Even more NM...Chicken Salad with Mandarin Orange Souffle

This menu was an honest-to-goodness travesty when it came to deciding between delicious items to order. I mean really, how can you choose between two, three...make that four things that all sound like the best thing you could possibly ever taste? It was a good thing there were two of us so we could same the other one's choice de jour. 

Steph decided on this luscious chicken salad that was paired with NM's famous mandarin orange souffle. The chicken salad was topped with sliced almonds and man-oh-man, the ingredients were perfectly matched with the celery, chicken, light and flavorful mayo creating the base that was topped with the perfect crunch. The mandarin orange souffle was a Heavenly treat that was light and fluffy and full of rich flavor. You could tell the orange was definitely fresh and not some sort of "from concentrate" flavor. Sooo good.

NM continued...Three Cheese Quiche

Talk about a fluffy, buttery, light piece of Heaven in your mouth. Please take note: order the Three Cheese Quiche at Neiman. Ahmaazing.

Neiman Marcus Delights

Uh muh gawd. To look at a picture of this Heavenly carb delight teases my tastebuds and make me yearn to once again be seated at the Neiman Marcus Fashion Cafe. Steph told me of this delicious, pop over and the impact it had on your life once the flaky and buttery bits hit your mouth, but let me tell you, I had no idea. Then, to add the strawberry butter to your palate, someone get me some water because I am starting to get all hot and bothered again just thinking about this. 

Seriously, if you get a chance to go to a Neiman Marcus cafe for brunch/lunch/dinner or really just a snack anytime during the day, be sure to ask for 2 of their speciality pop overs. You won't regret it. And please, send one to me ;)

PB & Chocolate Pie

I really can't think of two ingredients that go better together. I absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate. Let's be honest, each is so delicious on their own, why wouldn't you want to combine them? I made this pie for my church at our annual soup supper and it was quite the hit. I even had women coming into the pie room reserving pieces of my pie!

If you are a pb and choc fanatic like I am, you will not regret making this pie. Did I mention it is pretty much the easiest thing EVER to make? Because it is.

Recipe courtesy of Kraft foods Food & Family magazine

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter, divided
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Jello-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping, divided
1 Oreo Pie Crust (6 oz)
3 squares Baker's Semi Sweet Chocolate

Instructions:
1. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk 1 cup Cool Whip; spoon into crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, microwave remaining Cool Whip and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on high 1 1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.
3. Spread chocolate mixture over pudding layer in crust. Microwave remaining peanut butter in small microwaveable measuring cup or bowl 30 sec.; stir. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

Lick your lips and devour your yummy pie!

Sweet Potato Pecan Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm back, I'm back! I have been in a baking rut this past month and the only thing I can equate it to is the oven-temperatures outside. Because every time I step out into the lovely summer Nebraska weather I feel like I'm sitting on the lower rack of my oven, I find it slightly difficult to get home to my AC'd house and turn on my delicious-treat-making oven!

Well, after my best friend Courtney of Ice Cream & Wine sent me an article of 10 delicious cupcake recipes from myrecipes.com, I was inspired once again! As I played the slideshow of my luscious choices over and over one cake in particular stood out again and again. Although I plan on making every flavor, the winner for the weekend is Sweet Potato-Pecan with Cream Cheese Frosting. For any of you who know me or have read through my other sweet treat recipes, you are well-aware that I do not like frosting. Yes, many think I am slightly nutty but I just can't stand a sugary gritty sweet texture in my mouth. And that is not what she said...

These cupcakes are absolutely superb and I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends and family did! I also thought of a way to cut some calories but haven't experimented with it yet. Use 1/2 cup butter instead of a full cup, use 1 1/4 cup sugar instead of 2 cups, add an extra egg and add 1/3 cup applesauce. Just a thought, I'll let you know how that turns out when I whip it up!

Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 (16 oz) can mashed sweet potatos (I could only find cut canned sp's but with a little hand mixer action, mashed was no problemo!)
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting mixed with ground cinnamon for an extra kick!

Instructions:
1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes
3. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition
4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice and vanilla. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place baking cups in muffin pans, spoon batter into cups, filling 2/3 (I did about 3/4 because I like big cupcakes!) full
5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Decorate cupcakes with frosting and garnish if you so desire!

Oh, and be ready to see these more often when C and I open our cupcake shop. Girls can dream.

Mmmmm...the aftermath of my mom and I taste testing the finished product.