Banana Pudding Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

Today I tried another cake recipe. I have yet to make a complete cake from scratch, but I am definitely liking these add-stuff-to-the-cake-mix recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 mashed bananas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour the cake pan of your choice.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, water, oil and mashed bananas. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
3. I always use the back of the recipe box as a guide for baking. It usually is plenty of time, even with the extra ingredients.
   

I let the cakes cool, and then I made this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe:

1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 8oz whipped cream, thawed
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and whipped cream. Slowly add the powdered sugar.

I'm not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting, but this was really yummy. The only problem with it was that it was kind of runny. I had a really hard time frosting my cake with this. It would have been fine if I just had baked a 9x13, but I did a layered cake and it was all coming off. So next time I'll chill the frosting, or I'll increase the sugar and decrease the whipped cream.



Yummy! It's not the best picture, but I couldn't take a picture of the whole cake, the frosting was ugly remember? Just trust me that it turned out tasting scrumptious in the end.

I think the next time I make this cake, I'm just going to to a simple glaze rather than the cream cheese frosting.

Beignets

About a year and a half ago Dustin and I took a trip to Disneyland. Just the two of us went, and those 3 days were some of the funnest days of our marriage. We discovered this little restaurant in the park called Cafe Orleans. We went there EVERY DAY and got the same meal. Gumbo, seasoned french fries and mickey mouse shaped beignets.

Beignets are basically dougnuts, and they are so *SO* good. At Disneyland they served them with a vanilla cream sauce and a raspberry sauce for dipping. I didn't make either (got to watch those calories right?) but I will definitely be looking for a recipe for the next time I make these bad boys.

This recipe makes a TON. Cut it in half and you'll have plenty!

Also- my photobucket account was acting up so you get smaller pictures for this post.
SORRY.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 7 1/2 cups flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
2. Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
3. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
5. Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degree F (180 degrees C).
6. Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them. Place in a clean paper bag with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar.

Okay- so I never can seem to take pictures of every step. Kate is usually awake when I'm cooking, so it's a situation of bad multitasking skills. Some of the dough I cut into strips, but I found it was just easier to use a circle cookie cutter. Which in my house is a cup. My cups are also my rolling pins. I need kitchen equipment badly.

I served these with Progresso Gumbo. haha. I will definitely be making homemade gumbo sometime soon. I love New Orleans food!

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in awhile. We didn't have the money to go grocery shopping last week, so I didn't have any ingredients to make anything new!

This pasta was so delicious. I've never cooked with fresh herbs before, and they adding such amazing flavor, that it inspired me to grow my own herb garden. I will definitely be doing that sometime in the future, so be watching for a post on that.

On to last night's dinner:


1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Steak seasoning
1/2 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded*

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side.

OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side.

Set chicken aside to cool.

In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins).

Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken.

Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low.

Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

*If you're wondering what chiffonaded means, it means to stack the basil leaves on top of one another, roll them up (like you're a kid making a telescope out of paper) and thinly slice the leaves.

Also I got this recipe from kevinandamanda.com. She takes beautiful step-by-step pictures, so be sure to check it out HERE!

Barbeque Chicken Pizza!

Last night I had a pre-birthday dinner party for Dustin. I asked Dustin what he would like me to make for this meal and he requested barbeque chicken pizza. So I did a search on allrecipes, and found this delicious recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package pre-baked pizza crust
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, turn, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Continue cooking 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly, and cut into chunks.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and marinara sauce. Spread evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and red onion slices over the top.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cilantro, and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

This turned out so yummy! I didn't change anything. I used the pillsbury pizza crusts because that's what I had in the fridge, but I think that next time I'll be brave and make my own pizza dough. I did double the recipe and made two pizzas so that there would be enough for everyone.

For dessert, I made the Dangerously Delicious Chocolate Cake again. I once again made the Buttercream Frosting, but for some reason this time it wasn't as good. It wasn't as sweet for some reason, although I swear that I made it the exact same as I have been making it. I don't know, maybe I spaced and forgot a cup of sugar or something. Oh well, it's still good, just a little more buttery tasting than last time.

Also I was so busy trying to get everything ready for company to come over, that I forgot to snap a picture of the pizza. Silly me.

Everyone loved everything!!! I feel so proud of myself. Sherice even had a second slice of cake, and she hates chocolate. That's saying something right?

Guacamole

When I was pregnant I was always craving guacamole. I made it a lot during those nine months, and I've come up with a recipe that I really love.

3 avocados
6-8 oz cream cheese
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (my favorite ingredient!)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese and mashed avocados with a hand mixer. The cream cheese helps you to make more guacamole without having to by a ton of avocados and it make it really smooth and yummy. Mix all other ingredients in and refrigerate for an hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.