Raspberry Cream Cupcakes and Skillet American Chop Suey

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

American Chop Suey

How's that for a combo? Why it's like date night and your period. American Chop Suey is the ultimate quick, tasty, weeknight meal. I am all about the quick, tasty weeknight meals. Every once in a while I'm all about the quickies too! (Especially if the song I Had a Bad Day is on the radio-- Holy Cow on a Twinkie, watch out!! That is THE thrusting song of all time, I tell you) That is THE song to play when the quickie is needed. Tell him to thrust to the beat of that song, you won't be sorry, then email me and tell me how right I am. Go on tell him now while I wait here for you. I bet you'll get some.

The raspberry cream cupcakes are also the answer to a simple, yet special, weeknight dessert. So easy to prepare and they are actually very light and airy. And they look so pretty, and witty, and gay...and so charming, oh so charming, it's alarming how charming I feel.. Oh My, if people ever knew how my mind works, I'd be committed.

Let us begin with the Skillet American Chop Suey. Did I happen to mention this is a one-dish meal?? Well, if not, it is! Once again, this recipe is from our resident anal-retentive bow tied dude.

He so does not a thing for me. Not one. However, if I imagine George Clooney

with that bow tie on, and those glasses, oh lordie, so hold your horses, I am turning on the radio to hunt for MY song. I am yours, George baby, all yours. For the Taking. For the Taking.

Skillet American Chop Suey

Start by gathering the veggies you need. Red peppers, celery, and onion.

I double the amount of the red pepper and celery originally called for, because I do so like my veggies. Chop these babies oh medium-ish size.

Get your garlic ready to be minced, or just put the suckers into your press till you are ready for the darlings.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add your beef and cook, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon,

until no longer pink.

Transfer this to a bowl, and set aside. Add bit of oil back into skillet and saute your vegetables with a dash of salt until softened , about 3 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant , abut 30 seconds people. Wonder to yourself how bugs get into enclosed light fixtures and thusly die. How do they get in there? Huh? For some reason Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer just popped in my head. Blink Blink. Is Red Nosed Reindeer considered a proper noun? Now stir in your tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.

Add your elbow macaroni,

and then your browned beef.

MIX. Cover and cook, stirring often, trying to maintain a vigorous (ADORE that word vigorous.. vigorous workout, vigorous exam, vigorous waxing, vigorous foreplay, nice word) simmer, until your macaroni is tender. Maybe bout 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heavy with the pepper, I am. Done. Serve. Promised you, quick, easy, so very tasty, all in one dish!!! So MUCH better than Hamburger Helper people. Although I can not say for sure because I have never once in my life had that. But here in Donna-land I like to believe that. So very tasty. Your meal for a busy night! May be good with some freshly grated cheese on top as well. Onto the Simple-yet-Special Weeknight dessert. This precious gem of a cupcake is from Giada De Laurentiis. I don't think she EVER eats dessert, do you? So NOT fair. Every time I eat a goddamn cookie, I have to run a mile to maintain my weight. She must have one of those ultra fast metabolisms I have only fantasized about.. see I do fantasize about other things besides members of the opposite sex. In case you were wondering.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Recipe can be found here.

Line some muffin cups with papers, set aside. Buy this type of cake mix.

Make sure it is the white kind. Ha ha get it right/white. I do so amaze myself. Unfortunately I have no pictures of the process of making the actual cupcake and I am sorry I can not tell you why, let's just say it had something to do with these.

Using an electric mixer you are going to beat together the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, and both almond and vanilla extracts. Till well-blended. Then using about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake, spoon into prepared cups. Bake till light golden on top like this.

See I can resume picture taking now. Cool them completely, then strip them of their wrapper.

Meanwhile, place some raspberries in a bowl, make sure they are ruby red.

Coarsely mash them with a fork. Wouldn't you love to stick a raspberry on each fingertip and relive your youth at this point.

Gather your whipped cream ingredients together.

Beat the cream and and powdered sugar together in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Try to say firm peaks form 10 times quickly. It ain't happening.

I CAN NOT take this anymore. What kind of recipe is this. It is full of words that form images in my pea-brain. Think about it.. strip, beat, firm, peak,whipped, dare I say cream? OK, back to matters at hand.. fold your mashed raspberries

into the whipped cream,

gently. To assemble your simple and special weeknight dessert, cut the tops of your cupcakes.

Spoon some raspberry whipped cream atop the bottoms of the cupcake. You already know my philosophy, the thicker , the better.

Place the cupcake tops back on the cupcake.

To, finish dust with some of the powdered sugar.

Aren't they special? Don't you want to eat them like an ice cream cone, lick the outside first, so it doesn't spill. The cream is ultra-yummy, and the cakes are so light!

There you have it, an easy weeknight meal and a super simple special weeknight dessert!

Would you like some other cupcake ideas?? AK Mom has delicious Strawberry cream pie cupcakes.

Reeni at CinnamonSpice and Everything Nice has-- get this-- DRUNKEN Strawberries and white chocolate cupcakes. Be still my aching heart, I am trying these. Actually, I would even just eat the strawberries.

Dog Hill Kitchen offers an irresistible Honey Wine Chiffon Cupcake.. oh yes!

Dishing Up Delights, Esi, has these awesome Chocolate Guiness Cupcakes. So there, so there!

And Lisa, a fellow New Jersey-love to cook person- from Jersey Girl Cooks, adapted a Peanut Caramel Spiced Apple Cake and made one cupcake from some of the batter, and it SO worked. This one uses a cake mix , and looks so out of this world, I have to try.

Clooney, our puppy,

and here are his paws.

One of the things that make you go AWWWW...

Must run now, I have to meet the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

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