Lemon Blossoms

This is one of my very favorite desserts. It is so easy, so cute, and so yummy!!!



Lemon Blossoms

1 pkg yellow cake mix
3 1/2 oz pkg instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup veg oil
~Combine ingredients well with an electric mixer until smooth. It kind of makes a cake glue-like consistency. Spray a miniature muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and fill 1/2-way full with cake batter. Bake for 12-minutes at 350 degrees; turn over onto a kitchen towel to cool.

Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 Tbsp veg oil
3 Tbsp water
~Sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and mix until smooth. Dip slightly cooled cupcakes into the glaze with your fingers. Place on wire racks to let the glaze set. Can dip twice in glaze if you want, but I usually just dip once.

Popovers

Oh the mighty popover. So easy and so delicious!!! They are a big hit at our house with ALL of the family...toddlers included. I cannot emphasize enough how delectably simple these are. In 25-minutes, with very little effort, you have a great dinner.



You can adorn these beauties with just about anything. After they are baked, they have these hollowish centers that are great for stuffing. Amidst our favorites are scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage, butter and jam, honey, powdered sugar and syrup, ham and cheese...you get the idea. Yum!




Popovers

4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a muffin pan. Break eggs into bowl and mix well. Add milk, flour, and salt and mix until just combined. Pour into your muffin cups and fill about 3/4 full. Put into preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING BAKING PROCESS!!!

Jello Salad

As my friend Holly puts it, why does everybody love this salad?!? I know that about once a month I just HAVE to have this salad. (I know what you're thinking and no, it is not always THAT time of the month!) I simply can't understand why I crave this so desperately; I'm not a huge fan of Jello, especially cherry flavor, and I detest tapioca. Why then can I practically eat a whole batch of this stuff in one sitting? Try it for yourself and then maybe you can explain it to me?!?!



Jello Salad

2 small boxes of tapioca, Jello brand
1 small box of cherry Jello
3 cups water

~Bring these ingredients to a boil. Put in a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled combine with one tub of Cool Whip (I prefer the extra creamy kind) and 1/2 to 1 bag of frozen raspberries, thawed. (drain if too much liquid in fruit)

BLT Salad

Well, tonight was my night to try a new recipe. I love trying new recipes...not everyone else in my family loves it, but I sure do. This one is from 30-minute Meals by Rachel Ray and it was yummy. The dressing is especially delicious! (How could it be otherwise when its base is bacon?!?!) I hope I'm not alone when I say that I adore anything with bacon in it. That yummy goodness is just too much to pass up. Even my veggie friends like to stock up on their version of "bacon". (I've tried it and it's pretty good...I'm not sure exactly WHAT it is, but it's good.)



BLT: Beef, Leek and Tomato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Steak-recipe calls for strip steak, but that is expensive, so I just used a cheap cut
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
~Drizzle olive oil on steak and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook on grill or in pan until just done. Let sit for 5-minutes before slicing.

8-slices bacon, cooked
2 small leeks, chopped and washed
~Cook bacon; remove and drain. Cook washed leeks in bacon drippings. (If there is more than 1-2 Tbsp of grease then take some of it out.)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Splash of water
~Put bacon in a food processor and pulse a couple of times. Add other ingredients and puree into a dressing consistency by adding about 1/2 cup of olive oil while food processor is running.

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
~Put lettuce and tomatoes into individual bowls; top with leeks and beef. Drizzle dressing over salad and enjoy. To quote Rachel Ray, "Yummo!"

Hello Blogosphere!

I am a food fanatic. Truly. I LOVE food. It is an inherited trait so ingrained in my physiology that I'm afraid no amount of therapy could rid me of it. I love to cook, I love it when other people cook for me, I love to feed my family, and I especially love to eat. But...(as a mother there is always a 'but')...I find it hard to find the time, energy, and money to cook. So sad. There are clothes to wash, diapers to buy, dishes to do, and trains to play with. Such is life. I can't complain...too much...at least I HAVE food, and diapers, and a washer, and trains (I could do without trains, but I'm afraid my 2-year old couldn't!) Still, wouldn't it be nice to have other tired moms to chat with who also love to cook? (or am I the only food-obsessed mommy out there?) So, here is to dinner~may it ever inspire and never tire. (Wow! I totally came up with that myself...hmmm, note to self, lay off the Dr. Seuss for a while.)