CHICKEN STUFFED CHIPOTLE JALAPENOS

Now don't be scared...these jalapenos have some fire in them, yes sir-e they surely do but not to the point of blistering your tongue. They're just kind of like the hot pop-rocks that explode in your mouth and leave a tingling sensation.

But I can personally guarantee all of you jalapeno fans that these beauties deliver not only in some semi-mild-hot taste bud explosion but in a rush of savoriness...yes savoriness...say that twice.

 If you get the munchies then these here stuffed jalapenos should fill your bill. I had a 24-Hour Layered Salad chilling in the fridge and it paired beautifully along side of the peppers. Took some of the heat off so to speak.

8 big old jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup finely chopped rotisserie chicken
4 ozs. softened cream cheese (you can use low-fat)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (I love that stuff)
1 to 2 tsp. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (yeah baby you get some heat there too)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat pan with butter or olive oil cooking spray. Place the peppers in the pan and cook about 8 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until charred nicely. Cool for a few while you prepare the chicken-chipotle mixture.
Combine the chicken with the cream cheese, cilantro and chipotle peppers.
Slice the jalapenos into, remove the membranes and seeds.
Fill the peppers with this mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, or just until cheese is lightly browned.
Serves 6 to 8 people
 "I never met a jalapeno pepper I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

THE EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE EVER!

What makes this the easiest peanut butter ever you may say? 4 ingredients. Nothing less, nothing more.

Simply throw 2 cups of sugar into a saucepan along with 1/2 cup milk (I used evaporated). Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Allow to boil for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract and 3/4 cup Jif creamy peanut butter.

Pour into dish/pan. Let it cool for awhile on the counter and then when it has cooled off to a luke warm place it in the refrigerator to finish chilling. Cut in small slices to serve. It took me approximately 5 minutes total to make this from start to finish and believe me when I tell you that it is delicious.

"I never met a peanut butter fudge I didn't like"~Adele Forbes

SUNDROP POUND CAKE

My husband absolutely adores a pound cake. So every so often I like to greet him with one when he comes in from a hard day of working out in the cold. Being that today is National Pound Cake day I thought this would be the perfect time to present him with one. And what did he do...absolutely nothing. Didn't look at it, didn't ask what it was, not even a little sniff of it. Fine! Didn't smell the Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet & Spicy baby back ribs swimming in the crock-pot either. Do I look like I care?????????????????????????????????

So maybe you yourself will appreciate it. 

Here's the recipe.....
3 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour
1/3 cup Sundrop
2 tablespoons pure lemon extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour pan. Combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Slowly add flour, but try to not over beat it. Add the Sundrop and lemon extract. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes. Do not be tempted to open the oven door. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a serving dish. Allow it to cool completely then drizzle with a glaze made from powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and Sundrop. You want it to be just of pourable consistency. Share it with someone who appreciates it!

"If you want peace in the house, do what your wife wants."~African Proverb

BANANARAMA WAFER PUDDING

Just thinking about a Banana Pudding makes my tongue slide out of my mouth and lick my lips...my maternal Grandmother, Mama Joe, made the best banana puddings this side of culinary heaven. Hers was  in the form of a homemade boiled custard type pudding which she always made on a Saturday and when she had finished putting it all together it got 'put away' in the 'modern' refrigerator in the dining room until dessert time on Sunday. As a young child I would sneak peaks at it in the fridge when nobody else was around and I dang near grieved my fool self to death waiting for that 24 hours to pass until I could have my own bowl full.

These days I have to think about my health and my waistline so I lean more towards a Weight Watchers view of things. What that means is that I make a No-Fat version of the dish  which in no way measures up in my mind to my Mama Joes 'knock-your-socks-off' masterpiece. But hey...it is still mighty good when it's rolling across my taste buds. So my best advice for you is not to knock it until you have tried it.

2 cups fat-free milk
1 small (4 oz.) pkg. Jell-O Sugar-Free Instant Vanilla Pudding
30 Reduced-Fat Nilla wafers
3 small bananas or 2 large ones, sliced
Cool Whip Free or Fat-Free

Combine milk with pudding mix in bowl. Beat with a whisk for 2 minutes. In an 8X8 baking dish layer half of the wafers and then top with a layer of banana slices. Pour half of the prepared pudding over allowing it to sink down in among the wafers and bananas. Repeat by making another layer of wafers, bananas and the remainder of the pudding. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Place a dollop of Cool Whip on each serving.
Weight Watchers 1/2 cup serving = 3 Points

"I never met a banana pudding that I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

CIABATTA BUTTER PECAN FRENCH TOAST

In my humble opinion, Ciabatta bread is the only bread to use when you're making French toast. It is an Italian bread made with olive oil that has a chewy texture. 

Note the holes in the bread. This allows for better absorption of the French toast batter.

I do not per-say have a written recipe, but just beat together about 1 1/2 cups of 2% Horizon Organic milk with 1 fresh egg, a teaspoon or so of butter pecan flavoring and either 4 packs of Splenda or 1 tablespoon agave syrup.

Next, heat up a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot add a couple of tablespoons of Brummel & Brown Yogurt Spread. Allow it to melt, swirl it around in the pan and then add your well-soaked bread slices to the pan.

Flip each piece over when they have turned a nice golden brown on the bottom and allow to cook until nicely browned on the other side. That's all there is to it. Serve with a quality thick bacon and fresh scrambled eggs on the side with a drizzle or more of the Pure Maple Syrup from Vermont. (Thank You Patty Horsford!)

"There is a bright spot or two for the Spaniards. french toast has become freedom toast on the Air Force One breakfast menu, but the Spanish omelet is still a Spanish omelet."~Suzanne Fields

WEDNESDAY MORNING SMOOTHIE

Every morning I enjoy a smoothie and I truly love coming up with new versions of my favorite morning drink. This morning I went through my refrigerator and freezer to see what new concoction I could come up with. After careful inspection I decided on 1/2 cup Chobani fat-free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup diet orange Sunkist, 1/2 of a large frozen banana and 1 cup of frozen strawberry slices. 

The end result~Deliciousness! Be sure and try this combination, I guarantee it to please your taste buds and your belly.

"I never met a smoothie I didn't love."~Adele Forbes

SPICED RUM CAKE with BUTTER RUM GLAZE

“You've got this life and while you've got it, you'd better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone's hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people's eyes like they're the last you'll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there's no time left, jump if you feel like jumping, run if you feel like running, play music in your head when there is none, and eat cake like it's the only one left in the world!”
― C. Joybell C.

Now here is a cake that will actually make you kiss your Granny. And Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue and cousin Leroy and your dogs and cats. This wonderful recipe comes my new found friend, Libby Murphy, who authors the food blog 'twirlandtaste'. http://www.twirlandtaste.com/2013/02/spiced-rum-cake-with-butter-rum-glaze.html. You'll for sure want to slip on over to this wonderful blog where every food item in it flips my trigger. Just trust me, you will not be disappointed. And please tell her that Adele sent you.

Here is what you will need for the cake:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water
4 big eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and soaked in more spiced rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray a Bundt pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Using an electric mixer at low speed, blend the cake mix, pudding mix, rum, oil and 1/2 cup water. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Evenly distribute the prepared pecans in the bottom of prepared Bundt pan. Pour the batter in. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Do not remove the cake from the pan. Allow it to cool almost completely on the counter before removing it.

BUTTER RUM GLAZE
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup spiced rum
1/4 cup water
 In small saucepan, bring the sugar, butter and water to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add rum. With a fork, make holes in the top of the cake. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let glaze drip down the sides of the cake. Allow glaze to cool and then add more of the cooled glaze which will be a little thicker.

NOTE: I took this to my girlfriend Bev yesterday for her birthday which is actually today. She loves rum so I just knew that this would be the perfect cake for her. We all had a slice and my husband replied that it was richer than Stuart Dickson who is my boss man. I agreed! So if you know anyone that this cake would mean anything to you just might want to make one yourself and share the love....