Beef Bacon Cheesy Dip from Big Bites Little Bites on Vimeo.

Fudge upside down cake and ice cream. YUMMY

This past Friday my wife and i got a babysitter and had dinner with another couple from our church. This couple insisted we bring nothing and they would take of the night. And Boy Did They!

First- we had a killer salsa which was from Costco- Mango Salsa- not sure how to describe other then- go buy it now!
Then dinner came – Pork Loin marinaded in Italian dressing and grilled to perfection. Huge baked potatoes dusted with kosher salt. Then the veggies – oh the veggies- Zucchini sauted in chopped garlic, what i am guessing was an unhealthy amount of butter- but lets call it the way we tasted it- INCREDIBLE! As well as some yummy steamed Cauliflower sprinkled with shredded cheddar.

That alone would be a homerun meal fit only royalty, but then came dessert.

They were still cooking it when we got there- so I got to see how this meal unfolded. She basically followed the recipe and I would suggest you do the same.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup milk 1/2 brown sugar
1 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Cream together 3/4 cup sugar and butter – Stir in Milk.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons cocoa together.
Add creamed mixture and beat until smooth.
Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter into 9 inch square pan.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over batter.
Pour boiling water over top.

Bake at 250 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
The cake will rise to the top and boiling water will combine with the sugar/cocoa mixture to make rich chocolate syrup underneath.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or plain in sherbet glasses or sauce dishes.
Forget that – grab a fork and eat it out of the pan.

It was simply put …. SICK.. in a good way- incredible delicious, yummy, tasty, awesome..

think i liked it?

Have you ever tried this or a similar recipe?

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VIDEO RECIPE: EZ PIZZA from Big Bites Little Bites on Vimeo.

Watch me and Abby make a quick and EZ Pizza that the whole family can enjoy. You are 20 minutes away from pizza time!

ENJOY

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HELLO???? REESE's - You cant eat these- go buy your own!

WISDOM: Free knowledge: know why these are called tassies? Post answers below!

This is to celebrate our 250th fan to sign up for our facebook page. I cant cook all of you a treat- so i figure bust out a classic you can do at home- makes sense this is what the site is about. Cooking. at home, with the family!
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (11 ounce) package REESE’S® Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Directions
1 Beat 3/4 cup butter and cream cheese in medium bowl; add flour and 1/4 cup sugar, beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate about one hour or until dough is firm. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; press each ball onto bottom and up sides of about 36 small muffin cups (1-3/4 inches in diameter).
2 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine egg, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla in small bowl; stir until smooth. Set aside 1/3 cup chips; add remainder to egg mixture. Evenly fill muffin cups with chip mixture.
3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is set and lightly browned. Cool completely; remove from pan to wire rack.
4 Combine reserved 1/3 cup chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Drizzle over tops of tassies.

I like to add an extra step – EAT THEM UP BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES!!!!

KID COOKING TIP:
Get the kiddies involved- any time there is mixing they can do it. My 1 year old helps- trust me anyone can. Slightly older kids can dip the French toast into the batter before yu place in frying pan.

ENJOY

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Stop drooling and make this on Saturday morning.

OK- so they kids are crying, the dog is a barking, it is raining and you wish you could have hit snooze 5 more times. It is Saturday and you are almost wishing it was Monday, almost. What can get everyone in a better mood, and no the answer isnt grandma and grandpa taking the kids for the weekend (although- not the worst idea of I have heard) – French Toast and not just any French Toast- Cinnamon Raisin.

Lets jump into this recipe:
Ingredients-
Batter: 2 Eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 1tsp vanilla

Sauce: 1.5 cups Orange Juice, 12oz cranberries, 1 cup sugar

Cinnamon Raisin Bread – 1 inch thick (if you can find it, Seriously make the effort- go to a bakery if you must)

Mix eggs, milk, and vanilla in a medium size mixing bowl.
Dip bread into batter.
Place in a frying pan over medium heat and cook 1 minute per side.

Sauce:
Mix orange juice and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Place cranberries in a sauce pan and add 3 cups of water.
Add juice/sugar mixture to berries in sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 5 minutes- it will reduce (get thicker)

Poor over your finished French Toast-

BONUS: either microwave syrup or heat over open flame (in a proper container/pan. Pour over French Toast before adding sauce.

IHOP and Perkins got nothing on this!

What type of fun food do you cook for breakfast?

KID COOKING TIP:
Get the kiddies involved- any time there is mixing they can do it. My 1 year old helps- trust me anyone can. Slightly older kids can dip the French toast into the batter before yu place in frying pan.

ENJOY

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You are going to quickly learn that din din time can be family fun time, but like most things in life safety should come first. As parents we need to be the ones creating the safe environment in our childrens lives- since we are working the kitchen lets take a look at  my top 10 family friendly kitchen tools. These tools will be used in almost every recipe we will be working on.

1. Apron


Is this really safety? Yes – consider you could be cooking something with hot liquid- this is your first line of defense. Also, if your child is like mine- getting a stain on her clothes is worse then a 1st degree burn. Seriously, does anyone else child need to change her outfit 3 times a day?

2. Oven Mitts

Ovens= Hot, Grills= Hot – do the math – you need to have a high quality set of mitts. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use the decorative ones that match the china/dishes. Key word here is decorative- they aren’t called practical or effective mitts.

3. Magic Bullet

No not the cool visual effects from the Matrix- Im talking my lifesaver. You know the infomercial where the over enthusiastic man and woman cook things in no time flat by chopping stuff up. IT WORKS- When I had my Lapband surgery in February all the other Bandsters – that was people who get bands call themselves- suggestd it- great kitchen tool I own and my girls can use it to. We chop, mix, blend everything in it. trust me- I may use it in 75% of my recipes. Actually in my kitchen pic- you will see this is the only tool I keep out 24/7.

4. Kids Scissorrs

Lettuce, veggies, thin chicken or pork- these scissors will do the trick but you know your child will be safe. Most importantly, they get involved and feel ownership in your family meal.

5.  Silicone Spatula

The one pictured is a great example of tool for younger kids. Even though my daughter is nearly 4 she wants to use what Daddy uses to cook, however, my 2 year old daughter would play with the little person spatula all day long. Keep in mind- spatulas are like oxygen and water to recipes- 99% of the recipes will require that ingredients be mixed in or poured out. This is the perfect and safest tool for that job.

Did I miss anything? I would love to hear about what tools you use in your kitchen- feel free to comment or add on to this list.