Articoke Dip

1 C mayo

3/4 C sour cream

2 cans drained artichoke hearts, not marinated

3/4 C canned parmesan cheese

dash of pepper, garlic powder, Tabasco sauce, Worchestershire sauce

Blend in blender. Put in quiche pan and bake 350 for 20 minutes.

Egg Rolls

2 C milk (put in microwave for 2 min. )
2 yeast cakes (2T)
(1/2 cup water, 1 t. sugar)

4 eggs
2 t salt
6 -8 C flour
½ C sugar
¾ C melted shortening (vegetable or canola oil)

Heat milk, cool, dissolve yeast and sugar and add remaining ingredients always add
liquid first. Let rise twice in a warm place. (I have found that if the counters are cold
to either put it on the dryer, or put it on a rice bag that is warmed up.) Punch down in
between.

Roll or cut for shapes.
Place on greased cookie sheets and let rise until double in bulk.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 18-22 minutes.

If you want to do wheat rolls, just replace the flour with wheat flour, and also use 1/4 C.
gluten add it to the wet ingredients before the wheat flour is added.

If you want warm rolls but not make them the day of your big event, you can make them
ahead a few days, cool completely, cover with a garbage bag, and put in the freezer.
Take out that morning that you want to use and let thaw. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle your fingers with water and flick on the rolls. Cover with tinfoil, make it like a
tent. Let warm for 12-15 min.

Pizza Rolls

1 ) Cut dough in half, roll out dough making 12X 14 Rectangle with dough being about ½ inch thick
2 ) Put soft butter on dough quite thick
3 ) Put your favorite Pizza sauce on next or ½ can tomato sauce, 1/8 t. garlic salt, and ¼ t. Italian seasoning  mixed together
4 ) Add a garlic seasoning
5 ) Sprinkle parmesan cheese
6 ) Put lots of ¼ pieces of pepperoni on
7 ) Roll up like a cinnamon roll, cut with dental floss, 1 ½ inch pieces and put on a greased cookie sheet
8 ) Bake 18-22 minutes at 350 degrees
9 ) Eat immediately, or let cool completely and then bag in baggies and freeze for another time.

Moroccan Delight

I've recently recieved some great meals, since we had the baby and people are now giving me their recipes. This Moroccan dish was probably our favorite. You have to try it! Don't be scared.

• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped  (I have also used zucchini, squash, any veggie will work, really)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon(s) paprika (seems like a lot but adds great color and flavor!)
• 1 teaspoon(s) ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1 package ground turkey (could substitute with beef, lamb or another ground meat substitute)
• 1 can(s) (19 ounces) garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounce(s) (about 1/2 cup) dried apricots, chopped (adds nice sweetness) (mary's note: we loved it with craisins and rasins instead)
• 1 cup(s) loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped  (I never have this on hand and it tastes fine without it)
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 can(s) (1 3/4 cups) chicken broth  (if you don't have any just use water)
• 1 package(s) (10 ounces) plain couscous  (we substitute with any starch like wild rice, israeli couscous, quinoa, etc) (mary's note: couscous with curry peas & carrots mixed in is the way we like it!)

Directions

1. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add carrots, onion, paprika, allspice, and cinnamon, and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground turkey and cook about 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat with side of spoon. Stir in beans, apricots, parsley, salt, and 1/2 cup broth. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.
3. Meanwhile, prepare couscous as label directs, but substitute remaining 1 1/4 cups broth for some of the water called for to prepare couscous.
4. Fluff couscous with fork. Spoon couscous onto 6 dinner plates or bowls. Top with meat and veggie mixture.

This is so easy and delicious!!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

This is yummy served with  black beans, corn and cilantro mixed together as a side.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Due to my bountiful basket a couple weeks ago, I had a drawer full of green peppers that I didn't know what to do with. I tried this recipe and it is super tasty! I made three batches and froze the leftovers for a quick dinner another night.

1 c. chopped green chili peppers
3 c. tomato juice (I didn't have any so I used 1 8oz can tomato sauce, 1 c. water and 1 diced tomato)
1 med. sized onion, diced
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried cilantro

Saute peppers, onions and spices until softened. Add tomato and simmer 15 minutes. Wait till mixture cools a little then pour it into a blender and blend until as smooth as you like. When cooling in the refrigerator do not cover.

Variations: Can add jalapenos or red chili powder for more heat.

This makes a quick dinner. Add a thin layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Then just simmer the sauce with some shredded chicken, add some cheese in a tortilla and roll up. Continue till the pan is full, smother the top with more sauce and a generous amount of cheese. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese. Mmmm.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 cake box of any kind of cake mix (I used funfetti)

2 eggs

1/3 c. oil

Frosting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs and oil. Mix until thoroughly moistened. Shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheet. Frost cookies after cooling. 

*The frosting I used (you can use any kind):

Buttercream Frosting:

1/4 c. melted butter (makes it runny) 

2 c. powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)

Food coloring

Mix everything together. Add more powdered sugar to make thicker, or more milk to make thinner.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.

2 egg whites
3/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. chocolate chips

Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat (use electric mixer-like a kitchen aid or bosch) until stiff. Add sugar and salt, a little at a time, until mixture is very stiff. Fold in vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, on foil covered cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how dry you like them. If you like them more gooey, cook them less. (Ps. they are really good dry). 1 batch makes about 2 dozen.

Mud Puddles

Original Version:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks softened butter

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Small Reece's Peanut Butter cups

Combine flour and soda then set aside. Blend sugar and butter. Mix to a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips. Blend until combined well. Grease mini muffin tins. Fill 1/2 full with dough. Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes. Add Peanut Butter cups immediately after baking. Run a knife around the edge and let cool for a few minutes. Then let them completely cool on a cookie sheet. (Makes 90-100)

Easy Version:

Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough

1 pkg small Reece's Peanut Butter Cups

Spray a mini Muffin tin pan REALLY GOOD. Scoop a spoon full of dough into each spot. (Don't compact it down. Don't let it overflow the top of the pan.) Cook at 375* for 6-10 min. Until it looks golden brown and not doughy in the middle. Let cool in pan maybe 5 min. Then push a Peanut Butter Cup in the center of each. Cool just a little bit longer then use a butter knife to break away the edges from the pan and pop out. These are the best on the 2nd day. I hope this makes sense. They are super YUMMY!

Buttermilk Syrup

2 cubes butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

(I use the powdered buttermilk. 4 Tbsp. powder with 1 cup water)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine first 3 ingredients in saucepan until boiling. Take off heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Serve with your favorite breakfast, and enjoy.

Honey Puff German Pancakes

2 Tbsp. butter

6 eggs

½ pkg. cream cheese

1 cup milk

3 Tbsp. honey

1 cup flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 400*. Place butter in 9x13 baking dish and place in oven until butter sizzles. (You can just spray pan really good with Pam instead of doing this) Place remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Remove pan from oven and immediately pour batter into it. Bake until puffed and dark golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings. Fruit, powdered sugar, jam, whipping cream, and your favorite syrup.(I usually double this and put it in two 9x13’s I still have to mix it one at a time because they won't fit my blender at the same time.)

Poppy Seed Chicken Over Rice

3 Chicken Breasts boiled and shredded (I use one bottle of my canned chicken Super Easy)

1 cup Sour Cream

1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup

Mix above ing. together and put in casserole dish.

1 1/2 cup Crushed Ritz Crackers

1 tbs. PoppySeed

1 cube of Butter

Mix above ing. together & sprinkle on top. Bake @ 350* for 30 min.

Serve over rice. My family gobbles this up!

Bowtie Festival

Combine the following in a slow cooker:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 jar four cheese alfredo sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

1 pkg. Real Bacon Pieces

1 pkg. fresh sliced mushrooms (opt.)

1/2 pkg. of dry Italian Dressing Mix

1 cup swiss cheese, cubed

1/4 stick of butter, melted

Salt and pepper

Cook on low 6-7 hours, shredding chicken about 1 hour before finished. Serve over cooked bow tie pasta.

Bacon Pasta Salad

1 pkg. uncooked pasta (12 oz)

10 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

1 c. mayo

1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix

¼ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. garlic pepper

½ c. milk, or as needed

1 large tomato, chopped

1 can sliced black olives

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente: drain. In a large bowl, mix mayo, dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Place pasta, bacon tomato, olives, and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least one hour. Toss with additional milk if salad seems dry. ( I use 16 oz. of pasta and 1 lb. of bacon and just add a little extra milk.) LOVE IT!

4th of July Cake

1 white cake mix
1 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 8 oz Cool Whip
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 Strawberry Danish Dessert
(it's near the pudding & Jello)
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries





-Mix the cake mix as usual. Only use about 3/4ths of the cake mix. (You use less to have enough room in the pan for all the layers. I put the extra in a muffin pan and made about 4 cupcakes.) You'll need to watch the cake so it doesn't burn since you have less mix in the pan.

-Whip the cream cheese and powdered sugar with beaters, then fold in 3/4ths the Cool Whip. Putting the remaining in a sandwich bag for later.

-Cook the Danish Dessert mix following the pudding instructions on the box. Fold in the sliced strawberries.

-Layer the cream cheese mixture then pour on the strawberry layer, spreading it to the sides of the pan.

-Put blueberries in the top  left corner then cut one corner off the sandwich bag and squeeze out the Cool Whip to create lines across the cake. Chill about 3 hours then enjoy!

Rustic Croutons

These taste so yummy over a Caesar salad. They are the best croutons ever!


2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf (10 ounces) rustic italian bread, cut or ripped into 3/4-in pieces (I used Costco's French baguettes)
1 tsp. salt (I used less, about 3/4 tsp, so add to taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
(other ingredients that can be added are parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings)

Combine butter, olive oil, pepper and garlic. Drizzle over bread crumbs and toss until coated. Sprinkle with salt and toss until coated. Spread bread in a single layer on an 11 x 17 baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until golden brown.

The croutons are really good if they still have a little bit of a chewy texture after they have been baked. However, if you want to store some for later, be sure to bake until really crispy. You can also pop them back into the oven for 10 minutes or so before serving to crisp them back up. The chewy ones don't store well and end up tasting stale.

Stuffed Strawberry French Toast

An Easter brunch family tradition!

Texas Toast:
Cook it how you normally would cook french toast (we use, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg).

Cream Cheese Filling:
 1 cup cream cheese (any kind, normal or low fat, whatever works), an 8 oz pkg
 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. (or more if you want) cinnamon

  Mix with a hand mixer. Spread a thin layer on each side of the toast. Put sliced strawberries in side and sandwich it together. Top with syrup & enjoy!





 Cinnamon Syrup:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
  Boil 1 minute and serve. Store in fridge.

Potato Tortilla Soup

2 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 can mexi corn
1 can green chili's (it still tastes good if you forget and leave it out)
grilled chicken, in taco seasoning, cut into strips OR canned chicken or whatever is easiest.
If you don't cook the chicken with the taco season (like if you're cooking with canned chicken), I just add taco seasoning to the whole soup.
1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican style cheese

3-6 flour tortillas OR tortilla chips 

Throw everything into a crockpot or pot on the stove, it just needs time to heat up and melt the cheese. 2 hours in a crockpot is probably good, less if on the stove. Add the tortilla strips towards the end, so they don't get soggy. We like to dip tortilla chips in it, we like the crunch. Either way is yummy!

Breakfast Brunch

7 slices of bread
7 eggs
3/4 c.+ 2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 green onion chopped (it's probably okay without it, or with normal onions or dried onion)
1 1/4 c. grated mild cheese
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom
1 lb. ground sausage or hamburger, browned and drained (we've always used hamburger)
1/4 c. grated mild cheese.

Grease 9x13 pan. De-crust bread and line the bottom of the pan. Mix eggs, milk, mustard and onion, pour over the bread. Sprinkle with 1 1/4 cups grated cheese. Mix milk with cream of mushroom soup and cooked meat, pour over top. Cover with 1/4 c. cheese. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Yield: 12 servings.

Cilantro Pesto

These rolls were just a package of cresent rolls I reshaped then sprinkled with garlic salt and parsely.

I've been experimenting a lot with pestos lately and I've found a real keeper.
I used it for our green St. Patricks Day dinner tonight.

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup pine nuts (cashews, walnuts or almonds can be used)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 cup olive oil (I used garlic EVOO or you could just add a little garlic)

Rinse, dry and roughly chop the cilantro and parsely. Roast the nuts in a pan on the stove over medium. Once they start changing color sprinkle with the chili powder and a little salt. Put the cilantro, parsley, lime juice, nuts, salt, pepper, and grated cheese into the bowl of a food processor then stream olive oil in while pulsing until mixture is smooth, 8 to 10 pulses. If mixture is too thick, add more olive oil; if too thin, add more nuts.  Pour into 4 one-cup freezer containers. Use one container within a few days; freeze the others for later.
 
Ideas for use: I spread it over chicken breasts and baked them in the oven. On the side I made cilantro pesto rice that would be really good on a Cafe Rio type salad. Recipe is as follows...
 
1 can black beans
1 can corn
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro ( I really like cilantro)
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. cilantro pesto sauce
 
Heat through, sprinkle with Asiago & serve.

Anne's Corn Bread

Another favorite!

1/2 c. butter, melted
2/3 c. sugar
    Stir.
    Add:
2 eggs and beat together.
1 c. buttermilk (I keep powdered buttermilk on hand, it works great).
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour into an 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Ready when knife comes out of center clean.

Homemade Rolls

2 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. warm water
3 eggs beaten
1/2 c. sugar
4 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add remaining ingredients and 2 cups of flour. Mix until well blended, then add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time and mix to form soft dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch down, roll out onto floured board. Cut out in circles. Dip circles in melted butter, fold in half and place on cookie sheet. Let rise again until puffy. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

I don't cut them in circles, I make little rolls and barely dip them in butter. They taste great!

Delicious Potato Soup

We make this all the time and love it! Here are the measurements, but I really just do as much as I want, because I don't think it would make very much if you follow the vegetable measurements. I will just double or triple the part where you make the broth (broth, milk, butter, flour).

2 c. water
1 1/2 c. potatoes
1 c. carrots
1 c. celery
1/4 c. onion
Salt and Pepper

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 c. milk
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dill weed (I don't have this, so I just throw in whatever spices I want, like parsley, garlic powder, etc)
Crisp bacon

Boil water in large pot. Chop veggies, then add to boiling water. Return to boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Do not drain. In a seperate pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk and chicken broth. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add to veggies. Add spices. I let it simmer for quite a while before we eat, and definitely let it cook on low heat for a while if the veggies are still really crunchy. Add salt and pepper  and broken up pieces of bacon to taste, if desired.

This recipe is really yummy with homemade bread or rolls on the side.

A Gourmet Sack Lunch Meal

Last week we had our RS Birthday dinner and had these yummy gourmet sack lunches. They sent out the recipes, they were really good! Here they all are.

Pesto Mayonnaise

¼ cup mayo

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

1 dash of garlic powder

1 Tbsp. Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend  (I’m sure you could also just use fresh basil.  I just went for the easy route.  This is found in the produce section by the fresh herbs and it is in a little squeeze bottle.)

Cranberry Dijon

½ cup whole cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard (or more to taste)

The recipe I found calls for 1 tsp. horseradish but I forgot to buy it at the store, so I didn’t put it in.  It would probably give it more of a kick though and might be good.

Whole Wheat Bread 

(makes 4 large loaves)

***This recipe was made for a bosch mixture, for me, I think bosch is the greatest and best way to go with bread. But I'm sure other mixer machines would work as well.***

5 c. warm water

2 T. instant yeast

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. honey

3 T. dough enhancer (this is used in lots of dough recipes, it makes super fluffy, moist, bread. I found mine at a kitchen store in Utah and bought several cans. I'm sure you can find it here in Cleveland, although I've never looked for it)

1/2 c. gluten (I also bought a bag of this at the same kitchen store in Utah, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it in the store here)

6 c. wheat flour (freshly ground is always yummier, but store bought works great too!)

Instructions (these are really important, it can make all the difference when it comes to making bread!)

Knead above ingredients for 2-3 minutes. (I set my timer and make sure it gets a full 2 minutes). Then sprinkle 2 more cups of flour on top, then 2 T. on top of the flour. (Supposedly the salt can mess with the yeast, so it works better to put it on top of the flour and mix it in that way.... this is just what the kitchen store told us when they gave us the recipe!). Mix in that 2 cups of flour. Then add more flour until it reaches a good consistency, about 3-4 more cups of flour. About 12-14 cups in total recipe. I know when my dough is a good consistency because it starts to pull away from the sides, and the bowl is practically clean when it's done mixing, there is no dough on the sides of the bowl. Once it reaches this consistency, knead 8-10 minutes (set your timer!). Shape into loaves in greased bread pans. Let rise until double in size (about an hour). Then bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top.

Note* They had this sliced and we ate it as cold sandwiches with ham and white cheese, then we had the options of the two sauces above. I loved it with the Pesto Mayonnaise. The bread worked great for cold sandwiches.


Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

1 cup Asian sesame dressing

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS crunchy peanut butter (i add more... maybe 3)

2 TBS honey 

1 pkg thin spaghetti (i use whole grain)

4 green onions

1 cup chopped cilantro

spinach (approx 2 cups) and matchstick sliced carrots, or shred your own (approx 1 cup)

cook spaghetti, drain, and toss with 1/4c of the asian dressing. 

mix remaining 3/4c asian dressing with PB, honey, and soy sauce in a bowl.

add spinach, carrots, green onions, cilantro to noodles. 

pour dressing mixture over. mix lightly. this is good cold or warm.

i also usually add chicken (2 cooked breast, or i'll buy a rotisserie chicken and pull meat from it~ VERY GOOD) and serve as main dish.

 ****other things we've added- bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges (was ok), baby corn (the little ones on the cob), sugar snap peas.... you can dressing it up or down. just make slt more dressing if you add much more to it, like 1 1/2 of the recipe. very versatile.***

White Cake

1 french vanilla cake mix

1 6oz plain Yogurt (I can never find plain so I use vanilla)

3 egg whites

3/4 c milk

1/3 c vegetable oil

Mix on low until blended then beat on high for 3 minutes

9x13 cake pan

Bake 335 degrees for 40 minutes

After its baked make a lemon glaze

1/8 c water, 1/8 c sugar.  Heat until dissolved and squeeze 1 whole lemon or 2TB lemon juice. Mix, fork the cake a few times and brush the glaze over top of cake with pastry brush.  Before eating sprinkle top with powder sugar. 

Refrigerate the cake, I use this for a yummy strawberry shortcake so thats why the lemon glaze and powder sugar are good however you can also frost it.

 Note* The cake was frosted with a buttercream frosting. They were SO good.

Here are a few pictures I stole off a girl in my ward's blog of the dinner. The center pieces were so cute too. All she did was make suckers on skewers and filled the pots with rock salt and stuck them in. How cute & easy!

Coconut Cupcakes

Ok girls are you ready for the yummiest day of your life :) I made these for Addi's 1st B-Day and we have made them almost every weekend since. (I wonder where those extra 5 lbs. came from :)

3 eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup water

8 oz. cream of coconut (can sub. with coc. milk)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 white cake mix

1 small box instant coconut pudding

1- 7 oz. pkg coconut flakes (use for sprinkling on top)

Frosting:

2 cubes butter

4 cups powder sugar

2 tsp. coconut extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. cream of coconut or coc. milk

Beat until smooth. Frost the cupcakes when they have cooled. (I used a ziploc bag and cut a little whole in the corner.)

Preheat oven to *350. Place 24 liners in the cupcake pan. Beat first 5 ingredients together. Add the rest (except for the coconut flakes) one at a time beating on low. Fill batter in liners about 3/4 full. (they seem kind of full but they don't cook up too big.) Cook 18 - 21 minutes. Check with a toothpick. (Mine were still a little moist but I didn't want to burn the tops, and they still turned out fine.) When cooled frost and sprinkle with coconut. These are soo good even without the coconut on top if you are not a fan. (The cream of coconut can be found by the mixed drink stuff in the grocery isle. The coconut milk is found down the Asian isle. I haven't tried that but my friend has and said it is just as good.)

Red Beans and Rice

Matt had this on his mission a lot and waited three years to make it for me. When he made it I thought for sure I wouldn't like it...and I ate three bowls at dinner (don't forget, I am pregnant). It's simple and cheap! We figured it costs less than $7 dollars to make and makes something like 12 servings.

1 pkg of family size Zatarans Red Beans and Rice mix
2 cans of red beans (not kidney)
1 polska kielbasa sausage...I'm not sure what that means. Really all you need is one of those slabs of sausage (any kind) that are kind of in the shape of a horse shoe. I hope that makes sense.

We've also added a half cup of normal rice (cooked separately) just to add to the mix if you want.

Mix the box, according to directions. After, add the extra beans (and rice, if you want) and cut up sausage and add that. Let it warm for 5 minutes or so.

Eat up! It's so yummy, seriously. And, it's not very spicy from coming from the south!