Angel Berry Trifle

Seen as Ashley invited me to contribute this blog when she started it and I have been enjoying seeing everyone elses' contributions since then... I figure it's about time I actually add something to the list of wonderful recipes, and forget my excuse of not adding a recipe because "I didn't take a picture of it!"... because I actaully did take a picture of this one! And though it's kinda late for July 4th and 24th celebrations - there are at least a few days of July left and a month of summer before the kids go back to school (though this dessert or salad if you wish is quick, easy and oh so delicious any time of year!) ENJOY!

ANGEL BERRY TRIFLE

Ingredients
1 x Large Box Vanilla Pudding
2 C. Milk
1 C. Sour Cream
1 x Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 x Angel Food Cake Ring
1 1/2 lbs Fresh Strawberries
2 C. Blueberries (Fresh or Fozen)

Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl mix together the pudding with the milk. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. In a clean bowl, beat the whipping cream until it is almost thick. Add the vanilla and gently whisk in. Then add the powdered sugar and beat until cream is thick, being careful not to over-whisk. Set aside.

3. Carefully cut the angel food cake into ½” cubes. Set aside.

4. Wash and dry strawberries. Halve and quarter strawberries. Set aside.

5. In a large deep glass bowl begin layering the salad in the following order:

• Half of pudding mixture, then one-third of the angel food cake cubes, pressed lightly into the pudding.


• One-third of the strawberries and one-third of the blueberries.


• Half of whipped cream, then one-third of the angel food cake cubes, and press them into the cream.


• One-third of the strawberries and one-third of the blueberries.


• Remaining pudding; remaining cream; remaining angel food cake, strawberries and blueberries.

6. If using fresh blueberries, serve immediately. If using frozen, let stand in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to let them defrost slightly. Best prepared just before serving, but may be made up to half a day ahead of time.

Banana Bread {So Easy A 9 Year Old Can Do It!}

My nine year old is going through this "Bosch Kick".  Monday night he whipped out some chocolate chip cookies that mirrored my mom's famous ones so much-even she couldn't believe he had made them!  Never mind the fact that I have made that exact recipe multiple times and have never had them turn out that good.  Tuesday I had made a plan NOT to use the Bosch that day (seriously, owning a Bosch has not helped my "healthy eating" idea...) only to walk into the kitchen to find the blasted machine already pulled out and my nine year old exclaimed he was going to try to make some banana bread with the ripe bananas he found in our fruit bowl.  What could I do but let him???

I know there are a ba-zillion banana bread recipes out there, but this is the one we always use because its easy, moist, easy, delicious, easy, and bakes fast!  Oh, and did I mention it is easy???

Banana Bread

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

3 ripe bananas

(I usually smash these up with a potato masher in a small bowl and find it mixes easier, but it is not necessary.)

2 c. flour

1/2 c. nuts

 (optional-we never add these since most of the fam are not fans.)

Combine shortening, sugar, and eggs and beat well.  Add soda, salt, milk, and vanilla and mix well.  Add bananas, mix well, then add flour and mix well.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out almost clean. 

 (Banana bread is much better, in my opinion, under baked rather than over baked!  My oven cooks very hot, so it only took about 24 minutes for ours to bake.)

Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves.

My nine year old used disposable bread pans and we got 2 small loaves and 1 medium sized loaf out of this one recipe.  (The one he is holding in the picture is the medium one.)

French Bread

This was one of the first recipes I wanted to make when I recieved a Bosch Mixer for Mother's Day this year-holy moly was it A LOT easier with it!  But for those of you who still get a work out by kneading up your own bread by hand, this is a good one to try!  This yummy bread now makes an apperance in our home almost weekly. It's a must try recipe that I oringinally found here.

2 ¼ c. warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water.  Let it proof (sit for a few minutes until it bubbles up). Add salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour.  Beat well. Add in 2 1/2 to 3 more cups of flour. Your dough should clean off the sides of the bowl.  It shouldn't be too sticky, but be careful not too add too much flour.  Knead for a few minutes.  Leave the dough in the mixer or bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Then stir it down (turn your mixer on for about ten seconds) and then let it rest for another 10 minutes.  Repeat this for a total of 5 times.  Turn dough onto floured surface and divide into 2 equal parts.  Roll each part into a 9x13 rectangle.  Roll the dough up, starting from the long edge of loaf to seal.  Place on baking sheet, with the seam side down, allowing room for both loaves.  Do the same process with the second part of dough.  Using a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an agle on top of each loaf.  Cver the loaves tightly and let them rise for about 30 minutes.  Brush entire surface with an egg wash (one egg white beaten slightly with 1 T. of water).  Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cool on racks and enjoy!  We love it right out of the oven!

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

I always enjoy cooking with a theme in mind. Since Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, here are two recipes you may enjoy.

I found this one here and have made it a few times for my family. They are easy and fabulous! They are called Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos.

1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tb fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 Tb chopped cilantro
2 Tb sliced green onions

2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese

fajita size flour tortillas (or small corn tortillas)
cooking spray
kosher salt

Soften cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir in green salsa, lime juice and spices until well mixed then add cilantro and green onions. Stir in shredded chicken and pepperjack cheese and combine well. **this can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet with Silpat (or tin foil, lightly sprayed with cooking oil).http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Working with 3-4 tortillas at a time, briefly heat in microwave so they are more malleable and easier to work with. (Any time you want to heat up flour tortillas, it’s a good idea to place a damp paper towel draped over a small stack of them in the microwave. If I have more than 5, I will place a damp paper towel in the middle of the stack as well.) Spoon 2-3 Tb of mixture in a row across the bottom third of tortilla, keeping 1/2 inch away from edge. This makes it possible to roll it up very tightly. Place taquitos seam side down on cookie sheet, making sure they are not touching. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and edges start to turn golden brown.

Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

The second recipe was found here. It's what I'm making for Cinco De Mayo...Taco Salad .

2 large cans of Ranch Style Beans
1 can Rotel, I use mild
1/1/2 pounds ground beef, browned. For this recipe, I just cover the meat with water, add garlic powder, salt and one medium onion chopped. Then let it simmer away for about an hour. You could just brown the meat, but it is really tasty this way. I just add in the whole pot of beef/water after it's cooked.
One packet of Ranch Dressing
Two cloves of garlic, minced

Combine all of these ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for about four hours. Have it over lettuce with cheese, sour cream, green onion, corn chips, avocado.

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken and Dipping Sauce

Image source: google images

 Have you ever went to Outback and ordered the Alice Springs Chicken entree?  Well, it is the ONLY thing I have ever had on my few outings down under, and I found myself craving it one night.  So I decided to try my own version---And IT WAS SO GOOD!!!

Brown 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a frying pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Season with lemon pepper, garlic salt, or whatever you like.  Put browned chicken breasts in a baking dish (I used a 9X13 glass dish lined with tin foil so I wouldn't have to wash it).  Meanwhile in the same frying pan, fry strips on bacon (about one per chicken breast) and set aside.  If bacon was really greasy, pour out most of the grease, then use a little left in the pan to fry 1 cup sliced mushrooms.  (I used canned since I was out of fresh and they worked fine.)  Place mushrooms on top of chicken, then cut bacon in half and place on top of mushrooms.  Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Alice Springs Chicken 

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

seasonings of your choice/taste

4-6 strips of bacon

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup cheese

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mustard

1/4 cup light karo syrup

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup mayo

Mix in small bowl and serve.

Coconut Sryup and a Buttermilk Substitute

I got this recipe from my big sis, Jill, who is a GREAT cook and my go-to girl when I have a kitchen question.  She oringinally got this yummy syrup recipe from The Sister's Cafe.

7-8 T. butter (I always just do 7-it's plenty!)
¾ c. buttermilk (don't have buttermilk handy?  See below for directions on making your own...)
1 c. sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up, so make sure your pot is big enough to handle A LOT of bubbling; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

We serve this on pancakes (chocolate chip ones are divine with it-takes like your eating an Almond Joy for breakfast), waffles, crepes, french toast...it's yummy!  Oh, and if you think this picture is looking a little GREEN -no it's not the bad edit job-I just happened to make this syrup this morning for our St. Patrick's Day breakfast!

How To Make a Substitute for Buttermilk:

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute.

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

The classic Sunday breakfast at my house! A Bundt pan works best, but a springform pan can be substituted.

Ingredients:

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated

biscuit dough

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Enjoy! -Sylvia

Cinnamon Granola Cereal

I was really craving a good bowl of cereal this morning, but didn't have any! This is my go-to recipe for cereal. The good thing about this recipe is that it is very adaptable. The only ingredients you truly need are oats, oil, and some kind of syrup or honey. The rest is just for fun. You can use any nuts, seeds, fruits, even candies that you want!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ (optional)
1/3 cup flax seeds (optional)
1 cup pecans (optional)
1/3 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1/2 cup honey or pancake syrup
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the honey/syrup and oil.
4. Add the oil mixture to the cereal mixture.
5. Spread cereal evenly on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir. Bake for 20 minutes more.
7. Remove from oven. If you are adding dried fruits, chocolate chips, or other types of candies/marshmallows, add them at this point.
8. Spread cereal on a piece of foil to cool and dry out some.
9. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
10. Yum! :)

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Filling/Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Bread:
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated on stove top to 110 degrees
4 T. unsalted butter, (3 of them melted)
3 large egg yolks
4 1/4 cup AP flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 t. rapid rise yeast (1 pkg.)
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt

1. In a small bowl, combine your filling/topping ingredients. Measure out 1/4 cup of your mixture and set the rest aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and egg yolks. Then, in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the 1/4 cup of cinnamon mixture, 1 TBSP sugar, yeast, flour, and salt.

3. Using your dough hook, mix on low and slowly add the milk mixture. After the dough comes together, increase your speed to medium and mix the dough until it is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Your dough should stick to the bottom of your bowl, but not too the sides. You may need to add more flour if needed.

4. Turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a smooth round ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

5. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, press dough into a 20 x 8 inch rectangle, with the short side facing you. Using a spray bottle filled with water, lightly spray the dough. Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture (reserving about 2-3 TBSP), leaving a 2 inch border along the top to seal. Lightly spray the cinnamon sugar with the water. Roll up from the edge nearest you and finish at the sugarless end. Pinch to seal. Place in the loaf pan seam side down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to for rise another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 TBSP of butter and brush over top of dough. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and bake until top is deep brown (about 45-60 minutes) Turn bread out and cool on wire rack.


I got the recipe from   http://www.theidearoom.net/     It is DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!