Ambrosia Cake - A Celebration of Spring!

Ambrosia means "food of the gods" in Greek and Roman mythology. In the USA, it has a much more humble history as a chilled fruit salad! Most ambrosias are made with manadrin oranges, pineapple, and coconut. This show-stopping cake is no exception, with four layers of angel food, pineapple curd, and orange and vanilla frostings.

Don't let the picture fool you... This stunning and delicious cake is super simple to make!

AMBROSIA CAKE

1/4 cup pineapple juice (I used the juice from the can of pineapple slices.)
2 large eggs + 1 yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
pinch salt
~~~
3 cups vanilla buttercream frosting (I used the cooked version here)
1 teaspoon grated zest + 2 teaspoons juice from one orange
~~~
1 9" angel food cake (due to time constraints, I used store-bought)
2 15oz. cans mandarin orange slices, drained
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 20oz. can pineapple sliced, drained and cut into half-moons

For the pineapple curd:
Bring pineapple juice to boil, in a small saucepan, over medium heat. Whisk eggs/yolk and sugar together in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pur hot pineapple juice into egg mixture. Return to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixtures thickens. (It takes 2-3 minutes and will be VERY obvious!) Remove from heat and stir in butter and salt. Place in small bowl, cover surface directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened (at least one hour).

For the orange frosting:
Put one cup of vanilla buttercream frosting in a samll bowl. Stir in orange zet and juice.

To assemble cake:
Using a serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into four layers (don't worry... angel food cake is quite sturdy!). Place bottom layer on platter, spread with 1/2 cup of orange frosting and top with about 20-25 mandarin slices. Place next cake layer on top of orange slices and top with pineapple curd. Top with the next cake layer, spread with orange frosting and more orange slices. Finish with the top cake layer and coat top and sides of cake with vanilla buttercream. Press coconut onto frosted cake and decorate with orange and pineapple slices.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Candy Cane Cake and Tiny Gingerbread Houses!

Wow! Christmas is almost here and I've been so busy that I've not been able to do much along the lines of crafting this month. (I can't really complain, though. Kumon has been really busy, which is definately not "normal" for December!)

I was able to find time to make a "Candy Cane Cake" (Betty Crocker's recipe here) for my staff Christmas Party

I baked a Cranberry Apple Pie with Vodka Pie Crust and will be posting the recipe later this week. I also made peppermint truffles, dipped pretzels, and Fire Vodka so I guess I'm OK in the holiday cooking/baking category :-)

Wait! I'm not finished yet... Below is one of the cutest and most original Christmas ideas I've seen in ages...

Tiny gingerbread houses that sit on the rim of a cup! I know I'm out of time this year, but I am totally adding this project to next year's Christmas "must do" list! For complete instructions and a pattern, please visit Megan at NotMartha.org.

If you do make these sweet little houses (you know you want to!), please leave a comment/link so I can live vicariously through your creativity...

Merry Christmas!

~~~Anne

Sparkley Sugared Cranberries

SUGARED CRANBERRIES



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 12oz. bag fresh cranberries

3/4 cup superfine sugar (or grind your own using regular sugar in a food processor)



Directions:



1. Rinse and drain cranberries. Remove any mushy berries and discard.



2. Cook granulated sugar and water in a medium sized pot over low heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently.



3. Add cranberries to hot liquid and stir. Pour berries and sugar water into a large bowl and refigerate overnight. (Use a small saucer on top of the berries to keep them submerged.

4. Drain cranberries in colander over bowl. Reserve the syrup for later use.

5. Sprinkle half the superfine sugar on a foil-lined baking sheet. Dump the cranberries in the sugar and shake the pan to coat. Continue adding sugar and shaking the pan until all berries are coated.

6. Allow to harden for a few hours and then serve and enjoy. Berries are best within a day or two of preparation... But they're so addicting I've never been able to test out whether they'll last any longer!

Happy Thanksgiving!

~~~Anne

An Afternoon at the Symphony and Dinner at the Artichoke Cafe

Yesterday, I turned off my computer and my phones and spent a wonderful few hours with my mother-in-law, Marty. We began our afternoon by enjoying an amazing concert performed by the Albuquerque Youth Symphony at Popejoy Hall. (One of my Kumon students plays first violin with AYS, so I enjoyed the performace even more!)
These young people are incredible musicians! Under the direction of the very personable and entertaining Gabriel Gordon, the group played selections such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". As a very special treat, they also premiered Michael Mauldin's "KOKOPELLI: His Flutesong" which was based on a piece for pipe organ and re-arranged and orchestrated for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony. (Bonus: Mr. Mauldin was seated right behind us. Very cool!)

After the symphony, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at a restaurant neither of had visited, both wanted to try, and couldn't generally afford. We decided on The Artichoke Cafe and we are so glad that we did! The atmosphere, service, and food were truly spectacular.

We began with a "Beef Carpaccio", which came crowned with fresh baby arugula, pickled cucumber, red onions & capers, and dressed with a wonderful wasabi creme-fraiche and chili oil.

After enjoying a beautiful house salad and delicious fresh-baked bread (three different kinds!), we were on to the main course. Marty selected the "Pan-Roasted Free-Range Chicken Breast", which had a beautiful plate presentation. Stacked atop a compote of braised fingerling potatoes, roasted poblanos, sweet corn, yellow squash and onions, the moist and tender chicken was topped with a tequila-lime picata sauce and toasted pine nuts. Chicken that is done well is definately a rare treat. The Artichoke Cafe has the art perfected.

I chose the "House Made Ravioli" because I could not see leaving without incorporating artichoke into my dining experience. The abundant ravioli were stuffed with artichoke puree and ricotta. They were decorated with basil, slivered tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. The pasta pillows came bathed in a rich golden white wine-butter sauce, which tasted slightly of citrus. Topped with shaved Grana Padano, this pasta extravaganza is definately something worth enjoying again.

Unfortunately, we were too stuffed to even look at the dessert menu, so that will have to wait until our next visit to The Artichoke Cafe. Yes... I'm definately going back again. Maybe I'll even invite my husband :-)

Want to share a taste of Artichoke Cafe at home? Click here and scroll to bottom of the page to get the recipe for their signature Artichoke and Crab Dip recipe. I'm definately going to try this one for holiday entertaining!

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Summer Peach Margaritas

As I work on cooking and freezing the last of this year's peach harvest, I thought I'd whip up a fruity cocktail to enjoy on the porch while watching the sunset. This recipe is a light, not too sweet version of a margarita. Adding a teaspoon of superfine sugar to the puree would sweeten it up a bit, as would serving it in a glass rimmed with sugar.

'

Summer Peach Margarita

1 medium peach, peeled and cut into chunks
1 ½ oz. tequila
¾ oz. triple sec
½ oz. peach schnapps
2 oz. orange juice
1 cup crushed ice

Place peach chunks in a blender and puree. Add liquids and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass, garnish with peach slices, and enjoy.

'

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Crockpot Peaches

Here's an easy and delicious peach recipe for all of you crockpot lovers out there. It was submitted by my blog friend AudreyO at Audrey's Spot for Recipe Tips & Hints.

CROCKPOT PEACHES

2 cups mashed peaches
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together the white and brown sugars. Add bisquick and stir. Add in eggs and vanilla. Stir again. Add in melted butter and milk. Mix again. Finally, add in peaches and cinnamon. Pour into crockpot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Peach Muffins with Praline Topping

Peach Muffins with Praline Topping

1 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar ( ½ cup for batter, ¼ cup for topping)
2 tablespoons molasses
½ cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup chopped fresh peaches
¾ cup chopped pecans ( ½ cup for batter, ¼ cup for topping)
1 tablespoon butter, cold

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place liners in 12-hole muffin tin.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the molasses and sugar until combined. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine ½ cup of sugar mixture, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture, stirring just to moisten.
6. Fold in peaches and ½ cup pecans.
7. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.
8. In small bowl, cut together the remaining sugar mixture, pecans, and butter.
9. Sprinkle over batter.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Coming up next: Crockpot Peaches!

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

How to Peel a Peach

It's peach harvesting time at my house, so get ready for a flurry of peach related recipes over the next couple of weeks. To help you prepare for this baking extravaganza, I thought I'd share a simple way to peel peaches. Ready... Set... Go!

1. Fill a large pot with water, maing sure water is deep enough to just about cover your peaches. Bring the water to a boil and gently drop in a few peaches. Leave peaches in water for about 30 seconds (more or less, depending on the ripeness of the fruit). 2. Using tongs, remove peaches from the boiling water and place them in a large bowl filled with ice water. The skin will easily slide from the peach with a bit of gentle encouragement :-)
3. Slice, dice, or bite... Your fruit is fuzz free and ready to enjoy!

Tomorrow's recipe: Peach Muffins with Praline Topping

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Symphony in a Pan

Six Word Saturday:

IS MY 'BTS' CAKE REALLY 'BTS'?

.

Do you know what a 'BTS' cake is? I thought I was being so creative when I came up with a decadent take on the old Jello poke cake to take to our family reunion last weekend... Until I did a little research on the internet and found bazillions of similar recipes! Imagine my surprise when I found the "real" name for this dieter's nightmare is 'BETTER THAN S^X CAKE'!!! (OK. I'm not really afraid of the "s" word, but I'm trying to keep things very family friendly around here.)

Anyway, I had to whip up my original(?) recipe and see for myself if really was BTS.

I did bring it to the reunion, by the way. I told some of the adults about the 'BTS' name, and the line for cake formed immediately! From the men, you could see some looks of serious contemplation. From the women, you could see some worry on their faces (due the caloric investment or the husband's reaction? I wonder.). Regardless, the cake was easy to make and was super moist, rich in chocolate and caramel, and, quite simply, delicious. I will absolutely make it again for a potluck or party :-)

I've printed my recipe below, so you can judge for yourself if it really is BTS. (Warning: Just reading the recipe may cause you to gain a few pounds!) In my "family friendly" spirit, I've renamed my version of this decadent delight:

SYMPHONY IN A PAN

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix
6 oz. caramel topping
13 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. hot fudge topping, warmed to pouring consistency
1 tub whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
1 4.25 oz. Hershey's Symphony milk chocolate bar with almonds & toffee chips, chopped

Directions:

1. Bake cake in 9X13 pan, according to directions on box.

2. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over cake with the fat end of a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon. Holes should be 1-1 1/2 inches apart. Take care that you do not poke all the way through to the bottem of your cake or it will become soggy.

3. Pour caramel topping into holes. (Yes, it will probably spread over the top of the cake and look messy. No worries.)

4. Pour condensed milk into holes. (See note above.)

5. Pour warmed hot fudge as in steps 3 and 4.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. (In a chocolate "emergency", this step can probably be ommitted.)

7. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, frost with whipped topping, and sprinkle Symphony bits on top. Enjoy!

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

P.S.
To participate in Six Word Saturdays, please visit Cate at Show My Face. Have fun!

No-Bake Bittersweet Mocha Cheesecake Bars

BITTERSWEET MOCHA CHEESECAKE BARS
Ingredients:

For Crust-
35 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo)
3/4 cup bottled hot fudge topping

For Filling-
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold strong coffee (I used a sleeve of Starbucks Via Instant Coffee in 1/2 cup water)
2 bricks (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:
1. Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil, leaving a coule inches of overhang at the narrow ends of pan.
2. Make the crust: Pulse cookies in food processor until you have fine crumbs. Heat fudge topping and add to crumbs. Pulse several times to moisten completely. Press crumb mixture into pan and freeze while making filling.
3. In a small sauepan, sprinkle gelatin over coffee. Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture steams. Remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at high speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in sour cream, the coffee mixture, and melted bittersweet chocolate until blended.
5. Pour onto crust and refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.
6. Cut into bars and garnish (chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate curls, candies...)

Makes 48 bars. Enjoy!

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Santa Fe Bean Dip

My friend Bina shared this fun, healthy, and easy recipe with me a few years back. It's so awesome that when I get invited to potlucks, I'm always asked to bring dessert and Bina's Bean Dip! Since I made it for the reunion, I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Just a note though... The recipe makes a LOT of dip. No. I mean a lot. Like a massive salad bowl full of dip. The good thing is it saves well in the fridge, and can also be used as a side dish when you're serving Mexican food. Enjoy!
'

BINA'S SANTA FE BEAN DIP

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag frozen corn (white and yellow mix) - No need to thaw before making the dip

8 oz. Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing

2 oz. jar diced pimentos

2 cans black-eyed peas - not "flavored" and not with lard

1 can black beans - same caveat as above

1 can Rotel chopped/diced tomatoes with green chile - Hot or Extra Hot

3 bell peppers - I used one orange, one red, and one green

1 red onion, medium

1 sweet onion, small

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1 or 2 finely chopped jalapenos to add a little heat

Directions:

1. Chop bell peppers and onions into small pieces and place in very large bowl. (Looks great, right? Very colorful! And yes, those are jalapenos sprinkled on top!)

2. Open all of the cans, drain the black-eyed peas and the black beans... but not completely. Add to bowl containing peppers and onions.

3. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. Serve with corn tortilla chips. I like Tostito's white corn Scoops because they'll deliver more of this delicious dip with less effort :-)

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Cherry Pecan Coconut Bars

Ahhh.... I finally took a little well-deserved time off to do some basket weaving with my friends Faith, Dar, and of course, Basket Master Nancy. Nancy offered to help me figure out how to weave a "Peanut Basket turned into a Prayer Basket", for which we had no pattern. Nancy generously provided pizza for our evening of weaving, so I offered to bring dessert. I whipped up my chewy, buttery, Cherry Pecan Coconut bars for all of the ladies to enjoy. Below is my recipe...

Chewy Cherry Pecan Coconut Bars
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
Filling:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chopped pecans (but you could substitute walnuts)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and quartered
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use Mexican vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare crust: Combine flour, powdered sugar, and butter in medium sized mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour/sugar using a pastry blender or two butter knives. Press mixture into an 8" square baking pan. Bake 18-23 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from oven.
3. Prepare filling: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (I added the cherries last, because I was afraid the whole thing would turn pink... not that this is necessarily a bad thing!) Spoon on top of crust and spread evenly.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

5. Cool completely before cutting into bars. This recipe will make 16 bars of chewy goodness. Be careful to make them right before your event if they are a contribution to a potluck or a party. The have a tendency to disappear very quickly!

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Pico de Gallo - My Recipe and "The Song"

It's a beautiful day here in the Land of Enchantment. Sunny, but not too hot. I had a very busy week, so I am going to enjoy hard-earned "down-time" this evening. I think if I lived in the south, I'd recline in the swing on my veranda, sipping a mint julep and snacking on cheese straws, while fanning myself delicately. YEAH RIGHT. I live in New Mexico, so it's me on the front porch with a margarita, homemade pico de gallo, and tortilla chips!

Pico de gallo (Spanish for Rooster's Beak) is a fresh condiment, much like salsa. It can be served as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for your next batch of tacos or fajitas.

Before you begin this easy recipe, you have to take a couple of minutes to listen to the "Pico de Gallo" song by Trout Fishing in America. Listen closely to the lyrics. I guarantee you'll laugh so hard you'll cry-o!



Anne's Pico de Gallo Recipe
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (2 jalapenos will give you additional heat :- )
Squeeze of lime juice
Salt to taste
Optional: Cilantro, chopped (I'm not a fan of cilantro, so I don't use it in my version)

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to tacos or fajitas.

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile rellenos are one of my favorite New Mexican foods, but they require a lot of preparation. Get a whole roasted green chile, peel the chile, clean out the seeds, stuff it with cheese, dip it in batter and deep fry. Way too much work for this busy lady, so rellenos are more of a "restaurant treat" for me!

When I came across the following recipe for kind of a "faux" chile relleno casserole that involved none of the above prep and NO FRYING, I thought "no way", and filed the recipe card away. So... I was fumbling around in the kitchen the other day trying to figure out what to make for a weekend brunch and came across the recipe. I had all the ingredients for the casserole on hand, so I thought I'd give it a go. Oh my goodness! It was quick (5 minutes of prep!), easy, and absolutely delicious!!! This one gets filed under "love it". I will definately be making it again. (My husband said I'll be making it again SOON!)

Here's the recipe:

CHILES RELLENOS CASSEROLE
courtesy of Casa del Granjero in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ingredients:

1 cup green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped (Check the freezer section at the grocery for chopped green chile. It's already prepped for you :-)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/4 cups Montery Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup flour

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

Garnish suggestions: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, diced onions, sour cream, salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the first seven ingredients, stirring until well incorporated.

Pour the mixture in a buttered 9x9 baking dish or a 10" pie pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until fully set.

Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Slice, garnish, and serve.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Strawberry Tall Cake

My son Jordan graduated from high school on Monday. We are very proud of him! In honor of his graduation, we had family come into town to help us celebrate. Dessert on Sunday night was "STRAWBERRY TALL CAKE". It's an easy-to-do recipe, and the cake has quite a presence.

STRAWBERRY TALL CAKE
Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz.) angel food cake mix
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 box (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin
2 tubs (8 oz.) whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves
2 tubs frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fruit for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 9" cake pans with parchment. (Or use a coffee filter, as I did. It worked great!)

Prepare cake mix according to directions on box, adding the vanilla extract. Divide batter evenly among the 3 cake pans. Gently tap to spread batter.

Bake 18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto cooling rack and remove paper.

In bowl of electric mixer, mix gelatin and 2/3 cup boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Add cream cheese and whip for a minute or two. If mixture is not set enough to spread, place bowl in the refrigerator or ice water bath until spreadable.

Place a cake layer on a platter. Spread with half of the preserves, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the cake.

Spread on half of the mousse mixture, add the second cake layer, and repeat.

Add top cake layer, frost with whipped topping, and chill for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fruit before serving.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

How to Make Cake Mix Cookies ~ $5.00 + 90 Minutes = 6 Dozen Cookies!

"Wife," my husband (a Realtor) said to me the other evening. "I'm having a big open house this weekend. Do you think I should serve cookies?" As wives around the world know, this translates to "Anne will be baking on Friday." I just feel grateful that he gave me a couple of days notice instead of letting me in on the secret the night before the event!

Anyway... For about $5.00 and in 1 1/2 hours, I whipped up 6 dozen cookies, and ended up with a kitchen that was cleaner than when I started my baking. Yeah, me!

I discovered "cake mix cookies" a couple of years ago. I've modified the traditional method a bit, so I'm calling this rendition "Auntie Anne's Creative Cake Mix Cookies". Below the recipe you'll see some flavor combinations I have tried (today was old-fashioned chocolate chip and "Almond Joy"), but the possibilites are only limited by your imagination :-)

"AUNTIE ANNE'S CREATIVE CAKE MIX COOKIES"

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (any flavor)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup "stir in" (chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc. This is where the "creativity" occurs!)

Directions:

1. Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, flour, and vanilla in a bowl and mix thoroughly. (Mix will look greasy. It's supposed to look that way.)
2. Stir in your "stir-in".
3. Roll a rounded teaspoon sized amount of dough into a ball and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
5. Upon removing from oven, let cookies stand on sheet for two minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
   
   

These are my "Almond Joy" Cookies. I used chocolate cake mix, almonds and coconut. I substituted almond extract for the vanilla.

These are "plain and simple" chocolate chip cookies. Yellow cake mix with chocolate chips.

Other flavor combinations I've tried:

• Devil's food with peanut butter chips
• Strawberry with chocolate chips
• Yellow with white chocolate chips and macademia nuts (a fan favorite!)
• Carrot cake with coconut and pecans
• Spice cake with raisins and walnuts
• Chocolate with Andes mint chips
• Cherry chip with chocolate chunks

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

How to make Pepper Steak - A Quick , Delicious, Inexpensive Dinner Recipe

Ahhhh... I've been doing Kumon work from home today, and have been glued to my computer for about 12 hours! Because I'm at home, I have no excuse (yeah, right) for not making Dave a home-cooked dinner. He commented the other day that there were about 8 bags of "Trader Joe's" frozen bell pepper slices in the freezer. I told him they were there for PEPPER STEAK or FAJITA emergencies, and to just hush. Well... Today is a "Pepper Steak Emergency", and here's the recipe.

Note: If you slice the meat when you buy it fresh and freeze it with the marinade, you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and it will be good-to-go when you get home from work the next day. Freeze several bags when meat is on sale. It's a great time and money saving trick!

BUSY WOMAN'S PEPPER STEAK

Ingredients

1# (approx.) Top Round, cut into thin strips

1 cup bottled Italian dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce

A couple of splashes red wine, if you have it on hand

1/4 cup Allegro Marinade (this can be omitted if you don't have it. Just add a tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar)

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

Bell Peppers, cut into strips (As many as you want. 3-4 mediun fresh, or a bag of frozen. More or less to taste.)

1/2 envelope dry brown gravy mix

3 tbs. soy sauce (more or less, to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine dressing, soy sauce, wine, and Allegro. Add meat and seal bag. Allow to marinate for at least one hour (the longer you marinate, the tastier the meat.)

Pre-heat a large frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, use tongs to remove the meat from your "marinating bag", and add to pan. Discard marinade (I know it smells really good, but trust me. Throw it away!) Cook meat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in gravy mix and continue to cook for one minute. (Sauce will thicken a bit, but if you like a thicker, more "gravy-ish" sauce, add the entire pack of gravy mix.) Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir. Add onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

JoJo's Frozen Limeade Pie

My "good/better/best" friend John called the other night, and said his 9-year old daughter wanted to make a pie from "one of those cooking shows you watch on TV". He and JoJo went to the store, and she picked out her ingredients. He was a bit skeptical, but they brought home their supplies and she went to work on her dessert... with no recipe! His skepticism subsided when he took his first bite of her frozen masterpiece. It was delicious!

In honor of JoJo and her culinary efforts, I'm deeming her recipe a "child friendly" project, as it involves no cooking or baking. Way to go, JoJo!

JO-JO'S AMAZING FROZEN LIMEADE PIE
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker crust
6 oz. frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)
12 oz. container of thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 lime, zested and separated into two equal portions

Combine limeade, whipped topping, condensed milk, and half the zest. Pour into crust. Put in freezer and alow to set until firm (about 2 hours). Garnish with the remaining zest and enjoy.

Doesn't this sound like a quick and easy recipe your kids can make this summer?

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

CREAM PUFFS - Inexpensive, elegant, and easy!

Want to look like you spent hours making a fancy dessert? These amazing CREAM PUFFS look like a really challenging project, right? NO!!! It's a super easy, quick , inexpensive recipe that has a huge WOW factor. Here's the recipe:

ANNE'S "DON'T TELL ANYONE HOW EASY THEY ARE" CREAM PUFFS

(Makes 5-6 big puffs, but the recipe can be easily doubled.)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup flour

dash salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 eggs

1 pkg. French Vanilla Jell-O Pudding, prepared and refrigerated

Powdered sugar (for decoration)

Melt butter in boiling water. Add flour, salt and sugar all at once and stir until thouroughly mixed. Cook over meduim heat, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat with a hand-mixer until mixture is smooth.

Drop mixture in heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, about 3" apart. (Don't worry! They'll puff when they bake!)

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes (a little less for smaller puffs). Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes until puffs are golden. Check on them often, so they don't burn. Cook time depends on your oven and the size of your puffs :-)

Remove from oven, and split puffs in half. Put puffs back on cookie sheet and return to oven to dry. MAKE SURE OVEN IS OFF!!! The drying process takes about 20 minutes.
Spoon prepared filling or custard into tops and bottoms of puffs. Reassemble, and sift powdered sugar over the tops. Put on serving plate and enjoy. Easy, right? Enjoy!
Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Super Simple Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

I was so excited about making CREAM PUFFS for "Ladies Night" tonight, that I completely forgot I had volunteered to also bring a salad! Time for some quick thinking and some creativity. Since I found frozen artichoke hearts (bonus!), this was my starting point. Also having flour tortillas, I was leaning toward an artichoke dip with tortilla "points". Alas, none of the cheeses or spinach were to be found, so I had to travel a different direction.
'
So... Here's my "use whaterever you find" recipe for PESTO PASTA SALAD:

Ingredients
7-8 oz. uncooked pasta (I used mini penne)
Fresh or frozen veggies (whatever you can find)
Sliced Black Olives (I didn't have any, but if I did, I'd have tossed 'em in!)
1/2 cup Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip)
7 0z. jar of prepared pesto
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Diced tomatoes for garnish

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
2. Put your veggies in a bowl. (I used artichoke hearts, broccoli, peas, and some diced onion.)
3. Stir together salad dressing, pesto, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in bowl.
4. Put cooled pasta in large serving bowl. Add pesto mixture and stir to coat. Add veggies and mix gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
5. Garnish with tomatoes. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne