Easter Bunny Bark

   Happy Easter Everyone! I have always loved Easter, there's something so lovely about all the pastel colors and the boys and girls all dressed up that just puts a smile on my face. I have never made bark before, but I know that it is not complicated and I was proven right. It just takes some time, as you have to work in batches.
   My fiance's family is really big so when we are getting together with them I really have to make sure that whatever I make, I am able to make a large batch. This recipe is perfect for large get togethers. You don't have to heat it up once you get to your destination and you can make it ahead. Plus it is an absolute crowd pleaser!


Easter Bunny Bark

Recipe is for one batch. For a large get together I like to make about 3-4 batches.

Looks great on a spring themed platter 

Parchment paper
1 package of vanilla candy coating, I can typically find the brand CandiQuik in the baking aisle of my grocery store
Spring Peanut M&M's
10 Oreos, broken up
Mini pretzels, broken up
Sprinkles, easter themed if you can find them
Nonpareils

Melt the entire package of candy coating in a pot, on low heat, stirring occasionally with a spoon.
Once smooth, pour over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and smooth it out. Do not smooth out too thinly, you should have a fairly thick coating.

Before going into the refrigerator to cool

Next is the fun part! Get the kids involved!

Evenly distribute the rest of the ingredients. I like to start with a light sprinkle of the nonpareils, then the oreos and pretzels. Next I take the M&M's and fill in the blanks. Lastly I sprinkle more nonpareils and the sprinkles.
Place into the refrigerator, on a level surface for about 30-45 minutes.
Break into pieces and serve.  

I store the bark in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator until the day of.

Tamale Bake, An Introduction to Cast Iron

   About 6 months ago my mother-in-law to be gave me a 10" old cast iron skillet. I had never used one before. I have to admit I was a little intimidated by it. No one in my family used cast iron. So I did a little research and re seasoned it.
   Now I am hooked. I look everywhere for recipes that exclusively use cast iron. I cook everything in it that I possibly can. If you haven't tried using cast iron yet please do! It's cheap, and will last you at least a lifetime. Yes, you will have to give it a little more love and care than some of your other pans but it is so worth it.

   Once you have acquired your cast iron you should season it. I would even season it if it says that it has been pre seasoned. You will want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place either some aluminum foil on the bottom rack or a large cookie sheet. This is to catch any dripping oil.
  Next, take one potato and slice it in half. Take some coarse salt, I use sea salt, and put about 2tbs into the pan. Grab one of the potato halves and scrub the pan with the salt. Especially if this is a dirty pan that you are re seasoning, you'll want to dump out the salt and repeat.
   Dump out all of the salt.
   Pour about 1tbs of oil into the pan. I use Vegetable but I suppose you could use just about any oil. Rub the oil all over the inside of the pan.You want just a light coating of oil.
   Last, place the pan upside down in the oven for 1 hour or so. I typically don't leave mine in for that long, I usually pull mine out after about 30 minutes. Make sure there's no excess oil, if there is just wipe it with a paper towel.

   This is a great beginner recipe for someone getting acclimated to their cast iron skillet, or someone who is new to cooking. It'll require a seasoned 10" skillet.

Tamale Bake

Yields about 6 servings

1 tbs Olive Oil
1 pound lean ground beef (make sure it is lean or you'll have soupy tamale bake)
1 1/4 cup chopped  sweet yellow onion
1 whole jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
1 can of diced tomatoes, unseasoned and drained
1/4 cup good ketchup
1 tbs organic apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese
1 (8-ounce) package of corn muffin mix, I used Jiffy
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In your 10" skillet heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Add the ground beef stirring occasionally until browned (no red).
Add the onion and jalapeno. Cook until softened.
Stir in the canned tomato, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and spices. Bring to a simmer for one minute, then remove from heat and sprinkle with 1 cup of your cheese. I try to make sure that the cheese is at least covering the whole top, it may take a sprinkle or two more than 1 cup.
In a bowl, combine the muffin mix, egg, and buttermilk. Mix until there are no more lumps. I like to use a good fork.
Pour the batter over the ground beef mixture.
Sprinkle your remaining cheese over the top.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown.

The Introduction

   For as long as I can remember, my mother was a poor cook (Sorry mom, but you know this is true). Now I'm not saying this to hurt her feelings, she was young and probably was not armed with the tools to be successful. I thank her for this, because it has made me want to become the best cook I can be.

   I've been cooking since I was about 16 or so. I didn't start off whipping up amazing homemade meals. I started small, Ramen Noodles and Burtoli frozen meals. But once I moved out of the house at 18 I had the confidence to open up a cookbook and follow through with two recipes and make a meal. It was fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.

   I tell you all of this, this shortened down story of how I came to cook the way I do, to show you that it doesn't matter what level of a cook you are, you can make just about anything. Just read the recipe more that once, set our your ingredients, take a deep breath and begin. Have fun, get a little messy. I mean we're at home here. No one is going to fire you if you burn something. Just learn from the mistake and correct it. You'll get there.

   The other part of why I explained to you my background is to say that just because you are working full time, or have three kids, doesn't mean dinner has to come out of the microwave or a bag of half frozen sauce. You can make "homemade", "from scratch" meals every night. Most of the recipes I will post on here are simple and easy. Just like most of them are healthy. Some are definitely not. And that's OK as long as you acknowledge that and know that tomorrow you should take the stairs instead of the elevator.

   I'm not a professional and I'm not trying to be. I have worked in several restaurants and I have even worked as a cook. Like most of the people out there however, I'm just getting off of work, coming home and cooking for my family. I just really love it. What I want most out of all of this is for those who read this blog to cook something delicious, and have a little fun in kitchen.