Cookin' for my Captain

Friday, August 31, 2012

FBF: Rainbow Farfalla

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

RAINBOW FARFALLA

click on image to see full post from 8/30/11

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Banana Pudding Cupcakes

Made these for my 30th Birthday! Best cupcakes I've ever had! The frosting isn't too pretty, had a big mis-hap with the pastry bag (don't ask). But they still tasted just as good!!

BANANA PUDDING CUPCAKES

Cupcakes:
1 Betty Crocker® FUN da-Middles™ yellow cupcake mix with creamy vanilla filling
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 box (3.4-oz size) banana cream instant pudding and pie filling mix
12 vanilla wafer cookies

Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 box (3.4-oz size) banana cream instant pudding and pie filling mix
3 tblsp heavy whipping cream
1 tblsp vanilla
2 tsp banana extract

Garnish:
1/2 cup crushed nilla wafers
12 whole nilla wafers

Make cupcake batter as directed on cupcake mix box, using water, oil, eggs and adding 1/2 box of pudding mix. (Other half of box will be used in frosting.)
Before filling paper baking cups as directed on box, place 1 vanilla wafer cookie in bottom of each paper cup. Fill cups as directed on box. Bake and cool cupcakes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle tops with nilla wafer crumbs; top each with 1 cookie.

recipe from Better Crocker Website

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Wordless Wednesday {{linky}}

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

(not so wordless this week!)

We had a "spouses' day" at my husbands company. He's the commander for the Engineer K9 Company. They have dogs that detect MDD/SSD (in other words, mines). Its such a unique company, I wanted to know more and let other spouses see that as well. It was a wonderful day and it went just as planned! Here are a few pictures:

We were paired up with a handler and their dog for the day. This dog is Deno (dee-no)

We took them out for their walk, then cleaned their kennels

Next was the canine first aid, trying our hand on a fake dog leg

(I'm the red-head!)

Doing physical exams

And trying our hand in the dirty work.....I let someone else get "hands-on"

Poor dog got many "examinations" that day. Can't imagine whats going through his head!

Then they showed us how they train the mine dogs in their lanes....really cool!

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Chocolate Banana Coffee Cake

Can you tell I've had an access of ripe bananas in stock?

CHOCOLATE BANANA COFFEE CAKE

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 bananas, soft and mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 packet Starbucks Instant Coffee "Via"
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F, and grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combing flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In another small bowl, mix bananas and sour cream.
In yet another bowl, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs to the butter mixture, 1 at a time, mixing in between. Beat in espresso and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with the banana mixture.
Pour batter into bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Banana Latte Smoothie

SMOOTHIE MONDAY

BANANA LATTE SMOOTHIE

1 cup milk
1/2 packet of starbucks "via" instant coffee-to-go (or 1 tablespoon instant coffee)
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (or 1 tablespoon plain yogurt)
2 bananas
6 ice cubes