Joy in the Kitchen!

  Cupcakes (or pupcakes as my 2 year old calls them) are an easy, pre-portioned treat to make.  They can be simple and undecorated, filled, or fancied up for special occasions.  Most of the time, when I'm not using them for a special occasion, I just spread the frosting with a knife... which is very tedious or I let the kids frost their own with a knife - which is messy.  However, if I don't mind adding extra frosting to the top, using a decorating bag and a larger tip is a super fast way to make a cupcake look dressy.  Add sprinkles or edible glitter for extra fun! I used a regular cake mix.  (which I was not wild about - they always turn out too light & crumbly) But this time I added a good sized spoonful of sour cream, and replaced about half of the water called for with yogurt.  Not quite so dry and a little heavier.   I used a basic decorator icing recipe with my own twist to get a good chocolate flavor: Creamy Chocolate Frosting 4 C. powdered sugar 3/4 C. cocoa p

My hubby works a lot of closing shifts so often this means he doesn't get home until 9:30pm.  So often I make dinner for the kids early because they're in bed before he gets home and then I fix dinner for him and I.  It can be really hard to cook for just two especially for me coming from a big family.  This is more of directions than a recipe.  This is my favorite way or rather only way I make salmon at home. Rosemary Salmon 2 4oz Salmon Filets ( I like to get the ones from Walmart) 1 TBSP Olive Oil Sea Salt Dried Rosemary (Fresh would be better) Heat a skillet on medium heat.  Add olive oil and heat.  Place the Salmon filets in pan and sprinkle with sea salt.  Crush a pinch of rosemary in your hand and sprinkle onto salmon.  Sear both top and bottom then lower heat to medium low, cover and finish cooking (about 5-8 min).  Enjoy! Audra's Notes:  I serve this most often with hashbrowns.  Tonight I also served it with a salad and oranges. As you know we're

When Mom first started this blog she asked if I wanted to contribute to it.  Well, I did one recipe right at first and then time always seemed to get away from me, then a broken camera, and then because of school I haven't been cooking very much.  But now I've set a goal to manage my time better and cook more plus I got a new camera (Woot woot!)  I also felt that my recipes were boring and often don't use a recipe because I'll only cook for 2 or 3.  But I figure that maybe I'll want to remember how I did certain things and sometimes you only need to cook for 2.  So here's my first of many (I hope). This is by far mine and my family's most favorite clam chowder.  I got the recipe from my mom (Joy) who got it from her mom.  My husband begs for this soup and tells me I can make it any time.  I always make the full batch so that we have lots of leftovers for lunches the next couple days.  I would normally make some kind of biscuit like cheddar biscuits with th

Meatballs are an easy item to make ahead and keep in the freezer for quick meals.  There are so many easy ways to fix a meal with them:  spaghetti & meatballs, Swedish Meatballs with noodles, Barbecue, sweet & sour with rice!  So many tummy pleasing things to do with a meatball!   The first time I made meatballs I thought they were just TOO time consuming.  Mixing all the ingredients, rolling the mixture into balls, turning them in the frying pan until they were done.  Too much time tending them.  BUT  now I have a few shortcuts so they're much easier!   1.   I use a simple recipe with not too many ingredients  2.  I use a cookie scoop (size 40) to make the balls rather than rolling them   3. Instead of frying them in a pan & turning them, I put the balls on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven.  Just put them in and leave them until the timer goes off!  EASY! This is a picture of the uncooked meatballs, don't you think they look just as good as if you'

I live in potato country.  I have a few hundred pounds of beautiful russet potatoes stored in my storage area.  One can never have too many good potato recipes!  Tonight we had FANcy Potatoes.  They are SO easy to make and serve.  We had these with Roast Chicken, corn frozen from last summers garden, and a nice, tossed green salad.  I used some smaller potatoes, a little smaller than my fist, and, since I have a teenage boy, I made a few extra. ;o)  I had one left to put in the fridge after dinner. FANcy Potatoes 6 medium russet potatoes   1 cube butter, melted shredded cheese or cheese slices bacon crumbles sour cream parsley, green onion, or chives Scrub the potatoes.  Slice each potato about 2/3rds of the way through at 1/4 inch intervals.  It will fan out as it bakes, if you cut too far through, it will come apart as you work with it later.  Place partially sliced potatoes in an ungreased shallow baking dish.  Bake at 375 for 1 - 1 1/4 hours.  Check to see if the potatoes are