what's cookin, good lookin?

Prepare for the onslaught of blog posts! I haven't updated with a decent post in awhile, so I have lots to say!

First, I was going to copy my friend Cortney and post a Menu Monday post, but I forgot with all of the excitement of the 4th of July, so it looks like it's a Tasty Tuesday kinda day.


First on molly's menu is Buffalo Chicken Dip. Now I've had various buffalo chicken dips, as well as various buffalo chicken sandwiches, wraps, etc, but I think this dip that I found on AllRecipes.com is top notch. My various taste testers think so, too! If I had to give it a numerical score, I would say it was an 8/10. It's also SUPER easy to make. I am going to tweak it a bit the next time I make it, to try and make it a little thicker.

 Recipe:
1 8oz package of cream cheese (I use low fat), softened.
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce
18 oz of shredded chicken (I used canned because I'm lazy and it shreds easier when stirring, you could also omit this for those who want a vegetarian version)

That's it! 5 ingredients!

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of an 8x8 pan until creamy and smooth. Stir in salad dressing, cheese, and wing sauce. Add chicken and stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until bubbling throughout. Serve with assorted veggies and crackers.

I served it every time I've made it with carrots and Club crackers, which have gone over pretty well.

Ugh. Yum. Now I want some all over again.

Second on the list is some semi-homemade cupcakes that I found a recipe for yesterday. I was inspired by Pinterest, surprise surprise, but found this recipe on TLC's website from a generic google search. I've had mixed reviews on this one ranging from "They're okay, but I don't like coconut." (my little brother) to "Oh my gosh, these are AWESOME!" (my dad) and everything in between. I myself think they're alright. Not the best cupcakes I've ever had, but definitely still really good.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cupcakes


Recipe:
1 pkg white cake mix (plus the ingredients to prepare the cake mix ie: eggs, water, oil)
1 pkg white chocolate Jello pudding mix
3/4 c of chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 c flaked coconut
1 c white chocolate chips
1 container of white frosting

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, beating in pudding mix with cake mix ingredients. Fold in nuts.

Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. *Side note here...I included the picture of how much I filled up the cupcake liners because people always say "2/3 full" which I think is super subjective, so see below to see how much these filled out.*

Meanwhile, spread coconut evenly on ungreased baking sheet; bake at 350°F 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown. Cool completely.

Place white chocolate chips in small microwavable bowl; microwave 2 minutes on MEDIUM (50%), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly before stirring into frosting.

This is how fluffy the cupcakes got...which I was fine with. I like huge cupcakes...surprise, surprise.

Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Finished product! Cute cupcake stand courtesy of Target.