Whipped Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I must have grown up sheltered, because I had never heard of banana cake until just a couple years ago.  It was my father-in-laws birthday and he wanted a banana cake.  So I made him one.  Kinda.  I made up a batch of my delicious Banana Bread and cooked it in a cake pan.  Then I threw a little Vanilla Buttercream Frosting on the top and called it good. :) If only I had know about Pinterest back then!

These Whipped Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting were my first real attempt at making a banana cake (or cupcakes) and they turned out fantastic!  The baby wouldn't leave them alone and the hubs even had 2!

I hope your Monday is every bit as sweet as these amazing cupcakes!

Cupcakes:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt OR sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 
Caramel:
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cupcakes, combine sugar, yogurt OR sour cream, egg, and butter and mix well.  Add mashed bananas and vanilla.  Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix well.  Pour batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the caramel filling, combine brown sugar and butter in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and brown sugar and butter are well combined.  Let the mixture come to a boil and let boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.  When the mixture is completely cooled, beat until light in color, about 5 minutes.  Spoon caramel mixture into a pipping bag that has been fitted with a filling tip.  Insert tip into the center of each cupcake and squeeze out about 1 tablespoon filling.

For the frosting, cream together cream cheese and butter in a medium sized mixing bowl until fluffy; 2 to 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined.  Frost cooled, filled cupcakes.

Whipped Caramel Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting recipes from The Royal Cook - originals!

Banana Cupcake recipe adapted from ButterYum.

Stuffed Enchilada Peppers

I love anything with the word "Enchilada" in the title.  These Stuffed Enchilada Peppers were easily added to the list.  They were quickly devoured by the family!  There were a couple kids who just ate the filling, but the rest of them even ate the peppers.  In my house, that's quite the accomplishment!  My kids love their veggies - even brussel sprouts (gag!) but for some reason don't care much for peppers.

The Stuffed Enchilada Peppers are full of flavor and I love the texture the quinoa gives it.  Love. That. Stuff!

4 bell peppers, cut in half from stem to bottom and seeds removed (I used all green this time)
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable for a vegetarian version)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, not drained
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
1 cup cheese, shredded (I used cheddar)

Combine chicken broth, quinoa, and onion in a medium sized pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan; let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.  Pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.  Place cut bell pepper on a microwave safe plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, then place on top of the enchilada sauce in the 9x13 inch baking dish (I microwaved 4 half peppers at a time).  Place black beans, chiles, tomato, cilantro, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.  Add cooked quinoa and mix well.  Divide the mixture between the bell pepper halves, then sprinkle with cheese.  Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray and place over the pan.  Bake the stuffed peppers at 350 for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil covering and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  To serve, top stuffed peppers with the enchilada sauce they were baked in.

Recipe from One Lovely Life.

Linked on Sweet and Savory Saturdays, Party in Polka Dots, Manic Monday and Pinworthy Projects.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Yesterday as I pulled my crock pot out of the cupboard, I noticed it wasn't very clean.  My kids seem to think there's a magician in our dish washer that will get off all the stuff they don't want to take time for when they're doing the dishes.  I called all of the kids downstairs and had them sit on the couch.  I showed them 2 plates that I pulled out of the sink, one that had been scraped and rinsed, and one that hadn't.  I asked them which was was ready to put in the dishwasher and which one wasn't.  Then I explained that when they put the dishes in the dishwasher that haven't been rinsed off, none of the dishes get very clean.  I let them know that I wasn't going to rewash dishes that they didn't take the time to rinse off before they went in the dishwasher anymore, that we were just going to use them.  I showed them the crock pot in all it's dirty glory and let them know that I was going to cook dinner in it, just the way it was.  Their sweet little eyes got wide, mouths dropped opened and they let me know how disgusting they thought it was.  They even informed me that I would have to eat the food too.  I let them know I was fine with that and took my lovely, but dirty, crock pot back into the kitchen and started on dinner preparation.  My 7 year old grabbed the crock pot off the counter and volunteered to wash it herself.  I told her that would be wonderful, but the dishwasher failed to be unloaded last night and there was no room in the sink to wash it.  I've never seen my dishes done so quickly, and not to mention the right way, without having to ask anyone.  Hopefully the lesson will stick this time. :)

This Slow Cooker Sausage and Tortellini Soup was so easy and so yummy!  There wasn't a drop leftover after dinner last night.  

1 (19 ounce) package frozen tortellini
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) package sausage (fully cooked), sliced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 - 1 (10 ounce) bag fresh spinach - I used half of the bag this time but would have like a bit more.
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pour all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. 

Recipe adapted from Little Fellows.

Linked on Sweet and Savory Saturdays, Pinworthy Projects, Manic Monday and Party in Polka Dots.

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork Sandwiches

I know I've said it before, but I LOVE my crock pot!!  These Easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork Sandwiches are just one more reason I love my crock pot as much as I do.  The pork comes out tender and delicious and the family all loves it.  Even if the kids think it's gross to put Coke in with the meat.  :)

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
1 (12 ounce) can Coca Cola
1 (18 ounce) bottle BBQ sauce

Place roast in the crock pot and pour Coca Cola over the roast.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Remove roast from crock pot and shred.  Discard the liquid and return shredded pork to the crock pot.  Stir in BBQ sauce (I use about half of the bottle and let those like more sauce add it to their sandwiches) and cook for an additional 30 to 60 minutes.

Linked on Sweet and Savory Saturdays, Finding the Pretty & Delicious, Manic Monday, Party in Polka Dots and Pinworthy Projects.

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

With summer just around the corner, I'm on the look out for snacks and meals that won't heat up the house.  This Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is a perfect snack or meal for the summer time, or anytime.  Now if only I could get the kids to eat more than 1 or 2 bites of it...

I served my Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with pita crackers (A. Maze. Ing!).  Because the kids don't dig hummus (what's the matter with them!?), I shared some with a neighbor.  She couldn't stop raving about it and said her babysitter loved it as well.  

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved
2 tablespoons tihini
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup roasted red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic

Place all ingredients (except liquid from the beans) in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth, adding liquid from the bean, as needed, to reach desired consistency.  Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Show Me What Ya Got, Sweet and Savory Saturdays, Pinworthy Projects, Finding the Pretty & Delicious, Manic Monday, Party in Polka Dots and Efforts and Assets.

Lips and Mustache Party

My sweet little girl turned 12 this month.  For her birthday she requested a mustache party.  I tried and tried to talk her out of it (I thought she should have something a little more girly), but I didn't have any luck.  I ended up adding lips to her theme to make it a little more girly and it turned out darling!

I set up a photo booth with some cute lip, mustache and glasses props, along with a picture frame.  No party with "lips" in the theme would be complete without a kissing booth, so she got a kissing booth as well.  A Hershey kissing booth. :)  I wish I would have recorded her reaction when I told her there was going to be a kissing booth at her party, and then the faces of her friends towards the end of the party when I told them they all needed to stop by the kissing booth on the way out.  Eyes got wide, mouths dropped open, and kids started inching towards the door.  And then I showed them the little boxes ("Stache") of kisses they got to take home. :)  There was an audible sigh of relief from some of them.

The kids ate "Mustache Sandwiches" (sandwiches on croissants - they looked like mustaches to me), fruit skewers made with strawberries, red apples, and red grapes, chips, "Smooch Juice", water to "Wet Your Whiskers", cupcakes, chocolate covered Oreos, and lots of red, black, and white candy, including chocolate lip and mustache suckers and cinnamon lips.

She didn't want a cake, just cupcakes, so I used a lip and mustache banner on the cupcakes to give it a little more of a cake feel, and fancy it up a bit. 

 I fell in love with the cute personalized "K" (for Kailee) paperclips.

 My favorite part of the party - The (Hershey) Kissing Booth.

All of the printables came from Just a little Sparkle.

Linked on Manic Monday, Party in Polka Dots, Efforts and Assets, Finding the Pretty & Delicious and Show Me What Ya Got.

Lasagna Roll Ups

I've been quite the slacker around here lately!  I've pretty much given up cooking.  Not really.  I've decided to give each of the kids a night of the week they get to cook dinner.  It's been pretty much amazing!  I actually have time to help the kids with reading and homework now and I still get to cook on the weekends.

These Lasagna Roll Ups were one of the things I got to make this weekend.  To say they were a hit would be almost an understatement!  The little dude licked his plate clean (literally.  He seems to think he's a puppy.....), and every last one of the kids ate without a single negative comment.  And they all ate their food.  All gone!

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 cups spinach, roughly cut
5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Combine ricotta cheese, spices, egg, spinach and 4 cups mozzarella cheese in a large mixing bowl; mix well.  Lay the noodles flat and spread about 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture on each noodle.  Roll each noodle up and place seam-side down in the baking dish.  Top with remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Manic Monday, Tatertots and Jello and Strut Your Stuff