Double Chocolate Fudge Cups

Travis requested these majorly chocolately cupcakes for his birthday. 
This recipe came from Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Ingredients:
3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolates
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
4 egg whites
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
4 Tbsp cool whip

Directions:
Microwave chocolate and oil in glass measuring cup on High 1-2 mins.  Stir in cocoa powder; let stand at least 5 mins.

Beat egg whites and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed 3 mins or until tripled in volume.  Reduce speed to med low; blend in melted chocolate mixture until well combined.

Spoon batter into 6 paper-lined medium muffin cups; muffin cups can be almost full.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven 18 mins or until puffed and center is set.  Remove from oven and let stand in pan 5 mins

Serve with whipped topping.

There's 190 calories and 8g of fat in one of these babies - not too bad for a cupcake!

Irish Breakfast

How we celebrated St. Patrick's Day, a day early.

Ingredients:
green milk
sausage links
fried eggs
tomato slices
sliced mushrooms
Irish Soda farls*

Directions:
Cook everything in skillet.
Serve warm with Pandora's Celtic station playing in the background.

*A farl is a slice of Irish soda bread warmed in a skillet - or at least that's what I understand it to be.  I could be wrong about this.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1 cup buttermilk**

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk**

Directions:

Mix first group of ingredients.

Add buttermilk and egg.

Turn out dough and knead gently. 

Form into round, place on greased baking sheet, and mark with a cross.

Mix melted butter and 1/4 C buttermilk and spread on dough.

Bake at 375 for 45 mins

** Buttermilk substitute:  1 Tbsp vinegar + short cup milk 

home made cream chicken and toast

Mom gave me this recipe.  She told me it was good.  She was right. 

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

2 C milk

2 chicken breasts, cubed

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices of bread

Directions:

Place slices of bread into muffin pan, pushing them into cups.

Place pan into oven and begin preheating to 350, once it reaches temperature turn oven off.

Meanwhile, cook chicken.  Set aside.

In the same skillet, melt butter over medium low heat. 

Stir in flour until smooth.

Slowly add the milk, stirring the whole time.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When gravy is desired consistency remove from heat and add chicken back in.

Take the toast out of the oven, and fill the cups with the creamed chicken.

Comfort food tastes sooooo good.