Oreo Brownie Trifle

I love a good trifle and this one definitely won't disappoint. Brownies, Oreos, cream cheese, whipped cream, and pudding make this one decadent treat. Enjoy! If you don't have a trifle bowl you can use a large glass bowl or layer it in a casserole dish.

Oreo Brownie Trifle

by Chelsey W.

1 pkg of Oreos

brownies (I make the Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies in the red box)

16 oz large container of whipped topping

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 c powdered sugar

2 pkgs instant chocolate pudding (prepared as instructed on the box, the powder kind)

Bake the brownies as directed on the box and cool. Prepare the chocolate pudding as directed. Crush the package of Oreos. I put them in a plastic ziploc bag and then pound them with a rolling pin. Whip the softened cream cheese, 3/4 container of whipped topping, and powdered sugar together. In a trifle bowl layer 1/2 the brownies, then 1/2 the cream cheese mixture, then 1/3 the Oreos, and then 1/2 the pudding. To get pretty trifle layers you need to push everything close around the edge and what's left goes in the middle. Repeat all layers ending with the rest of the whipped topping in the container to smooth out the top and the final 1/3 Oreos sprinkled on top. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Bowls {Crockpot}

This is an easy and healthy dinner to throw together for the family. I love a good crockpot recipe. I added some fresh broccoli florets to the sauce at the end but you could add any vegetable you'd like.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
salt & pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbsp water
sesame seeds (optional)
stir-fry vegetables of choice (optional)
rice or noodles, cooked

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and put in the crockpot. Combine the next 7 ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hrs or on high for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crockpot, leave sauce, and cut into bite size pieces. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water by stirring then add to crockpot sauce. Cover crockpot with lid and allow sauce to thicken on high for 10 min. Add any chopped up stir-fry vegetables of your choice to sauce and allow them to cook for 1/2 hour or until desired firmness. Add the chicken back to the sauce with the vegetables. Serve chicken with sauce and vegetables over a bowl of cooked rice or noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Recipe Adapted From: Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Magleby's Rolls

These rolls are like the rolls served at Magleby's Fresh restaurant in Provo, Ut. They are super yummy and very easy to make. You just use frozen rolls such as Rhodes. They have a secret ingredient mayo. Sounds weird but they are very good. They are greasy little things but so is garlic bread which this is similar to. I got the recipe here and she has great step by step photos if you want to see them.

Magleby's Rolls
by Chelsey W.
...
frozen dinner rolls
mayonnaise
melted butter or margarine
shredded parmesan cheese
garlic powder
dried parsley
(I use Lawry's garlic salt it has parsley in it)
...
Place  mayo in a bowl, melted butter in a bowl, and shredded parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green Kraft can). Take the frozen ball of dough, dip the top half into each bowl starting with the mayo, then the butter, and finally the cheese. Place roll into a well greased muffin tin (cheese side up).  Sprinkle with garlic powder and dried parsley and let rise & bake according to the rolls package directions.


Recipe Source: Your Homebased Mom

Fantastic Chocolate Cake

This recipe came from an old church cookbook where all the ladies in the community shared their favorite recipes. This one supposedly originated from Peru. I tell you it is a fantastic chocolate cake recipe. I love chocolate but must admit I don't usually like chocolate cake. I'm more of a brownie girl. However, I've made this one many times and it never lasts long. It's also an easy made-from-scratch recipe.

Fantastic Chocolate Cake
by Chelsey W.
1 c buttermilk or (1c milk with 1tsp vinegar added to it)
1 c oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c Hot water
Mix together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl sift together all the other dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and beat well. Add the hot water and beat for 2 more min. Batter will be thin. Bake in a greased 9x13 cake pan at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until done and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. May also be baked in 2 or 3 layer pans for a shorter time.


Chocolate Frosting
1/2 c margarine or butter, softened
1/3 c cocoa powder
3 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together the margarine and cocoa. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Add milk to thin it out and then vanila. Whip until creamy and smooth.

Beefy Sour Cream Noodle Bake

My kids loved this dinner. Hamburger, noodles, and cheese always please them. This was comfort food, tasty and easy to make. This recipe is slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman. Definitely one we'll make over and over.

Beefy Sour Cream Noodle Bake

by Chelsey W.

1 1/4 lb ground beef

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz egg noodles

3/4 c sour cream

1 1/4 c small curd cottage cheese

2 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Brown ground beef. Season beef with salt, pepper, and some onion powder. Drain any excess fat. Add tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles al dente, drain, and set aside. In a medium bowl combine sour cream, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir the noodles into the sour cream mixture. To assemble grease a 9x13 casserole dish, layer half the noodles on the bottom then half the meat sauce, then half the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cheese melts.

French Dip Sandwiches

My family loves roast beef, so needless to say these french dip sandwiches made with a pot roast are a hit. This is a simple supper to make and very tasty. You can cook your roast in the oven or in the crockpot. Both ways are delicious.

French Dip Sandwiches

by Chelsey W.

1 beef roast (I like rump roasts, buy whatever size fits your family)

salt & pepper

1-2 packets of Lipton onion soup mix (1 for small roast, 2 for large one)

water

1 Au jus sauce packet (found by gravy mixes)

provolone or swiss cheese (optional)

crusty rolls

butter

Place frozen or thawed beef roast in roasting pan with a lid (for oven version) or in a crockpot. Salt and pepper roast generously on all sides. Fill pot with water until it's about halfway covering the roast. A little less water if using the crockpot. Sprinkle 1 packet of onion soup on a small 2-3 lb roast and 2 packets for a larger roast. Cover roast with lid and cook in the oven at 275 degrees until fully cooked. Cooking time depends on the size of the roast and if it was frozen or not. Check it after about 4 hrs in the oven. You want the meat to shred easily when you pull on it with a fork. If its tough it needs more cooking time. I like to turn the roast over half way through cooking. Keep an eye on oven roasts to make sure there is water and it doesn't all evaporate. You want drippings. If using the crockpot prepare roast the same way and cook it on high for 6-8 hrs. When fully cooked remove fat from the meat, shred it with a fork, then place it back in the juices. Stir in the packet of Au Jus powder to roast juices. Let the meat continue to cook for at least 1/2 hr. Slice crusty rolls (firm outside) and butter both sides of bread. Broil buttered sides up in oven or place on a griddle until golden brown. Place shredded beef on the rolls and add a slice of cheese if you'd like. Put roast juices in small bowls and use to dip sandwiches.

Candy Bar Trifle

Simply said, this dessert is delicious! Chocolate cake, caramel, toffee chips, and whipped cream all layered together making an awesome treat.

Candy Bar Trifle
by Chelsey W.

chocolate cake mix (German or any kind you like)
  -ingredients listed on cake mix
jar of caramel topping (get the good stuff)
can of sweetened condensed milk
large container of whipped topping
bag of chocolate covered toffee chips (like "Heath" found by choc chips)
or about 6 Heath or Skor chocolate bars, crushed

Bake the chocolate cake according to package directions and cool. Cut the cake up into cubes. If your caramel topping is thick (it usually is if it's a good quality) stir in some sweetened condensed milk to thin it out a little. You don't want it too thin but you want it to soak into the cake pieces. If the caramel topping is already runny don't use the sweetened condensed milk. Layer your ingredients into a trifle dish or large glass serving bowl. Start with 1/2 of the cake cubes on the bottom. When making a trifle put the cake and other ingredients around the edge so you can see them through the glass. Then drizzle 1/2 of the caramel on the cake. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the toffee chips. Then layer 1/2 the whipped topping. Repeat these layers again ending with the rest of the toffee chips sprinkled on top. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Grandma's Cream Cake

This is an excellent cake recipe that comes from my grandmother. It is very easy to make and delicious. This is the recipe I usually use whenever I want to make a white cake from scratch. I also use it all the time for cupcakes. Try my frosting recipe on top and don't ruin it with the boughten stuff.

Grandma's Cream Cake

by Chelsey W.

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

or 1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

3 eggs

pinch of salt

3 tsp baking powder 

or 1 tsp of baking soda if using sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together the flour and sugar then add the cream and other ingredients. Mix until well combined and pour into a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min. or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Perfect Frosting

1/2 c margarine or butter, softened *I prefer flavor of margarine in this

3-4 c powdered sugar

milk as needed, a few tablespoons

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract (to taste)

food coloring

The frosting is made by taste. Put a stick of margarine in a large mixing bowl. On low speed mix with electric beaters beat margarine slowly adding in about 2 c of powdered sugar. Add a little milk when it gets too thick. Add more powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Continue to mix in powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired thickness and taste. Add a little food coloring and frost cake.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These are really good. They are pretty easy to put together and baked not deep fried. They are a very popular item off of the Our Best Bites food blog. They make a frequent appearance on our dinner table. I like to dip them in sour cream or Cafe Rio's Cilantro Lime-Ranch Dressing.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

by Chelsey W.

1/3 c (3oz) cream cheese

1/4 c green salsa

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 c cooked chicken, shredded

1 c pepper jack cheese, shredded

6 inch corn or flour tortillas, fresh so they don't crack

2 Tbsp vegetable oil, optional

Nonstick cooking spray

Kosher salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds so it's soft. Then add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir then add cilantro, cooked chicken, and cheese. Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. Place 2-3 Tbsp of chicken mixture in tortilla keeping about 1/2 inch from the edges and then roll it up. Place seam side down on baking sheet in a single layer. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 min. until crisp and ends start to turn golden brown. Cool for 5-10 min and serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or Cafe Rio's Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing.

Makes about 16 taquitos

Cafe Rio's Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

I love Cafe Rio's dressing. It's a popular fresh Mexican grill in Utah. I put the dressing on their salads. I even get a side of it when I get a chicken burrito and use it instead of getting my burrito smothered in the enchilada sauce. I also like to dip their homemade flour tortillas in it. Yum! This is the best copycat version I've found. Use the dressing on salads, chicken tacos, taquitos, or burritos.

Cafe Rio's Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
by Chelsey W.

1 c mayonnaise
1/2 c milk or buttermilk
1 lime, juiced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (ignore package directions)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 c roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 c green salsa (comes in a small can in the Mexican food isle, look for La Costena or Herdez brands, the main ingredient is tomatillo)
Hot sauce (like Tabasco), to taste

Combine mayo, milk, lime juice. and ranch packet powder in a blender. Add garlic, cilantro, and green salsa and blend until thoroughly mixed. Add a little hot sauce until desired heat is reached. Refrigerate several hours before serving to allow dressing to thicken and flavors to blend.

Recipe Source: OurBestBites.com

Ham Fried Rice

I'm a Chinese food lover and always get ham fried rice with my meal. Often I'm disappointed by the lack of flavor in many restaurants fried rice. I like food to be well seasoned and full of flavor. Fried rice is really easy to make and you can add whatever veggies you like to it, and make it to suite your own taste. I don't have exact measurements for this recipe. You just have to play with it until its what you like.

Ham Fried Rice

by Chelsey W.

white rice

eggs

onion

celery

butter or margarine

ham, fully cooked

soy sauce

Lawry's seasoning salt

pepper

*other optional veggies such as peas or carrots

Cook the rice and set aside. (I cook about 3 cups of uncooked rice) In a large skillet or electric frying pan scramble the eggs. (I scramble about 6 eggs) Remove eggs from pan and set aside. Chop up veggies into small pieces and saute them in a little butter or margarine until tender. (I use about 1 cup of celery and 1 cup of onion) Add chopped up pieces of ham to veggies in frying pan while they are cooking. Add cooked rice and scrambled eggs to veggies and ham in pan. Stir together and then drizzle soy sauce all over the rice. Add however much soy sauce you like. I add a lot. Season with the seasoning salt and a little pepper. Stir everything together to evenly coat rice and heat through.

Easy Almond Sugar Cookies

I'm so excited that I found this recipe because I love it! I'm a big fan of thick, soft, flavorful sugar cookies. However, I'm not a big fan of making them because of the time they take to roll out and the mess. Well my friends, this is an easy, no roll out, recipe. You simply make the dough, roll a spoonful of dough in your hands into a ball, and drop it on the cookie sheet. Easy! I really like the flavor and texture of these ones. I've tried other recipes for drop sugar cookies but this one is definitely my favorite.

Easy Almond Sugar Cookies

by Chelsey W.
1 C butter, softened

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 t almond extract

3 C flour

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt
Cream together butter and sugar, mixing for 2 min. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, mixing until well combined. The dough will have a "play dough" consistency. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop onto a greased cookie sheet. I press on the top of the ball to flatten it very slightly. They are meant to be thick. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 min. until tops begin to crack. They should not brown very much or they will be crunchy instead of soft. Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool for a few minutes before removing. Once cooled completely, add frosting. 

Perfect Frosting

1/2 c margarine or butter, softened *I prefer flavor of margarine in this

3-4 c powdered sugar

milk as needed, a few tablespoons

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract (to taste)

food coloring

The frosting is made by taste. Put a stick of margarine in a large mixing bowl. On low speed mix with electric beaters beat margarine slowly adding in about 2 c of powdered sugar. Add a little milk when it gets too thick. Add more powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Continue to mix in powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired thickness and taste. Add a little food coloring and frost cookies.

Cookie Recipe Adapted From: www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com

Taco Chip Dip

This chip dip can be eaten as an appetizer or we usually make it for a simple supper. I don't have exact measurements for you because you can just make the layers as thick as you want. Customize the size according to your family.

Taco Chip Dip
by Chelsey W.

1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (I like McCormick Original)
1 can refried beans
1 jar salsa
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Brown the ground beef. Drain excess fat. Add taco seasoning packet to hamburger. In a 9x13 baking pan spread out the refried beans as the bottom layer. Add the seasoned hamburger as the second layer. Pour a layer of salsa over the hamburger, then top with the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and dip is bubbling. Serve hot with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

A woman in my neighborhood who is an excellent cook used to make this all the time while I was growing up. I finally asked her for the recipe so I could make it for my family. It is very yummy! It has a different flavor than traditional sweet and sour sauce found at a chinese food restaurant. It is easy to prepare but time consuming, because you have to bread and fry up the little pieces of chicken before baking them in the sauce in the oven. It sure makes a delicious meal when you're all done though :)

Sweet & Sour Chicken

by Chelsey W.

4 chicken breasts

garlic salt

cornstarch

2 eggs

oil (vegetable, canola, or olive)

Trim fat from chicken and cut up into bite size pieces. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. Dip chicken pieces in corn starch and then the beaten egg. Fry chicken until golden brown in small amount of oil. Place fried chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Cover chicken with the following sauce.

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c vinegar

1/4 c ketchup

1/4 c chicken broth

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Bring ingredients to a boil in a saucepan and then pour over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or up to an hour if your chicken pieces are very large (you want your chicken cooked through). Stir every 15 min. Serve baked chicken over rice.

*I usually double the sauce ingredients and pour half onto chicken and keep half in saucepan for extra sauce to eat with the rice. Don't place doubled sauce on the chicken because it will become too soggy and you'll lose all the breading. Let the extra sauce just simmer for a while to cook it down and thicken a bit.

**I was told if you want a simple version of this recipe you can skip the part where you bread and fry up the chicken and simply put the whole chicken breasts in the crockpot, pour the sauce on top, and cook them for a few hours until chicken falls apart.Then serve over rice.

Chocolate Lover's Bundt Cake

I've seen this recipe all over the internet and decided to give it a try. I love bundt cakes. They are easy to make but look fancy. Plus I love a moist, dense cake. I saw several recipes for this cake and all of them were the same but had a different frostings/toppings. I chose to make a cream cheese frosting for mine this time but will share some other ideas with you to choose from.

Chocolate Lover's Bundt Cake

by Chelsey W.

1 pkg devil's food cake mix

1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding

4 eggs

1 c oil

1/2 c water

1 c sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chocolate chips (milk or semi sweet)

Mix together all the ingredients, stirring in chocolate chips at the end. Pour into a well greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan at least 20 min. before inverting onto a plate. Choose one of the frostings/toppings to serve with cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 c butter or margarine, softened

2-3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Mix in vanilla. Add in powdered sugar starting with 2 c and adding enough so that it's nice and thick. See another picture here.

Fudge Sauce with Whipped Cream:

2 c sugar

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 c butter

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

whipped cream

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add in sugar and cocoa. When dissolved add can of evaporated milk. Boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve cake with fudge sauce dripping over cake and whipped cream.

White Chocolate:

2 c white chocolate chips

3 Tbsp milk or cream

Melt chocolate with cream in microwave at 50% power for 20 second intervals stirring in between. Be careful not to burn it ruins easily. Pour hot chocolate over cooled cake letting it drizzle down sides. Can decorate it by sprinkling mini chocolate chips on the top. See a picture here.

Chocolate Frosting:

Make a homemade chocolate frosting or simply buy a container of it, melting it in the microwave for a few seconds (only long enough to thin it a little) then let it drizzle over cooled cake.

Dream Bars

My mom makes these bars often when she has to take a treat somewhere and people love them. They may not look that great but they are delicious. They have a shortbread crust, a filling that's kind of like a pecan pie, and then a cream cheese frosting layers the top. It surprises me that I like these so much because I don't really care for nuts. 

Dream Bars
by Chelsey W.

Crust:
2 c flour
1 c real butter, no substitutes (room temp)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c corn starch

Stir ingredients together with a fork or pastry blender until combined and then press dough into a greased 12x17x1 baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Middle Layer:
4 eggs
2 c brown sugar
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1 c pecans (chips)
1 c coconut

Beat eggs and add brown sugar then stir in the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Pour mixture evenly over crust after it comes out of the oven. Bake again at 350 degrees for another 20 minutes. Let it cool completely after baking. This layer is a little soft.

Frosting:
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth with a mixer. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Spread over cooled bars. Enjoy!

Lemon Pudding Cake

This cake is a family favorite. It's moist and has a light lemon flavor, perfect for spring.

Lemon Pudding Cake

by Chelsey W.

1 lemon cake mix, and ingredients listed on the box

1 large box of lemon Jello or 2 small boxes

1 large box of Instant lemon pudding or 2 small boxes, milk needed

1 small (8oz) container of whipped topping

Make lemon cake according to package directions. Bake at 350 degrees in a 12x17x1 rimmed sheet pan until done about 15-20 min. Let cake cool. Make lemon Jello according to package directions using 1/2 the water called for. Poke the cake with a large utility fork all over, then pour liquid Jello all over the cake slowly letting it soak in holes. Cover the cake well but you probably won't need all of it. Put cake in the fridge and let Jello set up for about an hour. Make instant lemon pudding according to package directions, spread on top of the cake and return it to the fridge to set up for a while. Spread whipped topping on top of pudding layer of cake and keep in fridge until ready to serve. This is a cold cake.

Navajo Tacos

Navajo Tacos are a favorite of mine. Basically they are a taco but instead of using taco shells you put all the toppings on fried bread (scones). I always get one when I'm at a fair or on the 4th of July at a booth. I actually think homemade ones are better though. I use prepared bread dough to make it easy like Rhodes. But you can use homemade bread dough or get authentic and make Navajo Fry Bread which is pretty easy to make. I also prefer taco meat over the chili that they use at fairs. This is something we always eat when we go camping because it's easy to cook the scones in oil in a dutch oven. Be sure to make extra scones and serve them warm with syrup or honey-butter for a delicious treat.

Navajo Tacos
by Chelsey W.

Rhodes bread dough or rolls, thawed
vegetable oil
1lb ground beef
packet of taco seasoning (I like McCormick brand)
cheddar cheese, shredded
salad lettuce
salsa
sour cream
*other topping ideas include chili, chopped onions, tomatoes, olives

Cook the ground beef and add taco seasoning to meat. Prepare and set out toppings. For the fried bread (scones) heat oil in large pot or dutch oven. You want a medium heat for the oil. To test it put a small piece of dough in the pot and see how it cooks. You want your bread to be golden brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Take some bread dough and depending on the size of scone you want to make (I usually put two rolls together) stretch or roll it out like you would a thick pizza crust then drop it in the oil to cook. Once the bottom side is cooked to a golden color, flip it over with metal tongs to cook the other side. Be careful about splattering oil. Lift scone out when done and place on paper towels to absorb extra oil. To make taco simply place fried bread on the bottom then add meat or chili, cheese, lettuce, and other desired toppings. Serve immediately.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I've seen similar recipes like this one on many food blogs and I even tried a couple after reading the rave reviews only to be disappointed. I just didn't see what was so great about the dish until trying this recipe. My sister-in-law AnneMarie made these for us for dinner and I loved them. I know a recipe is good when I find myself craving it on many occasions.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)

2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts), cooked and shredded

12 white corn tortillas

2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce

1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.
Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon of cheese, then roll the tortilla up placing enchilada seam side down in dish. Make two rows of six enchiladas.

Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream.

Barnyard Birthday

I thought I'd better post the pictures of my sons 2nd birthday cake before he turns 3 next month. A little behind on this one ;) For Garrett's 2nd birthday I decided to have a barnyard theme after seeing this cute barn cake and all the barn animal cupcakes. Zurcher's the party supply store also had a lot of fun barnyard decor. I don't have recipes for this (I did make my own frosting which you can find the recipe for here) just some links where I got a few ideas from. I followed this Betty Crocker tutorial, but also got a few ideas from this Taste of Home article. On his barnyard invitation (from Zurcher's) I glued a photo of him on it and added above it, "Baaa! Oink! Moo! Garrett's turning two. He wants to celebrate his birthday with you!" I had a lot of fun with this one.

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

This is probably my favorite fruit & whipped cream type of salad right now. It's delicious and easy to make. I've had several people ask for this recipe at potlucks so here it is. It's made the same way my Pina Colada Salad is made with yogurt, whipped topping, and pudding.

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
by Chelsey W.

12 oz. whipped topping
1 small package of cheesecake pudding (powder)
3 (6 oz) strawberry yogurts (I use Yoplait)
1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced
3 bananas, sliced (add just before serving or they brown)
miniature marshmallows (add just before serving)

Thaw whipped topping and in a large salad bowl stir together whipped topping, yogurts, and pudding powder. Let this set up in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Wash and slice strawberries. You can add strawberries to salad or wait to add them with sliced bananas and marshmallows just before serving. Keep refrigerated.

White Cupcakes

This is a great cake/cupcake recipe that begins with a cake mix as a base but is changed quite a bit. These cupcakes are moist and delicious and definitely a recipe that I'll use a lot in the future. I bet the cake mix flavor could even be changed for other varieties.

I made a ton of these for a fundraiser event and did some experimenting with different cake mixes and even did a frosting experiment. For the frosting experiment I made two kinds, one with real butter, and one with margarine. On many recipes they say never use margarine; but I grew up using margarine and everyone always raves about the good frosting on my cakes/cupcakes/sugar cookies. So I put it to the test and had family and friends taste both frostings not knowing the difference and asked what they liked best. Most of the men didn't notice a difference that's men for ya. However, the majority liked the one made with the margarine the best until they knew it was margarine. So ha, frosting can taste great with margarine! ;)

White Cupcakes

Yield: 36 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 min            Cook Time: 18 min

This is a doctored up cake mix recipe. These turn out delicious, moist and fluffy cupcakes. They have flat tops perfect for holding buttercream frosting.

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of almond extract

1 cup sour cream

4 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:

*Recommend: Duncan Hines "Moist" White Cake mix for this recipe. *Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling. *You can also use this mix to make cake. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttercream Frosting

This is my go-to recipe for icing cupcakes and cake. It's so easy to make, and it works through a piping bag well.

*I like the flavor better made with margarine, for the butter version click here

Ingredients:

 7 ½ cups powdered sugar (whole 2lb bag)

1 cup margarine, at room temperature

3 to 4 Tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together 2 cups of powdered sugar and margarine on low speed. Mix until well blended.

2. Gradually add in the rest of the powdered sugar with the cream.

3. Add vanilla, almond, and continue to beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, adding more cream if needed for desired spreading/piping consistency.

4. Taste frosting, add more almond if needed, add more powdered sugar if frostings to thin or tastes buttery, add cream if too thick.

5. Mix in desired food coloring (use paste or gel, liquid will thin out your frosting).

6. Scoop into a piping bag and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes, or spread onto cupcakes or cake as desired.

*This recipe doubles or triples well.

*You can use milk instead of cream but use less, cream is fluffier

Recipe from RecipeGirl.com

Chicken & Gravy

This chicken & gravy is easy to make and sure to be a family favorite.

Chicken & Gravy
by Chelsey W.

4 chicken breasts
1 Family size can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika

Mix together the seasonings and sprinkle over chicken in a large casserole dish. In a mixing bowl stir together cream of mushroom soup and cream and pour over chicken. Cover and Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover, stir and allow to thicken for 10 min. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Recipe adapted from Or So She Says...

Waffles

This is a great waffle recipe! I usually serve them with homemade raspberry or cinnamon syrup.

Waffles
by Chelsey W.

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, eggs, and oil together. Add wet ingredients to dry ones and stir together without over mixing. Pour 1/2 -3/4 cup of batter into a greased, heated waffle iron to cook. Makes around 16 waffles in my Belgian waffle iron.

Raspberry Topping

This raspberry topping is great served with waffles & cream, or as an ice cream topping.

Raspberry Topping
by Chelsey W.

2 cups frozen raspberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a medium saucepan place raspberries, sugar, and 2 cups water. Then bring them to a boil. In a separate bowl stir together cold water and cornstarch. Add cornstarch to boiling raspberries stirring constantly to thicken. Remove thickened raspberry mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice. Return to heat for 1 minute continuing to stir. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cinnamon Syrup

This easy syrup is fabulous on waffles and pancakes. A dollop of whipped cream on top makes it a special treat.

Cinnamon Syrup
by Chelsey W.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a medium saucepan stir together all ingredients Except the cream. Stirring constantly bring to a boil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Syrup will thicken as it cools. Serve warm over waffles or pancakes. Great with freshly whipped cream or the kind you spray out of the can.

Recipe from YourHomebasedMom.com

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

These delicious rolls have several names from sticky buns to bubble bread. They are simple to make and perfect for special occasion breakfasts. You simply add the ingredients to frozen roll dough, let them rise overnight and bake them in the morning for a warm butterscotch-caramel treat.

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

by Chelsey W.

18 frozen dinner rolls (Rhodes)

1 (3.5oz) pkg butterscotch pudding powder (not instant)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Arrange frozen rolls in a greased Bundt pan. Melt the butter and add other ingredients. Mix together then pour over frozen rolls. Cover with a dish towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature overnight or about 10 hrs. Remove plastic wrap and Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 min. before turning over the rolls on a serving plate. Enjoy them warm & gooey!

Beef Enchiladas

These are the enchiladas my Mom made for us growing up that we loved. The sauce is made from a Lawry's seasoning packet instead of the kind already made in a can which is much better. The enchiladas are pretty easy to put together and full of flavor. I recommend serving this with a salad as a side. Homemade ranch dressing or the Hidden Valley packet kind tastes great with the spiciness of the sauce. Enjoy!

Beef Enchiladas

Chelsey W. 

1-11/2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 pint sour cream

8-10 flour tortillas

Lawry's Enchilada seasonings packet

1 can of tomato paste (as called for on seasonings packet)

about 3 c shredded cheddar cheese

Make enchilada sauce according to package directions. Brown the ground beef adding in the diced onion. Season beef with a little seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in about a cup of sour cream to cooked beef. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan with enchilada sauce. In the center of each tortilla layer some meat, shredded cheese, and a spoonful of sauce. Roll up the tortilla and add to the pan. There should be enough meat for 8-10 tortillas which should fit snuggly in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the tortillas, then cover with shredded cheese. Poke some toothpicks in the top of the tortillas (so cheese won't stick to top) and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling. Serve with extra sour cream and a side salad with ranch dressing.