Swiss Meringue Buttercream...wha?!?!?

I loathe canned frosting.

LOATHE.

It tastes like shortening, and makes me want to lose my lunch.

Typically, my go to buttercream recipe is from Sweetopolita.

{Read all about it here...tips, recipe, etc.}

I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. 

It is THE BEST buttercream...EVER!

It goes on so smooth that I have often been asked if it's fondant. 

Best part it tastes so, so, so, so, so good.

BUT...

{did you know a 'but' was coming?}

it isn't the quickest frosting to whip up, and there are several steps including egg whites on the stove top.  The recipe also yields a TON, and I often times forget I have some in the freezer. 

So, today I made donuts {we're crazy obsessed now, thanks to THIS}, and wanted to slather them in Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but didn't have the energy to make it. 

On a wing and a prayer, I decided to make the Almost-Homemade Vanilla Buttercream by Karen Tack featured in this month's issue of Better Homes & Gardens. 

OMG!

It is a pretty strong contender for the real thing considering it's sort of a cheat, using marshmallow creme instead of egg whites and sugar. 

It's quick, it's easy, it's good. 

I mean, why wouldn't it be?  It has 3 sticks of butter in it.

Almost-Homemade Vanilla Buttercream
{via Better Homes & Gardens}

1 1/2 cups {3 sticks} unsalted butter
1 16 oz. jar marshmallow creme*
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium until light and fluffy.  Add marshmallow creme and beat until smooth, scraping sides.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy (if too stiff, soften in microwave no more than 10 seconds; beat until smooth).  Use to frost cake.  Or store, refrigerated, up to three days or freeze up to a month.  Bring to room temperature before frosting cake. 
Makes 3 cups.
*If only 13 oz. jars are available in your area, add 3 oz. (3/4 cup) additional marshmallow creme. 
For a sweet & salty contrast, add 1/4 tsp. of salt.
You, my friends, are very, very welcome.

A recipe.

I love curry.  I like it on fish or chicken, in chicken salad with grapes and walnuts, with coconut milk and rice, and now in a soup.

I've been making this soup for awhile now, but thought it was time I share it with all of you.  It isn't for everyone, but if you like curry, you will LOVE it. Best part is that a hearty serving is 264 calories, 7 g of fat, and 3 g of fiber.  Not bad.

The original recipe is from 'The Redwall Cookbook', based on the young-adult book series {which, by the way, is fantastically charming}.  It was then adapted for 'Family Circle' magazine, and then, of course, I've made a few changes.

You will need:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
4 medium leeks, washed well and chopped OR
5-6 stalks of celery finely diced
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound peeled, deveined, cooked shrimp
2 cups skim milk

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion, garlic, and leeks or celery, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable or chicken stock, potatoes, curry, salt & pepper.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes.

Remove pot from heat.  Immediately add shrimp and milk, gently heating through by adding it to the hot broth and potato mixture.

Enjoy {sometimes I serve it with really good, crusty bread}.

Sidenote:  If you don't have leeks {which I don't always have on hand}, I've discovered you can use celery.  I would imagine the celery version has fewer calories, too.  Although both ways are delicious, I prefer the leek version.  It must be the extra calories that have my heart.

Also, this is a doubled recipe of the original version.  It feeds my girls and me {the only ones that eat it in this house} for a good couple of days; dinner, lunch, then dinner again.

Easter Photo Essay

Can you see the 80+ eggs we hid?

What's that you said?

No?

That's because we are that good!

BUT...

these kids are better!

They found them all in approximately 11.67 minutes.

Then,

they got to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Kate...

this one is for you.

Especially, for you.

While all the other kiddos were riding or scooting...

Uncle Brent took Bets for a ride.

A highly assisted and supervised ride.

Thanks, Uncle Brent.

Did I ever tell you my folks are Senior BMX champs?

Well, that's because they aren't.

But, they look like they are.

Don't they?

They have mad skillz.

There were pretty cookies.

And, then...

there were crabby kids.

This about sums up the final hour or so we were at my Ma & Pop's.

Yes, that's a corn cob.

{She held it & gnawed on it all afternoon.}

And, yes, she is throwing a

too-much-sugar-no-nap-going-for-ten-hours-straight-don't-take-my-cob

FIT!

Time to go!

Hope you all had an equally enjoyable Easter!

P.S.

Sadly, I forgot my camera when we went to Jake's parents' house

for brunch after church.

But, we had a great time there, too.

I highly recommend Miss Paula Deen's Baked French Toast

with praline topping.

I {heart} butter.

PB + J = helluva good cupcake!

I love peanut butter.

Fluffernutters with bananas are my favorite sandwich ever.

EVER.

However, I do love a PBJ in a pinch.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw this recipe over at Birthday Girl.

These babies are like a symphony in your mouth.

I left the center free of frosting and piped in the strawberry jam.

I wanted maximum PB&J flavor.

You could leave it out altogher if you wanted,

or use your favorite flavor jam, jelly, or preserve,

OR chocolate.

Next up...

I'm going to make a cake out of this fabulous peanut butter dream batter,

AND

 Frost. The. Entire. Thing. In. Nutella.

Admit it.

Your mouth is watering at the thought.

Pretty things for Monday (blech).

cookie recipe from here...

Happy Monday & Happy February!

2 tidbits.

#1
In honor of the Duggar's 19th bun-in-the-oven...
I am making Duggar Tater Tot Casserole tonight for dinner.
Not the healthiest thing to have (by far), but quick, easy, and tasty.

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

1 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained

1 & 1/2 2lb bags tater tots (3lbs. total)

1 cans cream of mushroom

1 cans evaporated milk

1 cans cream of chicken

Brown meat & place in large casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together. Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour. (One of Jim Bib’s Favorites!) Makes 1- 9”X13” pan

#2
Yesterday, Rosie pleaded to go in the back before I was ready to go with her. I, obliged, because I was unloading/loading the dishwasher and could see her from the door. She DID take a quilt and throw pillow out with her, but I just figured she would put it in the 'trunk' of her cozy coupe. Boy, was I wrong. I spied on her until she seemed settled into what she was doing. And, after 5 minutes time, this was the scene...


She is, without a doubt, my kookiest kid. She makes me laugh.

1 more day 'til a 3 day weekend!

Have a FIESTA tonight!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS GREBE STYLE
serves a lot or just enough if you eat like us
Ingredients:
2-3lbs chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1 packet of fajita seasoning
approx. 10-12 fajita size flour tortillas
1 lg. can enchilada sauce
1 jar of your favorite salsa
lots and lots of shredded colby-jack cheese (don't be shy, we are not worried about your arteries)
Method:

1. boil chicken breast, when cooked through put on a plate and let cool
2. preheat oven at this point to about 350
3. when chicken is cool to the touch, shred or chop into small pieces, put all of shredded chicken into large skillet, add the chopped onion, fajita seasoning, a little water (enough to coat the chicken and moisten the seasoning, about 1/2 cup), stir together over med. heat and simmer 3-5 minutes so the flavors can blend, set aside and let cool enough so that you can handle it when scooping it into the tortillas
   
4. scoop a couple of large spoonfuls of chicken mixture into a tortilla, fold in sides and roll up tightly, line a large glass baking pan (like a lasagna pan) sprayed with cooking spray with all of the filled tortillas, tuck them in tightly next to each other
5. dump (that is a technical term) all of your enchilada sauce and salsa over the top of the filled tortillas, then dump all of the cheese, the more the better, over the top of that
6. cover with foil and bake for about, ummmm, 30-40 minutes or until heated through, and then uncover and bake about 10 more minutes until cheese is golden bubbly (which reminds me of Truvy's "cupa, cupa, cupa" from Steel Magnolias, "a cup a suga, a cup a flour, a cup of fruit cocktail with the juice, and bake at 350 until golden bubbly.") *my husband likes me to blast the cheese under the broiler to get it crusty on the edges, but whatever
7. serve with a dollop of sour cream, Mexican rice and beans
   

MEXICAN FLAN-courtesy of Daisy Martinez
serves 10-12 (that's her over there>>>)
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup milk
3 large eggs
3 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup Nestle's Media Crema or sour cream
Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Make the caramel: Have ready a 9.5-inch-deep dish pie plate and a pair of potholders or oven mitts. Pour the sugar into a small, heavy saucepan. Set it over medium-low heat until the sugar starts to liquefy and form clumps. Stir slowly and constantly; the sugar will eventually liquefy completely, then begin to color. Pay careful attention to the caramel at this point; once it starts to color it will darken quickly. Pull the pan from the heat when the caramel is the color of a bright, shiny penny. Scrape all the caramel into the pan, put on the mitts and grab the pie plate firmly. Carefully but quickly rotate the pan so the bottom and halfway up the sides of the plate are coated with caramel. Set the prepared pan into a shallow roasting pan.
   
3. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla in a blender jar. Blend on very low speed just until the eggs are blended, a few seconds. Add the crema Mexicana or sour cream and blend a few seconds until smooth. Let stand for a minute then scoop off any foam that rises to the surface.
   
4. Pull out the oven rack and set the roasting pan with the caramel-lined pie plate on the shelf. Pour the custard mix into the plate. Pour enough water from the tea kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the plate. Bake until the center of the flan is set, about 35 minutes.
   
5. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature in the water bath. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
   
6. To serve, center a large plate over the flan and, with one quick flip invert the flan over the plate. Give it a few seconds; the flan will slip right out of the mold and onto the plate. Scrape any caramel left in the mold over the flan. Serve chilled.
   

ps To the right is a picture of media crema. It is found in the ethnic aisle at the grocery store with all of the Mexican/Latin foods. It is the secret weapon in this particular flan recipe. It is referred to in English, as table cream, similar to sour cream, but not quite. You will not be sorry if you try this in your flan! (Because I am sure you've said to yourself before, "What can I do to kick up my old, usual flan recipe that I use ALL the time?")

pps My camera is on the fritz (again), that is why my posts have not included any personal photos. It is hard to be funny without the inspiration of my family and friends. Hopefully, I will figure something out soon. This will have to do for now: