Recipe Exchange

Ok, I'm pretty late on this. The deadline was last Sunday. Only a week late, right? I do have a good excuse - I fell on my rib cage and was really sore most of last week! I'm finally feeling a little better. I want to apologize to my recipe giver...I had great intentions. Until I came in contact with a two foot wide wooden bench.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I just realized I forgot the salt...hmm...)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup lightly salted butter (or margarine) melted & cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package (11.5 oz) jumbo or regular-sized
  milk-chocolate chips (about 2 cups) (I actually did 1 cup milk chocolate chips, and 1 cup chopped Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bar)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 12 muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, stir together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in chocolate chips and optional nuts.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin tin or tins to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes
before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

They tasted fantastic! I was worried about the dark chocolate, but it was a hit. I think. Jason managed to share one with me and then have another on his own, so I guess they were good!

Recipe Exchange: Chalupas!

I will fully admit two things about this recipe. First, I thought chalupas were either some sort of taco things...or beans, lettuce and cheese on a fried corn tortilla. Second, I was really intimidated by this recipe. But...I succeeded! We went to a friends house to hang out and drink some beers, so I used that time to try out the recipe. However, I forgot my camera at home and we ended up eating the whole batch of chalupas! It was so good!! Hopefully this does not violate the What's Cooking Recipe Exchange rules...

Chalupas from Food Network

• 2 1/2 pound pork loin roast
• 2 cups pinto beans, rinsed
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 fresh green chilies, roasted, peeled and diced
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 T chopped garlic
• 1 T oregano
• 2 T chili powder
• salt and pepper
• water

Place the roast, and all remaining ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 3 hours. Remove the meat and continue to cook for another 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender.

Shred the meat and discard the fat. Return it to the pot and continue to cook for another hour, stiring often. Add more water if needed, until it thins out.

We served ours like a soup with chips, shredded cheese and some pico on top. For a crowd, this is perfect! I will probably make it again when we have guests over...but I will say you need a long day to do so.

Rule #1: No talking while baking...

Rule #2: Read the directions more than once! Rule #3: If you follow Rule #1, you won't need the rest of them.

While baking for my WC Nest Recipe Exchange, I messed up royally. Jason and I are vising his parents for Christmas and, as usual, I waited until the last minute to complete my recipe exchange. So, this morning, in the middle of visiting with my mother -in-law, I mixed up the Mud Bars for my exchange. Fortunately, I have this really bad habit of licking the spoon (don't worry, I put it right in the sink...not back in the batter!!) and noticed that it was a little...bitter! "Something is not right." You think? I then turned around to see the bag of brown sugar and canister of granulated sugar on the counter. ((light bulb goes off)) "Well, I forgot the sugar and the eggs." I quickly proceeded to dump the mix back into the bowl, add the sugar and the eggs, and voila! I have Mud Bars. In the end, you don't have to follow the rules, but it sure would have helped!!

Mud Bars

• 1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2-4 T baking cocoa (to taste)
• 1 (12 oz) pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

In a large bowl, pour boiling water over oats and margarine. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in sugars and eggs.

Combine dry ingredients and add to oats mixture. Stir in half the chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9*13 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining chips and nuts. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.