guava cake

I stole this recipe from my Hawaii-loving friend Aubrey, and I'm so glad I did. It's soooo scrumptious! Creamy and moist and cold and scrumptious. Mmm. I'd make this everyday if health weren't an issue. Ha. Try it; you'll like it. Promise.



RECIPE: Guava Cake

Yield: 18

Calories: 227

Ingredients:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 c guava juice/nectar
1/3 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
3-5 drops red food coloring (opt)

1 8-oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 8-oz pkg Cool Whip

2 c guava juice/nectar
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
3-5 drops red food coloring

Directions:
Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix cake according to package directions substituting guava juice for water. Add a few drops of red food coloring to tint it a bit (opt). Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake.

Cream: In a med. mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add sugar and vanilla, beat in. Slowly fold in cool whip. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Glaze: In a med saucepan, bring guava juice and sugar to a boil. Make a paste out of cornstarch and a small amount of cold water. Remove guava/sugar from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Add some red food coloring. Return to heat and bring back to a boil for one minute. Cool in fridge.

Assemble: Ice the cake with cream cheese mixture. Then glaze the top with guava gel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

easy empanadas

My good friend Krista shared this idea with our bookclub when we were discussing easy, inexpensive recipes. And she hit the nail on the head with this one! It is perfectly easy and inexpensive - and absolutely yummy to boot! Her version included simply meat, onions, and cheese - kind of cheeseburger-esque. I wanted a little different flavor and changed it up a bit. But really, it'd be easy and scrumptious to change it up with any number of ingredients. Pizza pocket, breakfast scramble, you name it! Love this. Thanks, Krista. 

RECIPE: Easy Empanadas

Ingredients:

2 pkg canned biscuits 

1 lb ground beef

1 med onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

2 Hatch chilis, seeded and diced

Garlic powder, to taste 

Pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. 

In a large skillet, brown the beef and onion over med-high heat. Add tomato, green chili, and spices. Cook until chilis are slightly soft, just a few more min. Remove from heat.

Roll out biscuit dough individually into circles. Fill circles with a Tbsp or so of filling then fold over and pinch edges (with a fork if you're feeling fancy). Cut a slit or two in the tops and brush with the egg wash. 

Then bake at 400F for 12ish minutes or until golden brown! Enjoy!

funeral potatoes

These are a perfect dish to make in large quantities for a community gathering, such as a funeral. Hence the name. Or perhaps they were dubbed Funeral Potatoes because they make one think of Heaven (they're that good). Whichever the reason, Funeral Potatoes is how they are known to us. And they're amazing. In fact, they are my husband's favorite food. Comfort food at its finest. And this is the best recipe I've found for them -- from my sis-in-law Mindy, who got it from her Aunt Connie. Now I give it to you. You can thank me later.

RECIPE: Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients: 

1 can cream of celery soup

4 1/2 c. frozen hashbrowns (cooked, shredded potatoes)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. chopped green onions

2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 c. crushed corn flakes

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Melt 1/4 c. butter. Add soup, green onions, sour cream and cheese. Stir until blended well. Put potatoes in casserole dish and layer with sauce. 

Mix corn flakes and 2 Tbsp. butter. Spread on top of potatoes. 

Bake until heated through, 30 min at 350F. 

Note: This is best if made the night before or earlier in the day and then heated.

penne pasta bake

I got this recipe from our local grocery store, when they were doing this awesome Family Value Meal, all-ingredients-in-a-bag-and-ready-for-you program. Super cool. I've altered it a bit to make it even easier (I'm super lazy, ha), but the flavor is all there. Anyway, it's become a total staple in our household. Everyone loves it. Assuming you're not dairy-intolerant (ha), give this nummy recipe a try. You won't regret it.



RECIPE: Penne Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 (16-oz) pkg penne pasta
2 c. sour cream
6 oz provolone cheese slices
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb ground beef
1 med yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (26-oz) jars marinara sauce

2-3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Set aside a 9x13 casserole dish (or two 8x8s).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente; drain. Mix in sour cream and parm. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown diced onion, garlic, and ground beef over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti sauce and warm through.

Layer as follows: pasta, sauce, provolone, pasta, sauce. Then top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 min at 350F or until cheese melts and bubbles/browns.



**Note: This freezes wonderfully!  Bake one 8x8 and save the other. Two meals in one! Bam! Or better yet, eat one and give one to a friend! :) Also, making earlier in the day and refrigerating works great. Just keep in mind that you'll have to bake it a little longer.

butter chicken

You guys! This stuff is like a miracle in a packet! I stumbled across it in the grocery store the other day (international isle) and thought I'd give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did! It's spectacular!! So easy and so, so delicious. The whole family gobbled it up, and it makes a ton! It's a bit on the spicy side (I'd call it "medium" heat; nothing extreme, but I didn't feed it to my one-year-old), but you can up the cream a bit to knock down the spice. Anyway, it's fantastic. You can be sure we'll be making this again!

RECIPE: Butter Chicken

Yield: 8 generous servings 

Calories: 224 each (w/o rice)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 lb chicken breast, diced

2 Tbsp butter

1 med onion, finely diced 

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1 packet Butter Chicken Seasoning Mix

1 c cream (more if needed to de-spice)

Basmati rice

(Opt) fresh cilantro 

Directions: 

Cook according to packet directions. 

** Serve over basmati rice (with cilantro mixed in if you have it). Add a side of naan if you think to snag some. And enjoy!!

corn bread muffins

Original recipe from AllRecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-corn-bread-2/detail.aspx). This is a halved recipe, basically. It's moist and delicious. Yum.

RECIPE: Corn Bread Muffins

Yield: 8 muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 c flour

1/2 c cornmeal

1/2 c sour cream

1 Tbsp white sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 an egg, beaten

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp milk

2 tsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Measure and put all ingredients into a mixer/bowl. Whip until incorporated and kinda fluffy. 

Drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400F for 15 min.

Serve warm with butter and honey. 

bacon pancake dippers

  

RECIPE: Bacon Pancake Dippers

This is more of a concept than a recipe.  I saw this idea online and thought I'd give it a try for James' school lunch.  I used my From Scratch Pancake recipe (though batter from a store-bought mix would work equally well) and just added cooked bacon into the batter as the pancake cooked.  I tried several different methods: pouring the batter onto the skillet then placing cooked bacon on top before flipping, dredging the cooked bacon in the batter and then cooking, breaking the cooked bacon up into teensy pieces and then adding it to the batter. All of the methods worked, but the first one was probably the easiest.  I liked it but didn't love it.  It's a good way to sneak some bacon into an herbivore's school lunch, though! :)  Mmm... bacon. Crazy kid.

cooking tip: preserving apple slices

Cooking Tip: Preserving Apple Slices

When you're wanting to keep apple slices from browning, perhaps to send them to school in a kid's lunch box as Apple Slice Sandwiches or something equally delicious, first treat them with lemon water!  Just get a kid-sized bowl and put a bit of water in, say 1/4 cup.  Then splash in a tsp or so of lemon juice concentrate (the bottled kind you buy at the store).  Swish it around.  Submerge and swish the apple slices in the lemon water, making sure to cover both sides.  Then boom- done!  Pack them up, set them out, whatev.  They should keep just fine!  Pictured are the AFTER SCHOOL photos of the lemon water treated apples.  Not bad, eh?  Crunch.

pizza cups

I made these for James' school lunches. I saw the idea online and loved the make-ahead concept. Plus, what kid doesn't love pizza?! Let me know if you make them, and what you think! 

RECIPE: Pizza Cups

Ingredients:

Refrigerated pizza crust dough

Pizza sauce

Mozzerella cheese, shredded

Mini pepperoni 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450F. Grease/spray muffin tins (note: my silicone one made for much easier retrieval). Cut dough into 24 pieces (with a knife or with a cookie cutter). Press dough into muffin tins, making it go up the sides a bit. Spoon a tablespoon or so of sauce onto each dough cup. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Bake at 450F for 10-12 min. 

Best if served warm, but ideal for school lunches. Let cool (on a rack). Then pop a couple into a lunch box! Or freeze for future lunches!

butternut squash soup

Just a slight variation from an AllRecipes.com recipe*, shared with me via our good friend Missy. Hooray for Bountiful Baskets and the yummy new recipes they encourage! 

RECIPE: Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 butternut squashes, peel + chop

8 c water

1/2 cube butter

3 Tbsp minced onion

2 Tbsp chicken bullion

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

8 oz cream cheese (1 pkg)

1 c milk

Gruyère cheese (opt)

Directions:

Peel and chop the butternut squash. Put it in a large pot. Add water, butter and all herbs/spices. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Boil/simmer for 20 min or until the squash is tender.

Carefully purée in a blender (it's hot) with the cream cheese. Pour back into pot and add milk. Serve warm and top with shredded Gruyère cheese. Yum!

*Original recipe here: http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/12974/butternut-squash-soup?ast=butternut+squash+soup&asas=Mobile+Home+Page&asat=Quick+Search&ase=event10%2Cevent8