Granny Franny’s Kitchen is off to a slow start with posts. In my defense, I am waiting for Granny Franny to work on a write-up for something she made recently. (hint, hint, Granny Franny!) In the meantime, however, a good friend of mine, Erin, did a write-up for some amazing cupcakes that she made for Valentine’s Day. Erin is always posting pictures on Facebook of cupcakes that she’s made, and I have been dying for her to do a guest post on my blog. Hopefully she will do more posts in the future, because her creations always look amazing!

With no further adieu, here is Erin’s write-up. Thank you, Erin!!!

Who doesn’t love Sour Patch Kids?! My boyfriend and I both happen to love them and they’ve become our favorite little treat to surprise each other with – so, with Valentine’s day approaching I was on a mission to come up with an unexpected take on our favorite candy to give to my sweetheart

Over the past eight months I’ve been experimenting with baking all different types of cupcakes so I thought I was up for the challenge of creating a Sour Patch Kid-themed cupcake too. When I was brainstorming I wanted it really to still be more like candy than cake, so I thought the mini-size would be ideal. And I figured mini-sized would be more appropriate for a sour flavored treat! I also decided that I wanted the cake itself to be sweet and the frosting to be tart; after researching I found a product that would do just that: LorAnn Oil’s Tart & Sour Fruit Flavor Enhancer. And because I wanted to make cupcakes to represent each of the traditional Sour Patch Kid’s flavors: raspberry, orange, lemon, and lime I was able to find those flavorings by LorAnn Oil’s also. Actually, I was not able to find lime oil and opt’d for a fresh lime for the recipe. I found the LorAnn products at Hobby Lobby and imagine they, or similar products, could be purchased at most baking-supply retailers.

These cupcakes were a huge hit with my Valentine and all that we shared them with (since the recipe made so many!). Not only did they turn out delicious, but they were just so much fun to make with their beautiful bright colors! I say these Sour Patch Mini Cupcakes were a big sweet & sour success!

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix
• water, vegetable oil, and eggs called for on cake mix box
• mini muffin liners, about 60 total
• 1 lime, grated and cut in half
• raspberry flavoring (https://www.lorannoils.com/p-8557-raspberry-flavor.aspx)
• lemon oil (https://www.lorannoils.com/p-8457-lemon-oil-natural.aspx)
• orange oil (https://www.lorannoils.com/p-8513-orange-oil-natural.aspx)
• red, yellow, and green food color
• red, orange, yellow, and green icing color (http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30C97E-475A-BAC0-5A609FE5C5506685&killnav=1)
• Tart & Sour Fruit Flavor Enhancer (https://www.lorannoils.com/p-9000-tart-sour-flavor-boost.aspx)
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup of butter, softened
• 32 oz bag of powdered sugar
• Sour Patch Kid candy

1.) Heat oven to 325°F

2.) Prepare cake mix as direct on box

3.) Pour equal amounts of prepared cake batter into four smaller bowls where additional flavoring and coloring will be added

4.) In the first small cake batter bowl, add about 12 drops of red food coloring and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of raspberry flavoring (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved)

5.) In the second small cake batter bowl, add about 12 drops of yellow food coloring + about 3 drops of red food coloring and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of orange oil (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved)

6.) In the third small cake batter bowl, add about 12 drops of yellow food coloring and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of lemon oil (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved)

7.) In the last small cake batter bowl, add about 12 drops of green food coloring, a splash of the lemon oil, half of the grated lime peel, and lime juice from one half of the lime (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved)

8.) Place mini muffin liners in mini muffin pan and fill liners almost completely full of raspberry, orange, lemon, or lime batter and bake for 11 – 13 minutes in oven preheated to 325°F

9.) Cool mini cupcakes completely before frosting. Prepared cake batter should yield between 50 – 60 mini cupcakes

10.) Mix softened cream cheese and softened butter together in a mixing bowl

11.) Mix in Tart & Sour Fruit Flavor Enhancer. I ended up using about 1/3 of the 1 fl oz bottle

12.) Gradually mix in about 3 cups of powdered sugar to create a base frosting

13.) Put equal amounts of base frosting into four smaller bowls where additional flavoring and coloring will be added

14.) In the first small frosting bowl, add a very small amount of the red icing color using a toothpick and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of raspberry flavoring (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved). Continue adding additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved

15.) In the second small frosting bowl, add a very small amount of the orange icing color using a toothpick and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of orange oil (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved). Continue adding additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved

16.) In the third small frosting bowl, add a very small amount of the yellow icing color using a toothpick and about half the 0.125 fl oz bottle of lemon oil (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved). Continue adding additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved

17.) In the last small frosting bowl, add a very small amount of the green icing color using a toothpick, a splash of lemon oil, half of the grated lime peel, and lime juice from one half of the lime (add more/less until desired flavor/color is achieved). Continue adding additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved

18.) Frost or pipe cupcakes with coordinating flavored frosting and top with matching Sour Patch Kid candy

19.) Enjoy! They’re sour…then sweet

I am so very sorry for the long silence here on my blog. It’s been a rough year, dealing with realities such as divorce. Arthur, Libby and I moved in with my parents a few months ago; we’re enjoying the safe haven that they have provided for us (not to mention the extra Dachshunds… my mom has 2 as well!) while I’ve been figuring things out and have been getting back on my feet financially and emotionally. I’ve come a long way in a short period of time!

This has been a time of growth and reflection while I am trying to make some major life decisions. There’s a lot to look forward to in the New Year, including getting back in the kitchen and rediscovering my love for writing about it. In the meantime, I appreciate your understanding and patience this holiday season. I am sorry that I am not posting fun new recipes this holiday season, but hopefully last year’s recipes will tide you over!

My goal for 2012 is to start posting regularly again. I look forward to it.

Again, Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. See you soon!

Xoxo,

Emily R.

(My last name no longer begins with “Z”… I am trying to decide if I should just keep the blog name as is, or come up with something different… I am open to suggestions!)

This is something I have made twice now in recent history for our dinners with Cory. He, actually, gave me the recipe, which he got from his mom. This is delicious. I mean, who doesn’t love the flavor combination of tomato and basil?!? I highly recommend this!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fettuccine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (or to make this vegetarian, I have used vegetable broth)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

I’ve made this dish twice now… once for my friend Cory, and a second time for a recent party with an Italian food theme. I am glad I made this twice before posting about it because the second time, it came out so much better. The first time, the cheese burned. So the second time I made this, I waited until about 10 or 15 minutes before it was to be taken out of the oven and added the cheese at that point. It worked out so much better that way, the cheese was just slightly browned and was ooey gooey deliciousness. Mmmm.

I also didn’t shape it in a roasting pan, I just used my small Pyrex dish that I always use for meatloaf. Either way this is fantastic and it was a huge hit at the party. I was pleased that there was nothing left to take home at the end of the night!

I got this from Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 fire roasted red pepper, diced
• olive oil, for sauteing
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 + 1/4 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 + 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

As I mentioned not too long ago, my new next door neighbors have been giving me their excess produce. He works for a local produce company that distributes to restaurants and businesses in the local areas. He brings home so much, that they have twice now passed their extras on to me. This last go around, the extras consisted of TWO BOXES of delicious produce. And me, wanting to waste as little of it as possible, has been doing some fun and creative cooking without the use of a cookbook.

Some of this produce is things that it just somehow does not occur to me to get at the grocery store… fresh green beans and broccoli, for example. In my mind I always think I hate broccoli. But maybe my taste buds have changed, because I have really been enjoying it as of late.

While sometimes I like the guidance of a cookbook, I have also discovered how fun it can be to just use my brain and be creative. I have made stir fried chicken and green beans with orzo. I’ve made pasta with spinach. I’ve made Asian-esque stir fry with chicken, broccoli, bell peppers, and brown rice. I throw in whatever spices sound good (a lot of red pepper flakes in some of these meals!).

Last night I made spaghetti with broccoli, bell pepper, red onion, and garlic. Threw in some Lawry salt and crushed red pepper. It came out spicy and delicious. I was quite proud of myself! And while I realize that this is not necessarily an original creation, it is to me… so I thought I would share my recipe! Bear in mind, I used my discretion as to how much I thought would work for two people. So I didn’t use exact measurements. But anyone can do the same!

I have to admit, I am quite proud of my creative cooking as of late! And I would think that at least some of these delicious dishes that I have been throwing together fit well into the “heart healthy” category as well!

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti
• Broccoli florets (smaller ones)
• Red pepper, diced
• Red onion, diced
• Garlic, minced (2 or 3 cloves)
• A few sprinkles of Lawry salt
• A few pinches of crushed red pepper

I realize that summertime is not an ideal time to be making hearty soups. I made this a few weeks ago; as I mention quite a bit, our friend Cory comes over and has dinner with us frequently. He’d been telling me about this minestrone recipe that his mom makes for months. Between the two of us, he kept forgetting to send me the recipe, and I kept forgetting to remind him to send it to me. Well, he finally remembered to send it to me, and we agreed that while it was out of season, it would still be delicious. And it was.

At least in May it was still a little cooler than it is turning out to be in June… but this could be easily bookmarked for a cool fall day. I will definitely be making it again!

While also out of season, if you like this, you might also like my Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini (click on the link). This is definitely one reason to look forward to cooler weather!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 teaspoon crumbled basil
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 can (1 pound) Italian pear tomatoes, chopped, undrained
• 2 cans (10 3/4 oz) beef broth
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (1 pound) great northern beans, undrained

I am sorry that I have not been posting much. As every month begins, I feel hopeful that this fresh month will be the month I get back into gear with my writing and start posting more. But each month goes by quicker than I expect it to, and at the end of each month, I realize I’ve been slacking. Badly. I know it’s bad when readers of mine that I exchange comments with are starting to worry about me due to my silence.

I am not ready to talk about why I’ve been in such a funk this year. But rest assured, the Handsome Husband and I are healthy and are trying to stay optimistic in light of some unexpected challenges that have come up for us this year. I hope someday soon we will have some happy news that snaps me out of things and I am back to posting several recipes a week. In the meantime though, I thank you for your patience, and I am thankful for those of you who care enough to check in on me, even without knowing what is going on. It is so nice to know that you have people out there who care about you, even people you’ve never even met.

I didn’t want May to end without posting at least one more recipe. So here you go. This is something my mother-in-law gave me to try. We ate this with our friend Cory, and we all liked it. I served it with orzo and a healthy salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
• 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 – 14.5 oz can undrained, no salt added or regular, diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

The first recipe I posted for BLT Pasta was such a hit that when I saw this one posted on another blog, I wanted to try it out and compare.

The biggest difference, is in the other recipe, “L” is for “Linguine”, which was a clever move. But in this one, the spinach fits as the “Lettuce” in “BLT”. This version seems a little lighter, perhaps more summery, than the other version, which is a little heavier with the creamy texture of it. This recipe requires a little more cleanup as you use more than one pot/pan. The other one, part of the draw to it was also the “one-pot” concept, less muss and fuss.

For having the same name, these recipes are just different enough that they’re unique. And they’re both delicious. What stands out in both of them is the bacon flavor in the pasta. Yum! We both agreed that it seemed like it could use a little bit more something, more of a kick. We added some salt for flavor this time, but next time, I think I will throw in some garlic, or red pepper flakes. It just needed a little bit more “zazz”, as he put it. I am a little bit partial to the first recipe because I love the creaminess of it. But don’t get me wrong, both are delicious!

For those of you who have tried the first recipe… I would be curious to hear your thoughts and comparisons about this one!

I got this version from Baking Serendipity.

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 8 slices turkey bacon
• big handful of spinach, destemmed
• drizzle of olive oil
• parmesan cheese

I am so excited. We have new neighbors next door and the husband works for a local produce company. He brings produce home for his wife, but they get so much, she never knows what to do with it all. So, she brought a bunch over to me! I now have a drawer full of spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, avocados, an artichoke, cucumbers, tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers. This is great because, in order to not waste all of these wonderful vegetables, I need to be creative, and I need to cook them ASAP! This is yet another kick-start I needed in order to do some more cooking… that, and, my painting projects around the house are mostly finished. So I have a little more time.

In spite of how it looks between this and my last recipe, I am not constantly eating Greek food right now. This recipe that I am posting is something else that I cooked a few weeks ago, but am just now getting around to posting. But, same as the last recipe that I posted, this was so good, I have already made it twice. And will make it again in the near future. And I strongly recommend this to anyone! While I cannot say whether this is authentically Greek, it has enough Greek touches to it that I will pretend that it is. The cinnamon makes the kitchen smell so wonderful as it is cooking, and it also adds such fantastic flavor. I had enough left over that I got to have this for lunch the next day as well… and even reheating in the microwave, the room was again filled with the smell of the cinnamon.

My Handsome Husband and our friend Cory both loved this as well. I’d say this was a huge hit all around!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 14.5 ounces reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 1 1/2 cups frozen leaf spinach
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided