Seven Quick Takes Friday (vol. 9)

 Today I'm linking up with Kelly over at This Ain't the Lyceum for Seven Quick Takes Friday
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If you know me IRL and we are Facebook friends, you've probably seen a bunch of these pictures before. The truth is, my facebook timeline is probably pretty evenly split between pictures/stories of my kids and pictures of my food. I love to cook and bake and I am always snapping shots of my food. I am trying to keep an on-line recipe book of sorts, but time always gets away from me and I fail to type up my recipes more often than not. Too many of these are scribbled on the backs of scrap paper and shoved into a three-ring binder in my cupboard. Maybe getting these photos up will motivate me to actually get the missing recipes typed up.

(1)

First, there's these...

Cake pops. Really, I had never gotten all that into them, but I tried them on a whim over the summer and I am hooked. These were some of my first attempts at creating little pieces of cake-pop heaven and I have to say...delish!

(2)

Hamburger Buns

 

Homemade hamburger buns. You guys, I can't even. Wait. Yes, I can. And I have many, many times. I use them pulled for BBQ chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, French Dip sandwiches, fancy-schmancy hamburgers and sloppy joes. Just say no to the soggy grocery store buns and try these. You won't be sorry.

(3)

Spinach Balls

These spinach balls are so great. They freeze fantastically and are perfect for appetizers, snacks or a main dish on a meatless Friday. Just make a lot, they go fast. I made them for myself one day for dinner thinking  my kids would never in a million years touch them, but I barely got one at all because the two big birds ate them all.

(4)

I have a problem.

Chocolate Ganache Cream-Filled Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Yellow Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Frosting

 And it's cupcakes. A couple years ago when Host.ess went under and their cupcakes were no longer available, I became obsessed with creating a cream-filled cupcake on my own so they would never hurt me again I wouldn't be dependent on them. 

Oh, mission accomplished, ya'll. Mission accomplished real good.

I also made these Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes for my mom awhile back. She liked 'em. Probably a little too much. Then I re-used the cake recipe and frosted them with a mint buttercream instead of a mint cream cheese frosting. And I decorated them for Advent by Candlelight. Boom!

(5)

Birthday Cake

Naked Devil's Food Cake with Old-Fashioned Buttercream Frosting

My father asks for one thing each year for his birthday - a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. But it has to be his grandmother's frosting recipe, which is not a typical buttercream like it's made these days. This recipe takes patience and a pot of simmering water. Oh, and unless you want that simmering water splashed on your face, it also takes a steady hand to incorporate it juuuussssttttt so.

(6)

I am finally getting around to doing a review of our holiday season to determine what worked and what didn't. The goal being that I can drop the stuff that stunk up the joint in 2014 and stick to the good stuff, auditioning a few new "traditions" in 2015. Some highlights...

 

(1) Chocolate Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies; (2) Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls; (3) Triple Chocolate Cream Pie; (4) 7-Layer Cookies; (5) Black Magic Brownies; (6) Soft & Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies; (7) Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

They were all keepers. Can you tell we like chocolate?

(7)

Pizza

 

 

 

Friday night, pizza night up in here, up in here! We have a weekly Friday night tradition of pizza. We used to just order in, but those pizzas get expensive! So every Friday afternoon, I make enough dough for two pies using this recipe. One will be made into cheesy garlic breadsticks for the kids. The other, well, the other is for the grown-ups to have some fun. We've done Meatball pizza, BBQ Chicken pizza, Chicken Bacon Avocado Alfredo pizza, straight-up Pepperoni pizza, and Apple & Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese pizza. We like to try some fun and funky toppings from time to time.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, click on over to Kelly's to find some new blogs to read and new folks to love!