How to Make a Tangled Rapunzel Cake!

My turning-6-year-old daughter decided to have a Tangled (Disney's animated Rapunzel movie) themed birthday party.  As usual, we went to buy a shaped cake pan to decorate, only to discover one didn't exist!  So, we had to get creative.  Using an image of the Rapunzel tower from the movie, we crafted our own Tangled Cake.

 This top part is enough cake batter for two layers in a large glass bowl, topped with an ice cream cone.

The middle portion is 2 9-inch round cake layers.

The bottom portion was the fun part!  It is three batches of Rice Krispie Treats (one batch at a time) pressed into a medium size (about 6 inch) spring form pan.  After the batch cools (I used the refrigerator to speed things up) remove the sides and bottom and stack.

 Here you can see the "inside" after we took the top off to eat it.  We used a plate upside-down for the base.

To decorate, we tinted the base with a light gray and the top part with lavender.  Using black icing and a narrow tip, we drew on bricks.  The flower tip was used to make the green ivy, and a few red flowers. Her hair was vermicelli pasta. Thin pretzel sticks were used to simulate the wood work and create the window for her hair.  I have a feeling the mini chocolate chips and yellow chicks were last minute additions by my daughter.

When decorating, my husband found it easier to decorate the base BEFORE adding all the top layers.

Good luck and enjoy!

Freezer Meal Recipe Friday: Garlic Chicken

This recipe is from our freezer meal exchange...made by Pamela. It is so yummy - our whole family loves it!

Garlic Chicken:

Ingredients:
2-4 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup dry whole wheat (or just plain Italian but not as healthy) bread crumbs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves trimmed of fat


Warm the garlic and olive oil together. In a separate dish, combined bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. If freezing, place on a cookie sheet and flash freeze. Then, wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags until ready to thaw.

When ready to eat, thaw overnight and then cook at 425F for 30-35 minutes.

Alternate options to the recipe are to add red pepper flakes into the garlic/oil mixture AND/OR dry Italian dressing mix into the bread crumbs mixture.

Freezer Meal Bonus Recipe: Italian Style Chicken

Ingredients:

6 small whole chicken breasts (about 4 lb)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup veg oil
1 can (10.75 oz) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (8 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp dried marjoram leaves

Directions:
Cut chicken breast in half. Mix bread crumbs, walnuts and salt. Beat eggs slightly; stir in water. Coat chicken breasts with flour; dip into egg mixture. Coat with crumb mixture. Heat butter and oil in 10-inch skillet over med heat until hot. Cook chicken, several pieces at a time, until golden brown--2-3 minutes. Place 6 halves in each of 2 ungreased baking pans. Pur broth into dishes; sprinkle with cheese. Mix remaining ingredients; spoon over top. Wrap, label and freeze.

To serve: About 1.5 hours before serving, remove from freezer and unwrap. Place in oven safe dish, cover and cook in 375 degree oven about 40 minutes. THEN, uncover and cook another 30 minutes.  Serve over pasta.

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Working Woman's Cookbook.

Freezer Meal Recipe Friday; Italian Chicken

So, this may seem like a cop-out to some, but its super easy and really yummy.  Just put some Italian dressing in a freezer bag with chicken.  Freeze.  Thaw and cook.  Yum!  The Italian dressing really flavors it!  I like to grill the meat and put it on a bun for a simple sandwich.  So much better than fast food and just as fast!  You could also slice it for fajitas.  Be creative, what else can be a simple marinade? I've done lemon juice with chicken, also wine with chicken or beef.  No need for the expensive marinades.  Enjoy!

Oh, and for those of you disappointed not to see a "real" recipe, tune in Monday for a more "in-depth" Italian chicken recipe.

Freezer Meal Recipe Friday: Tomato Chicken

My husband doesn't like tomato sauce, but this meal is OK for him.  I like to serve it over pasta (whole wheat of course!) My recipe calls for pre-cooking and then reheating on meal day, but I can't help thinking it'll work to freeze raw, too.

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) jar chunky pasta sauce
1 (16 oz) jar mild salsa
1 (10 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried parsley
cayenne pepper to taste
pepper to taste
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
pasta

Directions:
In a large pot of medium-low heat, mix all the ingredients (except chicken and pasta).
Place chicken in a seperate pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.
Transfer chicken to sauce mixture.  Cover, and cook on low about 20 minutes if freezing, 40 minutes if not. If freezing, allow to cool and transfer to freezer bag.

On cooking day: Serve with pasta.  Reheat chicken and sauce and serve over cooked pasta.

This recipe was amended from Tara's Chicken.

Freezer Meal Recipe Friday: Tex Mex Chicken Soup

So I do know its summer, but we LOVE this soup recipe.  Served with some homemade rolls (which can also be frozen) its a quick and easy meal.  The ladies in my freezer meal exchange rave about this also!  One warning though--make sure you are getting diced chillies and NOT diced jalapenos...unless you want to kick up the spice A LOT! (oops)


2 14-oz cans chicken broth
1 15-oz can Great Northern Beans (Rinsed and drained)
1 4-oz can green chillies, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen corn

Spray a large soup pot lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Saute garlic and onion until onion is translucent. Add beans, chillies, oregano, cumin and broth.  Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add chicken and corn. If freezing, reduce heat and allow to cool before transferring to freezer container.  If eating immediately, allow to simmer an additional 15 minutes.

On eating day: Thaw and reheat on stove on low.

This recipe was adapted from Moms Budget.

Zesty Chicken Marinade: Freezer Meal Friday on Saturday

So, today is Saturday (or it was for those of you reading this later), and not Friday, as the freezer meal Friday recipes normally occur.  Yesterday however my family visited Hershey Park, and 'oops' I forgot to set an autopost! Hershey Park was a lot of fun!

Today's recipe is a simple chicken marinade.  We eat A LOT of boneless/skinless chicken.  I often buy it on sale for under $2 a pound, so freezing it in a marinade and adding some sides on cooking day make it a quick fix. You can grill it, bake it, broil it, or cook it in a pan.

Ingredients:
4  garlic cloves, minced (I just used a tbsp-ish of minced garlic)
1  small onion, finely chopped
1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
1/4  cup  olive oil
1 1/2  teaspoons  paprika
1  teaspoon  ground cumin
1  teaspoon  dried parsley
1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
About 1.5 pounds of  boneless skinless chicken

Mix all the ingredients together in a freezer bag and thaw when ready to cook.  The mixture will marinate the meat as it thaws.

This recipe was amended from My Recipes.

No pizza sauce? Try tomato soup! Seriously!

Just a quick post here...in the past 24 hours I've made zucchini brownies, whole wheat bread, egg salad, buttercream frosting, and pizza crust, all while taking care of 3 preschoolers (2 just part of the day) and an infant.  So, when I realized I didn't have pizza or pasta sauce for the pizza crust, I really didn't want to run to the store.  So I tried tomato soup.

I took a can of condensed soup, added basil, oregano and garlic to it, and that's it!  The sauce tasted delicious on the pizza!  It was a little sweet, but still good topped with cheese and green peppers.  Its an "in a pinch" winner!

How to Make the Best Chocolate Cake Ever!

When I found this recipe I was floored.  And then when it actually tasted good...I was shocked!  My super-picky husband even said it was good.  Its a yummy chocolate can recipe with hidden blueberries AND all whole wheat flour.  And no butter! They'll never know.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) this snack didn't last long enough for a pic.  The teens from our church's youth group (the testers) gobbled them up.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 egg

Keep in mind this is a small recipe...only fits a 8x8, so if you plan to make a layer cake, be sure to double it!


Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Combine water, blueberries and egg in a blender until smooth, then add to flour mixture. Whisk until well combine and pour into pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

I found this recipe here. I just put a simple frosting on my cake, but they have directions for a more decadent one also.

Freezer Meal Recipe Friday: Stovetop Chicken Casserole

I've been so tired this week! That picture is how I've felt! I've been getting "almost" enough sleep, and nothing very stressing has been happening, but I've been just dragging.  Thankful for the meals I have tucked away that just need thawed and heated or cooked.  This week's meal was introduced to me by a dear friend Annette after the birth of my first daughter. Yes, that one up there looking exhausted.  Annette brought us that hot meal, and we've been making it ever since. I especially like it when I don't know what else to cook!  I have the kind of husband who needs vegetables concealed whenever possible, so I added spinach to the recipe.  It really works and pack a powerful punch of vitamin K and vitamin A!

 Later, when I started making freezer meals I decided to try to see if it would work in freezer form.  It does.  Perfectly! Here you go:

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken cut into chunks
4-6 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
 1 cup frozen spinach (thawed if not making a freezer meal)
1 box of stovetop stuffing
2-4 tbsp of butter, melted

Line the bottom of your ovensafe baking dish or 9/13 pan with the chicken chunks. Layer the swiss cheese next, then pour on the spinach.  Mix the soup and milk together, and then pour that over the spinach.  Top evenly with the stuffing, and finally drizzle the melted butter over the top of the stuffing.  Cover tightly and freeze.

To cook:  Thaw completely and bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  You may cook from frozen but it will take about 2 hours and not taste as yummy.

How to Make Your Own Cake Frosting!

My picture today is deceptive. It was my youngest daughter's first birthday this weekend and this was her cake.  My husband prefers store bought frosting when he star tips cakes for its constancy.  I dislike it for its trans fats and the fact that I always run out at 10pm.  The last time this happened I decided to try something daring:  I made it myself!  I always thought this was a super complex task only to be attempted by the most qualified professional bakers.  Uh, no.  Its super easy.  Its simply a combination of butter, confectionery sugar, a little vanilla, and a little milk (plus color if necessary).  Here's the recipe I started with, but now I just wing it and you will be able to also. 

1 lb confectioners sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk

Thats it...just mix it all together until it forms frosting!  If its too thick, add just a little drizzle of milk and mix.
For chocolate frosting add some cocoa powder as well.


For a second point today a blog I frequent Heavenly Homemakers celebrates GratiTuesday each week and asks its readers to talk about what they are thankful for.  As I reflected on this today, I first of all was very thankful for the string of green lights I got on the way to pick up my daughter from playground camp, and of course my family, but on a relevant topic to this site--I'm thankful for all these tips I've learned.  Many of these were the result of friends or family members sharing their knowledge with me, and encouraging me to try things.  I think presently of my dear friend Alissa who encouraged me to try making my own Alfredo sauce, or my friend Laura who told me about the cookie time saver.  Of course there are other friends who've shared tips that I'm not going to mention here right now, but know I'm thankful for you too.

Freezer Meal Friday Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Chicken

 Frozen Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Happy Freezer Meal Friday!  I know a bunch of you were looking forward to seeing some more recipes!  I know I love having my freezer work for me.  This morning I threw some rye bread I had baked in the freezer and then threw some cookies in the oven straight from my freezer.

Today's recipe is Bacon Wrapped Chicken.
Its so easy you'll be making batches of these to freeze all the time!

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tsp dried basil
1 stick cream cheese (plain or veggie or herb)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 pack of bacon

Directions:
Let the cream cheese soften, add the basil and the garlic.  Alternately, you can just use herb or veggie cream cheese and eliminate this step, although I still plop some garlic on when I do this.
Take the boneless skinless chicken breast and trim of visible fat.  Then, slice it in half making chicken fingers.  Take a scoop (about 1 tbsp) of the cream cheese mixture and spread it over one of the chicken figures and then put the other on top...like a sandwich.  Wrap the chicken "sandwich" in bacon (one or two slices).  To freeze, place on lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight.  Remove from freezer and place in freezer bags.

To Prepare:  Remove chicken from freezer and let thaw in fridge overnight.  To cook: bake at 375 for 40 minutes and then broil to crisp up chicken OR (better choice) fry in covered pan until cooked through.

Creamsicles

  Photo copyright RAL. Do not copy.

Oh, those delicious summer treats!  We rarely buy them, but the orange and ice creamy goodness is oh so good.  Recently I discovered how to duplicate the taste at home using only a few simple ingredients.  Have a popsicle mold? Try it out!  Be prepared...its more icy than creamy, and the flavors are mixed.  I have an idea though...will update!

Creamsicles at Home

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Milk
6 tbsp Heavy Cream

Directions:
This recipe won't give you the orange coated treats you'd get from the store, but it will still have the taste.  Using your popsicle mold, pour 1 tbsp cream into each mold.  Then fill halfway with milk, and the rest of the way with OJ.  Freeze and enjoy!

Freezer Meals (Make Ahead)

I've been waiting until Friday to write this, because I think "Freezer Friday" has a nice ring to it.  Agree?  Every Friday I plan to share a recipe for a freezer meal, or make-ahead recipe that you can use.  This is a HUGE money saver, as you get to not just buy in bulk, but buy in bulk on sale!  It also reduces the need to get fast food or eat out when there just isn't time for dinner.  With a freezer meal you just thaw (if necessary) and bake!

One super option for freezer meals is to join/start a freezer meal exchange.  I've been part of one of these for two years.  Every month I make 5 of the same freezer meal, and then on a designated day I swap meals with 4 of my friends.  I go home with 5 different meals!  This month London Broil was on sale buy one get one free, so I bought 6 cuts of meat and will use that in this month's recipe.  I also got the red wine vinegar that will also be part of the recipe on clearance for additional savings.

Here's the recipe for Marinated London Broil:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Place meat in a gallon size zipper bag (I usually choose a piece between 1-2 lbs).  Add ingredients to the bag and freeze.  Allow to thaw overnight the day before you plan to cook it.  When ready to cook, place on broiler pan, pat dry and sprinkle with salt (you can omit this). Broil on high for 7 minutes on each side.  And be prepared for massive deliciousness!

Make Your Own Bread

 photo copyright RAL

My husband makes delicious sandwiches for lunch for work.  He selects artisan bread, toasts it and tops it with lunch-meat, thousand island dressing, and occasionally some vegetables.  The problem was, the cost of the ingredients were making "brown bagging it" cost more than eating out.  One of the major purchases was the $4 a loaf bread he was buying.  I've since found I can make it myself and with all wholesome ingredients for about $1.50 a loaf.  If he were to pack lunch every week, this would save over $100 a year just making it myself!

Here are my two favorite recipes:

Caraway Rye Bread

1 1/2 teaspoon Yeast
1 cup Rye flour
2 3/4 cups Bread flour
1/3 cup Brown sugar
3 Tablespoons Caraway seed
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 cup Water, warm

Place ingredients in the bread machine in recommended order.  30 minutes before the end of the cycle, preheat oven to 350 with stone (like pizza stone) inside.  When cycle is complete, place dough in an oval on the stone and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Oat/Flax/Whole Wheat Bread

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or whey, kefir, buttermilk or yogurt) plus enough water to make 1 cup

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup honey

3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (or olive oil or melted butter)

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. honey

1 3/4 tsp. yeast

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

Put water/vinegar mixture, flour, oats, honey, oil and flax seed in the pan of your bread machine in the manufacturer’s recommended order (mine says to do liquids first then solid ingredients). Turn the bread machine on the dough cycle and let run for about five minutes, until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn off the machine and let this sit for 12-24 hours.

After the soaking period, combine the 2 Tbsp. water, honey and yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast (mixture should rise and become foamy). Add the yeast/water/honey, salt and gluten to the flour in the bread machine. Select the dough cycle and watch it for the first few minutes to make sure it doesn’t need more flour. I only needed to add about 1 tsp.

When the dough cycle is finished (mine takes 120 minutes), dump the dough onto a flour surface. Roll into a rectangle, then roll up to fit in your loaf pan. Place in greased loaf pan and allow it to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for half an hour, until crust is brown and it sounds hollow if you tap on the bottom of the loaf. You can brush the crust with melted butter to keep it extra soft.

This recipe was taken from The Benhase Home .


Be sure to grind the flax or it won't do any good for your body!

Help! I need a quick, easy dinner! Crockpot recipe

Judging by my lack of posts this week, you may detect my busyness...that's why I love recipes like these when you are in a pinch.

I generally try to healthify my meals, meaning I try not to use prepared or processed ingredients, but sometimes I lack the time and energy yet still need to eat.  I was so thrilled to discover a crockpot recipe that takes 1 minute to start.

What You'll Need:

About a 2 lb chuck roast
can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of water
packet of dry onion soup/dip
1 tbsp of minced garlic

Put can of soup, water, garlic and dry soup in the crockpot and mix.  Add the meat and turn to coat.  Set on low for 8 hours and enjoy!  Super easy and yummy!

Cookie Time Saver!

                                                                                                                                      photo copyright C.W.L

Ahh, fresh baked cookies!  They are my husband's key to happiness.  His favorite have toffee chips in them.  Of course its not always easy to whip up a batch of cookies with babe in arms.  Here's a great time saving trick:  Next time you make a batch of cookies, bake the 15 or so your family will eat in the next few days, and then freeze the rest.  Take a lined cookie sheet and scoop the dough onto the sheet using your cookie scoop as you normally would.  Since you are freezing these and not baking them you can put them much closer together.  Once the sheet is full, cover it with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.  The next day, take the frozen cookie clumps and place in a gallon size ziploc bag.  The next time the cookie bug bites, just take a dozen of frozen cookie clumps out, place (spread out this time) on a cookie sheet and bake! I just let them sit on the cookie sheet at room temperature while the oven is preheating, and they take an extra minute or two of bake time.  Enjoy! (Thanks Laura for the tip!)

Here's a decidedly unhealthy recipe my husband loves:

Mama Hinz's Candy Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup lt brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 10oz bag of toffee chips
1 cup of M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour and the baking soda and set aside.  Cream the softened butter and add the sugars.  Next add vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs until blended and then the flour mixture. Finally add the candy. Scoop onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

How to Make Those Gas Station Slushies

                                                                                                                                    photo copyright C.W.L

My 5-year-old daughter LOVES those gas station slushies...you know the ones with ice, sugar, and more sugar? Oh, and maybe some food coloring and high fructose corn syrup too.  Yuck.  The other day it dawned on me how easy I could make these at home, and totally 'healthify' them!

Healthy Slushies

10 ice cubes
1/2 cup of juice (we use grape, but apple or orange should work!)
1 cup of fruit (we are using strawberries right now)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to blender and blend. Add additional juice to get to desired consistency.  Pour into a cup. Add a straw, and Enjoy!