Strawberry Shortcake

All I can say is YUUMMMMMM and thank you Paula Deen!! I don't think I need to say more...

1 large angel food cake


Custard
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed


Glaze
1 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry Jello
1 cup water
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half (if larger than cut in quarters)
Whole strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish 


Slice cake, using a serrated knife, horizontally into 3 equal layers. 

Custard
Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping in a bowl; set aside.

Glaze
In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin; add water. Cook stirring over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Fold in strawberries.

Place 1 layer of cake in a large clear bowl (I use trifle bowl). Top with a layer of glaze, followed by a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for remaining cake, glaze and custard. Top cake with 3 whole fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves.

**I will double the glaze recipe next time because I like the strawberry part and I thought there could be more!

Real Cajun Red Beans and Rice

My favorite cajun dish is red beans and rice. If I ever see it on a menu, I get at least a side of it. This is always my "go to" dish. This is another recipe from Mardi Gras to Mistletoe (my favorite cookbook). I have another red beans and rice recipe on my blog which is very easy that came from my dad. This recipe is a little more difficult but only because it can be time consuming. HOWEVER... if you do not want to spend the time following these steps... follow the foolproof directions: Soak beans for 8 to 10 hours. Drain beans and combine with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low heat for about 8 hours. Serve over hot rice. See.... this recipe can work for everyone!!! 


1 lb dried red beans
2 qts of water
8 oz salt pork
salt to taste
3 cups of chopped onions 
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 (4 oz) can of tomato sauce
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 T of salt
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t of black pepper
1 t of red pepper
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t thyme
3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
1 lb of link sausage, sliced (I like Down Home green onion)
Hot cooked rice


Sort and rinse the beans. Combine the beans with a generous amount of water in a bowl and soak for 8 to 10 hours; drain. Combine the beans, 2 qts water, the salt pork and salt to taste in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the onions, green onions, parsley, bell pepper, tomato sauce and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, red pepper, oregano, thyme and Tabasco; mix well.

Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the sausage and cook for 45 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and let stand until cool; do not chill. Return the bean mixture to the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or to the desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice. 

**Note: Quick soak beans: rinse and pick through beans. Bring beans and 6-8 cups of water to a boil. Boil 2 minutes and simmer for 45 minutes. 


I make this recipe the day before because I like the mixture thick. So I made it on Saturday and let it cook all day Sunday. I try to smash some of the beans to make it even thicker. So I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!!!! 

Oreo Cheesecake

Here is an easy and quick dessert that will please everyone! Libby introduced me to this one. Throw it together, chill & serve. Recipe calls for an Oreo crust and when I made it last, the store was out so I used a chocolate pie crust instead. It was still good!! But try to get an Oreo crust if you can. 

1 Oreo pie crust

1 container of Cheesecake filling (usually by the cream cheese in store)

1 package of Oreo's

Place 18-20 Oreo's in a plastic bag and crush. Mix crushed Oreo's and cheesecake. Pour mixture into pie crust. Top with more crushed Oreo's. 

Enjoy!!

Fruit Dip

This recipe came from my mother in law. It is so good. I could eat it with a spoon! You can serve it with just about any type of fruit. I recently made this for a baby shower I helped throw for my friend Kim. This was our set up.

It was really nice!! The dip taste like pina colada!! Mmmmmmmm mmmmmm it's good!!


1 can of Coco Lopez, shake well
1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla
1 c of powdered sugar


Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended and creamy. Mix in Coco Lopez a little at a time, blend well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well. Chill. Serve with assorted fruit.

Spring Time in Louisiana!! Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

IT IS FINALLY SPRING!!! Yes it is!! Spring time is one more reason why I LOVE living in Louisiana. There are so many wonderful things to enjoy while the weather is warming up!! The azaleas blooming, crawfish boils, Abita Strawberry, sunshine, country music with the windows down, family and friends. I really couldn't ask for more. My dad and I went down to Houston to see my sister and brought a little of Louisiana to Texas. She had some friends over and we boiled crawfish, shrimp and the fixins. I put on some zydeco music, popped open an Abita Strawberry and that Louisiana feeling was there! Oh how I love it!!! But now to the cooking. My dad has been boiling crawfish for over 20 years... As long as I can remember. It is a Louisiana favorite!! And as much as I love crawfish, everything else in the pot is just as good. To show you a few...

And here is to the Chef!!!!

We had a big time! I, of course, had to contribute in some way so I made appetizer and dessert. I made my corn dip. It was a hit!!

I also made a strawberry cream cheese pound cake. It was SO good!! I got a lot of compliments on this one. It came from Southern Living last month. I love pound cake. It is just delicious. Not difficult to make at all. My dad was my sue chef! And he did a great job!! Well we had one set back... the recipe did say we needed a heavy duty stand mixer but we were at my sisters (who is not a baker) and her hand mixer bit the dust. Smoke everywhere. I'd have to say, it was a first! But we got another one and picked right back up.

Here is the recipe...

1 1/2  cups  butter, softened

3  cups  sugar

1  (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

6  large eggs

3  cups  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  almond extract

1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract

2/3  cup  strawberry glaze (I used strawberry preserves) 

1  (6-inch) wooden skewer

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

Add cream cheese, beating until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2. Gradually add flour to butter mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour one-third of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (14-cup) tube pan (about 2 2/3 cups batter). Dollop 8 rounded teaspoonfuls strawberry glaze over batter, and swirl with wooden skewer. 

Repeat procedure once, and top with remaining third of batter.

3. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!

Quick Chicken Parmesan

This is a quick and easy weeknight recipe that ANYONE can cook. Really! You can make it your own by adding anything you would like. I used 1 big chicken breast and cut it in half. It was the perfect size for two once you flatten it.


3-4 chicken breast, flattened
Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
a little milk
Parmesan cheese
seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic powder
spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package
a jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Flatten chicken with a tenderizer or mallet. Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until brown on both sides or until chicken is done. 

Heat your sauce and serve over the chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. OR  once chicken is golden, place in casserole dish and top with sauce then bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with over noodles, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

Enjoy!