Q is for Quick Cheeseburger Pie

This recipe was made on July 30th 2020 and it was pretty good actually. 

I have never made a pie like this before but can see how this would be a great addition to monthly food rotation. 

The pie crust was not that hard to make and while it is baking in the oven the next steps for browning the beef can be completed. Once the pie crust is completed and the beef cooked it is pretty much mixing everything together and baking a little longer. I also would be curious if this could be made like a night before? 

This is what the pie looked like before cooking.

 

The things that I would change with this recipe maybe add some more veggies to it. Maybe not during baking but maybe add the option to put tomatoes or shredded lettuce on top like you would a burger. Or possibly some bacon crumbles at the adding cheese step. 

When I have some kind of mix like this I always want to fill it with as many items as possible. That could also be something like finely dicing up squash or zucchini, which would also be cooked while the beef is browning. 

I did love the dill pickles and the juice that was added. It gave it a nice zip. 

A slice of Quick Cheeseburger Pie

I think I might just have to add this to this week's dinner list. 

 

P is for Pocket Pizza

I made this pizza back on July 28, 2020, and it was really easy to make and pretty tasty. I did have some issues with it. 

Full disclosure I do make homemade pizza. I've been using the same recipe for the dough since my dad found it and declared it the one we'd use. That recipe calls for yeast this one did not which was pretty cool.

I had no issue with making the dough. The parts where I struggled wherewith the direction for sausage. What kind of sausage? Crumbly, sliced, or something else? I don't normally put the sausage on my pizza at home so quickly over thought it and became confused.

I also bought my pizza, sauce, which normally I make my own. This was a mistake only because I think it made the over all pocket pizza pretty salty. That is hard for me to say since I have no issues with salt. 

I also struggled a little with the assembly since it was layered. Which made sense after. reading the directions like 6 times. However, a simple sentence of you will be layering the ingredients would have helped a lot.

Overall, this was a yummy treat. I would attempt it again. I would make my own sauce and understand the layering process better. 

It does make a massive pocket pizza as you can see by it covering the entire cookie sheet, so would be good to share with a few people. 

O is for Oatmeal Pancakes

I can say I was really excited about this bake. I am a huge fan of breakfast for dinner so making this for dinner on July 28, 2020, was a treat. 

I have never made oatmeal pancakes before. I have made all kinds but my favorite kind of pancakes are light, fluffy, and have a crunchy butter ring on the outside. 

These oatmeal pancakes are not like my favorite kind but still very good. They are hearty, filling, and tastes really good. When I cooked these they took longer to cook than normal, about 5-7 minutes instead of 3-4 minutes. I also played with trying them with both molasses and my normal pancake syrup. I thought the molasses would be best because they were so wholesome, but nope, I preferred the regular syrup. 

Like most recipes in this book the directions on this one were very easy and clear which is always nice. I think pancakes are one of the first items I learned to cook so always appreciate the idea that it might be some little kid's first item as well. 

I just wanted to take note that we drank this local cider while eating our pancakes. Why not have some apple "juice" for dinner? Fun fact, ciders are closer to wines than beers. This cinder can be found in Natural Bridge and I highly recommend it!

N is for Nutty Marshmallow Bars

Like the M is for Mud Pie, this was part of my and my mom's missing pages of the cookbook.  Using the index for the name of the recipe and doing a google search I was able to find this recipe to use for N is for Nutty Marshmallow Bars.

I made this on 7.27.2020 and this one is very sticky. I noticed this fact only because Husband hates sticky things. He wears gloves to eat doughnuts he dislikes it so much. Since he notices I now notice. 

I also felt like the way I made this, which had some flaws made it very crumbly. Instead of chopping the peanuts like instructed I used my magic bullet and it made more like peanut butter. Flaw one. I also put it in a larger pan which made nice size bars. However, if I would have used a slightly smaller pan it would have been more squished and compact and probably less fragile, flaw two.

The overall taste was very good even though I was not in the mood to cook that day. Husband said it reminded him of the haystacks his mom makes around Christmas time each year. His father, brother, and he all fight for the haystacks. I have a hard time putting down her peanut butter balls. 

The steps were easy to follow even though I did not do the best at it. I would probably try this one again.

M is for Mud Pie

M for Mud Pie was an adventure to be sure. I completed this recipe on July 26, 2020.

Before could even get started on this pie recipe I had to find it. As you can see from the picture there is a picture but no recipe. My mom has the same cookbook and she also is missing these pages. I knew from the table of context that it was called M is for Mud Pie and so with the power of google looked for some different options. I ended up choosing this one since it was from Betty Crocker, specifically mentions Gold Medal flour, and is pretty simple. With all of these factors checked I went with it. 

The overall steps were easy to follow. The different elements added together to have nice flavors and a variety of textures. I can defiantly see making this again. It would be a great item to make the day before and just grab it and go before heading to the event. 

I did make a mistake when it came to measuring out the flour. I should have used 1/3 of a cup of flour but used 1/4. I blame this on trying to start it at 9pm at night. I couldn't figure out the math to make it right. Or rather, I was too lazy to figure it out so went with it.

Overall it was nice, easy, and I would defiantly try it again. 

L is for Lemon Squares

I made this dish back on  7.23.2020. I'll be honest in that it was just okay. I might try it again, but honestly feel like I would try a different recipe if I wanted to do lemon bars again.

I did enjoy that the recipe had a two-step process. The first being make and cook the crust and the second to make and cook the filling. 

I know the Jelly Roll, had two steps but you weren't cooking the filling just rolling it in the cake. I think it would be a nice change or a possible challenge for a new kiddo learning to bake. 

K is for Kart-Wheels

These Kart-Wheels were made on July 23rd and they came out alright.

This recipe calls for about 1 cup of pie filling or jam. I wanted to use cherry pie filling because cherry pies are one of my favorite types. However, when you go to the store to buy pre-made pie filling, they do not come in one cup cans. They come in 21oz. This means I immediately decided to double this recipe to make sure I could use all of the pie filling. 

The irony of this decision is that I was more focused on the filling and ran out of flour halfway through so had to run to the store to pick more up. 

Making the dough was clear and easy. Filling the actual Kart-Wheels was confusing. 

The book said, "Divide the dough into 6 equal parts." In my case 12 equal parts. "Shape each part into a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet; flatten slightly. Make an indentation, 1 3/4 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch deep, in center of each flattened ball."

This being a kid's book, I think shapes or other descriptors would have helped. Like flatten into a ball, and make a dent the size of a half-dollar or the back of a tablespoon would have been helpful. Something other than measurements. I have a lot of things in my kitchen but not a ruler or a tape measure.  

Since I had a double batch I decided to try it two ways. The first was to try and figure out how to make this weird little dent into my flatten ball. If you look at the first image then itis the Kart-Wheels on the right. This method, I felt, made the filling sit on top of the dough.

The second method I chose to take the little balls and make them into little cups. More like a tart type shape without a tart cup. This made the Kart-Wheels more like little mini pies The Kart-Wheels on the left in the first image. 

After cooking, cooling, and eating, I preferred the mini pies. I enjoyed the Kart-Wheel dough recipe overall since it was nice and tasty. I just liked knowing the cherries would stay in the baked good and not roll-off. 

J is for Jelly Roll

This recipe was made on July 22nd. I was very excited to make it. I enjoy watching some cooking shows. I would say my top favorites are Nailed It! and The Great British Baking Show. These are from both ends. The first end being people that are probably a danger to themselves and loved ones and the top of the top in baking skills that don't own their own shop. 

Well in The Great British Baking Show they always seem to have some kind of rolled, sponge in their competition. Sponge is the British term for cake. 

I have, to my memory, cooked a cooled cake before so I was super excited. To try this recipe. I know that I have done rolled items before, like failed attempts at cinnamon rolls, or the Elephant Ears, but again not with a cake. 

 

I followed the directions step by step, put it in a normal baking sheet since I don't have a proper jelly roll pan. 

Once it was fully cooked, I think I overcooked it, I put it on my towels covered in powdered sugar, and immediately rolled it up and let it sit for about 30 minutes. 

Once the 30 minutes ended I unrolled the cake, filled it with some homemade raspberry jam from Husband's aunt, and then re-rolled the cake. 

It looked pretty good and it tasted okay. The powdered sugar made a huge mess like it always seems to do. The presentation was nice and I would try it again.

 

I is for Ice Cream Sandwich

I made this recipe on 7.21.2020 and I have to tell you that this was probably one of my favorite items I made for the first time out of this book. 

The whole process is kind of long because first, you have to make and cool the cookies. Then add the ice cream and let it sit for a while, and then melt and add the chocolate and then again, let the cookies set again. I would say the whole process took about 2 and a half hours but with lots of breaks. 

All these steps are totally worth it. The cookies honestly taste like something found in a store except better because I know that I made them. 

The peanut butter recipe itself was a solid tasty recipe. The cookies were firm but still a little crumbly which I enjoy in a peanut butter cookie.

For the ice cream, I used cookie and cream because it is one of Husband's favorite kinds. I also think that was a good choice. Honestly, any kind of ice cream could go well with this cookie. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee, chocolate chip, cookie dough, anything that pairs with peanut butter. 

Dipping half the cookie in chocolate, I really think that was the kicker to the whole thing. The last step that just pushed it over the edge to amazing. These did not last long in our house. 

To store them I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap. I think putting them in a zip lock bag or container for longer storage would have been a good idea but, again they did not last. 

The peanut butter cookie recipe did say it would make 30 cookies aka, 15 sandwiches, but I only had 24 cookies. I think it was my cookie scoop I used. 

Husband enjoyed these but Broha did the most damage to this batch eating about half of them. 

H is for Honey Cookies

Making these cookies was interesting. They, like most recipes in this book were pretty easy to follow. Using my tablespoon cookie ice scream scoop I was able to make the cookies pretty much the same size. 

I think the difficult part was in baking them. I put them in for the recommended time and they were kind of gooey in the middle. It wasn't bad but wasn't sure if that was a texture thing or a underbaked and I'm about to give myself stomach issues thing.

The second batch I cooked longer and they were not gooey in the middle and remained soft and slightly chewy like the first batch. 

Over all the cookies were fun to make since they were a little different but I don't think I would make them again. Or if I did, maybe make them smaller and cook longer. 

G is for Giant Gingerbread Kids

 Alright, so let me start off by saying that I apologize for nothing.

I started this project in July of 2020 so making gingerbread cookies is a little off season, however, they were super good. These cookies are a softer gingerbread and so great for people but I wouldn’t try to make a house out of this dough.

As mentioned in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe I’m about a 2 possible 3 dozen drop cookie type of person. When it comes to cutting out cookies…. I get way less enthusiastic. It can just take forever!

Rolling, cutting, squishing, rolling, cutting, rolling can just get old really fast. However, I assume it has been years since the last time I made cookies like this it was alright. I think I got about 2 dozen cookies, I used EVERY cookie cutter I had. That was pretty fun and funny.

I sent this picture of a friend and while she was looking at it leaned over to her spouse and was like do you think that is a penis? He was like no, she was like, Shannon made them, and he immediately changed his mind and was like oh then for sure it is. I love how I’ve broken my friend's expectations or have I given them these types of expectations? Either way, it makes me laugh.

The cookbook says this would make 8 giant gingerbread kids but all my cutters were normal size so it feels like as a batch it was the perfect size to not be annoying.

F is for Fudge Brownies

 I think the irony of this was that F ended on Friday which made me laugh a lot. Plus, who doesn’t want to eat brownies on a Friday?

I really liked this recipe and would make it again. I found it very interesting because you actually mixed everything in a pot. I’ve never done that before. Most of the time if I am melting chocolate I am using a double boiler system or short bursts in the microwave. The last time I made brownies, not from a box I needed cocoa powder and this one did not have any.

They came out really good though! I really enjoyed them and would make them again.

I think the funniest part of this day was Broha. He LOVES brownies but as this bad habit of eating things right out of the oven so before he went to his space I told him about it and he was super excited.

As I was making the brownies Broha goes out to get some dinner. Husband takes this time to go put this weird creepy river baby doll we wrapped in plastic wrap in Broha’s bed while he’s out. This creepy doll baby was literally pulled out of the mud of the James River on a floating trip we did a few weeks ago. It is super creepy.

Well about an hour later when the brownies are cooked, cooled, and husband and I are getting ready for bed, we hear this spriting up the stairs. We start laughing because we’re like he found it!

Nope, Broha just remembered about the brownies and was super excited. He did not find the doll while we were awake that night but did tell us in the morning he was thoroughly freaked out. Win on both counts!

E is for Elephant Ears

I was really excited to make this recipe because anytime you are making something with a cinnamon sugar swirl has a high probability of being amazing.

The directions were easy, you make a dough, roll it out, spread melted butter on it, roll it up, cut it into fourth and cook it. I did not have a pastry brush so I used a paper towel. I think it worked well in a pinch.  

I’ve thought about getting a rubber pastry brush before but in my daily life the need for its use is so infrequent I would rather just use a paper towel.

They were so good! I honestly don’t think Broha was able to try one because Husband and I ate them all. I would hate to make a lot of batches of these but I think this could be a made beforehand and put in the fridge and then pulled out to bake when you wanted them.  

D is for Delicious Drumsticks

I think the thing that amused me the most about this recipe is that all week long I kept saying Wednesday is D for Delicious Drumsticks. On Wednesday we are having Delicious Drumsticks.

I was pleasantly surprised. When I do make fried chicken I take the chicken put it in an egg wash, roll it in Italian Breadcrumbs fry it in a pan with oil and butter and then put it on a baking sheet to finish cooking it off. It is so good!

This is the first time I’ve used a straight flour recipe and honestly, it was pretty good. I think dipping the chicken legs in butter helps a lot but overall I was really pleasantly surprised.

When eating chicken I normally take the skin off or just don’t eat it but this skin was good enough to eat. Husband and the Broha also approved. I think I’ll stick to my normal go-to fried chicken but this one did not disappoint.

C is for Chocolate Chip Cookies

Generally speaking, I normally say that my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is Tollhouse's, however, these cookies were really good. They are just a good classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is easy to follow, the raw dough is delicious the smell is intoxicating. I loved that when I pulled these cookies out of the oven and let them chill for a little bit that you could pull them apart and see the melty chocolate chips. 

This recipe made about two dozen cookies which I am fine with. Honestly, I have about 2-3 cookie rotations in me before I'm done. I also think that if someone did want to make like four dozen cookies this would be very simple to double everything. 

I can say though I don't want to make more than 3 dozen cookies at a time I am also not a fan of just one dozen cookies either. 24-36 is my sweet spot.

I asked Husband if he wanted to take these cookies to work, he said no.

I asked him again, he again said no.

He was going to a poker game and I was like do you want to take these cookies to that game. He was like what is with these cookies? Is there something about these cookies I should know?

I said besides the extra ingredients of rat poison? 

After he gave me a look he was like seriously what is with these cookies. I told him that I don't have the opportunity to bring the cookies to work because I work from home so I am in my office. I don't need 24 cookies staring at me because I WILL eat them. I need to make them but then have them immediately removed from the house.

He understood after that and took the cookies to the poker game. 

Most of the other baking I've been doing has been doing to work with the Broha and his co-workers are enjoying this adventure.

B is for Banana Bread

I LOVE this recipe. I keep this book because of this recipe. I had lost it in my bookshelf for about a year or two. Honestly, I apparently didn't look really hard, and all the other banana bread recipes I tried in the meantime were not good. 

This recipe is easy, fast, I can use a potato masher, and the bread is never dry. 

I used to eat bananas all the time but don't anymore so I have to go and buy banana's especially to make this bread. Really ripe or brown banana's work best which is awesome because that means they are normally on sale. 

You can use fresh or frozen banana's and I just put all the ingredients in the bowl, mash/mix it with a potato masher, put it in a very well greased bread pan and call it a day. It is a really good way to get kids introduced into baking because again potato masher equals fun! 

I have friends that get so excited when I make this bread. I like having requested items also known as default foods it makes me feel good. Plus I can be lazy! If you have the time, and you like bananas for real try this recipe! 

A is for Apple Crisps

To start off this cookbook adventure I started at the beginning which is A for Apple Crisp. 

It apparently had been a really long time since I peeled apples because with a knife I was garbage so gave up and used a potato peeler. Much faster and it had better results.

Overall I think this recipe is okay. I didn't have the little cups they suggest putting the apples in so that might have changed the flavor. I do enjoy apple crisps but normally enjoy oats in the crumble topping. 

This was easy to make and would be great with a scoop of ice cream. I would make it again but probably double the recipe to get a more even layer of both toppings and apples if I don't get the cup things. 

Alpha-Bakery Children's Cook Book Adventure

I have decided to cook every recipe in this book. I will complete it in about 4 weeks. I will do 6 recipes, in order, per week. That gives me Sunday to pick up the next week's menu items. 

I've had this book for years and I do love the B is for Banana Bread recipe, it is my favorite of all time. I don't remember if I've ever tried making all the items in the book so that will be changing this month.

Part of me wants to do this because cooking is fun. Cooking is like making crafts you can eat. The other part of me wants to complete something in this COVID world. Then another part of me just wants to do something fun for myself. 

I am trying to get more fun in my life along with doing things that I enjoy not just things I "should" do.

I hope you'll join me over the next few weeks in reading about my adventures in cooking!

Please note that Gold Medal did not ask me to do this nor do they probably care about my opinions. This was done just for me. 

Also, at the time of publishing these reviews, I have already completed or mostly completed all the items in this book. I am posting these a little bit after the fact but made notes along the way. 

Welcome to this Alpha-Bakery Adventure!

Cooking with ShanShan: Peanut Butter and Jelly Crackers

Today with Cooking with ShanShan I  am going to tell you how to make this quick and easy snack that can be eaten for any meal or just as a snack. The best part about this recipe is that it just takes 3 ingredients!

Like most cooking blogs I'm going to tell a short story before I give the list of ingredients and instructions.

In all seriousness, this snack does remind me of childhood. I would say specifically in Michigan. If we are going back to Michigan then it must have been one of the few snacks I could make or my mom would let us make. It brings back the memory of sitting down, making a ton of these little guys, spreading evenly on a plate or stacking them in a gooey tower before eating them all up.

If I am searching threw my very foggy memory I would say I was eating soup, something like chicken noodle with these tiny sandwiches. The other memory is just of me eating these while probably watching TV on some afternoon.

I think these would be a perfect school snack but I'm not picturing that in my mind's eye. Mostly weekend chilling. I also picture eating these both with and without siblings.

I could be wrong about all of those fuzzy memories. I feel like I'll have to text my siblings and see if my memory matches theirs.

The end location of where you consume these tiny little delectable delights does not matter. What does matter is that they are not keto or carb-free friendly they are delicious. If you have not had one in a while I highly recommend you stop reading this post right now and go make yourself a few.

Now onto the recipe section of this blog:

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter for your choice, I prefer smooth
Jelly of your choice, I prefer grape
Saltines your brank of choice these were Kroger brand

Steps:
1. Open up the package of saltines and count the number of pairs you would like to eat
2. Spread the peanut butter on half of your stack of crackers
3. Spread the jelly on the other stack of crackers
4. Pair the crackers together and enjoy

Time:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes

Nutrition:
Probably not the best but it is yummy. I really just don't want to do the math but felt obligated to put this label.

Do you have a favorite snack like this? If so what is it? Please leave a comment below!