Easy Moist Applesauce Cake with Caramel Apple Drizzle

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground clove

1/8 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup applesauce

½ cup soft butter

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

(if you want you can add raisins or nuts but my family wont eat the cake if I do)

I start at the top of the ingredient list and add everything to my Kitchenaid's bowl. I

 mix until smooth. I use 2 - 8” rounds. You can however use a bunt pan, muffin pan

 bread pan etc. I just like the caramel sauce in between the layers :)

Bake until a knife pulls out clean about 20-25 min at 350

for the caramel sauce:

Since I used canned applesauce (that is just what I had in the pantry) I had some

 left in the can. I used 15 caramel squares and about 1/8 cup of applesauce tossed

 them in a microwavable bowl and microwaved for about 4 min stopping every min 

to stir until smooth. Use ½ the sauce between the layers and the other half on the 

top. SOOOO GOOD!

Wall Basket Hanger / Shelf / Organizer DIY EASY!

I have had this massive drive to organize the last week. So I decided take advantage of that pregnancy

nesting urge to clean out cupboards and organize closets and embrace it while it lasts! My 3 year old

and the new arrival will be sharing a very small room. I have been worried about the clutter, so I put

my thinking cap on and took note of the building materials that I had around the house and this is what

I came up with:

When I was at the dollar store I saw some great colorful plastic baskets. I immediately got an idea for

wall storage! I purchased 8 baskets in rotating colors and sizes. I remembered that we had some left

over very nice 1” thick ceder fence pickets left over from a job that my hubby had recently done. So I

grabbed 2 of the pickets the baskets a box of 3/4” wood screws and some washers (I found them

floating around in the bottom of the tool box that fit the heads of the screws) and a random can of ½

full wood stain that I had.

I took the fence picket and cut off the end that had the dog ear with a skill saw. I then I got out the

sander and sanded the corners of each end so they wouldn't splinter. I stained the side that was NOT

ruff as well as all 4 edges but I didn't feel that the back needed stained since it would not been seen

once it was hung. After the board dried (it was a sunny day so it took about 30 min for it to dry) I

placed the baskets in front of it and organized how I wanted the lay out to look. I put two screws near

the top of each basket with washers around them so they wouldn't rip out as easily over time. WALA!

EASY! Mounted it to the wall and filled with those pesky stuffed animals that build up!

I repeated this but cut the picket shorter to hang over the babies crib.


Total out of pocket cost (for both hangers) was the $8 for the baskets, everything else I had here at home

Orange-and-Ricotta Pound Cake

I found this recipe online and modified it. The original recipe called for orange zest and a liquor, stuff that often I just don't have on hand unless I make a special shopping trip (my kiddos are not big citrus fans) we do however always have frozen OJ on hand and a small arsenal of baking extracts. The recipe turned out amazing! Its soft, moist, fluffy and OH so YUMMY!

3/4 cup soft unsalted butter 

1 1/2 cups flour 

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup frozen Orange Juice

2 Teaspoons almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease pans a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or a few smaller pans. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to blend.

2. Using a mixer, cream the butter, ricotta and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange and almond extract until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes or about 35 minutes for mini pans. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Italian Pizzelles

Italian Pizzelles Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon anise seeds

In my kitchen aid I added added everything and mixed until smooth then put a tablespoon on each section of the Pizzelle maker. You can roll them lay them flat etc. They harden fast so if you plan on shaping them you best hurry. They taste like a vanilla wafer or a waffle cone. Fast pretty and easy to make if you have the iron of course :) 

These are great paired with ice cream. You can even roll them in cone shape and have an ice cream cone

 

EASY Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

This is such a simple recipe. Most if not everything is stuff that you would find in any pantry. Plus the recipe is so tasty! 

5 Large Potatoes sliced thin

1 small onion chopped

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

3 bullion cubes

1 ½ cup water

1 Tablespoon parsley (or any green fragrant spice that compliments your main dish)

1/3 cup Mayonnaise (I always use the olive oil mayo)

½ teaspoon paprika

Layer potatoes and onions in a large greased casserole dish.

Dissolve the bullion cubes in the water.

In a medium saucepan melt butter and stir in flour until smooth and frothy (like you would when your making a gravy). Gradually add the broth and the mayo until smooth and frothy. Add the parsley and the paprika, mix them in.

Pour gravy mixture over the potatoes.

Bake at 350 for one hour.  

Night before Peaches and Cream Baked French Toast

This is a dish you need to make the night before. Its wonderful for brunch. The taste is AMAZING and the smell that wafts through the house is to die for. It has this wonderful peaches and cream flavor but not sugary. We made this for Christmas morning breakfast and will  make it again and AGAIN!

2 cans of sliced peaches packed in light syrup

1 loaf of french bread sliced into about 1” slices

2 cups milk

¼ cup white standard sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup heavy cream

spray a 9”x 13” baking dish with pan spray and arrange bread in a tight layer in the dish. If they overlap a little it works fine.

Mix eggs with milk, white standard sugar and vanilla until WELL blended.

Pour mixture over the bread and then arrange the preaches on the top evenly. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover the dish and refrigerate over night or at least 8 hours.

Be sure to bring dish to room temperature before baking, 30 – 45 min sitting on the counter. Preheat oven to 350. While the dish is coming to temperature. Pour the cream into a small pan and bring to a boil, then cook until reduced by half. It will be thick. Drizzle over the dish and bake uncovered until lightly browned on top and cooked through about an hour. Let stand for 10 min before serving (as it is still cooking in the 10 min that its out of the oven)

Ooey Gooey Pull Apart Danish Rolls

I modified an online recipe to fit what I had in the pantry and it turned out amazing! This is the link to the original recipe 

http://shopgirlmaria.blogspot.ca/2012/09/raspberry-swirl-rolls.html 

The following is how I made the rolls 

Dough

1 1/4 cup milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

1 stick butter, softened

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Make sure the milk is lukewarm. Pour it into your mixer bowl, and add the sugar and yeast. Flip the mixer on for a few seconds, then let sit until the mixture is frothy, usually a few minutes. Turn the mixer on low, add in the softened butter, eggs and salt. Add the flower slowly until a soft dough forms (if the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour). Using the dough hook attachment, beat the dough on medium-high speed for about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let sit in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours, until it doubles in size.

Filling

I cheated on my filling :) I used a can of cherry pie filling and it turned out AMAZING! You could use what ever canned pie filling you prefer for this recipe. It was the perfect amount of filler and just the right amount of sweet ooey gooey goodness for this recipe.

Glaze / Icing

You can either make your own glaze with the following recipe:

3 cups confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons milk

stir together sugar and milk until smooth

Or you can use about a ½ container of white or cream cheese pre-made store bought cake frosting. I heat it up in the microwave until its warm and smooth but NOT hot and bubbly.

Directions

Roll out your dough on a flowered surface until it forms a very large rectangle. Spread the filling over over it and roll up until it resembles a jelly roll. Just like you would if you where making cinnamon rolls. I like to cut them thinner into about 14-16 thin slices and place them in something about twice the size of a cake pan, make sure it has been greased well – a cookie sheet with nice tall sides or a large Pyrex dish would work well.

Let rise about 1 hour

Bake at 425 until nice and golden – about 25-30 min.

let the rolls cool till warm and and drizzle glaze over the top of warm (not hot) rolls.

Buttermilk Substitute > Make your own!

Buttermilk Substitute

I hate when a recipe calls for something that I don't have on hand. Buttermilk always seams to be the one that I need.

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

one cup or larger measuring cup

Milk

Place a tablespoon of Lemon Juice in a measuring cup. Fill with milk to the one cup mark. Let stand for 5 minutes and you have your buttermilk substitute

Backyard chickens in BOISE!

We LOVE our backyard chickens! 

I had wanted chickens for YEARS but was worried about city codes. I live in a small subdivision with close neighbors and figured we just couldn't have them in the city. I WAS WRONG! You may need to look up individual code in your town or county but Boise City Code says that we can have 6, yes SIX chickens! That is plenty for a medium sized family to benefit from.

This is a link to the new updated city code:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/04/18/2079570/love-bees-chickens-and-ducks-youre.html

I had been asking my husband to build me a coop for the last 6 months with ZERO success. He is a construction guy that can build anything and make it look beautiful. However, its like the mechanics wife that drives the clunker.... when he gets home he is exhausted and the little things don't get done. So I started it with the help of my 3 year old daughter! We scavenged the scrap wood that has accumulated on the side of the house and begun construction! I honestly thought that it would turn out better :( My hubby calls it the "leaning box".... oh well! The chickens love it! I will also be painting the coop this spring when I paint our fence.

 

Since its colder out I installed a red heat lamp for egg production

The girls who where shy at 1st great me at the gate when ever I am near the coop. They are very quiet and don't bother anyone. 

I have been getting about 5 eggs a week out of the one hen that is of laying age. 

Fresh Eggs are Yummy!

Farm fresh eggs have seven times more beta carotene, twice as many omega 3′s, three times more Vitamin E, a 1/3 less cholesterol, AND 1/4 less saturated fat than store bought eggs! I almost forgot to mention that the flavor is so much better then store bought eggs!

Bet you can guess what egg is from the hen house. The man who slacked on the coop building gets great omelets now! 

Original and Crispy my Leghorns 

Fluffy my Silkie

Lucy and Ethel my Silver Laced Wyandottes 

We are getting one more to complete our Brood! 

The girls found the garden :) This spring I will be putting up a gate so they cant get in. I don't always let them out of the run but when I do they love to investigate! 

My husband was tired of the girls roaming the back yard so he actually constructed a run gate out of scrap from a few of his jobs. I designed it and he built it just like my drawing. He is wonderful and it turned out amazing. 

Now when I stain the fence in the spring I will stain the coop and this beautiful run fence/gate that he made. 

Baked Bay Scallops with Artichoke Hearts

Baked Bay Scallops with Artichoke 

This is a VERY rich dish and can be served with Garlic Toast, over Pasta even over a green such as arugula or spinach!

2 Cups Bay Scallops - Be sure they are drained of water. Place them in a dish with a few paper towels under them to soak up as much moisture as possible. 

1 can quartered Artichoke hearts drained

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Mayonnaise ( I always use the Olive Oil based Mayo)

3 minced Garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped Parsley  

1 tablespoon white cooking wine

Mix all this together until it has the consistency of tuna fish

Put in a greased dish

You can use a variety of different dishes depending on how you will be serving the dish. It will change the baking time depending on the size of the dish. A smaller dish will take less time.

Cook until the edges and part of the top are golden. In a larger dish 30 min or so is about more then enough time. 

Bay Scallops do NOT take long to cook. 

This is a wonderful dish! It also makes a GREAT appetizer served with toasted garlic croutons :)