I am on a Valentine’s Kick this year.  I was sitting here just minding my own business the other day flipping through a cookbook and it hit me.  Well, it didn’t really hit me but I saw this recipe for 2 ingredient fudge.  I had never heard of such a thing, but whoever came up with it is pure genius!

I decided I would try to make Strawberry fudge, since strawberries are one of my most favorite things in the world.  I love this recipe even more because my dairy free oldest daughter can actually eat it!  Not this strawberry variety, but you can mix and match to make whatever flavor you choose.

Don’t miss these other great dessert recipes for something sweet for your Valentine

This is the only 2 ingredients you need.

Dump in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds, stir and then continue until melted together.

This is what it looks like all melted.

Spread in a 9×9 greased dish, or take the easy way like I did and line with wax paper.  Allow to cool and cut into squares.  Decorate with sprinkles

Every holiday I make themed treats, and every holiday my poor son (who is gluten free) ends up with gluten free brownies while we eat all the cute goodies.  So for Valentines day I am putting my foot down. He will have the cute themed treat!

I know we have a couple weeks yet, but I had to do a test run to make sure it tastes ok. LOL So we busted out the great popcorn maker that Santa brought this year.  Half the fun is watching it pop the corn!

Gluten free or not, this is some seriously addictive good stuff! I will work out a little extra tomorrow to make up for it, because I just can’t resist it!  Don’t forget to check out all the great dessert recipes here on A Few Short Cuts!  There are some really good ones!

Gather all of the ingredients including the popped corn.  You could even add pretzels for the salty contrast, it would be incredible!

Mix the popcorn and cereal in a large bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl melt together 1 bag of white chocolate chips and 2-2 1/2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil.  On 50% for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until it looks like the picture above.

Poor the melted chocolate over the popcorn and cereal. Stir to coat. Then sprinkle in the M&Ms and stir.

Allow popcorn to cool and set.  Serve!

Place in cute little cellophane bags for adorable Valentines Gifts!

I am always looking for new and exciting recipes to share with you guys, and I love finding make your own mix recipes.  They turn out not only being healthier but much easier on the wallet.  This week I stumbled across a recipe for Homemade Italian Dressing Mix.  It is absolutely genius, because with the food allergies in my house I have to read every label twice to make sure there is no hidden gluten or dairy.  With my own mix, I know what is in my salad dressing.

You can use this for so many things besides salads.  Make this dressing for on pasta, as a marinade, or use the mix as a dry rub on meat before you grill.  It is so versatile!   I will now be adding this to my seasoning cabinet with my homemade taco seasoning and homemade onion soup mix

Linked up at Tasty Tuesday

Appetizers and snacks are a big part of our diet this time of year.  My girls birthdays are quickly approaching.  In fact, I will have a 4 year old on my hands tomorrow.  We have family and friends over for dinner to celebrate.  Then Super Bowl time and all the indulgences that come with that.

After all that hustle and bustle comes valentine’s day and if you are planning a romantic night in, this is a fantastic recipe for a special appetizer treat.  If you are watching your waist band, you can replace the pork sausage with turkey sausage to cut the fat and calories. You can even make the filling ahead and keep in in the freezer.  Just pull out and thaw, stuff the mushrooms, and pop them in the oven. Makes the whole process much faster!

These tasty little morsels, are surprising low in calories and full of healthy ingredients.  I don’t feel the least bit guilty for eating a couple of them when they popped out of the oven.  I mean look at them, you try to resist stealing one!

Gather your ingredients, and preheat oven to 350.

Brown the sausage in the skillet.

Mix the sausage, spinach, bread crumbs, cheese, seasonings, and olive oil in bowl.

Fill the cleaned mushroom caps and place in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and top with more shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately!

Yep, it is that time of year for healthy recipes.  We have all over indulged during the holidays and now it is time to get those waistlines back under control.  Just because we are watching what we are eating doesn’t mean it can’t taste good.

This Chicken and White Bean Salad is full of flavor, color, and texture.  While the kids may not jump up and down asking for this salad, it is sure to be a hit with the adults.

Don’t miss these other great appetizer recipes and side dish recipes!

I love the holidays!  It is amazing how each one is so unique.  They all set their own mood, and ambiance to differ themselves.  Yet, time wise, they are all so close together.

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is over and now we start looking forward to all things new and exciting.  The air bubbles with the anticipation of things to come!  We begin making goals, and setting our sights on the New Year.   Christmas focuses on the kids, but New Years is more for the adults.

If you are having a romantic night in, or having friends over for New Years this recipe jumped out at me.  It is so fancy, bubbly, and light that it HAS to be made for New Years!  I love that you serve it in fancy martini glasses too.  Just adds to the excitement.

If this dessert isn’t for you, check out all of my other dessert recipes!

Recipe & img source

Christmas is less than a week away and I am looking for something new to put on the table.  So I decided to try my hand at Yorkshire Pudding.  Which is kinda funny because it isn’t pudding at all.  It is a popover.  Well, why didn’t they just say so.  My hubby is always looking for some new and exciting excuse for me to make gravy. The Popovers are really easy to make, the worst part is being patient and waiting for them while they bake.

Don’t forget to check out these other great side dish recipes too!

So in case you can’t tell my cookie theme this year is all about holiday traditions.  I have been thinking about foods we typically associate with Christmas and then making a cookie. These Eggnog Cookies were just too unique in my book to pass up!  I am not a big fan of Egg Nog but these cookies are superb!

Don’t miss all the other great cookie recipes!

And don’t forget to enter this years A Few Short Cuts Cookie Swap!  I would love to see your favorite cookie recipe

This is an appetizer to wow a crowd!  These are so simple yet sophisticated.  The ingredients in this appetizer really tickle your taste-buds and will leave your guests wanting more.

I love that these Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are so easy to throw together and have ready to go for your get togethers. You will have more time to spend visiting and spreading Christmas cheer and less time in the kitchen.

Don’t miss these great other Appetizer Recipes!

Photo Credit

These just look christmassy, and they taste heavenly! These Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies can be made any time of year to share with friends but they are extra fancy for gift giving.

This recipe is very easy and the dough can even be frozen for those nights when your sweet tooth starts talking to you.   You know what I am talking about.   Don’t forget all of the other Cookie Recipes that are great for holiday baking!’

As promised, and a little late.  Here is another great holiday appetizer!  My husband loves those BBQ Meatballs in the crockpot with Grape Jelly.  Me….not so much.   This is a holiday twist on those cocktail meatballs, that in my opinion, taste much better!

My favorite part is that these can be made in the crockpot, that way they are warm and ready to go when your company arrives.  Try these super easy Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs this holiday season!

I have been bustling about the house trying to be in the Christmas spirit.  “Joy to the World” is echoing off the walls in my house, The Stockings are hung by the chimney,  the kids are drinking hot cocoa, and I am in the kitchen baking cookies.

I was trying to be unique with my cookie selection this week and sat at the kitchen table thumbing through cookbooks.  Every time I looked up I saw these three chocolate covered noses and grins starring back at me over the top of their coffee mugs of cocoa.  It was inspiration that I couldn’t ignore.

So for our Christmas Cookie this week, I give you, Hot Cocoa cookies! Don’t forget to head over to the A Few Short Cuts Cookie Swap 2011 page for more cookie inspiration!

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt

stir into the butter mixture until well blended.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Immediately top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows.

Return to oven for 1 minute if you want them extra gooey.  Allow to cool and serve.  Store extra cookies in an airtight container! Make 4 dozen.

As promised the Holiday Appetizers continue.  I know the need to have quick easy snacks ready to go for Holiday company.  I love serving just a variety of appetizers even for meals.  Makes it kinda fun.

My husband is all about bacon…well, we all are really.  My kids can eat their weight in bacon.  I have to limit them to a slice or 2.  My littlest came running when she smelled the bacon cooking today.  “Mama…is that for me? I’m hungry! “ She just makes me grin.  So I reserved a piece for her to snack on while I finished.

Try these next time you are expecting company.

Don’t forget to try these other great Appetizers!

So I was chit-chatting with my sister on the phone yesterday and she took a picture of this piece of red velvet cake and texted it to me.  Seriously…torture!  So I decided since she is too far away for me to steal hers I would make my own.  I can’t tell you the last time I made red velvet cake.  For my own good, I made cupcakes.  Kinda like built in portion control, as long as I eat only one. LOL

This Red Velvet cupcake recipe is amazing.  They come out so light, moist and fluffy.  The cake isn’t overly sweet; so the sweetness from the cream cheese frosting is a perfect compliment.

If you are looking for something to cure your sweet tooth, bake a batch of these tasty morsels and share them with someone you love! If you don’t care for Red Velvet Cake check out these other cake recipes

Preheat oven to 350 and cream together butter and sugar.Add eggs and blend well.
Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to the butter mixture.
In a medium bowl; Sift Flour, Baking Soda & Salt together
Alternate adding the flour mix and the buttermilk until batter is mixed thoroughly. Mix in vanilla extract and water.

Pour the batter into the cupcake cups and fill about 2/3 full . Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out of pan and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.
For the frosting just  blend together the frosting ingredients on medium speed until blended.  Frost cupcakes when cool.

I feel like a mess lately!  There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all.  I think I am running in so many directions that I just don’t have time to focus my energy on one thing for long.  So when I find a recipe for a quick, nutritious meal that I think my family will eat (or atleast pick apart and eat pieces) I am all over it.

This great Penne with Chicken & Asparagus can be thrown together practically at any time.  Most of the ingredients come right out of your stockpile and make you life a little easier!  Try this one out! It is fabulous!

Try these other easy delicious dinner recipes!

There is a chill in the air, and to be honest the coziness of having something tasty in the oven is just comforting.   I love pumpkin desserts and this one is no exception.  I love going through my stockpile and seeing what I have ingredients for and tossing something together that makes the family smile, and makes the house smell like a bakery.

These Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have a unique taste that is so amazing!  The creamy pumpkin taste reminds me of a pumpkin pie, but the chocolate really makes it decadent!  You have to try these.

Don’t forget to try these other pumpkin recipes too!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the oreos, and melted butter in the food processor and pulse until crumbs.  Press into a lined 8×8 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

In food processor mix 2- 8oz packages of cream cheese and one cup of pumpkin puree.  Once mix blend  in 1 cup of sugar, 3 eggs, and 3 tbsp of flour.  Pulse until mixed.

In a small microwave safe bowl melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.  Start it at 30 seconds and stir.  Continue until melted.  Mix together 1 cup of the pumpkin cheese mix with the chocolate.  Stir together and sit aside.

Pour pumpkin mix ontop of cookie crust.

Spoon chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture.

Use a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350 for Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares…or less.   Serve.

Ok, let me see if I can stop smiling long enough to type this.  Pillsbury invited ME to help them host their Pillsbury Rookie Bake Off Challenge this year.  Yep…me!  I think I have been smiling for weeks about this one.

Basically they are looking for people to come up with recipes that are 5 ingredients or less in 30 minutes or less.  Each week has a different theme. My theme…which hasn’t been announced yet…so you are in on some hush hush info…..is Thanksgiving Shortcuts and will go live November 14th.  So, the deal was I needed to come up with a recipe.  That part was easy!

I made these Turkey Pot Pie Pockets.  The great part is you can substitute Chicken.  I amazed myself at how good these bad boys are.  I made them for lunch the other day and I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner.  I got this stare from across the room, and he said ,” Can’t we have these for dinner too?”  So not only are they easy, they are delicious too.

This year when you have all that leftover turkey staring back at you from the fridge you will know what to do with it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix together the turkey, veggies and soup.

Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into 4 rectangles. Press the seam together in the center of the rectangle.

Place 2 tbsp of filling on each rectangle, and fold the dough over covering the filling.

Seal each pocket with a fork pressing down to pinch the edges together.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350 or until golden brown.