Unique Wedding Cakes

Mexican Chocolate Cakes on the sides; Banana Nut Cake in the middle

I usually save my food/recipe posts for the week-end, but I have been rather busy with my son's wedding this past week-end and many people requested the recipe I am sharing today.

Family Favorites Friday: Roasted Brussels Sprouts (and other veggies)

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap.  People think they don't like them.  I think they just don't prepare them properly.

A high school friend asked on facebook  how to cook brussels sprouts.  This recipe is for her (and you, because you need to know).

It's really very easy, so I have prepared you a photo essay:

Start with a package of washed, ready to use brussels; trim and cut in half; toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil; add salt and pepper and/or other seasonings you like.  Garlic is good, or cayenne pepper, or whatever.

 

After tossing them with seasonings, put in single layer on baking pan (I use stoneware).  Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes, stir after 12 minutes.  (I roasted some peeled, cubed sweet potato on the same pan.).  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Enjoy!

 

Yum!   We love these!

You can use this same method with many different vegetables:  asparagus, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage (cut in thick slices), green beans,onions, squash, whole okra- just about any veggie.  Change your seasonings to make it different.  Try Italian seasoning, chili powder, thyme, or your favorite seasoning.  I have used cinnamon and nutmeg on sweet potatoes.  Get creative.

What are you waiting for?  Go roast some veggies and let me know how you like them. 

What are your favorite veggies to roast and how do you season them?

Family Favorites Friday: Banana Wedding Cake

My second oldest got married in January.  She made her own cakes and did a fabulous job!  Not wanting the traditional white cake (who really likes white cake, anyway?), she made a tiered banana cake and two mexican chocolate cakes.

The cake in the middle is the Marvelous Banana Cake

Family Favorites Friday: Pumpkin Streusel Sheet Cake

This is another recipe that falls under the " I Thought I Already Shared It With You" category.

Whenever I make this, it disappears quickly because it is so yummy.  Bake some today.

 Pumpkin Streusel Sheet Cake

FAMILY FAVORITES FRIDAY: Open Book Cake

Through the years I have made decorated cakes for my children for their birthdays.  Not every year, but sometimes.  

When my oldest daughter was engaged, she requested a book cake for her engagement party.  She has always loved books, so this seemed like a fun cake to make.

Cheesy Shells and Italian Sausage

 A super easy recipe that is very delicious!

Posting it here for those who have requested it.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Shells & Italian Sausage

FAMILY FAVORITES FRIDAY: Thai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad

This is an easy salad that we like and I demonstrate frequently at my Pampered Chef shows.  I get a lot of requests for this and even have people call me when they lose their recipe and need it again. 

The chicken mixture can be served over salad or rice and the leftovers make delicious wraps.

Family Favorites Friday: Parmesan Ranch Chicken

 

This is an easy recipe for pre-teens and teens to make. 

 This recipe for Parmesan Ranch Chicken is super easy.  Since we like grilled chicken that has been marinated in ranch dressing, I put this combination together one day and it became an instant favorite.

Family Favorites Friday: Blackberry Crumb Pie

Family Favorites Friday: Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

I discovered this recipe about four years ago when I was putting together a week of menus for my children to make while I accompanied my oldest daughter on her move to Nevada.  

We have changed it up to suit us and it has become a favorite .  

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

Banoffee Pie: Irish Pi Day Pie

Pi Day is today.

St. Patrick's Day is Monday.

Today, I am sharing a Banoffee Pie recipe.

Family Favorites Friday: Tea Party Birthday

These lovely ladies are grown up now!

 I don't always have a friends party for my children for their birthday, but when I do, I try to make it special.  For my youngest daughter's 5th birthday, we had a Tea Party Birthday theme.  

FAMILY FAVORITES FRIDAY: VALENTINE ACTIVITY

Sometimes, with young children, it is hard to get away for a date night on Valentine's Day.

Other times, you prefer to share the love with the whole family and include them in your plans.

One way to make Valentine's a special day for everyone

Homemade Hard Candy Recipe

Today I am making hard candy.  Mostly because I can.
 

Raspberry hard candy

Yesterday, while deep cleaning, we found a candy making kit that one of my boys received as a gift quite a few years ago.  There were a couple activities still in the kit so Jesse and I decided to try the lollipops.  

Family Favorites Friday: Quinoa Florentine

This is not a recipe I have made for years and years.  As a matter of fact, I just recently 'invented' this dish.  I took the flavor combinations of a favorite lasagna recipe and used quinoa  instead of pasta to help reduce the carb load.

Family Favorites Friday: Pumpkin Biscuits and Lucy's Orange Cream Fruit Salad

After my How to Survive Holiday Cooking post last week, my friend Kathy from 9Peas requested the recipe for Pumpkin Biscuits.  Not wanting to disappoint her, I am posting that recipe as well as Lucy's Orange Cream Fruit Salad that I mentioned in that post.

 I am happy to report that I must have intended to post these recipes when I made them to freeze last month because I found the pictures that I took in anticipation of the post.

Both of these recipes can be made ahead and frozen.  I have included instructions below.

Surviving Holiday Cooking

After years of watching my mother and mother-in-law spend a huge chunk of time in the kitchen when everyone visited with their families, I was determined to try to avoid some of that stress.

Family Favorites Friday: OVEN CARAMEL CORN

Makes great gifts!

Forget Black Friday shopping.  Make a batch of this Oven Caramel Corn, break out the board games, and have a fun family time.

This is our absolute favorite caramel corn.  It is from my very old Farm Journal's Country Cookbook. 

It is very easy.  A candy thermometer and a popcorn popper come in handy, though.  

Creative Cookie Exchange: Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

My contribution to the Creative Cookie Exchange challenge for freezer cookies is Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies.  This is a favorite cookie of my daughter.  I added the fresh cranberries and it turned this cake-like cookie into a delightful sweet/tart cookie.

Family Favorites Friday: Cranberry Christmas, Cranberry Thanksgiving, and Cranberry Bread

Recently, while looking through my recipe cards  to find recipes to make and freeze, I ran across a recipe for Cranberry Bread.  It reminded me of one of our favorite books, Cranberry Christmas.  I thought the recipe came from the book, but further research revealed that it probably came from a different book by the same author (Wende Devlin), Cranberry Thanksgiving.