I just came across this flickr page through my facebook and thought I would share the link. People can sure get imaginative around the holidays (Easter specifically) that all kinds of things are done to Peeps. I thought this really took some great initiative and creativity. It is very colorful and neat. Check it out!
Master-peeps theatre
This is a creation by CakeSpy. It is also a phenomenal blog to read. Check it out!
Well, Spring has officially sprung here in the Pacific Northwest; finally, we decided to break out the BBQ today since we had 70 degree weather here (wonderful after having snow just last week) and whip up some burgers. I have always wanted to try something new with my burgers but, Richard never wanted to (he likes burgers just the way they are supposed to be as in cheese on top of the burger, not inside). So I snuck in the cheese and bacon in the middle of the patties and he was none the wiser; until he bit into it! But he really liked it, but it had to be something else other than cheese and bacon in the middle (oh and the cheese he had to put on top of the burgers like he always does anyway, even though the cheese is supposed to be in the middle and not on top with these burgers, but whatever makes the hubby happy!). In the meat itself is a great ingredient that made these burgers so flavorful, they were just amazing. I used a packet of Amazing Tastes Burger Seasoning mixed into the meat and it gave it so much flavor that it was one of the best burgers I have tasted. 
I highly recommend going and getting some of this seasoning at your local supermarket or if they do not have it, just order it online from their site. At just 99 cents a packet, that has to make a wallet happy since seasoning packets are getting so expensive in this economy. It makes a lot of sense to get what is inexpensive, especially when it tastes so good... It is so good, it is AMAZING! Now, on with the recipe.
Inside-Out Cheeseburgers
2 lbs ground beef
1 packet Amazing Taste Burger Seasoning
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
Cheddar cheese
Bacon
Mix together ground beef, seasoning packet, bread crumbs, and egg. Set aside.
Slice cheddar cheese into squares about 1/2 inch thick, set aside.
Cook bacon until done, pat the grease out of bacon with paper towels. Cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
Forming patties:
Take about 1/4-1/2 cup meat mixture and form a flat patty. Then put 1-2 slices of cheese on top of that, and then 2 slices of bacon. Take 1/4 cup meat mixture and place on top and pat the ends together so you have a patty making sure that you cannot see the cheese, this way it seals the cheese in the middle and it won't run out while BBQing or broiling.
Cook about 10-13 minutes on BBQ (6-7 minutes on each side) or about 6 minutes each side under broiler. Make sure you only flip once, a lot of flipping could make them fall apart. Place cheese on top if desired for double cheeseburger effect. Enjoy!
(once again, sorry about the picture being sort of foggy, like I said many times before... I need a new camera.)
Tips:
- You can use any type of cheese, we just used cheddar since that was in the fridge. But I think a good combo would be pepperjack and jalapenos inside with a guacamole topping for a Mexican burger, just for one example.
This is the cookie that I made for a treat at my daughter's orchestra concert last week. They were a hit, we did not have any leftover to take home. Good thing I saved a few out before the concert. These are Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, and it is an adaptation of a recipe I found on the Baker's Chocolate Website. There is a wealth of information on the packages of products in the pantry. When I am choosing things to make or bake, I check the package to see if they have a website, and then check current recipes. Sometimes I find something I can make with ingredients on hand, and then throw my own twist on that recipe. As in with this recipe, instead of the nuts I added dried cranberries. They were fudgy, chewy, and yummy!!
Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
(an adaptation to Baker's Chocolate for the Double-Chocolate Chunk Cookies; my variations are at the bottom after the recipe; this is the recipe from the website, they also have a lot more great recipes)
1 pkg (12 oz) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chunks, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Microwave one cup of the chocolate chunks in microwaveable bowl on high 2 min or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir chocolate until completely melted; set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in remaining chocolate chunks and the walnuts. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 10 minutes or until chocolate cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.
Cre8tive's Variation on this recipe:
- I used one 12 oz package of dried cranberries in place of the nuts
- I used 1 box of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate squares (since that is what I had on hand) and chopped 4 squares for the chunks in the cookies and 4 squares to melt, it turned out wonderful.
- Then I followed the instructions just like it says on the recipe.
Since Easter is coming and Peeps are plentiful in the store (well at least until a couple days before Easter I never can seem to find them a couple days before Easter), I thought I would have some fun with my youngest daughter. We thought we would see what would happen to a peep in the microwave. This is fun for those of you who do not actually eat the peeps; but then again, even if you eat the peeps, this could be fun for you too. We didn't go as far as actually exploding them in the microwave, but we blew it up to the point of almost exploding. We were very curious about how long it would take to blow one up to 3-4 times its normal size. We found it does not take long at all since we have an 1100 watt microwave. It took us about 35 seconds. Imagine the delight of my 4 yr old watching the peep grow in size right before her very eyes, the excitement on her face was priceless. Here is what we found:
A peep in the microwave after about 15 seconds:
A peep in the microwave after about 35 seconds:
You can see here the difference between a regular sized peep, and one that was heated in the microwave. I think it is about 3 times its normal size, that is my observation anyway.
What is the point some would ask? Well, there is no point, we just did something just for fun since it is one of the Peep seasons. Gotta have fun in the kitchen sometimes. So I ask the question of readers: What is your favorite thing to do with Peeps? If you have some off the wall thing you do with Peeps, email them to me with pictures and I can post them here in the Just For Fun category here on my blog. Leave me a comment if you have no pictures, or if you have pictures email them to me at pacnwfamily1@comcast.net. I look forward to hearing all those off the wall Peep stories. Happy Easter!
