Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

     I've made this dessert several times in the past few months, and it is always a hit.  I figured it was the perfect dessert to take to a block party over the 4th of July holiday weekend.  Of course, it would have been even better with the addition of blueberries to be more festive, but the grocery store was out of them.  Can you believe it?  I'm sure they were being consumed in red, white and blue desserts all over town!  I didn't have time to go looking for blueberries at another grocery store, so I did without.

    Anyway, this trifle is quick and easy to put together, with just a few simple ingredients.  I just love the look of it in the trifle bowl--so fancy!  More importantly, however, it is really light and yummy.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

1 9-inch angel food cake, cut into cubes
2 16 oz. containers of strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 5 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
3 c. cold milk
1 container cool whip

Combine the pudding mix and milk and mix thoroughly.  Then set aside for a few minutes to allow it to set up.  When the pudding is set, gently fold the thawed cool whip into the pudding.

To assemble the trifle, begin by placing a layer of angel food cake pieces on the bottom.  Carefully place a pudding layer next.  Then add a layer of strawberries.  Repeat this 1-2 more times, making sure to end with strawberries on the top!  For best results, allow the trifle to chill for several hours in the refrigerator before serving.  Enjoy!

Ravioli Lasagna

On Sundays, I like to make dinner a little bit more special than I would on a week night.  However, I don't always like to spend hours in the kitchen creating something elaborate.  This meal was perfect for our Sunday dinner.  It was quick and easy, but it tasted like I had worked harder than usual.  Win! Win!  It certainly smelled like a special dinner while it was baking.  Paired with a nice salad and some toasty garlic bread, it looked special too!

This meal does require some time to bake, but with its few ingredients, it is quick to throw together. I just used dried spices and seasonings, but I'm sure minced garlic and diced onion would be even tastier!   You can even prepare this ahead of time and freeze it for another evening, which is something I have done before. 

Ravioli Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef
onion powder
garlic salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
1 bag frozen cheese ravioli
1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown the ground beef  over medium heat and season with spices to taste (I didn't measure.  It isn't exact).  Prepare a glass baking dish (I used a dish that was about 11 x 7, and it was the perfect size) by placing about 1/4 cup of plain sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Then add the rest of the sauce to the ground beef and heat through. 

Make one layer of frozen ravioli followed by a layer of meat sauce.  Continue to layer as such (I got three layers).  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the last layer of sauce and finish with the the mozzarella cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese on top.

For a meal that was so quick to throw together, it sure tasted like I spent all afternoon on it.  Yum!

Papa Murphy's Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza (copycat recipe)

I don't think I have been this excited about a recipe in quite some time, and I owe it all to Tammy from Tammy's Recipes.  For those of you that know and like Papa Murphy's Take and Bake Pizza, you have to make this. And for those of you that have never heard of Papa Murphy's, you are missing out, and you, too, must make this.   It's my family's favorite pizza place...or well, it was until we moved.  There are no Papa Murphy's where we are now.  We were used to eating this pizza about once a week, and we haven't had any in six months...well, that is...until now.  One bite, and I knew it was a winner.  This particular recipe is spot on!  My husband and I just looked at each other and smiled. 

 

One of my favorite things about Papa Murphy's pizza is the crust.  It always comes out soft and chewy with just the right amount of crunch.  I could never understand how I could bake the pizza in my own oven and get such a nice crust.  It blew my theory that a good pizza crust must come from a commercial pizza oven.  Yet, any  pizza crust recipe that I would try from scratch was usually a flop.  I have used this recipe which I tweaked from  Lauren's Latest with success, but I have continued to try different recipes while perfecting my technique.  This copycat crust recipe is the easiest yet, and it yielded a crust just like I remembered.

I will probably continue to try various crust recipes from time to time, but this is definitely my new go to crust recipe.  It is quick and easy.  There is no need to wait for the dough to rise.  I've also never been able to stretch my dough into such a nice even thickness and round shape until I tried this particular recipe.  I don't know how Tammy did it, but I will be forever grateful!  Be sure to check out Tammy's blog post for tips on making this dough in a bread machine or stand mixer.

Papa Murphy's  Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza (copycat recipe)
from Tammy's Recipes    

For the Crust:
1 cup very warm water (115 degrees)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour or bread flour (I used bread flour)
2 tsp active dry yeast

For the Sauce:
2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/2 to 1 tablespoon minced garlic

For the Toppings:
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1 grilled chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced green onions

In a medium bowl, mix the water, sugar, and salt.  Add the flour and yeast all at once and mix until a soft dough forms.  Gently knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, adding a little flour whenever the dough becomes too sticky.  When ready, the dough will be smooth and elastic in texture.

Grease a 16-inch pizza pan. Flatten the ball of dough and gently spread the dough out from the center to the edges.  

Mix the garlic into the ranch dressing and spread the sauce evenly over the dough.  Then mix the three cheeses together in a bowl and sprinkle half of the cheese over the sauce. Next, sprinkle the chicken, tomatoes and onions evenly over the pizza and top with the the remaining cheese.

Bake pizza in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is to your liking.  Remove pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before cutting. 

Easy Homemade Biscuits

This is what we had for breakfast today.

The picture is not the best (I curse the awful lighting we have in this temporary housing), but I assure you it was yummy!  What did you have?

I still consider myself to be quite the novice when it comes to making rolled biscuits.  BUT...I think I have found the best recipe yet.  Thanks to Beth from kitchenMage, I made these babies.

Now if you are comparing mine to hers, I know what you are thinking.  Hers look much better.  Let me remind you that I already stated I am a bit of a novice at this whole biscuit making thing.  It could also be due, in part, to  my crappy lack of photography skills and the fact that I used a phone camera.  Either way, I think these are the best I've ever made!  

I have always been a lover of biscuits.  As a kid, I cherished the occasional "going out for breakfast" events because it meant I could order biscuits instead of toast.  Homemade biscuits were not a staple in our kitchen, but I loved them so.  The fluffy, soft, buttery goodness was such a treat.  

Let's face it.  Biscuits really aren't that tricky.  After all, they require just a few basic ingredients, and they really take no time at all in an oven.  However, when you are new to mixing, kneading, and rolling dough, the job can feel a bit daunting.  The more you mess with dough, the tougher the biscuits become, and if things aren't just right, you can be left with a sticky, gooey mess before you ever get to cut any biscuits.  Then there is the whole "just how thick am I supposed to roll this stuff" to get the perfect end result?  It does take some practice...and well, some confidence (which, by the way, comes with some trial and error--as with everything in life).

Anyway, I am glad that I have continued to make homemade biscuits.  I have come a long way from my first ever batch of bisquick "drop" biscuits (because I was too scared to attempt rolled biscuits).  Baking a fluffy, flaky, biscuit from scratch really can be done!

I did not use a food processor, as Beth did.  I used my hands, but these were really easy.  Be sure to check out Beth's extra notes, as well as her photos of the whole process.  It is all good info.  And, thank you, Beth!

Easy Homemade Biscuits

from Beth at kitchenMage

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup cold milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.

Next, cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the flour mixture.  Then cut in the butter with your hands by shmearing (yes that is my own word) it between your fingers (there's no need for a pastry blender).  The result should be a crumbly looking dough, with the butter pieces about the size of peas.

Then add in the cold milk and gently mix the dough until it just comes together.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough just a few times to get it into a more cohesive ball of dough (I did have to add just a sprinkle or two of flour to keep it from sticking to everything!).

Roll the dough out (I rolled it into a circle) to a thickness of about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch, and cut your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass (I actually used a 3-inch cutter).  I was able to get 8 biscuits from this batch, and I did save the leftover dough for later, as Beth suggested.

Place your biscuits on cookie sheet (no need to grease) and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

The end result is a lovely, fluffy, warm biscuit...mmm, so good with butter and jelly, or used to make a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich, as we did this morning. Then there is always biscuits and gravy.  Are you hungry yet?  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Donut Puffs

 I LOVE the Fall!  The temperature change, the colors, the decor, the comfort food, and all things pumpkin!  The rest of my family is probably not as in to pumpkin as I am, but I definitely didn't get any complaints from these donut puffs.  I call them puffs because they aren't shaped like donuts, donut holes, or even muffins.  So...puffs, they are!

You can find this recipe all over the blogosphere as donuts, and donut muffins.  I adapted the recipe from babycakes slightly.   I like to substitute some white flour with a bit of whole wheat flour.  I also use unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil whenever I can.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't exactly call these puffs healthy, but I feel like small changes can help a bit. 

I whipped these babies up one night when I was feeling a bit stressed and irritable.  I needed something to take my mind off my troubles.  These were quick and easy, and they hit the spot with a cup of coffee.  They were also a good incentive for my kiddos to finish their homework! 

When in need of some good old comfort food, make some pumpkin spice donut puffs and get your fall on!

Pumpkin Spice Donut Puffs

adapted from babycakes

1¾ cups flour (I used 1 c all purpose flour, and 1 c whole wheat flour)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pumpkin (canned)

½ cup milk

For Topping:
½ cup melted butter
⅔ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and set aside.  In a larger bowl, us an electric mixer to combine the applesauce, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.

Pour dry ingredients into liquid ingredients and stir until moistened. Do not over mix.
Drop by rounded mounds into a muffin tin (sprayed with cooking spray).  Bake about 4 to 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into "puff" comes out clean.

Melt butter in a small bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a zipper bag.
While donuts are still hot, dip each one in melted butter, then shake in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to add topping.