R is for Red

 

Red Velvet Trifle

Ingredients
1 (18.25-oz.) package DUNCAN HINES Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cake batter as directed. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 1 minute or until creamy. Add yogurt, powdered sugar, and lemon zest. Beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Cover and chill.

4. Remove cake from oven. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

5. Invert cake onto a cutting board. Cut rounded top off of cake. Trim and discard edges of cake. Cut cake into 32 pieces.

6. Arrange about one-third of cake pieces in a 3-qt. trifle dish. Carefully spread one-third of chilled cream cheese mixture over cake. Repeat layers 2 times, smoothing top layer of cream cheese mixture over cake pieces. . Cover and chill 1 hour before serving. Garnish, if desired.



(recipe from myrecipes.com)

Enjoy the Taste of

  

Q is for Quiche



image from google.com



Spinach and Bacon Quiche

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. Cut into 8 wedges.

Enjoy the Taste of
 

L is for Lemon

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

7 tablespoons butter, melted

Lemonade filling:

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled

1 (12 ounce) container whip topping, thawed

1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen

1 teaspoon candied lemon peel

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes and let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and cool whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy.
Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze overnight.

Garnish with candied lemon peel.

Enjoy the Taste of

Simple Goodness

   

J is for Jam

Freezer Jam

This past Friday, me and some of my friends took our kids to pick strawberries at a local strawberry farm.  We picked lots of strawberries and then cooled off with some strawberry ice cream at the farm.  I decided I would try to make some freezer jam after hearing 2 of my girlfriends talk about how easy it is to make.  I used the recipe from Ball.  It was so easy!!!   SUPER easy; I'm ready to pick more berries and make lots more jam.

Ingredients

• 1 1.59-ounce package Ball® Simple Creations® No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
• 1-1/2 cups sugar or SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
• 4 cups crushed strawberries (about 4 1-pound containers)

Preparation

1. STIR sugar (or SPLENDA®) and contents of pectin package in a bowl until well blended.
2. ADD crushed strawberries. Stir 3 minutes.
3. LADLE jam into clean plastic 8 oz Ball Freezer Jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, refrigerate up to three weeks or freeze up to one year.
4. YIELD: About five (8 ounce) half pints.

Enjoy the Taste of
Simple Goodness

I is for Ice Cream

Ice Cream Cake

I've made this ice cream cake several different times. It is very, very yummy!

Ingredients
15 chocolate and cream sandwich cookies (such as Oreo)
1 tablespoon milk
8 to 9 ice cream sandwiches, depending on size
1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
1 pint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
1 pint Chocolate Ice Cream
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

* You pick your favorite flavors and use them.

Directions
1. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line side with waxed paper, using spray to help adhere to pan. Trim paper to height of pan.

2. Finely crush 12 of the cookies in a food processor. Add milk; pulse just until mixture holds together. Set aside.

3. Unwrap 4 ice cream sandwiches. Working quickly, cut each in quarters. Stack strips of sandwiches on end, packing them snugly together, around waxed-paper-lined pan. Repeat with remaining sandwiches to form a stand-up edge. Spoon cookie crumbs into center of pan; press firmly over bottom. Freeze 1 hour.

4. Remove all 3 flavors of ice cream or frozen yogurt from freezer and let soften for 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfer mint vanilla ice cream to a small bowl and stir until good but firm spreading consistency. Repeat with cookies & cream and chocolate. Remove pan from freezer. Spread vanilla ice cream on bottom, then top with cookies & cream then the chocolate, spreading all layers level. Top with thawed whipped topping, swirling top decoratively. Crush remaining 3 sandwich cookies and sprinkle over cake. Return to freezer; freeze overnight.

5. To serve, remove side of pan, then waxed paper. Cut into wedges.
 From Family Circle Summer 2007

G is for Grapes

Grape Salad

This is a perfect treat for the summer, it is easy and light.
You can always make it sugar free by using splenda, or low fat by using reduced fat dairy items.

Ingredients-
8 oz Whipped Cream Cheese
8 oz Sour Cream
1/2 cup of Sugar
1 lb- 1 1/2 lb Red Seedless Grapes

Combine the first 3 ingredents, and mix together,
fold in the Red Grapes and Chill for 20 mins.

Enjoy the Taste of

C is for Chicken

Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
2-3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size
Italian Seasoning, or black pepper, salt, and garlic
1 lb of your favorite pasta- I use bow tie or penne pasta
1/2 cup of pesto sauce - I prefer Classico's brand. Pesto can be found close to spaghetti sauce

Season and saute chicken until done
Boil water and cook noodles Al Dente (9-10mins)
Drain noodles

Combine chicken, pasta, and pesto

I serve my pasta with a side of steamed broccoli and a warm baguette.

Enjoy the Taste of
Simple Goodness

B is for Broccoli

Broccoli Salad 

Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
1 bunch of broccoli crowns, chopped
1 cup of pecan pieces *may use walnuts or almonds in place of pecans  
1 pkg. (3oz) Ramen noodles, uncooked and broken into pieces (discard flavor packet)

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
Mix together in jar, shake well and store in refrigerator

Mix all salad ingredients together and pour dressing over salad just before serving.

Enjoy the Taste of
Simple Goodness
 

A is for ASPARAGUS

Asparagus and Strawberry Salad
  
Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus
2 cups of strawberries in quarter slices
1/2 cup of poppy seed dressing

Wash and trim the asparagus
Cook asparagus in a small amount of water for only about 4-5 minutes, drain and cool.
Arrange asparagus and strawberries on serving dish and drizzle with your favorite poppy seed dressing.

Serve Immediately

Enjoy the Taste of

Simple Goodness

Starting Next Week............

Starting next week, I'll be posting a new recipe daily for each letter of the alphabet. A is for Apple, B is for Broccoli, C is for Chicken

Stay Tuned!

Thursday's Treat

Oreo Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. (19.5 oz.) brownie mix

14 OREO Cookies, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 cup JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1/3 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces or peanut butter candies

PREPARE brownie batter as directed on package; stir in chopped cookies.

Spread into greased 14-inch pizza pan.

Bake 18 to 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

SPRINKLE marshmallows over top of hot brownie; bake 3 to 5 min. or until marshmallows are lightly browned.TOP with nuts and candies, pressing lightly into softened marshmallow.

Cool slightly on wire rack.

Enjoy the Taste of

Oh My Pie....

I baked my first Homemade Apple Pie tonight!!!

Enjoy the Taste of

12 Days Of Recipes: Two

This past weekend I went to a cookie exchange party and saw the cutest reindeer cookies. They look pretty easy to make too. I cannot wait to make these with the man before Christmas. We have been doing all kinds of fun crafts and now we have a craft that he will really enjoy because he gets a great treat out of it.

Lets make this easy folks.

What you need :

any sugar cookie dough

pretzels

chocolate chips

any red candy for the nose.

WW

The yummiest topping for banana bread there ever was. Or will be, I am sure of it.

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft margarine melted.
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix it all together and sprinkle over the batter before you put it in the oven. Cook your banana bead as normal.

Make your own baby food.

I am a big fan of making your own baby food. Not only does it save you tons of money it is very easy to do and very satisfying for you and your baby. I made Little Mans baby food from day one. I would puree it and freeze them in ice cube trays. I would make several batches in one day and they would last forever. It never took very long to cook and puree them and it was always very easy to grab however many cubes my son would eat at his meal times. I thought it would be a very daunting task yet I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed doing it. I have started doing it again. Yes my son is about to be 18 months old, so you may be wondering why on earth I am doing it again. The answer is simple he hates to eat veggies unless they are green peas. So now I puree sweet potatoes and use a couple of the cubes in the morning to cool off his oatmeal. While the cubes cool and mix into the oatmeal I cannot help but have a smile on my face.

I know that Little Man will be getting more veggies in his diet and it is seriously one of the best feelings when you know your child has eaten healthy foods.
So if you have a little picky eater try mixing some into foods they already love and eat! A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

Yummy Christmas treats

Down with Pink and I were planning on showing you some treats you could make for the holidays....then I saw Bakerella. There is no way we can compete. If you are hosting a party or bringing something to a party you need to stop by her site.

No doubt you will be a hit at the party if you walk in with some of these treats. She will teach you how to make snow globe cupcakes!! Unreal I tell you.

Her specialty.... cake pops!! These are super easy to make and taste amazing! Go check her out and tell her I sent you.

Cheap and Fun Halloween activity.

With Halloween on a Saturday this year I plan on making a fun breakfast for the family. Yesterday I bought Orange Sweet Rolls by Pillsbury. Then I remembered this fun toast from a magazine years ago. When I did it with my niece she just loved it. All you need is.....
Bread
Milk
Food Coloring
Paint Brushes

Mix the food coloring into the milk. Think of something spooky to paint. Then toast your bread!
It's so easy and little children will love it. I was also thinking since you have the food coloring already mix some into your eggs for a fun meal you know the kids will eat.

Deceptively Delicious

I have to say Jessica Seinfeld rocks. I first heard about her cookbook when she was on Oprah. She was a mother struggling to get her children to eat their veggies. At the time I didn't have any children but I was the one who wouldn't eat many veggies. I bought the book for myself. In the cookbook she teaches you how to change habits through loving deception. She makes purees of vegetables and adds them to the meals you already know and love. The first I ever tested was her chocolate chip cookies. They were so sweet and chewy. They tasted perfect, yet they had a full can of chick peas inside. Then I moved and the cookbook has been packed away for months. I have pulled it out and tried a few more.
-Grilled Cheese sandwich. (with sweet potatoes are inside)
-Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip (with Carrot) This is great for dipping fruit. Yummy too!
-Pancakes (with sweet potatoes and I went a little crazy and added bananas)
-Spaghetti (with carrots)
-Banana Bread (with cauliflower)

These are such great recipes. I am excited to test out her Meatball Soup tomorrow. If you know some little boys or girls in your home who don't like their veggies I recommend this book!

"Eww... gucky!"

I don't know what makes a child suddenly learn to hate vegetables, but for some reason my daughter thinks anything green is "gucky" (yucky.) It's not like I forced her to eat something really weird and the memory of that horrid food stuck in her mind. In fact, most veggies that I give her are covered in butter or cheese and sometimes even ketchup. I love vegetables and try to have at least one serving with every meal. My daughters... now that is another story.

If your like me (and most of the parents I know) you have probably done the veggie song and dance. You know, the one where you make up stupid songs, dances and cheers just to get your little one to take a small bite. Well, I have a few ideas that might just help those picky eaters actually enjoy their vegetables.

One of my favorite tricks is a baby food recipe developed by Dr. Leila Denmark out of Atlanta. Dr. Denmark celebrated her 112th Birthday last February and was a practicing pediatrician for over 75 years. She practiced well into her 90's. My sister actually took her son to her several years ago as a patient. This is the recipe given to my sister (makes several servings)...

1 cup pureed Banana (usually about 2 bananas)
1 cup pureed fruit
1 cup pureed veggie

1/2 cup pureed meat

Rice Cereal (enough to add desired texture)

Okay so this is how this works... younger babies beginning baby food start with Bananas, fruit and rice cereal and then add veggie as child gets older and end with adding meat. You can do any combination of veggie, meat, fruit, but bananas are always added. Try to put things together that would go well as a meal (i.e. peas, apple sauce, and ham or turkey; sweet potatoes, peaches, and chicken.) I know it sounds totally gross, but try it for yourself and see! Have you ever tasted baby food... yuck!! This actually tastes good!! Your baby will love it and you will love knowing that your baby is getting a full nutritious meal every time he/she eats!! Even if your baby is into self feeding solids, try giving him or her a little every meal to ensure that your little one is getting the nutrition he/she needs. I promise you... this is the best recipe ever and your baby will absolutely love it!!

I am gonna leave you with a quote from Dr. Denmark..."Who in the world knows what's best for my baby? You do! If mothers would just use their brains and take responsibility, they would know what to do for their children."

Oatmeal- Stage 3

Here is what you need.

-2 to 3 Tablespoons of Oats

-Apple sauce

-Cinnamon

-banana

Cook the Oats. Then add some applesauce. Dice up your banana. My guy only eats half of the banana. Dash of cinnamon.
Mix it all up. Be prepared for you little on to go wild! It smells so good you may want some for yourself!
(You could mash the bananas up if your little one has a hard time with bigger bites, and butter is optional)