Chocolate Castles

This morning we happened to look out front to see a neighbor we had not seen before. Especially in this heat when everyone is staying indoors, I got excited to see a lady sitting outside on her porch reading what looked like her Bible. I told Randy that I had to go take her a cake and introduce myself! Immediately I got up to see what I had in the pantry! And there it was…a Duncan Hines Pineapple Cake Mix. Not having sliced pineapple or maraschino cherries, I remembered what Brenda Gantt is always saying “use what you have”! So I did. I got the can of crushed pineapple out and the candied cherries that I still had from making a different cake and began to tweak it to make individual cakes. This recipe made 5. It is always so great to be able to use the paper baking pans so it makes it easy to give away and look pretty all at the same time. Adapting the recipe to allow it to use what I had this is what I did:

1 box of Duncan Hines Pineapple cake mix

4 eggs at room temperature

1 cup of water (I drained the 20 Oz can of crushed pineapple and was able to get a cup of liquid so I used that in place of water)

1/3 cup oil

1 small package of French vanilla instant pudding

1 stick butter, melted

20 oz can of crushed pineapple

1 cup light brown sugar

15 candied cherries, cut in half

Combine cake mix. 4 eggs, oil, dry pudding mix and water (or juice) Beat with mixer 2 min and no lumps remain!

Melt the 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick). Pour about 2-3 tablespoons in bottom of each baking pan. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of brown sugar over butter. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of crushed pineapple over the sugar and place about 4-6 cherry half’s over that. Using an ice cream scoop (Pioneer Woman makes a great one for $9.00). Place about 2 scoops of batter over the pineapple mixture and bake about 15-17 min or until cake tests done! Cool and top with pineapple glaze if desired.

Glaze:

Using remainder of pineapple and its juice, add any left over melted butter you had from the 1/2 melted. I added 2 cups of powdered sugar and stirring until powdered sugar is dissolved. When cake is cooled about 30 min, pour some of the glaze over the top!

Pineapple Glaze

This morning we happened to look out front to see a neighbor we had not seen before. Especially in this heat when everyone is staying indoors, I got excited to see a lady sitting outside on her porch reading what looked like her Bible. I told Randy that I had to go take her a cake and introduce myself! Immediately I got up to see what I had in the pantry! And there it was…a Duncan Hines Pineapple Cake Mix. Not having sliced pineapple or maraschino cherries, I remembered what Brenda Gantt is always saying “use what you have”! So I did. I got the can of crushed pineapple out and the candied cherries that I still had from making a different cake and began to tweak it to make individual cakes. This recipe made 5. It is always so great to be able to use the paper baking pans so it makes it easy to give away and look pretty all at the same time. Adapting the recipe to allow it to use what I had this is what I did:

1 box of Duncan Hines Pineapple cake mix

4 eggs at room temperature

1 cup of water (I drained the 20 Oz can of crushed pineapple and was able to get a cup of liquid so I used that in place of water)

1/3 cup oil

1 small package of French vanilla instant pudding

1 stick butter, melted

20 oz can of crushed pineapple

1 cup light brown sugar

15 candied cherries, cut in half

Combine cake mix. 4 eggs, oil, dry pudding mix and water (or juice) Beat with mixer 2 min and no lumps remain!

Melt the 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick). Pour about 2-3 tablespoons in bottom of each baking pan. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of brown sugar over butter. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of crushed pineapple over the sugar and place about 4-6 cherry half’s over that. Using an ice cream scoop (Pioneer Woman makes a great one for $9.00). Place about 2 scoops of batter over the pineapple mixture and bake about 15-17 min or until cake tests done! Cool and top with pineapple glaze if desired.

Glaze:

Using remainder of pineapple and its juice, add any left over melted butter you had from the 1/2 melted. I added 2 cups of powdered sugar and stirring until powdered sugar is dissolved. When cake is cooled about 30 min, pour some of the glaze over the top!

Pineapple Glaze

I love serving fried chicken when we have a Southern meal to family and friends, but I don’t like standing over a hot stove frying the chicken at the last min! One evening when we were having friends over for dinner, we weren’t sure what exact time they would get here due to their grandchild’s event! So because of that I came up with frying the chicken a couple hours before we expected them and made gravy to pour over the chicken pieces. Baked it in the oven for about 20-30 min in preheated 300 degrees until gravy was bubbling! This time I added something that I hope will make it a true southern dish….1/2 stick of melted butter over the chicken before pouring the gravy over the top! Paula Deen, you would be right at home serving this! Serving this alongside a new potato casserole (a friend is bringing) a green salad (another friend is bringing), deviled eggs, green beans with bacon, Corn muffins, Sister Schubert rolls, and ending the meal with pecan pie and chocolate cream pie with whipped cream! Heart Dr is on speed dial!

4 chicken boneless chicken breasts, cup up and soak in buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

After u have soaked the chicken pieces, remove to a piece of waxed paper. Add the beaten egg to the buttermilk in the bowl

Dip each piece in the buttermilk mixture then the flour mixture. Fry in hot oil until all chicken has been fried.

Place in a greased baking dish and distribute the melted butter evenly, trying to get each piece a little bit of the butter. If u have too much chicken for that amount of butter, just melt more butter to make sure each piece has a little taste. After all, what is a southern meal without butter?

2 packages of Pioneer Gravy Mix

1/2 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter

Needed to take some cupcakes to a party tonight, I knew we were already having lemon squares, chocolate chip cookies, cream cheese brownies, so I thought maybe we needed something not chocolate. After thinking about what to take, I decided to make something I had never made before. The vanilla cupcakes have raspberry jam in the middle of the cupcake that was flavored with almond extract. The frosting was made with cream cheese, dried strawberry powder and topped with a raspberry! Such a perfect summer cupcake!

Cupcakes

Box of Duncan Hines White cake mix. Follow directions on box but use milk instead of water. I added 2 teas almond extract to batter. Pour cupcake liner almost 1/2 full. Put about 1/2 teas raspberry preserves/jam in center of batter then cover the jam with about a teaspoon of more cake batter. Bake u til cupcakes test done. Do not over bake. You don’t want a dry cupcake.

Frosting

After cupcake is completely cooled frost each one with frosting and top with sprinkles or a raspberry or a strawberry!

1 box of powdered sugar (3 1/2 cups).

1 stick of butter room temperature

1 8 oz softened cream cheese

1 oz package of freeze dried strawberries you have processed to become a fine powder

1 teas vanilla

Enough milk or cream to get frosting to a spreading consistency (about 1/4 cup, more or less)

Beat all ingredients until smooth. You will want to add milk gradually as to not get to thin!

When we lived in Pasadena, Ca 2010-2014, we would drive out to Camrillo, CA where Randy would drop me off at the huge Outlet center while he went to that office to work. Then when he got the notice that his credit card was at the limit, he would leave the office and drive to pick me up for us to go have dinner before driving back to Pasadena! That way we missed all the 5:00 traffic and we came home full as a tick!(Actually how full can a tick be). Maybe the more accurate phrase would be, we were stuffed as a pig; as we had found a great little Mexican food place that someone had told us about. It was there that I had my first Albondigas! Where had this been all my life? I feel in love with it. Because they had a chip and salsa bar and this amazing soup, I feasted on just that. Chips and soup!!! While looking through an old cookbook from 1993 last night there it was. A recipe for that great soup. So because my birthday is coming up next month, I am being extra nice, so thought I would share it! Here it is! Enjoy!

Made some strawberry cupcakes since a dear friend had requested that flavor when I had told her I wanted to bake something for her this weekend. Because it was her grandsons bday and that was his favorite flavor, strawberry cupcakes it was! When I went to look up different strawberry frostings, I found one that used freeze dried strawberries instead of strawberry jam to make the frosting! I tried it and loved it. The jam, I had used in the past always seemed to add a little too much sweetness, since you already had so much sweet from the powdered sugar! So this was exactly what it needed. Also I ended up adding about 1 healing teaspoon of dry strawberry jello before beating to add some extra flavor and color.

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temp

1 heaping teas dry strawberry jello

1/3 cup crisco shortening

1 (1.2 oz) package of freeze dried strawberries (ground to a fine powder in food processor)

Whipping cream or half n half to get to spreading consistency

1 teas vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add rest of ingredients and beat until smooth! Add whipping cream or half n half gradually until frosting is easy to spread !

This morning in my quiet time with the Lord, I was reading 1 Chronicles 23-25. Granted, this is not the most easy read, with lists of names and their duties, but after learning to use Bible Recap at night before we turn in, she gives a recap of what we are suppose to have already read before listening to the recap! Today it was the above mentioned scripture! Knowing several of my friends are in a new season of service and some of us (probably mostly me), struggling with wondering if we are fulfilling the reason God keeps us here, this scripture stood out to me! Not the list of names per se, but this;

. Beginning inverse 25 “for David, said, “the Lord the God of Israel has given us peace and he will always live in Jerusalem . “

“Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and its utensils from place to place. It was according to David’s final instructions that all the Levi’s 20 years older older were registered for service.“…… They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the Lord on Sabbath days at new moon celebrations and at all the appointed festivals. The proper number of Levites served in the Lord’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.

For some reason that really stood out to me! Were they comfortable with the change and how did they feel about it? Did they wonder what in the world it would be like now that their new responsibilities were going to be so different? They no longer had to carry the Tabernacle from place to place! Would they feel like they were still being used? We’re they still fulfilling Gods call in their lives? Sometimes, if you are like me, you assume that all the characters in the Bible were so holy and righteous that we could never identify with them! But God used people who were willing and obedient! If He called them to serve, He equipped them for His service and glory! And He has promised that to you and I as well! Yes, our seasons of life changes. And with that come changes in our service! At the end of chapter 23 it says. “And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levite’s watched over the Tabernacle, and the temple, and FAITHFULLY carried out THEIR duties of service at the house of the Lord! Lord, may You find me faithful to carry out my duties of service, no matter my season, no matter what my circumstance. That I will be willing to accept changes, different aspects of serving and giving You my best!

A friend of mine shared this with me a couple of weeks ago! A friend of hers had made it and brought some to her and she had saved me a piece! I fell in love with it! I didn’t have the recipe of hers but came home and found this one online and decided I had to try to make it. Since it was a rather rainy and cooler day today, it made perfect sense to be in the kitchen and try something new! It paid off! It is so buttery with a hint of rosemary that just is addicting! Why have I never made shortbread before? It was so easy and is such a great little “English” bite to get us in the mood to go see the new Downton Abby movie! Might even sneak some in my purse to go watch it Monday! Well, that and my bag of M&M’s. A movie isn’t a movie without M&Ms and popcorn and Diet Coke…..and now, shortbread! Will have to make some with toffee bits next time!

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cut into
1-inch chunks
1 to 2 teaspoons honey

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor,
pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add
butter, and honey if desired, and pulse to fine
crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some
crumbs start to come together, but don’t
overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.
Step 2
Press dough into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-
square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough
all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to
40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for
8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into
squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles,
drained
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, cut up
and softened
3½ cups chopped cooked chicken
breast
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 (8-oz.) packages Monterey Jack
cheese, shredded
2 cups whipping cream

1 small cam of mild green enchilada sauce

Sauté the onion in the butter until clear and soft. Add about 1/4 cup of the green enchilada sauce, the can of green chiles and the cream cheese you have cubed (so it melts faster)

Stir until cream cheese is melted and then add the chicken. Stir until combined! In a Pyrex baking dish, spray with Pam and pour about 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce over the bottom. Taking each flour tortilla, place about 1-2 (depends on size of tortilla you are using) tables in the middle of the tortilla and sprinkle some shredded cheese over the chicken. Roll up and place in baking dish. Proceed using the rest of tortillas! Pour the whipping cream (you might not need all 2 cups but just be sure all of them are covered) over the top and sprinkle the remained of the cheese over the top. Bake in preheated 350 oven until sauce is bubbly and cheese is all melted. Serve with rice and beans.

We had this for dinner when friends came over the other night and they loved it! It is so good and the whipping cream makes the flour tortillas almost crispy! I made a pot of pintos with chopped onion, fresh cilantro, a can of chopped tomatoes with garlic and the meal was really very well received. We had homemade chips and homemade salsa that topped it off! Easy meal to prepare and do ahead of time to where all I had to do was bake the enchiladas 35 min before we were ready to eat! Goya makes a wonderful yellow rice called Amarillo rice and goes so well with the beans and enchiladas! Finished our night with fresh strawberry pie (recipe is on the blog).

Finished product!

Am having some friends for dinner this evening! She is Italian from NY and so spaghetti and meatballs is the menu for tonight. Baked the meatballs yesterday and baked the sauce for about 3 hrs. So today all I had to do was add meatballs and sauce together, cooking on low in crockpot for 4 to 6 hours! Since it is a pretty heavy dinner with baked mushrooms, salad and main entree, I thought we would have a lighter dessert. We love lemon blueberry cupcakes so what a perfect ending! Years ago when Pregos had a restaurant on Trinity Mills in Dallas, our meals there always ended with their lemon cake which was so close to the lemon cakes we had in Italy years ago. Having bought some individual little trifle dishes one trip to Florida, I thought it would be fun to layer the lemon blueberry cupcake with lemon pudding I made with half n half! Sprinkled fresh blueberries over the pudding and tonight right before serving, will top it off with homemade whipping cream! The recipe for the cupcakes is already on the blog and the pudding was made according to directions on side of box except I used half n half!