Coffe Cake

This was amazing! I just love food that I can thoroughly enjoy!

I used this recipe, but instead of the brown sugar icing I did a streusel topping.

Coffee Cake

1/2 C. packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 (18.5 oz) box white or yellow cake mix (I used white)

1 (6 oz) package vanilla pudding mix

1 C. sour cream (or you can use plain yogurt)

3/4 C. hot water

4 eggs

1/3 C. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Streusel Topping

1/4 C, flour

1/2 C. brown sugar

6 TBS cold butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl, mix well and set aside. In a large bowl combine the cake mix,pudding mix, sour cream and hot water and mix well. It should be thick. Beat in the eggs, oil and vanilla extract until it is smooth.

Grease and lightly flour a 9x13 baking pan.

Pour half of the mixture into the pan. Sprinkle all of the brown sugar and cinnamon over the batter, then sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the top of it all. With a bitter knife swirl the cake and brown sugar mixture.

For the streusel mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it is well incorporated and is in little clumps/crumble.

Sprinkle the top with your streusel mix.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are pretty expensive to buy but you can make double the amount (or triple depending on how cheap you can get the chicken!!) for the same price! I made a bunch of these for my husband to bring to work, I made a huge batch of chicken (like 6lbs of chicken breast). I didn't really use exact measurements so you just kinda do it to taste but I'll write down what I did and if you have any questions let me know!

Chicken Taquitos

40-50 Corn tortillas

5 or 6lbs Shredded chicken breast

1 can Cream of chicken soup

Onion powder

Garlic salt

Chili powder (quite a bit)

Cumin

Sat

Pepper

Cayenne powder

Oil for frying

Serve with Guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa

Mix the chicken with the cream of chicken soup, it should still be pretty dry. Add all of the seasoning to taste and mix it all up until it is evenly incorporated. Get the corn tortillas wet with a little water then microwave them for 15 seconds so they wont break when you roll them up (I did 5-10 at a time just make sure to brush a little water on each of them). Heat oil in a skillet, I just put a couple inches of oil on the bottom so I didn't really deep fry them, but just rolled them in the oil and it worked out pretty good. Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture and using tongs put them into the oil. I set them in the oil so the flap was facing down so it wouldn't come unrolled then using the tongs I rolled them until each side was crisp. To make the process faster I recruited my hubby to fry them while I made them! They don't stay rolled up very well before frying so you can make one then fry it, make one fry it, and so on... but it is much easier with a second person!

Peanut Butter Bars

Here is another great recipe from my Aunt Karen! And another semi-homemade dessert!

Every time I make these they remind me of my little brother Jake because he always wanted them for his birthday when we were growing up!

Peanut Butter Bars

1 yellow cake mix

3/4 C. Rolled or quick oats (I use quick oats, rolled oats will give it more texture)

1/2 C. melted margarine

1/4 C. Peanut Butter

1 egg

Frosting

1/2 C. peanut

1/2 can Chocolate Frosting

Combine all of the ingredients and mix until it all comes together, it will be a very thick mixture. Press evenly into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely, mix the frosting and peanut butter and frost the cooled bars.

I just love things that are fast and easy, but still so yummy!

Orange Chicken- Veggies

Veggies to go with your Orange Chicken

Zucchini

Matchstick Carrots

Broccoli

And of course you can add your favorites, I just really love this combo!

Just cut the zucchini into 2-3 inch pieces, then cut it into 1/2 inch thick strips, these cook a bit faster so I just steamed them for a few minutes. The carrots took the longest so just let them cook until they are mostly soft. I like the zucchini and carrots to be kind of al dente and the broccoli to be cooked through so for the broccoli just steam it until it is bright green. Serve with orange chicken over rice!

Here is the recipe for the Orange Chicken, it is one of those meals that I thoroughly enjoy every time!!

Pasta Salad

This is a very basic pasta salad recipe that I grew up with.

Pasta Salad

1 bottle of Italian dressing

1 box Tricolor rotini pasta

Mini pepperoni (or full sized quartered)

1 can olives, halved

Cheddar cheese chunks

Cook the pasta as directed and let it cool. Cut Olives in half, cut small cubes of cheese, and cut pepperoni in fourths (unless you get the mini ones). Put all ingredients except the cheese in a bowl and mix it up. You can put the cheese in or just put it into a small container until right before serving so it doesn't get soggy. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.