Simple Tomato and Corn Soup

I've been craving soup the past couple months since it's been so cold and love trying new soups.  So when I found this recipe for Tomato and Corn Soup it looked yummy & easy, so I tried it!

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes, if you use salt-free then add salt to taste
1 (10 oz) can creamed corn
1 cup skim or low fat milk
1/2 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
about 3-4 green onion stalks, chopped
additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat medium pot, add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onion and garlic and cook until transluscent.
2. Add canned tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes until combined well with onion/garlic mixture.
3. Add canned creamed corn and milk. Stir to combine evenly, then slowly bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat, add green onions and salt/pepper to taste.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until soup is combined well.
6. Serve warm with your favorite bread or crackers.

You can find the original recipe by clicking here.

I could not find green onion stalks, so I omitted those.  It was definitely easy to fix and was good, but slightly bland.  It definitely needed some more spices.

Here is a pic from the original blog:

And here is how mine turned out:

Texas Hot Cocoa Cake

Last March I went to Texas for a family wedding.  While I was there, my Aunt Donna made Texas Hot Cocoa Cake that was amazing!!  Luckily she shared this awesome recipe with me.

I was waiting for a special occasion to make this cake and thought Mother's Day was just the day!

For Mother's Day dinner I made a yummy Cream of Crab soup, which can be found here.

But onto the good stuff!!

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ sticks margarine
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions:

Melt margarine with coca & water in pan. Bring to boil & stir.

Looks yummy already!

Sift flour and sugar in large bowl.  Pour hot liquid mixture over flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Add milk, eggs, soda & vanilla and stir well. Bake in large oblong pan 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing Ingredients:

• ¼ lb margarine*
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 ½ tablespoons cocoa
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped nuts

*So for some reason I read this as 1 lb margarine... 
there should be one stick of margarine... not 4.  HAHA!

Melt margarine, milk & cocoa in pan. Do not boil!!

Remember.... 1/4 lb margarine... :)

My audience as we patiently waited for the POUND of margarine to melt...

Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and nuts.

While icing is hot, pour over baked cake.

YUM!!

Hmm... that looks like a little too much icing...

Somehow I made it to my parent's house without spilling icing all over my car.  When we cut it, it was such a mess and was not like that when I had it the first time?!  It wasn't until days later that I double-checked the recipe and realized my mistake.
Oops!!!  
I felt like Homer Simpson...

But it still was (surprisingly) delicious!  I definitely recommend this cake... just make sure to read the ingredients correctly!  :)

Baked Pierogi Casserole

My BFF (a.k.a. Meg) stayed at my house for a month while working on her dissertation. I had pinned a recipe for Baked Pierogi Casserole a while ago and knew Meg would be the one to try it out on! :)

If you do not know what a pierogi is, it is awesomeness.  Or as Wikipedia would say...

Pierogies are dumplings of unleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit.

I did not have pierogies until I went to college in western PA (IUP!) where they are an essential food group.  I was hooked, so I had to try this recipe!

Ingredients:
16oz frozen pierogis (Mrs. T's of course!)
2-3 slices cooked bacon,crumbled (I ate the bacon, it didn't make it to casserole night)
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onions, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly spray 13x9 baking dish with non stick cooking spray. 

Arrange frozen pierogies in the dish.
In a saucepan, mix cream cheese and chicken broth. I love onions with my pierogies, so I sauteed some onions in the saucepan first:

Stir frequently until cheese is melted and smooth. Pour melted cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies:

Sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese.  (I added a little extra!)

The dish looked too big, so I transferred to a smaller dish:

Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and pierogis are warmed through.
Garnish cooked dish with crumbled bacon & chopped green onions.

Dishing it out was a little bit messy... but that just made it taste better!

And of course, this is how it should look (LOL):

It was yummy!!!

 Make sure to visit Meg's Blog here: http://pagirlmeg.blogspot.com/

Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

This past weekend my friend Meg & I had an Origami Owl party.  If you have never heard of Origami Owl, check out my friend Wendi's website here... super cute personalized jewelry! :)

For a snacky dessert, I made Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars... and they were a-maz-ing!

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 cups (roughly 1/2-inch pieces), broken small pretzel twists, divided
• 2 cups (12 oz package) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided

Directions

1. Line 13 x 9 inch baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides.  Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar.  Stir in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar.

If you do not have one of these, go get one!  It makes measuring peanut butter so much easier!

3. Stir in 3 cups pretzel pieces and 1/2 cup morsels.  Press evenly into prepared baking pan.  Smooth top with spatula.

4. Microwave remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70%) power for 45 seconds.  Stir.  If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15 minute second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.

5.  Spread chocolate layer evenly over powered sugar mixture.  

6. Sprinkle with the remaining pretzel pieces, pressing down lightly.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm.

7. Lift from pan; peel off foil.  Cut into pieces and store in covered container in refrigerator.

Find original recipe here.

Cream of Crab Soup

For Mother's Day this year, my mom wanted steamed crabs.  Since I have the best mother in the world (yea, that's right) I also made her some Cream of Crab soup... and it was gooooood!!

Ingredients

• medium onion
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (1.25 ounce) envelope hollandaise sauce mix
• 4 cups half-and-half, divided
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
• 1 pound fresh crabmeat

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped onions and saute.

2. In a medium bowl, blend flour and hollandaise sauce mix with 2 cups half-and-half.

3. Slowly add hollandaise mixture to onions, stirring constantly until thickened.

4. Add remaining half-and-half, Old Bay, dry mustard, celery seed, and whipping cream.

5. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.  Add crab meat and sherry, stirring gently until warmed through.

Make sure to pick through your crab meat to get out the extra little shells!

Serve immediately!  Goes great with sourdough bread from Panera :)

I got the recipe from a Marylander on allrecipes.com.  You can find it by clicking here.

Jalapenos' Spinach Enchiladas

One night I was feeling ambitious and decided to make Spinach Enchiladas from a recipe I found on Pinterest... but a mistake I often make is to not read the entire recipe... and my evening turned into a hot mess.

Here is the dreaded recipe for Jalapenos Spinach Enchiladas...

Jalapenos is a popular Mexican restaurant here in Houston, Texas. Their spinach enchiladas is one of the most popular entrees on their menu. This recipe was posted in the Houston Chronicle.

And here is what they're supposed to look like...

I looked up Jalapenos Restaurant online and found this:

A great entrée never dies. It just moves to another table.

Jalapenos Restaurant is now closed, after 18 years of creating some of Houston’s - for that matter, Texas’- most requested Mexican and Central American dishes.

While the restaurant has closed its doors, rest assured we will keep many of these unique tastes alive, right here at The Courtyard on St. James Place, open for lunch, banquets and catering.

So if you’re looking for an excuse for great food and great atmosphere, we’ll be here.Thanks, Houston. 

Hmm....

Well here we go!

Ingredients:

Enchiladas

• 4 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach or 4 bunches fresh spinach, cooked
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, divided
• 10 -12 flour tortillas

Cilantro Cream Sauce

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
• 3 cups chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. For enchiladas, cook the spinach according to the package directions, if using frozen.
2. While spinach is cooking, combine garlic, onion and mushrooms in food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
3. Melt butter in sauté pan, and sauté onion mixture until onion is translucent.
4. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
5. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess water.
6. Make bread crumbs in food processor from sliced bread.
7. Add spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili powder and eggs.
8. Process until blended thoroughly.
9. Transfer to mixing bowl, and stir in onion mixture and 6 tablespoons cheese.
10. Preheat broiler.
11. Spoon a portion of filling onto each tortilla and roll it up.
12. Place each enchilada in casserole dish, seam side down.
13. Repeat until you've used up filling.
14. For cream sauce, mix half-and-half, cayenne, salt and a little of the dissolved corn starch in medium saucepan, and heat until thickened.
15. The sauce should be creamy, not runny; add more cornstarch mixture as necessary.
16. Off the heat, stir in cilantro.
17. Pour Cilantro Cream Sauce over tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
18. Broil until cheese melts and turns a nice golden color.

I do not have an actual food processor, so I used the attachment that came with my blender for the oinions.  It was a little.... processed.

The "onion mixture" in saute mode.  Yes, it's gross looking.
If I would make this again, I would just chop the mushrooms & onions.  

The "spinach mixture."

Making the Cilantro Cream Sauce...

Shelby watching me wondering why I've been in the kitchen for 8 hours.

Poured the Cilantro Cream Sauce over the rolled enchiladas.

Cheese on top & ready to bake!  Phew!!!

Then I turn around to this... OMG.

Cheese is melted & bubbly!

Looks good, right??

Well it wasn't!  Actually it wasn't bad, but it wasn't tasty.  I would not make it again... took me all night and the results were not worth it!  In fact it has taken me a month just to blog about this and I haven't made anything since...

Sunshine Cake

I decided to clean out my email inbox today and stumbled across some pictures I took of a cake I made last summer for book club... one of my most favorite cakes - SUNSHINE CAKE!

A friend brought this to a neighborly gathering in my parent's neighborhood and we all loved it!  Of course I got the recipe and have made it a few times.

So that brings me to two things...

First, the friend that brought this yummy cake was Joyce Shelley.  Joyce and her husband Willie lived in my parent's neighborhood for as long as I can remember.  They were part of the "Big Tales Fish Camp," which was basically a reason for all the neighbors to get together, drink beer, play pool and have fun each week.  Oh, and some of the guys went fishing every now and then!

Joyce & Willie moved to Florida 5 or 6 years ago and I missed them instantly - they were so much fun.  There was always smiling and laughter when Joyce was around - she brought the sunshine!!

Unfortunately Willie passed away fall of 2011 and Joyce was lost without him.  They were true soul mates and Joyce could not live without him - she went to join him in heaven last week.  She lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every minute, so we are all sad, but I know she is happier and healthier in heaven, lovin' on Willie and her dog Anton.  As my mom said...

Remembering Joyce will be easy, 

missing her will be hard.

Joyce at my parent's house last summer enjoying steamed crabs.

So, in honor of my friend Joyce Shelley, I bring you her Sunshine Cake!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, juice reserved

1 (16 oz) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

Directions
1. Beat the eggs, and add them to the boxed cake mix. Add the oil and the mandarine oranges to the batter; remember to add the juice as well as the fruit. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Bake the cake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cool on wire rack.

3. While cake is baking, prepare the frosting by mixing together the whipped dessert topping, the package of instant pudding, and the crushed pineapple with its juices. Set frosting in refrigerator to set. Frost when cake has thoroughly cooled.

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, 

always bring your own sunshine.

~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

RIP Joyce.  I will miss you!  Love you!

Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet

If only take one thing away from today... make it this recipe.
O. M. G. it is yummy!  It's so simple, but so good!  Here is the picture from the website where I grabbed this recipe (which can be found here):

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 can (15 oz each) black beans
1 can (14.5 oz) Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic (undrained)
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini and bell pepper, cook 5 minutes, cooking occasionally.

2. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.

3. Add rice; stir well.  Cover, remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Sprinkle with cheese.

And since I love cheese... I added a little bit more :)

Now get off your butt and go make this!!!!