Warm Winter Lemon Cake

Warm Winter Lemon Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2 cups cold milk
1 ¼ cups water
2 pkg. (4 oz) Lemon flavored instant pudding mix
1/3 C. granulated sugar
2 T. powdered sugar

Prepare cake batter as directed on the package. Pour into greased 13x9 pan and set aside. Pour milk and water into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and granulated sugar. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour over batter. Place baking dish on baking sheet to catch any sauce that might bubble over the side of the dish as dessert bakes. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour at 350 or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. (sauce will thicken slightly as it cools) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon into serving dishes to serve warm. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Drinks Galore...

Kind of a random post since it is getting cold and these all remind me of summer. But hey, if you are having a gloomy winter day, these may just be the cure :)

Hawaiian Lemonade

1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade
1 can (46 oz.) apricot nectar
1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice
2 ½ cups water
1 qt. Ginger Ale or Lemon-lime soda

Mix lemonade, apricot nectar, pineapple juice and water in a large punch bowl. Add soda and ice.

Summer Punch

3 pkgs Strawberry Kool-aid
1 pkg Raspberry Kool-aid
4 C sugar
1 lg can Pineapple juice
12 oz lemonade
12 oz orange juice
2 qts water
7-up to taste

Freeze overnight. Thaw 1 hour before serving. Add 7-up

Frozen Fruit Slush

3/4 C Lemon Juice from concentrate ( buy it by the frozen juice's)
4 C warm water
4 C sugar
4 C cold water
Mix to dissolve sugar then add cold water
Freeze

An hour in a half before serving get from the freezer and brake it to make a slush.
Add...
2 C crushed pineapple
6 C frozen Raspberries
2 C Frozen Blueberries

Pineapple Sunrise Smooties

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened pineapple tidbits
1 small ripe banana, sliced
3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 ice cubes

Drain pineapple, reserving juice and 1 cup pineapple (refrigerate remaining pineapple for another use). In a blender, combine the pineapple juice, pineapple, banana, raspberries, sugar and ice; cover and process until smooth. Stir if necessary. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately

Pumpkin Cake

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
Beat until fluffy then add:
16 oz pumpkin
Mix then add:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Mix all together. Grease 2 cookie sheets (I only use one cookie sheet, it doesn't run over. It was a little to thin for me when I put it in the 2 cookie sheets.)
Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups butter
Cream Together then add:
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar (1 cup at a time)

Creamed Corn

Perfect for Thanksgiving, and so easy and delicious!

20 frozen corn (sweet corn if possible)

1/4 cube butter

1 8 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp water

Dump everything together in a crockpot and heat on low heat for 4 hours.  

fast and easy stir fry

Not really a recipe so much as something we do that's fun fast and a little different every time

Roman noodles (1-2 packs depending on how many people you are feeding)
Chicken (canned works as well and is faster) or beef
Pineapple
Mandarin oranges
Teriyaki or sweet and sour sauce.
Green peppers

Cook the roman noodles and then drain water. (You can add the flavoring packet to the drained noodles for a little extra flavor if you like) If you are using frozen chicken or beef then cook in skillet until done. If you are using canned meat then add the canned meat to a skillet. Add a little teriyaki sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, green peppers and the cooked noodles. Let it sauté until it's all warm and then eat it. Fast easy and you can add whatever you want to it if you like onions or water chestnuts then add them. We add a little soy sauce sometimes for a different taste.

It's fun because it's fast easy and roman noodles work just as good as any of the Asian noodles you buy at the store and they cost a lot less.

Lettuce Wraps

Whenever I make lettuce wraps I always get rave reviews. Enjoy!

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 small can water chestnuts (drained and finely chopped)
3 green onions (finely chopped)
2 c. chicken broth
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) or garlic powder (if you must)
soy sauce (to taste)
approx. 1 tbsp. fresh or ground ginger
approx. 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 tbsp. brown sugar
1 packet of ramen noodles, broken up into little pieces (doesn't matter what flavor, toss out the flavor packet) or rice noodles are much better but harder to find.
one head of iceberg or butter lettuce (separated as carefully as possible into leaves)

Cook the ground meat in a frying pan over medium heat, while it is cooking, break it up as small as possible with a spatula. Once the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down to medium and add the water chestnuts, green onions, garlic and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add soy sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and to make sure it is as yummy as you want it, serve it family style in a big bowl with the lettuce leaves on the side. To eat, scoop some of the mixture into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and enjoy.

We often eat lettuce wraps with the Pad Thai, found in a box in the ethnic food aisle. Another yummy side dish that is good with lettuce wraps is Asian-Style 3 Bean Salad, from Ellie Krieger. When string beans are not in season I often leave them out.

Asian-Style 3 Bean Salad

1 lb. string beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame beans (green soy beans)
3 tbsp. canola oil
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. 100% apricot preserves
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 scallions, sliced
salt

Put the string beans and frozen edamame into a steamer basked and stem for 4 minutes. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and put them into the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes longer.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, sugar and ginger. Add the black beans and scallions to the other beans, drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Season with salt, to taste.

Dijon-Crusted Chicken Breasts

This recipe was really easy to make. I would probabaly change it a little next time. I would probably use a differnet italian seasoning or use less of it. I used Dijon mustard, but you could probably use any mustard. I used a cooking spray to cook it in instead of the oil and margarine. I thought that worked well and has less calories in it.

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp reduced-fat margarine

1. Place the the first six ingredients in a shallow bowl. Brush chicken with mustard; roll in crumb mixture.

2. Ina large skillet, spray with olive oil spray or vegetable spray, cook chicken over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each sie or until juices run clear.

Maple Bars

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 Tbsp salt

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup powdered milk

1 Tblsp yeast

2 eggs

4 cups flour

Mix well until blended.  Add 3/4 - 1 1/2 cups more flour.  Mix for 5-10 more minutes.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out, cut into bars (i use a pizza cutter to cut), poke each bar with a fork 3 times.  Let raise 10 minutes.  Cook poked side down first in oil 375 deg.  Frost with maple flavored frosting.  Makes about 40-50 2" x 3" bars.

Maple Frosting

1/2 cup butter (no substitutions)

2 cups powdered sugar (I usually end up using more than this)

2 tsp maple flavoring

2 tbsp hot water

In a small saucepan, heat butter over low heat until golden brown.  Remove from the heat; blend in the powdered sugar, maple flavoring and enough water to achieve desired consistency.

Breakfast Crepes with Berries

Breakfast Crepes with Berries

1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1-1/2 cups fresh blackberries or strawberries
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (6 ounces) orange creme yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 prepared crepes (9 inches)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the raspberries and blackberries; set aside. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the yogurt, lime juice, lime peel, vanilla and salt.
Spread 2 tablespoons sour cream mixture over each crepe; top with about 1/3 cup berries. Roll up; drizzle with remaining sour cream mixture. Serve immediately.