Banana Pudding Poke Cake

From www.thecountrycook.net

This is made without slices of bananas, however, you could certainly add those on there if you like. My husband and I decided we would just add some freshly sliced bananas right on top of our individual pieces of cake which turned out to be a delicious idea.   If I had put them on the cake while I was making it, they would have turned brown within a day. It also makes the cake really pretty if you serve the individual slices with a bit of sliced banana and a Nilla Wafer on the side. 

Ingredients:

1  box yellow cake mix

ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)

2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant banana pudding

4 cups milk

1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

20 vanilla wafers, crushed

 Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13 cake.

Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.

Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking 

holes in the cake.

 You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down  in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.

 In a bowl,whisk together instant pudding with 4 cups milk. Stir until all the lumps are gone. Let pudding sit for just about 2 minutes so it has just slightly begun to thicken but not fully set, it should still be easily pourable. 

 Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get it into the holes as much as possible.

 Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon gently push pudding down into the holes.

 Put the pudding into the fridge to set and cool.

Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on whipped topping.

 If you haven't done so already, crush your vanilla wafers.

I just place mine in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Leave some of the pieces big. It's nice to have a bit of a crunch when you eat the cake.

 Spread crushed wafers onto the top of the cake. 

You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like. 

This will ensure the wafers are crunchy when you serve it. 

I think this cake gets more delicious over time.

To me, it's even better the next day so it's a great dessert to make ahead of time.

Serve with freshly sliced bananas. Keep refrigerated.

Read more at http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/banana-pudding-poke-cake.html#0TwwU6kPbRK4ERfo.99

Pizza Casserole

16oz. box

elbow macaroni or sea shells

1 lb

ground beef

2 jar(s)

(16-oz.size) pizza sauce or make a large pot of homemade pizza sauce

4 Tbsp

olive oil, extra virgin

2 clove

garlic chopped

1 medium

bell pepper diced

1 medium onion diced

1 pkg

mushroom pieces

1 can(s)

4.25 sliced black olives

1 Tbsp

Italian seasoning

1 pkg

pepperioni sliced

12 oz

package of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c

water

1 Tbsp

oregano, dried

1 can(s)

10 oz. rotel diced tomatoes and chilies this is optional add only if you like spicy

Directions

Step-By-Step

1

 Prepare the pasta as directed remembering to salt the water while boiling macaroni. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl

2

 In a large deep skillet brown the ground beef drain and set aside.

3

 In the same skillet over medium heat put in the olive oil and lightly saute the garlic, onion, and bell pepper until a little tender.

4

 Add the sauce, ground beef, Italian seasoning, and the water. Stir together and let simmer about 5 min.

5

 Pour over macaroni add the mushrooms and black olives. Stir all ingredients together pour in a 9x13 deep dish pan.

6

 Cover the top of casserole with the shredded cheese then layer the pepperoni across the top.

7

 Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Pepperoni and cheese should look like a pizza when ready.

Elephant Ears

Grandmas all over the country have long used scraps of unused pie crust dough to make larger versions of these sweet treats. This miniature version is just the right size--and much easier to assemble!

Easy Elephant Ears

• 1 tube Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layer Original Biscuits
• Cinnamon Sugar Mixture - I always keep a container in the cupboard so I don’t have an exact recipe – this really depends on you so mix a little sugar and cinnamon together until you like it) – you will need about a cup
• Oil for frying

In a frying pan, pour oil about 1 ½ inch high and turn burner on medium.

Using the layers, split the biscuits in half so you have 16 thinner biscuits 

Stretch each biscuit as thin as it will go without tearing and carefully place it into the hot oil.

Depending on how big your frying pan is you can put more than one biscuit in at a time but just avoid over crowding the pan.

When the biscuits are golden brown on the bottom, flip over and fry the other side (I used two forks to help flip the biscuit without splashing).

When the biscuits are done on each side, carefully place them on to a paper towel and blot the excess oil.

Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm

Kale and Goat Cheese Pizza

KALE GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Miryam's original recipe from Eat Good 4 Life

Yield: 12 slices

Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups fresh kale, chopped
5 oz goat cheese
2-3 tomatoes, quartered
2 lbs mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 prepared whole wheat pizza dough, or store bought
1 lb tomato sauce, any favorite kind

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400F.

On a flat surface, like your kitchen counter, place some whole wheat flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin in a rectangular shape and place the pizza dough onto the the rectangular baking cookie sheet making sure you reach the edges. My cookie sheet dimensions were 16.5 x 11.38 x 1 inches. Repeat this with the second pizza dough.

Divide the sauce among the two pizzas making sure to spread the sauce to the edges. Divide the shredded mozzarella cheese between the two pizzas and top with the chopped kale and tomatoes followed by the goat cheese.

Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes. When baked, top the pizzas with some chopped red pepper flakes if desired.

Read more at http://www.eatgood4life.com/kale-goat-cheese-pizza/#cE1h7s2Y8dEPevuV.99

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Source:  Amanda's Cookin' and Annie's Recipes

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 t. grated lemon peel
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

TOPPING:
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts (I used pecan pieces that I already had on hand)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. cold butter or margarine

DRIZZLE:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and baking powder. Add egg, milk, butter and lemon peel; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spread in a greased 9-in. square baking pan.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, walnuts and cinnamon in a mini food processor or bowl. Add butter and process, or cut in if doing by hand, until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

For drizzle, combine the powdered sugar and milk. If too thick, add a few drops of additional milk at a time until it reaches drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe - Amazing!

Our fellow blog, Fit and Free With Emily says...

"These cookies are addictive, especially on a cold day with some cocoa or tea. The Chobani adds an extra fluff that can NOT be beat! Crispy and sugary on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth fluffy on the inside."

Ingredients

• 5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (Chobani)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda.
2. In a separate bowl, cream butter, yogurt and sugars with your mixer. Add eggs. Beat until fluffly. Add canola oil and vanilla.
3. Slowly add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients.
4. Best to chill overnight, but can be baked right away. Roll into balls, flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.
5. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. DO NOT overcook.
6. Makes approximately 6-8 dozen, depending on the size of your cookies

Salted Caramel Brownies

Salted Caramel Brownies

I used my standard approach to salted caramel, but I dialed back the heavy cream so that it would be less soft, and therefore better able to hold up in the batter. The brownie is my one-bowl favorite, with less salt and sugar to compensate for the sweetness and extra salt in the caramel. The result is a soft, messy brownie that it much, much, much easier to cut neatly if placed in the freezer until semi-firm.

Makes 1 8×8 pan of brownies which you can cut into 16 2-inch squares, 25 smaller squares, or even 32 2×1-inch bites.

Caramel
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or salted, but then ease up on the sea salt)
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or 1/8 teaspoon table salt, more to taste)
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Brownie
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt or 1/8 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour

Make caramel: Set a square of parchment paper over a medium-sized plate. Lightly butter or coat the parchment with a spray oil, just as an added security measure.

In a medium, dry saucepan over medium-high heat, melt your sugar; this will take about 5 minutes, stirring if necessary to break up large chunks. By the time it is all melted, if should be a nice copper color; if not, cook until it is. Remove from heat and stir in butter. It may not incorporate entirely but do your best. Stir in cream and salt and return saucepan to the stove over medium-high heat, bringing it back to a simmer and melted again any sugar that solidified. Cook bubbling caramel for a few minutes more, until it is a shade darker.

Pour out onto parchment-covered plate and transfer plate to your freezer. Freeze until solidified, which can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes in a decent freezer to 40 minutes in my terrible one.

Meanwhile, or when your caramel is almost firm, make your brownies: Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment, extending it up two sides. Butter the parchment or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium heatproof bowl over gently simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together until only a couple unmelted bits remain. Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted. You can also do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour with a spoon or flexible spatula.

Assemble brownies: When caramel is firm, remove it from the freezer and chop it into rough 1-inch squares. Gently fold all but a small amount of caramel bits into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan, spreading until mostly even. Scatter remaining caramel bits on top. Bake in heated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*Cool thoroughly — a process that can be hastened in the freezer, which will also produce cleaner cuts — and cut into squares or other desired shapes.

Leftover Ham? Make Ham Soup

1 pkg bacon, cut into small squares (cutting while frozen works best)

1 large onion (softball size), chopped

2 bay leaves

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4-5 lb of leftover ham still on the bone

12 c water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

16 oz frozen turnips

2 c mixed vegetables, frozen

1 can(s) cream of chicken soup

1 can(s) cream of potato soup

1 can(s) cream of mushroom of soup

Step-by-Step

1

 In a large (deep) pot, cook the bacon till crispy. Remove bacon and set aside in a paper towel lined bowl, leave the bacon drippings in the pot. Add chopped onion to the bacon drippings and cook until tender and transparent, about 15-20 minutes.

2

 Add bay leaves and garlic, sauté for about 3 minutes. Add leftover ham, water and chicken bouillon cubes…bring to a boil. Once at a boil reduce heat to low and cook until the ham starts to release from the bone, about two hours.

3

 Once the ham has started to release from the bone, remove the bone from the pot...you may need to cut some of the ham off the bone. Any large pieces of ham will need to be cut into smaller chunks.

Add any ham that you had removed from the bone back into the pot along with the remaining ingredients.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender.

Add soup to bowls and sprinkle with reserved bacon pieces.

Caramel Cheesecake Bites

MINI CHEESECAKE VANILLE- ALMOND BUTTER SALTED CARAMEL

The basic crust :

About 1 cup of Graham crackers crumbled 

Melted butter 70g

40g blanched almonds crushed 

Cheese Cake :

800g Philadelphia cream cheese

100g sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

The salted butter caramel :

80 g of powdered sugar

10 cl cream

40g salted butter

3 pinches of sea salt

Directions:

Chop the blanched almonds . Cut with cookie crumbs in a blender and add the chopped almonds biscuits . Add the melted butter and mix again.

Cover pan mini hinges with parchment paper , place cookie crumbs and pack the bottom of the pan and the edges. Freeze time to prepare the cream.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a bowl , mix the Philadelphia using a wooden spoon , then add sugar and vanilla. Mix everything . Add eggs one at a time . Mix after each egg briefly. Avoid mixing too much, the cream should not be too liquid.

Pour this mixture over crust and bake biscuit 1 hour and then cool off in the oven. Then place in the fridge for 24 hours.

For the caramel :

Put the sugar in a saucepan and heat over low heat ultra .

Melt ; without stirring; sugar to obtain a light amber caramel.

Meanwhile , heat the cream so that it is just simmering .

When sugar is liquid, add the cream off the heat . Mix well (if caramel pieces are formed, dissolve by delivering the pan on ultra low heat , stirring ) . Then add still off the heat the butter , mix and add the salt. Stir and put in a jar. Close and store at room temperature.

To serve , unmold the cheesecake onto a serving platter.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 head garlic, separated into whole cloves, papery skin removed (about 20 cloves)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

1 teaspoon flour

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 lemon, juiced

Bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Salt and pepper liberally and allow to temper on a cutting board while you prepare the garlic. In a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat, cook the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high and brown the chicken skin-side down until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on herbes de Provence or poultry seasoning. Add the garlic back to the pan and place hot pan in oven. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Once the chicken is done, remove chicken thighs and garlic to a platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the drippings with flour and stir to incorporate. Deglaze the pan with the stock and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter and serve with bread for sauce-mopping and garlic-spreading.

Spinach Muffins- for the veggie hating kids!

Betty Crocker Watermelon Cupcakes

These turned out so YUMMY! Instead of oil, I used 1/2 cup of real butter. It really does make a difference and as always, use a timer for mixing any box cake mix and follow the directions exactly. They spent countless hours trying to figure our what works and trust me, when you mix it exactly 2 minutes, it makes a difference!

New Dining in Detroit

Check out some of  the new dining places in Detroit. they are sprouting up all over the place!! Don't miss out.


Downtown Louie’s Lounge, 30 Clifford: A hidden gem just west of Woodward and south of Grand Circus Park, Downtown Louie’s boasts of well-prepared mid-priced salads, sandwiches, burgers and more. (www.downtownlouieslounge.com)

Taqo Detroit, 22 W. Adams: Opened July 1, this three-level, 5,000-square-foot restaurant features a big Mexican menu with coastal influences and terrific street-style tacos. Near Comerica Park, across the street from Grand Circus Park. (www.taqodetroit.com)

The Grille Midtown, 3919 Woodward: With its dove gray brick walls, handsome bar and polished urban vibe, the Grille is a delightful, casually upscale addition to Midtown. Its well-executed dishes range from big salads and juicy burgers to steaks, seafood and pasta. Delicious brunch dishes. (www.thegrillemidtown.com)

Dime Store, 719 Griswold: Serving a stylish breakfast and lunch menu, plus cocktails, Dime Store calls itself an “American Brunch Bar” — an unmistakable signal that it won’t be your average local diner. With chef Josh Taylor creating dishes like Bacon-Arugula Benny with Spicy Hash and architect Ron Rea cooking up a cool interior, it promises to bring a fresh young vibe to Chrysler House at Fort and Griswold. The brunch is certainly foodgasm worthy. (www.eatdimestore.com)