Princess Castle Birthday Cake

I enjoyed making this princess cake for Olivia's 2nd birthday. This cake didn't turn out looking perfect, but I knew my little princess enjoyed it!:) She wore her Cinderella dress for the occasion and looked beautiful in it!



Since I knew the decorating would take a lot of time, I just stuck with the box cake mix and icing.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake
idea from http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/castle-cake.html

Ingredients:

You'll need 2 rectangle cake pans, 2 round cake pans, and a cupcake pan.
4 boxes of Pillsbury Moist Supreme Funfetti Cake Mix
3 containers of Pillsbury Funfetti Frosting
desired candy decorations: candy corn, Hershey's chocolate bar, gum drops
small plastic Disney princess figurine (I found mine at Dollar General)
5 pointed ice cream cones
foil cupcake holders
icing decorating bags and tips
food coloring to color icing to desired colors

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the Pillsbury Moist Supreme Funfetti Cake Mix. Divide the batter accordingly:
one box- one rectangle cake pan
one box- one rectangle cake pan
1/2 box- one round cake pan
1/2 box- one round cake pan
one box- cupcakes
*Use five cupcakes on the cake and reserve the rest for a "cupcake making station" at the birthday party. You can save any leftover icing and candy bits to let the children decorate their cupcakes with.



2. Allow the cakes and cupcakes to cool completely.

3. Add icing and decorate as you desire.

Cranberry Salad

DELICIOUS!!!!


This dish can be served mixed up in a serving bowl, as seen above, or in it's original shape (picture below).



I was extremely pleased with how this salad turned out for our Thanksgiving feast at work. I'm posting the recipe right away because several friends at work have requested the recipe.

Cranberry Salad

2 (3 oz.) boxes raspberry Jell-O
2 (16 oz.) cans whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 (16 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 & 1/2 c. pecans
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
dash ground cloves

1. Prepare gelatin according to package directions in a baking dish.

2. Stir cranberries, apples, oranges, pecans, cinnamon, and cloves into the gelatin mixture.

3. Refrigerate overnight or until firm.

*I adapted this recipe from one similar in Family Circle magazine March 2009.

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

This turned out great! I can't wait to make it again!

Ingredients

* 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
* 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
* 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 cups crushed crackers
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen's. To view the original recipe, go to:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/broccoli-casserole-recipe/index.html

Brownies (with Carrot & Spinach)

Brownies (with Carrot & Spinach) shhhh!!!

by: Jessica Seinfeld
Yes this is Jerry Seinfeld's wife!!:)

"These brownies fool everyone! You won't believe how scrumptious they are (or how good they are for you) until you make them yourself. Just don't serve them warm -- it's not until they're completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears."

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup carrot puree (After peeling and trimming the ends, steam for 10-12 minutes and then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup spinach puree (Steam for 30 to seconds, then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.
3. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber (which is just crazy for a brownie!), while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy.

To find more ways to make everyday recipes more healthful, pick up a copy of Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. Or if you don't want to buy it, just check it out at your local library like I did:) Enjoy!!!~Jill

Thai-Style Peanut Sauce with Honey

Thai-Style Peanut Sauce with Honey
by: Jeramyn Feucht
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/thai-style-peanut-sauce-with-honey/detail.aspx

I made this recently for our Global Outreach conference at church. We pray for missionaries in Thailand and this is one of the many foods that were on the Thailand table. I've also made it recently at home for us to enjoy, as requested by my husband:) It's great on chicken, rice, and vegetables.

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
* 1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter (optional)
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Stir together the honey, peanut butters, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

Crepes

shredded cheese, spinach, tomatoes




Nutella!!:) one of my favorites!



bananas and honey (This is one way they fix crepes, or "Palacinkes", in Macedonia.)



shredded cheese, cilantro, tomatoes



Olivia eats hers plain.



Sawyer likes his with just cheese, almost like a grill cheese sandwich but much better.

Crepes, for When You're Feeling Lazy

And here's another great one from The Part-Time Vegan: 201 Yummy Recipes that Put the Fun in Flexitarian!

This is something that my WHOLE family likes--all 4 of us, which is very unusual!! We're thinking of starting this as a traditional Sunday night meal because it's so easy and everyone enjoys them. PLUS this recipe gives Eric and I sweet memories of Europe, especially those cute street vendors that sell fresh crepes...ahhh.

Ingredients:

1 c. whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
3/4 c. almond milk
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. vegan margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
plus whatever fillings your heart desires:)

Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients except fillings together and refrigerate for about an hour. Remove and mix again.

2. Allow skillet to heat on medium for approximately one minute before starting to cook. Lightly grease skillet with vegan margarine. Swirl approximately 1/4 c. of batter into the pan so that all edges are covered. Cook on medium-high heat for a minute. Use a spatula to flip. Cook the other side. Crepes will be finished when very lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter.

3. Fill 'em up and fold 'em! Use your creative genius. Serve immediately.

Peach-Thyme Muffins

Peach-Thyme Muffins

Anyone else lovin' these summer peaches??!! I'm blessed to live in Georgia where the peaches are extra sweet and this peach-thyme combo is awesome! I found this recipe in a cookbook: The Part-Time Vegan - 201 Yummy Recipes That Put the Fun in Flexitarian by: Cherise Grifoni. I'm trying out several recipes from this cookbook in order to review it for BookSneeze. This recipe is a for-sure keeper!

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 to 1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 c. peach jam
1 1/2 c. almond milk
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 c. fresh thyme
1 c. peaches, diced
honey for drizzling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Combine both flours, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a different bowl, whisk together the jam, almond milk, and lemon extract. Make sure to mix well!
4. Slowly add the wet mix to the dry mix. Stir as you go.
5. Fold thyme into mixture.
6. Fold peaches in gently.
7. Grease muffin tins with vegan margarine and add batter so each cup is about two-thirds full.
8. Bake for 25 minutes and then cool. Very gently remove from tin and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!!