Wednesday, November 6, 2013

One Bowl Apple Cake


One Bowl Apple Cake - This cake is so moist and rich and just perfect for this time of year. (and easy to make!)


Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13 or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Taco Pie

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry
1 package Taco Bell seasoning mix
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream, optional

Directions:

place puff pastry on the bottom of a greased pie tin.

In a medium skillet, cook beef and onions until beef is browned and cooked through. Drain. Add Salsa and taco seasoning. Cook until bubbly. Pour into crust. Bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Top with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Cut and serve with sour cream.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Easy Apple Dumplings

Super Easy Apple Dumplings

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 Cup butter...
1 Cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew ™ (diet also works)

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
-Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish
-Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside
-Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles
-Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end
-Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish
-Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon -Pour over the apple dumplings.
-Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings
-Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Coconut Cream Pie

Princess Pie (Coconut Cream Pie)

crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans - optional

Mix and pat in an 8x8 inch pan, bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden. Do not over bake.

Layer two:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping

Beat together sugar and cream cheese. Fold in whipped topping. Spread on cooled crust.

Layer three:
1 small package coconut cream instant pudding
1 1/2 cups whole milk (any milk will do, but whole milk makes pudding so much tastier)

Mix until thickened. Spread over cream cheese mixture.

Top with remaining tub of whipped topping.

Toast 1 cup coconut. Sprinkle evenly on dessert. Refrigerate.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Homemade Coffee Creamer- Over 2 Dozen Flavors!!


Homemade Coffee Creamer – Over 2 Dozen Flavor Varieties!


For whatever flavor of creamer you want, you start off with the same basic ‘base’ recipe.

14oz sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cup milk or cream (whole, lowfat, skim, almond, soy, heavy cream, half & half etc – whatever your preference, however the more fat, the more creaminess)

Mix the ingredients together well. Add them to a mason jar and shake it like crazy or you could also opt to use an old (washed) creamer container.

French Vanilla Creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR vanilla coffee syrup

Vanilla Bean Coffee Creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Chocolate
2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
(1 tsp vanilla extract, optional)

Chocolate Almond
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond extract

Strudel
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Caramel
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Raspberry
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup

Irish Cream
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Coconut
2 teaspoons coconut extract

Samoa (like the Girl Scout Cookies)
2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut, heated & strained, for the milk/cream)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

Peppermint Patty
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cinnamon Vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice
3 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Honey Vanilla
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Almond Joy
1-2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut if you heat it first, strained, in place of the milk & extract)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Sweet Cream
Use 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream instead of the milk in the base recipe
2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR the inside of a vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Orange
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1-2 teaspoons orange extract

Hazelnut
2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Chocolate Hazelnut
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Cinnamon Cake
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Salted Caramel
2-3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggnog
replace milk in base recipe with equal amount of heavy cream
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Toasted Almond
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions & Tips:
In all these recipes, anything that has a dry or thick ingredient (like cinnamon, honey, etc..) should be heated up with a small amount of your milk/cream from the base recipe so it can dissolve properly. You don’t want grainy creamer! Then, add the rest of the milk/cream along with the sweetened condensed milk.

If you want really creamy creamer, use heavy cream instead of milk in your base recipe.

You'll want to stick a piece of tape on they mason jar lid with the expiration date from the milk used. Use this as a guideline as to when the creamer should be used by.

Please feel free to play around with amounts of extracts and other ingredients used if you like stronger or less intense flavors!! And, let your imagination turn, and make up your own combinations. Use this as inspiration to create your very own perfect homemade flavored creamer!

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

Crisp Cucumber Salsa:
Note: 1/4 cup is only 16 calories! YES!!!

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Snowman Cookies

Snowman Cookies Recipes
Ingredients:
1 pack Nutter Butter cookies (details here)
1 bag Vanilla Almond Bark (details here)
1 bag M&Ms 
orange Tic Tacs
1 Black Decorator Icing (use a black gel pen will make the job much easier, details here)

Melt the Almond Bark for 90 seconds.
Dip the nutter butter cookies in and make sure they are totally covered. This is the most technical part in making these cookies. Make sure not to leave your fingerprints on the cookies when they are wet! Put 3 pieces of the M&Ms on the cookies for the buttons. The nose is a orange Tic Tac. Use your favorite colored ones for the holiday season, blue, red, yellow and green are all great choices.