Grandma's Glazed Lemon Cake

Do you have a certain recipe that reminds you of a special time in your life? Where each and every time you have it you are transported back to that magical day when you first enjoyed it?

I do.

When we had each of our kids my Grandma made us a wonderful homemade dinner the night we came home from the hospital.
She spoiled us with a delicious swiss steak meal complete with rice, salad, vegs and usually some kind of fruit. She also sent along this cake. Each and every time I have it, it reminds me of the days we brought home our brand new fresh from heaven babes.

This cake reminds me of that special first day home. It reminds me of my grandma who showered her love on us by cooking us a special meal. It reminds me of family. Love. Joy.

Not only does it bring back wonderful memories it is honestly the most delicious lemon cake I have ever, EVER tasted. Chris has claimed it as his very-favorite-of-all-time cake. It is super light so you can practically eat the whole thing in one sitting. Which I may or may not have done when we brought Elliot home last feb.

Just sayin'.

Go ahead. Give it a try. I promise... you'll lovey, love, LOVE it.

Grandma's Glazed Lemon Cake

1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Cake mix
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 package of 4 serving Instant Lemon Pudding (you can skip this if you don't have it on hand, but it makes it sooooo much better :0)

Beat all together.
And that's it baby.
Crazy easy.

Next, you'll butter and flour your bundt pan.

Pour your batter into the pan.
Spread evenly with your spatula.
Hit the pan a few times on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 mins.

After you cake is out of the oven let it cool 10mins in the pan before removing. This will help keep the cake from sticking to the sides.



Glaze

Beat together 1 cup icing sugar and 2 tbsp milk or lemon juice. (I like to use just milk, I find the lemon juice makes it a bit too bitter)

Pour over top of cooled cake. If you put it on too soon it with melt and won't look as purdy... which you can see that I did and then let it cool and glazed it again ;-)

Enjoy friends!

A new tradition

Do you have a certain recipe that you just can't seem to master?
Mine is Hot Cross Buns.
(and banana bread. but that's a whole other tangent)
Anyways,
My mom made Hot Cross Buns every Good Friday.
It was tradition.
In fact I was talking with my grandma this morning and she said that her mom would make them for her when she was little. Then she started making them for my mom and aunt when they were little. And then my mom and aunt started making them for us when we were little.

I've tried making them for my little people.
Several times.
But
they just
never
EVER
turn out.
Boo!

Sadly this is not the year I get to celebrate victory over my hot cross buns battle.
I tried again today
and
failed.
Miserably.
I have no idea what my problem is.

It makes me sad.
IF my mom was still here I would call her and have her come over and make them with me.
Sigh.
Maybe she can show me in heaven's oven when we meet again...

So, after yet another failed attempt
I decided to try a new tradition.
(still won't give up on those hot cross buns, but figured i needed a little pick me up. I mean come on, the effort it takes to make homemade buns and then not have them turn out is just sad.)

So today, I also tried Challah Bread.

{….”In Jewish tradition, the three Sabbath meals and two holiday meals each begin with two complete loaves of bread. This “double loaf” commemorates the manna that fell from the heavens when the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years after the Exodus from Egypt. The manna did not fall on the Sabbath or holidays; instead, a double portion would fall the day before the holiday or sabbath. It is these hunks of bread, recognizable by their traditional braided style (although some more modern recipes are not braided) that are commonly referred to as challah.”"}

And it is gorgeous.
I was seriously giddy when I took them out of the oven.
I mean, look.

I know, right?!
I may or may not have taken the tray upstairs and woken Chris up from his little afternoon nap to show him what I accomplished.
Yippeeeeeeee!

And friends, it not only looks yummy, it tastes amazing.
So, so, soft.
It's just perfect.
And my house smells like a bakery.
Heaven.

So, today I suppose I CAN celebrate a victory in the kitchen.
A double portion of delicious bread.
Mmmmmm!

Challah Bread

{recipe from Your HomeBased Mom}

2 packages dry active yeast (about 4 1/2 tsp)

2 1/2 C warm water

6 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/3 C vegetable or canola oil

3 eggs plus white of one additional egg for glaze

6 1/2 to 8 1/2 C flour (add until dough is slightly sticky)

Glaze: 1 egg white {oops! i made mine with the yoke by accident!} mixed with 1 tsp cold water.

Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow yeast to proof (bubble) Add sugar, salt, oil eggs and flour in with yeast mixture and mix until slightly sticky. I do this in my Kitchen Aid. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Divide dough in half. Take each half and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and brain 3 ropes together on a greased cookie sheet. Place both braids on cookie sheet and allow to rise a second time for 30-60 minutes. Brush loaves with glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until bread is golden brown.

Peeps S'mores

Graham wafers.
Peeps.
Chocolate.
Be still my heart....

Just stack 'em up & pop in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Done and done.
Warning:
They are addicting.
Please don't hate me
:)
{recipe originally found here}

{BEST EVER} Broccoli Cheese Soup

Well friends, apparently it's still winter 'round these here parts. Tonight they are calling for MORE snow. Boo!
So, with the cold weather still dragggggggggging on I thought I'd share our family's favorite soup recipe.

When I make this for dinner there are never any leftovers. The kids devour it and Chris always has a smile on his face when he comes home smelling it simmering on the stove.

Not only does it taste amazing, but it is super easy. It's one of those meals that can be whipped up when you realize it's a 1/2 hour before dinnertime and you haven't even started yet...

Please tell me I'm not the only dinner procrastinator....
;)

Enjoy friends!

{BEST EVER} Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
3-5 cups broccoli {cut up}
2-3 cups grated cheese
bacon to garnish {optional}

Mix broth and milk on medium heat. Slowly add flour with a whisk to thicken. Continue to stir until boiling.

Add broccoli. Place lid on and cook for 10 minutes.

Add cheese and heat to combine.

Garnish with cheese or bacon.

Chocolate Banana Pie

I have officially dubbed this pregnancy the "chocolate" pregnancy.
Anything and everything chocolate makes me a very happy mama. So, the other day when my grandma was talking about this pie {that she has somehow been making for years and I had never heard of it 'till now!} I knew it was going to be in my fridge by the end of that day.

And it was.

I have no self control people.

I told you this was the "chocolate pregnancy" right?

Anyways, it did not disappoint. My girls even licked their plates clean :)


Wanna know how to make the easiest and yummiest pie ever?
It's three ingredients and will take you about 20 minutes to whip up.

Your welcome.

Chocolate Banana Pie

1 large bananas
1 box cook and serve chocolate pudding
1 pie crust- homemade (I use this awesome recipe) or store bought both work perfect

For store bought crust: cook according to package directions.

For Homemade: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pie crust into 9" pie plate. Flute edges. Prick with fork all over, about 40 times. Place piece of foil inside pie crust, lightly pressing around inside bottom edges of crust. Fill with dried beans. (The beans allow the pie crust to remain its shape.)
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove beans and foil. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Allow crust to cool.
Slice banana and place in the shell.

Make pudding according to package directions.


Pour over bananas.
Place in your fridge to set.
Top with whipping cream if desired!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Rainbow Pudding Pops

The other day we made Rainbow Pudding Pops.
They were so easy and the kids loved making them... the only drawback was hearing "are they ready yet?!" a gazillion times :)

Rainbow Pudding Pops
Make a box of instant vanilla pudding according to the directions on the box.
Separate pudding into small bowls.
Add red, green, blue, yellow and purple food coloring to each bowl to make fun colored pudding.
Spoon the different colored pudding into cups (next time I will definitely make them in smaller cups. These ones were way too big for my littles :)
Place a popsicle stick in the center.
Put them in freezer and wait until they set (we made them around noon and had to wait until the next day to eat them)
Enjoy!!!

Happy Summer!

Apple Crisp

There are certain recipes that have always intimidated me. Homemade breads & pies were at the top of that list. But coming up close behind was apple crisp.
I know. I know. Ridiculous. Because apple crisp is probably one of the easiest desserts you can make.
I guess I was afraid because I can remember my mom making it ALL the time, and it always being the hit of the party. I suppose living up to that intimidated me.

Well friends, I have determined this year to face all those "scary" recipes and just get over my silly fear and make 'em!
Last month I tackled Homemade Strawberry Pie (yum) and this time it was Apple Crisp.
And in case anyone was still wondering, let me tell you assure it really is crazy simple. And it turned out so yummy! I made it for Chris' birthday, and got the rave reviews from our family.

This is my mom's recipe. It was given to my grandma from her neighbor in 1952, so it is definitely tried and true.
But, since I like taking recipes and making them my own, I added oats and used brown and white sugar rather than just white.

Apple Crisp

4-6 apples (peeled and sliced)
cinnamon
sugar

Topping:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar (I made mine with 1 1/2 cups white sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/3 cup oats (optional)
1-2 tsp cinnamon

Grease a 9x13 pan. Add a little bit of water to the bottom of pan.
Place sliced apples in the pan. Here's a picture- I had to call my grandma and double check to see if I was suppose to slice or chop the apples :)

Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar.

Mix topping ingredients all together in a bowl (by hand)
Press over the apples and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 1/4 hours.
No need to cover.
(it will bubble a little and that's ok!)

Serve warm.
Top with ice cream and enjoy.

p.s I made a large pan but you can definitely 1/2 the recipe if you want to!

Do you have a recipe intimidation list?
If so, what's on it?

Chocolate Softies

Last week it rained. And rained. And then rained some more (and it's STILL raining, by the way. Ugh. Anyways...)
The girls and I were getting pretty bored, so we grabbed a cookbook and decided to try out a new recipe.
(loved doing that! so fun!)
We chose Company's Coming- Cookies and settled on "Chocolate Softies."


I am happy to report that the name does not mislead. These cookies turned out to be the softest cookies I think I've ever made. Ever. Like melt in your mouth soft. Mmmmm!
They were super yummy and perfect with a glass of milk.

Now, I realize that they don't look like much. Come on, be honest- you were thinking the same thing, right?!

They are fine just on their own...

But!
But!
BUT!!!

Here's where I get really excited!

If you want to get a bit fancier....you can!
Check it out:

Yahoo!
The recipe suggests adding a little icing.
Because if a chocolate cookie needs anything it's chocolate icing-right?
So we did.

But then I thought it needed a little something more. Sprinkles maybe? Chocolate curls? Hmmmm.....Then it hit me- Berries!!!
Yes!
:)

The icing certainly jumps up the sweetness factor and is {in my humble opinion} totally worth the extra effort.
And the berries just make them oh so pretty. It is all about the presentation, isn't it?

They are so easy and are definitely a new family favorite!
Now go make these asap. And then tell me how awesome I am for sharing them with you ;)

Chocolate Softies
(adapted from Company's Coming- Cookies)
1/2 butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup melted chocolate chips
1/3 cup sour milk (to sour milk mix 1/3 cup milk with 1/3 tbsp vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Melt chocolate chips.
Mix first 6 ingredients well. (I used a hand mixer)
Beat in remaining ingredients.
Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Simple Chocolate Icing
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
6 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Beat slowly.
Add more milk or icing sugar as needed.

Congo Bars

Do you like brownies?

And chocolate chip cookies?
Mmmmmm.
Me too.

Well my friend, today you've come to the right place.
These yummy Congo Bars are the perfect marriage of the two.
They taste like chocolate chip cookies but are soft and chewy just like brownies.

Be careful though, if you're like me and lack a little thing called self-control.
You'll definitely need a plan before you make these.
A plan for who's house you will be delivering these yummy bars too.
Otherwise you'll find yourself eating them all!
Beware.
They are addictive.
But oh so worth it.
Even if you just save one or two (or 10) for yourself :)

Congo Bars
(recipe from Bakerella - if you haven't ever been to her site you need to. She is amazing. Really, really AMAZING.)

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar (Oh my and thank you!) {I figured out that this works out to 2 1/3 cups}
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips {roughly 1 1/2 cups}
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

By mixer:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Stir in chips and then pecans.

By hand:

{This is the way I chose to do it and they turned out super yummy!}

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe and I am so excited about this one!

Today I made two things in the kitchen that I have NEVER made before and had to share them with you because they are just so easy to make and way to yummy to keep to myself!

Homemade pie crust-check

Fresh strawberry pie- check

You should have seen me smiling away at myself for accomplishing these two culinary feats :)
I have no idea why I was so intimidated to make a homemade pie- it's silly really.
Because people I promise you both these recipes are SO easy and SO yummy!

So, if you've never attempted a homemade pie crust or made a strawberry pie. You need to. You'll feel so proud. Really and truly. You just need to. Don't be scared like I was. It will turn out great. I promise!
And your family will smile and tell you what an awesome cook you are. My kids literally licked their plates clean :)

Because this pie filling is beyond words. Seriously. While making it, the girls and I happily devoured spoonful after spoonful before I had to exercise some self control to stop us from eating the entire filling before we got any into the actual pie!
I'm definitely planning to make another batch to use on top of pancakes and ice cream. Yum!

We used Sarah's step by step tutorial for this a-MAZ-ing fresh strawberry pie as well as her awesome step by step instructions for this yummy homemade pie crust. (note: I made my crust using a pastry cuter (because sadly I don't have a food processor) but it still turned out perfect! I was actually shocked because typically breads/pastries and I don't get along :)

Ok, now get yourself into that kitchen and whip one up for your family!

Fresh Strawberry Pie
(Short Stop's recipe)

1 quart (about 2 pounds) fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
juice of 1/2 lemon (I used lemon juice 'cuz that's all I had- worked great!)
1 unbaked pie crust
1/2 cup whipping cream, optional

Wash strawberries and hull (removing the green tops and core). Chop 1/2 of the berries with into small pieces or process in food processor.

Place chopped berries into a sauce pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to pan with crushed berries. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Cut remaining strawberries into halves and mix with the cooked mixture.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pie crust into 9" or 10" pie plate. Flute edges. Prick with fork all over, about 40 times. Place piece of foil inside pie crust, lightly pressing around inside bottom edges of crust. Fill with dried beans. (The beans allow the pie crust to remain its shape.)

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove beans and foil. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Pour strawberry mixture into baked pie shell. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours, or until pie is set. Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.

Easter Fun

Easter is just around the corner and I have three very excited little bunnies!
To celebrate we have been getting a little crafty around here...
Today we made Easter Nest Eggs.

They are super duper easy to make!
Just make a batch of Rice Krispie Squares.
Line a muffin tin with wax paper.
Place a heaping spoonful of Rice Krispies in each muffin cup and press down in the middle to form a nest. (I used wax paper with a little bit of butter to help press down the middle- it really helps with the stickiness factor)

Now, melt a package of butterscotch chips in a glass (heat safe) bowl over boiling water.
Put a little in each nest (this acts as the glue to keep the eggs in place)
Next comes the really fun part- decorate your cute little nests with eggs (jellybeans!) Just remember the rule....one in your mouth, one in the nest....Ha!
:)
Easy, fun, yummy.

(p.s you can also make a chocolate version- instead of making the traditional rice krispie squares with marshmallows, mix cereal with melted chocolate chips. You can also melt chocolate chips instead of butterscotch chips for the inside)

We also made this cute little egg wreath for our front door.
So happy. So spring-y.

Using this awesome tutorial.

And finally, these cute little eggs. Normally we do the traditional painting the boiled eggs thing, but this year we decided to try something new. These are plastic eggs covered in tiny strips of masking tape (the kids LOVED that part) and then painted.
We used this tutorial (when you click on the video, the tutorial is at the end of the video at- 12:24)

Yippee for Easter!
:)

Vegetable Beef Soup

There is something about soup and cold weather that just go together.
This winter we have enjoyed many different soups and since, sadly, our winter season isn't quite over yet I thought I'd share another one with you.

I love making soup. I love the way the whole house seems to come alive with the yummy smells simmering from the stove. I love that you can throw in just about anything and that it'll just get richer and richer as it cooks.

I found this new soup recipe over the weekend and decided to give it a try since I had everything I needed (which was very exciting since a grocery trip to the store wasn't looking too appealing with the forecast of snow)....or so I thought.
Turns out my memory wasn't as good as I thought and we didn't have all the necessary ingredients. Oh well, I had to make a few changes but in the end I think it worked out great.
(p.s the weatherman was wrong and although it FELT like snow, we didn't get any! Yippee- I'm so over the snow.)

Anyways....
Try this soup, it's super easy and delicious!

Vegetable Beef Soup
(inspired by SnowWhite)

1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cups quartered baby potatoes
4 stalks celery
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups cooked beef (I used leftover roast beef that I had in the freezer. It was chopped bite size and perfect for soup!)
1-2 cups frozen, mixed vegetables
1 24oz can crushed tomatoes
6-8 cups beef broth
basil, onion powder, salt, thyme & sea salt mix- to taste (I used about 1 tsp each)
dash of pepper

Heat broth and crushed tomatoes over med-high heat.
Add onion, potatoes, celery and carrots.
Boil for 10-15 minutes until vegetables begin to tenderize.
Add beef, spices and frozen mixed vegs.
Reduce heat and simmer, for as long as desired.

(I only let ours simmer about 20 minutes. Chris likes having the vegetables a bit on the crunchy side)

Grandpa's Specialty

I am about to share with you the best snack ever.
Ever.
Growing up, these were Grandpa's specialty.
He would make them for us as a special treat whenever we were visiting.
I can easily remember him standing at the table making them for us as we sat excitedly, hoping to get the first plateful.

Today I made them for my kids for the very first time because, well, I FINALLY found an ice cream that didn't have the "may contain nuts" warning.
Woohoo!
I smiled as I watched my three little munchkins sit excitedly, hoping to get the first plateful!
:)

Ok, so here are the ingredients:
Two simple ingredients.

Ice cream and soda crackers.

That's it.
Mmmmm. Crazy good combo.

And all you do is spread some ice cream over the crackers,

and make yummy ice cream cracker sandwiches.
So easy. So delicious.
The perfect balance of salt and sugar...

Trust me they are delicious.

When I first told Chris I was going to make these he wasn't convinced that they would be any good, but seriously, they are soooooo yummy, especially if you let them sit for a couple minutes and can squeeze the ice cream out the sides while you quickly try to lick them up. Yum-O!
See, they provide a yummy snack and entertainment!

Ok, now (if these are new to you) go try them and tell me what you think....
Are they not the best kept secret or what?!

Pulled Pork Sandwich

One of my favorite meals to make is beef on a bun.
I love making it because it requires very little effort and is always a crowd pleaser.

I have tried many different recipes. Too many to count really and they have all been good.... but people, I am here to say, I have finally found the mother of all recipes. It is really and truly the best we've ever tried! Thanks so much for sharing it Christina!

Now, I always make my 'beef on a bun' meal with, you guessed it- beef! Chris' dad is a hunter and we are so blessed to always have a freezer full of yummy game meat.
So this was my first attempt at using a pork roast and I have to say it turned out soooooooo yummy!

Whether your family prefers beef or pork, try this one.
I promise, if you like meat, you will LOVE it!


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
(adapted from The Spicy Morsel and Dinner with Julie)

1- 2 to 3 lb pork roast
salt and pepper
herbamare sea salt mix (this is just a mix of organic herbs and vegetables, optional)
canola or olive oil
1 large onion
2 carrots, chopped (no need to peal them)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup beef broth ( you can also use a bottle of beer, juice, cider or root beer)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups BBQ sauce
soft buns

Season the pork on all sides with salt, pepper and sea salt mix. Pour oil in skillet and heat over med-high. Place meat in skillet and brown on all sides.
Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Add vegetables to the pan and cook for a few minutes, until starting to turn golden. (you can skip this step and just throw everything right in the slow cooker, but this part adds SO MUCH FLAVOR!)

Put the vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker, and top with the pork. Pour some of the broth into the skillet, and swirl around, scraping up any yummy browned bits stuck to the bottom, pour into slow cooker.
Pour the rest of the broth and all the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the meat and set aside. Strain the vegetables and discard. Keep the sauce and return the pork to the slow cooker. Shred with a fork.

Load onto soft buns.
Mmmmmm!

Valentines Brownie Bites

This morning the girls and I spent some time
together in our kitchen.


They were great little helpers...
especially when it came time to lick the spoon :)

After whipping up a quick batch of brownie bites,
(they were such a hit at Christmas, we just had to try them again!)
we (I) piped on some yummy white icing,

I think they look so pretty just like that but we
decided to add a few sprinkles,

And topped them off with
hearts and kisses!


Easy and Delicious!

Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Brownie Bites- Valentine Style!
(recipe from Short Stop)

One (9x13") box brownie mix, prepared
1 cup sour cream (I used a little less maybe 3/4 cup)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate kisses)
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chocolate frosting

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Stir in sour cream.

Pour chocolate chips and flour into a small bowl. Toss chocolate chips and flour. (This will keep the chocolate chips from falling to the bottom.) Add chocolate chips to brownie batter.

Grease mini muffin tins or line with mini-muffin liners.
Fill tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

Fill frosting bag or sandwich baggie with frosting. Pipe frosting in swirls onto brownies.

Veggie Chili and Yummy {egg-free} Cornbread

This chili is sooooo good.
To get my husband to enjoy a meal that doesn't have meat in it is a real challenge, and this one did just that :)
And a big bonus- even after eating leftovers the next day I was still able to freeze two full family meals. Love that.

Now, for the record I was afraid of the corn bread.
For some reason making cornbread has always intimidated me. (I even had to ask a lady at the grocery store where to find the cornmeal. Ha!)
I have no idea what my problem was. It wasn't even that hard, but boy do I feel accomplished now!
:)
Jenni you are so awesome, thanks again for the wonderful recipes!

I had to improvise just a little because, sadly, I don't own a dutch oven. Tear.
Instead I used my slow cooker and thankfully it still turned out great!

Vegetarian Chili
(slightly adapted from Swimming in Sugar and Spice)

1 chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 12-oz bottle of beer ( I used beef broth, because that's all I had in the pantry)
1 cup water
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
8 oz pizza sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sea salt mix (just a blend of various spices that I use in everything. It's totally optional, but adds yummy flavor)
3 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups whole kernel corn (fresh or frozen)
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 cup carrots
Shredded Mexi-blend cheese for topping (optional)

In a large skillet cook green pepper, onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally.
Place in the bottom of slow cooker.
Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, water, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, sea salt mix, beans, corn, carrot, and zucchini.

Cook on low for about 6-7 hours.
If desired, top each serving with cheese.


Egg-free Cornbread
(from Swimming in Sugar and Spice)

1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9-inch square baking dish and set aside.
Combine milk and vinegar, and let stand.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the milk mixture and the oil to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chicken in a Shell

This is another one of Grandma's recipes.
She says that it is the perfect meal to serve if you have company coming for lunch, because you can make it ahead and then just heat it up when you want to eat.....

But I'm not usually that fancy.

If you are coming to my house for lunch you'll likely get a sandwich. Or maybe (if you catch me on a good day) soup and grilled cheese.
And if you are family and I'm not trying to impress you, you'll probably get Kraft dinner or Alphagetti!
Ha! (the sad part is I'm not kidding.)

I am, however, willing to make a little more of an effort at dinner time...
:)
Last week I made a roasted chicken and used the leftover chicken to make this meal for dinner a couple nights later.
Yum!

Oh, and p.s: Our littlest happily ate this meal, without even noticing that there was chicken in it. I guess she isn't a true vegetarian after all... now if only we could get her to eat meat when it isn't hidden in a yummy sauce...

Chicken in a Shell

8 puff pastry shells (croissants)
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
10 oz can drained sliced mushrooms
1 small chopped red pepper

Filling:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4 flour
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
3 cups milk

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add carrots. Saute until soft and cooked. Do not brown.
Sprinkle flour, bouillon powder, salt, pepper and onion powder over carrots. Mix in.
Add milk stirring until it boils and thickens.
Add chicken, mushrooms and red pepper. Heat through.
Spoon into and over -if you are like my son and LOVE the filling!!
Serves 4.
(p.s from my grandma- filling freezes well!)

Balsamic Pork Roast

I am not a fan of pork.
Pork chops are probably my least favorite meal.

But this pork..... this pork is heavenly.
So moist .
So tasty (even when it's a bit burnt..... which in all honesty makes it even better in my opinion.)

Chris loves it. I love it. The kids love it (well except for our baby girl who seems to be turning into a vegetarian as of late. The child refuses to eat meat. What's up with that?! It's just a stage....right?!)

Anyways, back to the pork.
This roast is probably one of my favorite meals. And hooray for me they were on sale- buy one get one free, so, naturally I bought a two pack and ended up with four. I now have three lovely pork roasts waiting in my freezer (and they were only $5 each!)


Balsamic Pork Roast
(adapted from Your Homebased Mom)

1 Pork Roast
4 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves of garlic (chopped)
coarse salt
pepper
1/2-1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp sea salt mix ( this is just a mix of various spices I bought from the health food store, I use it in everything.... you can also substitute with a steak spice if you want)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Put tenderloin on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
Cut small slits into meat and disperse chunks of chopped garlic into meat.
Coat roast with balsamic vinegar and rub into meat. Drizzle with olive oil to coat.
Combine all your spices to make a rub. Rub into meat.

Roast in oven for about 45 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Let meat rest for 10 minutes before carving.
And try not to steal a taste before you serve :)

p.s. Sorry for the blurry picture. I am still trying to figure out my new camera. I was a little late getting dinner on the table...cough 6:45 cough... (oh, and the kids normally go to bed at 7pm) and my family didn't want to wait to eat in order for me to play around with the camera settings. The nerve.
:D

Fancy White Chocolate Popcorn

One of my goals for 2010 is to be more present.

More present for my husband.
For my children.
And for me.

One of the ways I want to accomplish that last one is to find time to do the things I love.
Naptime is the perfect time to do that.
I have resolved to try and do something for ME during those two blessed hours, whether it's sewing, crafting, baking, reading, blogging, napping ect.

And so today as the girls slept I found myself in the kitchen staring at my pantry, wondering what to create out of the ingredients I had on hand.
And then it hit me.

Popcorn.
I {heart} popcorn.
But more than just regular ol' popcorn I {heart) fancy popcorn.
The way I normally fancy my popcorn is by putting smarties in it.
Yup, we're pretty fancy around here.
Truly though, smarties are SO good in popcorn. Especially when you put them in right away while the popcorn is still hot and so the smarties melt a bit. Mmmmmm.....

Annnnyways,

Today I got the bright idea to fancy it up even more and add some melted white chocolate to it.

Oh.Sweet.Mercy.
Come to mama.
This is the best popcorn evvvvvvver!

It was so easy, and SO worth the extra effort!

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn (you can pop your own but I wanted to eat this right away!)
2- 225g white chocolate chips (or whatever white chocolate you have, I just had the chip in my pantry)
Lots of Smarties (I used a bunch of the mini ones from Halloween)

Pop popcorn and put in a large bowl.
Add smarties, mix well.
Melt chocolate in a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Pour chocolate over popcorn.
Stir it all up.
Pour onto wax paper on the counter to cool.

Ok.
Now, go make some.
Or, if you live close by, come on over- quick!
Before I eat the whole thing!
:D

Sharing the Pumpkin Love

A few weeks ago I went over to my friend Christina's house for a morning visit. Our kids played together and Christina and I had some much needed (at least for me) adult conversation.

One of the many things I love about Christina is her food. Seriously. The girl knows how to cook AND bake!
So, when I showed up at her house and she had these muffins fresh from the oven I knew I was in for a treat. They are so moist and so full of flavor I can hardly stand it. Truthfully, in the past I have not been a huge pumpkin fan, but these muffins have converted me. I now {heart} pumpkin!!

Christina was kind enough to share her recipe with me and so I wanted to do the same and share it with you. I just made them this past week and they are almost all gone! The kids love them and Chris and I can't get enough of them!

Now, go make yourself a batch!

Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

(from the Canadian Kinette Cookery Cookbook)

Here is a DELICIOUS pumpkin Muffin recipe, especially for fall!
It make 36 muffins!!!

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups cooking oil (I used canola)
1 (14oz) can of pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups raisins

In bowl beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, oil and pumpkin and beat thoroughly. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth and then stir in raisins. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for approximately 15 minutes. Test with toothpicks.

Side Note: I added an extra 1-2 tbsp of cinnamon which was wonderful. Also, next time I will try substituting some of the flour for whole wheat (I think it would not only make them more healthy but add to the wonderful nutty flavor of the muffin). Lastly, for a special treat these would be amazing with a cream cheese icing on top!