Mimi's Cafe Carrot Raisin Nut Muffins

1 Cup Sugar
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup plus 1T vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 T buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.Use a mixer to combine the sugar,butter and molasses in a large bowl. Add the vegetable oil,eggs,buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well for 1 min or until smooth and creamy.
3.In a seprate bowl mix together the flour,baking soda and salt.
4.Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix well by hand
5.Add the carrots,raisins and walnuts and distribute the batter evenly into a large muffin tin that has been lightly greased.

6.Bake for 35-40 min or until toothpick comes out clean (mine only took about 33 min so watch them around that time)

* I have another recipe for the Mimi's cafe bread on my blog already that I posted back in April of 2011 I tried this one out for the muffins and think that its a much better choice. I think that they tasted even better on day 2 after they sat in a plastic ziplock overnight they were so moist and flavorful. This is the go to recipe for the Carrot Raisin Nut bread or muffins. I give them a 5

Mexican Cheesy Potatoes

 

 

1 container (16 oz) sour cream

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups cubed mild Mexican prepared cheese product(velveta) with jalapeño peppers (12 oz)
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups crushed gold or yellow tortilla chips

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix sour cream, soup, green chiles and onion. Stir in hash browns. Fold in cubed and shredded cheeses; pour into baking dish.

2.Bake about 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and mixture is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with crushed chips; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until chips are light golden brown.

* We loved these potatos they were so yummy and a great side with chicken. I loved that they are a variation on funeral potatos but spicy I will for sure make this again. I give them a 5

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
shredded cheese (optional)

1.Pound chicken breasts thin--to about 1/3-1/4 ".  Mix the cream cheese and jalapenos together. 
2.Put 1/4 of the cream cheese on each chicken breast.  Roll up and place in a baking dish. 

3.Bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

* I got this recipe from another favorite blog of mine bethsfavoriterecipes.blogspot.com I thought that it was pretty good but was missing something. I think that if I made it again I would add some cheese to the cream cheese mixture and also add a coating either crunched up crakers with some seasoning or some bread crumbs. It lacked in flavor to me but it could be great as is I give it a 3 1/2

Neapolitan Cake

 

 

Strawberry Cake

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 oz. strawberry Jell-O

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 + 1/4 + 1/8 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. milk

1/2 Tbl. vanilla

1/4 c. strawberry puree (I used frozen, sweetened strawberries and pureed them in my blender until smooth)

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add Jell-O.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Combine flour and baking powder and add alternately with milk and vanilla; beating until just combined.  Blend in strawberry puree.  Pour batter into one (9-inch) greased and floured cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (mine took 33 minutes) or until done.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, invert to rack and cool completely.  

Vanilla Cake

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one (9-inch) round cake pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 22-26 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert to rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Cake

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. cocoa

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 + 1/8 tsp. baking powder

1/4 + 1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. warm water

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbl. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one (9-inch) cake pan; set aside.  In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add egg, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, about 24-25 minutes.  Cool in pan 10  minutes, invert to rack and cool completely.     

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cubes butter, softened

1/3 c. shortening, opt. (I add this to help my frosting 

     hold its shape better for piping)

1 stick cream cheese, softened

6 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. strawberry puree (frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed)

2 tsp. strawberry extract

a few drops red food coloring, opt. 

Cream together butter, shortening and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar.  Add 1/4 cup strawberry puree, strawberry extract and food coloring and beat until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar and strawberry puree alternately and beat until reaches desired consistency.

 

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:  Place the strawberry cake on a plate and top with either strawberry jam or strawberry frosting.(I mixed a little jam with the frosting for the filling) Top with the vanilla cake and more jam or frosting.  Top with the chocolate cake, then more jam or frosting. Frost entire cake with strawberry frosting and decorate as desired.  Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

 

 

* I made this for Fathers Day to being to my in laws and it was pretty good I had some issues with my cakes My chocolate cake sunk and my strawberry cake overflowed in the oven lol but I made them work and it turned out pretty good considering lol I got this recipe again from eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com and hers turned out much prettier then mine lol but I am sure that the flavors were all there. It really did taste like the ice cream. I give it a 4

Here are my cakes the top is ready to baked and the bottom are my baked cakes lol they were a mess.

Puffy French Toast

 

1 c. flour

1 c. milk

2 eggs

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. maple extract

10 slices texas toast

1.Heat skillet and spray with cooking spray or grease with vegetable oil.  Mix together dry ingredients and mix together wet ingredients, then, combine the two together.  Pour batter into an 8x8 dish.  Dip bread in, flipping to get both sides.  Immediately place in hot skillet. 

 

2.Brown both sides.  Mix batter between dipping, so flour doesn't settle to the bottom. Serve with maple syrup and sliced bananas. 

 

* I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com She says to eat it with bananas sadly I was out of bananas and so I didnt get to try it that way but I am sure I will make this again and try it with the bananas. I made this for fathers day breakfast and everyone loved it. I give it a 4 1/2 also sorry about my lack of pictures I was trying to hurry and get breakfast done lol.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 can 15 oz tomato sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 pouch (6.5 oz) betty Crocker cornbread/muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350.

1.In a skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is cook through. Drain then stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently until boiling. Keep warm

2.In a small bowl, stir cornbread mix, milk, oil and egg just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
3.Spoon HOT beef mixture into an 8 inch square glass baking dish.
4.Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of cheese.
5.Spoon cornbread batter evenly over top.

6.Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7.Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over hot casserole.

* I got this recipe from punkaroonie.blogspot.com She has great ideas and recipes. We were not big fans of this one. It was fast and easy but I think it was to sweet as a sloppy joe for us we ate it but I wont make this one again. I give it a 3 1/2

Egg Roll Stir Fry

1 lb. ground turkey, beef or chicken (I used ground Chicken)
1 head of cabbage
Bok choy
3 - 4 medium carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 heaping tsp. ginger
1 tbsp. sesame oil
4 - 5 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper

1.Shred cabbage with a serrated knife.  Next, chop the bok choy and shred carrots.  Set veggies aside. 

2.Brown meat with the diced onions and garlic.  Then add the cabbage bok choy and carrots.  Add the ginger, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and pepper.  Toss as best you can and cover and cook over medium heat until cabbage has wilted, stirring occasionally.  Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until it's desired consistency.

* You need a large pan for this I used a wok and it was full before all the veggies cooked down. I also fried up some stliced egg roll wrappers to add to the top for some crunch and to top off the egg roll flavor. This was really good the whole family liked it and I am sure that you can add any other veggies that you would like. I give it a 4

Strawberry Blackberry Freezer Jam

2 Cup Blackberries
2 1/4 Cups crushed strawberries
1 1/2-1 3/4 sugar depending on how sweet you like it. I only used 1 1/2
5 T Instant Pectin for no cook jam

1.Place berries in food processor if you have a dough blade this works. Don't use the blade or it just turns it to mush. If you don't have the dough blade just put berries in a pan or large bowl and smash with potato masher until desired consistency.

2.In a separate bowl mix together the sugar and instant pectin. Add the berries and stir for 3 min.

3.Pour into freezer safe containers and let sit at room temp 30-40 min or until set. Put into freezer or fridge.



* Will stay in the freezer for up to 1 year and will keep in fridge 3-4 weeks.


* I used my same recipe for my No cook strawberry freezer jam just added new berries. This was so super easy to make it tastes great.. I got 4 jars out of this recipe. Its great I give it a 5

Slow Cooked Beef Stew

1/2 Cup Flour
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2lb beef stew meat
2T oil
2 envelopes Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1 14.5oz can chopped tomato's. With the juice
1tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
6 med red potatoes quartered
6 med carrots cut into 1" chunks
1 lg onion chopped
2 3/4 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup frozen corn


1.In a ziplock bag mix together the flour,salt and pepper. Toss the beef chunks in the mixture until coated.
2.Heat oil in pan and brown all sides of the beef chunks set aside.
3.In the slow cooker add the potatoes,carrots,onions top with the browned meat and then add the tomatoes,onion soup mix packets,thyme,bay leaf.bullion cube and water.

4.Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or until all the veggies are fork tender.
5.Add the corn the last 30 min of cooking.

6.Top with sour cream and salt and pepper to taste (optional)



* I love the slow cooker. Nothing is better then just throwing a bunch of stuff in there in the morning and not having to worry about dinner the whole day. This was great and so simple we just served it with some bread and a green salad and have a yummy simple dinner. I am sure that I would make this again sometime. I give it a 4 1/2

Vanilla Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1.In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes.

2.Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes.

3.Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

* I was so excited when I saw these because my sons hates peanut butter. I know he is crazy lol so to find a no bake that didnt use pb I knew I had to try them out. Like all no bakes they were super easy to make and were pretty good. I think that I would mix up the pudding flavor maybe use chocolate or butterscotch I bet you couls use any flavor. The vanilla was pretty good I give them a 4 I will let you know if I try another flavor. This recipe made about 32 cookies and I got the recipe from http://life-should-be-delicious.blogspot.com/ I would also eat these within about 36 hours of making them or they start to get hard and sugary.

Homemade Manicotti Alla Romana

Shells

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups water

6 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.Mix together: flour, water, eggs and salt to make a thin, smooth batter. Pour about 3T-4T batter onto lightly greased griddle. Cook 10-15 sec until a film starts to form then flip and cook another 10-15 sec. Place on sheets of wax paper to prevent from sticking until you fill.
This recipe makes 30-35 shells

Manicotti Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound italian sausage

salt to taste

1 1/4 Cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in sausage. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
2.Cook spinach according to package directions.
3.To the sausage mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs.

4.Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently stuff each manicotti shells with meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish.

5.Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour .Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed pasta.

6.Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce.

7.Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.



* This looks like its a lot of work but it really came together pretty fast. I made the shells first and then while the meat was cooking I was making the white sauce at the same time so that it was all done together and ready to put into the oven. The shells were a lot like crepes while I was making them but when they are filled and stuffed they tasted just like noodles without that rubbery store bought noodle taste. They were really good and fast and simple to make. The whole family loved this and I am sure that I will make it again. I give it a 4 1/2

1lb Birthday Burgers

So my husbands birthday was last week and he loves burgers its his all time favorite so for his birthday dinner we made giant man size 1lb burgers. They were so fun to make and tasted great.

We made the buns using 4 thawed rhodes rolls. We smashed them together to make one large ball of dough and then let that rise for the buns.

For the burgers we used 1 lb beef seasoned with garlic and onion powder and grilled them on the bbq until done and covered them in cheese lol

remember to smash your beef together well so it doesnt fall apart on the grill.

Toppings anything you like
mayo
ketchup
mustard
lettuce
tomato
bacon
fried eggs
onion
etc

When the buns are done rising cook them in the oven at the temp that the rolls say to cook at for 18-20 min or until golden.

Top with all your favorites.

* This is not something that you would make all the time but it was really fun to make for a special occasion. If you love burgers you cant go wrong with one bigger then your head lol

Creamy Southwest Chicken Nachos

1 small bag frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 16-oz jar medium salsa (it must be medium)

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

spash of lime juice

tortilla chips

Any other additional toppings you desire such as chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced green onion, sliced olives,lettuce,tomato etc.

1.Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crock pot. (Can corn can be used in place of the frozen.  Just drain it and put the chicken in first followed by the corn)

2.Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa.

3.Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours.

4.Shred chicken with forks and mix in cream cheese until melted and creamy.add the spash of lime juice.

5. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings

* I thought that these were pretty good. I think it would make for a good party snack to have out for guests. I didnt really shred my chicken I more just chunked it up lol We also used plain and avacado flavored chips to dip into it. I give it a 4