Protien and fruit smoothies

I was inspired by my friend Britney and seeing all her healthy smoothies she has been drinking. So I had to start also. I have been making some really delicious ones also. I use strawberry whey protien powder, 1 banana, 1 tbl of peanutbutter, 3/4 cup of skim milk, (sometimes 1/2 cup of blueberries or 1/2 cup of raspberries) 2 tbl of flaxseed, and some ice cubes. Then i use my Ninja pulse and drink up. These are delish...

My pie crust

You can make this pie crust in under 10 minutes. It is easy, fast, perfect and flaky, and you will feel like Betty Crocker when you’re through. You will be excited and you will feel like a baking genius!

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup very cold water

Directions
Add flour, shortening, sugar, and salt to a large bowl.

Mix flour and shortening with a pastry cutter until it looks nice and crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, egg, and water. Add to the flour mixture, stirring in till well-moistened. Knead lightly to mix in all the flour then shape it into a great, big, wonderful ball of pastry dough. (Don’t overhandle.)

Then divide the dough into four equal portions.

Shape each portion into a ball; wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before using. Or, if you want to use it faster, stick it in the freezer for 5 minutes. (You can keep this pie crust dough in the refrigerator for a week before using, or in the freezer for a couple of months. It freezes well–place dough balls in sealed freezer bags for storage.)

To use, sprinkle some flour on waxed paper. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the pastry dough then roll out, adding more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to your rolling pin. Place in a greased pie pan. I like to just up-end the rolled crust right off the waxed paper on top of the pie pan. Peel off the paper then crimp the edges.

Pie is a beautiful thing.

My bite size Pie's (My Mini Apple Pies)

Who doesn't Love Pie? I mean really... It is so amazing and tasty. But how about a bite size pie... One you can just grab and eat on the run. We here is my Bite Size Apple pies. (but you can make what ever filling you want)

Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box (Or see my recipe for my Homemade Pie crust)
2 apples, cored, finely chopped (about 1/4-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla (See my homemade vanilla recipe)
*crushed walnuts
*Kraft Caramel Bits
***is as desired***

Step 1:
Heat oven to 425°F. Remove crust from pouch; unroll on work surface. Using large round cookie cutter (i actually have a 4 set biscut cutter that i used), cut out rounds. Gather up any scraps; reroll with rolling pin and cut out more rounds. Press each crust round into ungreased regular-size muffin cup in muffin pan. (leave enough crust for tops)

Step 2:
In medium bowl, stir together apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla (also walnuts and caramel bits). Divide mixture evenly among crust-lined muffin cups.

Step 3:
Then take smaller round cutter to cut circles for the top of the pies. place them on top, use a fork to cinch sides. Take a knife to do a plus sign cut on top. I also then used and egg wash** that I brushed on the top then sprinkled some sugar on top.) **an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water or milk**

Step 4:
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until crusts are golden brown and mixture is bubbly. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. With knife, loosen edges; remove mini pies from muffin cups.

Baking for my furbabies...

Yes... you read this right, I bake for my bunnies. They are very spoiled. I grind up fresh veggies, one fruit, a cup of their pellets, hay, and some organic baby food all in my Ninja. Then I put this batter mix in a a mini muffin pan and bake for about an hour and let sit.
They absolutly love them.. They get 2 little cakes for dinner each night.

In this recipe (in case anyone wants to bake for their buns)
I used 8 strawberries, mustard greens, red leaf lettuce, radishes, pellets, Timothy hay, and carrot/squash organic babyfood. All mixed together in my Ninja pulse.

cupcake craze

My baking partner Heather came over tonight and we baked 2 different kinds of cupcakes. A chocolate covered strawberry cupcake. It is a chocolate cupcake where part of the center is cut out and pieces of strawberries are placed in and then chocolate is drizzled on top. Then we put a homemade chocolate frosting on top and in the center of that a dollop of cream cheese frosting and strawberries on top and a drizzle of strawberry glaze. THe second is a Cinnamon Roll cupcake with a cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of a coffee glaze atop of that. Sprinkled with cinnamon. Both are very yummy.
Heather and I are going to be very great baking buddies.

Little miss do what I want

Well Rukia and Remy are still not completely together in the room, the have a fence seperating them. Well Rukia has decided last night that she wanted to have more space and she wanted to try and dig her way out. I clapped my hands and said, "No dig Ru" she stopped looked at me with her big ears up and then thumped at me. Then went back to digging, I again clapped my hands and she stopped and looked at me again... came up to the fence and THUMPED, then went back to her dig spot. Like she was saying I dont care what you say... I was so surprised. I then just said, "No DIG Ru" (and did not clap) she stopped and looked at me walked away, and then thumped twice. Then I put my hands up to clap but did not even get to clap and she did a lil thump. I could not believe the display she was putting on. So i picked her up and gave her som attention and she calmed down a bit. I thought maybe it was time to give her some more space, but not until the next day. Because she was so stubborn and bad. So today I opened up her area in the room a little more, and we did the whole No dig and then a thumb thing again... ARE you kidding me, i just gave you a bunch more room. She finally stopped and started running and hopping all over. so she is finally happy with her space.
For now.

bedtime games

So my bunnies have their own bedroom. Yes, they are very spoiled... well my hubby works night 3 nights a week and when he is at work, I sleep in the bed in their room. Well one night I woke up at around 2 am to a protective Mr Remy sitting on my tummy. Just sitting there minding his own business. It was so cute I didnt want to move. Then the heat kicked on and Remy stood gaurd on my tummy like he meant business. Then a few minutes later he realized I was awake and wanted to play and started running around the bed and hopping, it was so cute, but it was 2 am. I had to pick him up and put him down by Rukia. He was back up in bed by 5am. He loves his momma...