Pineapple Delight Dessert

I love to make cakes but when I do I really prefer to make my own from scratch.  I'm just not crazy about cake  mixes unless I can jazz them up a little.  This dessert is a perfect example!  Who doesn't love a great icebox dessert?  They are my absolute favorite.   My mom gave me this recipe a few years ago and it so yummy!  It's so light and refreshing!  This dessert will be perfect for all of your spring and summer gatherings!!

Start by baking a yellow cake mix according to package directions.  Easy so far????

Then mix 1 cup milk (not pictured), 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened), and 1 pkg. vanilla pudding (3.4 oz. size).  I mixed with a spatula to incorporate all the ingredients and then finished it off with the hand mixer.  Mix until well blended!

Spread mixture over COOLED cake!

Drain pineapple well!  Pour crushed pineapple over cream cheese/pudding mixture.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving!

Serve with whipped topping!  Delicious!

Pineapple Delight Dessert

1 yellow cake mix (baked according to package directions)

1 pkg. vanilla pudding (3.4 oz. size)

1 cup milk

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 can crushed pineapple (I can't remember the exact size of the can but about 15-16 oz.)

whipped topping (optional)

Bake yellow cake mix according to package directions in a 9x13 pan.  Cool cake completely.  Mix together milk, pudding, and softened cream cheese.  Spread mixture over cake.  Drain pineapple well and pour over pudding/cream cheese mixture.  Garnish with whipped topping!   Store cake in refrigerator.

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Melt in Your Mouth Monday Blog Hop

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Something Swanky

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I am always on the lookout for new crockpot recipes!  So when I found this on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it!  We love BBQ hamburgers and pulled pork, but I loved the idea of using chicken!  These were fabulous!  

The original recipe came from Real Mom Kitchen and you can find it here.  However, I made a few minor adjustments.  The original recipe calls for tomato paste, but I used ketchup instead as that is what I use as the base for my BBQ hamburger sauce.  If you've read many of my posts, you know how much I hate chopping onion.  So I prefer to use a frozen onion seasoning blend (pictured below).  It's such a lifesaver!  It's chopped onions with a little red pepper, celery, and parsley.  It's great for any recipe that calls for onion (spaghetti sauce, chili, sloppy joes, etc.).   To give it an extra kick, I used spicy brown mustard in place of yellow mustard!

I served these on hamburger buns along with my favorite coleslaw recipe which you can find here!  A perfect meal!!

 Place chopped onion mixture in bottom of crockpot.

 Add chicken. . .

 Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.

 At the end of cooking time, shred chicken and return to sauce.  Mix well!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Adapted from :  Real Mom Kitchen

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped  ( I used a frozen onion seasoning blend!)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
3 Tbsp brown sugar

Sprinkle onion in bottom of crockpot and place chicken on top.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for about 6 hours.  At the end of cooking time, shred chicken and return to crockpot.  Stir well to incorporate sauce with chicken!  Serve on sandwich buns.

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Everyday Mom's Meals

Coleslaw with Almonds and Dried Cranberries

I happened to see Paula Deen make this recipe on her show a few years back and knew I had to try it!  We often have this in the spring when my hubby is fishing and we have lots of fish in the freezer!  It's also great with pulled pork or sloppy joe sandwiches!  I don't use the exact measurement of cabbage the recipe calls for.  Instead, I just use one bag of shredded cabbage for convenience.  I leave out the chopped celery as well.  The original recipe calls for almonds but I prefer sliced almonds instead.  Hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

 Did I mention how easy this is to make???

 Pour the bag of cabbage in a serving bowl.  Add chopped green pepper and green onion.

 Toss in the almonds and dried cranberries.

 Toss well!

In a small bowl, mix together mayo, pickle relish, honey mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  Mix with coleslaw mixture prior to serving.

A great side dish to our pulled chicken sandwiches!!

Coleslaw with Almonds and Dried Cranberries

Adapted from :  Paula Deen's  recipe - Rene's Coleslaw

1 bag of shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix)

1/2 cups sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts (I used two.)

1/2 cup chopped greeen pepper

Mix above ingredients in large bowl.

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo ( I used Hellman's light.)

1 T. sweet pickle relish

1 T. honey mustard

1 T. honey

salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over slaw mixture just before serving.  Mix well!

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Italian Style Salad

I received this recipe from a relative about five years ago.  I first made it for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary and it made such a huge amount that I had to borrow an enormous serving bowl from our church to accommodate it.  I've since scaled it down to a more manageable recipe and I often take this for holiday meals and other family potlucks.  It's always a hit!

 For the salad, you will need 1 head of iceberg lettuce, 2 Romaine hearts, red onion, 1 small jar pimientos, 1 can medium black olives, 1 can artichoke hearts, 1 small container of grape tomatoes, 10 pepperoncinis, and grated Parmesan. 

 Start by chopping the iceberg lettuce!

 Then toss in 2 Romain hearts, chopped.

Cut the grape tomatoes in half and toss them in!  (You can leave them whole if you like!)

 Drain the olives, artichokes, pimientos and pepperoncinis!!  I left the olives whole.  I used quartered artichoke hearts and gave them a rough chop.  The pepperoncinis will need deseeded and sliced.

Add some thinly sliced red onion (I used about a 1/3 of the onion).  Sprinkle a 1/2 c-1 c. of grated Parmesan.  Add salt and pepper to taste!

This time I used an Italian dressing from a packet for convenience but I've included the homemade version below.  The recipe below is way better than store bought!!  :)

Italian Style Salad

2 Romaine hearts, chopped

1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

1/3 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 container of grape tomatoes, halved

1 can quartered artichokes, drained and chopped

1 can medium black olives,

1 small jar pimientos, well-drained

10 pepperoncinis, well-drained, deseeded, and sliced

1/2- 1 cup of grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Italian Style Dressing

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 1/2 T. water

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 T. sugar

Assemble salad in large bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients well.  Pour dressing over salad and toss well!  Serve immediately!

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Goulash

I first made this recipe because it was a dish my hubby liked and had grown up with.  I was searching for a goulash recipe but had never had this dish myself so I decided to do a Google search and found that Paula Deen had a recipe.  Well, I figured I couldn't go wrong with her recipe so I gave it a try and really liked it!  I've cut the recipe in half and adjusted an item or two for convenience.  Her original recipe calls for her special House Seasoning so I've made the substitution without having to make a batch of her House Seasoning.  This is an easy weeknight meal!  Serve with a side salad and your favorite bread for a meal your whole family will love!

Goulash

Adapted from :  Paula Deen's recipe - Bobby's Goulash

1 lb. ground beef

1 yellow onion, chopped (I used 1 cup of a frozen onion seasoning blend)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. water

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 T. soy sauce

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

1-1/2 c. elbow macaroni (I typically use only 1 c. but this time I added another 1/2 c. and it was fine!)

Brown ground beef over medium-high heat.  Drain.  Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients (except macaroni).  Stir well and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Add elbow macaroni and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Turn off heat, remove bay leaf and allow to mixture to sit for 10-20 minutes.

In case you're wondering. . .

I haven't posted as much this winter as I had previously.  This last month I've had another project I've been working on.  We are expecting another baby in May and I decided I wanted to take a shot at making all the bedding for the new baby's room.  So instead of cooking, I've been SEWING!  We do not know the gender of the baby so I tried to go as neutral as possible!  Maybe now I can get back to posting recipes!!  :)

 The baby's blanket.  I got my inspiration for this blanket from Pinterest.  What would we do without Pinterest?

 Close-up of the blanket!

 This is a mini tag blanket- great for on the go!

 The striped fabric in the background is the bed skirt.  The two in front (green and numbers) are the bed sheets.  I found a great tutorial on Pinterest for making those sheets.

After I was finished with everything, I decided I needed a cute throw pillow!