Jam Hands

Recipe Sharing Monday #51 + Features!

2013-05-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes. If you would like to put a Recipe Sharing Monday button on your blog, the code is in the right sidebar.

I will be picking the features and sharing them each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up. I'll be pinning the featured posts on the Recipe Sharing Monday Pinterest board, as well as some of my other favorite shared boards.

Features from the last Recipe Sharing Monday:

Mini Pepper Poppers at Or so she says
Strawberry Lemon Tart at Red Cottage Chronicles
Thai Chicken Pizza at Joyful Healthy Eats
Mexican Chicken with Doritos at Koupon Krazed
Tuscan Tomato Soup with Creole Croutons at Creole Contessa

Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza at Mommy On Demand
Smothered Chicken at Cooking with K
Asian Mandarin Salad at Silver Boxes
Lemon Puppy Chow at Plucky's Second Thought
Spinach, Artichoke and Brie Crepes at Half Baked Harvest

Congrats to this weeks features!

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My button is over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

Nutella Cream Cheese Turnovers

2013-05-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

I am posting over at Momspark today. Please be sure to drop by and pin this recipe for these yummy Nutella Cream Cheese Turnovers. Enjoy!

Raspberry Layered Coffee Cake

2013-05-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I shared this delicious dessert for Raspberry Layered Coffee Cake over at Mom Spark. A new change is that from here on out, the recipes I post at Mom Spark (usually every Saturday) will not be published at Jam Hands, so please be sure to hop on over there and pin the recipe. Enjoy!

-Back next week-

2013-05-14T11:37:00.000-05:00

Posting here has slowed down a bit as I have been sick, but I will be back next week with new recipes. In the mean time, check out my Visual Recipe Index for recipes to try, as well as tons of recipes from past Recipe Sharing Monday posts. See you next week!

Recipe Sharing Monday #50 + Features!

2013-05-13T10:30:00.002-05:00

Shrimp Cocktail Dip at Mostly Homemade Mom
Broccoli Cheddar Soup at the Seven Year Cottage
Churro Chocolate Donut Holes at Chica Chocolatina
Grasshopper Bars at Life's Simple Measures
Tres Leches Cake at Crumbs and Chaos
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce at Joyful Healthy Eats
Lemon Mousse at Red Cottage Chronicles
Caramel Banana Cream Pie at Busy Mom's Helper
New York Coffee Cake Dunkers at Rook No. 17
Strawberry Tiramisu Angel Food Cake at Lemons for Lulu

Congrats to this weeks features!

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My button is over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

15 Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

2013-05-03T10:28:00.000-05:00

I gathered up some of my favorite recipes to hopefully inspire you for a Cinco de Mayo feast. Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Haystacks

Layered Bean Dip

Flat Bread Taco Supreme

Chicken w/ Spinach & Sun Dried Tomatoes in a Creamy Chipotle & Adobo Sauce

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chimichangas

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Chili Frito Corn Salad

Chili and Lemon Chicken Burgers

Mexican Chicken Dorito Casserole

Sangria Punch (Non Alcoholic)

Shredded Beef Nachos

Spicy Sriracha Burgers

Mexican Street Corn

Carne Asada Tacos w/ Roasted Pineapple

Cream Cheese Flan

2013-05-03T09:27:00.001-05:00

I decided to go a flan recipe with a twist this year. Cream Cheese Flan is a bit like a marriage of flan and cheesecake. I loved the taste and how simple it was. It is a perfect ending to a big Cinco de Mayo meal. If you have never tried it, the liquid around the flan is sweet and caramel flavored. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Flan
Makes an 8×8-inch pan

3/4 cup sugar
1 (14 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and heat sugar in a small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and caramel colored. QUICKLY pour into bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

2. Place evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the casserole dish (over the dissolved sugar).

3. Place casserole in a 13×9-inch baking dish; fill baking dish with warm water to 1-inch depth.

4. Bake 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Remove flan from hot water. Cool at room temperature in casserole on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

5. When ready to serve, run knife around rim; gently shake to loosen. If you are worried about it sticking, you can let the dish soak in a pan with about an inch of hot water to loosen the flan. It shouldn’t take longer than 10-20 seconds to loosen.

6. Invert onto your serving dish. I recommend doing this over the sink encase there is any splashing from the sugar topping as you invert the dish. Also have your apron on!

Recipe from Food.com

Mexican Street Corn

2013-05-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

Mexican Street Corn is my new favorite side dish. It is a very simple dish, basically corn is prepared and then rolled in yummy toppings. What isn’t to love? Queso Fresco is a very mild crumbling cheese found in most grocery stores. My Queso Fresco came as a solid round shape but it very easily crumbles into smaller pieces. Enjoy!

Mexican Street Corn
Makes several servings

4 large ears corn (Ours were already cut into smaller sections, probably thirds)
butter
kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/2 cups Queso Fresco, crumbled
4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
4 tsp. Ancho chile powder
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400-f degrees. Brush corn lightly with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes. Alternatively you can grill or broil the corn.

2. Working with one ear of corn at a time, brush with mayo. Roll the cob over the cheese and sprinkle with cilangro and Ancho chile powder, pressing the toppings into the corn so it adheres. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Slightly adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and Saveur.

Carne Asada Tacos

2013-05-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

While this recipe may seem long and fussy, it is very simple to put together. To save time you can prepare a few components ahead of time. The combination of spicy peppers, grilled pineapple and Carne Asada is downright delicious.

Carne Asada Tacos
Makes several servings

1 recipe Carne Asada (recipe follows)

1 ripe pineapple, prepared and cut into spears or slices (Optional step: Roast them next to the Carne Asada on the grill)

8-16 tortillas, warmed (depending on size of your tortillas the amounts vary)

1 recipe Salsa de Aguacate (recipe follows)

1 recipe Chipotle Crema (recipe follows)

Garnish: Freshly chopped cilantro

1. Prepare the marinade for the Carne Asada. Let marinate in the fridge.

2. Prepare the Salsa de Aguacate and Chipotle Crema. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

3. Grill the Carne Asada according to directions below. If grilling the pineapple you can place the spears on the sides of the grill where the temperature isn’t as hot.

4. To assemble: Warm the tortillas. Add a layer of Salsa de Aquacate. Add sliced Carne Asada. Sprinkle with chopped pineapple, freshly cut cilantro and Chipotle Crema.

For the Carne Asada:

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (some stems in it are fine)

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 Tbsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sugar

2 lbs beef flank steak, trimmed of fat, cut into large sections, about 6 inches long

1. In a medium non-reactive bowl combine cilantro, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, oil, salt, pepper and sugar; whisk until salt and sugar and dissolved. Add flank steak and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning meat occasionally.

2. Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade. For a charcoal or gas grill, place steak on the rack of a grill directly over medium heat. Grill, covered, for 17 to 21 minutes for medium (160-f degrees), turning once halfway through grilling.

3. Transfer steak to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. Cut steak against the grain into thin strips; cut strips into 2 inch pieces. Transfer steak pieces to a bowl and toss with any juices left on the cutting board.

For the Salsa de Aguacate:

1 large tomatillo

1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and cut up

1/4 cup chopped onion (whatever color you prefer, I used red onion)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh habanero or serrano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced (I subbed habanero hot sauce instead)

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat broiler. Husk one large tomatillo and rinse it. Place tomatillo on a broiler pan. Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 10 minutes or until soft and lightly charred, turning once halfway through broiling time.

2. In a blender or food processor combine the tomatillo, avocado, onion, garlic, habanero pepper and salt. Cover and blend or process until smooth.

For the Crema de Chipotle:

1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

1 tsp. minced canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce

1. Combine the crema or sour cream and the minced peppers in a small bowl and stir. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Carne Asada Taco recipes adapted from Better Homes and Gardens and Simply Recipes.

Recipe Sharing Monday #49 + Features!

2013-04-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

Farmers Sandwich w/ Chorizo Sausage, Egg, Ham & Jalapeno Cream Cheese at Creole Contessa
Fresh Strawberry Lemonade at Spend with Pennies
Butterfinger Muddy Buddies at Crumbs and Chaos
Streamliner Cake at Yesterfood
Cincinnati Chili at The Salty Kitchen
Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Smoked Bacon Ranch Dip at Back for Seconds
Mock Orange Julius at Food Talk Daily
Cheddar Ale Dip at Will Cook for Smiles

Congrats to this weeks features!

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My button is over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

Cinco de Mayo Feast

2013-04-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

Coming up next week! I thought you might like a sneak preview.

Date Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2013-04-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

The last time I was at Costco I picked up a container of some pretty tasty looking dates. I don't recall every have tried dates, but I figured I would find a recipe to try them out on. Am I the only one that feels like dates are sort of a...retro food? I'm not sure how to explain it. Should I just call it an old person food? Maybe. I don't know why I get that impression.

Anyhow, this date cake was delicious and different from our usual desserts. The original recipe didn't have a frosting but I thought the cream cheese frosting we made complimented it very well. Enjoy!

Date Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9" x 13" cake

Cake:
One 16 oz. package dates, pitted, and chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (chop them to your size preference, I prefer chopping them into small pieces)
Frosting:
2 8-ounce packages chilled cream cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

1. Prepare your cake pan with baking spray or butter.

2. Mix together the first three ingredients in a heat safe bowl and allow to soak for 20 minutes covered. Add remaining cake ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour into the cake pan.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350-f degrees. Check the cake at 30 minutes and test with a toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean it should be done. Frost with prepared cream cheese frosting.

For the frosting:

1. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in sugar, then orange peel and vanilla. If needed, cover and refrigerate until frosting is firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

Cake recipe from Ciao Italia. Frosting recipe from Epicurious.

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Copycat

2013-04-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today we are continuing to catch up with our Easter recipes. We tried out a copycat recipe for the Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake. The verdict was it was very delicious, although not an exact match to the Olive Garden, but close enough to satisfy our needs. This cake gets a better flavor the longer it chills in the fridge. You may want to make this ahead of time and let it chill for a few hours before serving.

Overall the cake was a bit sweeter than the original. I noticed a few reviews remarking that the filling was too runny. Please take care to whip the heavy whipped cream until it reaches stiff peaks. If you do not beat it long enough it will cause your filling to be runny. I would recommend chilling your mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge before you beat the whipping cream. You want all of the elements to be nice and cold.

Some reviews have said that there wasn't enough crumb topping to coat the cake. For simplicity we only garnished the top of the cake with the crumb topping. Less hassle for us and I didn't mind that the sides of the cake weren't garnished. I dig the rustic look. If you are planning on using crumbs on the sides of the cake you might consider doubling the recipe for the crumb topping.

Notes: A cake leveler is perfect for a recipe like this. I recommend picking one up at the store. I love mine.

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Copycat
Makes one 10" round cake

Cake:
1 white cake mix,prepared
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
3 tbsp. lemon juice
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp. butter

1. Prepare cake as directed in a 10" round cake pan or a 10" round spring form pan.

2. Blend cream cheese, powered sugar, and lemon juice together. In a medium bowl, whip heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture and blend by hand. Chill until ready to add to the cake.

3. Mix flour and powered sugar in small bowl. Crumble butter in and dribble in vanilla extract. The crumbles should be no larger than pea size. If you have trouble crumbling mixture, chill for a few minutes. Chill until needed.

4. After cake is cooled, cut in half. Spread cream cheese mixture, saving 1/2 cup, on bottom half and carefully place top layer back. Spread rest of cream cheese mixture on the sides of cake. Press crumb topping into sides gently. (We only added it to the top)

5. Chill for 3 hours. Cut into 12 slices.

Recipe from SparkRecipes.

Broccoli, Bacon & Grape Salad

2013-04-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

More broccoli salad! For the record this was not my all time favorite broccoli salad. I prefer the Best Ever Broccoli Salad with Dried Cranberries or the Bodacious Broccoli Salad. Tastes vary though, as my mother likes this grape version the best.

The main differences between my previous recipes and this one is that there is no cheese in this recipe and in the other recipes, they use dried fruit (or no fruit at all).

Be sure to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours for the best flavor. Enjoy!

Broccoli, Bacon & Grape Salad
Makes many servings

2 heads of fresh broccoli, florets only
1/2 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 cup seedless green grapes
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

1. If not already prepared, cook and crumble the bacon. Set aside

2. Combine all the fruit & vegetable ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Prepare dressing: Whisk the mayo, sugar and vinegar in a bowl until smooth. Add the dressing and crumbled bacon to the fruit & vegetable mix. Stir to combine all ingredients. Chill for several hours.

Recipe from a family member.

Recipes from the header image...

2013-04-24T08:58:00.003-05:00

For the many that have asked, here is a list of the recipes in the header image for this blog. Also, I do have a visual recipe index if you have never checked it out.

From left:

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2013-04-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

This pie is best served the same day it is made. I tried chilled leftover pie and it wasn't my favorite, so I would recommend making this fresh the same day you plan on serving it. I cut the recipe in half to only make one pie, but the recipe below is the full recipe which makes 2 pies.

My preference would be to serve this while it is still a little bit warm, or at room temperature, with fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!

Notes: I actually had a major goof on this recipe. I baked it in a premade pie shell which was not even necessary as it forms a crust all on its own. Next time around I would skip the premade crust, there is really no need for it.

Also if your pie plates are very shallow, consider putting foil or a baking sheet underneath the pies to save yourself cleanup from any spillage.

Rhubarb Custard Pie
Makes 2 pies

4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups chopped, 1/2" rhubarb pieces

1. Grease or spray 2 large pie plates.

2. Scatter the rhubarb pieces in the pie plates.

3. In a large bowl combine the eggs, melted butter, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix with a handheld mixer until combined well. Pour over rhubarb.

4. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 350-f degrees.

Recipe from Food.com.

Recipe Sharing Monday #48 + Features!

2013-04-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake at Yesterfood
Mandarin Orange Jello Salad at Mandy's Recipe Box
Cherry Crumb Coffee Cake at Simplee Sue
Grandma's Orange Rolls at Ashley's Dandelion Wishes
Cheese Steak Sandwich with Peppers at Your Homebased Mom
Orange Creamsicle Cake Balls at A Daily Dose of Del Signore
Mom's Chicken and Dumplings at The Salty Kitchen
Rebel Mormon Cinnamon Buns at Inspiration Cafe

Congrats to this weeks features!

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My button is over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Quick Update

2013-04-21T12:01:00.004-05:00

Frequent visitors may have noticed I haven't been posting much the past few weeks. I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. Somehow I changed a setting so that I wasn't being notified about new comments so for the past few weeks I didn't think I had gotten any, which was a little discouraging.

Today I happened to check my settings and BAM, about 60 comments waiting to be published. Oops! Sorry for missing any if you had a question. I'll be back tonight with Recipe Sharing Monday. The funk is over and I'll have lots of recipes coming soon!

Perfect Fudgy Brownies

2013-04-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have found my most favorite fudgy brownie recipe, courtesy of Cookies & Cups, a wonderful dessert blog you should check out when you finish reading this post. What gives these a unique and delicious flavor is the combination of milk and semi sweet chocolate chips that are melted and added to the brownie batter.

The texture was perfection, gooey and delicious. I have held out for a long time used boxed brownie mixes because I never liked a from scratch recipe all that much. Not anymore! This recipe is incredible. Enjoy!

Note: I was out of baking spray for the baking pan, so I lined the pan with parchment paper, with the parchment coming up over the edges so I could easily lift the cooled brownies out of the pan. It worked great. Just be sure to wait to lift the brownies out of the pan until they have cooled.

Perfect Fudgy Brownies
Makes a 9"x13" pan, about 24 servings

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray.

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk both sugars into the chocolate mix. Add in eggs, one at a time and then add vanilla. Whisk until combined.

4. Stir in flour and salt until evenly incorporated and pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake 35-40 minutes until center is set and a toothpick placed 2 inches away from edge comes out clean.

6. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe from Cookies & Cups.

Macerated Strawberries

2013-04-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

As we are heading towards Spring and Summer, I wanted to include a quick recipe, if you could call it that, for Macerated Strawberries. If you are wondering what Macerated means, Cookthink has a good description.

"To macerate something is to soften it by soaking it in liquid. You usually hear the word used in recipes that include fresh or dried fruit. Macerating fresh fruit releases some of its juices, creating a sweet syrup." - Cookthink

It only takes a few minutes to prepare and makes a perfect side dish for any meal of the day. If your strawberries aren't very sweet it is a quick way to add a touch of sweetness. A tasty addition to this would be a handful of washed blueberries, which we often add.

Note: If your strawberries are very ripe and sweet, you may want to add a bit less sugar, around 1 Tbsp. instead of 2.

Macerated Strawberries
Makes several servings

1 lb. ripe strawberries, washed, tops removed and cut however you prefer (I cut into thin slices)
1 - 2 Tbsp. sugar

1. If you have not done so, prepare the strawberries.

2. Combine the sugar and strawberries in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cover and transfer to the fridge to chill.

Recipe from Martha Stewart.

Recipe Sharing Monday #47 + Features!

2013-04-08T09:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

I will be picking the features and sharing them each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up. I'll be pinning the featured posts on the Recipe Sharing Monday Pinterest board to share the love.

Honey Bee Cake with Honey Caramel Drizle at Yesterfood
Creamy Smoked Salmon Dip at Life's Simple Measures
Strawberry Cream Omelet at Simplee Sue
Gator Bites w/ Cheesy Creole Mustard Beer Sauce at Ms enPlace
Pineapple Pecan Carrot Cake at Semi Homemade Mom
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake at The Unsophisticated Kitchen
Banana Ever Banana Bread at Days with Dylan and Kacie
Oreo Layer Dessert at Amanda Jane Brown

Congrats to this weeks features!

Features: If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My button is over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Baked Spasagna

2013-04-06T16:02:00.002-05:00

Alrighty, so baked spaghetti lasagna. Except I didn't use spaghetti noodles, and it tastes better than any lasagna I have ever tasted. While it has similar flavors as lasagna, the taste was so much better than lasagna I have made. It was also easier to make as you don't have to worry about repeat layering.

I found this recipe over at The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife and Plain Chicken, both awesome food blogs. Many thanks to them for this recipe! Back to the Baked Spasagna. The flavors were incredible, the cheese pasta base is rich and comforting. A plus to this recipe is that you can use just as much sauce as you like. I dislike most lasagnas, and pizzas for that matter, that have too much sauce, so this was the perfect recipe.

You can use your favorite homemade spaghetti sauce for this, adding in Italian sausage, either plain or spicy would taste great. I preferred the spiral pasta that has lots of ridges for the cheese sauce to cling to rather than spaghetti noodles. Use whatever sounds good to you. Enjoy!

Note: I halved the recipes found at The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife and Plain Chicken.

Baked Spasagna
Makes an 8"x8" pan

12 oz. spaghetti or other spiral style pasta
16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. ricotta cheese
4 oz. sour cream
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
Already prepared meat spaghetti sauce, a few cups worth, heated through

1. Heat oven to 350-f degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, ricotta, half-and-half, mozzarella, oregano, basil, pepper, garlic, salt, and half the Parmesan cheese. Add spaghetti and toss until well coated.

3. Pour spaghetti mixture into a greased 8"x8" pan. Top spaghetti with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover dish and bake 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling and hot.

4. Remove pasta from oven. Cut into squares and top with prepared, warmed meat sauce.

Recipe from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife and Plain Chicken. Sharing this recipe at the following fun link parties.

Berry Fruit Punch

2013-04-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

A last minute addition to our Easter lunch was to make a punch for kids, preggo moms, and adults to enjoy. It is nothing crazy fancy, just really tasty punch. There are a lot of fruit punch options out there, so use your favorite. Mott's for Tots makes a Immune Support Fruit Punch that is lower in sugar so I would recommend trying that out. Note that the Mott's Fruit Punch comes in a 64 ounce bottle so you would be halving that if you are only making a pitcher of punch.

We made enough for a large pitcher, seen above. If you are aiming to fill a larger punch bowl, you should plan on doubling the ingredients. Enjoy!

Berry Fruit Punch
Makes one large pitcher

1 liter bottle of fruit punch, chilled
2 (12 oz.) cans Fresca soda, chilled (You can use diet)
2 (12 oz.) cans Sprite soda, chilled (You can use diet)
Ice

1. Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Add a few cups of ice to the punch

Recipe by Jam Hands. Sharing this recipe at the following fun link parties.

Roasted Asparagus with Citrus Olive Oil

2013-04-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

Any Asparagus fans out there? I love how simple it is to prepare and if you can get it on sale you can pick up a whole bunch of it to use in meals through out the week. In the past I usually have made roasted asparagus simply with a plain olive oil, garlic (either minced or embarassingly powdered garlic too), and salt and pepper. Top that with Parmesan cheese and it is a tasty side dish.

I wanted to try something a little bit different so I went with using a Citrus Olive Oil this time around, and after it is roasted I zested a lemon over the top. You can typically find citrus or plain lemon olive oil at specialty food stores. The oil I used was a blend of lemon and orange, but if that isn't available, a lemon olive oil works well too.

An alternative to buying premade citrus olive oil is to make it at home, which will probably save you money. Here is a recipe with good reviews at Food.com. Simply subsitute some of the lemon for orange if you want to make it a citrus blend.

Roasted Asparagus with Citrus Olive Oil
Makes several servings

1 lb asparagus
Citrus infused olive oil
Zest from one lemon
Salt and pepper

1. Clean and cut off tough ends of asparagus. Place on a large baking sheet.

2. Drizzle lightly with citrus infused olive oil. Roll asparagus around in the pan to coat evenly. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Bake at 400-f for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh lemon zest.

Recipe from Jam Hands. Sharing this recipe at the following fun link parties.

Photo Update - Spinach, Bacon and Swiss Quiche

2013-04-02T09:32:00.000-05:00

You can check out the recipe and updated picture here. Enjoy!