What you need to Pin today.

Last night I was in a baking mood.  This does nothing for one's diet, but it happens from time to time.  It's not stressed induced or anything - just in the mood. The plan was maybe cookies from scratch but the only recipe that I'd have access to was a recipe my husband wouldn't eat.  (He'll eat oatmeal raisin, he'll eat chocolate chip, but oatmeal chocolate chip is...unreasonable?!)

So I asked myself what do I have already?  I have 3 graham cracker crusts my Mom gave me knowing she wouldn't come up with something to do with them before they hit their "date."

And then I remembered a favorite recipe I found on a link party from Tatertots and Jello one evening last year.  It was called the No Bake Cheesecake and I've made it countless times since then.  Why?  Because it is one of the fastest, easiest and tastiest recipes.  And there's nothing I don't love about those three adjectives when it comes to food.

Since I've made it so many times I knew the ingredients by heart.  I picked them up and went home to get started.  Before Pinterest I'd always just tried to remember where I'd seen something - seriously Pinterest is wonderful.  This time I searched Pinterest first because there's no way this recipe wouldn't be on there.  And after clicking through a couple of them it was there!  The wonderful recipe I'd found on Tatertots and Jello so many times before.  This time with much less internet searching.  Of course, I pinned it for safe keeping.  I made it last night and left it to cool overnight in the refrigerator.  It really only need 2-3 hours but I didn't have 2-3 hours last night and I'm saving it for today.

This recipe is from Random Thoughts of a Supermom who posted it originally in August of last year.  Then she linked it and I'm so glad she did!  The post is HERE if you don't have a Pinterest account.  And let me tell you - it's delicious!

Really you can put any topping on this cheesecake but I used the cherries too and I think the flavors really compliment each other.  Trust me this is so simple and delicious - if you like cheesecake at all it'll quickly become your go-to dessert to make or bring somewhere.

Another recipe I have actually made and thought was AMAZING:

Mexican Cilantro Grilled Shrimp!

This was a recipe I saw on a linky party and after clicking through it I pinned it.  The recipe is from the blog "Fresh Plate" and she posted it in May of this year.  I had never cooked shrimp before but this recipe wasn't difficult at all.  It was DELICIOUS!  It has the perfect amount of heat - the taste is amazing and we even used some leftovers to put in soft tacos - which were equally good!  Seriously - you need to pin this as well because it is SO tasty!

This is her original post with the instructions of how to make it.  Trust me on this - you'll want to make it! 

There you have it - tried and true recipes found on the blogosphere.  Having made them myself I can vouch for their tastiness.  Go ahead and pin them - but make sure you pin them off of the original blog posts - that way you can be taken directly to the recipe without having to go through 3 different sites!

Banana Pudding...cake?

This treat is one of the easiest things to throw together. You really don't need pictures to walk you through - it's that easy. Also - it's PERFECT for those family bbq's. It's inexpensive to throw together and you can make a lot of it!

Now, normally in order for this to still be classified as "pudding" you'll need more pudding than I used. I used one large box of pudding and when I read other recipes they used two small boxes. But I really like how mine came out more cake like, so if you like a cake - follow my instructions, if you like your banana pudding nice and pudding...y, use two small boxes.

What you'll need:

1 Large Box Banana Jello Pudding. (Or two small boxes, see above.)

(Milk to prepare pudding like usual.)

1 Tub Whipped Topping - I used light but really...how healthy can this end up?

1 Box Nilla Wafters - I didn't use the full box - I used about 3-4 handfuls. I also used the mini wafers because they're cute.

3-4 Bananas - ripe

1 Box Yellow Cake or Pound Cake Mix (Oil, Eggs, etc to prepare cake.)

First:

Prepare your cake mix. I used yellow cake mix. I baked it in a large pan for the time recommended and let it cool. While that was cooling I threw the banana pudding together according to the directions. Then I put that in a large bowl and let it cool as well.

After that's cool enough, you'll get out a large bowl. If you have a trifle bowl, that would be perfect. I just used the biggest bowl I have.

I started cutting the cake into cubes -about 2"x2", you can do smaller but that's just how I did it. I layered the bottom of the bowl with cake cubes. Then I began layering whipped cream, nilla wafers, pudding and banana slices. Then repeat. Since the cake cubes were large, I only repeated once. If you cut them smaller I'm sure you'll get more layers and it'll be more esthetically pleasing. Especially if you use a trifle bowl, but since it's just a big ol' bowl, I didn't mind as much.

Cool until you're ready to eat. I made it first thing in the morning and then we had it for dessert so it cooled over 8 hours. And let me tell you - it's DELICIOUS! If you want to eat it off the bat, go for it, I'm sure it's just as good then too!

As you can see it's more of a cake-like consistency than pudding. If you prefer pudding, go for the two small boxes, if you'd like to try the cake way - one big box. And trust me - it's really, really good!

Enjoy!

Linking: see the "I Like To Party" link.

TCB, TM,

Easy Key Lime Pie

Well Friday night I decided to try and make a no-bake lemon cream pie. I was so excited because I was expecting this delicious pie. Have you ever had Marie Callender's Lemon Cream Pie? I was thinking along those lines. But that didn't happen. What happened was me, throwing what I thought sounded good in there and because of that...it couldn't set. I made lemon cream pudding with bits of graham cracker crust and whipped cream. So then I started over.

My husband is a fan of key lime pie and after putting the words "easy pie" in AllRecipes.com, I found a great and easy Key Lime Pie recipe. So I tried again, and this time - it set! Pie happened and not just pudding. I'm thrilled. Also - it's really tasty!!

To begin!

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites, beaten (#4)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (#3)
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (#2 - it takes about 3 limes to get 1/2 cup of juice.)
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust (#1)

Since I screwed up the first recipe by deviating a...lot. I decided to stick straight to this one. I only added lime zest. I swear!

Next:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Separate 5 egg whites and start beating the ever living out of them. Now, I have a kitchen aid mixer, but it was busy so I had to do this the old fashioned way.

Now, I checked many other recipes and while some called for basically meringue, this one just said to beat the eggs really, really well. So I did. But if you want meringue, you go ahead and knock yourself out!!

Next add 1/2 cup of lime juice, the can of sweetened condensed milk and some lime zest. I didn't measure how much I put it, I just zested until it felt right! Mix until combined and then transfer to your graham cracker crust. (Not pictured.)

Then bake in oven for about 15 minutes...

And leave to cool!

After it's cool you can add lime slices and a little whipping cream if you're so inclined.

This is seriously easy which is why I like it. I'm always a fan of simple recipes.

Also - another recipe I tried this weekend was this recipe from Fresh Plate this weekend. I HIGHLY recommend it - SO, SO, SO GOOD!!!!

Have a happy Sunday!!!

Linking up - see the "I Like To Party" link up top!

TCB, A2Z, TM,

Hoo Are You? Memorial Day Edition

(Images courtesy of Pinterest)

NightOwlCrafting" border="0">




Hi. It's Tuesday. Yesterday I realized it would be a long week and so far I've been proven correct. So in an attempt to perk up and try to look at the bright side, I'm participating in "Hoo Are You" over at Night Owl Crafting - Memorial Day Edition.

1. What is your favorite thing cooked on the BBQ?

That would probably be either steaks or hamburgers. However right now our BBQ isn't working... I have a brother who worked at Lowe's and gave us a rough diagnostic that it's something called the regulator and it'll cost around $20 to buy and fix. Except my husband is using this as an excuse to purchase a new BBQ. Its only two years old and I told him that if we could make it to another summer with this one, we could consider looking at new ones next year. Nice try. We're fixing the one we have.

2. How do you celebrate Memorial Day?

As a family we would try to go visit a couple graves but the last two years as a married couple - my husband always had to work so I used it as an excuse to sleep in and run errands. I know it's not very patriotic of me...but it's the truth.

3. Do you like your handwriting?

Yep. Most of the time.

4. Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes. My husband does not. He had them removed over a year ago. It wasn't a pleasant experience...for either of us.

5. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

The only reason I untie my shoes is so I can slip them on the next day because I took them off without untying them.

Gourmet Guilty Pleasure: Doughnuts on Steroids

Again, I have to apologize to anyone living out of Utah, for subjecting you to something you can only find here.

But I have to tell you about these doughnuts:


Yes - Beyond Glaze has two locations: Draper & Salt Lake City. I had heard of these doughnuts before but just hadn't tried them until about 4 months ago. I was making a "Caffeine Run" at work. (Picking up energy drinks, soda, etc. for some of the office.) I was driving back and noticed big balloons advertising the grand entrance of "Beyond Glaze" doughnuts. I made a mental note and then suggested it for a morning meeting the next week.

They've been an office staple ever since. We even talked a vendor into bringing them in for us. They're so delicious it should be illegal.

They're gourmet and very rich so sticking with just one usually isn't a problem. The problem is picking which one that will be:


After a few meetings I've made my choice when it comes to my absolute favorite.


I give you: The Strawberry Cream Cheese Doughnut

This is SO good. It goes beyond just a doughnut. It's so much better. Honestly you could have these for dessert too.

Some more for your consideration:

The Smore Doughnut
Yep...it's just as yummy as it looks.

The Peach Cobbler Doughnut.
I haven't had this one yet, but I've been told it's delicious.

The Caramel Apple Doughnut.
Again...so rich and delicious.

The Blueberry Torte Doughnut.
This also comes in Raspberry as well. They're unbelievable.

There are many more pictures on the website but they have many more that aren't pictured. Like the one I had this morning called the Coconut Cream doughnut. It was delightful. (But horrible for the gettin'-sexy program.)


I'd highly recommend these to any doughnut connoisseur. HIGHLY.

Also - sorry for the weight gain it might cause. These definitely aren't on any diet plans!

My Favorite Guilty Pleasure Shop: EVER

For those of you who don't live in Utah, I sincerely apologize for subjecting you to the following pictures, because unfortunately Mini's is a local shop still. But no fear - she's crazy popular, so it wouldn't shock me if she went national soon.


I have an undying love and passion for all things cupcake. It's deep and it's real.


And one afternoon while I was at work about a year ago, I got hungry. Except I didn't want a stupid fast food lunch, I wanted a good lunch. Also, it doesn't need to be said, but I was in the mood for a cupcake too. So I googled.

I found a few places but the closest shop was Mini's Cupcakes and Retro Lounge. (Oh don't even get me started on the retro lounge and it's impossible cuteness!) They have a seasonal breakfast and lunch menu that changes. In the fall and winter they have an AMAZING grilled cheese and tomato soup. The best tomato soup I've had in my life! Year round they have lunch boxes with mouth watering sandwiches and salad. Everything is hand made and delicious.

And then there's what they do best: The Cupcakes



Here are just a few of my personal favorites:

The "Tiramasu"
This is amazing. I love tiramasu in all forms, and it's especially good as a cupcake.

The "Smore Please"
That isn't frosting - that's real marshmallow and graham crackers. DELICIOUS!

The "Diva"
If I'm only allowing myself just one -this is the one I get. It is so crazy delicious and not to mention, adorable.

The "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
This is the cupcake that set them apart. Because the sheer, I-pass-out-from-cuteness of it. I've had it too - SO good.

Another one I couldn't find a picture of is "The Mary Ann" it's a delicious banana and coconut cupcake. I don't know if they took it off the menu, if that's the case then I'm going to be depressed for a while.


On days like today, when things get a little rough around the edges and nerves are frayed...I like to indulge in a cupcake. So I head to Mini's.


So that's where I'm going...right now.

Update:I had the diva...it was amazing. And almost worth the hour and a half I'll spend on the treadmill because of it.

Birthday Cake

his is the closest thing to a recipe as I come...

The Strawberry Shortcake Cake

In reality this is very, very easy.

I originally was inspired (to do the easy version) by The Pioneer Woman. She posted a small, very cute little cake that she whipped up from scratch.

Rarely...and I mean rarely, do I cook from scratch. I applaud the women who do, but my friends, from-scratch is not for me. If I wasn't such a snob about my baked goods, I would seriously buy stuff like this at the grocery store. Luckily for my husband - I like baking.

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist)

Ingredients to complete Betty Crocker super moist: 3 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 & 1/4 cups water

Strawberries. If you're big on strawberries - go nuts and get a ton. I just got one little package.

About 1/4 cup sugar (about...seriously it's all a matter of opinion.

Whipped Cream Frosting - I used this recipe as a guideline.

1/2 Cup White Sugar

2 Cups whipping cream

1 package *softened* cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

I used 2 9" round cake pans and followed the cake directions to bake them. *Important: grease the ever-living out of those pans. Last year I attempted this and it wasn't so much cake as it was a heaping mess of cream and cake with strawberries. I learned this year - spray those pans like there's no tomorrow.

After they were done I set them out to cool.

For the strawberries: cut them into slices (or really, do what you want - I sliced mine), and in a bowl sprinkle white sugar over them until it feels right. Note: they shouldn't be covered in sugar - just sprinkled. Then put them in the fridge to do their thing. There's a word for it...and I think PW uses it but I can't remember.

Frosting:

*Make sure the cream cheese is soft. It's important. I put the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract into my mixer first and set the speed at medium. Then slowly poured in the whipping cream. After it's all in, set the speed a little higher. Stop it a few times to scrape the sides and make sure there's nothing sitting at the bottom. Then after a couple minutes you should see it start to "peak," which is a cooking term I never use. It'll start looking like whipped cream, alright? It should be slightly stiffer than you normal whipped cream consistency though.

Putting it all together:

Once the cakes are both cooled, I cut off the tops to make sure they're even enough to stack on each other. On the first layer of cake spread an even layer of the whipped topping and then you can spread on, or place strawberry topping. Then place the top layer on and ice the top and sides until fully covered. It doesn't have to be perfect - this topping wasn't made to be spread perfectly. After it's iced throw some more strawberries on top and you're done.

It's delicious - trust me.

I'm linking up here on Friday:

and here:


and here:

Thirty Days: Pity Party

Sweet Tooth Friday

Little Brick Ranch

Whoa...I'm kind of a link whore...