Take a Megabite

Strawberry Jam

Next time you need to give someone a gift and you can’t think of anything at all. You should probably make them Strawberry Jam. You could even buy strange things at the grocery store solely because of the jar shape for when the moment strikes.

And it’s really good, and trust me.

Strawberry Jam
This recipe is for quick and easy freezer jam. The recipe comes inside the box of fruit pectin, but I’ve put it below just to show you how simple it really is.

Ingredients

• 2 cups mashed strawberries (One 16 oz container mashes to just about EXACTLY the 2 cups you’ll need.)
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup bulk fruit pectin or one packet of Sure Jell*
• 3/4 cup water

* I use Sure Jell, but rumor has it the generic works just fine as well. It can be found in any grocery store near the canning necessities.

Directions:

1. Wash jars and leave them out ready to fill. Wash strawberries and get rid of the cute leaves and cut the stem out, preserving as much berry as possible.
2. Mash strawberries with a potato masher. Don’t puree them because jam should have fruit bits in it.
3. Measure exactly 2 cups of strawberries and measure exactly 4 cups of sugar.
4. Mix the strawberries and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Stir 1 packet or 1/3 cup fruit pectin and 3/4 cup of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute while stirring and remove from heat. (Make sure it’s REALLY boiling before you start your 1 minute countdown.)
6. Stir pectin mixture into fruit and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.
7. Fill jars leaving a little bit of space at the top for room to expand during freezing and cover.
8. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours before placing them into the freezer. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to a year.

This might leave you inspired to make bread.
Just warning you.

Chicken Tostadas

It was Tostada Tuesday. Solely because I made tostadas and it was totally Tuesday.

One good thing about this recipe, besides the fact that it’s easy and delicious,  is that it can easily be adjusted to serve a big group of people or just two. If you are a vegetarian feel free to use black beans instead of the chicken.

Chicken Tostadas
You won’t even believe it, but this was adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 4- 8 inch flour tortillas
• 1/2t salt
• Dash of pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup fresh salsa
• 2T of finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2T of low fat sour cream
• 4 cups of thinly sliced baby spinach
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• Some shredded cheese for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine chicken and lime juice into a zip lock bag and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes or so.

3. Place torillas on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 4 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Set aside.

4. Take chicken from bag, toss lime juice out.Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and put in a sprayed skillet and cook over mediun heat til done.. 4 minutes or so..add salsa and sour cream. Heat through.. but do not boil.

5. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas, top with spinach, tomatoes and cheese.

Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever been crabby for 4 days in a row? 
Just when I thought I was going to be crabby forever these cookies made their way into my life. They are amazing. There is just enough peanut butter to make you remember why life is ok, and everyone knows that cookies that involve both chocolate and oatmeal are amazing. One bite of these and you will turn into an annoying ray of sunshine.

Oatmeal + Peanut Butter + Chocolate = these amazing cookies
Recipe is from allrecipes.com and is ours now courtesy of Bakers. 

Ingredients:
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon CALUMET Baking Powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter
    • 1 egg
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 1 cup chocolate chips, chunks, mini peanut butter cups or whateva

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat butter, sugars and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until well blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate.
2. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned. Cool 1 min.; remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Mini Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pink cupcakes remind me of the days when I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina, and how I was the only girl in my gymnastics class wearing a tutu. If I could mail these to someone I’d definitely mail them to my niece Amelia who is pretty much the coolest girl ever. She is the one who I think would embrace these cupcakes in the way only a 6 year old girl who likes pink can.

Southern Style Strawberry Cake
This recipe is from Joy the Baker.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) box white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz) package strawberry jello
• 1 T self rising flour or 2t flour + 1/8t baking powder + pinch of salt)
• 4 t granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine all dry ingredients (flour, jello, flour & sugar). Add oil and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Finally add water and strawberries and mix well.
3. Put about 1 t in each greased mini muffin cup or fill half way. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the muffin tin half way through. Place on the cooling rack until cool enough to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 0z) block cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1 stick of butter softened to room temperature as well
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain. Add vanilla and half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the sugar and mix until he perfect frosting.

Decor:

Top with a sliced strawberry and pink sprinkles or tint coconut to a light pink to add a little something. I grated pink chocolate to add a bit of a party to the top of mine.

Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Here it is! My first serving of food loving thoughts for you! My mum is so nice to keep me rich in cookbooks and this recipe was adapted from my most recent cookbook from her: 125 Best Cupcake Recipes which can be purchased on Amazon.com.

I find that people tend to want little bites of things so that they can eat 10 instead of one big something. They feel less guilty or something. With that in mind I made these mini cupcakes. Trader Joe’s made the decorating easy by having mini peanut butter cups for snacking on, putting in cookies instead of chocolate chips or being the perfect size for decorating these mini cupakes!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together granulated and brown sugars with butter until well combined. Add peanut butter, beating until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth.
3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until toothpick  comes out clean and the cakes spring lightly when touched. Cool on cooling rack and make the frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 T milk
• 1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Put everything except the milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix slowly with an electric mixer until the powdered sugar isn’t flying everywhere. Add the vanilla and slowly add the milk until it reaches the consistency you desire.
2. Put this on those delicious little cupcakes. Top with a mini peanut butter cup and eat them like you mean it.

Imagine all the possibilities with a delicately flavored peanut butter cupcake. How amazing would these be with Maple Buttercream? Or maybe if you’re crazy about peanut butter, some Peanut Butter frosting topped with a peanut butter chip.