Stuffed Pizza Bites

We love pizza and there is nothing better for a snacking on while having a movie night at home. We decided to give making pizza bites a try. These are were so easy to make and so delicious that we followed the same method and made pizza pockets just a couple days later.

Ingredients: 1 roll refrigerated pizza dough
marinara/pizza sauce
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil or melted butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
pizza toppings of your choice (ham and pineapple, pepperoni, sausage, chopped green peppers or onions, etc.)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to temperature specified on pizza dough package.
2. Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly-floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s at least 12″ by 8″. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares. 3. Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Don't place too much that you will not be able to roll the bites together. 4. When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place seam-side-down in a lightly sprayed pan. 5. Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil (or melted butter) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning. Top with Parmesan cheese. 6. Place pan in the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes or the dough is slightly golden. Doughs vary, so keep an eye on them and begin checking them after 10 minutes. 7. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

These were so yummy. The seasonings on top really made them delicious. We enjoyed the pockets we made later even more because we could get extra toppings inside.

Reese's Wannabes

Source: heyjenrenee.com via Sunny on Pinterest

My mixer is broken so my abilities in the kitchen are currently extremely hindered. I must pick up a replacement soon as the recipes I want to try continue to grow. Just added is this Reese's Wannabe recipe from the blog Hey! Jen Renee.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have always been my favorite candy. When I was a little girl my dad would have me a few of the minature cups in his shirt pocket when he got home from work. I'm crossing my fingers that this recipe tastes like the Reese's Eggs that are available during the Easter season, since it is still a little while before the Pumpkin shapes start to appear in stores.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Source: tasteandtellblog.com via Sunny on Pinterest

We have always been a huge fan for caramel, often times even opting for it over chocolate, so when we find a recipe that combines these two wonderful treats we get excited about getting in the kitchen and giving it a try. We just stumbled across this delicious recipe for Oatmeal Carmelitas over at Taste and Tell. We think these will be wonderful for to whip up the next time we invite friends over for a movie night.

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This Sunday is Father's Day, so if you haven't done so yet be sure to let your Dad know how important he is to you.

Happy Father's Day Dad. We love you.

Sunny & Star

Whatcha got Cooking?

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We have been so busy the last few weeks that we haven't had any free time and as a result we have not been spending any time in the kitchen. That is changing this weekend we plan on trying a few different recipes. Maybe in a few weeks we will get ambitious enough to give High Hat Cupcakes a try.

Sunny & Star

Strawberry Shortcake

Source: glorioustreats.blogspot.com via Sunny on Pinterest

We love the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies during the summer. Heading to the farmers market or having our Dad supply us with delicious veggies from his garden is one of our favorite things about this time of year. Strawberries are at their best when they are locally grown so we have been on the look out for a great way to serve up some berries and this wonderful recipe for Strawberry Shortcake has caught our eyes. We can't wait to get in the kitchen and bake this wonderful Summer time treat.

Sunny & Star

Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Source: stylesncream.blogspot.com via Sunny on Pinterest

Life has been incredibly busy lately so we have had very little spare time to spend in the kitchen the last few weeks but we still crave our sweets. In our opinion there is nothing better than homemade treats. We found this recipe for Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. It only takes a few minutes to whip up and as a bonus this creamy, delicious treat is actually healthy. As the weather keeps heating up this ice cream is likely going to be a regular treat for warm evenings spent sitting on the deck.

Sunny & Star

Coffee Cake

Even if you are not a coffee drinker this cake is great. Not only did it turn out pretty and very moist it had a nice spicy and nutty flavor. Since we love sweets we think next time we will double the glaze recipe.

Ingredients: For the cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks)butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time. 3. Add the vanilla and sour cream. 4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. 5. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired. 6. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. 7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 8. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate.
9. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. 10. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon. Happy baking,
Sunny & Star