Somewhere over the rainbow is a magical land of cakes!

On Saturday, I entered that magical land fires a blazin!  If you have known me for any period of time you would know that there is seriously only one dessert that I dream about at night love to eat, cake.  Specifically, yellow cake with vanilla butter-cream frosting.  Can I get an AMEN?!

Amen!Publish Post

So when we were invited to Margaritas and Fajitas this past weekend, I knew that God spoke to me and said, "Chelle, you must make this cake."  I am not one to disobey, so to work I went.  God was definitely looking out for me and my waistline because when he dictated that I take the cake the M&F night, he knew that I would have to share, and therefore be unable to hoard the entire cake for myself.  Me and my trusty mixer got to work!

The finished product

Oh wait, it gets better.  I couldn't just show up with a boring yellow cake. I needed an explosion once people cut into it, but it would not be practical to place an actual bomb inside of the cake, you know for people's safety and all, blah blah blah...

Drum Roll Please.

TIGATIGATIGATIGATIGATIGA

(yes, that is what a drum roll sounds like. don't argue)

So I decided on a a COLOR explosion.  Boom! Hello, sweet sweet rainbow cake! 

I should go on an on about how hard it was and how much time I spent slaving in the kitchen to get just the right concoction of cake and color.  But that would be a lie.  And since this cake was ordained by God himself, I can't lie about it.

It was easy, with a capital E.  I used a standard box mix and 2 cans (eek, that sounds really unhealthy) of frosting.  Just measured out into 6 separate bowls about 1 cup of batter and *colored it.  Then I made sure I greased and floured my pans really really good.  That step was important since it was such a thin layer of cake.  Instead of following the directions on the box for baking, I baked at 325 for 11 min.  Each layer came out perfect and moist.  Assemble each layer with frosting, bada bing bada boom, a cake!

* I wanted to make a note on food coloring.  If you are interested in coloring your food, but not the runny consistency that liquid color gives, you should really invest in some Wilton Gel Colors.  The BEST, hands down.

Fajitas and Margaritas

So it was less margarita for me and more fajita, but a girl can dream right?  I haven't really been craving any off limit alcoholic beverages lately, but there is something about everyone else enjoy nice salty rimmed glasses full of tangy frozen margarita that will make a pregnant girl's mouth drool.

Saturday we were invited over to Jason and Michala Siler's house (parents to the cutest little girl) for a fun game night, delicious food, and cold drinks.  We had such a good time!

Joel and Baby Kennedy also proved to us that having a baby isn't the end of a social life, esp if you end up with a little social butterfly like Kennedy.  She held her own throughout the night including Four On The Couch and Taboo.  Buzzz.....

Jeanie and Rick Landgraf

The Margarita Feast

Again, I repeat, I did not consume any alcohol, but....I might have sniffed the strawberry margarita mix. 

There might have been a pinata, maybe.  Happy Birthday Grace!

Things we learned:

-The fire will not keep us from partying 

-Fast paced pictionary doodling almost always looks like something inappropriate

-Taboo is not easy when played with margaritas

-Pinatas may cause whiplash

-Having great friends is such a blessing

Cake Balls aren't my friend.

I am sure you have heard of Bakerella, if you haven't you should check her out.  She as a super sweet cute website that revolves around, you guessed it...Baking!  She makes the most adorable cake balls, among other things.  My mom knows that I like to be in the kitchen so for Christmas she got me Bakearella's cakebook.

I loved it!

I read through and I decided the other night that it was time to tackle this culinary delight. Now, normally, I would pick out the hardest thing, be determined to do make it work, and then be infinitely disappointed when they didn't turn out just like her's.  However, this time I decided to start at the most basic level...

Just a plain ol' cake ball.

I used vanilla frosting and confetti cake because well...that is all I like.

I followed the instructions to the "T".

Mixed with the right amount of frosting so they were not to mushy, but would stick together.  I froze them for 15 min before I dipped them, but that is where the problems started...the dipping.  Everytime I would try to dip one, it would fall of in the chocolate, never to be seen again...

You probably could already guess that mine didn't turn out quite so fabulous.  I don't know what I did wrong, but I am definitely thinking that I am not ready to move on to one of the more challenging "pops"

Such as these sweet sheep:

I can admit that they did taste good, and that is not a biased opinion, Matt and our Tuesday nights dinner guest Chuck both agreed.  They just weren't so pretty.

I cut the recipe in half and it ended up making about 30 balls, and out of those 30, I got ONE, ball pretty enough to take a picture of:

Let's face it, it still isn't ALL that pretty, see the candy coating all clumped up at the bottom?

Has anyone else tried to make these before, have any tips or tricks that I need to know?

Am I destined to be a cake ball bomb?

T-O-M-A-T-O Spells Sandwich

It does.  I promise, I used spell check.  Okay, fine, it doesn't spell sandwich technically.  But to me, when I see a tomato I think about one thing and one thing only...a sandwich.  I would marry love love love a tomato sandwich.  Have we reached the point of this post yet?  Nope, I still need to say tomato at least 10 more times.  January isn't prime tomato season, that comes during the summer, but I can still make do with the produce that the grocery stores manage to scrounge together this time of year.

Only three ingredients needed.  1. Bread 2. Mayo 3. Tomato

Yes, this is my sandwich, er...sandwiches, there were two of them.

I could eat this once a day for the rest of my life if only someone would drop by my house with a fresh loaf of white bread and a bag of juicy red tomatoes for my disposal.  It works out even better for me that Matt doesn't like tomatoes because that means...I don't have to share.

At this point I need to give a shout out to the only person I know that loves a tomato sandwich as much as me, Heather Young.  I miss the lunches with her in which between the two of us we could wipe out an entire loaf of bread and half a dozen tomatoes.

Frosty the Snowman is melting...

A few days ago when scanning the list of blogs that I follow, I came across a really great tutorial for a unique Christmas cookie.   Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots had one of the most ingenious ideas for a cookie I have ever seen.  Ever since I saw this melted snowman cookie I have been sold and have even told several people about this really cool, totally awesome cookie I wanted to make.

Now, you can not honestly tell me that this cookie doesn't make you want to say, "Well, oh my goodness, I couldn't have imagined a cuter cookie."

Matt and I are back in MS for the Christmas holdiays.  I was at my mom and dad's today piddling around in the kitchen and all of the ingredients were there, so I threw caution to the wind and made my own little melted snowman army.  So many time I "shoulda, coulda, woulda" things I see and want to recreate but they always seem to fall off my radar before I can get to them.

Frosty wanted to know, "Did someone turn the heat on in here?"

This was a really simple recipe, and something that if you were to take to a cookie exchange, I am willing to bet you that everyone would leave talking about what a creative amazing baker you were.  Trust me.   Not only will your friends think you are a crafy cookie maker, but your kids (if you have them) will definetly give you the best mom award. 

If you are interested in the homeade recipe or if you are just an overachiever, then you can find the full sugar recipe at Maggie's blog in the link above.  If you are a lover of shortcuts and all things easy, you can do like I did and break out a bag of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix, just make sure you follow the roll out cookie instructions. 

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tsp milk

2 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

Pizza or Pasta?

Why not both?  Pizza and pasta are two of the classic dinner dishes, the following recipe marries them together for the best of both worlds.  And guess what?  As a bonus it is healthy too!

3 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta

1 lb. lean ground turkey (I used beef because it was all I had)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups garden style spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp pepper

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (I used shredded)

4 oz slice turkey pepperoni

1/2 cu shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2.  Meanwhile in a large non-stick skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium high until meat is no longer pink; drain.

3.  Add can of diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, worcestershire sauce, and pepper

4.  Add spaghetti sauce to mixture in the skillet

5.  After you have drained your pasta transfer it to your 13x9' baking dish

6. Then sprinkle with parmesan cheese, next cover with your sauce/meat mixture.

7.  Top with slices of pepperoni

8.  Finally sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, your cheese will be melted and resemble the top of a pizza!

Enjoy your best of both worlds dish!

Voila, the finished product, served with a side of delish pan sauteed green beans!

And if you are feeling extra good about being in the kitchen take the time to whip up a nice batch of chocolate chip cookies...I am just saying, no pressure. :)

Dear Matt, 

Just so you know.  I think you will love this dish, right down to the green beans.  Aren't you happy I started liking green beans and can eat them with you now.  So I will be adding this dish to my "meals to make for Matt when he comes home" list.  Love you.

Your Happy Homemaker

COAS WEP

I made up my own accronym for something that I dearly love, and Matt also contributed.
CHICKEN ON A STICK WITH EXTRA PICKLES
Can we say,  Y to the UM, yum!

So I guess you want the story behind this?  Fine.
I love COAS.  What isn't to love?  Friend Chicken, check.  Onions, check.  Pickles, check.  All on a stick, check.  I search all the time for COAS, gas stations and fairs are usually the best places to find such a delicious delicacy.  One time Matt actual teased me with promises of a gas station down the road having chicken on a stick, salivating we pulled in and wouldn't you know it, no COAS, my destiny alluded me.  Today, I had another chance to satisfy my craving.  Driving down the road I passed a gas station/BBQ joint and saw the sign.  In big red and orange letters it read, "Chicken on a Stick $4.49".

I pulled into the parking lot on 2 wheels, with a napkin in my hand wiping the drool off of my mouth.  I patiently stood in line in the sweaty little gas station behind the rest of the hungry lunch crowd.  Finally, time to order.  In the sweetest, yet most anxious voice ever, "Can I have one chicken on a stick please."  As I waiting for her to say sure and hand over that golden stick of goodness all I could hear her say, "Sorry darlin, we didn't make any chicken on a stick today."  WHAT!! Hold up!  Did she just tell him there was no COAS?  I think she did.  But why, they had sausage on a stick...who would choose to cook sausage on a stick over chicken.  Nobody, thats who.

Dissapointed and resolute I dragged myself back out to the car.  When I told Matt how my morning had gone he immediately felt sorry for me, he truly understands my love for it.  So that is where the WEP comes in.  He told me, "Baby, when I come home I will get you a COAS with WEP"  He also knows how much I love pickles.  That is true love right there people.

You bet your bottom dollar I will be going back next week now that I have found a gas station that will serve me what I need, but I will definitely be calling ahead and checking that they can accomodate my taste buds.

Obviously this isn't my photo, but this is the closest thing I could find to show you what COAS looks like.  

Yummy in my Tummy

I took charge of supper tonight.  I love to cook, but since I am not in my own kitchen right now, I don't do it as much as I normally would.  I found a fun looking recipe in a magazine and since it is always fun to try something new, I decided to cook it.  Bonus:  It is healthy and it is freezable.  While I never actually freeze freezable recipes I do like to know that should the mood strike me, that I can make extra and store it away for a rainy day. I actually want to try cooking more "new" things in an effort to expand my go-to recipe selection..

Enchilada Lasagna

Prep: 25 min     Bake:  20-25 min     Yield:  8 servings

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 large onion chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1 pkg (8oz) fat-free cream cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce

6 whole wheat flour tortillas (8in)

1 cup shredded reduced fat cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion, and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.

(I added some frozen corn because it gave it more color, and added to the dish)

2.  Pour enchilada sauce in a shallow dish.  Dip tortillas in sauce to coat.  Place two tortillas in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray; spread with half of turkey mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese.  Repeat layers and top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

(I cut my tortillas in 1/2 to make them fit in the pan better)

3.  Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake, uncovered at 400' for 20-25 min or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 min before serving.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

(yummy)

A few notes from the cook:

-To use from frozen, thaw in fridge overnight.  Remove from fridge 30 min prior to baking, and the bake!

-I think that adding chopped zucchini would be absolutely delish, but unfortunately the grocery store didn't have any today.

-As a 2 person household (when Matt is home) I always struggled with finding recipes small enough not to leave a ton of leftovers, but big enough to satisfy us.  This is perfect!  I would use these recipe in the amounts it calls for, but I would make/bake only 4 servings and freeze the other 4 servings for another night.  Just use a smaller pan.

Enjoy Mi Amigos!

Nutrition Info:  1 serving equals 282 calories, 11g fat, 27g carbohydrates, 22g protein (without sour cream/salsa)

Peppers anyone?

So I lied, I come back for another post. I decided that while I was eager to updated my blog I might as well do it, and suddenly all of things things that I could post about came to mind.

Today is a big day for me, the first harvest from my garden. I planted a garden. I tilled the land, used my hands to nestle the little plants safely in the ground, fertilized, and watered it (thanks to an strategically placed irrigation system). And today I realized the fruits or veggies of my labor. 4 little peppers. 1 Banana pepper and 3 Jalapenos. Hopefully my squash are next but are being stubborn. So for now I will relish in my success.

Matt and I half joke about opening a produce stand, aptly named Deuce's Wild Produce in honor or our dog. We think set up next to the right highway that it can be quite a successful venture, and now I am one step closer to achieving this "dream".

Yay me!