Bunny Bark

I love making different barks for each holiday, I have made this 4th of July one in the past. When I saw this recipe for bunny bark, I knew it had to go on our Easter menu. This would be perfect for making with the kids, there is lots of crumbling/breaking oreos and pretzels and then sprinkling sprinkles and m&m's at the end.

This bark is just simple goodness, a little salty and a lot of sweet. Everyone loves this and goes crazy for it that tries it. It is so easy to make and looks beautiful.
Source:The Adventures of Mini-Martha, via Your Homebased Mom

Ingredients:
14 Oreo Cookies, broken into pieces
1 1/2 cups of Pretzels, broken into pieces
24 oz. of Baking White Chocolate
1 cup of M&M's, spring colors
Sprinkles

Directions:
First, cover a baking sheet with wax paper.

Now, in a large bowl mix the cookies, pretzels, and m&m's together. Spread over the baking sheet.

Next, melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, for 1.5 minutes and then every 30 seconds until completely melted, stirring in-between each interval.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture and top with m&m's and sprinkles before the chocolate sets.

Place in the refrigerator or freezer until completely set. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Cookie Butter Funfetti Triple Chip Bars

Easter is almost here! I love all of the Easter baking and this year I have been embracing cooking with Easter candy. It is life-changing. You know what else is life-changing? Trader Joe's. I am obsessed. I have been begging my husband to take me, it is 5 hours away, we finally went. Guess who else is obsessed? It isn't just me, Ethan is too. We are hooked. We are soon moving half-way across the country, in just a few short months, and he asked me if there was a Trader Joe's there. There is! We are so excited.

Ethan has become mildly obsessed with Biscoff, so I knew he would go completely crazy over Cookie Butter. It was on our list to get. We walk in and they are sampling it, he takes a sample and a jar. While I am perusing the meyer lemons, he is snatching another jar and putting it in the cart. When we get to the peanut-butter aisle, he picks up another jar (#3), I have to draw the line somewhere and tell him we will be back and to put it up. This stuff is seriously addicting. He asked me to make him a bar with this cookie butter in it and I found these bars. They are ridiculously gooey and delicious.

If you can't find any cookie butter, try biscoff spread. If you can't find that, try 1/3 cup of peanut butter + 1 tablespoon of  smashed cookies (molasses, ginger, or graham crackers) + 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Source: Averie Cooks @ Love, Veggies, and Yoga

Ingredients:
1 box of Funfetti Cake Mix
1/2 cup of Butter, unsalted
1 Egg, large
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup of Butterscotch Chips
1/3 cup of White Chocolate Chips
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, 14 oz.
1/3 cup of Cookie Butter, heaping

Directions:
First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Next, prepare a 9x13 in pan with aluminum foil and cooking spray.

Now, in your mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Press this mixture in the pan creating the first layer.

Sprinkle the chips all over the dough evenly, making the second layer.

Now, in another mixing bowl, mix the condensed milk and cookie butter. Pour this over the chips.

Bake for 24-26 minutes for really gooey bars or 26-30 minutes for firmer bars. I baked for 25 minutes. Let them sit and cool in the pan completely before serving.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi has always been a favorite meal of mine to order out at restaurants, after making this at home, I know it will be a reoccurrence. This meal was ready in under 20 minutes and on the table, making this a perfect weeknight meal.

Lemon, pepper, garlic, and butter are the soul mates of shrimp, I am sure of it. It is a perfect match and is just pure bliss. The angel hair pasta cooks in just 5 minutes after water has boiled and the shrimp only need to cook one minute on each side. This really could not be any easier. It was ready faster than you could drive to pick something up and was a million times better. This recipe serves 4 people, but you can easily cut it in half to serve 2. To make this a complete meal, I recommend serving a side salad and white wine.
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, Nov. 2012, Submitted by: David Bonom, March 2009

Ingredients:
4 oz. of Angel Hair Pasta
2 tablespoons of Fresh Parsley, chopped
3/4 teaspoons of Salt, divided
4 tablespoons of Butter, + 2 teaspoons, divided
1.5 pounds of Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons of Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
First, cook your pasta according to the package. Drain. Stir in the chopped parsley and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

While your pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet. Sprinkle all of the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add half of the shrimp to the pan. Cook for one minute on each side, or until almost cooked. Remove shrimp to a plate. Add 2 teaspoons of butter to the hot pan and cook the other half of the shrimp the same way. Transfer the shrimp to the plate with the other shrimp.

Now, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Add the garlic, stir continuously for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is barely golden. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and pepper to the pan, cook for 1 minute or until the shrimp are completely done.

Serve over angel hair pasta, eat immediately.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Crock-Pot Jerk Pulled Pork with Caribbean Salsa

I love my crock-pot, but only when it comes to meats. They cook low and slow and shred perfectly. You then have meat to top over rice, potatoes, quesadillas, nachos, pizza, the possibilities are endless. I love playing around with different flavor profiles to switch it up. This jerk seasoning is so delicious. It is warm from the cinnamon and nutmeg and then spicy. I love it. This was a great dinner, it simmered all day, all I had to do when I got home is make the rice and salsa. You make this the night before and refrigerate all night long, so you really get the meat tender and the great flavors in it.

This dinner was a winner in my house. We both loved it so much. I paired it with my Cilantro-Lime Rice and just substituted white for the brown since that is what I had. The salsa was a real keeper. I will be making this salsa again, even without the pork. It was so easy to put together and the flavors were so good together. The tangy from the mango and the smooth avocado, yum! This was great just served on chips if you have any leftover!
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
For the Pork:
3 lb. Pork Tenderloin
6 cloves of Garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of Jerk Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 cup of Fresh Orange Juice

For the Caribbean Salsa:
1 Avocado, diced
2 Mangos, peeled, seeded, diced
1 1/2 tablespoon of Red Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of Cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons of Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
First, cut a few slits in the pork and stuff half of the crushed garlic in the holes. I usually do the prep of raw meat on a sheet of wax or parchment paper, so I can throw it away afterwards.

Next, get out a large container that can be covered and refrigerated overnight. You can also use your crock-pot for this step.

Now, combine the remaining garlic, jerk seasoning and sea salt. Rub all over the pork. Place the pork in your container. Pour the lime and orange juice over it. Refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.

Next, place in your crock-pot or turn on your crock-pot. Let this cook on low for 9 hours or high for 5 hours until the meat shreds easily with two forks.

After the time has elapsed, shred the meat. Place the meat back in with the juices and let cook for 15 more minutes.

While the pork is cooking for the last 15 minutes, make the salsa. Combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If not using immediately, refrigerate.

Serve the pork with salsa on top.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Biscoff Granola Bites

These will take you no time at all to make and will save you even more time! These are the perfect snack, whether you use it for your breakfast or an after-school snack. They are formed into bite size pieces which make them ideal for on-the-go. Make these this weekend and have snacks all week long!

Biscoff spread is a spread made of crushed up cookies, yum! This is paired with honey and white chocolate chips to form the best little sweet treat. Oh yeah, and rice krispies and oats!

This recipe makes around 24 bites. You can easily double the recipe for your household if you need to, just make sure to use a bigger saucepan.
Source: Mother Thyme

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of Honey
1/3 cup of Biscoff Spread
2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
1 cup of Rice Krispies Cereal
1 cup of Rolled Oats
1/4 cup of White Chocolate Chips

Directions:
First, place the honey, biscoff spread, and butter in a medium sauepan over medium heat until it is creamy and smooth.

Now, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the rice krispies and oats. Once these are combined, fold in the white chocolate chips.

Next, roll these into golf ball-size balls and place on wax paper in the refridgerator for 15 until set.

You can store these at room temperature once they have been set.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Happy March Madness Day! I am completely aware this is not a day, however, I am also completely aware that it will be difficult to drag my husband away from the television and he will constantly be wanting snacks. This dip is so delicious and addicting. I am warning you. You have to serve it with Lay's ruffled potato chips or it will not be the same. Each bite will taste like a bite of a loaded baked potato.

This is always a favorite at parties and will be gone very quickly. It is a dip that has bacon and cheese in it. Those are the sure qualities of a star dish. This dip is very easy to make and you may have all of the ingredients in your refrigerator already. When I was adding all of the ingredients, I was thinking this is way too much bacon and cheese, but once again, this dish proved to me there is no such thing as too much bacon or cheese. Just keep stirring until it is all combined.
Source: Danity Chef, via Brown Eyed Baker, originally Myrecipies.com

Ingredients:
16 oz. of Sour Cream
16 slices of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 oz. of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/3 cup of Green Onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
First, get out a bowl that is resealable and will fit in your refridgerator. Mix all of the ingredients together in this bowl. Set aside a little of the bacon, cheese, and green onions for topping when ready to serve.

Now, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Top with additional toppings and serve with potato chips.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Avocado and Cucumber Tartine

I get so bored with lunch, too often I have leftovers, or the dreaded sandwich. I have been making more of an effort towards lunch lately and it has been paying off. It doesn't take much work, just a little planning. This tartine was ready in just a matter of minutes, and was eaten that fast too. It was a very filling lunch without being too heavy and leave me wanting a nap.

The avocado provides a creaminess to the toasted bread and the crunch from the cucumbers gives this the perfect balance for the perfect bite. The vinegar that the cucumbers are tossed in provides acidity and you will be completely satisfied with this lunch and not need anything else.
Source: Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by: Deb Perelman

Ingredients:
1 6-inch Baguette
1 Avocado, halved, pit removed
1/2 cup of Cucumber, minced and seeds removed
1 1/2 teaspoon of Rice Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Oil
Pinch of Salt
2 teaspoon of Sesame Seeds, white, black, or a combination

Directions:
First, split your bread so you have a top and bottom half, toast the halves. I throw them under the broiler for a few seconds.

While your bread is toasting, combine the cucumbers, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt in a small bowl.

Now, either mash your avocado on each baguette half or slice and layer.

Next, pile the cucumber salad on top of each baguette half and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife