April Fool’s Day Spaghetti and Meatballs Cupcakes

I spent the evening whipping up Spaghetti and Meatballs…………..cupcakes! We’re having a food day at work tomorrow for April Fool’s Day and This was the first recipe I thought of bringing. I’ve have made this fun dessert before using the recipe I first saw in the Hello Cupcake! Cookbook written by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. It takes a little effort to put it together but it really does look like a platter of pasta complete with meatballs and grated Parmesan cheese. Start with a box cake mix and go from there. I found this quick link to the same recipe I used. I prefer to use a dozen cupcakes and a little more of the strawberry preserves because it will serve more people. Give it a try if you’re looking for an eye-fooling but delicious dessert or treat for kids, or fun-loving adults of all ages.

Spaghetti and Meatballs Cupcakes

Omelet to Go

Tonight we had soft tacos for supper and there we some leftover toppings. I returned the sour cream to the original carton, but in looking at the remaining items, it seemed like they might make a good omelet. I need to make some breakfast sandwiches for my husband (I prefer cereal on weekdays, he wants something more substantial) so I put away the black olive slices, which he doesn’t care for, and pulled out the remainder of a ham steak we had earlier this week, and diced it into 1/4-inch cubes and a portable omelet idea began to take shape in my mind. Here’s the recipe I threw together and a link to how to chiffonade greens and herbs.

What is the chiffonade technique?

Omelet-on-the-Go

1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup cubed ham steak
2 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, rolled tightly and cut in chiffonade
4-6 Cherry tomatoes, cut in small dice
1/2 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
6 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste
6 English muffins, split and toasted on bagel setting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is warming, heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two on the stovetop. Add the olive oil. Swirl to coat the pan, add the ham cubes and heat through. Remove the ham and set aside. Next add the green onions and cook for only a minute or two, until they begin to soften. Leave the onion in the pan and add the spinach. Stir with a heat-resistant spatula just until the spinach is wilted. Turn the heat off and set the pan off the burner to cool. Break all of the eggs into a medium bowl. Add about a teaspoon of salt (or to your taste) and a few grinds of fresh black pepper, add the milk and whisk until the eggs are frothy. Add the ham, spinach, green onions, tomatoes, and shredded cheese to the mix. Stir with a spoon until well mixed. Spray a 6-muffin jumbo muffin tin with non-stick spray. I used a gravy ladle to divide the mixture among the six cups, making sure to evenly distribute the ingredients between them. Carefully place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set and the omelets pull away from the sides of the pan and appear firm. Place the toasted English muffin on a piece of deli paper, carefully lift a mini omelet out of the muffin tin, loosening it around the edges with a heat-resistant spatula. Top with the muffin lid and wrap in the paper. Wrap the remaining sandwiches in similar fashion. Store in a ziplock baggie and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to eat, remove from the baggie, leave wrapped in the paper and heat each sandwich for 1-2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave, until heated through. Breakfast is done for the entire week!

Hawaiian-Themed Trivia Night

Tonight we are going to a Trivia Night with friends. We reserved a table for eight and there is a contest for best-decorated table. We chose a Hawaiian theme and a quick internet search helped me to put together a menu of food to go with it. We’re bringing Spam Sushi Rolls, King’s Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches, Fruit Skewers and Coconut Cupcakes. Some people hate Spam or think it’s a food you only eat out of economic necessity for a good source of protein. I don’t consider it to be much different than eating hot dogs. Hawaiians have a love of Spam that originated around the time of World War II. For anyone who’s afraid of sushi because of the raw factor, this might be a good introduction to non-raw sushi rolls. It may look difficult to make a sushi roll, but with a little patience, you can put one together relatively easily. The secret to the rice is to make sure it’s cold and to sprinkle it with rice wine vinegar right after it’s cooked to keep the grains separated. Here are the links to the recipes and some photos of the finished products.

Spam Sushi Maki Rolls

King’s Hawaiian Roll Baked Sandwiches

Ina Garten’s Coconut Cupcakes

Fruit Skewers
Assorted Fruit, cut in cubes. I used cantaloupe, honeydew melon, Crimson seedless Grapes and fresh pineapple chunks Cut the fruit in similar-sized cubes, and wash the grapes. Using 4-inch wooden skewers, place one piece of each fruit on each stick to make as many skewers as you desire. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

We go to the trivia games for fun and occasionally we win. Tonight we know we’ll at least have some good food to enjoy while we play.

Wish us luck!