Lil' Piggies

I read the nursery ryhme the Three Little Pigs to my son's 1st grade class. Then I had them make these. It was the only craft/treat I could think of. Now, I didn't have strawberry cake mix on hand when I came up with this idea, so I used a white cake mix and added strawberry jell-o. This is how I made my coconut lime cupcakes. I have to say that a box of jell-O changes the chemistry of the cake mix and somehow makes it softer. These are cute and they are delicious!!

 For the muddy piggy effect, just sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on their faces!

Lil' Piggies

• 1 box white cake mix (eggs, oil and water according to directions on box)
• 1 pkg strawberry gelatin
• 1 pkg strawberry wafers
• 1 bag strawberry marshmallows (cut in half)
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 can black cake decorating frosting 
• chocolate sprinkles
• 1 can Pillsbury Strawberry frosting

Mix cupcakes according to directions on box. Add entire box of strawberry gelatin. Mix well and bake according to directions on box. Cool.

Spread strawberry frosting on top. Place halved marshmallows for pig snouts on top. Dot nostrils with black frosting. Use chocolate chops for the eyes. Take wafers and cut on angles to create triangles for the ears. Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles under snout. Enjoy!

Cake Mix Waffles

Lately I am all about easy! Yes, waffles taste great from scratch but who says they can't taste great from a cake mix? I've made chocolate waffles before but these were much more simple!

There's really no recipe for this. Just follow the directions on your cake mix box and pour into your waffle iron. One box makes about 13 waffles. I think it will be so fun to try other flavors like strawberry, lemon even carrot cake or spice cake. Mmmmm!!

We had ours for breakfast but this would be fun to try as a sundae. Scoop vanilla ice cream on top with sundae toppings. Mmmmmmm!!

Cinnamon Pull Apart

 

These are so easy to make, absolutely delicious in every way and so beautiful to look at! Your kitchen will smell like cinnamon rolls but for half the work. This is gooey goodness that you must try!

Cinnamon Pull Apart

• 2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 C. maple syrup
• 1/3 C. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C. chopped pecans, optional
• 1/4 C. chopped almonds, optional

 

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired).

Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top.

Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring.Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  (I baked mine for an extra 6 minutes since they were still doughy in the center) Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!

Golabki (The Polish Burritto)

My friend made this for me last week and it was quiet delicious! It's a dish from Poland and my husband calls it the "Polish Burrito".  She served it with a sauce made from ketchup and beef stock - it was really tasty!

Gołąbki

• 1 whole head cabbage, about 4 pounds
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup beef stock
• Sour cream for garnish (optional)

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves.

When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through. Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven. 

Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool. Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, rice, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough. 

Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll. 

Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour beef stock over rolls, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked. 

Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker. 

Pomadora

 

This is the most delicious and addicting pasta on the planet! it's also a fabulous bread stick dip! I was introduced to this recipe about eight years ago from a lady that said her kids always served this for prom, and it easily became my favorite. It's sweet, creamy and tangy with the perfect amount of cheese. Your taste buds will never be the same! 

The original recipe is just the sauce with angel hair pasta, but when I make it I like to add sausage or ground beef and I top it with lot's of cheese. In fact, when I make dinner for a lot of people I always make this because it's so easy to triple the recipe and it's a lot of food. I once fed 25 people (who all had seconds and thirds) in my home from tripling the recipe. When I need to make a lot I like to bake it. So I prepare it in a giant aluminum roast pan. I put the pasta in and add about 2 Tbs olive oil and stir it in, so the noodles don't stick together. Then I pour the sauce over the top and the meat. Then I top with about 4 cups of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. It's MMMMMMazing! 

I used spaghetti noodles in this pic but trust me - angel hair pasta is the best for this! You want it smooth and silky in your mouth. 

Pomadora

• 1 box angel hair pasta
• 1 jar of meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1 small carton of whipping cream
• 3/4 cup grated/shredded Parmesan cheese (the real fresh stuff, not the dry immitation on the pasta isle)
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of garlic powder and dried basil (optional)

Boil pasta according to directions on box (about 10 minutes). In a saucepan mix all remaining ingredients together on medium high until warm and a little bubbly.  Pour over pasta and top with fresh Parmesan/Mozzarella cheese.

Here's how I make it as a bake - This baby was gone in 30 minutes!

 

This is super easy to make and so delicious!! It has a tangy zing that will tickle your taste buds and is so refreshing!

Frozen Strawberry Zinger

1 can frozen limeade from concentrate
1 bottle sprite
1 cup ice cubes
2 cups frozen strawberries

 Place limeade, 6 cups of sprite, ice cubes and strawberries into blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Taco Pie

 

This is such a fun way to eat tacos and you don't even need tortillas! It's super tasty!!

Taco Pie

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 2 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes (you could also use left over mashed potatoes and omit the butter and milk)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Add milk and 2 tablespoon taco seasoning. Remove from heat and add potato flakes until incorporated. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes until it just barely turns golden brown.

In a medium skillet, cook beef and onions until beef is browned and cooked through. Drain. Add Salsa and remaining taco seasoning. Cook until bubbly. Pour into crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes. Top with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Cut and serve with sour cream. 

My Newest Blog

I want to invite you to my newest blog! Lindsey Unedited It's a place where I get to talk about the things I never can here or on Facebook. It should be pretty entertaining as well as inspirational. Hope you check it out!

Lindsey

Sweet Potato Biscuits

My kids loved these! They are so yummy!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 1/2 tablespoon melted butter and more for pan
• 3/4 cup Sweet-Potato Puree, chilled
• 1/3 cup buttermilk

Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potato puree and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined (do not overmix).

 

Shape the biscuits: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy, five or six times. (If dough is too sticky, work in up to 1/4 cup additional flour.) Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1-inch thickness. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once).

 

Bake the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack on lower shelf. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan (to help them stay upright). Brush with melted butter. Bake until golden, rotating once, 20 to 24 minutes.

Strawberry Carrots

These are so fun for Easter and they taste wonderful!

Strawberry Carrots

• 1 pkg of Almond bark (AKA candy coating)
• orange food coloring
• 2 pkg fresh large strawberries

Rinse strawberries. Melt almond bark in microwave according to directions on microwave. Stir in food coloring. Coat strawberries in coating all the way up to the green leafy part. Set on a platter or wax paper until coating is solid. Enjoy!

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

This is my own made up recipe! These are super moist and delicious - you won't be able to eat just one. They are even better when you eat them cold. I made candied limes to place on top. Click on the link below to see my easy recipe for candied limes.

• 1 box of white cake mix
• 1 box of lime Jell-O mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup water
• lime

Topping

• 16 oz cool whip
• 1 can Creme of Coconut (Not coconut milk! Find this in the aisle with the margarita mix & other mixers. It's in a can and has the consistency of shortening)
• 8 oz cream cheese

 Candied Limes

Mix cream cheese and creme of coconut together with mixer. Add cool whip. Mix until lumps are all gone. Place in the fridge.

Mix cake mix, eggs, oil water and jell-o in bowl. Zest a lime into cake mix. (I also add about 1/2 cup of the lime syrup left over from making the candied limes) Place in cupcake molds and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Top with topping and candied limes. Place in fridge for 2-4 hours. Enjoy!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

 
These are so delicious! 

Sopapilla Cheesecake

• 2 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls (buy the seamless version if you can find them!)
• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter (melted)
• Cinnamon and sugar (I used about 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbs cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a glass pan, adjust the temperature to 325 degrees. Unroll and spread one can of crescent rolls on bottom of ungreased 9x13 inch pan.  If you aren't using the seamless crescents, be sure to smooth out the seams before adding the filling. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture, being sure to press together any seams. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Lime Syrup (Candied Limes)

This is so easy and you can do it with lemons and oranges as well! I love it on pancakes or drizzled over ice cream and cheesecake!

Lime Syrup (Candied Limes)

• 2 limes, sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• green food coloring 

Bring water and sugar to a boil - add limes and about 4 drops of food coloring. Boil for 10-15 minutes until limes appear translucent. Remove limes. Allow to cool. Syrup thickens in the refrigerator.

Place limes on paper towel and allow to cool. You can roll them is sugar if you'd like, after they have cooled. Enjoy!

Frozen Sour Patch Grapes

Oh these are divine! They are the perfect after snack on a warm day. It's a great way to get your kids to eat fruit and they are so good, they can't just eat one. If you love Sour Patch Kids and you love Popsicles, you'll love these!

Frozen Sour Patch Grapes

• 1 bag of green grapes
• 1 pkg watermellon flavored Jell-O

Rinse grapes and place in a strainer. Pour Jell-O mix into medium sized bowl. Place grapes in bowl and coat with Jell-O mix evenly. Place on a platter and freeze for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)

I made these for St. Patty's day. They are so good that I think I'll make them more often. I added garlic powder to mine and served them with sour cream dip. Yum!!

Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)

• 2 pounds (3 to 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes before cooking
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Chop half of the potatoes and boil in salted water until tender.

 

Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes on the large holes of a large cheese grater. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and place in a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Remove all water and set aside.
 

When the boiled potatoes are ready, drain them, return them to the pot, add 1/4 cup of the milk, and mash until the potatoes are smooth.With a plastic spatula, press the grated potatoes against the sides and bottom of the strainer to remove any liquid. Add the grated potatoes to the mashed potatoes (no need to stir though).
 

Place the egg, remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and whisk until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the potatoes and stir until evenly incorporated.
Heat a large nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot.
 

Once the pan is ready, add enough butter to lightly coat the bottom when melted. Drop 3 dollops (about 1/4 cup each) of the batter into the pan and spread each to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook until the pancake bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Place on a baking sheet and set in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. Serve warm.