Sopapilla Cheesecake

I have been meaning to try this recipe for weeks and have even had the ingredients in the fridge ready to go. When some friends invited us over for dinner tonight, I volunteered to bring sopapilla cheesecake for dessert! Good choice. It's delish. A little rich (have some milk on hand!) but it was a hit. I drizzled honey on mine...YUM.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

24 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cans of crescent dough (the seamless kind works best)

1/2 cup of butter (melted)
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon


Place 1 can of the seamless crescent dough in a 9x13 pan. Press down. Sprinkle with cinnamon (the more the better.)

Beat softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups of white sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough in the pan.

Cover the cream cheese mixture with the second piece of crescent dough.

Evenly pour the melted butter on top of the cheesecake. Stir together the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle this over the cheesecake. The butter will soak this up and make a YUMMY, crunchy crust.

Bake for about 35 mins at 350 degrees.

Shortbread Brownies

This was my attempt at cute, yummy Halloween treats for my VT girls. The jury is out on the cute part but they were definitely yummy. Michael's has a zillion different colors of the Wilton's melting chocolate that I frosted them with, so you could make variations for different holidays throughout the year!



Ingredients
Family Size Brownie Mix
2 sticks butter
1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
Wilton's Melting Chocolate

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350
2. Prepare brownie mix as directed on box.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy and light.
4. Slowly add flour and salt till combined.
5. Press shortbread into an 11x7 pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Pour brownie batter on top of shortbread layer.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely before frosting.
9. Melt Wilton's chocolate in microwave as directed on package. Spread on top of brownies.
10. Melt some white chocolate chips and drizzle over the top if you want :)

French Apple Pie

I am not an apple pie lover...but this recipe is delicious!! It's the only apple pie that I will eat! It would be a great addition to the Thanksgiving dessert spread.

Crust:

1 C. flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1 stick margarine

Dash of salt

Capful of Almond Extract

Filling:

4 C. sliced and peeled apples

1/2 C. sugar

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Crumb Topping:

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. butter

1. Mix crust ingredients together in a bowl with your hands. Once well blended, press into pie pan (this crust does not need to be rolled out).

2. Peel, core and slice apples and mix with other ingredients. Pour over crust.

3. Mix topping ingredients with hands. Sprinkle over the top of the pie.

4. Place pie in a paper bag and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour and a half.

Puddle Bars

These are the easiest and best treat ever! Perfect for a Sunday evening!

Yellow Cake Mix

Stick of Butter

1 egg

MIx these together and press 2/3 of the mix into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.

Second Layer:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. chocolate chip

Melt this combo in the microwave and pour over the 2/3 that you pressed into the bottom of the baking dish.

Take the remaining 1/3 and make "puddles" on the top.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Folks, we may have a problem. I think I found my new favorite chocolate chip cookie. Ever. This recipe is the bomb dot com. It trumps all other recipes. Ya know what it tastes like? Oregano's pizookie cookie dough! I'm serious. I consider myself to be a chocolate chip cookie connoisseur, and this might be the perfect cookie. Amen.

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c butter

1/2 c shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Let your husband have a few and then hide the rest and pretend you gave them to the girls you visit teach.

Amazing Peach Cobbler

This peach cobbler was so easy to make and so delicious! I haven't stopped thinking about it since we had it two nights ago. Make it tonight!! 1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
3 cups sliced fresh peaches - leave skins on
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350
Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium high heat until it bubbles and turns golden-brown
Pour the butter into an 8 inch square baking dish
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and milk
Pour the batter on top of the melted butter, do not stir
Without mixing, arrange the peaches evenly on top of the batter
Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the cobbler
Bake the cobbler for 40-45 minutes, until the top turns golden-brown. The batter will migrate from the bottom of the pan to cover the peach slices partially.

Serve warm with vanilla icecream or whipped topping. Makes 6-8 servings.

Karli's Pumpkin Pancakes

This is Karli's recipe but she's a slacker so I'm posting it for her. Ha! These pancakes are dreamy and the syrup is what makes them. Oh, the syrup! It seriously rocks my world. This recipe is a General Conference breakfast staple around these parts and it should be in your parts too!

2 1/3 c. bisquick
1/3 C. canned pumpkin
1 ¼ c. milk
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs

Blend to make a thick batter. Bake on a griddle at 375°.

Syrup:

1 C. sugar
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cube butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place ingredients in a pot and boil over medium heat until frothy.

Peach Smoothie

Every year I order peaches from Utah. They are soooo good! Since I ordered a whole box for my family (roughly 100) peaches, I figured I better try out some peach recipes before they go bad.

Today, the kids and I made Peach Smoothies. They were delicious and really easy to make!

2 medium peaches pitted

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup crushed ice (i just crushed mine in the blender with the other ingredients)

1/4 cup sugar

blend all ingredients together in the blender until smooth

Stay tuned for more "peach" recipes.

Katie's Spagetti Sauce

Okay, I don't claim to be a great cook. There are only a handful of things that I think I make really well and this spagetti sauce happens to be one of them. I have combined a few different recipes to come up with my own. My husband loves this recipe, which means a lot considering he went to culinary school. I love the way it makes the house smell while it is simmering too!

1 pound ground beef
1 pound sausage
Brown, drain, and put in saucepan
Add onion powder and minced garlic to taste

Add 1 can mushrooms, drained
Add 1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cans water (tomato paste cans)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp basil
1 1/2 Tbsp oregano

mix up and bring to boil
simmer 4-5 hours or until tomatoes lose their sharp taste.

This recipe makes a ton of sauce. I usually freeze half or plan on leftovers for the next day or two. It is nice to have some frozen for when you need to take a last minute meal to someone or need a last minute dinner at home.

*Variations - when I am trying to eat healthier I use ground turkey meat instead of beef and sausage. Sausage can also be left out if you prefer just ground beef. Sometimes I do all of the spices to taste instead of measuring out.

I have been trying to make some healthier choices for my family so I tried to get my kids to eat whole grain or whole wheat pasta. They weren't having it. A good friend of mine told me about this pasta and said her kids will eat so I thought I would give it a try. They did not mention a thing....they ate it and didn't even know it was different and healthier. I now use this anytime we make a pasta dish.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

I got this delicious recipe from my sister's sister-in-law, Carynn. Carynn has some great recipes and this is one of them. It is so quick and easy.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch green onions
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can green chilis
1 tsp. cumin
garlic powder to taste
salt, pepper to taste

Boil chicken until no longer pink (can be boiled from frozen)
Shred while still hot
Brown green onions in a little oil, then add chicken and all other ingredients

Serve in fried corn tortillas with a little cheese on top. Heat in the microwave to heat the cheese for a few seconds. Can add tomatoes, sour cream, and lettuce but good with just cheese too.

*Now, since I am trying to watch what I eat, I skip the cheese and fried tortilla. I use the carb balance soft flour tortillas. That is what I used in the picture, with a little cheese :).

Caramel Crunch Bars

So when Hilarry diets, she looks at recipe blogs. She then posts her findings to my Facebook wall to bake then ultimately get fat. That is true friendship. This is a great recipe to gain a few extra pounds!!! Good find Hilarry!

Caramel Crunch Bars

*Makes one 9X13-inch pan of bars*

80 club crackers (I used multi-grain)
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup fimrly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

Line an ungreased 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers, cutting to fit if necessary (in my 9X13-inch pan, the crackers lined up evenly without the need to trim).

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 miutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. (In this step you have to press into place or else the crackers move...so press the mixture down in small sections over the crackers.) Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan (or in the microwave), combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Easiest, Yummy Lasagna

(Again, this picture was another victim of the missing camera. Oh iphone, I love you but your food pictures are crap.)

I am not kidding when I say I rarely make recipes that include more than 6 or 7 ingredients. The second I see spices or sauteeing in a recipe, I'm out. If it requires me to run around the grocery store looking for random ingredients that I don't normally buy, I want no part of it. Hence, I love this lasagna recipe. Trust me when I tell you that even though it's beyond simple, it's also beyond good. Preston took leftovers for lunch 2 days in a row and he does not do leftover. Now that's saying something!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
18 slices of mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 lasagna noodles (oven ready)

1. Brown the ground beef. Add the spaghetti sauce. Heat it through and set on low.
2. Combine cottage cheese and sour cream in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Put a little of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. (Enough to cover bottom). Then put 4 of the noodles right on top.
4. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on top. Layer 6 slices of mozarella.
5. Put half of remaining meat sauce on top of the mozzarella. Sprinkle half of the parmesan.
6. Make one more layer, starting with noodles.
7. Top with remaining mozzarella.
8. Cover with foil at bake for 1 hour at 350. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes.

I think this recipe might be another one that could be made healthier with fat free cottage cheese, light sour cream, and fat-free mozzarella. Next time!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

My good friend, Elise, can frequently be found on Sunday night doing a cookie "drive-by" to our house (and others in our ward!) Her cookies are always to die for and after to complaining to her on Saturday night about the size of my butt, she brought me these healthier whole wheat chocolate chip cookies the next night. They're seriously YUM! The best part? You won't hate yourself in the morning...unless you eat all of them in a single sitting like I did.

Forgive the ghetto i-phone pic. Our camera was temporarily MIA but has since returned (hallelujah!)

1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites
1/3 c water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c whole wheat flour
semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I wonder how they would taste if you replace the sugar and brown sugar with the Splenda versions. Might have to try that.

Fruit Pizza

Our friends, Erin and Warren, came over for dinner last night and Erin brought a fruit pizza for dessert. I've always had my doubts about fruit pizza but let's just say that I took a picture right then and there and wouldn't let Erin leave before I got the recipe. Something tells me this is about to become a regular on the Sunday dinner circuit.

Ingredients:

White cake mix

1/3 cup of oil

2 eggs

16 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. marshmallow creme

Assorted sliced fruits



Directions:


1. Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large bowl.

2. Spread in a pizza pan to make the crust of the pizza.

3. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes

4. Combine cream cheese and marshmallow creme in a bowl.

5. Once the crust has cooled, spread cream cheese/marshmallow creme mixture over the top of the crust.

6. Decorate the fruit pizza with your sliced fruits!

Coach Coombs Snickerdoodles

Girls, here is Kami's snickerdoodle recipe. Moment of silence, please.

I love these cookies. I have such good memories Kami dropping them off at our apartment in the San Marcos ward days and sending them with us on our San Marcos YSA Gone Wild trip to Nauvoo. ;)

I made these on Sunday for visiting teaching and I forgot to take a picture of them. Uh...there are only three left now. I would like to blame that all on Preston but let's be honest. It was me.

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1cup butter softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon (I use a bit less)

Preheat to 350. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Roll in balls and roll is cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 10 min.

Rosenhan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is Preston's mom's signature chocolate chip cookie recipe and the only chocolate chip cookie he likes. When we were dating and he was in California and I was still in Arizona, Preston used to have me go by his mom's house to pick up cookies to bring to him on my trips down. No lie. Margaret would load me up with a gallon-sized bag of cookies and if I'm being honest, only about 3/4 of the bag actually made it to Preston! Every time we go home to visit, Margaret has cookies in the freezer for us.

I have tried a zillion and one chocolate chip cookie recipes on him but Preston is stalwart. He ONLY likes these cookies. So I have admitted defeat and confess these cookies are my favorite too. You should know that we like them best frozen with a big glass of (soy) milk. In fact, we usually have a bag of them in our freezer at all times. Is it any wonder my diets fail???

(This recipe makes about 8 million cookies so I usually cut it in half and it still makes a ton. Seriously, it makes about 3 rolls of cookie dough. Margaret makes the whole recipe and then rolls the excess dough, wraps it in saran wrap and then foil, and sticks it in the freezer so she always has dough available.)

Ingredients:
1 pound of margarine
2 cups of white sugar
2 cups of brown sugar
4 eggs
5 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon of vanilla
4 cups of quick oats
1 package of chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Cream sugar, margarine, and eggs.
2. Add vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Slowly add dry mix to wet ingredients.
5. Fold in oats and chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

**I have started substituting the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and Craisins and it is D-I-V-I-N-E.

Legendary Chicken Pot Pie

This is my favorite, best, ultimate recipe. The legacy I leave for my children will be this chicken pot pie recipe. I would die for this recipe. Seriously, I want it engraved on my headstone. And I have Eva Snider to thank for it. Ok, well I have Eva's mom, Yolanda, to thank for it.

Many, many years ago (I'm talking 17 years ago,) my mom had surgery and Yolanda brought us our first taste of what would become my family's (and everyone I come into contact with) favorite recipe. I'm sure if I know you at all, I have made this pot pie for you. It's Preston's favorite meal and my mom has made it for so many missionaries, they've come to request it.

It is the simplest, least fancy recipe of all time, but it's the best.

When you cut into it hot out of the oven, it sorta falls apart but that's part of its charm. If you can stand not to eat it all, it makes the best leftovers. Somehow, it gets even better the next day.

Ingredients:
Pillsbury pie crust
4-5 chicken breasts
can of mixed veggies
can of cream of chicken soup
16 oz container of sour cream

Directions:
1. Boil the chicken
2. Drain and shred the chicken
3. Mix shredded chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken, and mixed veggies in a large bowl
4. Put mixture into pie crust and top with the other pie crust
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

*My dad eats his chicken pot pie with salsa and Eva eats hers with ketchup on top (was that a weird thing you developed when you were pregnant?) but Preston and I like ours just as it is. It tastes so good, I don't want anything to get in the way.

Condo Row Key Lime Pie1

This recipe is called "Condo Row Key Lime Pie" because during our Condo Row days, Melissa and I made this all. the. time. Because we were so generous, when some guys in our ward lamented to us that they wished they had visiting teachers to bring them treats, we made them this pie, complete with a lime peel garnish. We all need a little Relief Society love sometimes.

Here goes:

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Key lime juice (I prefer Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice)
Graham Cracker crust (unless you're an overachiever, buy the prepared crust and call it a day)

Directions:

1. Make sure you let your cream cheese soften and mix in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
2. Add 1/4 cup key lime juice. (Disclaimer: I'm a Miami girl and we like our key lime pie TART in Florida. I start with 1/4 cup but I probably put in at least 1/2 cup when it's all said and done. I just keep adding key lime juice till it's tart enough for me.)
3. Pour into the crust and let it chill for at least 2 hours.
*I added green food coloring because that's how we do it in Florida. You don't need to though :)

Paula Deen Strawberry Cake!!

Ingredients
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
7 cups confectioners' sugar
Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
For the frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.

Lemon Cake

Make this today. You'll be so glad you did. I have made this lemon cake at least 6 times in the last 2 months. That's a lot for me because I like to try out new recipes more than I like to repeat. Don't let the picture fool you (clearly, I am not a food photographer,) this cake is amazing. Especially if you love lemon, which I do. It is insanely moist and the icing is what makes it. It's the perfect mix of crunchy, tart icing and sweet, moist cake. It's the perfect dessert to take to dinner at friends' too because it's easy peasy but sure to impress! Seriously, I usually make it on Sundays and have to take it to work the next day to get rid of it because I can truly eat the whole thing in a single sitting. No problemo.

Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg white cake mix

1 small box instant lemon pudding

3/4 cup oil

3 eggs

1 cup sprite

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with a mixer.

2. Pour into a greased bunt cake pan. (I’ve made it in a 9x13 pan also, and although not quite as pretty as a bunt pan, I liked how the icing puddled on the cake. Yum!)

3. Bake for 40 minutes.

4. When cool, turn over onto a plate and ice that baby! (Drizzle the icing all over that cake!)

5. Eat up, buttercup!

Icing

Start by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. The more the merrier with this icing (Preston says he would eat an old shoe if it was covered in this icing,) so make as much as you like. To be honest, I don’t pay any attention to the measurements on this icing. I just mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until it’s a consistency that I like.

Roasted Chicken and New Potatoes

This is a dinner staple in our house. It is simple, healthy, and delicious.

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

new potatoes (they are the small red ones) cut into fourths and do NOT peel.

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Heat oven to 375. Place chicken and potatoes in ungreased 13x9 pan. I don't have a set amount of potatoes I use. I just cut them into fourths and place all around the chicken in a single layer until the pan is covered. Mix remaining ingredients, sprinkle over chicken and potatoes. Cover and bake 30 mintues. Turn chicken and potatoes. Bake additional 30 mintues or until chicken is no longer pink. I usually cook it about 45 additional minutes. Serve with vegetable of choice.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

I wondered if I should add this recipe because it isn't anything fancy, but it does make dang good tuna fish sandwiches. In fact, it is my favorite tuna fish sandwich recipe. I don't like when tuna fish is too goopy and this recipe gives you just the right amount of goop and flavor. Sorry no pic, I'll have to add it later.

2 (6oz) cans of white albacore tuna, drained

1/4 C Mayo *i use light since I am dieting :)

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 green onion stems, chopped (about 1/4 C)

2 T sweet relish *can also use dill relish

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Mix tuna and mayo. Gentley fold in celery, scallions and relish. Add garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add more seasoning if desired. Serve on bread or lettuce. Tastes best when chilled before serving.

Shannon Salad

(Forgive/ignore this horrendous picture. I promise this salad is the bomb.)

My sister-in-law, Shannon, makes the most amazing salad that I literally want to take a bath in. After much begging and flattery, she shared the recipe with me. Ok, actually Shannon shared it willingly because on top of being gorgeous and funny, she's also very generous!

This salad is so good that Shannon just has it taped to the inside of her cabinet and now I do too! I've made it for work pot lucks a couple times and now I truly have coworkers begging me to bring it in again. It's that good. FYI, the picture above doesn't reflect the true recipe. I kinda used whatever I had on hand at the time so it's a teensy bit different. (For example, I added craisins and roasted sunflower seeds just because I forgot the almonds at the store!) The dressing is exactly the same though and that's the key!

Here you go and send your thanks to Shannon :)

1 bag Spinach

4-5 slices of bacon

2 oz candied almonds (I just use spray butter in a pan, dump some slivered almonds in and add some sugar. I cook it for a few minutes)

1 green apple

Dressing

1/3 c olive oil

3 Tbsp applecider vinegar

1/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 of a red onion

PERFECT Corn Bread!

I decided I want a recipe to be famous for and this might be the one! So easy and SO delicious!

I can't remember for the life of me where I found the recipe (so if I stole it from you, I'm sorry!) Even if you think you don't like cornbread, try it. It will rock your world. And as a bonus, I'm including an unbelievable recipe for honey butter. The corn bread doesn't need it because it's awesome on its own, but a little marshmallow fluff never hurts!

Corn Bread

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Naughty and Nice

Hey hotties!
I found the time today to post these recipes. I am only going to post things I have made that are fabulous and easy. Next time I make each of these I will post a picture. I thought it would only be appropriate to do a post on what I'm struggling with these days...being nice and then being naughty...needless to say baby weight is slow to come off!
xoxo
Eva

Naughty:

Creme Puffs

Puffs
Heat 1 cup water and 1 stick butter in saucepan over med heat until butter is melted. Add I cup flour and stir until well mixed. Remove from heat and add 4 beaten eggs. Stir until becomes thick. Will be runny for couple minutes while stirring then will thicken. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Makes 12 puffs. Bake at 350 for approx 35 minutes. Can add powdered sugar to top after cooled.

Filling
2small boxes vanilla or French vanilla instant pudding.
8oz cool whip
1 1/2cups milk
1/2 Philadelphia cream cheese block (softened)

Using mixer, mix cool whip, milk and cream cheese together. While mixing slowly add in puddings. Beat for a few minutes until thick. Refrigerate filling. You can fill two batches of puffs with one batch of filling.


Nice:

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1 ripe Mango, peeled and diced
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup diced Papaya (I usually don't use that because I never can find one with good flavor. If you don't use that then use 2 cups pineapple)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 teaspoon jerk seasoning (I use the McCormick Caribbean Jerk)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Once that gets all together and you mix it, try it out. Depending on how sweet the fruit is I usually have to add some more of the jerk or salt and pepper. Just flavor to your liking.