Strawberry Coffee Cake

Yield: 4-6 servings

For the batter:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp melted butter

For the topping:

1/4 cup butter, cut into small squares

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup instant oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sliced strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
2. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix until combined. Pour batter into greased 8x8-inch pan.
3. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the batter, covering it in a single layer of strawberries.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the sugar and oats until well combined. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the strawberries.
5. Bake for 45-50 min, rotating the pan halfway through.
6. Let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Spaghetti

Yields: 6-8 servings

2 large chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Coarse ground black pepper

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 4 oz can diced green chilies (optional)

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Basil

1/4 teaspoon Granulated Onion

1/4 teaspoon Chili powder

8 oz spaghetti, uncooked and broken into 3”-4” pieces

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.       Place the onions, peppers, and garlic in the bottom of crockpot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer over onions and peppers.

2.       In a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, green chilies, milk, chicken broth, worchestershire sauce, black pepper, cumin, oregano, basil, granulated onion, and chili powder.

3.       Cook on high for 4 hours.

4.       Remove chicken and shred. Return to crockpot and add spaghetti noodles. Try to stir the noodles so they are covered with liquid.

5.       Continue cooking on high for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

6.       Top with cheddar cheese.

Cabbage Roll Skillet

Yields: 6-8 servings

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped

14 oz can beef broth

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles 

4 oz tomato sauce

1-2 tsp minced garlic (to taste)

ground black pepper (to taste)

3/4 cup uncooked rice (long grain white rice or jasmine rice)

1. In a large skillet with a lid, brown the ground beef with onion and celery on medium heat. Drain the grease and return to stove.
2. Stir in cabbage, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, and pepper. Bring to a light boil on medium-high heat.
3. Add rice and stir well, making sure the rice is covered by liquid.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until cabbage and rice are cooked through.
5. Serve with corn on the cob or a slice of bread and butter. Enjoy!

Better Than Sex Cake (Homemade!)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Homemade Caramel Sauce:

Recipe adapted from CookingClassy.com

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
6 tbsp salted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Measure out the ingredients and have them ready to add to the saucepan as needed. 
2. Combine the sugar and water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium high heat, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved.
3. Continue whisking the mixture until it comes to a boil. Once it is boiling, stop whisking and allow mixture to boil until it reaches a dark amber color.
4. As soon as it reaches the desired color, immediately add the butter and whisk until melted. Remove from heat, wait 3 seconds, and carefully pour in cream. Whisk to combine until mixture is smooth.
5. Allow caramel to cool for several minutes. Store in a glass jar or container.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Homemade Chocolate Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup water

1/3 cup butter (melted)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the vinegar, vanilla, water, and melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Homemade Chocolate Cake

Additional Steps:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz whipped cream

candy bar topping of choice (I used Snickers, Butterfinger, and Skor)

1. Poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon as soon as it comes out of the oven. Try not to poke all the way down to the pan though.
2. Spoon the sweetened condensed milk and the caramel sauce over the cake so that it seeps down into the holes. Use as much or as little as you like. This will make the cake super moist.
3. Allow the cake to chill in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours prior to serving.
4. Top with whipped cream and chopped candy.

Fried Rice (Ham or Shrimp)

Yield: 2 servings

2-3 slices of bacon
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 cups day old cooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Optional: Add in 1 cup cooked chopped ham for ham fried rice OR 6-8 jumbo shrimp for shrimp fried rice.

1. Cook the bacon slices on medium heat in a large non-stick skillet until desired crispiness. Remove the bacon, pat dry on paper towels, and crumble into pieces.
2. In the leftover hot bacon grease, add the zucchini, bell pepper, celery, and onion and stir-fry on medium heat for 5 minutes. Optional: add the chopped ham on this step if using ham.
3. Add in the frozen peas and carrots and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until heated through. Optional: add the shrimp on this step and cook until pink and opaque if using shrimp.
4. Add rice and stir-fry mixture until combined and heated. Push the rice mixture to the sides of the skillet to make a well in the center.
5. Pour the beaten egg into the center of the pan and cook until firm. Stir rice mixture into eggs, add in the crumbled bacon and soy sauce, and stir until well combined and heated through.

Enjoy this fried rice with Fried Wontons and Polynesian Dipping Sauce!

Fried Wontons and Polynesian Dipping Sauce

Fried Wontons and Polynesian Dipping Sauce

Fried Wontons

Yield: 2 servings

8 Wonton wrappers

8 tsp cream cheese

Oil for frying

1. Place 1 tsp of cream cheese onto the middle of each wonton wrapper. Fold in one corner onto the cream cheese, then fold the opposite corner over and stick them together using a dab of water. Fold in the remaining corners, creating a square, and seal using water.
2. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Place the wontons into the hot skillet and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
4. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil.
5. Allow to cool 5 minutes as cream cheese will be hot.

Polynesian Dipping Sauce

Recipe adapted from StockPilingMoms.com

Yield: 2 servings

1/2 cup California French Dressing

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 tblsp honey

1. Whisk together ingredients and place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Honey Chex Mix

1 1/2 cups Rice Chex

1 1/2 cups Crispix

1 cup Corn Pops cereal

1 cup Bugles, original flavor

1/2 cup Teddy Grahms

2 tblsp light corn syrup

2 tblsp honey

1 tblsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Kettle Corn, optional (Click here for homemade kettle corn recipe!)

1. Preheat oven to 250*F.
2. Combine Rice Chex, Crispix, Corn Pops, Bugles, and Teddy Grahms in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat corn syrup, honey, and butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Pour corn syrup mixture over cereal mixture until well coated.
5. Spread this mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool before transferring to an airtight container.
6. For an added boost of flavor and texture, stir in 2 to 3 cups of kettle corn.