This spinach casserole has been one of my favorite dishes since childhood. The recipe came from the little booklet that came with my mom and dad’s Crockpot that they got back in the early 70s. Over the years, we’ve upped the amount of spinach and also adapted it for a dutch oven, but it’s still a family classic.

It’s a great way to get kids to eat their spinach; it’s a great way to get kids to love their spinach. It makes a delicious veggie side to go with dinner or it makes a great dip served hot with crackers. No matter how you serve it, you are going to love it!

Mom’s Spinach Casserole
Adapted from Rival Crock Pot booklet from the early 70s

3 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) American cheese, cubed (recommended: Velveeta)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt

Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn it down to low for 4-5 hours.

You may also use a dutch oven for this dish. Simply bake, covered, at 375 for 1 hour.

Well, dear readers, today is my birthday. So last night, I found myself making my very favorite double-chocolate cake. We’ll have dinner tonight at my parents’ house and have this as my birthday cake for dessert.

I know what you’re thinking: “What?! They make you do your own birthday cake?!”

Answer: “Heck, I love making my own birthday cake!”

My mom or Nanny (her mom) will always offer, but for someone like me who loves to bake, it’s not a chore to make your own birthday cake – it’s fun!!! Plus, this is my very favorite cake to make – it’s easy, delicious, and super-chocolaty! The cake is light and fluffy, and the frosting literally melts in your mouth. What more could a birthday girl ask for?

Cocoa Fudge Cake
from my good ol’ Betty Crocker cookbook

2 cups cake flour or 1 2/3 cups all-purposes flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking pan, 13x9x2 inches, or 2 round 9″ layer pans, 3 round 8″ layer pans (as pictured here), or cupcake tins. Measure all of the ingredients into large electric mixer bowl. Blend for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl down when needed. Pour batter evenly into pan(s).

Bake oblong 35-40 minutes, layers 30-35 minutes, cupcakes 25-30 minutes. Or until wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Now for the frosting!

Buttery Chocolate Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened
4 tablespoons half ‘n’ half
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

In a small electric mixing bowl, beat butter, half ‘n’ half, and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add cocoa powder and blend until incorporated. Frost your cooled cakes as desired.

Made dessert for tonight with some goodies I had in the pantry . . .  It had been years since I made the Magic Cookie Bars whose recipe is found on the back of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk can.  I used 3 different kinds of nuts in these in order to really highlight the wonderful flavor of these classic treats!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Apply cooking spray to a 9″x13″ pan and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.  Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust.  Pour condensed milk evenly across the crust.  Layer remaining ingredients over the condensed milk.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.  Cool and slice into 1″x3″ bars.  Enjoy!

These muffins are chock-full of some of my favorite ingredients. I combined about 5 recipes to come up with this one so that I could get all of my favorite things in one healthy muffin! Crispy on top, fluffy in the middle, and full of delicious flavor. You will never be able to tell that these are low in fat and high in fiber!

VV Tip: If you ever end up with that one lonely banana left over that turns brown, throw it in the freezer. This way, you can keep your bananas perfectly ripe until you’re ready to bake something with them! I usually freeze one here and there until I have enough to make some banana bread or some muffins.

Banana-Blueberry-Oat Muffins

1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1 cup oats, rolled or quick
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup buttermilk or fat free sour cream
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line or grease the wells of a cupcake pan.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until completely combined.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs, applesauce, sour cream, and bananas. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and stir until almost completely moistened. Add the blueberries and continue stirring JUST until completely moistened. Your batter should be lumpy. Don’t over-mix or your muffins will be rubbery.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can mix up the batter the night before and bake the muffins fresh in the morning. They also freeze very well.

Here is my all-time favorite, old-fashioned recipe for tuna casserole. I got it from a friend back in high school, and it’s been a go-to meal for me ever since. It is wonderful the first night, but the leftovers just get better and better. Some of the ingredients may seem strange – but just trust me, dear readers, trust.

Tuna Casserole with French Fried Onions
1 box tri-color rotini, cooked and drained
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup peas (fresh, frozen, or canned)
3 5-ounce cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash seasoning, or other all-purpose seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 cup french fried onions, divided
Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, soup, milk, peas, tuna, Mrs. Dash, Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of the Mexican cheese, and 1/3 cup of the french fried onions. Test the mixture, and add salt and pepper to taste

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle some extra Mrs. Dash on top, if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, and remove from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the cheese on top. Then sprinkle over that the remaining 2/3 cup french fried onions. Return the dish to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and onions are crispy and browned.

This casserole freezes well – you can freeze before or after baking it.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  

Here is a special peek, dear readers, at the romantic breakfast I cooked for my Valentine this morning.

My super cool mother-in-law got me this nifty heart-shaped pancake mold as an early birthday gift, and she even got us some pecan praline pancake mix to go with it! It’s basically a silicone mold that you place in your pan, then you fill it with pancake batter.  The little handle flips down flat so that you can flip your pancake and let it set before removing the mold. It worked really well!!

Top it off with pure maple syrup and a dab of butter, slap some bacon on the side and garnish with some fresh fruit – and you have a beautiful and romantic breakfast!

This is from my sweet Auntie Gladys! What could be more delicious and sophisticated than a ripe olive canapé and a glass of wine? But beware – once you taste just one of these, you will be addicted for life!

Olive Canapés

Get ready because I am about to introduce you to the best chicken nuggets of your LIFE! Step aside, Chick-fil-A – these are freakin’ awesome!

I made this recipe up on the fly with a new seasoning mixture that I had been wanting to try out – a new jar of Herbes de Provence – absolutely delicious, extremely aromatic, and a perfect compliment to chicken.

Crispy Provençal Chicken Nuggets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de provence
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour your oil into a large baking dish or 9×13″ pan, mixing the oils together. Set aside.

Next, you want to set up three shallow bowls on your counter for a dipping-assembly-line. Set up your chunks of chicken at the beginning of the line. In the first bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl, lightly beat your egg. In the third bowl, mix together your panko bread crumbs, the herbes de provence, and the second teaspoon of salt.

Next, just take each chunk of chicken, coat it in the flour mixture, then coat it in the egg, and then roll it around in the panko mixture and put it in your prepared baking dish! You should have just 1 layer of chicken on the bottom of your dish. If you have any panko mixture leftover, I would just pour it over the top for some extra crispiness.

Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for another 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your nuggets).

If you want, you can turn them over half way through, but I was too lazy – they still turned out nice and crispy on both sides!

These are a special treat I made for my valentine this year. Tender, buttery shortbread hearts sandwiched with red raspberry preserves. Delish!

So, let me tell you everything I know about shortbread. First and foremost, it’s a simple cookie with not very many ingredients. In order to get the best flavor, you have to use high-quality ingredients, especially when it comes to the butter – I used Kerrygold Irish Butter in this particular batch. Land ‘o’ Lakes is alright, but if you can splurge on some organic or Irish butter, then you will not regret it. It would be a mortal sin to try to use a butter substitute or even margarine, so just don’t go there.

Second, shortbread is extremely versatile. We love to make it at Christmas time with all of our favorite cookie cutters. Then we decorate them with festive colored sprinkles. But you can also flavor these cookies by adding any number of things: finely ground nuts, zest from oranges or lemons, chocolate chips, or instant coffee powder. Here, I’ve made sandwich cookies with seedless red raspberry preserves, but you could use any sort of fruit filling you desire, or use a cream filling or your favorite icing. The possibilities are endless.

Why do they call it short, you ask? Well, the answer is twofold. First, the “short” in shortbread refers to the “shortening” (or in this case, butter) that is used to produce a crumbly texture. Second, a crumbly texture is actually called a “short” texture. Think about it – shortcake has a crumbly texture, too!

And the final, and most important, thing that I can tell you about shortbread is that it is the absolute BEST treat that you can have with your afternoon tea. One of my greatest joys in life is a cup of Earl Grey tea with a nice shortbread cookie to dip into it. Heaven!

1 cup butter, completely softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour

Seedless red raspberry preserves (for making raspberry hearts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large electric mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This step is particularly important since shortbread cookies have no leavening agent (i.e. no baking soda or baking powder), so the tiny air bubbles you’re beating in now are the only source of fluffiness in your cookies. Add the flour, and continue mixing until a stiff dough forms. If your mixture is too crumbly, add a tablespoon of butter, softened, until a nice pliable dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 1/4″ thickness. Cut the dough into desired shapes.

For these cookies, I cut all of the dough into hearts. Then I took half of those hearts and cut a smaller heart out of the center of each of them. That way, I had an equal number of solid-bottoms and window-tops to make my sandwiches! And I baked the smaller hearts, too, and made mini-sandwiches out of them.

Place your cookies on ungreased baking sheets, about 1/2″ apart. Shortbread cookies don’t spread like some cookies do, so they hold their shape well and you don’t have to worry too much if they are close together on the cookie sheet!

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are “set” and starting to puff slightly. They do not need to be brown – just a very light golden color is good. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to racks to cool completely.

Once your cookies have completely cooled, it’s time to assemble them! Place a large solid heart on a plate, spread about a tablespoon of your raspberry preserves around the center of the cookie. Gently place your window cookie on top and press down lightly. Voila!

And here is a photo of a few of the mini-heart sandwiches I made as well. I love how the jam is dripping out the edges! Are you drooling yet???

This is one of my all-time favorite meals to make. Back when I was a single gal, this was my go-to dinner when I was cooking for one. It’s easy to scale to the number of portions you need. The soft, fluffy, doughy dumplings are so comforting, and the chicken and veggies complete the perfect meal.

Also, feel free to get creative with this simple recipe. It’s a great way to use up your leftover chicken or turkey meat, but you can totally jazz it up. Add your favorite herbs and seasonings – I usually make it with whatever strikes me that particular day, whether it’s parsley, herbes de provence, sage, thyme, savory, poultry seasoning, Montreal chicken seasoning, garlic, onions, Greek seasoning, or – my favorite – a blend of dried Tuscan seasoning. And you can add whatever veggies you happen to have on hand – although using a frozen veggie mix is awfully convenient!

Chicken ‘n’ Dumplings
3 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 teaspoons Tuscan seasoning (Greek seasoning and poultry seasoning are also great)
2/3 cup milk
1 package frozen mixed veggies
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded or cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the chicken broth and water into a large, heavy saucepan. Season the broth with onion, garlic, and ground pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick and the Tuscan seasoning. Add the milk, stirring lightly just until a soft dough forms.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls into t he simmering broth. Allow the dumplings to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Then, cover your pot and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Cook mixed veggies according to package instructions (usually just microwave or steam for a few minutes). When dumplings have finished simmering, pour in your mixed veggies and your chicken or turkey and stir together lightly.

Allow the mixture to return to a good simmer, and serve while it’s nice and hot!