Tortilla Chips

Hi there! After I made the Individual Cheese Enchiladas, I had a TON of tortillas leftover. They sell flour ones in large and small packs, but I can't ever seem to find a small pack of corn ones. I decided to try and make some homemade tortilla chips out of them. It was so easy, and they were delicious! We had them with some El Fenix Salsa. El Fenix is a Dallas based restaurant specializing in tex-mex. There are 16 locations across the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex. It is the best tex-mex restaurant that I've been to since living here. My husband and his family are crazy about it. When I first started going there I would always order of the tiny "American" portion of the menu. I would get a turkey club sandwich, and let me tell you..it is delicious! For having such a tiny menu of American dishes for people like me (or well, the old me) they really knew what they were doing with that sandwich! Those times are now gone and I no longer feel like an outcast while everyone is sitting there enjoying their enchiladas while I would eat my sandwich and french fries. Bring on the tex-mex! Their chips are so good. Their salsa is so good. Their FOOD is so good. If you're ever in the area, please go? Oh, and if you've got some tortillas lying around, make some chips! :0) P.S - I think this is the smallest number of ingredients picture that I have ever taken!

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas (use however many you want for whatever amount of chips you'd like)

Oil, for frying (I used a normal sauce pan, and I filled it a little less than halfway full)

Salt, if desired

Directions:

Stack tortillas and cut into eighths. Heat oil to medium-high and carefully drop in about 6 chips at a time (depending on the size of your pan). Cook until they turn light golden brown. Remove to paper towels to soak up grease and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

M&M Chocolate Chip Bars

Good evening! I'am so into baking right now. I'll bet a lot of you are as well. There's just something about this time of year. I have so many things lined up that I'am eager to make. These were one of them. Don't you just love all of the cute Halloween candy out there? I especially love the m&m's. I love candy's that change color due to holidays. So cute! Target is my most favorite place to go around Halloween time. They have this big section in the back of the store just completely devoted to Halloween. Not only TONS of candy, but baking stuff, decorations, and SO many little treats that you won't find anywhere else. I could literally spend A LOT of time in there just looking at everything. The best part about it being at Target is that I CAN do just that BECAUSE they also have a video game section at Target to keep my husband out of my hair while I look at everything! These bars are GREAT! Usually, I just think bar cookies are okay, they never seem to cook enough for me in the middle. I don't like raw cookies, OR fudgey brownies. Call me crazy! These are just right though. I can see these being a hit with the kids with the Halloween colored m&m's. They are very easy, and only require 1 bowl! Give 'em a shot this Halloween!

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Butter or Margarine, softened

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Plain M&M's

Directions:

Cream butter or margarine and sugars until fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, then mix. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add flour and mix until well blended. Add chocolate chips & m&m's. Pour batter into an even layer in a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake in at pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (they should be a dark golden brown). Let bars cool completely then cut bars.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy first day of Autumn!! It was actually in the 60's here in Texas (well the suburban Dallas areas anyway)! It was such a treat. I thought it seemed quite fitting for the first day of Autumn. I won't get too excited though, as it is supposed to creep back up to the 80's by next week, I think I even saw one day was supposed to be around 90..so I guess this is just a tease of what is hopefully to come as we head into October. This is my favorite time of the year. One of my favorite things about the season: the smells! Cinnamon, Apple, Pumpkin, Clove, Nutmeg, Cider - I love it all! I had had (have) quite a bit of pumpkin leftover from when I made the Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes, that I decided to make some Pumpkin Muffins, and it only seemed right to add in some chocolate chips. Don't you just love how well pumpkin and chocolate go together? If you like the combination, then you've got to try these muffins. I'm serious, make them tonight, and if you can't make them tonight, make them tomorrow. They are SO SO good!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Water
2 Eggs
1 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill half-way. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Insert a toothpick in to check for done-ness. If it comes out clean, then it is done. Remove to a wire rack and cool. This recipe should make 24 muffins.

Biscuits

Good evening! I'm really not sure why, but up until recently I haven't ever made homemade biscuits. I almost want to say I've been intimidated by them, but I don't think that's why. I guess it's always just been easier to use a box of Bisquick, or open a pouch mix. One thing I don't do, is use canned biscuits. I know a lot of people like them, and that's fine, but I absolutely hate them - with a passion. They just taste awful and fake to me. I made Biscuits and Sausage Gravy 2 months ago or so, and it was the first time I'd had biscuits in a longtime, and I was just wishing the entire time that I would have tried my hand at making some homemade ones. So of course once I had that thought in my head, I just HAD to make some homemade ones. Let me tell you, there's just no comparison. Homemade is where it's at, and I will never look back. They are ridiculously easy to make, so if you've never made them..you've just got to give them a chance, and you might never look back either!

Ingredients:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening

1 Egg

2/3 Milk or Buttermilk

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Texas Sheet Cake

Hey guys! Today is a good day, my "allergy cold" seems to FINALLY be almost gone. I think by tomorrow I will be as good as new. This has been pretty awful. I've never been this sick for this long before. I'am so thankful that I can see the end though. It's a pretty relaxing evening around here, there's a thunderstorm going on and sometimes that just relaxes me, anyone else? Our powder went out once and then flickered another time. It didn't last for long though, thankfully. If it had, I wouldn't be so relaxed! I decided to try my hand at a Texas Sheet Cake tonight!! It's actually still a little warm. I've never made one before, but it was pretty easy! It is quite different tasting to me, but it is still super yummy, and requires very basic ingredients that most of us always have on hand. If you're looking for a uniquely different cake that is delicious and satisfying, give this one a shot!

Ingredients (cake):

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Cups Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 Sticks Butter or Margarine

1 Cup Water

2 Tablespoons Cocoa, heaping

Directions (cake):

In a mixer (or large bowl), combine the flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix and set aside. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the butter or margarine, water, and cocoa. Bring to a boil. While hot, add to flour mixture and combine everything thoroughly. Pour into a greased and floured jelly roll pan, or a cookie sheet with tall sides. Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Make frosting while the cake is baking so you can ice the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

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Ingredients (frosting):
1 Stick Butter or Margarine
6 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Cocoa
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract


Directions (frosting):
In a saucepan, add the butter or margarine, milk, and cocoa and mix while bringing to a boil. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar, mix well until everything is well combined. Pour over warm cake and spread evenly to the edges.