Seven Flavor Pound Cake

I know today is suppose to bring you another great crafting article, but I just had to share this amazing recipe!  This is a long time family favorite.  This is great as an alternative to the fruit cake this year!  Straight from Watkins!

Seven Flavor Pound Cake

3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Margarine or Butter
1/4 Cup Shortening
5 Eggs
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 teas. Watkins Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1 teas. Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 teas. Watkins Lemon Extract
1 teas. Watkins Rum Extract
1 teas. Watkins Coconut Extract
1 teas. Watkins Almond Extract
1 teas. Watkins Pineapple Extract
1 teas. Watkins Butter Extract

Glaze:
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 teas. Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 teas. Watkins Lemon Extract
1 teas. Watkins Rum Extract
1 teas. Watkins Coconut Extract
1 teas. Watkins Almond Extract
1 teas. Watkins Pineapple Extract
1 teas. Watkins Butter Extract

Cream sugar, margarine and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, set aside. Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings to sugar mixture. Pour into greased and floured tube or Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Leave cake in pan to cool.

To prepare glaze: heat sugar and water using low heat until sugar is dissolved; add Flavorings. While cake is cooling, drizzle glaze over cake. When completely cool, remove from pan and let stand glazed side up so that the glaze penetrates. (NOTE: The glaze provides a very potent addition to an already flavorful cake. You may wish to cut down the amount of flavor used in the glaze.)

Fennel, Dried Fig and Thyme Stuffing WW Recipes

PointsPlus® Value:    4 Servings:  8 Preparation Time:  20 min Cooking Time:  55 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients

	8 oz Italian bread, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
	2 Tbsp light butter
	2 small onion(s), chopped
	1 medium fennel bulb(s), chopped
	1 Tbsp fennel seed
	1/3 cup(s) orange juice
	3 oz dried fig(s), chopped or sliced (about 1/2 cup)
	2 1/2 Tbsp thyme, fresh, chopped
	1/2 tsp kosher salt
	1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
	1 cup(s) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
	2 spray(s) cooking spray
	1/4 cup(s) parsley, fresh, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake, stirring twice, until very lightly toasted, about 15 to 18 minutes.
   
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, fresh fennel and fennel seeds; cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add orange juice and figs; bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat; stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Add toasted bread cubes to skillet and drizzle with broth; toss until evenly moistened.
   
• Coat a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; spoon stuffing into prepared dish. Bake, uncovered, until top is lightly toasted and stuffing is hot throughout, about 30 to 35 minutes (cover top with foil if top starts to burn). Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Notes

Swapping raisins for the figs could affect the recipe’s PointsPlus value

Cranberry Upside-down Cake

This just looks scrumptious!  Sweet and tart, this cake is sure to bring some smiles into the world! This recipe is posted over at Smitten Kitchen food blog.  There are so many other recipes that you could be making once you get there.  For now, take a look at how they put this dessert together!




Upside-Down Cranberry-Caramel Cake
Adapted from The Perfect Finish (previously from this book)

If you don’t like molasses, I’d use honey or light corn syrup instead because although just a tablespoon, you can taste it (though we found it delicious against the tart berries). If you’re thinking, as I was, that there was no need for a parchment paper circle in the bottom (and later, top) of the pan, you can probably skip it. The “probably” is there because I didn’t get to retest this without it but see nothing to worry about; if a berry sticks, just scoop it and plop it on top of the cake. The cake itself is a little on the shortcake side — sturdier than your average plush layer cake but still quite moist. Still, if you want a more traditional upside-down cake base, I think this one is phenomenal (you might even swap the pineapple juice for white cranberry) as is this one.
Unsalted butter or cooking spray for the baking pan

2/3 cup (5 ounces or 142 grams) packed light brown sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces or 171 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces or 230 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries (you could add a half-cup more, if you, too, can never have enough cranberries)

Optional flavorings: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, few gratings of fresh nutmeg or a combination thereof
Whipped cream, optional
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and cover the bottom with parchment paper (see Note above). In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the melted butter, molasses and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir well and pour into prepared cake pan. Set pan aside.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment (eh, I just used a handmixer with standard beaters) beat the eggs and sour cream together at medium speed until well blended. Add optional flavorings of your choice. Scrape down the bowl and add remaining melted butter (1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.
Add the cranberries to the prepared baking pan and gently press the fruit into an even layer. Dollop the batter on top and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it into place without disturbing the cranberries underneath. Bake on the center rack (with a tray underneath to catch drips… just in case; mine did not overflow but came stressfully close) until golden and a tester inserted into just the cake comes out clean, which took 30 to 35 minutes in my oven but is suggested to take 45. Please,please check yours on the early side. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan then insert over a flat platter that is (Learn From My Mistakes Alert!) larger than your cake pan, to catch any puddling or jumping cranberries. Remove the parchment paper.
Serve warm, with freshly whipped cream. However, this cake wasn’t half bad two to three days layer, kept covered at room temperature.

Wonderful Low Cal PB Pie!

Take a look at this mouthwatering recipe featured at Food Network's Hungry Girl blog!

OMG, PB!
It's hard for us to express in words how amazing this dessert is -- any accurate depiction would need tap-dancing unicorns and a 20-minute fireworks show. You're gonna have to make it and taste for yourself. Cue the unicorns...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter, room temperature
Half an 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup light vanilla soymilk (or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze)
1 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed
2 sheets (8 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers, crushed
Optional topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place peanut butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer set to medium speed, mix until smooth and uniform.

Add powdered sugar to the bowl. Set the mixer to low speed, and mix well. Add soymilk and continue to mix until smooth.

Gently fold in whipped topping, until uniform in color.

Carefully transfer the filling into a pie pan. Evenly top with crushed graham crackers. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Cut into 8 slices and, if you like, top with Reddi-wip. Enjoy!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

HG Tip: If frozen until solid, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of recipe)
Calories: 159
Fat: 6.5g
Sodium: 235mg
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 8.5g
Protein: 7g

PointsPlus® value 4*

Well, I was going to put a nice crafty post in got distracted while browsing the net.  It's summer and time for picnics.  What better to take on a picnic than fried chicken and watermelon.  I found a recipe for a delicious looking, crunchy recipe.  If you try it out post a review here, or at Allrecipes.com.  To sink your teeth into this juicy recipe click here!

Kids Will Grin Ear to Ear With This Fun Snack

Can you believe the fun foods kids love to eat?!  This modern mud pie dish will have the kids laughing in pleasure as they dig dirt and mud covered worms from the container.  The Kaboose website is filled with fun recipes and projects perfect for adventurous children!  Go on and check them out!  Click Here!

Hibiscus Tea with Lime

ow wow!  Doesn't this sound divine??

A Refreshing Drink Recipe

There’s no better way to cool off on a hot summer day than with a flavorful, refreshing drink. This cooling beverage features a delicious blend of hibiscus tea and sugar-free lime-flavored seltzer water, which will keep you hydrated without the empty calories usually found in store-bought soft drinks.

Hibiscus Tea Spritzers With Lime (Phase 1)

Description
Hibiscus is a tropical flower that is often used to make delicious herbal teas. Its fruity, lightly floral taste and stunning red color are reminiscent of cranberries. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, hibiscus has also been found to be a natural relaxant. In this recipe, you can use 100% hibiscus tea or one of the many herbal blends containing hibiscus.

Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes
Steep time: 6 minutes
Chill time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups water
4 hibiscus tea bags
Ice cubes
1 1/2 cups chilled sugar-free lime seltzer water
Granular sugar substitute to taste (optional)
1 small lime, sliced

Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add tea bags, and steep for 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup ice cubes and refrigerate until cooled, about 10 minutes.

Fill 4 (10-ounce) glasses with ice. Pour tea over ice, top with seltzer, add sugar substitute, if using, and stir gently. Garnish with lime slices and serve.

Nutritional information
Per (1-cup) serving:
0 calories
0 g fat (0 g sat)
0 g carbohydrate
0 g protein
0 g fiber
0 mg sodium

Charlotte Gilmour's Chicken Popper Parmesan

This is a great little recipe for eating food that tastes high end, at rock bottom prices!  Chicken Parmesan, a restaurant favorite, is usually on the upper end of the menu, and quality drops sharply with cost. Most of the time, anyway, but not today.  It will make enough for 4 or more hungry men, for under $10!  So let's take a look at what we need to do.

Ingrediants:

2 jars pasta sauce
1 package of your favorite pasta
1 lb. Chicken Poppers (These can be had in the hot deli of your local WalMart.  Most WalMarts will price hot deli items half off after a certain time. Ask an associate at the deli to find out).
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesan

Optional Ingrediants:

1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 T. chili powder
1/2 T. Italian seasoning
1/4 T. Salt & Pepper
2 large bay leaves.

Directions:

Set a burner to med/hot.  In a medium pot, combine pasta sauce with any option ingredients, you choose to use, and bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Add 20 minutes, or more, if using the spices, to allow the flavors to meld. Cook pasta seperately during this time.  When pasta is done, add the chicken poppers to the sauce and let sit 5 min on low heat.

Make a bed of pasta on a plate and ladle sauce onto it.  Sprinkle with parmesan to taste, but don't be afraid to pile it on! Cover with 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Microwave to melt cheese and serve.

Crock Pot Coca-Cola Pot Roast?

How do you find the time to run a business, or a household, and still put a fantastic dinner on the table at the end of the day?  Crock pots are a great way to cook the day away, with little effort spent during the preparation, or cooking.  At the end of the day you can put that dinner on the table, and still have time for all the other tasks during the day.  With that in mind here is a great crock pot recipe for a juicy, delicious pot roast!
A recipe for Coca-Cola Pot Roast.

Ingredients

3 pound beef

2 Tbs. oil

1  tomatoes, can

1 cup coca-cola

1  onion, chopped

1  spaghetti sauce mix

1 1/2 Tsp. salt

1/2 Tsp. garlic salt 

Directions

Directions: Brown meat in oil for ten minutes on each side; remove to crockpot. Drain fat. Break up tomatoes in their juice; add remaining ingredients, stirring until spaghetti sauce mix is dissolved. Pour over meat. Cover; simmer until meat is tender. Thicken gravy; serve over sliced meat.

Mucho Choco Tacos

Description

When looking for family activities to keep your children busy, you might want to consider cooking. Easy- to-make and great tasting "kid-friendly" recipes can make time in the kitchen a fun activity for the whole family.

Ingredients

8 Old El Paso Stand 'N Stuff taco shells (from 4.7-oz box)
1 (24-ounce) package chocolate-flavored candy coating (almond bark)
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups sliced bananas
3/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 aerosol can whipped cream topping
8 mint leaves, if desired

Preparation

Heat oven to 325°F. Heat taco shells as directed on box. Meanwhile, melt chocolate candy coating as directed on package.
Carefully dip each taco shell into melted chocolate, using spoon to get chocolate on inside of shell; hold shells above bowl to let excess chocolate drip off. Stand shells upright on waxed paper; let stand until chocolate hardens, 10 to 15 minutes.
In medium bowl, mix strawberries and bananas. Divide fruit evenly into taco shells.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave fudge topping on High 30 to 45 seconds or until soft. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Drizzle topping over fruit in shells. Top with whipped cream; garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Preparation Time
20 Minutes

Start to Finish Time
40 Minutes

Serves
8 tacos

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

SOURCE: General Mills

Splinters & Threads Cooks - King Ranch Casserole!

Even though I've been bragging about LOBSTAH and stuffed crab while in Boston, there's always a taste of my Texas home that I miss no matter where I eat. This recipe is one of the best Texas dishes, and SO easy to make! In case you didn't know it, the King Ranch is the largest private family land holding in the state of Texas with over 900,000 acres. Their history is long and deep and a special part of Texas history.

This dish is DELISH!!

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
• 12 corn or flour tortillas, cut into quarters
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt
• dash cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup chicken broth

Preparation:

Pour about 1/3 cup of broth over bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan. Layer half of the tortilla quarters on the bottom, then half of the chicken, onion, bell pepper, and dollops of about 1/2 of both soups. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Repeat layers. Spread tomatoes over the top and drizzle with remaining chicken broth. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes, until bubbly.
Serves 6.

My dear friend Tammy does another version routinely using leftovers - which makes it all the more simple and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. cooked chicken or turkey
1 can Rotel® (regular or mild)
1 small can mushrooms
1 c. frozen corn
2 teaspoons Cumin
¼ teaspoon Oregano
¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
1 ½ c. grated cheddar cheese
Black pepper to taste
½ c. chicken stock
12 corn tortillas

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the chicken stock and tortillas. Using a glass baking dish (deep or wide, doesn’t matter), begin layering the corn tortillas on the bottom, then the meat mixture, then some cheese. Repeat the layering, making sure the cheese covers the top well. Pour the chicken stock over everything, to soak into the tortillas. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Make this wonderful dish and enjoy - and leave a comment if you LOVE it as WE do!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Wow, I can't believe my youngest is 8 now! And to think he had to spend the day at home with a fever. =( Since I couldn't leave to get a mix or a cake, I made him a home made cake. He told me it was the best birthday cake he has ever had. =)

CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE

2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup real mayonnaise (not salad dressing) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup cold water Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla, mayonnaise and water. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9-inch pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (about 30-35 minutes).

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup milk 2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract **I used 1 tsp of each!! In a food processor, process butter about 30 seconds or until smooth. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the confectioners sugar and process again, about 15 seconds. While the motor is running, drizzle in the extract through the small opening in the feed tube. Process for another 30 seconds, or until smooth. Cooks Note: For a stiffer frosting, add a little less milk or more confectioners sugar. For a glaze, or thinner frosting add more milk or less confectioners sugar. This same mixture can also be made in a stand mixer, but add the confectioners sugar on very low speed (or use the bowl cover), as it has a tendency to splash out of the bowl.

Favorite Christmas Recipes

We have made these for year. These are a few of our favorite things:

Sausage Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground pork sausage 2 cups biscuit baking mix 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup water (opt if too dry)

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1Allow cheese and sausage to reach room temperature.
2. 2Place in mixing bowl with Bisquick and blend till smooth. (I've had great success using my hand-held electric mixer to incorporate ingredients). NOTE: Mixture will be quite dry.
3. 3Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray well with vegetable oil spray.
4. 4Press/roll mixture into 1 inch balls by hand. Place onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
5. 5Bake in 400* oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or till golden brown.
6. 6Drain on paper toweling.
   
   
   

   Orange Balls

   
   
   1 (12 oz.) pkg. vanilla wafers, crushed
   1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice, thawed
   1/2 c. butter
   1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
   1 c. chopped pecans
   7 oz. coconut (opt)

   Combine wafers, juice, butter and sugar; mix well. Blend in nuts. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar or coconut.
   
   

Bisquick substitute & recipes

Found at : http://creativechicksatplay.blogspot.com/2010/07/homemade-bisquick-substitute.html

Here is a recipe for homemade Bisquick®.

Our mom gave me this recipe I don't know how long ago--probably when I first got married and then I've come across it again in this really OLD (published 1978) book called "Make-a-Mix Cookery" by Karine Eliason, which I happened to find and purchase at some thrift store a couple years ago.

In the book they call it Quick Mix

8 1/2 c. All-purpose flour
1 Tbs. Baking powder
1 Tbs. Salt
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 1/2 c. Instant nonfat dry milk
2 1/4 c. Vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Blend well. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Mixture will resemble cornmeal in texture. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 10-12 weeks. Makes about 13 cups of Quick Mix.

Note: I don't use this amount in 10-12 weeks, so I store mine in a 5 qt. ice cream bucket in the freezer so that it will last longer.

A slightly different version of Bisquick® substitute called Master Mix found HERE.

One more HERE. There are apparently a number of different versions out there online. You can find the one that works best for you.

Here is a family recipe we use for an easy bacon and cheese quiche that uses Bisquick®. I'm sure it is based off of this recipe from Bisquick®. You can easily substitute the bacon for browned sausage, or cooked ham chunks. It is one of my kids' favs.

Copyright by Leslie & Emily

Recipes to die for!

• rachel's peanut butter delight

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