Coca Cola Cake

Coca Cola Cake from Suburban Epicurean

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Cooks Note: This one is all over Pinterest and they are all good. I wouldn't change a thing! I first tried this recipe about 25 years ago (wait, that can't be right, I am not that old), let's say 15 years ago (wink) when I lived in Texas. It was good then and good now. Hopefully you are not afraid of some butter, cause man o man does this have some BUTTA. The recipe is easy, no heavy kitchen equipment involved, so give it a try and you will understand why it is so famous here in da' South. Enjoy!


What You Will Need & Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease your 8x8 (for thicker cake) or 9×13 inch pan.

1.    First mix:

       2 cups flour
       2 cups sugar
       1/2tsp salt
       1tsp baking soda
       1/2tsp cinnamon

2.    Next, in a saucepan over medium high heat stir these things till they boil:

       1 cup butter
       1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
       1 cup Coca-Cola
       1/2 cup buttermilk

3.     Take pan off heat and add to the flour mix with a whisk until combined.

4.      Then add:
   
         2 eggs
         1tsp vanilla extract

         and mix well, put in pan, bake it for 30minutes or till your tooth pick comes out clean.

5.      When cake has about 8 min left, make the glaze in a saucepan:

         1/2cup butter
         1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
         1/2 cup coca cola

Bring it to a boil, remove and slowly stir in 4cups of confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Then add in about a cup of chopped pecans if you want, and stir.

Lastly, pour the warm glaze over the cake and let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Eat the cake warm or room temp.

This "Pinspiration" comes from Coastal Living

Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

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Cook's Note: I had a craving for lemon pound cake and found this yummy looking recipe on Pinterest. It was not difficult to make, but mine came out totally dry and didnt have enough lemon flavor. So, I made it again and have tweaked this recipe to include yogurt, which gave it a very nice moistness. I also added more lemon. If you like lemon, you will love this!

What You Will Need: 

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

3-4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

5 eggs

1/3 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt

2 cups cups unbleached flour + ¼ teaspoon salt, sifted

1 Bundt cake pan

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray non-stick flour spray on a bundt pan.

In your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy (about 3-5 minutes).

Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.

Add yogurt and mix well in mixer.

Fold in the flour and salt mixture in 2 batches, mixing after each addition until well combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Spoon the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean.

Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil if the crust browns too quickly.

Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove the cake from the bundt pan and place onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This "Pinspriation" comes from Recipe Lion

Homemade Frozen Egg & Cheese Sandwiches

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Cook's Note: Since I have many busy mornings where I have to grab something quick on the way to work, I need something nutritious, quick and hot, but don't want to continue to buy frozen egg sandwiches, nor do I have time to stop and get fast food.... that being said.. like many of you... I have seen different versions of this recipe on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a whirl to see if its any good. Well, it was well worth it, delicious, quick and now I a stash of sandwiches for whenever I need them! Thanks again to Pinterest for a great , money saving, delicious idea!  I highly recommend this  recipe to you all. 

What You Will Need:

6 Eggs

6 English Muffins

6 Slices of Cheese

Butter

Salt, Pepper or any other spices you desire for eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get out your muffin or cupcake tin and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Crack one egg into each muffin section, sprinkle desired seasonings (such as salt, pepper, paprika, whatever you want) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until yolk looks hardened. Set aside and let cool.

Now break apart English Muffins and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until they look golden or toasted. Remove from oven and butter half of the English Muffin pieces. Carefully remove eggs from muffin tin by loosening around the edges with a butter knife or a fork and place on English Muffins, top with sliced cheese and English Muffin tops. Put all of your egg muffins on a baking sheet, place in the freezer, totally uncovered and

unwrapped and leave for an hour. This allows them to "set" and will reduce condensation or "soggy muffin effect".

 After an hour, remove from freezer, wrap each egg muffin in saran wrap and place them all in a large freezer bag, writing the directions on it.

The directions are: Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, flipping over half way through.  EAT!

This "Pinspiration" comes from Your Mama Said What

Greek Chicken

Cooks Note: Now that the weather is getting warmer it is time to bust out the BBQ! I love the Spring because BBQing doesn't feel like it does in July when you feel like you are walking into a fiery inferno just to turn the meat! And for some reason, sun and warmer temps makes me want to eat lighter and healthier. So, in a pinch I decided to just make something up to top off the boring ol' chicken breasts that everyone grows so tired of. So, GREEK CHICKEN was born! No, not in Greece, right here in Northern Virginia! Now realize that I hardly invented it, but in my mind I did, so just humor me (wink wink). Enjoy!


What You Will Need:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 bottle salad dressing of your choice (oil based)
2 Large Roma tomatoes
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
10-15 pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Crumbled Feta cheese, for sprinkling


Directions:

• Place 4 chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag and pour the salad dressing in the bag with a few shakes each of salt and pepper. Zip the bag and put in the refrigerator for a couple hours to overnight.
• Chop tomatoes, onion and olives and place in a bowl
• Add salt and pepper and olive oil to the tomato mixture and stir.
• Grill chicken, remove and plate
• Spoon tomato mixture on top of chicken and sprinkle with as much or as little Feta as you like, and serve.

Slow Cooker Copycat Honey Baked Ham

 Find It on Pinterest

Cook's Note: I saw this ham on Pinterest and thought I'd make it for my family, since they all love ham (except for me!) This is the EASIEST HAM to make and bonus is that its in the crock pot. Apparently this is best ham anyone has ever tasted in their entire life! My husband said "This Ham is Amazing"... you just can't get better than that! My entire family devoured this ham in just a few minutes and I have been requested to make this ham now for every special occasion. Many many thanks to The Lady With The Red Rocker for the recipe and technique!

What You Will Need: 

1 bone-in spiral sliced pre-cooked ham (un-sliced also works)
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 Tablespoons water

Directions: 

 Cut the outside of ham into diamond shapes (so that there are slits in the ham where the juice can soak down into) and place in crock-pot. Add about 2 cups of water to bottom of the crock pot. Cook in the crock pot on high for about 3 hours until heated through.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and add enough water until you get a thick syrup (4 Tablespoons seemed to do the trick). Bring the syrup to a boil on the stove and. boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Remove ham from crock-pot (since I had a small ham, I used large tongs to remove it) and place in a foil lined baking pan. Baste ham with the syrup you just made. Place the ham  in your oven and bake at 500° for 3 minutes until syrup starts to bubble. Now, take out the ham and turn it over with your tongs and bake for another 3 minutes on the other side, spooning the syrup over the ham to distribute it again. Keep an eye on the ham while it is in the oven. Be sure to watch the ham closely while its in the oven because it will burn quickly! Remove ham from the oven when its all brown and beautiful and ENJOY! 

This "Pinspiration" and Technique comes from Lady With the Red Rocker 

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

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Cooks Note: This looked amazing, pretty even, so I thought I would try it out, and knew I would get no complaints from the little monsters.  It was a hit. This was easy and yummy and there are so many options for ingredients and toppings. I used Turkey Pepperoni and Turkey Italian Sausage and a jar of marinara (not my fave). Next time I will use more sauce, maybe a cup more, because it was a little dry coming out of the oven and I added heated sauce to it when it came out of the oven. And I may try a Hawaiian Pizza Casserole next time, just substituting the pepperoni and sausage for Ham and Pineapple and homemade marinara instead of a jar. Go crazy!

A quick and easy pasta casserole with all of the flavors of a pepperoni pizza!

Servings: makes 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta, rigatoni
• 1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 3 cups (24 ounces) marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 4 ounces pepperoni (turkey)
• 8 ounces ricotta
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta as directed on package but stop 3 minutes early, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix in the sauce with the sausage and 3/4's of the olives and pepperoni and set aside.
4. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan and set aside.
5. Place half of the pasta in the bottom of a large baking dish, top with half of the sauce, followed by half of the cheese mixture and repeat with another layer of each, finally topping with the remaining olives, pepperoni and oregano.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven covered in foil until bubbling at the sides, about 20-30 minutes, remove the foil and bake until the cheese has melted and started to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Original Pinspiration from Closet Cooking

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes with Ground Turkey

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What You Will Need:

1 lb ground turkey breast

1 onion, finely diced

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 can tomato soup

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tsp Garlic Salt

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

 In a large skillet, add turkey, onion, and green pepper until turkey is white throughput. Add all ingredients from skillet to crock pot. In a side bowl  mix together tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, garlic salt and brown sugar and pour over ingredients in the crock pot. Stir well. 

Cook on high for 2 hours and then low for the next 2 hours (4 hours total), Serve on large sandwich or hamburger buns.

Makes about 6-8 servings.

This "Pinspiration" comes from Six Sisters Stuff

Busy Mom's Southern Style Banana Pudding

Cooks Note: I LOVE Banana Pudding. It makes me think of old Southern ladies sittin' for a spell on the porch having a little sweet stuff after a dinner of Fried Chicken and Collard Greens. It makes me think of Summer and Sundresses and backyard BB Q's. I am not originally from the South myself, but I got here as fast as I could. So to make up for lost time I am cookin' up some stuff that will make everyone smile. No credit to give here, well, maybe to all the ladies of the South who have fed their families so well for all these years. Here's to you!

*This is the quick "working moms version" of Banana Pudding

What You Will Need:

16  NILLA Wafers, divided

                
Redi-Whip

                
3 small  banana, cut into slices, divided

2  . 09 oz. boxes JELL-O Banana or Banana Cream Pudding  and 3 1/2 Cups Skim Milk per directions
                
Directions:

CRUSH 12 wafers to form coarse crumbs; place a small handful of the crumbs in each of 4 parfait glasses. Top each with 2 heaping Tablespoon Pudding, 3 slices of banana, then 1 squirt Redi-Whip.  Repeat layers of crumbs, pudding, banana and whip. On top of final layer of whip, place one whole wafer on top for garnish.

          

Beef Stroganoff

Cooks Note: This is NOT a Pinterest recipe. this is one my Mom has been making for years. It seems like there are a million of stroganoff recipes out there and none of them are the same. Well, here is one more. This is really yummy, it is not the most gorgeous thing in the world by any means, but it tastes good! I serve this on egg noodles, but it would work just as well over white rice, whatever you prefer. Try it, let me know if you like it. I have been making it and eating it forever and have never had a complaint. Enjoy!


What You Will Need:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 white onion, chopped
1  12 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2-1 cup sour cream (to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Package large Egg noodles

Directions:

1. Chop onion and sauté in non stick skillet till translucent
2. Add ground beef to onion and brown (drain excess fat)
3. Add can of Soup. salt and pepper
4. Once soup is mixed in, add sour cream and cook an additional 5 min to mix everything together.
5. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain
6. Spoon Stroganoff onto a bed of noodles and serve (Sprinkle with Paprika for color)

Springtime Deviled Eggs

Cooks Note: I saw colored deviled eggs on the PAAS website and on Pinterest and thought they were really cute. WHY had I not thought of this before? I say this a lot about stuff I see on Pinterest and I get mad at myself for something so obvious not being MY idea first! I digress......I do not like deviled eggs, never have. But since my entire family loves them I decided to try these cute and Springy looking things. The recipe below is my recipe, mixed with the Paas instructions for dying. Everyone says they were delish. Try them next Easter, or anytime really. Enjoy!


What You Will Need:

12 eggs, hard boiled and cooled
6 T Mayonnaise
2 t Mustard
1 T Sweet Relish
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika (which I did not have for the pic above)
Vinegar, water and food coloring or egg dying tab (for color)

Directions:

Peel hard boiled eggs (click here for directions on how to hard boil the perfect egg).
Halve each egg lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, reserving the egg whites.
Rinse the egg whites with water to remove the remaining yolk and pat dry.
Prepare food coloring according to instructions listed on package.  Submerge egg white into color bath until desired color is achieved.
Remove colored egg white from color bath and place on drying tray.  Dab with paper towel to absorb remaining liquid.
Mash the yolks and add mayonnaise, mustard and relish; season with salt and black pepper.
Fill yolk mixture into the egg white halves.

This "Pinspiration" comes from Paas