably have to add 1-3 more handfuls of spinach/kale to get a strong green color. I usually add them while the blender is running and keep it running on high until I don’t see any more leaf fragments.
•Pour into a glass and enjoy!

The next thing I made the other night that was absolutely delish was the brownie recipe below. TO. DIE. FOR. Seriously. I found this recipe on the Dave Ramsey website (I know that is totally random). I have to admit that I usually don't attempt to bake brownies from scratch because they kind from a box usually turn out better for me, but these were great. I also didn't have all the ingredients for the fudge frosting, so I just added like a cup of chocolate chips to the batter and put the peanut butter on top. so good. ENJOY! :)


INGREDIENTS:

Brownies

1 cup of butter (2 sticks, no substitutions)
1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) jar peanut butter

Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup whole milk (no substitutions)
10 large marshmallows
1/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:


Brownies

1.Melt 1 cup butter and 1/3 cup cocoa in a saucepan over low heat until butter melts, stirring constantly.
2.Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3.Combine sugar, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
4.Slowly add chocolate mixture and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
5.Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended. Do not overbeat.
6.Spread mixture into a greased 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan.
7.Bake in 350-degree oven for 25–30 minutes. Every oven is different, so I recommend inserting a toothpick in the middle of the brownies and making sure it comes out clean. If not, cook one minute at a time until done. Don’t overcook.

Peanut Butter Topping

1.Spoon mounds of peanut butter across the top of the hot brownies. As peanut butter begins to soften and melt, gently spread evenly across the top of the hot brownies.
2.Let cool completely, and then chill for 30 minutes until peanut butter sets up firm.

Fudge Frosting

1.Cook 1 stick of butter, milk and marshmallows in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows melt.
2.Remove pan from heat and gradually sift in 1/4 cup cocoa, beating with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
3.Sift powdered sugar and gradually stir into cocoa mixture with hand mixer until smooth.
4.Spread frosting over peanut butter; place back in fridge and chill at least another 20 minutes so fudge frosting will set.
5.If not serving immediately, cover with foil and keep in fridge.
6.To serve, trim off all of the edges of the brownies. Cut into small squares (these are very rich). Optional: Garnish each piece with 1/4 of a miniature peanut butter cup. Best served at room temperature