Stuff I've Made

Those of you who know me know that I don't claim to be any kind of cook. I have little patience for it - the planning, shopping for ingredients, the actual cooking, not to mention the cleaning up. It's all very time consuming. That being said, I have stumbled on to a couple of things worth sharing.

I was looking for a quick grab-and-go dessert for a picnic-themed luncheon we had at school last week and this first recipe was perfect.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

16 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 TB shortening

2 lbs. fresh strawberries with leaves.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the

microwave about 40 seconds at a time stirring as

you go. Then dip the strawberries and swirl them

around. Put them on wax paper to set. Delicious!

The next recipe is also something I made for a school-related function. My good friend and band director, B, had an intern this semester and for her last day with us, we gave a her a little celebration. I made Paula Deen's Lady Brownies for the occasion.


Lady Brownies

2 C sugar
1 C vegetable oil
4 eggs
6 TB cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 C chopped nuts (optional)*


*I added 8 ounces of milk chocolate chips intead of nuts


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend together sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Add flour; mix. Add nuts (optional); spread into greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
They turned out really yummy and I was surprised to make a Paula Deen recipe with no butter in it!

One more to share and this one is a little random. I am on the shower committee at my church and get really tired of the store-bought buttermints. I think the get real gross real fast. I feel like I'm eating chalk. So for an upcoming baby shower, I decided to try a recipe. This one comes from Southern Living December 2003.


Butter Mints
Makes 20 dozen mints

1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 TB butter
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/8 tsp vanilla extract


Melt cream cheese and butter in large saucepan over low heat, stirring contantly until smooth. Gradually stir in powdered sugar, add peppermint extract and vanilla extract, stirring until well blended.

Divide cream cheese mixture into 10 (1/4 C) portions and roll each into a 12-inch rope. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Let stand, uncovered, 4 hours until firm.

These turned out great. The most difficult part was the stirring to get the sugar to melt. Otherwise, it wasn't too bad. I would definitely do it again to keep from having to serve those awful chalky mints again!