Berry-Chocolate Fools (Strawberries & Creme)

I love this as a sweet, light, cool summer desert.

Toss 1 quart quartered strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or agava sweetener) in a bowl, return to refrigerator. In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Optional: Mealt 3 ounces finely chopped semisweet (or dark) chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly. Fold into the whipped chream. Layer the berries in a glass. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The dark chocolate is option, since if your family is like our's the dog will hijack the chocolate (and eat the entire bar) before you get a chance to put it in your berries and cream. Don't worry, we called the vet and the dog ended up being fine.

Thespian Cake

Yes, THESPIAN, not lesbian, as some men in my family like to refer to this recipe. So, one time in high school, we hosted this huge convention, which means our mom's got to provide dessert one night. Everyone had to make the same thing, and here is what it was.

1 Yellow Cake Mix (cook as directed)
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can eagle brand milk
1 container coolwhip

While cake is still warm, poke holes in the top. Now, my brother, being the bright thing he is, did this once and used his finger. Not smart. So, I will revise the directions to say, poke with something that is not your finger.  Pour eagle brand milk over top, then top with pineapples (juice, too.) Refrigerate, then add cool whip when you are ready to serve. Yum!

Weekly Challenge- Dessert Again!

Ok, so with this dessert challenge, I want you to give us a recipe with fruit.

Pea Picking Cake

This is my all time favorite cake. My grandmother always made it at family gatherings, and it was something I always looked forward to. When I moved far enough away that I wouldn't be able to attend many of those gatherings, I asked for copies of some of her recipes, so she let me borrow her ancient tin box full of her favorites. I found that she had clipped this recipe from a newspaper forever ago. It has ingredients that are very common to me but that probably were really special and novel in my grandmother's day.
In recent years, I have seen other versions of this cake by other names, so it may seem familiar. I'm giving it to you the way I always had it, but add coconut and/or pecans as you like, make it into cupcakes, or call it whatever you want! Either way, I hope you treasure it the way I always have!

I pulled this image off another site. You may notice nuts and coconut. They are not in my recipe, but you can add them if you like! I'd toast them both, but that's just my preference. I make it without anyway.

Pea Picking Cake (Grandma calls it Pea Picker Cake)

For the Cake:
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine
4 eggs
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges, with juices

Preheat oven to 325, and grease and flower 3 9-inch cake pans.
Mix together the cake ingredients until smooth (about 3 minutes w/an electric mixer), pour evenly into pans, and bake 25-30 minutes.
Remove cake from pans when cool enough to handle and allow to cool all the way before frosting.

For the Frosting:

1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (15oz) can crushed pineapple, with juices
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix

Mix pudding and pineapple and juice together in a small bowl, then fold in whipped topping. Spread between and around cooled cake layers.
Refrigerate cake until serving.

Sock It To Me Cake

This is my fiance's favorite cake (and he doesn't really like cake, so it's a winner). Plus it's a bonafide Southern dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/mama-neelys-sock-it-to-me-cake-recipe/index.html

Delicious! I usually make it in a bundt pan for the looks of it.

Gooey Butter Cake

So easy, so good, so fattening. Oh, and it is better the second day.

 

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9x13 inch cake pan.
2. Melt the butter slightly. Mix it with 2 of the eggs and cake mix. Pour batter into prepared pan. Mix the remaining 2 eggs with the cream cheese, and the confectioner's sugar. Pour this mixture evenly over the first mixture. Do not stir.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Weekly Challenge...Dessert

Ok, for this challenge, I am going to choose my favorite part of the meal. Dessert! And, not just dessert, but CAKE. So, what is your favorite cake??

Also, feel free to go in and add weekly challenges (just use the post options to set it to publish for the next available week.) What have you been wanting to get new recipes for?

Homesteader Cornbread

I'm going to cheat, because I've already used one of my two crockpot recipes and the other is chili, which is *not* a summer recipe.

However, one does generally want some sort of bread to soak up the decliciousness of a crockpot meal, so here's a tasty cornbread recipe. To me, it's got just the perfect amount of sweet. I could just eat the bread, actually....

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken AKA Bag of Puke

I missed last week's pantry meal, but it turns out that my crock pot go-to is also my pantry meal go-to. So, here we go.
My kids call this Bag of Puke when we have it because I once took it in a gallon sized freezer bag to a friend's house and said to her, "I know this looks like a bag of puke, but it's my kids' favorite meal."
I randomly found this a couple years ago when I was searching for meals I could make ahead and freeze, and it was an instant hit that I've shared with lots and lots of other families. So, it goes without saying now that you can make this ahead and freeze it, right?
Rather than type it out, I'm just going to give you the link. You'll notice it is a very popular recipe, and I promise it is better to eat than to look at. You can leave the chicken big, cut into chunks, shred it, eat it over rice, in tortillas, or make it your own!

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-w-black-beans-and-cream-cheese-yum-89204

p.s. I don't actually own a crockpot. I make this in a heavy pot on the stove top over med/low heat with the lid on. Works like a charm, and dinner is done in under an hour!

Weekly Challenge: Crock Pot

I want to hear your favorite summer crock pot recipes! It seems like often crock pot recipes are associtaed with heavy, hearty meals, but they don't have to be! They are a great way to cook in the summer so that you don't have the oven on, plus you have the added bonus of being able to throw something in first thing in the morning, play all day, then come home to dinner. Ready, GO!

Pasta Bake

Here is my "pantry meal"

I always have pasta on hand, and this works out well to use the random amounts of random shapes you have hanging around. (My girls get to pick out the pasta at the store, so very rarely do we have just one shape around.) Also, this is a good way to use up small amounts of various cheeses.

• Pasta
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Garlic Salt
• Mozzarella, Parmesean, or other Italian style cheeses

Boil the pasta to al dente - you are going to cook it again. If you are in a rush, you can heat the sauce while the pasta is cooking. I add garlic salt to the sauce as well, just for a little extra flavor. Once the pasta is drained, stir together the pasta, sauce and cheeses (we like to use about two cups in a square baking dish) together in a baking dish. Top with cheese, bake at 375 until warm and cheese is melted.

I missed it. This week's challenge.

See, I told you it would happen, and I wouldn't remember until Tuesday to post. Well, it is Friday. Bravo! to me. We've been awfully busy (I've helped feed 30 starving dances three meals a day for the last three days...next week I get to do it again, but for 50!)  So, in honor of being busy...what is your favorite pantry meal. (As in, I haven't planned anything, but I always have ingredients for this on hand.) 

Be looking for my grill recipe...I promise you'll love it!

Ashley

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
• 1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• skewers

Directions

1. In a gallon ziploc, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, ginger, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers. Grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear.

Notes: I also like using chicken tenders because they are a little quicker to prepare. Don't forget to soak your skewers in water for about half an hour before you need them (unless you are a fancy pants and have the metal ones.) I like to make the marinade twice, then cook it on the stove, adding the leftover pineapple juice, and cornstarch to thicken, and serve it as a dip for the skewers.

Hope you enjoy!

Ashley

Margarita-marinated Chicken

The easiest grilled chicken recipe ever!
Purchase your favorite margarita mix, and use it to marinate chicken breast for a few hours or overnight.
Grill the chicken, and serve it with whatever you'd like. Mango or avocado salsa would be wonderful over the chicken!
Sometimes I add onion and cilantro to the marinade, but it's great on its own as well!

This Week's Challenge: Chicken Grill Recipes

I'm loving seeing all of the fun recipes everyone is sharing. I would love it if everyone invited a few friends. To do so, just go to the permissions section under settings and send them an invitation. But, onto the weekly challenge.

It is H.O.T. out right now. Our airconditioner is on all of the time (and still the house isn't as cool as I would like.) Perfect time to use the grill and keep all of the heat outside. This week I want you all to share your favorite chicken recipes that can be made on the grill.

America's Test Kitchen Chicken Tikka Masala

I have so many favorites, but this is the most recent. Don't be scared if you don't have any experience with Indian food. This is not hard, and it's not so foreign that it wouldn't be appealing to your palate. I promise.

As far as stealing this one, I did get it off some stranger's blog after sort of going looking for it. I always try America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated recipes if I am making something I don't have prior experience (or success) with, and you have to pay to have full access to their website. So, I happened upon this one while looking up random Test Kitchen recipes, and it was a no-brainer. I was sure I would love it, and I do!

I'll post the link at the bottom of the page to the blog where I lifted it, but first I'll give you the recipe and my notes and tips. I hope you'll make it, love it, and share it!

This might look a little involved, but once you've pulled it off once, it won't seem so bad! I'd caution you not to use fat free yogurt. Low fat is okay, and full fat is better. Also, for the sauce, you can use yogurt or heavy cream interchangeably. Or half of one and half of the other, if that makes you feel better. I've done it both ways, and they were each delicious.
You are going to need just one specialty ingredient, garam masala, and Walmart does sell it. You can buy it powdered in a spice jar or in paste form. I have both, and they are both fine. I prefer the paste because it allows me to skip a step. I'll explain that in the recipe. Anyway, If you shop at Pleasant Crossing WalMart, go to the mexican food isle. When you first turn onto it, look immediately to the right, and there will be a bunch of Thai and Indian stuff. Last time, it was toward the bottom. It looks like this and costs about $3-$4. It says HOT on the label, but that's what I use, and the recipe comes out with just the amount of heat I want, so don't be scared.

One last thing: this recipe is adjusted to feed 4, technically, but it find that it's very generous.
The only thing I have a problem with sometimes is the yogurt mix. I run out (maybe I coat my chicken too heavily), so I usually make one and a half times the recipe for that part. You could probably just thin it out a bit with some milk or cream, and it would stretch a bit.
Ok, on with the show....

For the Chicken:

1 teaspoon garam masala blend plus 1 tsp salt plus 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional - I usually skip!!) OR 2 tsp (more or less if you want) garam masala paste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
2 T vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1T plus 1t fresh grated or minced ginger

For the sauce:

2-3 T vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2t grated or minced ginger
1T tomato paste plus 1T garam masasla blend OR 2T (more or less to taste) garam masala paste
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2t sugar
salt to taste
2/3 cup plain yogurt or cream
4 T chopped cilantro


Chicken:
Combine the garam masala, cayenne (if you want), and salt in a bowl, or just use garam masala paste. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then coat the chicken thoroughly with the spices, pressing to help them adhere. If using dry spices, you'll sprinkle and then pat. If using paste, you'll spread it on. Up to you. Place the chicken on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Whisk the yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger together in a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.



Sauce:
Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt or cream and cover to keep warm.
**I like my sauce pretty smooth, so I stick an immersion blender in there and work that out. You could leave it as is, or use a regular blender, too

Back to the Chicken:
Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to be 6 inches from the broiler element, and heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and top with a wire rack. Using tongs, dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture so that it is thickly coated and arrange on the prepared wire rack; discard any excess yogurt mixture. Broil the chicken until the exterior is lightly charred in spots and the thickest part of the breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. If you're into the grill this summer, you can just grill this and avoid heating your oven and kitchen up.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then cut into chunks or slices. Stir the chicken pieces into the warm sauce (do not simmer the chicken in the sauce).

Stir in the cilantro, season with salt to taste, and serve.

Eat over rice or with warm naan. Yum!

The blog from which I lifted this recipe is a really good one for great recipes. You may notice I've made a few changes to make this work a little better in my kitchen and to keep the spice level realistic for my family: http://leitesculinaria.com/17266/recipes-chicken-tikka-masala.html

Creamy Tomato Soup with Pesto

Hey ladies - here is my contribution this week!

Creamy Tomato Soup with Pesto

1 onion-diced
2 gloves garlic-minced
1 ½ T. extra virgin olive oil
4 c. chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c. half-and-half cream or evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. basil pesto

1. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil, over medium to medium high for about 10 minutes. Stirring often until onion is tender.
2. Puree tomatoes.
3. Pour chicken broth and tomatoes into a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
4. Pour in the half-and-half, and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Ladle into bowls, and swirl in a spoonful of pesto before serving.

I found this on The Sister's Cafe. These ladies always seem to know what good food is!

I think this would be so fun served in a bread bowl, though I've never been that adventurous - yet.

This is fun! Thanks for doing this, Ashley! I can't wait to try some of the other recipes!

Until next time,

Mary

Cake Doughnuts

This challenge didn't narrow down my list much.  Every recipe I use is stolen from somewhere, but I do usually change it up a bit to make it "mine".  These doughnuts were a super easy and fun to make, and for a first attempt, they turned out beautifully!  I made a simple frosting glaze with extra cinnamon to pour over the top.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 dash ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 cup milk 1 egg, beaten 1 quart oil for frying

Directions:

1.	Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg until smooth. Knead lightly, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or use two round biscuit cutters of different sizes.
3.	Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, a few at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or oil may overflow. Fry, turning once, for 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=43051&origin=detail&&Servings=12

Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

This feeds my fiance for days, I stole it from allrecipes.com. I usually cook it in the crockpot instead of on the stove and use chicken instead of turkey. I also skip out on the sour cream and green onions to save calories and use dried herbs instead of fresh. Canned corn works as well as frozen.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 cups water
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
4 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:
6 cups corn tortilla chips
3/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2.Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
3.Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

From Kyle & Jannae

Mountain Dew Dumplings

Ok, so this is hands down my husband's favorite dessert in the world. I'm pretty sure he dreams about it. I only make half of the recipe below and it is plenty for our little family (although I'm not so sure my husband wouldn't like for me to triple it.) It comes from the fabulous Pioneer Woman.

Mountain Dew Dumplings

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 40 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples
• 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Cinnamon, To Taste
• 1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable.

Come join the Party!

Let's get this party started! Ok, we are going to go easy this first week. This week's challenge is (drum roll please)....your favorite "stolen" recipe. There are so many great food blogs and websites out there. Choose your favorite recipe from another online source and copy it onto here, then leave a link back to the site so we all can explore! If you make any changes, please make sure to note that, too. GO!

Come Join This Momma Cooks!

Here is the idea for this blog:

• Each week there is a new challenge issued on Monday (or Tuesday if I forget)
• Lots of my friends sign up to be contributers to this blog. They check in during the week and post their favorite recipe that meets the challenge for the week.
• We all have new recipes to try out on our unsuspecting families.

FAQ's (not that anyone has asked, but I'm pretending)

Who can join?Anyone! Just leave me a comment and we will get you signed up to be an author. My friends, friends of my friends, whoever!

What if I forget to participate one week?
Ye walk the plank. Outta here. No more for you! Or, you could just go back and post with the old date so it shows up in the correct section. Then, no one will know you forgot.

What is the format?
I'm not picky, just do what works for you. If you have a picture, you get bonus points. Make sure you "tag" your post with the challenge for the week and any other terms you might search for (quick, chicken, crockpot, grill, etc.)

So, that is it. Let's do this!