I grew up on these heavenly sweet treats! They're so light, I'd easily eat a few of them without getting too stuffed. I always loved making a little hole and pouring my honey inside of them and then flipping it a few times to thoroughly coat the inside! These heavenly treats are definitely worth the effort of making them!
1 package active dry yeast 1-1/2 cups warm water (105°F to 115°F) 1 tablespoon shortening, melted 1 tablespoon sugar 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt vegetable oil sifted confectioners' sugar sugar honey ground cinnamon Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in melted shortening and sugar. Combine flour and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the yeast mixture, and mix well. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°F.), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-1/2-inch squares. Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a frying pan (or use deep fryer). Heat oil to 375°F. Fry a few sopapillas at a time in the hot oil, lightly pressing down on them with the back of a fork, until the dough starts to puff. Release pressure, and continue frying until golden brown, turning once; drain. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar and serve hot, with honey. Makes about 24 pieces.
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This has been one of my favorite dishes for years! It's so easy and incredibly delicious!
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 white onion, diced 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as Rotel)) 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons sour cream 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon chile powder 1 cooked chicken, torn into shreds or cut into chunks 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese 10 flour tortillas Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute onion until warmed through and somewhat soft. Combine onion, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin and chile powder together in a large bowl and stir until sauce is well-combined. Spread a few tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread 1/2 the chicken over the sauce. Spread about half the sauce over the chicken and top with 1/3 the cheese. Spread a layer of tortillas over the cheese. Spread remaining 1/2 the chicken over the tortillas, and top with almost all of the remaining sauce, reserving 1/2 cup sauce. Top with 1/3 the cheese, remaining tortillas, the reserved 1/2 cup sauce, and remaining 1/3 cheese. Bake casserole in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to broil. Broil the casserole until top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes and then cut and serve!
Schism
by Britt Holewinski Genre: YA, Dystopian About the Book
SCHISM is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy by a truly unique author. It tells a tale of survival, of good versus evil, and of constructing a future with only memories of childhood.
A virus, created by the smartest minds in the United States government, which is meant to target male adults in times of war, is accidentally released before testing is complete. Within weeks six billion people are eliminated from the world. The only survivors are prepubescent children. Five years after this catastrophic event, a young girl named Andy Christensen and her two friends are forced to leave their home in Bermuda and return to the North American continent. There, they discover that America is wild and chaotic, and people have instituted a “survival of the fittest” mentality. Andy and her friends soon band together with fellow survivors in search for a new place to call home. My Thoughts
Wow! This is the best book I've read this year so far! I was completely captivated from beginning to end and found it so hard to put down. The writing is excellent, the plots are well thought out and the characters are absolutely believable. The complexities of the characters and society are so realistic, it felt like I was reading a true story memoir. With plenty of action, a hint of romance and well versed dialogue, I didn't experience a single dull moment in Schism!While it does have vague references to drugs and sex, there's no explicit scenes or anything that I found offensive. This is an absolute perfect read for young adults, adults and anybody who likes dystopian literature. I absolutely enjoyed reading Schism and am anxiously awaiting for the sequel!Schism has made my top 5 list of best books that I've ever had the pleasure to read!
About Britt Holewinski
http://brittholewinski.com/
Britt Holewinski is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but during her childhood she lived in six different houses across the country, which inspired her to write about characters who must continually adapt to new situations and locations. She attended the University of Notre Dame and Pennsylvania State University, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. In her spare time, Britt loves to go hiking along the Potomac River, learn French, and visit the Revolutionary and Civil War sites in Virginia and Maryland. She has been living in the Washington DC area for the last twelve years.SCHISM is her first novel. What inspired Britt Holewinski to write SCHISM? I began writing this novel in January 1995. I was a junior in high school and I had just finished reading Lord of the Flies. Months earlier, I had watched a miniseries of Stephen King’s The Stand on television, and I became fascinated by the idea of weaving together the two plot lines: a world run by children after being the only survivors of a global plague. Though only seventeen, I was determined to write a book and began a first draft. I wrote nearly two hundred pages and then college, graduate school, and my career stalled further progress on the story. In the intervening years, I tried to write as often as possible, sometimes on my laptop but more often in large spiral notebooks—random scenes written out of order that I knew I wanted to include in the final version. Finally, not long after finishing my year-long tour in Afghanistan, I decided to take time off from my job to focus on writing the book, and in December 2011, I finished the first draft. Many of my own personal experiences are reflected throughout the story. Watching The Stand was the impetus for writing about a global virus. However, as I began my career and worked closely with the US military overseas, I had several discussions about how cautious the military must be to ensure that women and children are not harmed during air or ground raids on enemy targets. These discussions gave me the inspiration to define the virus in the book as one developed to be lethal only to adult males, thereby eliminating the need to worry about innocent civilian casualties. Of course, the virus was accidentally and prematurely released at the start of the novel, resulting in billions of deaths. In September 2000, I was about to begin graduate school at UCLA. I had come to Los Angeles three months earlier and immediately felt out of place, especially after a rock cracked my windshield while driving into the city the day I arrived. As the summer passed, the nagging feeling that I was supposed to be somewhere else had worn me down, and by the time autumn came, I decided to move back east and transferred my enrollment to Penn State. I packed my car and drove three hours until I reached Barstow and finally stopped. The drive from LA that night inspired one of my favorite scenes in the novel: when Andy and Ben escape from the Coliseum and drive off into the night through the California desert. (QUOTED FROM HER WEBSITE) Find Schism Here
And Now, a Special Giveaway! These Easy Garlic Cheese Bombs are so easy to make and so incredibly delicious! I suggest making a double batch since they're going to disappear faster than cabbage at a groundhog's convention! LOL
1 tube of biscuits (10 count); I used regular size 3 oz. mozzarella cheese, in brick ¼ cup salted butter, melted 2 teaspoons dry Ranch seasoning mix 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 3 teaspoons minced garlic Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. Cube cheese into ¾" pieces. Open biscuits and place on cutting board. Place one piece of mozzarella cheese in the middle of each biscuits. Pinch seams to close the cheese inside and form rolls. Place rolls on baking sheet, spacing them about 2" apart. Mix melted butter with garlic and Ranch seasoning. Brush rolls with butter. Bake cheese bombs for 13 to 15 minutes OR until golden brown on top. When done, brush rolls with remaining butter and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with a side or marinara sauce for dipping. Wow your guests St. Patrick's Day with this beautiful Mint Chip Cake Roll!
FOR THE FROSTING: 2 cups milk chocolate chips 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips for garnish FOR THE CAKE 3 eggs 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons brewed coffee (or water) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup usweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup all purpose flour Powdered sugar, to aid in rolling FOR THE FILLING: 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2-3/4 teaspoons peppermint extract (taste after 1/2 teaspoon) 6 drops green food coloring 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips Make the Frosting: Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Pour cream over chocolate chips, let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Add extracts and stir. Refrigerate until thick, several hours. The frosting is more of a glaze; it will not harden like a true ganache. Once it cools in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap and stir it occasionally until ready to frost cake. You can make the frosting the day before. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a jelly roll (10x15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to use the spray with flour). Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee, and vanilla extract. Whisk together cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended. Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes (mine took 10). While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully. Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour. Make the Filling: Beat heavy cream in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer, but it will take longer.) Slowly add in powdered sugar during beating, one tablespoon at at time. Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Beat until whipped cream forms. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon more of peppermint extract to taste. Stir in food coloring. Assemble Cake: Once the cake has cooled, unroll it carefully. Spread the filling on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips and re-roll cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before frosting. Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet (with sides). Pour chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cake, making sure it covers the ends and sides of the cake. Transfer to serving plate and top with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips for garnish. Chill at least one hour before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator, loosely covered. Note: You'll have leftover frosting. Eat it with a spoon, or make it into hot chocolate! Note: The cake should stay chilled until right before serving or the whipped cream filling will get warm and it will be hard to slice. About the Book
Fifty years after the Disaster, the world is vastly different from days of old. Wizardry is the norm and magical talent is categorized. Josephine O'Connor, an eighty-four-year-old with a penchant for off-beat antics, is a category six, which means she possesses magical powers as rare as they are unsettling and a talent for psychometry that is so strong and acute that she can read the psychic impressions in a room without touching anything. With her unique physiology, she’s over eighty years of age and still gets carded at R-rated movies. Most of the time it’s flattering but it can sometimes be a nuisance. For the most part, Josephine spends her days like any other retirement community member. She plays cards with friends, attends get-togethers, and occasionally visits the beach until she is called upon by the police to investigate a crime scene left behind by a suspect with powers equal to her own. Now the race is on. Can an out-of-practice wizard marshal her abilities and catch a menace before he becomes so powerful even she can’t stop him?
My Thoughts
I absolutely loved Grumpy Old Wizards! After reading Inheritance, the first book of the Wizards of Seattle series, I was already acquainted with the Disaster and the ensuing wizardry. I easily fell under O'Riley's spell of flawless writing of Josephine's story. The storyline was absolutely engrossing, and I found it incredibly hard to put this book down! With plots, action and intrigue galore, this book was completely captivating! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and am greatly looking forward to reading some more of his work!
If you'd like to read this compelling story as well, you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Grumpy-Old-Wizards/dp/1484020855/ref=la_B00BQRNHMO_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456891602&sr=1-1 #GrumpyOldWizards Make a statement for St. Paddy's day with a green pistachio bundt cake!
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten 2/3 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour 1/3 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, finely ground 1 cup superfine sugar 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package Jell-O instant pistachio pudding mix 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to a cool room temperature 1 tablespoon almond extract or 1 tablespoon walnut oil powdered sugar for dusting Prepare a bundt cake pan, line bottom with parchment, grease and flour. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 1/4 of the sour cream. Set aside. Sift all dry ingredients and combine using an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add softened butter and remaining sour cream, continue mixing on low until well combined. Scrape bowl and beat again on medium (med-high for a hand mixer) for another 90 seconds. Scrape the bowl down and in two additions add the egg mixture, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bowl one last time and give it a couple pulses. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, (rotate pan 180 degrees after 25 minutes) a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean and the top of the cake will spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, remove sides of pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar and served with sweetened whipped cream or pistachio ice cream. We have the absolute best peaches here in the Texas Hill Country! These yummy bars are so refreshing during those hot summer months as a perfect cool sweet treat!
1 cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 (21 ounce) peach pie filling Cheesecake Center: 1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg Glaze: ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp almond extract 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tbs milk Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. In a medium sized bowl beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg and beat until combined. Grease a 15x10x1 pan or 9×13, whichever one you decide to use. (I used a 9x13 but cooking time will be longer) Spread 3 cups batter in the bottom. Spread the cream cheese layer on top and lastly Spread with pie filling. Drop remaining batter on top of pie filling. Bake at 350 for 25-30 (If using a 9x13 increase time to 35) minutes or until toothpick comes clean. Cool on wire rack. Combine powdered sugar and milk for the glaze and drizzle over the bars. Refrigerate them for 3 hours for easier cutting and to make a nice cool treat! Ye can have some fun with these Drunken Leprechaun Balls this St. Patricks Day! Just make sure the wee ones don't get into them! First you make the green shortbread and crush it. Then you blend with liquors, roll in powdered sugar and refrigerate for a top notch adult treat!
GREEN SHORTBREAD: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 egg yolk green food coloring 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon milk (if needed) BALLS: 3 cups crushed green shortbread (recipe above) 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup powdered sugar pinch salt 2 tablespoons corn syrup ¼ cup Baileys (or other Irish Cream Liqueur) 2 tablespoons Jamesons (or other whiskey) powdered sugar and green sugar for rolling cookies in SHORTBREAD INSTRUCTIONS Heat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl (use a stand mixer if possible; this is very stiff dough) beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add egg yolk and enough food coloring to create a deep green color, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl often. Add dry ingredients. (If using a stand mixer, you may want to switch to your dough hook.) The mixture will be very dry and stiff, but should come together into a dough. If it isn't cooperating, add milk a little at a time until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and you can form it into a ball. Roll dough out to about ¼-inch thick and cut into cookie shapes. (You can also form into small balls and press with a cookie stamp if you prefer. ) Place close together on baking sheets and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. If you see a tiny bit of brown along the bottom edges, they are done. Don't overbake them, because green cookies turn an unpleasant color if they brown. Cool cookies on a rack and crush in a bowl until you have 3 cups. Any extra is a free for all! TO MAKE THE BALLS: Combine the crushed cookies, nuts, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls and roll them in a dish of powdered sugar and colored sugar. Refrigerate until firm. These can be served chilled, which will give them the texture of fudge, or at room temperature, which will make them a little softer. MAKE SURE KIDS DON'T GET A HOLD OF THEM! About the BookSeventeen-year-old Keri Edwards has led a hard life. She is the daughter of the most ruthless Alpha in the territory. In the shadow of cruelty, he molded her to follow in his footsteps. Her father’s unexpected death has freed her and made her the Alpha of a powerful pack. Forced to lie and deceive the people closest to her has led to the rejection of her mate, Blake Stevens. He walked away instead of claiming her. In his eyes she is the one who betrayed him, her actions unforgivable. There is no time to deal with her heartache as she takes on the biggest task of her life, becoming the Alpha she was trained to be. Settling into her new role has dangers, and when Blake appears out of the blue, wanting her as his mate, she can’t trust his motives. Book 2 in the Forever Series My Thoughts It was a true pleasure reading Alpha, the first book in the series. I found Fated to be an even better read! The action was virtually non-stop and kept me gripping my tablet with white knuckles at times! The romance was spicier and there were quite a few moments that my heart ached for the dramatic situations the characters were put into. I was completely compelled to finish this read as fast as I could just to see what would happen next. Without any dull moments, the climax built up layer by layer into an explosive finale with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series so far and I'm excitedly looking forward to the next release from Regan Ure!
If you'd like to read this exciting new release, you can find it here SOON: http://www.amazon.com/Fated-Forever-Book-Regan-Ure-ebook/dp/B01C9V6ZY2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 I'M ALSO HOSTING A PRE-ORDER BLITZ WITH A GIVEAWAY ON MY SITE HERE: http://recipe-fairy.weebly.com/book-tours/fated-by-regan-ure-pre-order-blitz-and-giveaway |
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