dip of the month: caramel sauce

i recently heard about this recipe from my mom who heard it from my sister who heard it from someone else who i am sure heard it from someone else. this is the easiest (and most delicious) recipe ever, and only one ingredient: a can of sweetened condensed milk (or 2 or 3 or 4). I wish would have made more than one can at a time.
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put the can of sweetened condensed milk in a bot full of boiling water. make sure the can is completely covered with water at all times. i heard that the can could explode if it is not completely covered. i was a little paranoid when i heard that and kept running to the kitchen if i heard any suspicious sounds. i kept a pitcher full of water nearby so i could quickly add water to the pot if needed. boil for 2-4 hours.

after cooking remove the can from the boiling water using tongs and sit in sink to cool.

caramel is now ready to serve or store! Transfer from can to another container to store in fridge. is great as an ice cream topping or dip for fruit or marshmallows (or anything else your heart desires).

enjoy.

cupcakes

today i was given a cupcake too beautiful to eat (but too yummy not to eat). apologies for my blurry cell phone photo but if you take notice this cupcake has glitter on it!
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after work i immediately went to check out the source of this amazing little cake and found a store just as charming. caketini. you must check it out.

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this reminded me that i still haven't used my new paula deen cupcake stencils that i got from Michaels for only one dollar. one dollar. they have definitely been on my mind though. i wish i had more time to bake.

dip of the month: corn dip

Corn Dip:

4 cans mexican corn (drained very well)
2 cans Ro-tel, 1 can hot and one can lime (also drain very well)
1/2 jar mayo (mayo with lime tastes best)
2 cups sour cream
2 lbs shredded cheese (mexican blend is best)
garlic salt and died onions to taste
mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

chocolate orange fudge

if you are like most people you probably set a new years resolution to stay away from food like this. after all the junk i ate this holiday season i definately am staying away from food like this. BUT out of all the junk i ate this is the recipe worth sharing. i used my mother in laws super easy fudge recipe and tweaked it a little bit. instead of using just any 'ol chocolate i used orange chocolate. mmm mmm mmmmmm.

16 oz chocolate (i used chocolate oranges)
1 can evaporated milk
2 cubes of butter
4 cups of sugar

bring milk and sugar to a full boil, boil for 6 minutes. Add butter and choclate. Stir together and pour in buttered pan.

It is that easy.
so if you are itching for a post-holiday treat i think you should try this.

p.s. one of my new years resolutions isto reconnect with my blog so hopefully we'll be seeing a little more of eachother.

enjoy your weekend,
k

cake inspiration

i'm still trying to find the perfect cake. i'm not a 4 of 5 tier type of girl. i'm thinking something simple but that can still make a statement. know of any good places to look?

rainbow cake

i saw this cake and think i have a new must try project...looks beautiful, happy and delicious!

yay! it's june!!!
kira

pizza week

this past week we have made homemade pizza three times in an attempt to find the best homemade recipe. ( i have definitely met my pizza quota for a while). still want to make a few tweeks, but i think we are close to finding a winner. i promise to share once i perfect the recipe!

until next time,
k

in the kitchen

remember how once upon a time i posted my new years resolutions? well, one of my resolutions was to try at least one new recipe a month and so far i have stuck with it every month. here is a recipe that i recently tried; actually, it is a recipe that i concocted myself and i was very pleased with how it turned out, and it was very quick and simple. All you need is: chicken, a can of stewed tomatoes, a can of white beans, couscous, and your choice of seasonings. I simply cooked the chicken breast with the can of stewed tomatoes (undrained) and white beans (drained). i served it up with a side of couscous and enjoyed my quick+ simple + delicious + homemade meal.

breakfast week: day five

if i'm every wondering what to eat for breakfast my dad says, "would you like a bowl of oatmeal to lower your cholesterol?"

l

growing up i hated oatmeal but i have made myself learn to love it.

l

this morning i ate it topped with honey, slivered almonds and peaches.

breakfast week: day four

fruit smoothies

nonfat yogurt+fresh fruit+ice

so worth getting out the blender for

breakfast week: day three

i had a busy morning so i fixed a piece of whole wheat toast and half a grapefruit.

l

simple. healthy. delicious.

breakfast week: day two

egg scramble

l

i used 3 eggs whites and one whole egg. instead of scrambling them in a frying pan i used an old trick i learned at girls camp years ago: eggs in a bag. place all of the ingredients for your scrambled eggs inside a ziplock baggie (i double the baggie) and place in boiling water. The moving water scrambles and cooks the eggs without using any oil! i added in onion and tomato, and after they were cooked i sprinkled with a little mozzarella cheese. any combination of veggies tastes great--i especially love mushrooms, green pepper and tomato.

breakfast week

i don't know about you, but i sometimes have difficulty being creative in my breakfast making endeavors. it is hard to find something tasty+nutritious+quick+easy. so i usually take the easy route with a bowl of cereal or granola with fruit and yogurt. then the idea came to me: breakfast week! i will be featuring a different idea every day meeting the above criteria (tasty, nutritious, quick and easy). i think this will be more for my benefit than yours!

l

day one.

this is one of my staple breakfasts:

fruit+yogurt+low fat granola

plus i always add wheat germ and flax seed

i use a variety of fruits: strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blueberries.

all are nutritious and delicious!

l

(i also always take a multi-vitamin at breakfast time)!

it's possible to be stylish in the kitchen

love these aprons from anthropologie

i have one on it's way to me right now!