Stefanies Cooking Spot

Banana Split Dessert

2013-05-08T09:21:00.001-07:00

My daughter Ariel is having a baby! My first grandchild! Her name is Marley Kay, what a cute name! I can’t wait to meet her!

I bet you can’t tell that I am a little excited. Ariel’s due date is May 26. She has been dealing with contraction since the being of April; I think that Marley can’t wait to meet me just as much as I can’t wait to meet her!

On Saturday Brandy and I threw Ariel a baby shower. It was so much fun!

Our guest sign in table.

I found the idea for these cute little monkeys on Pinterest!

We played alot of games!

We had so much fun with our family and friends!

I decided not to serve cake for dessert, I wanted something different. If you can’t tell already we had a monkey theme. I want a dessert to match that theme. I remember my Aunt Roda making this dessert when I was younger but I never got the recipe. So I Goggled it and this was the first site that popped up. The Brown Eyed Baker so I decided to use her recipe because the others used eggs in a way I just couldn’t handle. You can always goggle it yourself if your curiosity gets the best of you.

I did changed one thing on the recipe I added 2 tablespoon of sugar to the crust, other than that I left it the same, oh and I changed the name.
It was a big hit and everyone wanted the recipe!

Banana Split Dessert

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup butter, melted

Filling:

12oz cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Toppings:

3 to 4 bananas, sliced
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
1 (8oz) container Cool Whip Whipped Topping
½ cup chopped walnuts
Chocolate syrup
Maraschino cherries

Directions:
In a medium size bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch greased baking dish and press evenly into the bottom of dish, set aside.
In a mixing bowl mix together the cream cheese and ½ cup; on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fold in whipped topping until combined. Carefully spread mixture over graham cracker crust.
Top the cream cheese filling with a layer of sliced bananas, and then add a layer of crushed pineapple, and then add a layer of sliced strawberries.
Cover the strawberries with the last container of cool whip, sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, and then drizzle with as much as the chocolate syrup as your heart desires; last but not least top with cherries.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Bubble Sloppy Joe Bake

2012-11-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

Simple is always the best way to go, when it comes to cooking. This was not my first time making a bubble bake; I used to make a pizza bake for the girls when they were younger. But this was my first time making a Sloppy Joe Bake.

It came to me yesterday when I was looking in my pantry. I was teasing Richard; I asked him “What do you see when you look in here?” He said “He said a lot of cans.” I then replied “I see all the different dishes that I can come up with. You better hope that nothing happen to me because you will have a lot of cans to get rid of. Take this can of sloppy joe mix I could make sloppy joes, but we don’t have any buns. I am going to make a bubble bake with it because I also have a couple of cans of biscuits that are about to expire.”

That is what I did and this was my end results!

Richard tells me tonight while eating dinner that this is a keeper!

Bubble Sloppy Joe Bake

1 pound ground beef
1 (14oz.) can Sloppy Joe mix
2 small tubes of can biscuits
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish, set aside.

In a large skillet brown ground beef; drain. Add Sloppy Joe mix; set aside.
Cut biscuits into quarters; careful fold cut biscuits into the mixture in skillet. Pour mixture into baking dish.
Bake for 15 minutes; sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes.

Spicy Potato Soup

2012-10-31T15:56:00.003-07:00

What could be better on a fall day, than a nice pot of soup simmering on the stove? It makes the house smell so warm and inviting.

I found this recipe many years ago in a Taste of Home magazine. Richard and I loved it, but the girls thought it was too spicy. So when I made it I would cut way back on the pepper. Richard and I would then add our own pepper to suite our taste to our own bowls. I bet now that the girls are older and their taste have changed I could keep the pepper in.

Spicy Potato Soup

1 pound ground beef

4 cups potatoes, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce

4 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef with onions over medium heat; drain. Add the potatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in the water, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.

Crock-pot Chicken Taco Filling

2012-07-09T08:44:00.001-07:00

I love using just a few ingredients when I cook, that’s because sometime some of the simplest dishes are the best!

The hardest choice about the dish is choosing weather to chose a soft or hard taco shell or maybe to just go for it and have a burrito.

You can see that I decided to have both a hard and soft taco. And there is plenty left over so that I can have a burrito later.

Crock-pot Chicken Taco Filling

2 pounds chicken breast
1 package taco seasoning
1 (16oz) jar salsa (your choice of heat)

Place all ingredients in a crock-pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours. When done shred meat and return to crock-pot. Serve.

3 2 1 Cake

2012-04-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

3 2 1 Yum! What a nice little treat and so simple to. When one is trying to watch their weight and want to have a little something then this little cake is perfect.

Yes it is as simple as 3 2 1 cake! Just 3 tablespoons of cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water and 1 minute in the microwave is all it takes. My little dessert is only 2 points for the cake 1 point for the chocolate sauce and the strawberries are 0 points, that equals a big YUMMY for me!

3 2 1 Cake

1 box angel food cake mix
1 box any flavor cake mix

Mix both cake mixes together in a gallon-size food storage bag.

For each individual cake, mix together 3 tablespoons of cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave safe container; microwave for 1 minute. Enjoy! Makes 48 cakes, 2 points each.

Roasted Cauliflower

2012-04-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I never ate cauliflower, not because I didn’t like it but because my parents never served it to me. Now when it came to my kids I used to serve it mixed together with carrots and broccoli, which is called California blend. But usually what was left in the bowl that no one wanted to eat was the cauliflower.

I first made cauliflower this way many years ago when I first join Weight Watcher. I never thought of roasting vegetables before. It just makes them taste so much better.

Some people call this recipe cauliflower popcorn or even cauliflower poppers. I just call it, Yummy! What makes it even better is that it is 0 points per serving!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of uncooked cauliflower

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Wash cauliflower and cut into bit size pieces.

Place on to prepared baking sheet; sprinkle Mrs. Dash and salt over cauliflower.

Bake for 40 minutes in preheated oven; stirring every 10 minutes. ½ cup Point value 0

Chicken Paprika with Pasta and Veggies

2012-04-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe was adapted from one that I found on the Weight Watchers web-site. I changed it up with the ingredient that I had on hand and also because I wanted a bigger portion then what the recipe called for, but with the same amount of points.

One of the biggest challenges that I have when I am trying to eat health is portion control. I know what a portion is or at least what it is suppose to be. But sometime I want more than I am supposed to have, like when it comes to pasta. I love pasta, but a cup can look pretty small lying on your plate. That is why I found this recipe very intriguing. To bulk up the portion size of this recipe you add vegetables. Anything that gives me more food without all the points is ok by me.

The original recipe and mine both serve 6 with a point value of 9.

Chicken Paprika with Pasta and Veggies

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
8 oz. pasta, spaghetti broken into pieces
12 oz. bag of broccoli slaw mix
2 tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoon water
½ cup fat-free sour cream

In a large pot combine the chicken, onion, canned tomatoes, broth, salt and paprika, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 30 to 40 minutes. In a small bowl mix together flour and the 2 tablespoons of water; set aside.

Meanwhile in another large cook pasta according to the package direction. Just before the pasta is done add broccoli slaw to pot and cook until pasta is done and the broccoli is tender. Drain.

When the chicken is done add flour mixture and simmer about 10 minutes or until liquid is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

2012-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Weight Watchers is that you don’t have to give up sweets; you just need to make sure you count your points. That is why I love the program so much.

I have been making this cake for years; it is one of my family’s favorites. One of the most important things to remember is that you don’t use any water just the cake mix and the can of crushed pineapple, it is just that simple. And make sure that you do not grease the pan or the cake won’t rise.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

1 box of Angel Food cake mix
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

In a large bowl mix the ingredients together until well blended. Pour into ungreased pan. Bake according to the direction on the box for the size pan that you are using.

Serves 12, 4 points each

Taco Bean Soup

2012-04-14T19:24:00.001-07:00

It was time to go back to Weight Watcher. I tried to do it on my own and I just couldn’t. I should have known because Weight Watchers has always worked for me in the past.

The first time I went to a Weight Watches meeting was over 10 years ago and I lost 30 pounds and I made Lifetime. Over time life got and the way, I got busy with my kids and all their activities, and I stopped going to the meetings. And slowly but surely I put the weight back on.
I went back before I gained all the weight back and that time I lost 20 pounds and I started working for Weight Watchers as a leader. I worked for them for almost 2 years and I kept the weight off, because every month I had to send to corporate how much I weighed. Even though I loved being a leader I had to leave Weight Watchers because I needed to spend more time with my family.
So here I am years later and the weight has once again crept back on. So today I went back to Weight Watcher because I KNOW it will work.
And so I dusted of some of my tried and true low point recipes, like this Taco Bean soup. This soup used to be a 2 point value but because things have changed at Weight Watchers I and it is now worth 3 points.
If you need to find out about food point values and how the program works you need to give Weight Watchers a try.
So check back often because I will be posting other point friendly dishes as well as my weight lost journey.

Taco Bean Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups frozen corn or 1 can
1 can chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained
1 can white beans
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes

Sauté onions until soft in a large sauce pan sprayed with cooking spray. Add remaining ingredients to pot and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

Serving size is 1 cup. WW 3 pts.

Butter Cream Frosting

2012-04-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love butter cream frosting and it is so easy to make, I know that when you learn how easy it is you will never buy the can stuff again!

I used two different flavors for this cake a Vanilla Butter-Cream and a Chocolate Butter-cream. If you want to learn more about the cake pan that I used you can go to my other blog On Stefanie’s Crafty Side.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

½ cup butter (1 stick)
4 cups powder sugar
3 to 4 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a mixing bowl beat butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients beating for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add additional milk a little at a time if needed.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

½ cup butter (1 stick)
4 cups powder sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a mixing bowl beat butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients beating for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add additional milk a little at a time if needed.

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

2012-03-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Better get the milk ready for this one! Because if you love peanut butter and I know you do. Then this cake is just what you need.

This cake is going to church with me tomorrow, because if I keep this in my house I know for a fact I will be eating the whole thing! I already had two slices and I am thinking about having a third!

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1 cup water
¼ cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a saucepan combine butter, water and peanut butter; bring to a boil over medium heat. Add to flour mixture mixing well. Combine eggs, vanilla and milk; add to peanut butter mixture in bowl. Spread mixture into a grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350⁰F degree oven.

Peanut Butter Icing

½ cup butter
¼ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan combine butter, peanut butter and milk; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in powder sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cake.

Macaroni and Cheese Lasagna

2012-03-24T18:12:00.002-07:00

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? And what if you turn that all time favorite into another all time favorite. Lasagna!

I bought these off brand boxes of macaroni and cheese and every time that I would make them I would hear that it didn’t taste the same as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Which lead to me finding out ways of using up the boxes that I had left? Will I found this recipe on the Kraft web-site and decided to give it a try.

When I was preparing this dish I started thinking how about making Macaroni and Cheese Chili Bake or maybe a Macaroni and Cheese Taco Bake. I wonder how many boxes of this brand of Macaroni and Cheese I have left!

Well if you are wondering how it tasted it turned out pretty good. I wish I would have known about this dish when the girls were still living at home, I know that they would have asked me to make it all the time, I would just have to have made sure that I used Kraft and not the off brand back then too!

Macaroni and Cheese Lasagna
1 (7.25 oz) boxes of Macaroni and Cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 (24oz) jar pasta sauce
2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Prepare the box of macaroni and cheese according to instruction on box.
In a large skillet brown ground beef; drain. Add pasta sauce and heat until warmed.
In a baking dish place half of prepared macaroni; top with a layer of pasta meat sauce then top with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers one more time ending with cheese.
Bake in oven at 350⁰F for 30minutes.

Canned Peach Cobbler

2012-01-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy cobbler recipe and very tasty too. I had this can of peaches for awhile now I bought it last year to make a peach cake with but never got around to baking it, at least that’s what I think I bought the peaches for. Like I sais in my previous post I am trying to come up with or find recipes to use up my food in the pantry before I go shopping for more.

I have a wonderful cobbler recipe that I posted a few years ago. But this time I wanted to do something different. Something like the cobblers I grew up with. Also that would use canned peaches. I found quite a few out there on the web. But most of them used self-rising flour, which I don’t have. So I added the extra ingredients to make the batter rise.

This turned out great and I well be making this again! But next time I think I might sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar over the top before baking. That me, always changing recipes!

Canned Peach Cobbler
1 (28oz) can sliced peaches; drained; reserving syrup
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Melt butter in a 13x9 inch baking dish in oven. Meanwhile combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar in a medium size bowl add milk and blend until smooth.
Remove baking dish from oven; pour batter over melted butter. Spoon sliced peaches over top of batter, and then pour reserved syrup over top of peaches.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. If desired serve with vanilla ice-cream!

Creamy Potato Soup

2012-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it has been awhile since I posted anything, but sometimes, time has a way of slipping by and before you even know it has been a few months before you posted anything.

Well now, because I am trying to us up all the food, that I have accumulated in, my pantry and freezer, my creative juices have started to flow again.

Well today I decided to make potato soup, because my onions were starting to sprout and my potatoes were growing eyes and I had a can of evaporated milk that was about to expire. So I threw them all in to a pot and this is what I came up with.
And to make clean up easier I mashed the potatoes while they were still in the pot, it was easier and I didn’t have to clean the blender. And Richard also like to have a few lumps of potatoes in his soup.

Creamy Potato Soup

4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, mince
2 tablespoon butter
5 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot sauté the onions and garlic in the butter for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and water and bouillon cubes, bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
With a potato masher or large spoon; mash the potato in the pot. Add the can of evaporated milk and salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 more minutes.

Barbecued Sloppy Joes

2011-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I have written in the past about how much I love Sloppy Joes. I posted a recipe a few years ago for Sloppy Joes that I would make for my girls when they were young. Will the other day I decided to try something new. I found a recipe in a cookbook by Land O Lakes. I adapted their recipe into a Sloppy Joe. And if I do say so myself, it turned out very tasty. But you don’t have to take my word for it, Ariel’s boyfriend Derrick said that it was the best tasting Sloppy Joe that he has ever had!

Barbecued Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups ketchup
1 package of onion soup mix
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
½ cup water

In a large skillet brown ground beef with garlic; drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium for 15 minutes. Serve on buns with cheddar cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese Ham Pie

2011-08-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t planning on making supper last night but when I got an email from Bisquick I just knew that I needed to make to make the pie that was featured. It looked so delicious on the screen that I wanted to lick it clean! It was so simple to make and I always have the ingredients in my house. Richard wasn’t home to enjoy it last night so I packed him a couple of slices for him to take in his lunch today. He gave me a call to tell me that the macaroni pie tasted so good. So I guess he will be requesting for me to make this dish again! And I will!

Macaroni and Cheese Ham Pie

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed cooked ham

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 ¼ cups milk

2 eggs

½ cup Original Bisquick mix

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 10-inch or 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix 2 cups of the cheese, the ham and uncooked macaroni. Spread in pie plate.

In blender, place milk and eggs. Cover; blend on medium speed until smooth. Add Bisquick mix and salt; blend until smooth. Pour over mixture in pie plate.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-08-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

What a great combination peanut butter and chocolate! This is another cake that doesn’t last long in my house and that is saying a lot when there are only three people living here.

It is so moist and the frosting is so creamy, you will defiantly need a tall glass of milk with this one! I loved it so much that I had it for my supper last night. That the beauty of not having any one home to cook for once and awhile. I get to eat anything I want and that is just what I did! Here’s to Cake for Supper!

Peanut Butter Cake

with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 Box yellow cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Lightly grease 2 9- inch round cake pans, then dust with flour. Set aside. Place the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides of bowl when needed. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes. Or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cool. When cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup cocoa powder
4 cups powder sugar
¼ cup milk

In large mixing bowl cream butter; gradually add cocoa powder and powder sugar alternately with milk. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

2011-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is a very popular recipe and I have seen many different versions. This is my twist on the recipe.

If you don’t know what Ro-Tel it is a spicy canned tomato and you can usually find it on the same shelf as your regular tomatoes. If you still can’t find them you can use tomatoes with diced green chilies. . I used the mild Ro-Tel tomatoes because Ariel doesn’t like it when I make things to spicy.

Now how does it taste, will I asked both Richard and Ariel and they both said the same thing. CHEESY! And that it was a keeper!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

1 pound cooked chicken, shredded

1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Ro-Tel (or 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed

12 oz package spaghetti; Cooked according to directions on package. Drain.

In a large skillet sauté onion and garlic until tender; add soups, Ro-Tel and Velveeta cheese cooking until cheese is melted. Combine pasta, chicken and cheese sauce together; pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350⁰F oven.

M&M Cookies

2011-08-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

I made this cookie for my husband Richard last week. M&M’s just happen to be one of his favorite candies. I like to make him something special every once in awhile to take in his lunch for work. When he came home from work and saw them cooling on the racks, fresh out of the oven he walk right over to the cookies without even saying hello and asked are these for me, with a big smile on his face. You can’t say I don’t know how the way to my husband’s heart; Right through his stomach!

M&M Cookies

2 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12oz.) package M&M candies

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugars; beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in flour mixture; Stir in 1 ½ cups of the candies. Drop by heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet; decorate the tops with the remaining ½ cup of candies. Bake 8-11 minutes.

Fresh Peach Cake

2011-08-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

It’s peach time! When I was letting the dogs out into the back yard yesterday I notice that there were a few peaches on the ground under the tree. And I said to myself the peaches must be getting rip. So this morning I went out to check and sure enough some were.

Ok so what goodies am I going to make with these peaches? Why not a cake I thought I have never made a peach cake before, so I took my apple cake recipe and changed it up a bit and this is what I came up with.

When Ariel got home from work she asked me it the cake that I just got finished taking a picture of was her piece. I told her she could have it. She said this is so good I am going to have another piece. I might just eat the whole thing before dad get home. That way he can’t have any. If you remember in my last post how they fought over the Pineapple pie. I guess the feud is still going on!
And just so you know as I am writing this post out for you I have already thought of a way to improve this cake. So stay tuned for my next version!

Fresh Peach Cake

4 cups peaches, peeled and diced

2 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oil

In a large bowl mix together by hand, diced peaches, eggs and sugars. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, vanilla and oil. Mix well by hand. Batter will be thick. Spoon batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan or angel food cake pan. Bake at 350⁰ for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pineapple Pie

2011-08-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Who would have guessed that when I made this pie that it would have started a family feud! This pie can about when Richard and I walked past a Hostess display at the store the other day. I stopped and looked to see if they had one of my favorites the Suzy Q and of course they didn’t. Which led us into a discussion about Hostess treats that we love. Richard mentioned that one of his favorite from his childhood was the pineapple pie which is very hard to find now. I started thinking why couldn’t I make a pineapple pie myself. So I went looking for a recipe and found this one on the Dole web-site. Now let me tell you about our little family feud.

I made this pie last Tuesday and we all loved it. And then I was thinking as I drove to work on Wednesday that I hope that pie doesn’t go to waste. You see because I bake so much it’s not a special thing in my house to have such threats around. Sometimes I have to give them away to friends. Well later that night Richard pulls out the pie for dessert and more than half the pie is gone. Ariel yells what happened to the pie I only got one piece. Richard says I had some for breakfast and Ariel says it must have been a big piece then. Richard tells her it’s been here all day you could have had some. All I know is that they went back in forth this way for a while and then they decided in the end to just split the rest of the pie.
So I guess I don’t really need to tell you how this pie tasted, I just hope it doesn’t start a feud in your house like it did in mine!

Pineapple Pie

1 (20 oz.) can DOLECrushed Pineapple
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie

Combine crushed pineapple, sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Cook, stirring, until thickened and clear. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly.
Pour filling into unbaked 9-inch pastry shell. Top with second crust and flute edges, cut slits in several places.
Bake at 400^⁰F., 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

2011-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the size of this pasta! It's like a giant cork-screw!

I found this a few months ago at Target. I was thinking about what recipe that I could use this in, maybe a pasta bake or a mac-cheese dish. Or maybe some kind of an unusual pasta sauce to go with such unusual pasta. Well I finally decided to go with the sauce that was written on the back of the package.

The only thing that I changed in the recipe is the amount of tomatoes and tomato sauce that I used because I used what I had on hand. I have written by the change in parenthesis.

I am sure you are wondering about the taste of this sauce. It is wonderful or sure I say it was wonderful because there is none left!

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

1 package of Archer Farms Girandole pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes (I used 2 (15 oz.) cans)
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce (I used 1 (16 oz.) can)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; Add ground sausage, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until sausage is cooked through, breaking up large pieces.
Add tomatoes, sauce, paste and seasoning. Break up tomatoes with spoon. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in cream and basil. Serve with pasta.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

2011-07-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

How can on plant produce so much zucchini! The other day I checked on the zucchini and they were still a little small so I decided to wait a few days more. Well I think you can guess what happened. I came home from work and there was this giant zucchini sitting on the kitchen counter, I asked Richard where did that come from he said our garden. Wow! Those things grow fast! So I guess it time to start baking again.

This time I decide to make pineapple zucchini bread. It was my first time adding the pineapple to my recipe and let me tell you it won’t be my last. It turned out so most and delicious. Now what am I doing with all this bread.

I cut the bread into slices then wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place then into storage containers and then into the freezer it goes.

I now have containers of apple, zucchini and pineapple zucchini bread in my freezer. Now we get to enjoy all these yummy breads for months to come if they don’t get eating before then!

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in zucchini and pineapple. In another bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and nuts. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; turn out on a cooling rack to cool.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

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Nothing beats a fresh veggie salad especially when those veggies come from your own garden. When I went out to check and see what was ready to pick I found a few cucumbers and some ripe tomatoes. And this salad came to mind.

I have never really had a recipe for this I usually just toss everything in a bowl. I usually use a purple onion because it is Richard favorite, but all I had was a white one. He didn’t seem to miss it. I know this because when he ate the salad he didn’t say anything about the onions.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 medium cucumbers
3 large tomatoes
1 small onion
½ cup fat free Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon McCormick Salad Supreme

Peel, quarter and then slice the cucumber in to chunks; cut tomatoes into bite size pieces; diced the onion. Combine the veggies with the salad dressing and Salad Supreme. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend together.

Chili Relleno Bake

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When I made this dish last weekend I had a good size serving, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about how good and cheesy it tasted. I finally gave in and had another big serving! Richard also loved it so much he asked me to make it again last night.

This recipe is a combination of two different recipes from a cookbook that I bought over 20 years ago, and I also added my own little twist to it. They sold the cookbook to help buy new playground equipment for my daughter Brandy’s school, John C. Fremont. I know that I made a few dishes from it when I first bought it all those years ago, but I haven’t looked at in years. I came across it the other day when I was looking for another cookbook, and decided take a look through it, and I found the two recipes. Both recipes called for can chilies, but it is easy to just roast your own.
Now I have made chili rellenos before, the authentic way. But this is so much easier!

Chili Relleno Bake

6 poblano peppers

3 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Turn the oven broiler on high. Place the chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast chilies 2 to 3 inches from the heat until they blistered and charred about 5 to 8 minutes turn and repeat on other side.

Place roasted chilies in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 20 minutes before peeling. Peel each chili removing all skin; split open and remove seeds; set aside

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, flour, salt and baking powder. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a 13x9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Layer 3 of the chilies on top of the batter; top with 2 cups of the grated cheese; then add the remaining 3 chilies.

Pour remaining batter over chilies. Top with the remaining cheese.

I had Richard helping me!

Bake for 30 minutes at 350⁰F.