Black Forest Trifle

Sooooooooooooooo good! That is how I would describe this dessert! I have certainly been in the kitchen for this one....but not long! I made this for our small groups meeting last night and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved how it looked (see, presentation means a lot!) and even better how it tasted! Go ahead and give it a try!!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

What I used:
1 cake mix
1 large carton of whipped topping
1 can cherry pie filling (really you can use any!)
1 package sandwich cookies (crushed)

Bake up the cake according to directions. Once done allow it to cool a few minutes, cut cake into small pieces and place in the bottom of trifle bowl. Put half the can of pie filling around the edges, then whipped topping then your crushed cookies. Repeat layer again, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve! Not hard at all but looks like you spent a long time on it :)

Bruschetta Chicken

A fancy name for an easy dish! We had a busy afternoon yesterday and by the time I got home and got around to starting dinner it was around 5. From start to finish I had an entire meal ready by 5:45 and it took hardly any time at all. The chicken was esp. easy! Once you take a bite into this delicate piece of meat your mouth will be rewarded with wonderful flavors you will not soon forget!

(If you have the Taste of Home cookbook this recipe is in there)

What I used:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp. flour
1 egg (whisked)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I used Italian)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter (melted)
1 tomato cut up
dash of basil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
dash of salt

Roll the chicken in the flour to coat, then dip in egg and place in greased baking dish. Take the bread crumbs, p-cheese & butter and mix together to make it crumbly. Then sprinkle over chicken to coat it. Cover loosely and bake for 20 min. at 375. In the meantime mix together the tomato, basil, salt and oil. Remove foil on chicken spoon the tomato mixture onto chicken and cook for about 6 min. longer. Tastes fabulous!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Goulosh anyone?

I first have to say thank you to Ginny for making the bread recipe posted below and sending me a picture of it! Now I am craving it! Guess I need to get back in the kitchen and make my own!! (Picture courtesy of Ginny)


Today's recipe is Goulash. Now there are MANY different things you can do to this recipe and not ruin it! It is a great first recipe for younger people wanting to learn how to cook because I don't think it is possible to ruin this! It is pretty tasty and simple, two things we enjoy!

What I used:

Penne Pasta (enough for your family size)
1/2 can of spaghetti sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
One link of Kielbasa
1 can of mushrooms
A sprinkling of coriander
Small amount of grated cheese
Dash of parsley

Get your water to a raging boil and dump your pasta in. Stir every now and then so it doesn't stick. In the meantime get your kielbasa chopped up and into a skillet to brown in it up. Add both sauces, mushrooms and coriander. Let it come to a boil then simmer on low until pasta is done and sauce is heated through. Drain pasta and either add to sauce or serve up separately.

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole is a great stand by or a quick meal if you had nothing planned. We used to have this on Wednesday nights for a while when I was growing up. Wednesdays were always sort of in a rush so this was pretty quick for my mom. There are not many ingredients and it can be made up in about 20 minutes!

What I used:

1 can tuna (in water)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
about 1 cup of milk (enough to make it a little soupy when you stir it together)
About 2-3 cups pasta (depending on your family size...I never measure....)
Enough water to boil pasta (I never measure.....)
Grated cheese of your choice
Parsley

Get your water to a raging boil then add pasta of your choice, I used elbow noodles. Boil until they are tender. In the meantime get your tuna, cream of mushroom soup and milk in a bowl and mix well together until a tad soupy. Once your pasta is tender drain it and add to the soup mix. Top with cheese, pop it in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Top with parsley and batabing, you have a meal!

From our table to yours....bon appetite!

SUPER quick and easy!

Alright people, I know I have told you all before about easy recipes, but this one has got to top them all! I started out using a Taste of Home recipe but then started doing my own thing! This meal tasted so wonderful! It had a sweet taste to it and just melted in your mouth!

What I used:

7 chicken legs
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 minced garlic
pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 350. Take a normal baking dish, a 9x13 would work. Place your minced garlic on the bottom. Put your chicken in your dish then mix up your ketchup, syrup, mustard, vinegar and salt and poor over chicken. Place in oven for 1 hr. and baste chicken every now and then turning chicken pieces over every once in a while. Tastes delicious!

Dutch Apple Pie

Well, the plan was to make the delicious sounding Apple Pie that Ginny shared with us a few days ago, however, the company we were going to have today ended up having to re-schedule until next weekend. So I will be attempting that one hopefully next week! So, I went ahead and flipped through my Taste of Home Baking Book and found one fabulous recipe for Dutch Apple Pie! Our house is full of wonderful smelling goodness right now! Here's the recipe, but if you have the book the pg. number is 208.

Pie Crust:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
4-5 tbsp. cold water

In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs. Gradually add the water, tossing with a fork until ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or until easy to handle.

Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. (once it is in the pie plate you can decide how you want your edges trimmed and what you want them to look like.)

Pie ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
2tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chopped peeled tart apples (about 3 med. apples)
Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cold butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg, vanilla and sour cream until smooth. Add apples; mix well. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375 for 15 min. Reduce hat to 325; bake for 30 min.
2. For topping, combine flour and sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over pie; bake 20 min. longer or until filling is bubble and topping is browned. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or chilled. Store in fridge.

Delicious!

Out of the Kitchen!

Ok, so I never got around to making that pie like I wanted to today....been really busy. But I shall tomorrow! Plus, my hubby and I always go out on a date Friday nights so....I don't cook! But stay tuned...tomorrow is going to be DELICIOUS! In the meantime I encourage you to check out the link I have posted over here on the right! The one that says Baby Cakes. It is a link to a childhood friend of Chad's, she makes diaper cakes that are so adorable and would be a PERFECT baby shower gift! So check it out!

Helpful Hints

Are you someone that enjoys finding new and creative ways of saving your family money? One helpful thing you can do if you have a little one at home is to make your own baby food! It really does not take much time but it saves a ton of money! I never really knew just HOW much money it saved until I was at the check out line and the lady in front of me was buying up a ton of baby food for her little tyke for the week. WOW! Then and there I decided that I would continue to make my own! It is so simple and and you make up several containers for the week or weeks and keep them in the fridge or freeze them! I have started with veggies for our little one and just cooked them up first then tossed 'em in the blender and went to town! I made an entire weeks worth of meals for her in about 10 min! You can also take leftovers of whatever you have made that night (as long as it will be gentle on baby's tummy) and toss that in the blender as well! Quick easy and hassle free!

Pepper Jack Creamy Chicken

Talk about easy! If you are looking for a meal you can just simply breeze through give this one your best shot! It is delicious and you can change it all up any way you like!

What I used:
3 chicken thighs (bone in)
One can pepper jack soup
One cup of broccoli (this is where you can add anything, peas, carrots, peppers whatever)
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of milk
1 tsp. of chili powder

Mix all the ingredients and put them in your slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hrs. By the end of the day your chicken is literally falling off the bone and tastes so good! You can fix rice/pasta/potatoes to go with this delicious meal! Fix your gravy and poor on top of your chicken on rice and get ready to enjoy some deliciousness!

Our salad for the night included homemade bacon bits, carrots and mandarin oranges! A healthy choice! I know some crazy people out there that do not enjoy fruit in their salad, but this is what I grew up on and it is so healthy and refreshing! Topped of with some zesty italian dressing puts the pizzaz right in the first bite!














You can't go wrong with a salad!

Spaghetti anyone?

Do you remember the meals you had on your first few dates? For many, some how it usually ends up being SPAGHETTI! Then comes the awkwardness of trying to wrap those noodles just right around your fork so they do not come flying back at you as soon as you try to stick it in your mouth! Needless to say, spaghetti can be a messy meal, especially if you have kids! Besides, the kid in us usually makes us want to slurp those noodles up the easy way! Well, I have found a simple a solution! I have been using different noodles, last night I used bow ties and it works great and cuts down the mess! For those of you that are angel hair noodle lovers, go ahead and use whatever suits your fancy. This dish is so easy to make and takes next to nearly no time at all!

Ingredients:

Several cups of water
As much dry pasta as is needed for your family size
Can of Spaghetti sauce (again size of can is determined by your family size)
Mushrooms (try going with the fresh ones!)
Instead of using ground beef, try the healthier alternative and use ground turkey!
Small amount of shredded cheese.

Get that meat in the skillet and get it browning while the water for your pasta begins to boil. Once your water is at a raging boil go ahead and dump your pasta in! Be sure to stir it every now and then so it doesn't stick. Once your meat is browned add your sauce and mushrooms. Stir it up well and let it come to a slight boil then turn it to low and let it simmer.
Once your pasta is ready drain the noodles and you can either mix them with the sauce or serve them up separately. Add cheese for garnish.

I also had a fresh green salad to go with our meal. I made my own bacon bits and just added some shredded cheese. The great thing about salad is that you can add whatever your heart desires! We topped ours off with Tomato and Basil salad dressing. Delicious!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

The finished product














Wonderful tasting salad!

Delicious sounding pie from Ginny!

Aunt Bee's Apple Pie (the real Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith show!)

Crust

1/2 C butter or margarine

4 oz. cream cheese

2 C all purpose flour

Pie

2 1/2 C sliced apples

1 C sugar

1/3 C orange juice

2 T honey

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 T all purpose flour

1/2 C butter or margarine

In a large bowl combine 1/2 C butter and the cream cheese, and let come to room temperature. Add 2 C of flour, and blend well. Chill. Roll out half of the dough and place in a 9 in. pie plate. Reserve the remaining dough for the top crust.

In a saucepan combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into the crust. Roll out the remaining crust and place over the filling. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Ok, so that is the exact instructions from my Mayberry Cookbook. However, I have tweaked it a bit, but I can't give you exact measurements because I don't know what they are. :) First of all, I use more cream cheese or butter than they call for. Doesn't matter which one you use more of, but the crust is very dry if you make it in their measurements. It's crumbly to work with. After I roll it out I also sprinkle a little cinammon and sugar on it too.

The pie mixture I do as they direct, but if I don't have orange juice I have used lemonade.

Finally, in the last 10 minutes of the pie baking I put a little bit of milk on top of the crust (with a brush if you have one or just pour it on carefully) and then I sprinkle cinammon and sugar on the crust. It sticks to the milk and makes for a super yummy crust.

Good Luck. Can't wait to hear how it goes. If you have made a regular pie before, please note that this crust is not the greatest as far as manageability. Also, I don't know if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, but I've used my bread hook and made the crust in there the last time. That was super easy!

Ginny

Thanks Ginny!!

To be homemade..to not be homemade....

Before going to college my mom gave me something that I will carry with me for many years to come. She gave me..... a cookbook. It was entitled "Wheres mom now that I need her?", it is not just a cookbook, it has helpful tips about almost anything! One stand by that I have found to be my favorite is the recipe for "Quick and Delicious Bread" found on pg. 100. It is so easy, so simple, and turns out perfect EVERY time! Now, for the majority of the world, it would seem so much easier to go to the store and pick up a bag of bread and toss it in the cart. However, I am a more shall we say....pioneer woman :) Ok, not in every sense of the word, but when it comes to making this bread I think of myself as a pioneer woman! There is no bread machine involved....WAIT! I can hear the groans and the beginnings of scrolling on to the next page....WAIT! This bread is SO easy, there is no need for a machine! Go ahead, give it a try and you will see just how delicious it REALLY is!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 egg beaten
3 tsp. salt
8 cups of flour

Combine sugar, warm water, and yeast in large mixing bowl; let stand 10 min. Combine cooking oil and egg and add yeast mixture. Stir in salt and 3 Cups of flour; mix well. Stir in additional 3 cups of flour; mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, sticky dough. (please note: if you have a standing mixer, like a kitchen aid, attach your dough hook and let it do the work for you!) Cover bowl and allow dough to rise until double in bulk; punch down, turn dough over in bowl, and allow to rise, covered, until double in bulk again-about 45 min. Shape dough into three loaves and put in greased pans; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 min. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 min., or until loaves are lightly browned. Brush crusts with melted butter to soften. (Cut a slice right away and enjoy the savory goodness of your creation!)

Note: if you are having trouble getting your dough to rise, the room may be to cool. A helpful hint would be pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees while you are making your bread dough. When you are ready for it to rise, turn off your oven, cover your dough and place in the oven. It works every time!

Tangy Teriyaki Chicken

Have you ever made a recipe off the top of your head? That is what I did last night! I just made this meal and it was a hit with my hubby! Of course he is pretty easy to please! If you enjoy chicken with teriyaki sauce mixed with some worcestershire sauce this is the recipe for you! If you are having problems with this turning out, add a little bit here and there of the sauces. I don't usually use a measuring cup so this is a guestimate :) But it really does taste great!

What I used:

5 chicken legs
A small amount of flour
2 tbsp. of butter
A little more than 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
About 2/3 cup water (you'll have to eye this one because it needs to boil....so if it is not boiling then add a little more water)
2 tbsp. sugar
minced garlic

Coat chicken with flour, place in heated skillet with butter. Cook until the outside of the chicken is brown, turn chicken over several times. Remove chicken from skillet and add both sauces, sugar, garlic and water. Bring to a boil. Replace the chicken in the skillet and allow to boil uncovered until the juices run clear, be sure to keep turning the chicken over so it all cooks evenly. If you are a fan of pineapple that would add an extra flare plus add some great color!! I would have added it to my recipe, but my hubby is not a fan of fruit with his meat! All together it took about 20 min. for this to finish and tasted fabulous!

The mashed potatoes are just your every day run of the mill mashed potatoes! Several peeled and cut up potatoes brought to a raging boil until the potatoes were tender. Once done, drain the potatoes and add milk, salt and butter. I have also added sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, or even ranch dressing instead of all the milk. They are mouth watering and once you take a bite you will never want to go back to the "original recipe" of mashed potatoes!

The lima beans, well those are optional! We are fans of the great lima bean, but we understand that most of society is not! Green beans or even a fresh salad would be the perfect way to top off this plate!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

An unashamed admittance!

I have something I must confess to you all. I cannot contain my secret any longer! I love my pots and pans! Since discovering them a few years back, thanks to my sister in-law who owns them, I have had an infatuation with them! They are the Cooks hard anodized brand found at JCPenney! Let me tell you my story. When we first got married we were given a small set of starter pots and pans. I was forever scrubbing and spending much time cleaning these pots and pans! I continually told myself "this is RIDICULOUS!!" However, it was not in our budget to go replace all my cookware! Until one day....we saw a sale on the very pots and pans that I had been rather desiresome of! That purchase was one of the wisest purchases we have made in the cooking department! NOTHING sticks to them! It is a simple wipe and go process! You can fix eggs, rice or whatever other potential sticky meal there is out there, and it will not stick to these heaven sent pots and pans!
The only place we have been able to find them is through JCPenney and they do range in price. A 13 piece set comes around $179 when on sale (regularly $359.99!!) you can also get individual pieces and they vary in prices. If you are looking for a much better cookware set, it does not get much better than these! Check them out when you get the chance!! The website is... www.jcpenney.com and go under housewares, then cookware, then hard anodized! It is a decision you will not regret!

Helpful tips from my home to yours!

Are you one of those women that NEVER seems to have enough counter space? That is my case. I am so thankful for the counter space I have, but when it comes to baking and cooking, somehow my mess always seems to spread across the counter! Well, one thing that has helped me out time and again are my stackable wire cooling racks! We were blessed to receive these as a wedding gift and I am so thankful! It saves up so much space! They are available at most Bed Bath and Beyond stores for a reasonable $9.99 price! Hope it helps! Happy baking!

Chocolate Mint Wafers

This is a great people pleaser, especially if kids are around! The light fluffy wafer is delicious and the minty cream inside adds that special flare!

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING:
2-3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup half and half cream
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Green food coloring

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add milk and egg; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs. or until firm.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 1 1/2 in. cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Combine filling ingredients; spread on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Biscotti 101

Are you one of those coffee people that enjoys a good brew every morning? What better way to top that warm deliciousness than with a great tasting biscotti? This is such an easy recipe and tastes so good! Please note: if you are not a coffee lover, these also go great with hot cocoa.

(This recipe came from my wonderful new book The Taste of Home Baking Book)

Brownie Alpine Biscotti

1 pkg. fudge brownie mix (or your own homemade brownie mix!)
3/4 cup ground almonds (optional, I didn't add this, my hubby is not a nut fan)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional
3 squares baking white chocolate (the chips work just as well), optional

In a large bowl, combine dry brownie mix, ground almonds, flour and baking powder; mix well. In a small bowl, whisk egg, egg whites and extract. Add to brownie mixture; stir until combined. Divide dough into thirds.

On a greased baking sheet and using greased hands (a little flour helped me as well), shape each portion of dough into a 7-in. x 3 1/2-in rectangle. Bake at 350" for 24 min. Remove from the oven; cool on baking sheetfor 5 min. Transfer to a cutting board; cut with a serrated knife at a 45 degree angle in 3/4-in thick slices. Place cut side down on greased baking sheets. Bake for 6-7 min. on each side or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

If desired, sprinkle with sliced almonds and drizzle with white chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is set.

Beginnings....

Baking is one of my passions. If the opportunity ever arose I would LOVE to open my own bakery! So, since that is out of the question right now, I have decided to start this blog and use it to share delicious recipes that I have made, both baking and cooking. Most will be practical because the fact of life is we are all busy and cannot spend all day in the kitchen! So, welcome! I hope you find this site enjoyable and helpful! Plus, all the posts will contain pictures!! An added bonus! Enjoy!