No Bake Chocolate & Nutter Butter Ice Box Cake

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Angie

No Bake Choc & PB Ice Box CakeNo Bake

I won major brownie points with the husband on this one and I knew I would the moment I saw the recipe. This is right up his alley of preferred cool, creamy desserts. It’s the perfect trifecta: very good, very easy, and very filling. I knew I hit the nail on the head when he said, “I have to take this to work to share with the guys because if I don’t, I’ll eat the whole thing.”

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. Nutter Butter Cookies
  • 2 small (3.4oz) boxes of Chocolate/ Chocolate Fudge cook & serve pudding
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 8oz. container of Cool Whip, thawed
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the boxes of chocolate pudding, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and stir constantly over medium heat until mixture softly boils. Remove from heat and set aside. In a 9×9 dish, spoon a 1/3 of the pudding onto the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of Nutter Butter cookies, top with another 1/3 of the pudding, top with cookies and add the final 1/3 of the pudding. Let sit on counter for 30 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight. Just prior to serving, cover with the Cool Whip and drizzle with melted peanut butter.

Source: http://www.southyourmouth.com/2015/08/chocolate-nutter-butter-icebox-cake.html#more

Posted in Desserts, No-bake | 1 Comment

Amaretto Pound Cake

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Angie

Amaretto pound cake

I have a flash drive and one of the folders in it contains endless recipes that I think sound good, that someone in my family would like, that I want to try, and so on and so forth. Some of the recipes have been in there for years; always with the intention that someday I will make it. I finally got around to making one of them. I was especially ambitious because I thought what a fantastic idea it would be to buy a mini bundt pan and turn what would be one big cake into lots of minis except then I filled the mini pans too full so they were more like great big cupcakes because there was no hole in the middle. Also, despite greasing the pan with what I thought was well enough, turned out not to be so great, either. Translation: I struggle sometimes. Aside from aesthetics, these were still pretty tasty and the mistakes were somewhat hid by strategically placed strawberries. Had I had some fresh whipped cream, these would have made for some super cute shortcakes.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup Amarretto
  • 1 cup milk at room temperature

Preparation:

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in Amaretto. Add milk and flour, alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. In a full size pan bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, but begin to check at 1 hour and 10 minutes. In a mini bundt pan, bake for 20-25 min. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting on a platter.

 

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Freezable Breakfast Sandwiches

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Angie

Breakfast Sandwiches

Effective today, I have a high school freshman. I remember being a freshman in high school! I also distinctly remember sitting with friends in the upstairs part of the cafeteria just before Christmas break and discussing how the approaching New Year of 1990 would be a decade filled with probable major life events: high school graduation, college, careers, marriage, and maybe even kids. And, it was all of these things and so many more. And, now, my oldest is right where I so clearly remember being: my whole life before me. Nostalgia, at its finest.

This year, Bri has to be up before the crack of dawn. She catches the bus shortly after 6 and is in class by 7am. Mornings are no longer for easing into: it’s up by 5:30, dressed and ready to go and at the bus stop by 6:20. Breakfast will not be on her mind, nor will she have time to prep, so this weekend, with her by my side, I instructed her on how to make freezable breakfast sandwiches. We had a good time and laughed together. And maybe, just maybe, I made a breakfast sandwich talk so we laughed some more.

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages of English muffins, toasted (12 total)
  • a dozen eggs
  • splash of milk
  • freshly ground, S&P
  • cheddar cheese slices
  • black forest ham slices

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and spray with non-stick spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add a splash of milk and season with S&P. Distributing evenly amongst the muffin tins, pour the eggs into each liner. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until set. While the eggs were baking, Bri was toasting the English Muffins. We set up an assembly line of sorts: muffins, cheese slices, ham slices, and when the eggs were done and removed from the liners, we put it all together. We wrapped each individually, before placing them in a gallon size bag, and putting the bag in the freezer. This morning, she took one out and microwaved it for a minute and 30 seconds. Hot breakfast sandwich done!

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Cherry Tomato Salad

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Angie

Cherry Tomato Salad

Remember the days when the only way to obtain a recipe was to get it from a friend or family member, buy a cookbook, or subscribe to some sort of cooking magazine? This, my friends, was one of those recipes. It’s been 13 years since I made this recipe one time, loved it, then got pregnant with Leah and promptly hated it or couldn’t tolerate it & instead craved a hot dog which I hadn’t had in years (gross, I know!), and subsequently tossed out the Taste of Home magazine I’d originally found it in.  To say I was excited when I stumbled across it online is an understatement. I’ve thought about this recipe for years. It’s so simple and refreshing. Reunited and it feels (tastes) so good!

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsps. vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1-2 tsps. minced fresh basil
  • 1-2 tsps. minced fresh oregano

Preparation:

Place tomatoes in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar until emulsified. Stir in fresh herbs. Pour over tomatoes; gently stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Posted in Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Cheesey Poppy Seed Bread

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Angie

Cheesy poppy seed bread

I’ve had this bread on my mind for a while. It’s something I’ve only made a handful of times and it makes for a dense, albeit very flavorful side. When I committed to making it, I knew I would pair it with something light.  As a result, for dinner last night we had Fattoush Salad with Chicken and a slice, or two, of this ooey-gooey bread.

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf of bread (Italian, French, or Sourdough)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 1/2 tsps. poppy seeds
  • 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread, without cutting all the way through. Between the slices, insert the cheese. Mix the butter, onion, and poppy seeds together and pour all over the bread. Wrap the bread with aluminum foil, cover the top of the bread lightly. Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the top and sides of the bread and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly and finish cutting all the way through.

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Angie

Pan o' chicken enchiladasplate o' chicken enchiladas

A number of years ago, the title of this recipe would have been Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, and that’s the beauty of Greek yogurt, it’s completely interchangeable with sour cream. So, if Greek yogurt is just not your thing, that’s okay you can sub it with sour cream. This is one of those easy breezy meals. Quick, tasty, flavorful, and not very specific: a scoop of this, a bit of this, and a dash of that.

Ingredients:

  • flour tortillas
  • cooked and shredded chicken (or leftover rotisserie chicken)
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 small jar of salsa
  • cumin
  • S&P
  • Colby jack cheese
  • cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray; set aside. In a large bowl, add the chicken, and a few large spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, enough that when you mix it into the chicken, it’s moist, but not swimming in it, unless of course, that’s your thing. Add 1/2 or a 1/3 of the jar of salsa, or even the whole jar. Season with a teaspoon or so of cumin, and add in the S&P. Mix in some chopped cilantro. Stir thoroughly.

Distribute chicken mix amongst the tortillas. Roll and place seam side down. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle additional cilantro as a garnish.

Posted in Chicken, Mexican | Leave a comment

Classic Sugar Cookies

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Angie

Sugar cookies

There are times when simplicity is welcomed. That’s what these cookies are: no glam, no glitz, just classic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. crème of tartar
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. butter flavoring
  • 4 1/2 – 5 cups flour

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, sugars, and oil. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract and butter flavoring. Whisk together the dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Round into balls, roll in sugar, and flatten with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

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Zucchini Bread with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Angie

Zucchini loafSlice of zucchini

Sometimes chocolate chunks make everything just a little bit better.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:

  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted & cooled
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsps. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 package dark chocolate chunks (1/2 package if you don’t want as much chocolate)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a standard size loaf pan. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy and then add in the yogurt, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in the zucchini and then add in the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Add in the chocolate chunks. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for approximately 90 minutes, and due to variance in ovens, I’d recommend you start checking at 60 minutes and do the toothpick test. Bake in additional 10 minute increments, as needed. Once done, remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

Posted in Bread/ Muffins | Leave a comment

Blueberry Yum-Yum

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Angie

Slice of blueberryFork of blueberry

Yes, because it’s that yummy. This recipe is from a former coworker who would make this for all our work luncheons. It’s been years since I’ve had it and decided to make it for my own work potluck, so I pulled it from the recipe archives, and as memory served, it was a big hit with many requesting the recipe. In fact, when I retrieved the pan from the refrigerator to take home, several people had already set aside portions for later. There was just enough left over for me to slice up, snap a picture of it, and of course, enjoy one last serving.

Ingredients

For the crust (the best nut crust ever!):

  • 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
  • 3/4 cups butter, melted
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/2 brown sugar, packed

For the filling:

  • 8oz cream cheese, softened
  • 12oz. Cool Whip, thawed
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

For the topping:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp. corn starch
  • 4 cups blueberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9×13 pan with spray; set aside. Crumble together the crust ingredients and press into pan. bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat together the cream cheese, Cool Whip, and powdered sugar. Add to the cooled crust and place in refrigerator.

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and cornstarch, add the water and stir until there are no lumps. Add the blueberries and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, for the sauce to thicken; occasionally stir to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool before adding to the top of the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.  

 

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Toasted Coconut Cream Cake

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Angie

Toasted Coconut Cream CakeSlice of cake

My dad’s birthday was last week and when I saw this recipe, I knew I’d make it for him. It’s very coconut-y and surprisingly intense and rich. Well worth it.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cream of coconut (found by the drink mixer section of the grocery store)
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. coconut extract
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. coconut extract
  • 1 bag powdered sugar
  • milk, as needed

Toasted coconut:

  • 1/2 bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Preparation:

For the cake:

Grease, line with parchment paper, grease and flour 2 9 inch round pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Separate eggs, set whites aside. Beat the butter, sugar, egg yolks, and cream of coconut until light and fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the creamed mixture on low speed alternating with the buttermilk and coconut extract. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter, incorporating fully. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean, adding 5-10 minute increments as needed. Transfer to a cooling rack and poke holes (not all the way through) throughout the cake and drizzle remaining cream of coconut , approximately a 1/2 cup. After the cakes cool, transfer to the freezer for overnight.

Remove the cakes from the freezer. Prepare the frosting, beating together the butter, cream cheese, coconut extract and powdered sugar using milk, as needed, to achieve desired consistency. Add frosting between the two layers and frost all the way around the cake.

To toast the coconut, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread out the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring and tossing halfway through. Add to the tops and sides of the cake, pressing in gently to secure.

Allow the cake to rest for an hour or so, to thaw, before serving.

Source: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/coconut-cream-cake-with-coconut-cream.html

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