someone gives you lemons.....make lemon cake...or cupcakes...or both

This lemon cake recipe is so simple but is amazing! My mom made it growing up and its the one cake that my husband will eat...he is missing his sweet tooth becuase he can say no to sugar like no one I've ever met. It is the most moist cake that packs a very lemony punch....if you like lemon you will love this cake and its so simple to make!
I made this cake twice in the past week..once for a bridal shower cupcake order and as a cake for husbands birthday.

Very Lemon Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small packet lemon jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients and bake according to the box, either 9x13, cupcakes or rounds.

After you remove the cake from the oven let it cool and poke holes all over the top with a toothpick. Then make the
Glaze:
zest from one lemon
juice from one lemon
1-2 cups powder sugar


Mix the lemon zest, juice and sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until you have a "pourable" consistency. Then pour the glaze over the entire cake and let settle before you serve. If you are making cupcakes follow the same steps and if you would like you can top with the frosting of your choice.
These are the cupcakes for the shower all ready to go! 

i could eat this sauce every day....on everything

I have a recent obsession with butternut squash ravioli covered in this sweet sage butter sauce. However, you can put it on anything...I tried it over chicken with baby bella mushrooms and mashed potatoes...lets just say my husbands family was licking their plates. The below recipe is enough for one package of ravioli however if your making it for 3 or more people I would double or triple it.

Sweet Sage Butter Sauce

3 tbl. diced pancetta (or bacon)
4 tbl. butter
1-2 tlb. honey (i used sage honey infused by my
father in law..but any kind will work)
1 tlb. finely chopped sage
2 tlb. cream
salt to taste








Brown your pacetta in a small pan until crisp. Then add the rest of the ingredients besides the cream. Let everything combine and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add your cream and cook slightly, just a minute or so. Then pour over your ravioli, chicken, pasta...whatever your having. It is such a wonderful combination of sweet, salty, crispy and creamy deliciousness! 

 

no cooking for a month?......yes please!

This weekend I took on the challenge of pre-making a month worth of dinners..for a couple reasons. One I just wanted to see if I could do it and two because work has been taking more and more time from me and I don't see it slowing down. This is a good thing...a very good thing however not when it comes to weeknight cooking.
It went better then I expected.... total prep and cleanup was less then 4 hours. I'm going to share the process with you so you can fill in the meals with whatever you like but the prep will pretty much be the same for whatever your making.
I made several crock pot meals in freezer bags and then a few casseroles in disposable pans. Since there are two many recipes to share them all if there is one you want let me know and ill post it for you. Also I duplicated a few of the meals to bulk up my inventory.

To make week night meals even easier my friend told me about this wonderful invention.....

Gosh I'm looking forward to no cooking and basically no clean up!


Crock Pot Meals
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken with veggies
BBQ Chicken with sweet potatoes
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Bourguinon 
Asian Beef & Broccoli
Pulled Pork
Pot Roast
Pork Tacos
Meatballs in Red Sauce
Porcupine Meatballs

Casserole
Creamy Lasagna with Italian Sausage
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
White Enchiladas

I came up with a way to assemble everything and save a little time and minimal dish washing. 

First you need to make a list of everything your going to make so you don't forget anything.

Then put and your canned and dry ingredients out so they are easy to access.

Then wash, scrub or peel your veggies...whatever prep needs to be done, do it all at the same time.

Next its time to get choppin. Cut all your veggies and place in neat little piles for you to use as you assemble everything.

Then lay out your freezer bags, if you fold over the top they will stand up by themselves. I placed mine on cookie sheets so I could easily move them around the kitchen. Then place your meats in the bottom of the bag and they are ready to top with veggies.

Now place your veggies over the meat and its time for the sauce and seasoning. I made one at a time just rinsing out the same bowl to save on the clean up. Then its time to seal up your bags and make sure you label what dinner it is and any additional ingredients.

Now pile them up in the freezer and enjoy home cooked dinners with no week night cooking!

Please comment if you would like to see any of the recipes!

Shrimp Peanut Noodles

This post is for my sister in law, sorry J I'm just now posting this recipe...she asked for this about two weeks ago :). This is a recipe that I make at least once a month, it is out of the ordinary for a weeknight dinner so we have grown to love it!

Shrimp Peanut Noodles

1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 pound pre-cooked large shrimp
1 package Udon noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

These are the only two ingredients that are out of the ordinary so here is a visual. Here I used the fresh noodles however you can use dry ones. Be careful of the sriracha..or as my husband calls it "rooster sauce"...its very hot. Start with a little and add more if its not hot enough.

Place the first 8 ingredients in a large pan or in my case a used a wok. Place over med-high heat and use a whisk to break everything up and mix together. At this time you can also place your noodles in a large pot of boiling water, they will take about the same amount of time to cook as the sauce.

Let this simmer for a few minutes until it is all combined and thickens up. Then you can add your shrimp to the pan.
Lets talk shrimp for a minute, you can use raw shrimp however I like to use the pre-cooked frozen shrimp...they cook faster and are easier to deal with. I thaw mine little with cool running water and then throw them in the sauce to heat through.
Place the sauce and shrimp on top of your noodles then top with cilantro, green onion, peanuts and lime slices and your ready to eat!

a sweet baby dedication

A few weeks ago I was privileged to be a part of my beautiful niece's baby dedication. We all gathered together to witness my sister and her husband dedicate her life to the Lord. It was a lovely little gathering full of wonderful family and friends. We all pitched in and made a sweet little dessert table. I made a few things but the recipe I would like to share is this very easy hazelnut chocolate mousse.

 Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse

1 cup chocolate chips (I used the mini ones)
2 tbs nutella hazelnut spread
14 oz heavy whipping cream
2 cups powder sugar
chopped hazelnuts






First you need to set up a double boiler like this...

If your not sure what that is, its just a pot with an inch or two of simmering water and a bowl on top :)

Then you will put the chocolate chips, nutella and two tbs of the heavy cream into the bowl and mix slowly until it is smooth.

Once it it smooth take it off the heat and set aside for a minute. Then whip the remaining whipping cream and power sugar in a separate bowl until it looks like this..

Then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until combined. At this point you can put it into little cups using a spoon or do what I did and put into a pastry bag.

Pipe it into any small cup, glass, shot glass...get creative. Then top with the chopped hazelnuts for a crunchy bite and enjoy!

Here they are all lined up ready to be enjoyed :)

Here is the little lady all dressed up ready for her dedication!

Easy Dinner & Date Night

Last Sunday the husband and I went on a little date night which included picking out our Christmas tree and having dinner at one of our favorite Mexican food places. I always love going out for dates but I also love date nights in! So the next night I made this easy chicken chili and we decorated our tree we picked out. Here is a recipe you are sure to love!

Easy Chicken Chili

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
1-2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can small white beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn (drained) 
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 packet of original chili seasoning
1-2 cups shredded chicken

Toppings

Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Tortilla chips for chili cheese Fritos 
Chopped green onions

Over medium high heat saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. While this is cooking mix your seasoning packet with the chicken stock. Then add all remaining ingredients to the pot; do not drain any of the beans or tomatoes, just the corn. Then mix in your seasoning mixture. Cook down for at least 30 minutes. When you are ready to serve I like to lay down some of the chips in the bowl top with soup and then any of the listed toppings you would like, or all of them! I serve mine with warm cornbread and honey butter. This is such a tasty and easy dinner, the prep will only take you 10-15 minutes!

here is our finished tree! 

loving my pretty little birds :)

the pups enjoying the Christmas decorations

and here we are :)

Holiday Entertaining

I know many of us do lots of entertaining during the Christmas season and the usual menu consists of finger foods. These are always fun for social gatherings and mingling, however sometimes difficult to get it all out before your quests arrive so I have a few yummy things to make with most of the work being done the day before or ahead of time so you can enjoy the party as much as your guests!! I had the girls over on a week night and made these 4 dishes, it was so simple with the make ahead tips :).

Cream Cheese Won Tons 

1 package cream cheese
1 package square won tons
Vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour sauce

I got the idea for these from my friend Briana, who is 17 years old and I had to idea she liked to cook until I went to her house and she whipped up all these delicious little bites, she always amazes me with her many talents! Anyway back to the food, I love this appetizer because it has so little ingredients and most of the prep can be done ahead of time.

Cut your cream cheese into squares and place in the middle of your won ton wrapper then with your finger or pastry brush dab a little water along the edges.

Then fold all the corners up and pinch together. There are several ways to fold them up, this one is my favorite but use your imagination!

At this point they can be placed on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam or brushed with a little oil to keep from sticking then covered with a damp paper towel and place in the fridge overnight. All this prep the day before will save you a ton of time.

Either the morning of or a few hours before your party place them in a large pot or deep fryer and cook for a minute or two with the oil between 350 and 375. Make sure they are submerged in the oil and take them out when they begin turning golden brown. Place them on a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain and they can stay like this for several hours. Bake them for 5-7 minutes at 350 to warm them back up right before your guests arrive and they are ready to be plated!

Serve with your sweet and sour sauce for dipping!

Cheddar Bacon Pull Apart Bread

Loaf of sour dough for french bread (I used two smaller ones here)
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 stick of butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 strips bacon

I saw this on pinterest and never actually read the recipe so this is what I came up with. It was super easy and so yummy...how can it not be with butter, bacon and melted cheese though??

The day before your party cut the bread across both ways but do not go all the way through. Then place them in a ziplock bag to keep them fresh. For the bacon you can do it two ways, cut the bacon before you cook it into small pieces and brown, or cook the whole strip then crumble. I like the first method personally. Place on a paper towel and cover, this can be done the day before and left out over night. Then an hour or so before the party you can assemble these beauties; melt the butter and mix with the ranch packet then brush or spoon it in between all the cracks. Sprinkle in the shredded cheese and top with your cooked bacon. Then a few minutes before the party pop it into the oven and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until everything is warm and cheese is melted!

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Bites 

8 oz cream cheese 

3 tbs finely chopped green onion 

(you can use the chive and onion cream cheese in place of this and regular cream cheese) 

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend

1 package puff pastry 

These little bites you can actually make completely the day before and just reheat right before your party. Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Lay the puff pastry out and cut into small squares that will fit into a mini cupcake pan. Place each piece of pastry in the pan and spoon in the filling. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, remove right when they begin to brown. Place back into the oven before your ready to serve them for 5-7 minutes. If you want to fully cook at one time back 12-15 minutes.

Mini Spinach Dip Cups

1 tube crescent rolls or bread dough

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

First heat your olive oil in a pan and add the spinach and garlic, it will cook down very fast. Transfer the spinach to a bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Roll out the dough and if your using crescent rolls pinch the seams together then use your rolling pin to smooth it out. Use a small round cookie cutter (or the rim of a small glass) to punch out your bread rounds. Then place in a mini cupcake pan and make sure the dough goes up the sides a little. Fill each cup with a little of the spinach mixture and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. If you would like to make them the day before you can do the same thing as the above recipe and just cook most of the way then finish them off the day of. You will only get about 12 out of this recipe so I would suggest doubling it for more then a few guests.

I don't have a picture for this one, by the time I remembered to take one we ate them all!