Belated Birthdays

This weekend we finally celebrated some family birthdays. My Mom turned 50 in July and the poor lady never had a cake! Sunday night we celebrated Mom's birthday as well as my brother's Danny and Ben. My Mom and Danny happen to love to same dessert-Mock Eclair Cake. These pictures are horrible-I apologize!!
Mock Eclair Cake
my mom
1 box graham crackers
2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups cold milk
8 oz Cool Whip

Line a 9x13 pan with graham crackers. Mix pudding and milk; fold in Cool Whip. Spoon 1/2 of pudding onto crackers. Layer crackers on top, then spoon the remaining pudding mixture on the crackers. Add another layer of crackers. Frost with frosting below.
Frosting:
2 tbsp margarine-softened or melted
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
milk to thin, enough to spread

Chill 3-4 hours before serving



Ben wanted something with pineapple in it-so I opted for a Pina Colada Cake.
Again-sorry about the bad pictures!

Pina Colada Cake

101 things to do with a cake mix

1 yellow cake mix

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk

8 oz whipped topping

2/3 cup coconut

Prepare cake according to package directions. Mix 1/2 can of pineapple into batter. Bake according to package directions. With a fork, poke holes in warm cake at 1-inch intervals. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake. Allow cake to cool. Spread whipped topping over cake. Sprinkle with remaining pineapple and coconut.

Grilled Moroccon-Spiced Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney Slaw

This was a new recipe I tried and it was so flavorful! We loved it and will be putting this in our favorite pile.

Grilled Moroccan-Spiced Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney Slaw

adapted from Rachael Ray

3 1/2 -4 lbs ground turkey

2 tbsp cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp curry powder

1 small onion, grated

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

zest of 1 lemon (and juice)

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup prepared mango chutney

3/4 cup plain yogurt

prepared cabbage mix

8 pita breads

Preheat grill pan to medium high. Combine turkey, cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cayenne, curry powder, onion, garlic, cilantro lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to distribute spices.

Form the mixture into 8 large patties about 1 inch thick. Drizzle pan with extra virgin olive oil and grill them for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

While burgers are grilling, chop chutney, breaking up large chunks. Transfer to bowl and mix with lemon juice and yogurt. Add cabbage mix and a little salt and pepper; toss to combine.

When burgers are done, put pitas on grill and heat on each side to warm up. Open pockets in each pita, nestle a burger inside each and spoon in some mango-chutney slaw.

Serves 8

Weekend Treats

It has been a crazy weekend and it still isn't over so-recipes to come soon. I was asked to make treats for a Safari themed baby shower this weekend and this is what I cam up with. (The internet is a beautiful thing!) I made safari animal cupcakes and cheesecake pops. They turned out pretty cute! Thanks for the opportunity Maggie-I had fun creating!

Moo Shu Noodles

I came across this recipe earlier in the week and was curious-would it really be as good as a eating out? I wish I could get a good picture of my food after I am finished cooking it-my pictures never do the food justice! We loved this dish-my husband said it was a definite keeper.

Moo Shu Noodles

adapted from Rachael Ray

12 oz fettuccine

3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil, divided

3 eggs, beaten

3 medium boneless pork chops, thinly sliced

black pepper

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp ginger (about 2 inch piece) peeled and grated

3-4 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 lb mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 small head napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Add salt and pasta once water is boiling-cook to al dente. Drain and reserve. Combine soy sauce and hoisin sauce and set aside. In a 12" skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over high heat. Add eggs and scramble-reserve on plate and keep warm. In same skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil and season pork with pepper. Add to pan and cook about 5 minutes or until juices run clear. Reserve with eggs and keep warm.

Add scallions, ginger and garlic to pan; saute until aromatic and scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Add cabbage and stir fry until tender, about 3 minutes. When cabbage is tender, add pork and eggs back to pan, along with hoisin-soy mixture and chicken broth. Stir fry until fully heated through, about 1 minute and toss with reserved pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

Serves 6-8

Blueberry Rolls

Are you sick of blueberries yet? Not me!! In fact I still have a couple more recipes to try before the end of the month. I came across these a few weeks ago and had to give them a try. I like that you have the option to make them all at once, or make them in 2 parts. That worked out well for me yesterday because 10 minutes after I started the dough I decided to go shopping with my Mom. So, I threw the dough in the fridge and finished the recipe later that night so my husband could have some for breakfast! At breakfast this morning my 3 year old said, "Thank you Mommy for making me blueberry rolls." I guess we'll be making this one again!

Blueberry Rolls

Dough~

2 Tbsp yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3/4 cup warm milk

1/2 cup butter

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp melted butter for brushing

Measure milk and water in microwave safe cup. Heat until almost boiling. Remove and add sliced of butter, stirring until completely melted. Add vanilla and set aside.

Add sugar, salt and eggs to a mixing bowl, beating until smooth. (I used my Bosch) Add warm milk mixture and half of the flour with yeast. Blend on low speed until flour is incorporated. Add additional flour until dough cleans sides of bowl. Continue kneading about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. (My dough was still really sticky at this point, but I didn't have any problems with it).

Add about 1-2 Tbsp oil to large bowl, tipping and rotating until oil coats bottom. Place dough in bowl, then turn to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight-(or as long as you want). You may also proceed without refrigerating if desired.

In the morning, the dough will be hard. Let rest on counter until just cool or at room temp. Roll it out in a large rectangle (on a lightly floured surface). Brush with 1 Tbsp butter. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a baking sheet.

Blueberry filling~

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp flour

2 tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon until well coated. Spread evenly over dough. Lightly press with hands so berries stick to dough. Starting with long side closest to you, begin rolling dough as tightly as you can. Place seam side down. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 4 equal pieces. Cut each section into 4-5, 1-2" slices.

Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and allow to rest on counter 45-60 minutes, until risen and puffy. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until tops are golden and berries look juicy and done. Place pan on rack to cool.

Icing~

1-2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tsp

milk-adjust to spreading consistency

To make icing, whisk sugar, vanilla and milk until thin-but not too thin-it should cling nicely to back of spoon. You may frost them while still warm in the pan. Let icing harden-serve at room temperature.

Chicken and Rice

This evening was a bit crazy so I only had time to take pictures of my 3 year old devouring dinner. Tonight I made his favorite chicken and rice. My mom got this recipe from my grandma and the first ward she was in after she was married. It has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember and now I get to watch my little family enjoy it. Adam asks for this meal all the time! Even for breakfast and lunch!
Chicken and Rice
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
1 cup of rice
Mix all of these together in a greased 9x13 pan.
Lay 4-12 pieces of chicken on top of rice mixture. (Mom always used thighs and drumsticks-I always use chicken breast). Sprinkle 1 envelope Onion Soup Mix over all.
Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours at 325*.
(works great in crock-pot too).

Teriyaki Chicken

I got this recipe off of Anna Can Cook and I have made it twice this week-once for my family and once for the lady I work for. I think it is delicious!

Baked Chicken Teriyaki

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

pepper

chicken-any kind

In a saucepan, over med heat, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

Place chicken in greased 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and turn to coat. Bake in preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and coat with sauce. Bake for additional 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Tessa's First Birthday!

My little girl turned 1 this weekend and we had a fun birthday bash. Our families are huge, so I had to have enough food to feed everyone. We decided on a menu of sloppy joe's, pasta salad and fruit. My sloppy joe recipe is the best I have ever had and is a staple in our house-it is sweet and tangy-so good!
Becky's Sloppy Joe"s
1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup ketchup
3 TBSP grape jelly
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP prepared mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
5 hamburger buns

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through. Serves 5


Picnic Pasta Salad
(101 things to do with a salad)
16 oz corkscrew pasta, cooked and cooled
1 1/2 cups bite-size broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8-12 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
1 can (4 oz) sliced black olives
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups Italian dressing

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving. Add more dressing, if necessary. Makes 8-10 servings


The birthday cake was from scratch-banana and buttercream icing-it was so good!! I got the cake recipe from a Wilton cake book and the icing was from the Lion House Wedding book.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Sadly this week you will not find very exciting dinners here-it is one of those weeks where we have a million things going on, so the faster the meal the better. This is one from my mom-easy chicken parmesan. Easy Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 (26 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Dip chicken in egg, then in bread crumbs coating well. In a 9x13 glass baking pan (greased), arrange chicken. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with hot pasta.

Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas

I didn't have time to take picture of dinner last night, but I had to post it because it is one of my top 5 favorite dinners-pineapple black bean enchiladas! I saw a Pillsbury cook-off a couple of years ago on the food network and this was one of the recipes submitted. The pineapple caught me off guard, so I had to try them. We think they are delicious. Give this odd recipe a try-you will be pleasantly surprised! Go to pillsbury.com and recipe search for these yummy enchiladas!