Product Review: FUN da-middles

I love trying new stuff. Last year when I first saw FUN da-middles in the store I waited for a coupon and bought a box to try.  And then it sat on the shelf until the kids and I were going to drive each other crazy over Christmas break.

FUN da-middles are filled cupcakes, done without the mess of a piping bag. The box comes with cake mix and a filling packet.  You'll need cupcake paper liners, eggs, and oil.  You make the cake, fill the cupcake cups 1/3 full, add some filling, then cover it up.  Bake according to directions.

And they taste delicious!  The cake is moist and tasty and the chocolate filling is fudgy.  They do not taste like Hostess or Little Debbie Cakes, they're yummier and less sugar-ful.  The only issue I have is that Better Crocker is a little over-excited about them in their press.

The baking process is as easy as they say, but because the batter must be placed with precision and the filling must be covered completely it's not the best project to have a five-year-old help on.  If any of the filling leaks out you're going to have a horrific, burnt on mess.  Also, one of their ads says "Out of the oven and DONE!"

This implies that you can eat them right out of the oven, which is completely untrue.  The instructions warn you that the filling is very hot, and you cannot even remove them from the cupcake pan to cool for 20 minutes.  I suspect to try and eat them hot would invite severe burns.

So my one-line review is:  Great product, with slightly over-enthusiastic press. Pick some up if you're looking for a treat.

He's not bored with it, really, it's the only pic he wasn't giggling and blurry in!

Chicken and Rice: One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

Lately, due to specials and power shopping, we've been eating a lot of chicken and rice.  A lot.  Really, quite a bit.  Needless, I am about sick of chicken and rice.

But you eat what you have, and be thankful you have it.  I naturally turned to the internet for chicken and rice ideas.  I thought I'd do a series of blogs on the chicken and rice recipes that made it into my Big Green Ugly Binder.

Today's recipe is a classic:  Chicken and Rice (surprise!).  This variety is made with cream of mushroom soup, and I've seen baked and stovetop versions using both boneless and bone-in chicken of a variety of cuts.  I like the baked variety and I got the original from the Campbell's Kitchen.

One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless chicken breast halves

2 qt (9 x 13) baking dish

Stir the soup, water and rice, in a 2-quart shallow  (that's the 9 x 13 one) baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season with pepper and black pepper. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.  Serves 4.

You can also stir vegetables into the rice mixture, but you might want to reduce the water by 1/3 cup if you do.  I wish I had a better picture to share, but it didn't stay on anyone's plate long enough!