Alwayz Bakin'

New Blog, Please follow me there

2011-07-06T10:06:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, I have had to move to another location. I have been having problems with my site here that I cannot fix. Please bear with me while I learn how to make the new blog pretty. I'm not used to that site.

My new site is called Makin' Cakin' Weekends.

Fourth of July Cupcakes - MS Cupcakes Club

2011-07-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

MS Cupcake club held a bonus challenge for the 4th of July. I decided to bake up some 4th cupcakes for the girls at work. We are always up for something sweet.

Wellll......to be honest, I did not love these cupcakes. I thought they were very dense and a little dry. :-0 Sorry Martha!!!! But if you would like to try your luck at them, you can find the recipe on page 226 in the Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook.

But they came out pretty with my favorite buttercream on top in the colors of red, white and blue.

Happy 4th everyone!!

Blueberry Crumb Cake - Dorie Greenspan

2011-06-28T02:38:00.001-07:00

Whew! I'm back. I was missing my blog and baking. So on Sunday, after a busy birthday weekend for my little guy (He turned five), I clean my WHOLE house and decided to relax and bake something.

Hmmm. What do I bake? I took out my go-to baking book, Baking, From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, and looked through it. I found blueberry crumb cake. Mmm. That looked good. And it was something quick I could grab on my way out to work in the morning.

Yes, work. I sure am missing getting to stay home. But such is life. People have to work. And I do like my job. I work for two great oral surgeons. And I love all of the girls I work with.

So....I went to the store and bought the blueberries and started making the crumb cake. It was easy and fun to put together. It smelled SO good too. My little one said, "I smell cake!" I grabbed a piece yesterday morning on my way out to work. It was perfect and delicious even the following day.

If you want to give this recipe I try, you can find it here. OR you can buy Baking, From My Home To Yours. You won't be disappointed.

Barrel of Candy Cake

2011-06-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally make this cake. It was our friend Diane's birthday at work so we wanted to make her something special. She really loves M&M's and ladybugs.

Anyone can make this cake, even if you aren't a cake decorator. First you bake a round cake and fill the middle with whatever you want.

The next thing to do is to ice the sides of the cake. I used chocolate because I thought it would be least likely to show between the Kit Kats.

After the sides are iced, you press the Kit Kats on in two's. Do this all around the cake.

Now you can put the M&M's inside. If you are going to refrigerate the cake, I would put the M&M's in before you serve it. I found that after putting the M&M's in the fridge, they got wet from condensation and turned a dull color.

Pick any ribbon you want to tie around the Kit Kats. You can even find something more masculine and plain if it's for a guy.

Enjoy!

Junior's Famous Cheesecake

2011-05-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a barbeque and had our mom's over and my sister-in-law. My mother-in-law, Diane, LOVES cheesecake. And I have been wanting to try this cheesecake ever since I bought the Junior's Cheesecake Recipe Book.

It was slightly more work than my regular cheesecake recipe, but WELL worth it. There are many crusts to choose from in the recipe book. I decided to go with the Brownie Shortbread Crust. Juniors famous cheesecake actually has a sponge cake crust that I didn't try. I will definately try it next time. I wasn't crazy for the chocolate shortbread crust.

But the cheesecake........it was the BEST cheesecake I EVER tasted. And it came out perfectly. No cracks in the top. I had never baked a cheesecake in a water bath before, but that is how the recipe instructs you to bake it.

You will NOT be disappointed. I recommend the recipe book. It has so many wonderful sounding recipes that I plan to try. But if you just want to try the plain cheesecake (and it is anything but plain), I found the recipe here.

Have the Cake Challenge - Pound Cake

2011-05-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

This month's Have the Cake Challenge was chosen by my friend Michelle from Something New Is Cooking. Great choice Michelle!

I decided to go with The Bag Lady's Favorite Chocolate Pound Cake, from none other than Paula Deen. It was pretty easy to make. But since I left mine in the pan over night, it kind of stuck. This is why I do not have a great picture!

It was really good though! I think you should try it. If you would like to, you can take a visit here to Paula's site. That's where you will find the recipe.

Enjoy!

French Breakfast Puffs - Pioneer Woman

2011-05-23T02:43:00.000-07:00

So here I am, finally. I've been really busy lately which is why I have not been blogging or baking really. Just trying to juggle my full time job with my house and family. Not an easy feat. I think I have the cleaning down. We all chip in on the weekends.

My mom bought me the Pioneer Woman cookbook for my birthday and ever since I got it, I have wanted to make this recipe. So yesterday morning was the perfect time. They were fun and simple to put together. Normally I would use my mixer, but I did this recipe by hand.

Everyone loved these. They kind of reminded me of an Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzel. I recommend them! If you would like to try them, you can visit the Pioneer Woman's site here for the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes for MS Cupcake Club

2011-02-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't participated in MS Cupcake Club for a while. I've been baaaaad. SO I decided to get back into the swing of things and bake the chocolate chip cupcakes. Every month a cupcake recipe is picked from the Martha Stewart Cupcake book and everyone in the club bakes that recipe and posts it on their blog. This month, our challenge was chosen by The Baking Sisters.

I love chocolate chip cookies so I knew I wanted to make these. They were good, BUT....I think too much chocolate for my taste. I'm not really a dark chocolate kind of girl. I'm really glad I got to try them. If you like dark chocolate, you will LOVE these.

If you would like to try these, take a visit to Martha's site. You can find the frosting recipe there too. I would strongly suggest the Martha Stewart Cupcake book. It has so many awesome recipes in it.

Enjoy!

Romeo and Juliet Cake

2011-02-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentine's Day so I decided to make the Romeo and Juliet cake for the Have the Cake challenge for February. It's been too long since I participated in this club and I couldn't wait to join back in. I do have to admit, when I first saw this recipe I was a little skeptical. Parmesan cheese in a sweet cake? It sounded VERY different to me. But, nonetheless, I decided to try it anyway.

You can't really taste the parmesan in the cake. It's a very soft cake and the flavors all meld together very nicely. I'm glad I tried it because it's very good. It even looks romantic.

I used the recipe posted by Mia from Sugarplum Fairy. I had a little bit of a hard time trying to convert the grams to cups, but it came out fine. Thank you Mia for this wonderful recipe and sweet idea for the month of February!

Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta

2011-02-11T02:24:00.000-08:00

So this past week I was making my grocery list and I could not think of anything new to make. I looked through my cookbooks and found nothing. So I took a visit to the Pioneer Woman's site. She has SO many awesome recipes on her site. I told my mom I want her cookbook for my birthday. I can't wait!

I was kind of in a rush when I made this because I was trying to get dinner on the table before my daughter had to leave for work. Can't send her to work hungry. This explains my lack of pictures throughout cooking this meal. Aren't those veggies colorful? Very pretty!

We loved this dish! I love the kick the cajun spices give. I will make this one again, that's for sure. If you want to try it, you can find the recipe here on Ree's site.

Enjoy!

Cobb Salad

2011-02-08T02:21:00.000-08:00

Now THAT'S a salad! I love cobb salad. If I ever order a salad when I go out to eat, that's the one I always order. I decided to give it a try at home last night. I put everything I love to eat in a cobb salad in mine.

First, I grilled some chicken breasts on my cast iron grill. I cooked some bacon and hard-boiled eggs. I added lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, red onions, cheddar cheese, and of course, avacado.

It really turned out to be too big! I didn't intend for that to happen. It was delicious though. Next time, I will have to make it a little smaller because I only ate half of it.

Enjoy!

Slow-cooked Cabbage Rolls

2011-02-07T02:15:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in Irish Food & Fun from Taste of Home recipes. I had never made stuffed cabbage before but I knew I liked it. So I decided to give it a try.

It was pretty simple to put together. The only thing was that when you got to the leaves toward the middle, they were a little stiffer and tended to break a little.

My mom came over for dinner with my nephew and we all loved the recipe! I'm excited I get to bring some for lunch today. :-D If you would like to try this yummy, easy recipe, take a visit to the Taste of Home Site here.

Enjoy!

My Other Blog and The Latest Cake

2011-02-06T04:22:00.001-08:00

I don't know if I told you this or not, but I have another blog. I don't post on it as often as this one because I don't make fancy cakes all the time. It's called Sweet Spots In My Heart.

It was my nephew's 20th B-day recently and I decided to make him a funny cake. This one was too cute not to be shared! I LOVE the way it turned out. We were making jokes all night. It was a lot of fun!

Deen Brothers' Three-Cheese Potato Gratin

2011-02-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe since I first saw it in the Deen Brothers' Cookbook, Y'all Come Eat. What a perfect combination, potatoes and cheese.

We were having a pretty simple dinner with grilled hot dogs so I decided to make this with them. It was a pretty simple weeknight side to throw together. It smelled so good while it was cooking. We LOVED it! It was delicious!

If you would like to try it, take a visit here to the Deen Brothers' site. You won't be disappointed.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

2011-02-02T02:25:00.001-08:00

A while ago, I was in Marshalls and bought this cookbook "The Get 'Em Girls Guide to the Power of Cuisine". It's mainly dishes for women to cook for the men in their lives. It has SO many great recipes in it.

I had made the recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp before, so this week my daughter suggested I make it with chicken.

I followed the same recipe, but I doubled it. I also substituted the shrimp for two packages of cut up chicken tenderloins. I cooked and browned the chicken seperately in a pan with a little butter. Then when the chicken was done, I added the rest of the suggested amount of butter, cream and cheese.

I think because I doubled the recipe, it did not thicken the way I would have liked. I added a little cornstarch mixed with water and perfection. It thickened right up.

The recipe really is simple. When I think of Fettuccine Alfredo, I think it sounds hard. It really isn't. Give it a try! I found the link for the recipe here if you would like to give it a try. :-)

Martha Stewart Mini Black and White Cookies

2011-01-31T02:12:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I decided I wanted to bake something. I had to have my appendix out about a week and a half ago and I was finally feeling like myself again.

I have ALWAYS loved black and white cookies. A lot of times on my birthday, my mom would have a black and white cookie waiting for me when I got home from school.

I decided to open up Martha Stewart's Cookies book to check out the recipe. It looked easy enough. So my husband and I went to the store to grab the last of the ingredients that I didn't have.

My little guy and I mixed all the ingredients as the recipe said. After that, we were supposed to roll the dough into balls. Not happening. It was way too sticky. So I just took out a tablespoon measuring spoon and scooped it out onto the cookie sheet. Worked out just fine.

The cookies came out just like they look in the bakery. :-D Love when that happens. So I think you should try this recipe. If you would like to, take a visit to Martha's site.

Buffalo Chicken Bites, Rachel Ray

2011-01-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

My family really loves this recipe. I got the recipe from my Food Network Favorites Cookbook. There's lots of yummy recipes from all the food network stars.

The recipe takes a little work for a week night meal, but worth it. It has just the right amount of zing. I'm not a big fan of spicy, but I really love this recipe. If you like things really spicy, I suggest adding a few more teaspoons of hot sauce to the batter.

If you would like to try this recipe, (you should!) then take a visit here to Rachel's site. I hope you enjoy!

Mom's Meatballs and Sauce

2011-01-03T02:14:00.001-08:00

First you start out with about four fresh garlic cloves and a large onion. Cut into small pieces.

Beat two eggs in a large bowl. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Then you add enough grated parmesan or romano cheese to make a paste.

It should look like this.

Next you will add some dried parsley and then the onions and the garlic. Mix with a fork.

Add 2lbs of ground beef and mix together.

Take about five pieces of bread and let them get stale on the counter over night.

Wet about two pieces at a time and squeeze out most of the water.

Break it apart with your fingers and throw into the meat mixture.

The fun part begins. Mix with your hands until everything is mixed well.

Make the meatballs and put them on a plate.

Add a generous amount of vegetable oil to a large (I like nonstick) frypan. Let the oil get nice and hot on medium. Add the meatballs and let them fry until dark on both sides.

They should be this dark.

Drain on paper towels.

Cut up another large onion and fry in the oil. When about this color, drain the oil.

Add the meatballs and the onions to about 5-6 15oz cans of tomato sauce. I usually use Hunt's. Then I sprinkle some salt into the sauce.

That's it? Yes. That's it. We don't add any Italian Seasoning, or any other spice. The crisply fried meatballs and onions will flavor the sauce. Simmer for about three hours. After about two and a half hours I add about one and a half tablespoons of sugar.

Then I remove the meatballs and put them in a bowl to serve. I made my sauce with spaghetti. Add as much sauce as you like and yum! I froze the rest of my sauce leftover in a freezer bag.

Yesterday I decided to throw on a pot of sauce and meatballs. This is my mom's recipe that she has been making forever. She says this was the way my grandma made it too. Both my mom's parent's were Italian. I never got to meet my Grandma, but I get to make some of her recipes and that makes me happy.

My mom usually makes this sauce and meatballs with baked ziti on Christmas or whenever relatives come to visit. It's everyone's favorite!

This is the kind of recipe where my mom says, "I add a little of this, a little of that....." There are no measurements. I added captions to the pictures to show you exactly how we make it. I hope you enjoy it!

Pumpkin Bread

2010-11-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before. This is my favorite loaf bread. It is SOOOO moist and delicious! See, I've been on Weight Watchers for two weeks now and I'm starting to crave something sweet. BUT, I can actually have this. One piece is going to cost me seven points, but it is well worth it. This makes two loaves, so if you want, you can cut it in half and make one loaf.

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 small can of pumpkin
2/3 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Sift dry ingredients.

2. Make a well and add eggs, oil, pumpkin, water and nuts.

3. Pour into 2 greased and floured, 5x9 loaf pans.

4. Bake for 60-70 minutes in 350 oven.

Fall/Thanksgiving Yarn Wreath

2010-11-14T04:00:00.001-08:00

So I REALLY wanted a fall wreath for my door, but I didn't want to spend the money. I found instructions on how to make a yarn wreath so I decided to give it a go. I thought it came out awesome! I got the idea for this particular one at Indie Spotting. What a cute blog! And I really wanted my wreath to be about Thanksgiving, so I copied this turkey made out of polymer clay that I found here on Etsy. She's got some super cute things in her Etsy store.

And I cannot tell a lie. I did not make the turkey. Apparently I can make figures out of fondant, but NOT out of clay. My daughter Alexis made this for me. My turkey was a disaster. I think she did a great job. Thanks honey. ;)

An Award and What I've Been Up To

2010-11-13T03:51:00.001-08:00

I am very excited to tell you that I received this award!!! Brownieville Girl decided that myself and my humble blog deserved this "One Lovely Blog Award". She says that she enjoys my blog. How SWEET! Thank you so much!!!! If you haven't been to her blog, you are really missing out.

And when she received this award from someone she passed it along to fifteen blogs that she discovered and enjoys. So I'm not exactly following the rules here with the six I sent this to, but I'm hoping to be forgiven because I've been so busy.

And the awards go to....drumroll.....

1. A Spoonful Of

2. Cookin' Up North

3. Annie Bakes

4. Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

5. Cooking with Libby

6. Moogie and Pap

So now that I have given this lovely award away, I must tell you what keeps me from baking and blogging. I got a job. :-D Notice my BIG smile. I got a job as a receptionist for two very awesome oral surgeons who I had worked for before.

This past week was my first. It went well and I am happy to be there. But let me tell you, trying to keep up with the house and still spend time with my family has been rough, so I'm trying to get used to it all.

I will still try to blog so bear with me!

Mom's Homemade Chicken Soup

2010-10-27T03:12:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been feeling the best for the last couple of days so I decided to make my mom's homemade chicken soup. I've been eating this since I'm a little girl. My mom still makes it all the time and puts it in the freezer. It's her favorite food.

So if you don't know how to make homemade chicken soup, it's really pretty simple.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Four chicken breast halves with ribs

Small bag of carrots

About five celery stalks

Two onions

About three canned peeled tomatoes

One head of cauliflower

One package of acini di pepe pasta

Dried parsley

Salt and pepper

1. Wash chicken and put in a large soup pot. Cut up two onions in fours. Wash and cut up celery stalks and throw in the pot. Peel and cut carrots and throw in the pot. Add the tomatoes to the pot.

2. Fill the pot up with water and add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. You really can't mess this up.

3. Simmer slowly for about 2 1/2 hours.

4. Cup up cauliflower and add to soup. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

5. I usually cook a half a bag of the pastas. My mom has always made this type of pasta for our soup, so that's what I buy. You can use whatever you want. If you're going to use this pasta, you will need a small hole collander like the one I have pictured. Cook pasta according to directions.

6. While the pasta is cooking, I usually use a large collander and drain the soup into a very large bowl. I put the chicken and veggies in separate bowls. When the pasta is done, add it to the large pot of soup and serve.

7. I always need to add more salt to my bowl of soup, so add how much you like.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Haunted House

2010-10-25T06:52:00.001-07:00

I found the directions for this gingerbread haunted house in Cookie Swap. It's a lovely book filled with directions on decorated cookies and all kinds of other yummy things.

So my little guy and I could not resist making this house before the end of Halloween. We had a lot of fun!

Make Ahead Breakfast Bake and My Latest Sewing Project

2010-10-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious make ahead breakfast! There's another one that I make too, but this one is equally delicious. I acquired this recipe from our Aunt Linda. We don't get to see her a lot, but when I make this, I always think of her and Uncle Mike. They live in the cutest place called Mt. Dora, FL. You should check it out.

Make Ahead Breakfast Bake

1 lb sausage (I use Jimmy Dean in the tube)

1/2 pkg. frozen hashbrown potatoes

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Brown and drain sausage, spread over potatoes in buttered 2-quart baking dish. Top with grated cheese. Combine eggs, milk and seasonings, beat wel. Pour over cheese and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min (When eggs look cooked through)

And I would like to show you my latest little sewing project. I decided I needed to try making a tote bag. I chose this cutesy fabric similar to the one I bought before for a little girl apron. It was pretty easy to make. I used a pattern I bought at Joann Fabrics. I do have to admit, I feel silly carrying it around. The little kid in me could not help but buy the fabric though. I couldn't resist!

I Received My Apron!

2010-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

This was the first time I had participated in an apron swap. It was SO much fun! I got my package today from Chrissy in CA. Let me tell you, the apron is beautiful! And I love it! And everything else she included in my package was so perfect.

I got a sunflower candle, a cute little wooden pumpkin decoration, some ADORABLE cupcake wrappers that Chrissy made herself. And her little 18-month-old daughter picked out a Halloween book for my son. He was so excited.

Thank you Chrissy!!!

Corn Fritters and a Birthday

2010-10-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

So it was my son's 15th birthday yesterday. Yes, he is a smart alec with that picture pose. I made all his favorite foods. We had chicken cutlets, corn fritters and pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing. Mmmm!

My mom used to make corn fritters for us when we were kids and now I make them for my kids. We all love them. You have to try them, you will too!

Corn Fritters

1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons oil
1 can corn, drained

Sift dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil and milk. Gradually add flour until mixed. Add corn and mix. With large spoonfuls, spoon batter into hot vegetable oil in a fry pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!

Lemon-Cream Icebox Cookie Sandwiches and Homecoming

2010-10-17T04:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was homecoming. This was the first time my daughter got to go. She was SO excited! I thought she looked beautiful!! Even though she is beautiful, she has a personality to match. She's also beautiful inside. That's her boyfriend, Ryan. They have been dating for almost a year and a half now.

Ryan and his mom, Maria LOVE these lemon cookies I gave them for Christmas last year so I decided to have some ready when they came over for pictures yesterday.

Whenever I make these cookies, everyone wants the recipe. You should definately try them! They are YUMMY!

Lemon-Cream Icebox Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounce cream cheese
2/3 cup butter, softened
3 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel

1. Beat shortening in large bowl on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour and lemon peel.

2. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 10 inch log. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1- 3 hours or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. Unwrap dough rolls, reshape if necessary. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place slices about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 8- 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool completely.

5. Beat softened cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until combined. Stir in lemon peel.

6. Spread about 1 tablespoon frosting on each bottom half of the cookie and top with remaining cookie. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar.

Enjoy! And you will too. ;)

Zucchini Bread

2010-10-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

I had never tried zucchini bread before but I was really curious about it. I found a recipe for it on All Recipes. The recipe was pretty easy to put together. It didn't take long to shred the zucchini. I popped it into the oven and waited.

Yum! We really liked it. I could not taste zucchini at all. It was moist on the inside and kind of crispy on the outside. It's a lovely bread to take to a potluck, to give as a gift, or to make if you're having company. If you've never tried it, you should!

The Apron Swap Bundle

2010-10-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show you my finished product for my first ever apron swap. I loved the way the apron turned out. SO cute! And I made matching potholders. I also put some other goodies in there with the apron.

I can't wait to see if my partner likes everything!

A Present!

2010-10-13T08:06:00.001-07:00

I received these canisters in the mail a couple of days ago and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! I saw them at Leslie's blog, A Spoonful Of.... I was visiting her blog as I often do and I saw these canisters that she had painted herself. I told her I wanted them. I didn't really think she was going to send them to me! Isn't she the GREATEST? I am SO lucky!

If you have not visited her blog, you are missing out. I have so much in common with the things that she likes. She is VERY talented and she is really "The QUEEN of Halloween"!

Thank you Leslie!!!!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Penne

2010-10-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

First of all, I feel bad I haven't blogged in a few weeks. I've been in sort of a rut. Just not felt like cooking a lot or baking a lot. Sometimes it's lonely when the kids are all at school and my husband is at work.

Anyway, please don't stop visiting me!

Now on to the reason for my post. I saw this recipe at Val So Cal and I couldn't wait to make it! Let me tell you, we were not disappointed. It wasn't hard to put together and I will definately make it again. If you would like to try it, take a visit to Val So Cal. Here blog is awesome!

My Fabric for the Apron Swap

2010-10-04T07:50:00.001-07:00

I just got my partner for the apron swap that I joined. I'm so excited! So this morning I went to Joann Fabrics and bought the fabric for the apron. I love it! It is SO cute!!! I hope my partner likes it too.

Take a visit to Shawnee's Flirty Apron Swap to see what's going on with the other contestants. So much fun!

Pumpkin Sheet Cake and Homemade Pumpkin Puree

2010-10-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen I wanted to make it. Now that Fall is here I decided to try it. But I didn't buy a can of pumpkin. Oh no folks, I did not! Mommy's Kitchen also had a recipe on how to make your own pumpkin puree. Ooooh! I was up for the challenge and so was Nicholas.

I went and bought one of those cute little pie pumpkins and Nicky and I got it done. It wasn't that hard. Bake the pumpkin in the oven, scrape the insides out into the food processor. Add a little water and give it a whirl. Easy! And fun!

After we made the puree we got down to business of making the cake with the luscious cream cheese frosting. It was Deeeee licious! If you would like to give this yummy cake a try, take a visit to Mommy's Kitchen. If you want to make it using fresh pumpkin puree, the mommy at Mommy's Kitchen will show you how.

Mia's Apron

2010-09-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the way this apron turned out. It's SO cute. You can't see the ties in the pic, but they're hanging in the back. I hope little Mia likes it. She can wear it while she's cooking and baking in the kitchen with her mommy.

I'm going to make an identical one for my Etsy store in the next few days. I still have one item in the store. :-o How silly. I figured I'm not in any hurry.

An Apron for Gloria

2010-09-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the cutest fabric? We just attended a reception for some very special family in New York. While we were there, we were lucky enough to get to stay with the mom of my stepmother. She is the SWEETEST lady EVER!

So as a thank you gift, I made her this apron. I hope she likes it. I love it! I want to make one for myself now.

No onto another apron I promised to our sweet little cousin Mia. I CANNOT wait to see how it looks on her. She is seriously one of the cutest little girls I have ever seen. I'm making it with that fabric I posted recently with the nursery rhyme theme. I will post a pic when I'm done.

One-Pot Easy Chicken

2010-09-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

I got this yummy recipe from my Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cookbook for slowcookers. I love the way the chicken comes out and at the end of the day, your whole dinner is ready.

One-Pot Easy Chicken

Makes 6 servings

(Ideal slow-cooker size : 6-quart)

6-8 medium-sized potatoes, quartered

1-2 large onions, sliced

3-5 carrots, cubed

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

5lbs. chicken, skin removed (quarters or legs and thighs work well)

1 small onion, chopped

3/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. whole cloves

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 tsp. dried resemary

1/2 cup lemon juice

1. Mix together potatoes, sliced onions, carrots, 1 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper in bottom of slow cooker.

2. Rinse and pat chicken dry. In bowl mix together chopped onions, 3/4 tsp. black pepper, cloves, and 2 tsp. garlic salt. Dredge chicken in seasonings. Place in slow cooker over vegetables.

3. In small bowl, mix together oregano, rosemary, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

4. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are soft and chicken juices run clear.

Pita Pizzas

2010-09-15T03:23:00.001-07:00

When I saw this recipe on Tami's Kitchen Table Talk I was SO excited. Genius! I have tried english muffin pizzas before and they were okay, but these were delicious! Even my picky husband liked them.

The kids and I had fun making these. I used a can of pizza sauce, and a little Italian seasoning. I cooked up some Jimmy Dean sausage and some mushrooms and we put some pepperoni on some. I will definately be making these again. They were quick and easy too. Great for weeknight dinners.

Another Apron

2010-09-13T06:55:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest apron. I made this one for my little boy. He loves super heroes and he loves to bake and cook in the kitchen with me. I'm not going to put it in my Etsy shop because it's his, but I plan to make another one. Right now I'm making another woman's apron and I'm working on one for a little girl.

If anyone has a request for one like this I can make it with any material you want. My son wears a 5T and this apron fits perfectly. You can adjust the neck strap by tying a little knot like I had done. I would think it would fit 2T - 5T. I could also make one bigger if needed.

Aprons and My Etsy Shop

2010-09-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

So as I've said before, I LOVE APRONS. I don't know why. Something just draws me to them. Funny. I know. I can be very old-fashioned sometimes.

So I've become pretty good at making them. That is my beautiful daughter modeling my latest. The half apron is on sale at my new Etsy shop. That is the ONLY thing for sale in my new Etsy shop. I'm in the process of making more aprons. I have so many ideas. Yesterday I bought the most darling fabric for a little girl's apron. Wanna see?

It's designed by Mary Engelbreit. SO cute! I CANNOT wait to make this one. Then I have a red gingham fabric for a woman's apron after that one. Okay. I could go on all day. First things first though. Before I make ANY child's apron, I have to make one for my little guy. So I am in the process of making a super hero apron for my youngest son. He says he will bake cookies and cakes when I'm done with it. Yay!

So visit my Etsy! In a couple of weeks I will put more aprons up.

Soft Pretzels

2010-09-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

This one kind of looks like a cinnamony lump but it was goooood!

This month's Have the Cake challenge was chosen by Rena. She picked soft pretzels! Thank you Rena for such a cool idea. I have never made soft pretzels before but I was up for the challenge.

After searching the internet, I decided to use a recipe I found here on All Recipes. I mixed up the dough and waited about an hour and a half until it was nicely risen. Then I started to attempt to make pretzels. I thought they were coming out fine until my 14-year-old son came into the kitchen. "Ummmm, mom. Those don't look like pretzels. Let me try." To my amazement, he made pretzels better than me. His are the one's all the way up at the top that actually look like pretzels.

Anyway, we had lots of fun making the pretzels. And even thought mine didn't look beautiful, they were delicious. I dipped some in cinnamon sugar and I salted some. Both were awesome!

Cottage Potatoes for My Girl Paula

2010-09-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula theme was potatoes. "Hmmmm. I've been pretty busy sewing aprons this week, so what the heck am I going to make for My Girl Paula?" (If you didn't know already....I LOVE aprons. I should have been born in the 50's)

I looked through my Lady & Sons, Too cookbook and came across this recipe for Cottage Potatoes. Potatoes...check. Cottage cheese...check. Onions....check. Butter...check check. So I decided to try this recipe.

It was pretty good and a nice side dish when you're getting tired of plain old mashed potatoes. I think I put too many onions in, but it was still pretty good.

If you would like to give this recipe a try, you can find it here on Paula's recipe site. I hope the other girls from the club made some good dishes for My Girl Paula this week. ;)

Enjoy! (Oh, and the pics of my aprons are coming!)

Kielbasa & Bow Ties

2010-09-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

I make this recipe all the time. Don't know why I haven't blogged about it yet. I got this recipe from a little cookbook by Land O Lakes. It's called Fast and Fresh Pasta. I bought it years ago.

This recipe is really easy and delicious. It's great for a fast week night meal. I usually serve it with a salad and some bread.

Kielbasa & Bow Ties

4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) uncooked dried bow tie pasta (farfalle)

1 tablespoon butter

8 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices

1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 medium red or green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet melt butter until sizzling; add sausage, onion, red pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are crisply tender (5 to 6 minutes).

3. Add cooked pasta to sausage mixture; toss to coat.

Enjoy!

Sad News

2010-09-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

I was going through all the blogs I follow this morning and I came upon My Baking Addiction as I always do. The post was called Come Together.

It was about a woman named Erika. Her blog, which I had never known of is called The Ivory Hut. Sadly, she lost her home and all of her possessions in a tragic fire. Some wonderful people in our blogging community have gotten together and started a blog called Friends of Erika where you can go and read Erika's story and donate a little something to help Erika and her family rebuild their lives.

They have already raised over $5000. Please pass this on. And remember every little bit adds up and helps. I'm so happy to see how much people care about people. God be with Erika and her family.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

2010-09-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

The other day, I saw a post for this banana bread on my friend Michelle's blog, Something New Is Cooking. Michelle got the recipe from a lovely little blog called Fake Ginger. When saw that this recipe had cream cheese in it, and that Michelle said it was SO good, I knew I had to try it right away.

I doubt if I will make any other recipe from now on! It was REALLY REALLY good. My kids agreed. Please visit both blogs for a real treat. If you want to try this banana bread, and I think you should, you can find it on Fake Ginger.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

2010-08-26T06:19:00.001-07:00

Ever since my husband ordered "The Best of Argo (Corn Starch) Cookbook" for me, I have wanted to make these cookies. I'm not sure what kept me from making them, but I'm glad I finally did.

I LOVE shortbread. I always have. I make plain shortbread sometimes, but not too often because I'm like the only one who eats it in my house. NOT a good idea. If you like peanut butter and you like shortbread, these are the cookies for you!

Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 cup Argo Corn Starch

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Mix butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and vanilla thoroughly using an electric mixer. Gradually blend in flour and corn starch.

Form into 1-inch falls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Gently press down on each cookie to flatten using fingers OR a flat bottomed drinking glass (dipped in sugar to prevent sticking). For a more traditional appearing peanut butter cookie, dip a fork in sugar; flatten cookie by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.

Bake in a preheated 300 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bottoms begin to brown.

Cool for five minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired (I didn't have any on hand, so I skipped this step).

ENJOY!

My Girl Paula, Wayne's Beef Macaroni and Cheese

2010-08-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula theme was "anything goes". So last night I decided to make Wayne's Beef Macaroni and Cheese. I got the recipe from The Lady & Sons, Too.

I have made this recipe before and we all liked it. It's easy and it feeds a crowd. If you would like to try it, you can find it here on Paula's site.

Peach Galette for Have the Cake Challenge

2010-08-19T07:24:00.001-07:00

Yes, it is true. That this isn't the prettiest galette ever made. But while it is not pretty, it is MOST delicious!!!! This month's Have the Cake Challenge was Galette, chosen by Chaya at My Sweet and Savory.

I made galette one other time, using Dorie's recipe for Summer Fruit Galette from the Baking: From My Home to Yours cookbook. I really loved the recipe and decided that I would use that crust again and again.

So for my galette for Have the Cake, I made Dorie's Good For Almost Everything Pie Dough for a 9-inch single crust. I filled the galette with peach pie filling and I topped it off with a crumb topping.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! It was really really good. The only thing it was missing was some vanilla ice cream.

Good For Almost Everything Pie Dough - Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour.

Don't overdo the mixing- what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of the water- add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.

Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line bake sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Work on a well-floured surface, taking care to keep the dough moving by turning it and flouring the surface often.

Roll the dough out to a 13-inch diameter and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly trace a 9-inch circle in the center of the dough - this is the area for the filling. Pour the peach pie filling into the 9-inch circle. Gently lift the unfilled border of the dough up and onto the filling.

Crumb Topping

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter - softened
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together.

Sprinkle crumb topping over the peach pie filling. Bake the galette for 25 minutes, or until the crust is brown. Enjoy!

Tator Tot Casserole

2010-08-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

So I was making my grocery list this week and I decided to try this recipe for tator tot casserole. When I was searching for the recipe, most of the ones I found called for ground beef only. But then I came across this one that called for ground sausage too. Oooooh! That sounded good!

It was delicious! I tried not to have seconds. Everyone here loved it. If you would like to try it, you can find the recipe here.

My Girl Paula Caramel Apple Cheesecake

2010-08-16T04:15:00.001-07:00

This week's theme for My Girl Paula was something with fruit. How could I pass up the idea for Caramel Apple Cheesecake? We were going to a friend's house for a barbecue, so I made two. One for the bbq and one for the house!

It was REALLY good and pretty easy. It's made with apple pie filling and a pre-made graham cracker crust. You do have to put the ingredients for the cheesecake part together, but that's not too hard.

I would definately make this one again. If you want to give it a try, you can find the recipe here.

Triple Citrus Cupcakes for MS Cupcake Club

2010-08-15T05:19:00.001-07:00

This is my first post for the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club. I just joined this lovely group who bakes a different cupcake recipe from the Martha Stewart Cupcake book each month. I'm really excited to be a part of the group.

The recipe for this month was Triple-Citrus Cupcakes, chosen by Marthe of Culinary Delights. The batter smelled wonderful! It was a little tedious because I needed zests from lemons, limes AND oranges. But it was all well worth it! My kids loved the recipe. This is one I will make again. If you would like to try this recipe, it can be found here on Martha's site.

Skillet Pasta Pizza

2010-08-14T06:26:00.001-07:00

This recipe came from a book I bought ages ago called Land O Lakes Fast and Fresh Pasta. I was looking for something simple and good to make for dinner. Who isn't looking for that?

So I decided to try out the Skillet Pasta Pizza. It was really really good! I especially liked the way the pepperoni tastes in this dish. It really adds to it alot. Next time I'm going to add more.

The recipe called for one 9 oz packaged of uncooked refrigerated sausage-filled ravioli. I couldn't find the ravioli, but they did have tortellini which was just as good. I found it in the Bertolli brand and it was yummy. If you would like to try this, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Skillet Pasta Pizza

6 servings

1 (9-ounce) package uncooked refrigerated fresh sausage-filled ravioli

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups green, red and/or yellow pepper strips

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup pizza sauce

2 ounces (26-28) pepperoni slices

1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained (I omitted because hubby doesn't like)

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet melt butter until sizzling; add peppers and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed (5 to 6 minutes). Remove from heat.

3. Add cooked ravioli to mushroom mixture; toss lightly. Spoon pizza sauce evenly over ravioli mixture; top with pepperoni and olives. Sprinkly with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheeses have melted. Enjoy!

Bow Ties with Pesto, Feta & Cherry Tomatoes with Guest Blogger Lexie (aka, my daughter)

2010-08-12T03:46:00.001-07:00

When your daughter says she wants to make dinner, you should jump at the idea!! My 17-year-old beautiful, smart, witty daughter said she wanted to cook dinner. Cook? You want to cook dinner? What will you make? Ummm.....okay. I guess so.

The outcome was spectacular! She decided to make Bow Ties with Pesto, Feta & Cherry Tomatoes. The recipe came from my Food Network Cookbook and it's from Dave Lieberman. We're going to do this again. And now....On to Lexie. Take it away Honey!

Well I was thinking I'd start cooking in the kitchen to get some cooking experience under my belt and what-not. But cooking for my family is near impossible since some are very picky and some won't eat certain things, etc.

I started tearing through the cookbooks trying to find something that sounded good and that I actually wanted to make. I didn't want to make something simple simple though.

But green pasta? I know: weird. I've always wanted to see what pesto tasted like though and so I made it.

It was actually really good. And multi-tasking in the kitchen was a lot more easier than I thought it to be. I would make this again. :) If you would like to try this recipe, you can find it here.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2010-08-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to throw together some mac and cheese. It had been a long time since I made this recipe. I snapped a few pics so that I could share with you. I actually doubled the recipe to make this large tray.

I have been making this recipe for YEARS. I actually cut it out of the back of the Mueller's elbow macaroni box. It's so homey and delicious! My kids love it and so do I.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 Tbsp Argo corn starch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional, but I use it)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
8 oz American or shredded Cheddar cheese, (about 2 cups)
8 oz Mueller's elbow macaroni (about 1 3/4 cups), cooked 6 minutes, drained

In medium saucepan combine corn starch, salt, dry mustard and pepper; stir in milk until smooth. Add butter. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Reserve 1/4 cup cheese for topping. Stir in remaining cheese until melted. Add elbows. Turn into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered in 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 6 servings

Cake Mix Doctor Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

2010-08-10T04:14:00.000-07:00

It was my brother's birthday so I had to come up with something fast. I STILL had some buttermilk left over in the fridge so I decided on The Cake Mix Doctor's Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake with White Chocolate Frosting.

It was really good. And like most things from the Cake Mix Doctor, it was pretty simple to put together. But I wanted to make it pretty too, so I colored the icing blue and added some pretty little flowers. I know it doesn't look like a cake for a man, but my brother knows how I am! LOL

If you would like to try this easy and delicious recipe, here it is.

Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

Serves 16

1 package plain devil's food cake mix

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. ( I always just use Pam and it work likes a charm). Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

3. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28 to 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Cool completely, 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces white chocolate, coursely chopped

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temp.

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Place the white chocolate in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, 4 minutes, stirring constantly. (I used the microwave. Worked fine) Remove the pan from heat and let the chocolate cool.

2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low for 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar and blend on low speed for 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more.

3. Use to frost the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the frosted cake until serving time.

My Girl Paula, Buttermilk Pie

2010-08-09T04:16:00.001-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula theme was pie. Since I had some leftover buttermilk in the fridge I thought the perfect choice would be buttermilk pie.

I have never made buttermilk pie before. It was really really easy to put together. It took five minutes. Not kidding.

But let me tell you....even though it didn't take long to make, it was DELICIOUS! It's the perfect dessert to serve to company if you don't have a lot of time. It tastes like you spent a lot of time on it. And it wouldn't be bad with some ice-cream on top. Hint hint. You should definately try this one. And if you'd like to, you can find it

here.

Oh, and here's a pic of my little guy, cause he said, "Mommy, take a picture of me!".

Sweet Melissa Devil's Food Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

2010-08-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

So my mom was coming over for dinner last night and I wanted to make a dessert to go with our dinner. I decided to try a recipe from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Devil's food cake with peanut butter icing.

The cake was delicious. It was very rich, chocolatey and moist. The peanut butter frosting called for 1.5 pounds of unsalted butter. That DOES equal six sticks of butter. While it was good, I couldn't get past the fact it had all that butter in it. :-0

I would definately make this cake again, but I would make the frosting a little different. I recommend this recipe and if you want to give it a try, take a visit here.

Cowboy Burgers

2010-07-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

So the other day while hubby and I were making our grocery list, I decided to browse the internet for some new recipes. I found this one on Deep South Dish. I decided to use Texas Toast for the bread instead of a bun and it was really good!

This....was....THE....best....hamburger....I ......have.....EVER.....eaten! I'm not kidding. You have got to try this recipe! Thank you Deep South Dish for posting it.

I do have to admit, the pics I took for this post did not come out good, probably because I couldn't stop eating the hamburger. Take a visit to Deep South Dish and try the recipe here.

Shoofly Pie

2010-07-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

So I ~~stole~~ borrowed one of my mom's Country Living magazines. Truth be told, she wound up giving me a bunch of them about a week later anyway and told me to keep that magazine. So technically I'm NOT a thief!

Anyway, I found a couple of recipes that I wanted to try and Shoofly Pie was one of them. A little bit of history: Did you know that back in the late 18th century, enterprising Pennsylvania-Dutch cooks baked this molasses pie whenever fruit was scarce? I found that interesting!

So I decided to try this recipe. The recipe actually comes from family-owned Bird-in-Hand Bakery. They have served this recipe for more than 40 years, the article said.

The pie really reminded me of pecan pie without the pecans. It was good with a little ice cream on top, too!

If you want to give it a try, here is the recipe.

My Girl Paula - Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

2010-07-26T02:39:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula theme was "anything goes". I chose Paula Deen's Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce. I recently made another crab cake recipe from Paula's cookbook, which you can find on my blog. I think the recipes are equally delicious. The dill sauce that accompanies this recipe really added to it though. Yum!

The recipe was pretty simple. The only downside to making it is the price of the crabmeat. But if you want to splurge, I really recommend this recipe! My mom was over for dinner and she loved it too.

If you would like to try this, take a visit to Paula's recipe site. You can find the recipe here.

Have the Cake...Chocolate Pavlova

2010-07-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

This month's Have the Cake challenge was Pavlova. I was a little apprehensive about making it because I've never had it and I didn't know what to expect.

I decided to look for a chocolate pavlova recipe. I found one that looked good on the Martha Stewart website. All I have to say about this recipe is WOW, WOW, WOW! It was excellent.

I didn't follow Martha's instructions for the dark chocolate cream because it looked a little involved and I was running short on time, so I just kind of came up with my own by adding the melted, cooled chocolate to some of my whipped cream. It was spectacular!

If you would like to try the recipe, and I think you should, you can find it here on Martha's site.

Deen Brothers' Baked Tilapia with Garlic and Lime and Deen Brothers' Almond Rice Pilaf

2010-07-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have the Deen Brothers' "Ya'll Come Eat" cookbook. We make a lot of recipes out of this book. This week I decided to try their Baked Tilapia with Garlic and Lime. Along with it I made the Almond Rice Pilaf.

My daughter had her boyfriend over for dinner and he went for seconds and thirds. We all liked both recipes ALOT!

Baked Tilapia with Garlic and Lime

4 6 - 8 ounce tilapia fillets

1 tsp Silly Salt or garlic salt

Freshly gorund black pepper

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.

2. Rinse fish and pat dry; place on the prepared baking sheet. Season each fillet with 1/4 tsp Silly Salt and pepper to taste. Divide the butter pieces, lime zest, and juice evenly among the tops of the fillets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Makes 4 servings.

Almond Rice Pilaf

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and almonds. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is softened and the almonds are golden, stirring occasionally. Add the rice; cook and stir for 1 minute.

2. Slowly stir in the broth; add the salt and the pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 17 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and garnish with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Paula Deen Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

2010-07-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

My husband could eat shrimp every day of his life if I would cook it. I could take it or leave it EXCEPT.....for this recipe. This coconut shrimp is to die for. Yes, it does take some prep work, but it's not hard. And I use my fry daddy to fry them up. If you like coconut shrimp, this is a must-try.

You can find the recipe here at Food Network.

Deen Brothers' Easy Grilled Baby Back Ribs

2010-07-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ever since my husband tried the recipe I cannot tell you how many times we have had ribs. So much that I had to tell him to lay off the rib-cooking! But let me tell you....they are delicious!

Easy Grilled Baby Back Ribs

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2 pounds each)

1. In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the ribs; set aside.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut and pull the membrane from the back of each rack of ribs. Using your fingers, rub the spice mixture over the ribs to coat evenly. Place each rack of ribs in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. (If ribs will not fit in a bag, place on a baking sheet and wrap well with plastic wrap.)

3. Prepare grill for medium direct heat. Remove the ribs from the plastic bag and wrap each rack separately in a double layer of heavy-duty foil.

4. Grill, covered, for 25 minutes. Turn packets over; grill for 25 minutes more. Test for doneness by poking a fork between the bones; the meat should be very tender. If the ribs are not done, return to the grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more or until fork tender.

5. Carefully remove packets from grill. Unwrap ribs and place them directly on grill; cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until crisp. Transfer ribs to a cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into in individual ribs.

Have the Cake Strawberry Shortcake

2010-06-30T04:15:00.001-07:00

This is my first month participating with Have the Cake. The recipe of the month was Strawberry Shortcake. I chose The Deen Brothers' recipe.

I have never made strawberry shortcake before.

I thought it was pretty easy to put together and very good. A nice summery dessert.

If you would like to give it a try, you can find the recipe here. And take a visit to Have the Cake. It's lots of fun!

My Girl Paula Crab Cakes

2010-06-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't done anything for My Girl Paula in a really LONG time. I was doing school instead. Now that I'm not going anymore, I'm back to my favorite things: cooking, baking and blogging.

This week's theme was picnic food. Hmmm. I wasn't having a picnic. What do I pick? So I looked through my Paula cookbook. I decided on something I've never attempted before. Crab cakes. I'm sure you could take crab cakes to a picnic!

They were simple to put together. And they tasted delicious! I'm going to make this one again.

Nootsie's Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes

Serves 4-6

1/2 cup peanut oil

1 pound crabmeat, picked free of any broken shells

1 egg

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

4 1/2 teaspoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pour the peanut oil into a large skillet and set aside. Combine all of the remaining ingredients and shape into 10 crab cakes. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the crab cakes (in batches), and fry until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the cakes and panfry the other side until golden brown.

Toy Story Cake

2010-06-27T05:30:00.001-07:00

I made my son a Toy Story cake for his birthday. I knew I could not do a good job if I tried to make sculptures of Woody, Buzz and Jessie, so I bought an edible icing transfer. It was the first time I used one and it worked great.

Alice in Wonderland Cake

2010-06-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

My daughter loves Alice in Wonderland. So I thought it would be fitting to make her this cake for her 17th birthday.

The cake is covered with buttercream icing and the figures and accents are made of marshmallow fondant.

Bumble Bee Cookies

2010-06-16T08:13:00.001-07:00

I was playing around with some cookie cutters. Had fun making these. I used my own cookie recipe with royal icing.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole from Paula Deen

2010-06-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't joined in a "My Girl Paula" in forEVER. So this week I made Paula's Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. My family loves this dish. I have made it for company a couple of times and everyone always likes it.

Don't get me wrong, you CAN'T make it all the time because IT IS fattening. It's made with mayonnaise after all. But do try it. It's delicious!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Serves 8

One 6-ounce package long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to directions.

4 cups diced cooked chicken breast

Two 10 3/4-ounce cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste

One 8-ounce package Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Dressing Mix

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Put the rice in a greased 2-quart casserole. Layer the chicken on top of the rice. Mix the soup, mayonnaise, and curry powder, and pour this over the chicken. Sprinkle the dressing mix over the casserole and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degress for 30 minutes or until bubbly. ENJOY!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2010-06-07T05:22:00.001-07:00

Mmmmmm! These were so good. My daughter and I made these this past weekend. We had a lot of fun and they were REALLY easy.

I just took a full bag of milk chocolate chips and melted them in the microwave. I used Snyder's large pretzels. We just dipped the pretzels in the chocolate, then the sprinkles and let them dry on parchment. I stuck them in the fridge to speed up the process.

They turned out great!

Lorelei Apron

2010-06-05T06:14:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make this apron for a while. I finally had the time so I went and picked out the cutest fabric at Walmart. That apron was going to be MINE until my mom saw the fabric. LOL

This is another design from the book "A Is For Apron". The design is by Joan Hand Stroh. It's called Lorelei. It's the sweetest.

So I went out and bought more fabric to make the apron AGAIN. This time it is going to be for me. I'm glad I got to make something for my mom though.

Red Velvet Cake

2010-04-05T01:10:00.001-07:00

I made this cake for Easter yesterday. I wanted to make a red velvet cake and I haven't really ever made one. So I decided to look in my Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. It was really easy to put together and delicious!!!!!!

You should definately try this one.

Quick Red Velvet Cake

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans (I just use Pam)

1 package German Chocolate cake mix

1 box vanilla (4-serving) instant pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean , or sunflower

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

3. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pans, 28-30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each layer onto a rack, then inver them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese frosting.

5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package of (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temp

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temp

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Add the vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more.

2. Use at once to frost the top and sides of the cake of your choice.

Chex Muddy Buddies

2010-02-28T03:50:00.000-08:00

First you have to measure the cereal.

Next you have to combine the chocolate chips, butter and
peanut butter and put in the microwave.

Pour this mixture over the cereal and mix together.

Put the powdered sugar in a large ziploc and shake it up

with the cereal.

Walah! Perfect snack. Deeeeelicious!!!

All done!

So I saw this recipe the other day for Chex Muddy Buddies. I knew my little one would have fun making these. And he loves chocolate and peanut butter. I have been really busy with school, so this was also a quick recipe.

Give it a try. You won't be disappointed! Click above to find this easy recipe.

Chocolate Thumbprints from Martha Stewart

2009-12-09T07:22:00.001-08:00

Last year I received "Martha Stewart's Cookies" as a Christmas gift. I really love the book. There are SO many good recipes inside. So I came across this recipe for chocolate thumbprints.

Personally, this is the BEST cookie I have EVER eaten. But everyone has their favorite kind of cookie, right? My kids love them too. Not only are they delicious, but they are really really easy to make.

I definately think you should try them.

Chocolate Thumbprints

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 teaspoons corn syrup

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium high.
3. Roll dough by teaspoonfuls into balls, and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into tops of cookies to make indentations. Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

5. Combine chocolate, 6 tablespoons butter, and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

My Girl Paula, Barbecue Meatloaf

2009-12-07T09:12:00.001-08:00

It's been so long since I participated with My Girl Paula. This week we were supposed to make any beef recipe of Paula's. Great idea, Michelle!!! I know my picture isn't the greatest. Sorry about that!

I chose the Barbecue Meatloaf. This is definately one of my favorite recipes. The kids and I love it. My husband doesn't like meatloaf at all, so when I make this he always has something else. He sure does not know what he's missing!

If you would like to try this recipe, you can find it here.

Recipe Card Apron for Aunt Connie

2009-11-15T04:20:00.001-08:00

Oh ever since I saw this apron I wanted to make it. So I finally bought the book. It's called "Stitched in Time" by Alicia Paulson. You can find it here.

I really wanted to make one for my Aunt Connie. My cousin said she thought she would like an apron. So I bought some Aunt Connie-ish fabric with flowers and little bunnies, etc. The recipe I chose to apply to the apron was my Almond Brown Sugar Biscotti Recipe. You can also find the full recipe here on my blog with step-by-step directions.

My Uncle Eddie loves my biscotti and I make it for him whenever I know I'm going to see the two of them and I have a chance. So this is sort of for Uncle Eddie, too. ;)

Paula's Baked Ham and Cheese Chicken

2009-10-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula was "anything goes". I didn't want to make a dessert because I've been making a lot lately, so I decided on dinner. I picked the Baked Ham and Cheese Chicken.

This recipe was okay for me. I think it was because the chicken breasts were so thick, that I had a hard time cooking them through. The recipe says to brown the chicken on both sides and then cook in the oven with the ham and cheese for 8 minutes. Well, I had to cook the chicken in the oven a little longer than that in order to make it fully cooked. I think next time I make this I will use thinner chicken breasts.

All that aside, it was a pretty good dish. We all liked it. If you would like to give it a try, I found it here at Food Network.

Guava Cheese Empanadas

2009-10-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned this before. I work part-time at a dentist office two days a week. One day, my friend Zuly, who is one of the hygenists there brought in homeade guava cheese empanadas. Guava, I thought? Hmmm. Why not try them. I had never eaten Guava fruit before. Mistake! These were the best things I had ever eaten!

But, alas, I decided to make them at home. So last week I asked Zuly to tell me exactly how she makes these little pastry heavens.

They came out wonderful as I suspected they would. They didn't seem that hard to make. We all loved them!!!!!! I will make these forever! Thank you Zuly!!!!

Ingredients you will need:

One can of Goya guava paste (Zuly says do not buy the one that says it has jelly. You can find this by the canned fruit, or by the Goya items)

One bag of frozen Goya empanada discs (They come in 10 in the frozen section. Only the ones made with flour, not corn)

One block of cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)

Canola or vegetable oil

1. Let the discs defrost in the fridge overnight. I took mine out of the fridge for a little bit in the morning to make sure they were defrosted.

2. Cut thin slices of the guava paste and place on one side of the disc. I folded mine then opened it so I could see the fold and where I wanted to put the guava and cream cheese. Then place slices of the cream cheese on top of the guava.

3. Fold your disc and all around the edges use a fork to press together. I also turned the disc over and pressed on the other side to make sure it was closed all the way.

4. Let your oil get nice and hot and then place about three empanadas in the pan depending on how big your pan is. Fry until golden.

5. Drain empanadas on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Let cool and enjoy! YOU...WILL...NOT...BE...DISAPPOINTED!

Oh, and by the way, you will have left over guava paste. Zuly says to store it in the refrigerator and that it lasts forever. I guess I will have to make more of these.

B.L.T. Pasta

2009-10-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

This week I made B.L.T. Pasta for my family. I get requests for this one all the time. I actually found this recipe years ago in Parents Magazine. Everyone loves it.

The only thing I change about it is that I make about 1/4 more of the dressing because it's not really enough.

B.L.T. Pasta

1 package (1 lb.) wagon-wheel pasta

1 package (1 lb.) thick-cut bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (I used the microwave

4 ripe plum tomatoes

3 cups sliced romaine lettuce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Add bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss mayonnaise mixture with pasta and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Boston Cream Pie Cake

2009-10-22T03:07:00.001-07:00

We always have two cakes for birthdays around here. Family rule. If we have a party with family and friends on the weekend, I make a cake. If the birthday falls during the week, we have another cake for that day.

So my son Jake turned 14 this past Tuesday on October 20th.

We needed another cake. Hmmmm. What to make....I decided on Boston Cream Pie. I've been looking for a good recipe for Boston Cream Pie, and haven't really found one I loved.

So I turned to the Cake Mix Doctor. Perfection! We all loved it and I will definately make it again.

Give it a try. You will love it too.

Filling:

2 cups milk

1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 T butter, melted

1 t vanilla

Cake:

1 18.25 oz plain butter recipe cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)

2/3 cup water

1 stick (8 T) butter, room temp

3 large eggs

Chocolate Glaze:

2 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips)

1 T butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

3 T milk

Prepare the filling:

Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the pudding mix. Blend with an electric mixer on medium low speed for 2 minutes, or until combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hr.

Place a rack in the center of a 350º oven. Lightly mist a 12 cup bundt pan with Pam, then dust with flour. Shake out excess.

Place the cake mix, water, butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 3-4 minutes more, scraping down the sides as needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Pour into pan and smooth out.

Bake until lightly browned and springs back when pressed with your finger, 33-35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Prepare the chocolate glaze. (I used the microwave) Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and cook until melted and smooth,3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.

Slice the cooled cake into 3 horizontal layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving platter and spread 1/2 of the pudding over it. Place the middle layer on top and spread with the remaining pudding. Place the top layer on top. Spoon glaze over the cake so that it falls down the sides and the middle of the cake.

Place the cake in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving. Store this cake in a cake server in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serves 16

My Girl Paula, Mini Mummies

2009-10-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula was Mini Mummies. The kids invited their cousins over to join in on the fun. We also made Halloween cookies, which I will blog about next.

We had lots of fun making mummies out of hotdogs. What a cute and easy recipe! If you would like to give it a try, I found it on Paula's site here.

My Girl Paula, Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

2009-10-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula recipe was Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle. I was really excited to try this recipe. I love pumpkin. I have made trifles before and they always come out good.

The recipe makes alot, so I drove over to my cousin's house and gave her a bowl of it too. We all liked it over here. I definately plan to make this one again.

If you would like to try this recipe, you can find it on Pg. 217 of The Lady and Sons, Too. Or you can find it here.

Tie One on August/September Submission

2009-09-29T05:58:00.001-07:00

I love aprons. I don't know why. I just do. I think they are so sweet and old-fashioned. Anyway, I wanted so badly to learn how to make them. So I made friends with my sewing machine. It took a couple of times before I got the hang of it, but I think I have it now.

Awhile back I came across this blog called Tie One On. The blog belongs to Amy Karol. She has written several sewing books which you can find here. Basically, Tie One On is about "aprons and making aprons" as Amy says in her blog. Every couple of months there is a new theme. You make an apron with that theme and send Amy an e-mail with a picture of your apron. Then she posts it to a Flickr Collection just for Tie One On. Everyone's aprons are pictured there to see.

So....the theme this time was plaid. I so wanted to make a Halloween apron so I tried (tried I said) to incorporate the plaid into it. My kids tell me it doesn't match, but I don't care. (Do you hear that kids? LOL)

If you are interested in making aprons too, take a visit to Tie One On. It's so much fun!!

My Girl Paula, Squash Casserole

2009-09-28T06:09:00.001-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula was Squash Casserole. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this recipe because I don't really make squash a whole lot. But.....I did. And....I could not stop eating it! And that is bad.

Everyone else liked it too. My husband, however, did not. He doesn't like squash. I will definately be making this recipe again.

I found a couple of recipes online for Paula's squash casserole, but none of them were the same as in the book. So if you would like to try it, and I think you should, here it is.

Squash Casserole

Serves 4

2 cups cooked mashed yellow squash
2 cups Ritz Cracker crumbs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or swiss
1 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Pinch of sugar
6 tablespoons of butter

Place the squash in a large bowl. Add the cracker crumbs, milk, cheese, and onion, and stir well. Stir in the eggs, salt, pepper, sugar, and butter, and pour into a greased 1-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

My Girl Paula, Corn Chive Pudding

2009-09-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Finally! This week's My Girl Paula recipe was corn chive pudding. I was really busy this past weekend so I didn't get a chance to make it until Monday. Sorry it's so late.

I found it pretty easy to put together. We all thought it was okay. I just think I got spoiled by Paula's Corn Casserole recipe with the jiffy corn bread mix. That is the bomb!

Anyway, it was okay for me. It was kind of like a quiche. If you would like to give it a try, take a visit here where I found the recipe online.

My Girl Paula Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

2009-09-14T04:48:00.001-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula recipe was Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. I was excited to make this recipe. It sure sounded good! So I enlisted my 3-year-old in baking this one. He LOVES to help me in the kitchen. He is the "big boy helper".

So being that you use a cake mix (I ALWAYS use Duncan Hines for those) and two boxes of pudding, it was pretty easy to make. As you can see in the pictures above, you mix everything by hand. It's a good thing I had my trusty little helper.

I used a pretty flower-shaped bundt pan to bake our cake in. But....I forgot to take a picture of the whole cake before I....um, err....I mean the kids got into it. So the finished picture isn't very exciting on the plate. I added a sugar glaze to my cake. I think it really added to it.

Everybody loved it!!!!

I could not find the recipe online, so I will post this one.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 package butter recipe cake mix

One 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

One 3.4 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 (1 stick) melted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6-ounces chocolate chips

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, water, and vanilla by hand. Stir in the cake mix and pudding mixes. Slowly add the butter and oil, and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cake plate. Sift confectioners' sugar over the cake, or drizzle chocolate sauce over it, if desired.

Butter Cookies

2009-09-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since I bought this book at the bookstore I have been dying to try this recipe. Even as a kid, I have always loved butter/shortbread cookies. I loved those danish butter cookies in the round blue tin. Those were my favorite.

So last night the little one and I decided to give these a try. They were pretty easy to get together. And they smelled yummy baking.

The verdict? Pretty good!

If you would like to give them a try, here's the recipe.

Butter Cookies

1 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Raw/turbinado sugar for coating

1. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour and, using your hands, gradually work it in until the mixture forms a smooth dough. Roll into a sausage shape about 12 inches long, then pat the sides flat to form either a square or triangular log.

2. Sprinkle a thick layer of raw/turbinado sugar on a piece of waxed paper. Press each side of the dough into the sugar to coat. Wrap and chill for about 30 minutes until firm. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325.

3. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Cut into thick slices and place slightly apart on non-stick baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes until just beginning to turn brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

My Girl Paula, Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2009-09-07T03:08:00.000-07:00

This week's My Girl Paula recipe was Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I'm first going to say, I love you Paula. HA HA. It was pretty simple to put together. The cream cheese part with the cool whip tasted pretty good. But.....I didn't love this one. SORRY!

I guess I'm just not a big fan of jello. This may be why. And in all fairness, I did use lowfat butter to make the pretzel crust. Maybe that had something to do with it.

If you like jello, take a visit here to try this recipe. It was posted on the Food Network site. Let me also tell you it had tons of reviews of people LOVING it. So maybe I'm the only one.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree by Giada De Laurentis

2009-09-06T01:24:00.000-07:00

My mom told me about this recipe the other day by Giada De Laurentis. She said it was healthy and delicious. So on Friday night she came over and we made it together. I do have to tell you, it is spicy!! So I would make it again, but I think I would leave out the red pepper flakes. I just don't like red pepper flakes.

It was really good with the pine nuts. It really gave it an extra something with the crunch of the nuts. It looked so pretty roasting in the oven and it gave the kitchen a nice aroma.

If you would like to give it a try, take a visit to the Food Network.