Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Makes 48

What You'll Need:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
8-10 all beef hot dogs, cut into 1-inch chunks

What You'll Do:
Preheat 375
1. Combine butter and sugar in bowl, whisk to combine. Add eggs, whisk to incorporate. Add buttermilk, whisk.
2. In seperate bowl combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt - stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.
3. Spray mini-muffin tin and spoon 1 tbsp into each cup. Place 1 hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.
4. Bake 8-12 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

*These are SO good! I'll be making these next time I just want cornbread (w/ no hot dogs)!

HEALTHY Banana Bread

What You'll Need:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar free applesauce
3/4 c. honey
2 eggs, beaten
3 mashed, overripe bananas

Preheat 350.
1. Lightly grease 9x5 loaf pan. In large bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. In seperate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour into loaf pan.
2. Bake 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completley.

Ham & Cheese Sliders

What You'll Need:
24 hawaiian rolls
24 pieces good honey ham (I just use deli ham)
24 small pieces swiss chesse (shredded swiss melts better)
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup miracle whip
  Poppyseed sauce:
1 tbsp poppyseeds
1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Preheat 350
1. Leave the hawaiian rolls in tact, do not pull them apart into individual rolls. Take out of the package and slice the entire rectangle in half so you have the tops and the bottoms. Spread mayo mixture onto the center of both sides of rolls. Place slice of ham and cheese on each roll. (I just evenly distribute this on the entire block of the bottoms of rolls) Close rolls and place them on large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppyseed sauce ingredients. Do not use all of the sauce, just enough to cover the tops of the rolls. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover w/ tin foil and bake 12-15 mintues or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook additional 2 minutes or until tops of rolls are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

*can be prepped a day ahead of time and kept in fridge untili ready to bake.

*pics to come soon...

Upside Down Cinnamon-Apple Coffee Cake

Serves: 8

What You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, chopped apples
1 can Pillsbury cinnamon rolls w/icing
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces (I omitted these, not a huge pecan fan. I added raisins instead)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup

What You'll Do:
Preheat oven to 350.
1. Spray 9 inch pie plate. Spread 1 cup of apples in pie plate.
2. Seperate dough into 8 rolls. Cut each roll in quarters; place in large bowl. Add remaining apples and pecans.
3. In small bowl mix butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until well blended. Add brown sugar mixture to dough mixture; toss gently to coat. Spoon mixture over apples in pan.
4. Bake 28-38 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto serving platter.
5. Remove lid from icing. Microwave 10-15 seconds or until it is drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm cake.

The hubby says this is his FAVORITE cinnamon roll recipe, EVER!

Homemade Maple Syrup

Yields: 2 cups

What You'll Need:
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple extract

What You'll Do:
Bring water and both sugars to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and stir in maple extract; simmer 3 minutes.

*2 cups brown sugar can be substituted for thicker syrup. Can also use 1/2 maple extract and 1/2 butter flavoring if you want a more "store bought" flavor.

Oreo Truffles

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen
What You'll Need:
1 package double stuffed Oreos
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
Vanilla flavored candy coating

What You'll Do:
1. In food processor, finely crush oreos. Save about 2 tbsp of cookie crumbs for garnish.

2. In a large bowl using your hands, mix together oreos and cream cheese until well combined.
Roll into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.

3. Melt vanilla candy coating according to directions. Using a toothpick, roll each ball in candy coating.

Place back on waxed lined cookie sheet and sprinkle w/ reserved cookie crumbs. (The candy coating hardens pretty quickly so sprinkle with cookie crumbs immediatley after placing on cookie sheet.)

 *Remove toothpicks before serving :)

Keep refrigerated. ENJOY!!

Creative Kids Lunches

What You'll Need:
Muffin tins
Assorted lunch materials....

It's so cute and the kids love it!