Dill Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Anyone that doesn't like chicken salad please give these a try, and anyone who likes chicken salad, these sandwiches will make you love chicken salad =)!  They are full of exciting flavors.  I created this recipe because I felt the chicken salad sandwich needed a bit more to it, and cheese!  Your average chicken salad doesn’t have any cheese, rip off =).  These are a great, simple entrée to serve at parties, showers, or any day you want serve up an incredible lunch or dinner. They make for an amazing picnic as well.  If you absolutely hate dill then of course you can leave it out and still have a delicious Chicken Salad Sandwich.  I hope you have a chance to try my favorite Chicken Salad Sandwich…

Dill Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Yields about 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast

1 cup grapes, sliced into halves

1/2 cup chopped cashews

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 Tbsp chopped green onion

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste*

Green leaf lettuce, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, toss together chicken, grapes, cashews, celery, green onion and Parmesan. Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss mixture until well coated. Serve on a bed of lettuce (if desired) on sliced bread, croissants, rolls, or French bread.

*I only add pepper no salt, I personally think you get enough salt from the parmesan and cashews but if you like more salt then please add it =).

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Cornbread Pancakes with Honey Butter Syrup

I'm so excited about these pancakes!  We eat breakfast a LOT in my home, mostly for dinner =) so I love when I can make a new delicious recipe to add to the rotation.  These pancakes are so easy to make, just be sure to plan a bit ahead of time since the cornmeal has to soak overnight.  I decided to do this because it softens up the cornmeal a bit so it's not so gritty, so you don't feel like your eating sand pancakes.  I've tried cornmeal pancake recipes in the past that don't soak the cornmeal and the pancakes were grainy.  So, I guess if you don't mind gritty pancakes you don't have to soak the cornmeal but I think it's much better soaked.  When I created this recipe I wanted to mimic all my favorite flavors of cornbread, honey butter and all.  I had some amazing cornbread last week so it got me thinking how I could make it in pancake form.  I love these pancakes with the honey butter syrup but they are also  amazing with blueberry, vanilla cream or maple syrup. 

I hope you try these pancakes so you can add them to your breakfast rotation too!  It's nice to change things up a bit and you will be delighted with these.  They are moist, flavorful, fluffy and oh so delicious!  Note, these pancakes are fairly thin because that's they way I love pancakes, but if you're a thick pancake lover I would just omit several tablespoons of the buttermilk.

If you like cornbread these may just be your new favorite pancakes.  I've already made these twice in 3 days.  I think they are fancy restaurant worthy =).  Enjoy!

Cornbread Pancakes

Yields about 18 pancakes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 Tbsp applesauce

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal and buttermilk, cover and refrigerate overnight.  

Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium heat (I heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees).  In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  Remove cornmeal mixture from refrigerator and stir in sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and applesauce.  Gently whisk in dry mixture and stir just until combine, batter should be slightly lumpy.  Butter griddle (note: if you have a really good non-stick griddle, that's really non-stick, I would recommend NOT buttering it then the pancakes don't spread as much) and pour 1/4 cup mixture onto griddle at a time.  Flip pancake when bubbles start to appear on surface and bottom is golden.  Cook opposite side until golden.  Serve warm with honey butter syrup, blueberry syrup, vanilla cream syrup or maple syrup.

Honey Butter Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

 (easy recipe to memorize eh? =)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat , stir powdered sugar and honey and whisk until combine.  Mix in buttermilk.  Bring mixture just to a boil stirring constantly, then remove from heat and stir in 1/2 tsp baking soda.  Stir mixture until frothy about 10 seconds.  Serve warm.  

Store syrup in refrigerator in an airtight container up to one week, reheat in the microwave until warm.

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Finally, The Blueberry Muffin of My Dreams

Could somebody please tell me how to use a dslr camera!  I'm so tired of all these non-sharp photos!  It's crazy trying to learn how to take good food photos.  It's frustrating because I feel I make this scrumpious food, like these muffins I was so excited about, and then I go to take pictures and hate them so my recipe isn't conveyed properly.  Sorry, just venting.  I guess I can cook a pretty good meal but still learning how to take pics of it.  Anyone with tips feel free to share =). 

Finally, I have done it!  I've created the blueberry muffin of my dreams.  It has taken years of trial and error until at last I can proudly say I have made the exact blueberry muffin I've been dreaming of.  I had a few good ones along the way, but none this good.  These are fluffy, perfectly sweet, incredibly moist, flavorful, generously filled with the perfect amount of blueberries, and they're finished off with a heavenly light crumb topping and garnished with sweet sparkling jewels, that ever so spectacular raw sugar (I LOVE raw sugar, I could eat it like candy =).  

Upon eating one, my sister said it was the best blueberry muffin she's ever had and I'd have to say I agree.  After about 6 years of trial and error with the blueberry muffin I think I have bragging rights now =).  I hope you try this recipe so you no longer have a need to go to that fancy bakery down the street to buy one muffin when you could make 12 even better ones for the same price at home, where you can kick back and enjoy one in the comfort of your home in your pjs =).

These are a different batch, if you want this size fill muffin cups 2/3 full and make 14-15 muffins, personally I prefer the big muffin top, the above.

Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins
Yields 14 muffins


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
7 Tbsp vegetable oil* (the easiest way to measure: measure 1/2 cup remove 1 Tbsp)
1 large egg
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries


Crumb Topping
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp chilled butter, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp Raw Sugar


Directions:
Prepare crumb topping by combining 1/3 cup flour, 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar and 2 1/2 Tbsp butter in a food processor.  Pulse just a few seconds until combine, it should be very fluffy (if you pulse it too much it will become dense).  Pour crumb mixture into a small bowl and whisk in 1 1/2 Tbsp raw sugar (please do not leave this ingredient out, it's the crowning jewel of these muffins, it's a MUST), set aside.   
In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In a seperate mixing bowl, using a wire hand whisk (no electric mixer allowed here =), mix together 1 cup granulated sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and sour cream for 1 minute.  Gently whisk in dry mixture just until combine, batter should be slightly lumpy (do not over-mix, key to fluffy muffins).  Fold in blueberries with a spatula. Divide mixture evenly among 12 - 14 paper lined muffin tins.  Allow muffins to rest at room temperature 10 minutes, meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
After muffins have rested, fluff crumb topping with a fork and sprinkle each muffin evenly with 1 Tbsp crumb topping mixture (if doing 14 muffins you will want to do a scant tbsp).  Bake muffins 19 - 23 minutes until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool several minutes in muffin pan before removing to wire rack to cool.


*If you want the cupcake to be a bit denser, use 3 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil and 3 1/2 Tbsp melted butter.  I've tried both ways and love both I just prefer it a bit fluffier so I use all vegetable oil.

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Simple Hot Fudge Sauce (only 5 ingredients)

I love this recipe!  It's contains only five ingredients that you likely have on hand.  I made this sauce to smother some banana splits I made using homemade vanilla and strawberry ice cream, topped with chopped bananas and macadamia nuts.  The fam loved them!  Creamy dreamy goodness!  I got this recipe from my Grandma and I don't think it will ever be replaced with an alternate hot fudge sauce.  It's quick, simple and indulgently delicious.  It's also great for many other uses, top cakes, brownies, cookies, pastries, churros, pancakes =), sundaes, parfaits and shakes. Now go ahead, live a little, and make yourself some.

Simple Hot Fudge Sauce
Yields about 2 1/2 cups


Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter


Directions:
Whisk together sugar, flour and cocoa powder in a saucepan.  Add evaporated milk and butter.  Bring mixture to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Gently boil mixture for 3-4 minutes until thickened.  Allow mixture to cool about 5 - 10 minutes before serving.  Whisk once more before serving. 
Store unused portion in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, reheat in the microwave until warm.

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Cornbread (lightened up) and Whipped Honey Butter

You're probably wondering could a lightened up cornbread really be better than your traditional cornbread?  The answer: yes, much better!  This cornbread is simply amazing!  Random craving, but my neighbor had brought over some incredible cornbread a few days ago so I was dying for more. 

I made this recipe to be moist, fluffy, lower fat/lower cal, with just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of extra flavor from the buttermilk.  This recipe is more than simple and its outstanding served with an also very simple, whipped honey butter.  I served this to my family as a side to go along with the turkey we had for Sunday dinner and I'm pretty sure the entire pan was gone withing a couple of seconds =). Everyone was fighting over the last piece.  Please try this recipe and it's likely you will be converted for life to this lightened up version.

Moist Cornbread (lightened up)
Yields 12 servings


Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Whipped honey butter for serving, recipe follows


Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal and buttermilk until well blended, allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  Add melted butter, applesauce, honey and sugar to cornmeal mixture and whisk until well combine.  Stir in eggs.  Stir in dry ingredients and whisk just until combine and no longer lumpy.  Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 dish and bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool about 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with whipped honey butter.

Whipped Honey Butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup powdered sugar


Directions:
In a mixing bowl,using an electric mixer, whip together all ingredients until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.
Alternate method: add in a bit of cinnamon and hint nutmeg for a delicious spiced version.

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Orange Creamsicle Popcorn

Oranges and cream is such a dreamy combination isn't it?  I love orange creamsicles and last week I made a recipe for Oranges and Cream Cookies so I wanted to create another recipe for people to have a second use for the orange extract if you purchased it.  Everyone loves this popcorn.  It would be a great snack for parties, movie night or the upcoming super bowl.  I played around with the recipe, the first time I made it I did an alternate method which you can find at the bottom of the recipe. It dried after a while whereas the listed recipe didn't.  It stayed nice and sticky, which I prefer.  Both ways were delicious so take your pick but either way I hope you try this recipe =).  This recipe makes a ton of popcorn so be prepared to share.
Also, check out Sweet as Sugar Cookies, sweets for saturday.  It's a great blog!

Orange Creamsicle Popcorn


Ingredients:
1 cup unpopped popcorn kernals
1/2 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange zest
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp orange extract


Directions:
Pop popcorn into two very large mixing bowls, set aside.  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk, cream, sugar, salt and orange zest.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  Boil mixture one and a half minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add in marshmallows and stir until melted.  Mix in orange extract.  Divide warm mixture evenly over two bowls of popcorn and toss with a spatula to coat.  Allow to rest 20 minutes to set.


For an alternate method:
I have also made this popcorn in a dry version.  Omit the cream, then when you stir in marshmallows also stir in 1/3 cup white chocolate chips. 

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