Ginger Chocolate Cupcakes &
White Chocolate Butter Frosting

This bread is soooo good, and the mix with with the white chocolate is melt in your mouth divine! I was surprised at how well the two flavors complimented eachother.

I made it into two loves of bread, and then I tried it in cupcakes. The cupcakes were nice, because they were small enough for a snack and very cute! Perfect for Valentine's Day.

Bread/Cupcake Ingredients:

4 t Ginger

1 T Sugar

1 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Cloves

1 t Cinnamon

1 t Pumpkin Spice

2 C Flour

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C Molases

1 Stick & 3 T Unsalted Butter (Softened)

3 Eggs

1 bag of Semi-sweet Chocolate chips (1/2 cup melted and cooled)

1 C Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine in a small bowl ginger, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, & pumpkin spice. In a medium sized bowl combine sugar, butter, brown sugar, eggs, molasses and buttermilk. Mix well. Add in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients and remaining chocolate. Mix well.

For bread, grease bread tins, pour mixture into bread pans and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. For cupcakes, cook at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Or until you can put a knife into the bread and it pulls out clean.

Remove and let cool on wire rack.

Frosting:

1 bag of white chocolate chips

1/2 Stick of butter

3 T Confectioners Sugar

In medium sauce over medium low heat, add chocolate and butter. Stirring continuously until melted. Add sugar. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Top the bread or cupcakes with the frosting mixture.

You won't be disappointed!

Cafe Rio Style Chicken

For any of you who have visited Utah and have had the pleasure of going to a Cafe Rio or Bajio Mexican Grill ~ I am warning you, you will fall in love!

I recently made this dish for my family's Sunday Dinner and my husband has asked me to do it every Sunday night, it's a keeper!

Cafe Rio Chicken

1 Bottle of Italian Dressing (any brand will do)
5 lbs of Chicken
1/3 Cup of Sugar
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (preferrably unsalted)
1 T of Cumin
1 T of Chili Powder
1 t of Red Pepper Flakes
1 T minced Garlic (approx 3 cloves)

Slow cook for 4 1/2 hours on low in a crockpot. Shred.
Wonderful on top of a salad or in a taco with pico de gallo and guacamole!


Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing

1 Buttermilk Ranch packet (Make as directed on the packet)
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro
1 clove of Garlic (2 if you really loooove garlic)
2 Tomatillos
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Jalepeno (I like the seeds, but you can take them out for a milder taste)

Blend all items in a food processor or blender and refrigerate. Keeps refrigerated a week.
Can put on top of a nice romaine salad with cheddar cheese, black beans, tortilla strips, pico de gallo (see recipe below), guacamole and sour cream!

http://i673.photobucket
Cafe Rio Rice

3 Cups of Water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t Garlic minced (about 4 cloves)
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro
1 Can of Green Chiles (these come in different spicy levels)
3/4 t Salt
1 T butter
1/2 Onion diced
3 Cups of Rice

Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes. I prefer to cook in a rice cooker and have had wonderful results.


Pico De Gallo

4 Tomatoes Chopped
1/2 Onion Chopped
1/4 Bunch of Cilantro chopped
4 green onions chopped (discard roots)
1 t salt, 1 t pepper

Mix and Enjoy!