Delicious Strawberry Cream Cake

This recipe came from a dear friend. We knew each other in high school, but we lost touch over the years. Recently we have not only gotten back in touch, but we have shared stories and recipes and basically our lives, and we have done it all on Facebook! The cake truly IS delicious, and and I can't wait to spend some time with (someone I am proud to call my friend), Sparkle Baines, when I get back to Georgia! <3

1 box French vanilla cake mix 
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 box Danish Dessert (or make your own using recipe below)
1-11/2 pounds Chopped fresh strawberries

1. Bake the cake (according to box or recipe directions) in size of baking pan desired. If you desire a higher topping to cake ratio, bake the cake in a greased jelly roll pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, prepare the Danish Dessert according to box directions.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled white cake. Then top with the Danish Dessert. Finish by topping the cake with the fresh cut strawberries.


Danish Dessert. 
1 c. sugar 
2 heaping T. cornstarch 
1 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid brand drink mix in desired flavor 

Mix these three item with a fork until well blended. Put in a sauce pan and add 2 c. cold water. Cook until desired thickness. Let Cool.

***After making this Danish Dessert not knowing what to expect it came out like the “strawberry glaze” stuff that you get in the produce section close to the strawberries and little round cakes.*** 

***Store in fridge***

Ya can't have BBQ without the beans!

 
I figured since Jeremy wanted to watch the Daytona 500 today that it would be the perfect day for BBQ ribs. I've spent most of the day in the kitchen making potato salad and a lemon pound cake. We are also having corn on the cob and baked beans. I thought I'd take a minute and share this recipe with you. I have taken Granny Crowder's baked beans and made them my own. I hope you enjoy!


Sweet and Savory Baked Beans


3 strips of bacon
1 lb. ground chuck
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
2 (28oz.) cans original baked beans (I use Bush's)
1 c. brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon grill season (I use McCormick Montreal steak)

In a dutch oven (or any heavy bottomed pan), fry the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp then remove it from the pan.
Add the onion, ground chuck and grill season and cook until the meat is brown.
While the meat is browning, chop the bacon into little pieces.
Drain the meat and return it to the pot.
Turn the heat to low then add the brown sugar and salt and stir it until the sugar is melted.
Add the baked beans and chopped bacon and simmer on low heat for 30-45 min.

Sweet Taters!

     The kiddos have gone to Georgia for the holidays, and I am home sick. So I thought "What a perfect time to work on my blog!" :)

     For most people, Christmas time is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to reflect and celebrate with family and friends the year that has passed. This Christmas is a very special one for me. Although I will not get to spend it with Jeremy or the kids or my family, I have so much to celebrate! This year, though it has been tough, has been very rewarding. I have grown as a person, as a partner, and as a mom. It hasn't been easy, and I still have A LOT to learn, but when I sit back and see all of the accomplishments I have made, it makes it all worth it! I have an amazing family and the best friends and family a girl could ask for!  I am so very blessed in more ways than I can count, and this year is definitely one I will never forget!
     One of Jeremy's absolute favorite holiday foods is sweet potato casserole, so what I have done is taken his Granny's recipe and my Mama Betty's recipe, along with some tips from my Maw Maw and created my own scrumptious version of this holiday favorite. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark, whichever you have)
1 stick of butter (soft)
about 1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup (toasted and chopped) pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
kosher salt
oil
marshmallows! (Jeremy's favorite part! lol. The small ones work best.)

     Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes, I roast them. To me, they have a lot more flavor and aren't as mushy. Just place them on a pan and cover them with oil (I use olive oil, but whatever you have will work), then top them with kosher salt and place them in the oven (400°), depending upon how big they are, about an hour or so until they are soft. Allow them to cool a bit. Next, add the potatoes, eggs, brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, a very small pinch of salt and pecans and mix it well. Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray and pour in the sweet potato mixture. Bake it in the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes, then add the marshmallows on top and bake it until they are golden. Enjoy! :)

Thinking about the holidays...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner (and still no where near finished with this book), I have been thinking a lt about the HUGE Thanksgiving dinners we used to have. What was even better was that we had TWO huge dinners! (One at Mama Betty's and one at Maw Maw's.) Between the two dinners, we had turkey, ham, fried chicken, dressing, gravy, green beans, corn, and a TON of pies and cakes!
The kiddos will be with their dad for Thanksgiving, and since we aren't sure if Jeremy will be home or not, I am not making plans to cook a dinner this year. However, I would like to share the recipe for Mama Betty's cornbread dressing.


Mama Betty's Cornbread Dressing


1 small chicken (a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store will work just fine, but you will need a cup or two of chicken broth)
1 can cream of chicken soup
Prepared cornbread (Mama Betty always made cornbread in a large cast iron skillet. The easiest recipe i can give you for this is 2 cups cornmeal mix, 1/4 c. crisco, 1 egg, and about a cup and a half of buttermilk or whole milk. Bake it at 400 degrees for about a half hour.)
4 or 5 biscuits
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1 stick butter, melted
2 tblsp. ground sage
4 eggs, beaten


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil chicken. (if you are not using a rotisserie chicken)
In a large casserole dish, crumble cornbread and biscuits.
Add the onion, celery and melted butter.
Mix well.
Add the sage and salt and pepper to taste.
When the chicken is done, shred the meat into the mixture (leaving some for the giblet gravy) and add some of the broth and the cream of chicken soup.
Mix well.
Taste the mixture to make sure you have enough salt, pepper and sage.
Add the eggs last, then mix well. (It needs to be a little soupy. If it's not soupy, add more broth.)
Bake it until it is firm.

BBQ and football anyone?

     So I've decided to go in a different direction with this cookbook/blog. Since the kids have been home with me, I don't really have a whole lot of time to write out stories and memories. I could, however, tell you guys about my day/life and incorporate a recipe. (That requires a lot less thinking.  :) lol.)  Since my goal for finishing this cookbook was the middle of November, I probably need to be a little more productive. lol. Thank you so much for being patient with me, and I hope that you guys will enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it. :)



      Football season is probably the biggest battle any wife/fiancé/girlfriend will ever fight. Let me tell you a secret, ladies, it's not worth the fight. Unless you are just super controlling and want your man to be miserable, you are stuck with the "pig skin fever" for at least four months of every year. During the fall/winter, the weekends belong to the testosterone, beer, and HD tv's. Tuesday isn't a bad "date night", after all. :) One of Jeremy's favorite "game time" meals is BBQ ribs. Maw Maw has taught me a quick and easy way to whip up some tender, delicious BBQ ribs without spending hours in the kitchen or standing over a grill, and I am going to share this recipe with you. :)

SUPER SIMPLE BBQ RIBS

1 rack baby back pork ribs (I look for very meaty ribs with very little fat)

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (we LOVE bulls eye)

• Cut the ribs into two's and place them in a large pot. (we generally start the coals on the grill about this time too. if you're using a gas grill, i guess you could start it up a little later. :) )
• Cover the ribs with water and bring them to a boil.
• Boil the ribs for about 20 minutes.
• Take the ribs out of the water and cover them in the BBQ sauce.
• Place the ribs directly over the coals and grill them for about 15-20 min on each side brushing them once or twice with the BBQ sauce. (you want the coals to be gray/white before you put the ribs on.)

The ribs aren't going to "fall off the bone", but they are still very tender and very yummilicious. :)

Guacamole & Margaritas

Who doesn't love sitting on the porch, back deck, on the beach, or by the pool with a delicious frozen margarita?!?  I know I do! I guess it's just one of those little joys in life. :) Here's a quick, easy, and super yummy recipe for frozen margaritas. But you can't have margaritas without chips and salsa or guacamole dip! I haven't quite got the recipe down for homemade salsa, but here's my recipe for guacamole dip that will knock your socks off! Enjoy!

Perfect Frozen Margaritas

1 can frozen Limeade
tequila
triple sec
ice
(limes and salt)

In a blender put in the entire container of frozen limeade. Using the limeade container, fill it about 3/4 full of tequila, then the rest of the way with triple sec. Add that to the blender then fill with ice. Blend it till its smooth and all of the ice is crushed. Voila! Delicious frozen margaritas! On the glasses i usually slice up some lime and go around the glass with it then dip it in kosher salt, or margarita salt (if you have it), then just put the lime on the side of the glass.  =)

CuKoo's Guacamole Dip

3 large ripe avacados (avacados are ripe when they are a deep purplish color and when you press your thumb in, it gives a little. you don't want a firm avacado.)
1 lime
1 small tomato, diced (a roma tomato works perfect)
about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1 small clove of garlic (you don't want it too big because it will be too overwhelming)
1 small piece of onion (i really don't know how to tell you a measurement on this... just remember, you don't want it too overwhelming. you want the avacado to be the star of the show, not overpowered by all ov the other flavors.)
1/4 serrano pepper (seeds and stems removed) {you can use jalapeno too, if you'd like. and if you want it with a little more kick, just add more pepper, if you don't like the spice, you can leave it out.}
salt and pepper

On a cutting board, mince up the garlic, onion, cilantro, and pepper as finely as you can, then add a pinch of kosher salt and mash it all up until it's like a paste. (the salt will help break it down). {if you don't have the time or ingredients to do this, just use 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and dried cilantro, then a pinch of cayenne.}
The easiest way to prepare the avacado is to lay it on the cutting board on its side, then take a sharp knife and slice down into it until you hit the pit or seed. Holding the knife in place turn the avacado until you have sliced it completely in half. Holding each half, twist it until the half seperate. I usually start with the side the the pit is not on. {this is really hard to explain without showing you. lol} Hold the avacado half in one hand, and with the knife make little slits going longways through the avacado (not puncturing the skin, just cutting the flesh). Then do the same going crossways, making little cubes. Then take a spoon and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. (remove any bad parts you see). Take the other half and remove the pit, {the way i do it is a bit dangerous, I take my knife and hit the pit with it so that it sticks and just twist it out. you can also remove the pit with a spoon.} then do it that same way you did the first half. Once you have all of the avacado in the bowl, take a potato smasher or whisk, or a fork, and mash it all up.
Add the tomato, garlic, onion, pepper, and cilantro and a little salt and pepper. Zest a little bit of the lime, then add the juice (actually, start with half the juice, then add more if you like... some limes give a little more juice than others, so it's hard to tell).
Mix it all up and dive in with your favorite tortilla chips! {I also like it with bell pepper slices, carrots, cucumber slices, and other veggies.}

Nutty Naners

I apologize again for not posting lately, there has been SO much going on and it has been hard to find that time to sit down to write.

This recipe is one that I have been working on for a while. I have taken Ms. Cathy's recipe, and one that I had and kinda mixed them together. Then I made little changes here and there until it came out perfect. :)  I hope you all enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

1 stick of softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

3 really ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts. whichever you prefer)

• Prehea oven to 250°.

• Cream together the butter and the sugar until it looks kinda like wet sand.

• Slowly add in the eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then pour it into the wet ingredients a little at a time. (I usually do it in like 4 batches. I’ll mix in a fourth of it until it’s incorporated, then another fourth, and so on.)

• Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed well, stir in the pecans (or walnuts).

• Grease and flour a bread pan and pour in your batter.

• Bake it at 250° for 2-3 hours. (I know that is a big gap of time, but really it depends on the batter. After about 2 hours I start doing the toothpick test every 20 minutes or so.)