Menu
0
0

Category: recipe

The Cake That Never Stops Pleasing: Chocolate Eclair Cake

posted in food, recipe by Hanna on

This Chocolate Eclair cake never seems to fail me when I bring to it potlucks, parties or when we have friends over. It’s always the rave. I myself have been know to eat at least a fourth of the pan in one sitting. In fact when my husband and I were dating we made it for his family and he started serving everyone with these tiny pieces of cake. I shook my head in disapproval and said that this cake is meant for large servings. Needless to say, everyone had seconds. I think that’s when he learned that in my family we are serious about our desserts.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

For this particular time I made this cake for a potluck that we had with a couple families in our neighborhood this last weekend. The rainy weather we had all week cleared up for the evening for a fun dinner out doors. Since moving into our house last December we have made so many new friends in our neighborhood. It has been such a blessing for our family is so many ways especially since we’ve never seemed to feel quite at home anywhere else we’ve lived. Anyway, once again it was a crowd favorite so I thought I would share the recipe today!

To get started, line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with graham crackers.  You might need to use your puzzle skills to cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Chocolate Eclair Cake1

Next, in a mixing bowl mix together vanilla pudding, sour cream, cool whip and milk and pour over the graham crackers.

Chocolate Eclair Cake2

Top that pudding layer with another layer of graham crackers, trying to fill in all the gaps.

Chocolate Eclair Cake3

In a small sauce pan, mix together the cocoa, sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then take the pan off the stove and mix in 3/4 stick of butter.

Chocolate Eclair Cake4

Finally poor the chocolate sauce over the top layer of graham crackers and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Eclair Cake5

Chocolate Eclair Cake
 
Print
Recipe type: Dessert
What You'll Need
  • Pudding Filling
  • 1 large pkg. instant vanilla pudding
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 small tub whipped topping (8 oz.)
  • 3 cups cold milk
  • Chocolate Sauce:
  • ⅓ cup cocoa
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ milk
  • ¾ stick of butter
How To Make
  1. Line bottom of 9x13 dish with whole graham crackers. Pour pudding over crackers. Top with second layer of graham crackers. Make the chocolate sauce by mixing together cocoa, sugar and milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in ¾ stick butter until melted. Pour over top layer of graham crackers. Chill 3-4 hours to soften crackers before serving.

Linked To:

http://www.persialou.com/2014/08/the-makers-no-32.html.

 http://designsbymissmandee.blogspot.com/2014/08/create-share-diy-and-recipe-party-19.html

Outdoor Summer Dinner Party: The Menu

posted in family, food, party, recipe by Hanna on

You can’t have a successful dinner party without an awesome menu to go along with the beautiful decorations and for this outdoor dinner party we planned nothing short of it with delicious recipes for the menu. In case you missed part 1 of this dinner party showing the table setting and decorations you can check it out {HERE}.

dinner party food5

Menu

Arugula Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts and Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Potato Salad with Honey Mustard and Dill Dressing

Blueberry and Jalapeno BBQ Pork Ribs (Recipe below)

Homemade Vanilla Ice cream with Grilled Peaches and Candied Pecans

dinner party food3

dinner party food4

When coming up with the menu for this outdoor dinner party we definitely wanted to take advantage of the grill with it being summer and beautiful weather. We also decided to step outside our usual recipes and take a risk making some thing new. However when making new recipes and you’re cooking for a big crowd and don’t want to take the risk of having it not turn out I would recommend trying them ahead of time! It’s quite possible that we ran into some problems with this as we were making our homemade ice cream for the first time for the party. Luckily it was just us, our families and a close friend; all who are very forgiving and it helped that we had a back-up gallon of ice cream in the freezer.

Minus our little dessert mishap the rest of the menu was a complete success! My husband gets all the credit for the Blueberry and Jalapeno BBQ sauce that went on the ribs. He’s always loved experimenting with food and recipes and this was a sauce he came up with completely on his own. He’s pretty amazing like that! So far we’ve had this BBQ sauce on chicken, pulled pork and now on pork ribs; all of which taste SO good! It’s must try!

dinner party food

Blueberry and Jalapeno BBQ Sauce
 
Print
This sweet BBQ sauce with a kick goes great on both chicken and pork.
Make By:
What You'll Need
  • 1¼ cup Ketchup
  • 1 cup Honey
  • 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1-3 Jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 clove minced Garlic
  • 1 cup Blueberries
How To Make
  1. Slice the jalapeno(s). Pour some olive oil in a pan and saute jalapenos and blueberries on medium heat for 3 minutes. Then put that mixture in a blender along with all the other ingredients and blend into a smooth sauce.
Notes
For making the Blueberry and Jalapeno BBQ sauce with ribs follow the directions below:

1. Place ribs side by side on an oven pan.
2. Add ¼" of water in the bottom of the pan to prevent burning.
3. Coat ribs with the BBQ sauce and cover with tin foil.
4. Cook ribs in the oven for 1½ hours at 450 degrees.
5. Remove foil and reapply sauce
6. Place ribs back in the over for 30 minutes without foil, or place ribs on the grill and baste them for approximately 30 minutes making sure to turn them frequently to prevent burning.
7. Remove from grill or oven, adding extra sauce as necessary.

dinner party food2

dinner party food7

dinner party food6

Linked to:

http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/07/pin-junkie-pin-party-75.html

http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/2014/07/making-monday-49.html

http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2014/07/mix-it-up-monday_13.html#more

Chocolate Pillow Cookies

posted in food, recipe by Hanna on
In my family a cookie press is just as a necessity as a Bosch. In fact awhile ago I was trying to find one to give as gift for a cousin getting married and I couldn’t find one in a local store anywhere! I was like, “What has the world come to!” Thank goodness Amazon pulled through! Good old Amazon. The funny thing is there is really only one recipe that we really use that involves a cookie press and that would be these Chocolate Pillows.
For as simple as this recipe is, it’s one I hold close to me and obviously one my family makes often. This recipe for these chocolate pillows was one of the first things my Grandmother taught me to make. Along with it being a favorite treat when going to Grandma’s house it also has many other stories behind it to being on the dessert table at many of our wedding receptions, to winning over future spouses, they’ve been the source of sporadic family gatherings in the kitchen and they have been my “go-to” for simple gifts. Who knew such easy cookies could have such history!
And guess what? It take just 6 basic ingredients to make these! So you ready to find out how to make these?
Chocolate Pillows
1 cup Butter (softened)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 cups of flour
3 Hershey’s Chocolate bars
Mix all the ingredients together using an electric mixer.
Put the cookie dough in the cookie press. *One filled press makes 3 rows.
Make 4 rows of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet and line with pieces of the Hershey’s chocolate bars.
Top each row with another row of dough on top of the chocolate.
Score with a butter knife and then bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Once cookies are baked, cut on scored lines and enjoy! Watch out though; you’ll easily eat at least half a dozen before you know what hit you!
Anyone else with family, favorite recipes that have a lot of history?
~ Hanna

Linked To:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-53/
http://www.persialou.com/2014/06/the-makers-no-23.html
http://momstestkitchen.com/2014/06/wonderfully-creative-wednesdays-26.html
http://www.anyonita-nibbles.co.uk/2014/06/10-unconventional-delicious-4th-july-foods.html

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

posted in food, guest post, health, money saving tips, recipe by Hanna on
We’re thrilled to introduce Anne Imsick on the blog today who is sharing two healthy and inexpensive recipes that the whole family with love! For a little back story, Anne and I actually work together. As I’ve come to know her better she has become like my own personal dietitian. I love her food advice because 1) she loves great tasting food, and 2) she is a frugal shopper. On a “poor-college-student” budget I felt like it is almost impossible to eat healthy, but Anne provides some great tips on how to eat healthier while cutting some of the costs. She is so inspiring that we’ve asked her to share some of her healthy, money-saving tips on the blog.
Hi! I’m Anne, and I’m excited to share will you some simple healthy recipes and money saving tips. We don’t have children, but we definitely understand the concept of saving money when it comes to grocery shopping!  My main stores are Costco & Trader Joe’s.

For my main entree, I am presenting TWO different recipes that utilize the same ingredient list. I’m all about mixing it up without having to buy more ingredients.  The two entrees featured are: Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup & Easy Chicken Nachos!  Both are packed with veggies, protein, and the thing every kid loves…. CHEESE.  If you are dairy-intolerant, try Daiya brand (carried by Costco) which comes in various shredded flavors.
 
Recipe #1:

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup  (recipe adapted from food.com)::

– 1 (16 oz) can black beans
– 1 (16 oz) can niblet corn
– 1 (11 oz) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies (I add 1-2 cans depending on how much I want to stretch the soup)
– 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
– 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
– 1 (1 1/4 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix
– 1 (1 oz) envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
– 1 lb shredded chicken (COOKED)

NOTE: I buy pre-packaged Rotisserie meat already pulled off the bone from Costco.  It comes in a huge, vacuum-sealed package right by the actual Rotisserie chickens.  It’s ready to eat!  It has been a game changer in our household.
 

DO NOT DRAIN CANS!  Simply add every ingredient listed above to your slow cooker EXCEPT for your cooked chicken.  That’s right — just dump it all in, stir, and leave it alone!  Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.  You will add your cooked chicken during the last hour of slow cooking so it doesn’t get soggy. 

Garnish each bowl of soup with the following ingredients as desired:

– Crushed black corn tortilla chips (Trader Joe’s)
– Shredded cheese
– Fage Greek yogurt — YOUR NEW SOUR CREAM!  Jam packed with protein & it lasts a really long time.  Costco sells a massive tub of it.
– Salsa — green or red!
– Avocado slices

Recipe #2:
 
Easy Chicken Nachos

This is more of a free-for-all, decorate your nachos as you please.  Use the ingredients listed above as you like.  I buy a few extra cans of the beans & corn to use for the nachos.

Typically I use:
 
– black corn tortilla chips

– Rotisserie chicken from Costco
– cooked black beans
– cooked corn
– Salsa
– Fage Greek yogurt
– Salsa
– Shredded cheese
– Avocado slice

 
Warm your cooked chicken in the microwave.  Set aside.  Then warm your tortilla chips on a large plate (microwave or oven) & set aside; each person usually will eat 10-15 chips.  Set out your toppings buffet-style & you’re done!  Each person will grab a plate & fix their nachos as they please.
 
And lastly, what’s a meal without dessert? Here is an easy recipe that is sure to fulfill your cravings while still providing you with plenty of protein!
Chocolate Haystacks from thepaleomom.com 

– 2 oz. dark chocolate
– 1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
– 1/4 cup shredded unsweet coconut
– 1/2 cup sliced almonds
– 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper or wax paper.  Combine coconut, almonds, & walnuts in a bowl.
2.  Melt together the chocolate & coconut oil in the microwave (on medium) in a glass bowl.
3.  Stir nuts into chocolate mixture.
4.  Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet while still warm; refrigerate until set.
5.  DEVOUR!
Anne holds a B.S. in dietetics from Texas A&M University.  She loves Jesus, her family and friends, running, yoga, exploring Oregon, playing piano, and cooking easy, healthy, and affordable meals.
~SARA
 
Linked To:

Donut Miss This Party!

posted in family, food, friends, money saving tips, party, printable, recipe by Sara on
Hello again! As I’m sure many of you can relate to, life have been a bit busy…then again when is it not?! In the mist of all the working, blogging, and family time I got a little behind with some of my other responsibilities. There were heaps of laundry everywhere, the house needed a major cleaning, the fridge needed to be restocked, and I was literally running on fumes. I wish I was one of those super moms who could balance life perfectly and get it all done, but I am simply not one of  them. In fact, balancing life is quite a struggle for me. I sometimes get to the point where life is so out of balance that I need to step back, re-group, get organized, relax, and start again. Unfortunately, last week was one of those weeks. I wish I could say  that I’ve come back with all the answers on how to live a balanced life, but to be honest I’m not sure I will ever have all the answers. It is something that I strive to work at everyday; some days I succeed, and other days I fail completely. Such is the game of life I guess. Tomorrow is always a new day and a new beginning. As for today, I feel refreshed and so happy to be back!
During our week away, both Hanna’s daughters and my daughter all had birthdays! These little girls are growing up so fast! My little Addie turned 2, and I’m still besides myself at when my baby girl became a toddler! As you may remember from the Picnic Themed Birthday Party post I wrote several weeks ago, we’re not big birthday people. Growing up we always had quiet birthday dinners with our family, and while we still like to keep things simple, you know how we love to throw parties! So, this week we will be showing you some ideas on how to throw an inexpensive birthday party while still wowing your guests and making your child’s birthday special. 
While my daughter is still very small, I like to choose party themes that will entertain guests of all ages. This year I decided to go with an adorable donut themed party. Originally I had planned to have this cute little party at the park, but sadly due to a rainy forecast we were forced to move it inside at the last minute. With the last minute changes I didn’t have much time to plan out or decorate the new space, but in the end it didn’t really matter and every one seemed to have a good time… the birthday girl included! Any excuse to play with friends and eat yummy treats and my daughter is totally there!
As you can see, I tried to keep things fairly simple. Here is a tip: when doing a party on a budget, be sure to check out your local dollar stores and party discount stores for all your paper products and party decorations. That is where I bought 95% of my decorations, plates, cups, napkins, etc. The adorable striped straws I found at Target for $2.99 for a pack of 20. Sometimes Target will also have some cute party stuff in there dollar section. I was also able to find some darling donut printables from Oh Happy Day and Confetti Sunshine. Not only where they a perfect addition to the party, but they are completely free! You’ll definitely want to check these out!
As for the food budget, I didn’t have $50 to spend on six dozen donuts so I decided to “make” them myself for half the price. By “make”, I mean fry. I simply took the Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits, punched a hole in the middle of each biscuit, and then fried them in a pan of oil. Within minutes you have yourself a perfectly golden brown, delicious donut. After letting the donuts cool for a bit, I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting. For the cinnamon and sugar coated donuts you’ll want to toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar when they are still hot. 
Here is what I  used for the frosting:
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz brick cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2-3 Tbsp milk
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla
Added flavors:
Chocolate: add 2-3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, plus an addition 2-3 Tbsp of milk
Strawberry: blend in 1/4 cup of freshly sliced strawberries
Maple: add 2-3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
Lastly, I topped off my donuts with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and almond slices.
To tie our two parties together, Hanna created this fun confetti dot banner. I mean seriously, what birthday party is complete without confetti?! You’ll see how Hanna used the banner in her party theme on Wednesday. If you love it as much as we do, we’ve created a FREE downloadable version below!
(click the text to download)
 Overall, I spent under $75 in total on the party. $30 was spent on the decorations and paper products, and the rest went toward the food budget. After it was all said and done, here are some tips to take away when planning a birthday party on a budget:
  • Shop at you local dollar store or discount party store when looking for decorations or paper products
  • Search your house for items you can re-purpose or use as decorations
  • Ask friends to borrow certain items you do not have instead of buying them
  • Search for free printables online or design your invites/banners yourself
  • Keep things simple (this will make your life and your budget a lot happier) 
  • Plan ahead, and shop sales!
While not everything went completely as planned, it was a great party celebrating a special little girl. While we are still fairly new-comers to the area, I felt blessed by the number of our new friends who came to celebrate with us.

Pinterest Challenge Week #3

posted in food, printable, recipe by Sara on
Wow what a week! Besides the beyond beautiful weather, I got to spend some time with family for a bridal shower and a wedding earlier this week. Sara and I have also been talking pretty much everyday in making some future plans for our blog– we’re so excited about it! But, for now let’s get to this week’s Pinterest Challenge. For week #3 I put together an ice cream sundae kit. I’m an all around chocolate lover when it comes to mix-ins for my ice cream so this kit was nothing short of that! I also created my own labels which I’ll be posting next week and I’ll give you the run down of everything I put in the kit.
Mmm, I could definitely go for an ice cream sundae right now… I hope that box it coming my way! The weather here in Oregon has been absolutely wonderful as well, perfect for a cold refreshing treat! Thankfully the warm sunshine has given me the energy and drive I’ve needed to overcome a busy week. While life has been a little very busy around my house lately, it always remains exciting. Hanna mentioned some big plans we have coming up regarding our blog, and while we are keeping them under wraps for now, she is right, we’re super excited about them! Anyway, with a busy schedule I’ve needed so some quick and easy meals to add to my recipe collection. In my Pinterest search, I found this Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus. As always I put my own little twist on the recipe based on what I had in my fridge. Instead of using sun dried tomatoes (which are like $5.00 for a little jar!) I used some cherry tomatoes that I sauteed with garlic. I also decided to add some roasted zucchini to the mix as well, and of course lots and lots of cheese! To top it all off, I whipped up a loaf of my dad’s Fabulous French Bread (that is really the name of the recipes in my family cookbook). All in all, it was delicious and easy to make. Definitely a keeper! 

That wraps up week 3 of the Pinterest Challenge! If you haven’t already seen what the other talented ladies in the challenge have been up to, here are some of our favorite projects from week 3!

 Lime Cream Popsicle | by Delineate Your Dwelling

 Be sure to visit all the other talented bloggers that have joined in on the challenge– there are a LOT more fun and inspiring projects! Again they are:
Katelyn // Ginny // Corey // Megin // Vanessa
 Amy // Havalah // Stephanie

Also, become a follower of our Pinterest Challenge Pinterest board to keep up with all the lasted projects and inspiration!

Link’n Blogs Linky Party {#20}

posted in baby, blogging, crafts, diy, family, food, health, holidays, inspiration, kids, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood, organization, parenting, party, recipe, sewing, thrifted, tutorial by Sara on
Today we’re honored to be guest hosting the Link’n Blogs linky party brought to you by Put a Bird On It. This is our first time ever “hosting” a linky party and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the inspiration and talent of so many wonderful bloggers! It is actually through linky parties that we have come across some of our favorite blogs and have connected with some amazing people. With that being said, we invite you all to share, connect, inspire, and be inspired yourself!

Welcome to Link’n Blogs {#20} !
A place to link up your projects and make new friends. We are all about visiting links and following new bloggers here at Link’n Blogs. Remember to leave comments and PIN PIN PIN!
Cause sharing is caring. 


**Your links will show up on ALL blogs hosting the link party!**

Interested in guest hosting Link’n Blogs?!
I’ve created a spreadsheet where you can sign up to host a link party! It’s a great way to get to know other bloggers, share a recent post with other party goers and pick the features. Sign up using the link below!

Grab my party button! 
 



*Feel free to post my party button on your blog and say you linked up here!*



I am sharing a feature I did on Warby Parker collaborating with Architecture for Humanity. It’s a good company working towards a good cause!

Warby Parker + Architecture for Humanity






Katelyn is sharing a DELISH recipe for a spin on cheesy pasta. This looks so good! I love that it has bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon!



Be sure to give some love to our guest hosts – you will love their creative blogs!



These two girls have one of the cutest blogs! You’ve got to check out the Pinterest challenge they’re doing. Today, Hanna and Sara are sharing some divine cinnamon rolls – with a twist!






Chastity has a fun lifestyle blog and is momma to an adorable little cowboy! Today, she is sharing a heart filled printable perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. I love it!





Carolyn’s blog is all about her life as a stay at home mom to her two daughters {which she never thought she’d be!}. And her post this week is about just that.




Here are this week’s features:

My Pick

DIY Felt Flower Headbands by Maddie Moe’s




Katelyn’s Pick

DIY Stenciled Tray by Life in Velvet



Hanna and Sara’s Pick

DIY Geometric Photo Display by The Caldwell Project



Chastity’s Pick

Picnic Basket Tutorial by Over the Apple Tree



Carolyn’s Pick

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Sandwich by Belle of the Kitchen


Fan Favorites


Reversible Easter/Spring Wood Blocks by Something Splendid



Pantry Makeover by View from the Fridge




I know the bloggers featured would love if you would visit their posts and say hello!

All features will be pinned to my Link’n Blogs board. Follow it here!



Follow my blog! If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link.
Link to your blog post — not just your blog.
Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you.
If you enjoy a link, you can LIKE it {new feature!}
Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog. 
Grab my party button! – See more at: http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2013/12/diy-christmas-scriptures-advent.html#sthash.mPINNYsH.dpuf
Ok, here are the guidelines for the link party:  


Follow your HOSTS and GUEST HOSTS

If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link

Link to your blog post — not just your blog.

Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you

Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog
Share this link party on social media to help Link’n Blogs grow!

*Don’t be a LINK & RUN partier. Visit a couple links before you and a couple after!*


Happy Linking!

Leave a permalink on your blog back to the party to help our party grow!
*here is the link*
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/04/linkn-blogs-20.html


 

**********************************************


I monitor each link and may delete a link if it is not something I want to promote on my blog. If you see your link was deleted, please email me. I’d be happy to chat about why! Thanks! 

**********************************************