Ridiculous Cake Mix Cookies

So I was in a pinch and needed a treat to bribe my children with so they would be good while my husband and I went out on a date (what? You've never had to bribe your kids?). I was so desperate, in fact, that I even turned to.... Cake Mix cookies! I KNOW! It's just for the kids, I assured myself, they don't care! So I found this recipe, and I screwed it up (because I was in a hurry, and didn't carefully read the directions), noticed the dough was dry and fixed it, added in some spices to make it decent, and... I couldn't believe the outcome!  I couldn't believe that I was eating another one, and then another!! I found myself feeling a little bitter that I couldn't stop eating CAKE MIX cookies! This was pathetic! These were RIDICULOUS...ly good! I shamelessly make these now!
So here is a recipe for Cake Mix Cookies that you can get away with!  That you can give to your friends and they will never know that you only spent the time of a cake mix on them! (heh heh ;)  

(I ACTUALLY took the picture this time, so this is what they REALLY look like) 

1 box of yellow cake mix 

2&1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Cloves

(Note: you may need to adjust the spices. I eyeball it every time so I don't have an exact. Just do it to taste. Would you like more of a cinnamon flavor? Add more cinnamon, and so on.)

2/3- 1Cup of rolled oats, 

1/2 cup softened butter (you can use marg. but it will only be half as good!) 

1 egg. 

Add milk to consistency (about 2T). 

Raisins and/or Chocolate Chips

Beat on low until combined. Add raisins or chocolate chips if desired. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at  475°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Don't over bake! If they are a little doughy, when they cool they will be perfect and gooey! :)

Dinner Rolls

My husband and I were on a double date at Chuck-a-rama with some friends as I began praising, and gushing over their delicious, light, homemade rolls! "These are sooooooo goood!!!" I said to my friend, "aren't these rolls just the best?!"

"Yeah. They're fine." was her response!

"Fine? Fine?!???! What do you mean they're -FINE-?!?!?!?!!!"

"Well, I have a recipe at home for rolls. I think they're better than this." She shot back with her English accent. Yes, she was from England. I should've known she'd have something up her sleeve! Well of course I demanded it of her, and she was nice enough to share!  And so I will share it with you! :)  This has been my favorite white roll recipe for years, and I haven't felt the need to go looking for any better. These are great! They're not really heavy, but they're not super light. They have good substance to them, and a nice homemade flavor.  Make them and see for yourself! :)

Mix together:

2C warm Water

2 Tbls. Dry Yeast

3/4 C Sugar ( 1Cup for sweet rolls)

Let sit while you gather:

Melt 1C Butter

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

Mix into the yeast mixture then add:

7-8C Flour

Mix and need until smooth. 

Note: Add only as much flour as you need to make the dough not sticky. It should be soft, and supple. Too much flour will make them dry. You can tell how your rolls will turn out by the texture of the dough when you are done mixing.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. Shape as desired, and place on greased pan. Allow to rise again until very light, about double. Bake at 350 until golden, about 20 min. Mmmm yum! Enjoy!

PS. Never overbake your rolls! It dries them out! My favorite way to tell if they are done is an accurate digital thermometer. They are done at 190 degrees F.  

Blender Pancakes

I promised my sister that I would give her this recipe! So here it is!
If you can't tell, we are a pancake lovin' house!!  Who doesn't love pancakes?!? Here is another excellent pancake recipe!  My favorite things about this recipe is that: 1. they are whole wheat, but they are light and fluffy and delicious,  2. since they are whole wheat, they are very filling, and they don't leave me dragging like those delectable little white ones do, and 3. I think they are VERY EASY! My children can make these on their own! YES! No excuse NOT to bring Mommy breakfast in bed! ;)

1Cup Whole Wheat grains (no, not the flour, the actual grain ;)

1Cup Milk

Blend on high for 2 minutes (the mixture should be really thick and pasty! If it's not, try blending it longer.) Make sure to scrape down the lid and the sides, then add:

1/2Cup of milk and blend for 2 more minutes. 

While you're waiting, get the rest of your ingredients!

2 Eggs

1/2Cup Oil

1Tbls. Honey or Molasses

1/2 tsp. Salt

 Add these in and blend on high until mixed and add

1Tbls. Baking Powder. 

Don't over blend or they might turn out rubbery!

Pour out onto your favorite pancake pan, greased the way you like it, and bake them to your liking! ;)

If we have a ripe banana, we like to throw it in there with the eggs and oil. You can also stir anything else you would like to add into your pancakes when you are done blending. Enjoy!

Strawberry Flop Cake

This is a cake that I don't make very often.....
Because I EAT IT AAAALLLLLL!!!
It is luscious and delicious! (Even though I think I say that about all the recipes I put on here... It's TRUE! That's why I put them on here. Recipes too good to lose! :) It's a dense, moist, summery cake with a hint of banana flavor that, surprisingly, I don't mind (you can omit the banana if that doesn't tickle your fancy, but DON'T! You might be surprised. The banana helps add to the smoothness of the texture and instead of tasting like banana, it rounds out the flavor! Oh, Love!). It's refrigerated, so on those hot summer days, it's a cool, little bite of delection (yes I made that word up. It was worth it!)!  On top of all this wonderment, it's also very easy to make! It's actually....a....... cake mix! SSHHH! Don't tell! They'll NEVER know! And neither will you once you taste it! (personally, not a fan of cake mixes, so trust me on this one! However, you will NEVER hear me complain if you make me something "cake mix". I will just be happy you made me something :)

White Cake Mix, follow box ingredients EXCEPT for Oil, and add:

1 banana (mashed)

8 sliced and smashed Strawberries (or how ever many you want!)

1/2 C Sour Cream

1 Cube softened, unsalted butter

Oven: 350

Grease and Flour 2 layer cake pans (I prefer using parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and just grease the sides. Guaranteed to come out clean every time!) Mix as directed above, pour into prepared pans and bake for 33-36 minutes (You know how to tell when a cake is done! Just NEVER over bake! It's far better, in my opinion, to have a little bit of gooey, than a dry, offensive, confection! ;) Let it cool.  The cake will sink a little when you it's cooled, that's why it's called flop cake (it just allows for more sweet creamy frosting in the middle! :)

Strawberry Frosting:

1/2 Cube softened Butter

5 Sliced Strawberries (I add more!)

1 tsp. Vanilla (or you could try Almond or Strawberry extract)

1 bag of Powdered Sugar

1-2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Combine ingredients in a heavy mixer until creamy. Be careful not to over mix! I have had the frosting separate on me! If it does, don't worry, it still tastes good, it just doesn't look as pretty. Garnish with Strawberries and if you need, Whipped Cream. Ah! L'amour!

 Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Crêpes

Ingredients:

4 eggs
¼ cup sugar (2 tbsp if planning to use with savory filling)
½ tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter (I use oil, but sauté them in butter later) + a bit of oil for a pan

About ½ stick of unsalted butter for brushing the crêpes later

Preparation:

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt. Add milk and water, stir.
Sift the flour with baking powder and add to the wet ingredients in the bowl. Whisk well, you don’t need any lumps in the batter. Add the oil, whisk again.

Heat an 8-inch frying pan or a crêpe pan (if you have one) over medium heat. Very lightly brush it with oil and pour a shy ¼ cup of batter onto the pan (use a measuring cup). Wait until the surface doesn’t appear wet and the crêpe is lightly browned on one side, about a minute, flip the crêpe onto the other side. Brown this side as well, take it out off the pan, put on a plate and brush the crêpe with some melted unsalted butter. Or you can just dot the crêpe with tiny piece of butter and let it melt by itself. This will give the crêpes even more flavor and prevent them from sticking together. Go on with the rest of the batter. You can serve them right away with sour cream, honey, maple syrup, lemon curd or your favorite jam. Or wait until they are cold enough to handle and fill them with the filling of your choice. Before serving, sauté the crêpes in melted butter over medium heat until they nice golden 

Pappardelle With Corn

I saw the picture of this dish on the cover of Foodnetwork Magazine, and knew that if I did not drop the 4 bucks for that particular issue, that I would regret it for the rest of my life. I was RIGTH! This pasta dish was everything and more of what the cover picture promised!!! I LOVE it!!! It is wonderfully delicious! It's easy to make and beautiful to behold! Easy and beauty combine when you put it in your mouth and they become something amazing! A must make spring/summer dish! You won't regret it! (ps. I, the carnivore, always add grilled chicken to this! mmmm!)

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

7 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

13 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 2 ears corn, shucked
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 12 ounces pappardelle pasta
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for topping
• Torn basil, for topping

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and cook until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs, reserving the boiling water. Let the corn cool slightly, then cut off the kernels.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in the corn water as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the chicken broth and corn kernels to the skillet and bring to a simmer.

Add the pasta to the skillet; add the scallions, parmesan, the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine, adding the reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with more parmesan and basil.

Per serving: Calories 635; Fat 22 g (Saturated 12 g); Cholesterol 61 mg; Sodium 256 mg; Carbohydrate 86 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 21 g

Boston Butt Pork Roast

VERY GOOD!

Boston Butt Pork Roast- bone in

3Tbls. Brown Sugar

1Tbls. Sugar

1Tbls. Garlic Powder

1&1/2 Tbls. Paprika

1Tbls. Cumin

1Tbls. Kosher Salt (I think I would put more)

1/2 Tbls. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Cayenne
Large onion

Mix rub, pat roast dry and rub with spices. Let marinate for 30 min.

Meanwhile slice large onion and saute in a small amount of oil on high in the bottom of the dutch oven (roasting pan). De-glaze pan with 1 cup chicken stock or broth.  Set roast in the dutch oven, cover and cook @275 for 6 hours (250 for 7 hrs?)