Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken + Pumpkin Cake

Being on a budget, I've fallen in love with cheap and easy homemade meals. These are two prime examples of quick meals with few ingredients and I found both on Pinterest. They both turned out delicious and you'd never know how little time and money they take to make! :o)

Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients:

6-8 Boneless Chicken Breasts, frozen

1 bottle Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

2 cans Pineapple Chunks

Directions:

Line crock pot with plastic liner. Place chicken in bottom. Cover with sauce and pineapple. Cook 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 on low. Serve over rice with Hawaiian Biscuits.

Inspiration Link:

http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/crock-pot-hawaiian-bbq-chicken.html#comment-form

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake Ingredients:

1 box Butter Golden Cake Mix

1 can Pumpkin

1 stick of Butter, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Cake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x9 pan. Combine all ingredients, mix well with mixer. Pour in pan. Bake for 28 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 box Powdered Sugar

1 block Cream Cheese, softened

1 stick Butter, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla

Frosting Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Mix with mixer until completely integrated. Spread onto cake once completely cooled.

Inspiration Link:

http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/11/two-ingredients-pumpkin-cake-with-apple.html

7UP Biscuits

These are so good... Another Pinterest find, boyfriend approved. These are super moist and yummy.

Ingredients:

2 c. Bisquick Mix

1/2 c. Sour Cream

1/2 c. 7UP

1/4 c. Butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Cut sour cream into the Bisquick Mix. Add 7UP to make a soft dough. Sprinkle extra Bisquick Mix onto board and pat out dough. Cut dough into squares. Melt butter in 9x9 pan. Place biscuits into pan on top of butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from over and brush tops with butter. Enjoy!

http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/04/7up-biscuits.html

Pumpkin Dip

A fall classic, I always get excited to make this every year. Our ASG Advisor first made this for us but this year I couldn't find her recipe so I went online. I adapted this one based off how I remember it being made from before.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 small can Pumpkin

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 c. Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Combine ingredients. Mix with mixer until smooth. Enjoy!

Notes: Many online recipes serve with apples or ginger snaps. I personally prefer graham crackers or 'nilla wafers.

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/fall-pumpkin-dip/

Zebra Bites!

I found these on Pinterest and had to make 'em! They are super easy, and so tasty! I've posted the link to the recipe below as the recipe isn't mine, but the new name "zebra bites" is. :o)

http://cookiesandcups.com/pretzel-hugs/

Boyfriend Food

I has a new boyfriend! And that means I've been cooking him delicious meals which I'll share with you below. He even cooks for me sometimes! :o)

Meal #1

This was my first home-cooked meal for Michael, so the pressure was on to create a great menu. He stuck around, so he must have approved. :o)

Grilled Pork with Arugula-&-Grape Salad: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-pork-with-arugula-and-grape-salad-recipe2/index.html

Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-potatoes-and-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

Boozy Peaches and Cream: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/boozy-peaches-and-cream-recipe/index.html

Meal #2

After a successful first meal, I had to step it up and out-do myself. And I did, haha.

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon in a Cabernet Sauce: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pan-Seared-Filet-Mignon-with-Cabernet-Sauce-105682

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes: http://everydaychampagne.blogspot.com/2010/05/brown-sugar-chipotle-sweet-potatoes.html

Old-Fashioned Scalloped Corn: http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/vegetables/old-fashioned-scalloped-corn/

Chocolate Layer Cake: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-101275

Beaufort Stew

Being from South Carolina, Michael made us this traditional southern-coastal dish to enjoy as we watched a full Saturday of SEC football. It was so delish! Here's the recipe: http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/see-do/food/flavors/appitizerssoups/frogmorestew/default.aspx.

Pizza Dip

Yesterday was another day of AR and SC college football and after the afternoon at Foghorn's, we baked some pizza dip for the evening game. A classic local dish from Grub's, we made our very own: http://southernfood.about.com/od/cheesedips/r/bl90129d.htm.

More to come of course! :o)

Graduation Party Food

For my graduation party in May, I really pulled out all the stops and created an amaze-balls spread of food. I was pretty impressed with myself. :o)

Cake by Rick's

Strawberry Champagne Punch

Sausage + Mozzerella

Cookies by Rick's

Fruit Tray + Fluff

Sparkling Cherry Punch

Petit Fours by Rick's

Assorted Meat + Cheese Tray

Chicken Salad on Cranberry Pecan Rolls + Turkey on Croissant

Baking Photo Menagerie

If you know me very well, you know that I took a hiatus from my baking blog the past spring semester and summer as I prepared to graduate from law school and pass the bar exam. Well, good news, I accomplished both! And don't worry, all that didn't keep me from baking - just blogging about it. So here is the last several months in photos to bring us all up to date! I'm happy to post recipes if there are any requests - just comment below! :o)

Valentine's Day Vanilla Cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes with Rainbow Chip Frosting

Angel Food Cake

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars

Chocolate Meringue Pie

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Fudge Frosting & Chopped Pecans

Granny's Giant Muffin Pan

I have a new infatuation with everything vintage. So you can imagine my excitement when my mother passed along my Granny's oversized muffin pan. Although to be fair, I only got it because it doesn't fit in her over - but it does in mine! Hooray! Big win. Watch out for muffins and cupcakes this semester. :o)

Thanksgiving Pies :o)

This year, everyone seemed to ask me to bring pies for whatever Thanksgiving events we were participating in, so I made a new one for each event just so you could have lots of fun new recipes. Enjoy!

Mom found this recipe and asked me to bring it to dinner. Very good. Kind of like my magic cookie bars - in a pie with bourbon! Yummy! :o)

Kentucky Derby Pie

Recipe

Ingredients:

9 inch unbaked pie crust

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract or 2 tbs. bourbon

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Hershey's Chocolate Chips

1 cup pecans

Festive whipped Cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In small mixer bowl cream butter, add eggs and vanilla or bourbon. Combine sugar and flour together, then add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden. Cool about one hour. Delicious served warm & garnished with Whipped Cream. Serves 8.

This is a new recipe for me, courtesy of Amy Jackson. I brought this as an experiment, and my dad says that it is his favorite dessert ever!

Whitestone Pie

Recipe

My cousin asked me to bring pumpkin pie for my mom's side of the family's Thanksgiving dinner. Always a classic. Also my best friend, Dick's favorite. :0)

Pumpkin Pie

Recipe

I made these for our Arkansas Traveler potluck Thanksgiving dinner - they were a huge hit!

Pecan Pie

Recipe
Ingredients:

1 cup Karo Corn Syrup (Dark or Light or 1/2 of each kind)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) pecans (whole or chips whichever U prefer)
1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust

Directions:
Melt butter and add sugar, beaten eggs, karo syrup, & vanilla. Mix well with spoon and add pecans. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven on center rack for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours.

Ok, so I didn't make this one - my aunt did, but it's definitely worth including. Yum! :o)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe

Ingredients:

3 3/8 ounces Jell-O Lemon Pudding and Pie Filling
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups water
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
baked 9" pie shell
6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Combine pie filling, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Blend in egg yolks, then add remaining water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 minutes, stirring twice. Add lemon juice and butter and blend well. Pour into baked pie shell. Beat egg whites until foamy throughout. Gradually add remaining 6 Tbsp sugar, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until meringue stands in stiff peaks. Spread over pie filling. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is delicately browned. Cool at least 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Baked Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

Don't judge my super-starchy meal, haha, but this was one of those throwing together what I had in the kitchen to make dinner last minute because my best friend and I were supposed to eat at her house, but she fell asleep and missed my texts... Haha. Anyhow, these tenders turned out really good - I took them from the website below and made a few adaptations to fit what I had in the pantry and I chose to bake them instead of frying them. The rest of the meal was just white rice (microwaved minute rice), canned corn, and homemade Texas toast. Easy, peasy!

Baked Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/4 plain dry breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp Tony Chacherie's Creole Seasoning (original recipe called for ground chipotle pepper)

1 large egg white

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Thaw chicken tenders & pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine pecans, breadcrumbs, zest, and Tony Chacherie's into food processor (or blender) and pulse until pecans are finely ground.

3. Whisk egg white and water until combined.

4. Dip each tender into egg mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.

5. Place the breaded tenders in baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until internal temperature is 170 degrees. Turn tenders halfway through baking.

Original Recipe: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/spicy-pecan-crusted-chicken-recipe-5897

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust - regular or chocolate

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 oz white baking chocolate, melted

3 tbsp red raspberry preserves, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blend. Stir in white chocolate. Pour into cooled crust. Dot top on cheesecake with a spoon. Cut cheese cake several times, creating marble effect. Bake for 35-40 min, or until center is almost set. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Paula Deen for Halloween!

That's right, this year for Halloween, I dressed up as my culinary idol, Paula Deen. "Stick of butta!" and all! I even baked her Monster Cookies and carried them around with me all night in that cute little basket. It was quite a night (just ask MegFran, haha), and I certainly took on another personality, although I'm not sure just how "Paula" I was, lol. It was a good time though, and this was definitely by far my favorite Halloween costume in recent years. :o)

Chocolate Tofu Pie

Happy Birthday Baby Sister! My little sister is a vegetarian and came across a Chocolate Tofu Pie recently that she fell in love with and asked my mom to recreate for her birthday dessert this year. I must admit, I was skeptical to begin with (as I am sure you are too... haha). However! It was actually really good! It did have a bit of a mild "organic" taste to it, but mostly it was just like a rich and thick chocolate fudge pie. I would recommend it if you are looking for something different or for such an occasion. :o)

Ingredients:

1 pound silken tofu

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Blend tofu in a blender until smooth.

3. Blend in cocoa, sugar, vanilla and vinegar.

4. Pour into prepared crust.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

6. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Law School Dinner Party with Vegan Menu :o)

My good friend, Cody Kees, is in law school with me, and last year, I hosted a dinner for him and my other baby 1Ls with the famous Lippert Lasagna. It was such a hit that earlier this semester he asked if I'd do it for his mentees this year, and I was happy to oblige. This was one of the largest groups I've cooked for with 14 guests, and I was also surprised when I learned that I would have vegan guests, so that threw me for a bit of a loop at first, but I did some online recipe research and found some yummy choices for our guests with special tastes. :o)

Menu

Fruit Tray with Fluff Fruit Dip

Lasagna

French Garlic Bread

Baby Spinach Salad

Sundried Tomato Basil Artichoke Vegan Pasta

Lemon Bundt Cake

Happy Vegan Carob Cookies

See my previous posts for recipes for my Fruit Fluff, Lasagna, French Garlic Bread, & Baby Spinach Salad.

Sundried Tomato Basil Artichoke Vegan Pasta

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7775.0

Ingredients:

1/2-1 lb of pasta, depending on how much you eat (be sure to buy vegan friendly!)

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 small onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped

1 jar sun-dried tomatoes (preferably the dry kind and not the kind packed in oil)

1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts (or fresh, if you have them)

Lots of basil (either freshly chopped or dried)

Mushrooms (optional if you like them)

Directions:

In a medium-sized frying pan, heat olive oil, garlic and onions until onions start to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Add peppers, basil and spinach until spinach starts to looks wilted (another 4 minutes or so). Stir in the tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms, or any other veggies that sound good at the time. Let the mixture simmer for a while until everything starts to take on each others flavors. Oh yeah--don't forget to make the pasta!! Mix the pasta into the vegetables and eat.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Lemon Bundt Cake

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/glazed-lemon-bundt-cake/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Glaze:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over the warm cake. Cool completely before serving.

Happy Vegan Carob Cookies

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6391.0

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon, to taste, optional
vegan chocolate or carob chips, put in as many as you like
1 cup raw sugar (turbinado #1; sucanat works too, but sucks up a lot of the moisture)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Very important-make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they're not at room temp but it works much better if they are. Also while your oven is pre-heating put the cookie sheets you are going to use on top of the oven so they get preheated as well.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.
2. In a medium size bowl, add together sugar and oil; mix well. Add the vanilla and then add the water; mix well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix it well but be careful not to overwork it. Add more chips if you need to.
3. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Put them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then flip and rotate the sheets (top to bottom & 180 degree rotation). Bake another 4 minutes and check them. The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool. I usually go in two minute increments from here until they get to where I like them.
4. Take them out when they are done and move them to wire cooling racks. If they split or come apart when you try to remove them let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to the racks.

Serves: almost 2 dozen; Preparation Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes

Granny's Pecan Pie

My Granny always made Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving, so when the Traveler decided to host a Pot-Luck Thanksgiving Dinner, I was eager to pick up the family tradition. I'm excited about sharing this classic dessert tomorrow. :o)

Ingredients:

1 cup Karo Corn Syrup (Dark or Light or 1/2 of each kind)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) pecans (whole or chips whichever you prefer)
1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust

Directions:
Melt butter and add sugar, beaten eggs, karo syrup, & vanilla. Mix well with spoon and add pecans. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven on center rack for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours.

Granny used to make hers with the Dark Karo Corn Syrup. But my mom likes using 1/2 of each, but says she has done it all ways depending on what she had in the pantry. I made mine with 1/2 dark and 1/2 light.

Pictures:

Blogging Break

Hello Faithful Blogger Followers!

I just wanted to give y'all an update and apologize for the lack of yummy food posts lately. Unfortunately, my third year of law school has proven much busier than I had hoped, so despite having my new large kitchen, I haven't had quite the time I'd like to have to spend cooking in it! All the same, I promise to resume my blog posts as soon as I find some spare time. Again, please forgive, and thanks for sticking around!

Tammy :o)

Chocolate Butterscotch Cafe Cookies

Our friend Alana just recently moved into a town house with a full size kitchen so she's been a baking machine! And she surprised us with these amazing cookies the other day. They are inherently crunchy and really great with a glass of cold milk. Yum!

Chocolate Butterscotch Cafe Cookies

1 roll sugar cookies
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 t vanilla
3/4 c. oats
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. chocolate chips (3 oz. chopped chocolate bars)

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Break up cookie dough. Add brown sugar and vanilla - mix well. Add remaining ingredients. (Or, if you're feeling crazy, just mash everything together all at once). Drop 1/4 cup scoops of dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake 13-18 min, cool 1 min on baking sheet. Transfer to cooling rack.

Chocolate Rice Pudding

The other day, I was craving something chocolately, but I didn't have much to work with, so I decided to get creative. I started digging through the pantry and determined that I wanted to make chocolate rice because I've been experimenting with rice a lot lately with great success - cinnamon & sugar rice, Tony Chachere's rice, etc. So I went in search of chocolate rice... Unfortunately to no avail, haha. BUT! I did locate the following recipe for a chocolate rice pudding. I do have to add the following disclaimer: I really enjoyed this delightful treat, but the rest of my audience didn't seem to think much of it. Alana liked it, but Megan didn't eat much of it. Also, Danny and Jamie both declined to really indulge based off of their predisposition to disliking rice pudding. Anyhow, I guess the lesson here is: find out if people like rice pudding before you go to the trouble to make it to share with them, haha. :o)

Chocolate Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 c. cooked rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cocoa, brown sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 c. of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk to combine. Stir in rice. Transfer to a baking dish or ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes for large dish (smaller dishes will take less time). When you take the dish out of the oven, it should still jiggle a little in the middle - but it will firm up as it cools. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Old Fashioned Yellow Cupcakes with Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Tonight some of my best friends and I are house-sitting for another friend and we were so excited to have access to an actual full kitchen that we made ourselves a lovely little dinner and dessert. My contribution was the dessert and I made Old Fashioned Yellow Cupcakes with Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. I must admit, there wasn't much to them as I used a box mix, but I did the dishes too to make up for it, haha. I am calling them "Old Fashioned" because we didn't have any muffin cups, lol. Also, I also just adapted my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe to become chocolate, so it's super easy. And I didn't bring my decorating kit, so they didn't look as pretty as my last batch, but they sure were yummy!

Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder

1 c. butter (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Combine the butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar together in a large bowl and mix using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on low speed until well blended. Then continue to mix on medium for another 3 minutes, give or take. Then add the vanilla and heavy cream. Beat on medium for another minute more, adding more cream as necessary to reach the desired consistency.

British Cookies

When I have a rough day, I like to bake to take my mind off things and to give me an opportunity to succeed at something - even if it is as small as in a cookie. So today, I made British Cookies. Admittedly, there really isn't a whole lot of "British" to them other than it's on my mind since a new friend of mine is moving to England in a couple of weeks and they have English Toffee in them, haha. But anyhow, I've really gotten into the swing of using packaged mixes for baked goods and then adding something special to perk them up! Kind of a Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade type deal. So, here is my newest creation. :o)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

1 stick Butter (softened)

1 Egg

2 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 c. Chopped Walnuts

1/4 c. English Toffee Bits

Directions:

Follow directions on the package mix (which is basically combine the mix, butter, and egg). Then add the other ingredients. Bake on 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy! I like to eat all cookies with milk. These are good with it too, haha. :o)