Lime Cupcakes with Maraschino Cherry Frosting...

 

We're down to wire over here. With our upcoming move, of course.

First Communion... check.
Shipped vehicle... check.
Done planning birthday parties... well, almost.
Clean out house and donate/sell/throw-out items we no longer need... kind of.

To procrastinate I thought I'd make some cupcakes. I like procrastinating....... especially when I am over whelmed.

P.S. I heart planning parties and keeping an uncluttered home, but I'm definitely feeling the rush to get things done.... like... NOW!

So, to help wind down and think things out, I bake. Call me the crazy that I am. Truly, I will not be offended.

After this wonderful therapeutic baking session, I'm back to finishing what I've started!

Lime Cupcakes with Maraschino Cherry Frosting

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 Box (1lb 5 Oz.) Classic White Cake Mix, Plus Ingredients Listed On Back
• 1/3 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (About 3 Limes)
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Zest (About 1 Lime)

For the Lime Glaze:

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• Juice Of 1 Lime
• 2 Tablespoons Half & Half

For the Maraschino Frosting:

• 2 Sticks Of Salted Butter, Softened
• 4-5 Tablespoons Of Maraschino Cherry Juice (From The Jar), Room Temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 24-26 Maraschino Cherries, For Garnish and/or Lime Slices (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

Line 2 cupcake/muffin pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix the boxed cake mix and listed ingredients together. Add the lime juice and lime zest. Mix to combine, while scrapping down the sides to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the lined cupcake pans. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until done. Cool completely.

Using a small bowl, whisk the lime juice and half & half into the powdered sugar. Dollop about half a teaspoon onto the top of each cupcake, spreading evenly in a circular motion, using the back of a spoon. Let the glaze set, about an hour before frosting.

In a medium/large bowl cream the butter, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar in small amounts until incorporated. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a decorative tip and pipe onto the glazed cupcakes. Place a maraschino cherry and/or lime on top for garnish. Makes 24-26 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

I'm linking this post up to I'm Lovin' It.

Pork Carnitas with Avocado Salsa...

I've been up to so much since getting back from our weekend getaway to The Big Island. It was a very nice trip... we stayed on the Kona Coast and visited The Volcanoes National Park.

The coast line is ruggedly beautiful.

The resort we stayed at had many tide pools that frequents sea turtles. We happened upon one while exploring near the resort. Can you spot it?

We arrived at The Volcanoes National Park early and spent half the day there. We visited Jaggar Museum and were able to view the Kilauea Crater. After that we took a drive along Crater Rim Drive and stopped along the way to explore the park. We all had fun walking through a lava tube and hiking the cooled lava fields.

If you ever have the chance to take a trip out to The Big Island, I recommend spending about a week there and exploring the entire island. We only went for a weekend, since we only have a month left in Hawaii, and wanted to get some sort of island hopping experience.

Even though, I've been running around like a chicken with its head chopped off, I still wanted to share a Cinco de Mayo dish with you.

We eat pork all the time. I prefer cooking pork loin roasts. I usually throw it in the Crock Pot or marinate it, sear it, then roast it in the oven.

To make sure the meat was tender and would shredded well, I used the Crock Pot for this recipe.

Avocado is one of my many favorite foods, so I decided to make a fresh salsa to top the carnitas with. I'm trying to eat healthy and this seemed like a great healthy option.

I hope you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this recipe...... or this one, this one, even this...... or with the salsa I made last year.

Now, get to it!

Pork Carnitas

• 2 Pound Pork Loin Roast
• 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder (Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, Or To Taste
• 1/2 Cup Water 
• 20 Corn Tortillas, Warmed Through*
• Monterey Jack Cheese, To Taste
• Avocado Salsa (Recipe Below)

Place the pork loin roast in a Crock Pot. Throw all the seasonings and the water in, cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours. Once the pork is done shred it with a fork, taste and adjust seasonings.

To build your carnitas, place some pork on a heated corn tortilla, then some cheese, and finally top the carnita off with the Avocado Salsa. You can also add some hot sauce and sour cream to your carnita for extra heat and flavor. Makes 20 carnitas or so.

* I like to heat a small frying pan on medium/low and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray and heat both sides of my corn tortillas. I then place the corn tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

Avocado Salsa

• 1 Large Tomato or 2 Small Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1/4 Of Red Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 Jalapeno, Finely Diced*
• 2-4 Tablespoons Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
• 1 Ripe Avocado, De- Pitted and Chopped
• 1/2 Lime, Juiced
• Pinch Of Salt, Or To Taste
• Pinch Of Garlic Powder, Or To Taste

In a small bowl combine the diced tomato, diced onion, diced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and chopped avocado. Juice half of the lime over the salsa, being careful not to get any seeds in. Season with salt and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over Pork Carnitas, carne esada, grilled chicken, or with tortilla chips. Makes about 2 cups of salsa. 

* I like to keep all the seeds from the jalapeno in the recipe, but if you like a milder salsa, partially or completely remove them. Also, if you are sensitive to heat, wear gloves while dicing the jalapeno. 

Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins...

Well, our move is quickly approaching. We've got our check-out date set, the movers scheduled, and hotels and flight booked.

Only about a month left to enjoy Hawaii before we leave for a most definitely cooler climate!

By the way, I'm still planning two birthday parties before we head out. Yes, you may call me certifiably crazy...... I give you my permission.

Before all of that, though, our family is headed to The Big Island on the Kona Coast. We just can't leave without getting some island hopping in. As you may know, we are leaving a year early, so we had planned to do this sometime next year.

Before we travel to The Big Island, I wanted to bake some muffins...... with lemon...... and strawberries...... some ricotta, too.

Even though they didn't rise as I would have liked, they are very tasty. To correct that I recommend increasing the baking soda in the recipe from 1/4 teaspoon, to 1/2 teaspoon. They're also a dense muffin... which I like, but if you want them lighter, only add one egg as opposed to two.

Now, I'm off to prepare for our trip. While I do that, you go ahead and whip up some of these muffins!

Strawberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda*
• 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Salted Butter, Softened
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Whole Eggs, Room Temperature*
• 1 Cup Light Ricotta Cheese, Room Temperature
• 2 Lemons, Zested And Juiced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup Buttermilk, Room Temperature
• 1 Pint Strawberries, Rinsed And Sliced
• Garnish: White Sanding Sugar, Optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, powder, and soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Mix in the ricotta. Add the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk, adding half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mixture. Fold in the strawberries.

Divide the batter evenly between two lined muffin pans. Add a little sanding sugar to the top of each unbaked muffin for extra sparkle and crunch. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Makes 24 muffins.

* Up the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon for a higher rising muffin.

* Use one egg, for a less dense muffin.

Enjoy!

Pasta with Goat Cheese

 

Here is a simple pasta dish that literally takes no time to whip up. The goat cheese gives it a nice creamy texture. To balance the tanginess of the goat cheese I thought I'd add some crispy pancetta.

I like it as a main dish, but can definitely serve as a side dish, without a doubt.

Being that we are super busy with our upcoming move, it's a given that I want my meals to come together easily.

Are you in a rush to get dinner on the table or just extremely busy? If so, this is the dish for you...

Pasta with Goat Cheese

• 1 Pound Cellentani Pasta
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
• 4 Oz. Pancetta, Diced
• 8 Oz. Goat Cheese, Room Temperature
• 1/2 Cup Hot Pasta Water
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas, Defrosted
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper, Or To Taste
• 1/3 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Or To Taste 

Boil water in a large pot and cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a medium pan on medium/low heat. Dice the pancetta and add to the pan until crispy. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Once the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the water and goat cheese. Toss, coating well. Add the pancetta, peas, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Combine well. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to Southern Sundays.

Spam Frittatas

Since we are leaving Hawaii, I though I'd share some recipes that have island inspired ingredients.

Spam, without a doubt, is a Hawaiian staple and is found in a lot of local foods. I happen to love the stuff. If you're not too keen on Spam, I totally recommend replacing it with ham.

These are so simple to put together, they are perfect for parties, especially brunches. I enjoy making individual portions by using muffin pans when I can, because it provides the perfect serving size for each guest.

They are also wonderful for storing in the refrigerator and reheating for a quick breakfast or after school snack for the kiddos.

I hope you'll find an excuse to make these... since they're so cute... and simple to make.......

....... Mother's Day (hint, hint).

Seriously, though, make them... they're pretty tasty!


Spam Frittatas

• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1 Can (12 OZ.) Spam
• 2 Sprigs Of Green Onion
• 6 Whole Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2/3 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Begin by heating the olive oil on medium/low heat in a large non-stick skillet. Dice the Spam into very small cubes. Once the oil is heated, add the Spam and brown until lightly crisp, stirring often so not to burn. 

In the meantime, finely dice the green onion and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together until fluffy and well combined. 

Once the Spam is done, remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain a bit. Spray one muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Divide the Spam and cheese evenly between the 12 muffin molds. Ladle the egg mixture over the spam and cheese, evenly. Top each frittata with green onion and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the frittata puffs up and is set. Serve warm. Makes 12 frittatas. 

Enjoy!