Strawberry Yogurt Cake

This cake is delicious.  It is so moist and bursts with fresh flavors.  It is perfect for spring/summertime.  I made this for a bake-off at work during nurses week a couple weeks ago and actually won!  That is how good this cake is.  I wanted a picture of an actual piece of the cake so you could see the inside, but I forgot about it at work once the cake was cut.  Hopefully the picture I have will entice you enough to make this.  You won't be disappointed.

Strawberry Yogurt Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 banana
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Squeeze in the lime juice.  With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and add the 1/2 banana.  Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing until just incorporated.  Keep 1/4 cup of the flour mixture set aside.  Toss the strawberries with the 1/4 cup of flour.  Gently mix them into the batter.  Pour the batter into the bundt pan.  Bake for 60 minutes.  Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.  (I have been told the cake will easily fall apart if you do not let it cool in the pan.  Have patience and wait.  It will sooooo be worth it).

Recipe found at Life in the Dub Lane.

Grilled Cheesy Potatoes

We have been grilling a lot these days.  It is so nice out and gets too hot in the house with the oven on.  We grill hamburgers frequently (at least once a week), chicken, and the occasional steak here and there.  Veggies are so hard for me to get into my diet on a routine basis so we've been grilling up veggies a lot also.  Usually we use zucchini, squash, peppers, onion, and/or asparagus tossed in olive oil with salt and pepper.  Easy and delicious.  I found this cheesy potato recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  We didn't have bacon, which makes everything better, but these were good even without the bacon.  I have a feeling we will make this recipe again and again.  The potatoes were so cheesy and had excellent flavor.  It was super easy to put together and required minimal clean-up.

Grilled Cheesy Potatoes
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp minced chives
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Olive Oil

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  Place on double-thick aluminum foil that has been greased with olive oil.  Dot with butter.  Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly.  Grill over medium heat for 15-18 minutes on each side or until potatoes tender.  Carefully open the foil and sprinkle on the bacon, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese.  Seal foil and cook another 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Yield 4-6 servings.

Recipe found at Taste of Home.

Banana Pudding

My husband mentioned the other night that he wanted banana pudding.  I have to admit...I'd never eaten it nor had I ever attempted to make it.  I found this recipe from Paula Deen and figured it had to be good.  It took a little bit of time and patience to wait for the custard to thicken, but the end result was well worth it.  This was delicious!

Banana Pudding
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 bananas, sliced
12 ounce box vanilla wafers

Mix sugar and cornstarch and slowly add milk.  Cook over double broiler on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.  Make sure to bring the mixture to a boil and then cut heat back to simmer.  Slightly beat egg yolks and temper with custard mixture.  Add egg mixture to custard pot and cook 2-3 more minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter.  Let cool.  In 9x9 pan, alternate pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers, beginning and ending with pudding.  Store in refrigerator.  Top with cool whip when ready to serve.

Recipe found at Food Network.

Overnight French Toast Casserole & Exciting News

As I look back over the past couple years of writing this blog, I am pleased with the recipes I have shared.  I wish it was a more user-friendly site and easier to find recipes.  Since it hasn't grown at all, I really do not want to pay to upgrade.  I hope those of you who have followed me have found a recipe you have made and enjoyed.  I also hope you continue to follow my blog as I change it slightly from being only about recipes (and the occasional craft) to a more family focused blog.  Yes, most of you know my husband and I are expecting our first child in August and are super excited to be having a boy!!  I plan to continue posting recipes, but you may notice more family-related posts.

This picture was taken when I was 23 weeks along.  I am now 25 weeks.  I will share more pregnancy photos in upcoming posts.

Since I've been pregnant I kept thinking I wasn't really having any cravings except for  sweets, which is really nothing new for me.  Looking back over the past 24 weeks, I realize I have craved breakfast, specifically french toast and pancakes.  I made this recipe a couple weekends ago, and my husband and I enjoyed it.  It was easy to put together, and I loved that I could make it the night before and just toss it in the oven the next morning.

Overnight French Toast Casserole
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 loaf challah or french bread (or whatever you have on hand and sounds good)
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
maple syrup
powdered sugar, optional

In a small bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Pour onto bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish.  Arrange slices of bread in baking dish, overlapping if necessary.  In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.  Pour mixture over the bread.  Sprinkle pecans over bread.  Wrap baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, at least 4 hours.  In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees and let french toast sit out of refrigerator for about 10 minutes before putting in oven.  Bake casserole 30-35 minutes.

Recipe found at The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Butterfinger Cookies

It seems on pinterest that all the rage lately in baking has to do with candy bars.  I have so many recipes to make:  snickers brownies, twix bars, peanut butter cookie candy bars, reese's cheesecake brownies, peanut butter cup brownie cake, etc.  The list goes on and on.  I actually found this recipe in a cookbook I own.  They are delicious, and you all should make them soon.

Butterfinger Cookies
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Butterfinger candy bars, coarsely chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg whites; beat well.  Blend in peanut butter and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to cream mixture and mix well.  Stir in candy bars.  Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.

Fiesta Corn Chowder with Chicken

Mike made this chowder for me one night and had it waiting for me when I got home from work.  He is the best husband and cooks for me everyday when I'm working.  He then waits for me to get home before he eats; which is usually 8pm or later with 12 hour shifts.  It's our family time and time to sit and relax with each other after not seeing each other since 5am.  He did not blend it, and we both agreed it probably would have been better being pureed slightly.  An immersion blender would work best, but we do not own one of those.  It was still delicious and healthy and something we will make again.

Fiesta Corn Chowder with Chicken
6 (1/4-inch thick) slices Asiago Cheese (optional)
1 1/2 tsp chipotle seasoning
3 cups frozen cut corn
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
4 ounces chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups skim milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (plus additional for garnish)
Avocado slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray both sides of bread slices with nonstick cooking spray.  Place bread on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. chipotle seasoning over slices.  Bake 10 minutes or until golden, set aside.
In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine corn, chicken broth, red pepper, green onions, green chilies, remaining chipotle seasoning, oregano, and salt.  In a separate bowl, stir together milk and cornstarch until blended; then add to saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, blend soup until partially pureed.  Return to saucepan.  Stir in chicken and 1 Tbsp. cilantro, heat through.  If desired, garnish with additional cilantro and avocado slices.  Serve with prepared asiago cheese.

Recipe found in HyVee Seasons Magazine, 2012, volume 6, issue 1.

Spicy Tortilla Roll Ups

I made these roll ups for one of my best friend's baby shower.  She is having twins and is due any day now.  I'm so excited for them to arrive into this world.  She is going to be a great mommy.

Spicy Tortilla Roll Ups
5 large flour tortillas
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 ounces chopped green chilies, drained
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Have tortillas at room temperature.  Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well blended.  Spread mixture fairly thin and evenly on each tortilla, leaving about 1/8 inch around the edges.  Roll tortillas up and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in refrigerator overnight.  About 1-2 hours before you are ready to eat, slice them into 3/4 inch rounds.  Serve plain or with salsa.

Makes about 60.
**Make sure to make the night before as they need to be refrigerated.**

Original recipe found at Tidy Mom.