Cocinando con Alena

Made this for a family gathering as a three layer round cake-mixed the glaze in with some buttercream frosting to use as filling between layers-frosted the cake thinly with buttercream and pressed chopped pecans up the sides..,, it was a HUGE hit..! :) Recipe >> Southern Pecan Praline Cake @ cantstayoutofthekitchen.com

I made the first pan of pineapple bars on Wednesday and I had to sample and OMG!!! I had to go back 3 more times. This dis was made for the Thanksgiving dinner, well, I had to make another pan. Just to say this was a hit with family and friends and this will forever be a dessert for holidays dinners.. Recipe >> Pineapple Bars with Coconut Drizzle @ laughingspatula.com

Here is one such recipe that is gluten-free, low-fructose and low-FODMAP. The only issues with this recipe may be with the dairy products. Hard cheese, such as cheddar, and heavy cream are very low in lactose and I don't seem to have much issue with them. I'm really not sure if I'm lactose intolerant. I was always a big cottage cheese eater and recently stopped eating it and I feel maybe just a tad better. I'm still not sure if it's enough of a difference to go completely dairy-free, though. I love cheese and I love this casserole. It started out as just a chicken and potato casserole, but then I made some changes to it and I decided that it was so similar to the ingredients in a loaded baked potato, I would just call it that! Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole serves 4 Ingredients: 3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups) 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, c

Just made this last night. I used digestive biscuits for the crust as graham crackers are hard to find in Korea. I also used an 8″ springform pan and simply adjusted the recipe by multiplying the amounts by 0.8. [Though if you want to be extremely exact you should multiply by 0.79 ;)] I halved the sour cream topping recipe as well. Wrapped the pan in three layers of foil – and am really glad I did, because water leaked through the first two layers. All turned out perfectly!  Recipe >>  Perfect Cheesecake @ simplyrecipes.com

Just made this last night. I used digestive biscuits for the crust as graham crackers are hard to find in Korea. I also used an 8″ springform pan and simply adjusted the recipe by multiplying the amounts by 0.8. [Though if you want to be extremely exact you should multiply by 0.79 ;)] I halved the sour cream topping recipe as well. Wrapped the pan in three layers of foil – and am really glad I did, because water leaked through the first two layers. All turned out perfectly!

Cilantro Pesto Grilled Shrimp INGREDIENTS:     cilantro pesto ( recipe below )       about 20, wild medium size shrimp (Peeled & De-veined)     7 x 8′ wooden skewers    Cilantro Pesto Recipe( Makes 2 cups ) :     2 bunches organic cilantro – packed     2 cups organic baby spinach – packed     1 organic lemon – zested     1/2 organic lemon – juiced     2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts – toast in a dry heated saute pan for 3-4 minutes stirring periodically until browned     1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese     1 1/2 cups organic olive oil     sea salt and fresh ground pepper for taste Directions ( Cilantro Pesto ): Add all pesto ingredients in a food processor, except for olive oil. Blend and gradually pour in olive oil. Season with about ¼ tsp. sea salt and ¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper. Done. Directions ( Shrimp Skewers ): Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 2 hours. This will help prevent them from going up in flames when they

I just made this for my husband’s birthday cake. We all loved it (seven of us were at his party). I traded the cool whip for an altered WilliamsSonoma recipe for Seven Minute Frosting ( http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/seven-minute-coconut-frosting.html ). And I altered the cake as well: For the Coconut Cream Poke Cake I used Duncan Hines white cake mix, 2 backyard jumbo eggs, 3 TBS sour cream, 3 TBS oil, 1 c water. Mixed, baked, & cooled. POKED & Cream of Coconut (Roland brand) heated a little and poured on. Chilled. 7minute frosting (WilliamsSonoma) untoasted coconut on the frosted cake use only: 4 egg whites, 1/8 salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 c sugar, 1/4 c dark Karo syrup. Whisk in vanilla & then continue to whisk & heat over hot water (doubleBoilerStyle) until the whites are hot to the touch. Beat till room temp & thick. Frost the cooled coconut cake. Top w/soft UNtoasted coconut. Recipe >> Coconut Cream Poke Cake @ dessertnowdinnerlater.

My original intent was to make these sugar cookies and roll them in orange sugar to be festive for October, but I couldn't find any orange sugar in my baking cabinet. They still came out pretty though. They are similar to the chewy Pepperidge Farm cookies, but they aren't quite as thick. I try not to eat much sugar, but I've already had 4 of these. That's how good they are! Chewy Sugar Cookies Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll roun

I made these tonight and am currently waiting for them to sit… I did run into a few problems, there are a few places where the measurements on the pictures is different than the recipe at the bottom. The brown sugar in the shortbread and in the cookie dough. I also have never been good with caramel, so I thought I would give this one a shot. No surprise, I burnt the sugar. Luckly I had a secret stash of caramel candies that I melted with heavy cream and vanilla in the microwave. I also added a few pinches of sea salt to the mix. All and all, not a hard recipe to make, just a bit time consuming.. Recipe >> Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars @ kevinandamanda.com

These came out wonderfully! I used a double boiler to slowly heat some bittersweet chocolate chips (65% cocao) with oil based peppermint extract, because of the bitterness of my chocolate I ended up using about a tablespoon of the extract to get the flavor I was looking for. I also used 100% whole wheat in the cookie mixture, my cookies were brittle when they first came out of the oven (due to the high butter content I believe) but I let them cool on the pan and once they came to room temperature they were fairly structurally sound. I was able to dip with minimal crumbs.The recipe yielded 56 cookies just under 2″ in diameter for me, but I only had enough chocolate chips to coat half of them so I would have needed about 20 oz to coat all the cookies. Overall I am very pleased with the recipe.. Recipe >> Homemade Thin Mints @ theviewfromgreatisland.com

Here is one such recipe that is gluten-free, low-fructose and low-FODMAP. The only issues with this recipe may be with the dairy products. Hard cheese, such as cheddar, and heavy cream are very low in lactose and I don't seem to have much issue with them. I'm really not sure if I'm lactose intolerant. I was always a big cottage cheese eater and recently stopped eating it and I feel maybe just a tad better. I'm still not sure if it's enough of a difference to go completely dairy-free, though. I love cheese and I love this casserole. It started out as just a chicken and potato casserole, but then I made some changes to it and I decided that it was so similar to the ingredients in a loaded baked potato, I would just call it that! Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole serves 4 Ingredients 3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups) 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and

It doesn’t get better than lush layers of creamy cheesecake and chocolate ganache in a crust of chocolate wafer cookies.. Deliciously Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Ingredients: For the crust: 20 chocolate wafer cookies 1 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the filling: 10 ounces DOVE® 71% Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate, chopped 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, fat-free 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 4 eggs For the ganache: ½ cup heavy cream 5 ounces DOVE® 71% Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate 1 teaspoon sugar 9-inch spring form baking pan Reynolds® Parchment Paper Read More >> Deliciously Dark Chocolate Cheesecake @ justapinch.com

Mousseline Cream Ingredients     2 cups milk (480ml)     4 egg yolks     1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (80g)     ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)     ¼ cup cornstarch (30g)     2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract     A pinch of salt     1/3 cup unsalted butter (75g)     1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (75g) Read More >> Mousseline Cream @ eugeniekitchen.com

Japanese Cheesecake Ingredients: 7 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1⁄4 cup whole milk 1⁄2 cup superfine sugar (caster sugar) 3 eggs, separated 1⁄4 cup cornstarch (don't use flour) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 1⁄2 cups boiling water For the glazing: 2 tablespoons jam (Apricot or Strawberry) 1⁄2 tablespoon water Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake tin with cooking oil spray. Beat cream cheese with milk to soften. Add half of the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar and cream of tartar, to the egg whites, beating on high speed until soft peaks form, about 8-10 minutes. Gradually fold beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently. Pour into cake pan and smooth the surface. Place cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place in lower rack of oven. Pour enough water into the roas

What makes it so great? It is super light and fluffy. How does it get that way? The egg yolks are beaten in with the cream cheese and then the whipped egg whites are folded into the batter. That makes all the difference. The cheesecake can be made ahead of time and frozen until you are ready to serve it. Recipe Here >> The Best Homemade Cheesecake @ plainchicken.com

Many people like yellow cake. You don't have to buy it in a box, you can easily make yellow cake from scratch.. This recipe makes a very light and delicate-crumbed cake. Great for making plain cake with a favorite filling, then frosted to suit your family, or left as is. A very simple and easy recipe. Homemade Yellow Cake Ingredients:     3/4 cup butter, softened     1 2/3 cups sugar     2 eggs     2 tsp. vanilla     3 cups sifted cake flour     2 1/2 tsp. baking powder     1/2 tsp. salt     1 1/3 cups milk Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) cake pans. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk; beating until smooth after each addition. Bake in prepared pans 30 minutes or until tests clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on rack. Frost as desired. Note: To make your own cake flou

Made this AMAZING creation this morning as a special treat for my daughter’s 2nd birthday breakfast. Pretty sure this is going to be a staple breakfast until (if ever) I get sick of it lol I was inspired by this ‘Blueberry French Toast Sandwich’ recipe I saw on Pinterest. Although I do love my sweets, I’m not one for an overly sweet breakfast so I adapted it and have renamed it accordingly. Here is my “Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese” (could also be known as “homemade blueberry pop tart” because that is totally what it reminded me of while eating it!) Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese   Ingredients:     Cream cheese     Icing sugar     Whole wheat bread     Butter     Blueberries     Sandwich maker (I’m sure you could use a frying pan, but the sandwich maker sealed everything in which was perfection) Directions:     Mix cream cheese with icing sugar (to taste – I didn’t want it super sweet)     Butter outside of bread     Spread cream cheese mixture on the ins

Aren’t you just dying to bite into one of these mini caramel cheesecakes?? It’s only my two favorite things! I can’t resist a good cheesecake recipe. Even better, they’re made with a gluten-free almond crust! Christi (the Author of Gluten Free is Easy ) says the crust tastes better than a traditional cookie crust. Just hop on over to Mom, What’s For Dinner? and check out the recipe and baking instructions .

Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake Ingredients:     Loaf Cake     1 1/2 cup ap flour     1 1/2 tsp baking powder     1/2 tsp salt     1 1/2 cup sugar     1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cup)     2 eggs     3 tbsp fresh lemon juice     1 heaping tbsp lemon rind     1/2 cup Chobani Greek Yogurt     1 cup raspberries     Lemon Glaze     1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted     3 tbsp lemon juice     1 tsp lemon rind Instructions     Loaf Cake     Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.     In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.     In bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon rind and juice. Fold in dry mixture. Then fold in greek yogurt, then gently fold in raspberries.     Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.     Lemon Glaze     While cake is cooling prepare lemon glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind, and spla

This recipe makes enough mousse for about eight 2″-diameter cakes, give or take, depending on the size of your molds. Make sure you have enough freezer space available to accommodate a sheet pan with ring molds. The whole recipe must be made at least 6 hours before you plan to serve because the mousse needs a chance to set up, but if you like, you can make each step of this recipe on different days to break up the labor, and just keep it in the freezer until serving day. There will be plenty of cake and chocolate sauce left, which can both be wrapped well and frozen, or enjoyed as a cake sundae by cutting the cake into squares, topping with a scoop of ice cream, and drizzling with chocolate sauce. Recipe >> Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake @ Pastrypal.com

Well I saw this recipe a few days ago and had to try it, oh my goodness, took it out of the oven made the sauce and just took it out of the pan, yes it was a little difficult but I wanted to pass along a tip I have used with bundt cakes for years-Ball canning has a tool called a bubble releaser, long unbreakable, flexible that I run down the sides of the pan and also the center, I also use the spray with sugar on my pans and have found that’s the best for me.I hope this helps some of you out there who have had trouble getting cakes out of bundt pans. I can’t wait till tomorrow when I serve this cake to my company.. Recipe >> Kentucky Butter Cake @ cookiesandcups.com

This is an absolutely gorgeous lasagna to serve to family or even company. The golden browned cheese and the delicious aroma is mouthwatering to those waiting for the first taste. The rich, creamy, tasty blend of three distinct cheeses is a heavenly marriage of flavor. Beautiful, bright, nutrient-rich spinach tucked away in the layers of pasta and cheese is superb. It is a meal that will have everyone begging for more.. Creamy Perfection Vegetarian Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese Ingredients:     3¼ cups ricotta cheese     1½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese     20 oz thawed chopped spinach, drained     4 ½ cups chunky vegetable pasta sauce (your choice)     1 box uncooked lasagna noodles     2 ½ cups grated Gouda or Swiss cheese (slices may be used)     ⅛ tsp. salt     ⅛ tsp. pepper Directions:     Prepare a 13 x 9 x 2 lasagna pan by spraying lightly with olive oil.     Set the pan aside until ready to use.     Gently blend the ricotta and parmesan cheeses tog

These adorable Cherry Pie Bars are summer sweetness in a bite. The cake base is heavenly. Not at all crumbly, it slices extremely well, which is sometimes not the case when I make cherry pies. To keep the top nice and light colored, you may want to add a piece of tin foil over the top of the baking pan after about 20 minutes. Recipe >> Cherry Pie Bars @ momspark.net

This is the original recipe off the Old Bay Seasoning tin.  A keeper! Original Old Bay Crab Cakes  Serves:  4 Ingredients: 2 slices dried bread, crusts removed 1 Tbs. milk 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 1 pound lump crabmeat vegetable oil Directions: 1. In a large bowl, break bread into small pieces. Moisten with milk. 2. Add mayo, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, baking powder, Old Bay, salt, egg and crabmeat. Mix lightly and shape into 4 patties. Refrigerate patties 30 minutes to help keep them stay formed when cooking. 3. Fill your frying pan with about 1/4″ vegetable oil. Over medium-high heat, fry until golden-brown on both sides. I usually flip every 1 minute to avoid over frying. Mike’s comment’s: These are Maryland (Eastern Shore) style crab cakes. They are typically served either plain or with mayonnais

Better get the milk ready for this one! Because if you love peanut butter and I know you do. Then this cake is just what you need. This cake is going to church with me tomorrow, because if I keep this in my house I know for a fact I will be eating the whole thing! I already had two slices and I am thinking about having a third!   Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter 1 cup water ¼ cup peanut butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup milk Directions: In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a saucepan combine butter, water and peanut butter; bring to a boil over medium heat. Add to flour mixture mixing well. Combine eggs, vanilla and milk; add to peanut butter mixture in bowl. Spread mixture into a grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350⁰F degree oven. Peanut Butter Icing ½ cup butter ¼ cup peanut butter 1/3 cup m

Made of simple ingredients, this classic yellow cake recipe is easily one of the easiest cakes to make. This one bowl cake can easily be mixed by hand, hand mixer or even a stand mixer, making it a perfect go-to cake recipe. I love that it is also one that my family calls “the best”! Recipe >> The Best One-Bowl Yellow Cake  @ cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com

It is not only beautiful, but very tasty too. It can be prepared in advance and will be a success among your family and friends. Sunny Spinach Pie Ingredients: for the dough:     500 gr of flour     90 ml of extra virgin olive oil     200 ml of warm dry white wine     2 tsp of salt     for the stuffing:     350 gr of boiled spinach     350 gr of ricotta cheese     1 egg     100 gr of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana cheese     salt     pepper     breadcrumbs Instructions:     Mix all the ingredients for the dough and work the dough until it becomes uniform (using a mixer or not).     Cover it with plastic wrap while preparing the stuffing.     Boil the spinach and squeeze it to eliminate the water.     Cut it with a sharp knife to facilitate.     Mix it with the ricotta cheese.     Add the egg.     Add the grated cheese, salt and pepper.     Amalgamate all ingredients.     Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.     Divide the dough in two.     Create 2

I made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. That rarely happens around here. I used red potatoes and no onions; put some minced garlic in when I tossed it with the seasonings. My husband said it is one of his favorite recipes I have tried. Definately a keeper! Recipe >> Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage Potatoes Recipe @ recipes from the big blue binder

My mother has been making the yummiest moist Zucchini bread for as long as I can remember. The name sounds like some health food bread meant for those that like to eat all things yucky. Zucchini bread however is nothing like what it sounds. Moist Zucchini bread tastes like a dessert bread. Think Banana bread only better! We used to have a garden where my mom grew her own Zucchini but she and my dad no longer had time to manage the garden. Now she gets them from grandma. Where the Zucchini comes from is unimportant. Buying from a local farmer will get you the freshest Zucchini, but really its the combination of Zucchini bread ingredients that makes this one a favorite. I can't tell you how old this zucchini recipe is, I can tell you it's written in a notebook that is older then I am.I can also say that until someone copies and posts this zucchini bread recipe as their own, you won't find this anywhere else. My mom gets many compliments on her homemade zucchini bread and I&#

When I found this recipe on Recipezaar, I thought it looked yummy. Then when I saw it has almost 500 five-star ratings, I knew I had to try it! The method is kinda kooky. The cooking temp is strange. The ingredients are super-simple. This cake is impossibly moist. And.. it is one of the BESTEST cakes I've ever made! Follow the directions, even though they make ya say. "huh?" You'll be glad you did! Oh! and it's best the next day! So, make it early! Even those who hate banana bread will love this simple cake! It's NOT the same thing! Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe 2 teaspoons lemon juice 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 2 1/8 cups sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups buttermilk Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 1/2 cups icing (or powdered) sug

A friend made this for the dessert at a work gathering and OH MY GAH! It was DIVINE! Never before have I ever wanted to just stick my face in any one food but I do believe this would be it! Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ingredients: For the crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers: 1 bag) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the filling: 32 ounces (4 blocks) low fat cream cheese at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1/4 cup sour cream, low fat 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup mini chocolate chips For the ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi sweet) Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the crust, combine the graham crackers and melted butter in a bowl until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temp

Cheesecake is my husband’s favorite, but I’ve always been scared away by horror stories of falling and cracking. Well, his birthday is this week, and I finally screwed up the courage to try it. All the great reviews said this recipe would work, so I used it, and my cheesecake turned out perfectly! It’s golden, smooth, and stunning. It is chilling, and we’ll serve it tomorrow. I hope it tastes as good as it looks! Recipe >> Perfect New York Cheesecake @ lifemadesimplebakes.com

I made these last night and they came out perfect! I’ve been searching for a recipe that’s just right, not too sweet/lemony. One change I made to the recipe was to skip the drizzle on top and just dust with powdered sugar. It’s a little more forgiving when you cut them, hides the rough edges.. Recipe >> The Best Lemon Bars @ yourhomebasedmom.com

My mom made these at least once a month throughout my childhood. The only difference  was she used tomato juice and thinly sliced onion on top. Special memories, :) Gram's Galumpki 1 or 2 heads of cabbage ( you will need 12-16 large leaves) 1 lb ground beef (80% lean or so) 2 cups cooked rice (cooked five minutes short of specified time) 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt tomato soup (1 or 2 small cans) or 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced fresh thyme leaves (several sprigs, 1 - 2 teaspoons) Cut the core from the head of cabbage and wash well. Fill a large saucepan or pot (I use a 4 quart saucepot) with about 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the head of cabbage, core side down. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the outer cabbage leaves are tender and flexible but not mushy. Caref

As the mornings start to get a little colder and fall begins to really get into full swing, I find myself craving coffee and baked goods in the morning. For me this usually ends up meaning baked oatmeal or this week this lovely apple coffee cake. I debated what exactly to call it. It definitely isn’t a cake since it’s not overly sweet, but it’s not really a bread either, and it has a yummy cinnamon sugar topping so I ended up with coffee cake. And the batter is made with cream cheese and apple sauce which add lots of moisture without adding fat from butter or oil. It’s a delicious little bite of fall. Recipe >> Cream Cheese Apple Coffee Cake @ yammiesnoshery.com

An Easy Homemade Bread Recipe: A little background My family is full of really fantastic cooks. My stepmom, my mother-in-law, my sisters--all fantastic. My brother is so fantastic that he makes his living cooking. Me? I am more like fantastically frightful. My roommate in graduate school had to show me how to cut up an onion. Graduate school--As in, I was 22 years old and paying all of my bills before I ever chopped a vegetable. Soon after I married Daniel, I tried to make something called "Broccoli Brag," and it was so terrible that I knew I had to get serious about learning how to cook. I did what any young Southern girl would do in my position: I bought a 2-year subscription to Southern Living and made as many recipes as I could. Although not quite fantastic, I've improved tremendously, and the recipe I'm most proud of is this homemade bread. It's simple--just 5 ingredients, and not as time consuming as you might think. You don't need a bread machine

Pinterest is fantastic as I am sure that you all know! I saw this recipe for the perfect chicken and have made it several times. I use it for everything:  soups, salads, pasta, plain, etc... It cooks perfectly every time,, Perfect Chicken Ingredients: 1/2 t. garlic powder 2-4 boneless chicken breasts with or without rib meat 1/2 t. pepper 2-3 T. olive oil 1/2 t. onion powder 1/2 t. paprika 1/2 t. salt Directions: Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl (I use my old 1/4 cup). Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning, rubbing in to coat. Pour olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 min per side. If any chicken has been removed, add it back to the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

I tried this for dinner last night and LOVED it! I used different bacon and different ranch but it was still amazing! Next time I will make it a little different though. FIRST, I would cut a few slits in my chicken for the ranch to seep through and cook within. SECOND, I would bake the bacon separate (because I like my bacon a little more on the crispy side). & THIRD, I would add the bacon to the chicken at the point you add the cheese. But overall this was delicious and I will be making it again in the near future! Recipe >> Bacon Ranch Chicken Bake @ thepinningmama.com

Tried them and worked out great! Replaced the olive oil with coconut oil and added a little vanilla extract instead of sugar. Once I had them in the bowl I added chopped walnuts and raisins. Awesome power breakfast! Recipe >> Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas @ Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas

It's a simple recipe that uses ingredients I almost always have on hand. To ensure that these bars are super crunchy, the recipe calls for toasting the oats with oil before forming the bars. I think this is the key step. One of the most difficult parts about making homemade granola bars is cooking them enough so that they get dried out all the way through, but not so long that they start over cooking. Toasting the oats first means that the bars start out dry and crispy, so they don't need to cook as long and start overcooking. After toasting the oats, all you have to do is pour the liquid ingredients over them, mix it up, and press it in a lined pan. Press down to squish all of the granola together into an even layer, and bake. Nothing to it. I like these bars the best with almonds, but when I made my last batch I was out of almonds, so I just added an extra cup of oats and they turned out just fine. So if you don't have any nuts around, or don't like nuts, just leav

Assembling pork sausages is a snap and, as always, if you use best-quality ingredients, it's hard to beat homemade.From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Simple Homemade Sausage Patties Ingredients:     1 pound ground pork     1 garlic clove, minced     1 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled     3/4 teaspoon dried thyme     1/2 teaspoon dried fennel, crushed     Pinch of ground nutmeg     1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt     1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper     1 large egg white     2 teaspoons vegetable oil Directions: Mix together the pork, garlic, sage, thyme, fennel, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the egg white and combine thoroughly. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes. To easily form the sausage patties, rinse your hands in cold water. Divide the mixture into eighths and shape each portion into a 2 1/2-inch disk. Patties can be made to this point and refrigerated or frozen until ready to use. Heat

This creamy casserole can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then baked just before dinner. Using frozen vegetables makes this dish a cinch. Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Perfect Pinch® Italian Seasoning , divided 1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed 1 package (16 ounces) frozen cauliflower florets, thawed 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Salt 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Coarse Ground 1 1/4 cups milk 4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, cubed Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning in small bowl. Set aside. Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces. Mel

Here is a fancy way to bring a little "surf" to any "turf" dinner!  It's pretty easy too... You will need: 2 lobster tails (around 8 ounces each) paprika (a few pinches) butter (a couple tbsp's) olive oil (a few tbsp's) kosher salt & pepper *Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. These little guys were frozen - let them fully thaw before doing anything.  Also, make sure you use quality seafood - I'm sorry, but don't get frozen lobster tails from a box. I recommend http://www.lobsterplace.com / (favorite place and super fresh!) Use a pair of good scissors to cut the shell as seen above. It takes a little work to pull the meat away from the shell - use your finger tips. Once the meat is pulled away, let it back on top of the shell.  This makes it look nice (think Red Lobster commercials - you can have your own "lobster-fest" at home now).  Rub the meat all over with olive oil. Lay the tails on a