Sour Cherry Pie

My neighbor had a tree full of sour cherries. I had a chance to go over and pick a bunch! My kids were so excited to eat them but found out that they were "grossly" sour. Ha it was a hoot! I was planning on making a pie from point one.
My mom has a pie crust that she has used it always but I wanted to try something different and I am so glad I did it was amazing! My neighbor gave me her pie filling recipe it was amazing (I may add 1/4 more sugar cause my boys still thought it was too sour)
To make it pretty I took cookie cutters and made the stars to make it pretty! My boys loved helping me with that part!   ~~~ Enjoy!

Filling:

4cups pitted sour cherries
1 cup sugar
5 Tbsp tapioca 
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4  tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla 
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp butter diced up


Pie Crust:

This is where I found the pie crust recipce it was amazing and super easy!   http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/12/day-3-never-fail-pie-crust.html

Never Fail Pie Crust

(makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups flour
1 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl salt
1 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (non trans fat, such as Crisco or other). You can substitute butter or a mixture of both. Shortening makes the crust a bit more flaky and is easier to work with.

1 Tbl vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut-in the shortening with a fork or cutting tool (or you could give it a whirl in your food processor for a bit).

In a separate bowl mix vinegar, egg, and water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use.

When ready to bake a pie, flour your surface and roll the crust starting from the middle and moving out, till it’s about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish. Remember when working with pastries to handle it as little as possible so the gluten doesn’t become overworked and tough.

Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin (this is the easiest way I’ve found to transfer it into the pie pan). Lay it in the pan, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in-place–don’t pull or tug on the crust. Use a knife to trim the uneven edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under on the edge of your pan. Then use your fingers to pinch the edges for a decorative finish.
And you have a beautiful pie shell ready to bake!

Creamy White Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

Theses at are so good! and soo easy

And my family LOVED them.... I was so happy with them but I wish I would have used more sauce.... We will be making these again soon.....

Creamy White Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles
2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded*
8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided (2 cups)
1 oz. finely shredded Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
1 oz. finely shredded Romano cheese (1/4 cup) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare lasagna noodles according to the directions listed on package, drain pasta and align noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of wax paper.

In a mixing bowl toss together shredded chicken, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend cream cheese until smooth, then mix in milk, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder and season with salt and pepper to taste (I hardly used any salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into the chicken mixture and toss to evenly coat, reserve remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into an even layer along the length of each cooked lasagna noodle then roll noodles to opposite end.

Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining cream cheese mixture along the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch dish or along 2/3 of a 13 x 9-inch dish (I tried fitting it into an 8 x 8 and it just wasn't going to happen so a 9 x 9 should work. I don't own a 9 x 9 so I had to compromise and use a 13 x 9 and just use 2/3 of the dish). Align pasta snugly and side by side in baking dish - 3 rows of 3. Cover each lasagna roll evenly with remaining cream cheese mixture, being sure to cover tops of pasta entirely so they don't dry while baking. Sprinkle tops evenly with remaining 1 cup Mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Big thanks to: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/12/creamy-white-chicken-lasagna-roll-ups/

Cheese Cake (no bake)

I am not a huge fan of cheese cake but my little sister got my mom a pan for christmas and I was just dyeing to try it out... I found this no bake recipe and was all for it. When I read there was sour cream in it I was a little offish but pushed through and still tried it... Amazing I loved it!!! It was very very easy. I just used some frozen strawberries and added sugar it wasn't the best but still was amazing!!!

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

2 packages, or blocks, 8 oz each, cream cheese, at room temp
1 – 8 oz tub cool whip, at room temp
1 cup sour cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh chopped strawberries
1 – 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves (optional)
1 graham cracker crust (recipe follows) or use pre-made

Graham cracker crust ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or about 1 1/3 packages graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

1. Place graham crackers in food processor and turn on until crumbs are very fine. Add butter and sugar and pulse until well combined. Press in a 8 inch spring form pan or 9 inch pie plate.

2. Combine all ingredients for cheesecake, except strawberries, in a large bowl and mix with hand mixer. Mix until well combined and smooth.

A couple notes: Make sure your cream cheese is room temp or it will be lumpy. If you are going to make your own crust, I doubled it because its my husbands favorite part. Also crumbly your graham crackers to dust, If you do you will have to use more butter...

Huge Thank you too: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/03/14/the-easiest-no-bake-strawberry-cheesecake/

Cake Balls

Oh my goodness if you haven't had one of these your missing out...   

They are super easy and super yummy!

What You Need:

Cake (and things to make your cake)

Frosting

Chocolate Chips

Steps:

1. Cook cake like normal then let cool completely 

2. Put in a bowl

3. Start crumbling cake up

4. Make sure cake is crumbled all the way (no big chunks)

5. Add Half a container of frosting in

6. Mix with hands until hand can come clean

7. Roll Cake into balls.

8. Place on tray on chill for 5 minutes (no longer or chocolate will crack)

9. Pour chocolate in bowl and melt in microwave. Be carful not to burn

10. Mix in a little bit of shortening 

11. Place ball in chocolate and cover completely

12. Let chocolate cool. (feel free to put sprinkles on them)

And you are all done... We have done every cake you can think of... 

I prefer red velvet with cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate to coat it.

Chocolate chocolate with white chocolate is heavenly also...

Jolly Santa Cake

Still moving posts over but this is also a favorite in our family. The cake is super moist and yummy! My oldest son asked if we were going to make another Santa cake :) This is alot easier then it looks and so much fun to make... If you have never made cake from scrach this one is super easy :)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Jolly Santa Cake

Today my sister Kendra and I decided that we wanted to bake and make something amazing!!! We looked and looked throught cook books and couldn't decided what to make. Then we grabbed a book that was collecting dust on the shelf and found what we wanted to do...

Jolly Santa Cake

What you will need for this...

-1 (8inch) round cake, cooled
-1 (9inch) square cake, cooled
-Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
-1 red gumdrop
-chocolate for the eyes
-Mini Marshmallows for the beard and fluffy stuff
-Anything you want for the belt we melted chocolate.

Step 1: Make The Cake
Your going to need a
9-inch square baking pan AND
8-inch round baking pan

Heavenly White Cake

2 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3/4 shortening
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Mix flour baking powder and salt; set aside in different bowl
Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating until soft peaks form and set aside.

Beat shortening and remaining 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk until well blended and smooth. Mix in Vanilla. On low speed, fold in egg whites. Beat till its barley mixed, this makes it light and fluffy. Pour into greased and floured pans.

Cut wax paper to place in the bottom of the pans and spray pam and sprinkle flour (this helps it come out easier)

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes

Cool for 10 minutes; remove pans then let cool completely on wire racks.

Step 2: Cut Out

I hope these pictures explain how to cut it out, we thought it was super easy. (Kendra did the cutting due to my past)

Step 3. Make and Frost

We just made basic frosting

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar (16 ounces)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp

3 tablespoons milk

Beat sugar, butter, milk and vanilla on low until well blended and smooth.

We doubled it. We made the first batch and left it white, the second batch we colored red for the suit and hat.

Step 4: Decorate

This is probably the fun step for everyone. Be creative and go out of the box. Really the only thing we did the same as the book was the red gum drop nose.

For the belt we melted chocolate and placed it in tin foil to shape it.

We use marshmallows for the beard and fluffy parts on Santa's suit. Gum drops for the belt buckle and shoes (the shoes didn't turn out at all).

Step 5: Enjoy

This is what it turned out like.... I thought it was pretty cute and T loved it!

Thanks to Baker's Easy Cut-Up Party Cakes

Sheep Cupcakes

I am still slowly TRANSFERRING all my posts to this new Outside of the blue box blog...  These cupcakes were a hit in my house hold!!! Who doesn't love Sheep?

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Baaah says the Cupcakes

We made cute little sheep cupcakes and then shared with our friends around town...

What you need to make this Sheep cupcakes...

-White frosting

-mini marshmallows (Wool)

-Big Marshmallows (Ears)

-bubble gum or pink marshmallow (Nose)

-m'n'm or chocolate chips (Eyes)

-----Spread your frosting. Cut your big marshmallow in half and then half again. Mini Marshmallows should be cut in half. Put wool and ears on and then eyes and nose. :) CUTE!!!
*Huge Thanks to Hayley Richins she gave me this cute idea to make sheep cupcakes!!!

Black Bean Con rSalsa

I wanted something light for dinner so grabbed a can of black beans. I saw this recipe on the back and decided to give it a go. It turned out pretty good :)

 Black Bean Corn Salsa
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups corn
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

I used a can of tomatoes and will never do that again I really like the fresh taste.
Also you can use canned corn but I used frozen.


Yes we will make this again and again...

chicken sandwichs w/ 'pumpkin' buns

Every kid needs a fun lunch on halloween. My Aunt bought these buns and gave them too us for halloween so it was time to make lunch. Chicken is a hit in our house and thats what we had ready.

-Hamburger Bun 8 Ct @ Lee's
-Take your defrosted chicken and put it in a bag with a few splashes of olive oil, the lemon juice and herbs. Let marinate a little while. Cook in the over or in your lean mean fat grilling machine.
-Add Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cheese, & Miracle Whip 
-Put together and enjoy 
-For the younger kids I just cut up the chicken and let them eat the bun.
-Don't forget your french fries fingers.

What a fun Halloween Lunch or even a once in awhile lunch the chicken was amazing and moist

Pizza Pizza Crust

I have been trying out homemade pizza crusts for a while now and have finally found the one that we both really like. It was easy and quick, I was so pleased with it... So I thought I would share.

Pizza Pizza Crust

1 (.25 ounces) package active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water

2-1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. In a bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy. (about 10 minutes)

3. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth (do not over beat) Let rest for 5 minutes.

4. Lighly flour surface then pat and roll into a circle. Transfer crust to lightly greased pan.

5. Add toppings and let bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

This make a nice thin crust or a thicker crust we made both. We added so garlic butter around the edges.

Sorry I don't have a picture... I will take one next time I make it and post it...

Spinach And Chicken Calzone

I got a new crockpot cook book for my birthday and decided to give it a go. I picked a Spinach And Chicken Calzone... And All I can say is YUMMY!!! It was really easy but you don't use the crockpot as much as I like to its a little more hands on but totally worth it.

Spinach And Chicken Calzone

2-3 chicken breasts

2 C. Chicken Broth

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 Tbsp. Onion Seasoning

1 Loaf Of Dough

1/2 C. Mushrooms

1/4-1/2 C. Spinach

1/4-1/2 C. Red Peppers

8 oz. Cream Cheese

Step 1: In the Crockpot, combine Chicken, Broth, Garlic, and Onion Seasoning

Step 2: Cover and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours.

Step 3: Remove Chicken from crockpot and shred. (Using 2 forks works GREAT)

Step 4: Put chopped Mushrooms, Spinach, and Peppers in bowl mix then add Cream Cheese

Step 5: Add Chicken with the mixture.

Step 6: Roll out dough and cut into strips. Place mixture in the center of each rectangle. Fold each rectangle over, then pinch the sides to seal. This forms a calzone :)

Step 7: Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

A Couple Notes: The recipe calls for freeze-dried veggies but i would rather use fresh. You can use Freeze-dried if easier for you. Also we added mozzarella cheese to some of ours to try it out. I think its just as good without. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks 365 Days Of Slow-Cooking by: Karen Bellessa Petersen

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

My sister and brother-in-law made Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and they were amazing. I watched them and learned then tried them out myself. Easy and fun and they are sure YUMMY!!!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:
CINNAMON FILLING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Directions:
Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (if you don't want to put in a bag don't worry about it we just used a spoon.)

Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes. (Make sure the cream cheese is room temp or it will be lumpy)

Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.

I Loved it... It was really yummy and fun.

Here is the site to where it came from: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes | RecipeGirl.com

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I had a chance to take dinner to someone that had just had a baby... She can't eat any gluten so I went out of the box to make this meal gluten free. Thanks to Sara and Malarie for this recipe. Now the first thing I thought when I heard Honey Lime Enchiladas was "Really that doesn't sound good at all" But give it a chance I thought it was amazing. Also my sister and mom thought it was amazing... Honey Lime Enchiladas 1 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded Sauce: 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup lime juice 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 (10 ounce) cans green/red enchilada sauce (La Victoria is gluten free just check the label) 1 pound (or less, you decide) Colby Jack or Mexican blend cheese, grated 18 taco sized corn (or flour) tortillas (corn is gluten free)

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded chicken.

Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes. Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with PAM. Pour enough green or red enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Lay six corn tortillas over the surface of the dish. (The will be overlapping.) Top with half of the meat mixture, then cover with cheese. Layer another six tortillas and cover with some enchilada sauce and the rest of the meat. Sprinkle cheese on top. Layer last six tortillas on top and cover with the remaining sauce and cheese. Be generous with the cheese. I tear the tortillas apart so they don't overlap as much and I like that better. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Now the crock potter in me thought and you can put it in the crock pot and cook it for 4 hours on hight or 8 hours on low. Next time I make this I am going to try it out... PICTURES COMING

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

We decided that we would make Banana Bread today for a couple widows in the ward...

I love Banana Bread its one of my favorites, I let Banana's go bad just so I can make it...

I love this recipe because its so easy and quick to put together.

What you will need:

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 bananas, smashed

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 tsp soda

add cinnamon and vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together

Add eggs one at a time and beat well

Add in your smashed Bananas

Add flour with soda

Bake in greased loaf tin for 1 hr. Start at 350 degrees when brown reduce heat to 325 degrees until toothpick comes out clean. (The reason why you turn it down is to help it so it doesn't come out dry but is still cooked all the way)

I cut my bread up and placed on plates then took them around town... It was really fun and well worth the time.