Nana's Banana Cake

I love Nana's Apple Cake mix! It is so versatile. I had 2 bananas I needed to use, as they were very ripe. I thought, why not toss them into Nana's Apple Cake mix? I love the results!

Nana's Banana Cake with pecans

1 pkg Nana's Apple Cake mix
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs.
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x9 baking pan.

Beat smashed bananas and eggs to combine. Add cake mix and pecans. Beat until combined.
Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Rhubarb Strawberry Thumbprint Squares

These are so flaky and yummy. Fairly easy to make too. I used Tastefully Simples Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread to fill the thumbprints and it gave them this wonderful tangy flavor.

Rhubarb Strawberry Thumbprint Squares

1 1/4 cups softened butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups flour
Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Set aside.

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, beat until combined. Beat in egg and lemon extract. Beat in flour.

Press dough into bottom of pan. Using a pizza cutter cut 9 rows down, and 6 rows across. Make indentations on each square with thumb. Add small teaspoon of fruit spread.

Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Then cut along lines with pizza cutter again. Cool on wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies. Ohh... If you like fluffy, light cookies, these are the cookies for you. This is a recipe from my Tastefully Simple website. I was looking for something super easy that used the Absolutely Almond Pound cake mix. I like this pound cake, but I love it even more as a cookie! Only thing I added, to the recipe, was the colored sugar sprinkles.

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 egg
Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix

Combine first 2 ingredients; mix until smooth. Add egg; blend well. Stir in AA Cake Mix (may have to knead with hands until dough forms). Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are light brown on bottom (cookies should not brown on top and will only flatten slightly). Cool on baking rack. Makes about 45 cookies.

Check my TS website for Absolutely Almond Cake Mix

My White Pie

Home made white pizza pie. Oh yumm! This is very rich and oh so delicous. Pretty simple too.
Make a pizza dough. Flatten out. Rub some olive oil on it and toss on to hot grill. Grill one side for a few minutes, till it starts bubbling on the top, and has good grill marks on the bottom. Flip. Add your favorite toppings. Let the toppings get all hot and melted. Then, it's done.

I went with a riccota cheese, mixed with roasted garlic, salt, pepper, Tastefully Simple's Spinach and Herb Dip mix, and some olive oil from the sundried tomatoes. Then, I added sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, and some shredded mozzarella. Came out pretty good. Some things I will change next time..Fresh mozzerella instead of the preshredded stuff, only one kind of tomato. May also try with fresh basil or baby spinach.

Tastefully Ice Cream

I couldn't sleep last night. So, I decided to make ice cream. I know.. I'm a sick puppy. Anyways, I made this ice cream from a Tastefully Simple Sweet Strawberry Cheese Ball mix. I went the easy route on this one, I didn't make it a custard like I normally do. So, there is no cooking involved. Just got out a mixing bowl and poured in heavy cream, half and half, cheese ball mix (not the crunchy coating) and 3/4 cup sugar. Mix until dissolved. Churn in ice cream maker.

This came out pretty good. Kinda reminds me of strawberry milk. I added the crunchy coating as sprinkles.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 half and half
3/4 cups sugar.
1 packet of Tastefully Simple Sweet Strawberry Cheese Ball Mix.

Go to http://www.tastefullysimple.com/home.aspx to find the mix.

Simple Pasta Dish

This was so easy... I think my four year old could do it.. That is, if I allowed her to touch the stove. The best part is, it was yummo!! My family just ate it up... and I just made it up as I went a long.

1 bag pasta, cooked and drained.

Sauce..
One brick of cream cheese
One can of diced tomatoes, Italian style
Garlic, Garlic to taste

Toss everything into a sauce pan. Cook until the cream cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.
Toss with pasta. Enjoy.

This was a very good meal. Fast, easy, and cheap. I think next time I will use sun dried tomatoes.. I bet that would be good.

Margarita Chicken Salad

Margarita Chicken Salad..how can that not sound good? It was very good. Marinated chicken breast (over night) in tequila (not just for drinking anymore :)), lime juice, margarita mix, Tastefully Simple Simply Salsa mix, salt and pepper. Grill chicken and corn, cut corn off cob and place on a bed of lettuce. Add some tomato's, cheese and sour cream. Avocados would have been a great addition, but mine were too hard.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

This was the easiest ice cream I have made, yet. I have had the idea rattling around in my head for weeks. I finally decided to try it today.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 scoops Cake Batter Chiller Drink Mix by Tastefully Simple
1/2-3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl until dissolved.
Set up ice cream maker.
Pour cream mixture into ice cream maker and follow instructions to make ice cream.
During last few minutes of mixing, add chocolate chips.
Pour into freezer safe bowl and set in freezer. Or... do what I do and eat it right from the ice cream maker. :)

http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/CakeBatterChillerDrinkMix724400.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=ClientCatalog%3bBeverages&ShowTop=true

Roasted Veggies in a Pita Pocket

This was a "throw together" meal, as my husband would call it. I had the idea before going into the kitchen, so I don't really feel it was a throw together, but I'm not going to argue with him over it. I can find so many other things to argue about. ;) But, never mind that. Here's how to make it.

Cut up an onion, a few zucchini and squash (I had 5 total), and a few tomatoes. Mix together in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Tastefully Simple Sun Dried Tomato dip mix (about 2-3 teaspoons). Spread out on a sheet pan and roast under the broiler until golden brown, and the veggies are cooked.

Take a pita pocket and spread hummus inside. Add roasted veggies and some feta cheese. That's it. Totally yummy and vegetarian

Best Potato Salad Ever!

The best potato salad ever! Yummy!
First thing you are going to do, is fry up a pound of bacon. (save some of the bacon grease. Actually, just leave it in the pan.)If you're as lucky as I am, you can convince the husband to do this part. While the bacon is frying, cut and boil about 8 yukon gold potatoes. Boil them until just fork tender. Drain. Hard boil 4 eggs.

Once bacon is all fried and potatoes are boiled and drained. Toss potatoes into hot bacon grease and brown them up a bit. The potatoes will take on some of the bacon flavor and get nice and crispy. Chop up 3/4 of the bacon. I left out about 5 slices. Set aside. Peel and chop eggs.
While the potatoes are frying up, make the sauce. I used about 2 cups of mayo, but you could cut it with sour cream. Add 2 tablespoons of dill, tablespoon and a half of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion, salt and pepper to taste. Once mixed, add in chopped bacon and eggs. Mix.
Let the potatoes come to room temp, then add to the mix and toss.

Lastly, add in two large handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix all together. If it's to dry, add in more mayo or sour cream. Set in the fridge to chill. Enjoy.

Fresh salsa, without jalapeno hands

I love fresh salsa! I don't know many people who don't. It is so much better then the canned stuff. The only problem with making fresh salsa is cutting the jalapenos. Those oils stay on your hands forever. God forbid you touch your eyes anytime that week. Or any where else for that matter.

Anyway, I have found a solution to my fresh salsa problem. Tastefully Simple! They have this wonderful Simply Salsa mix. All you need is a can of diced tomatoes and a 1/4 cup of this mix. Throw both items in a bowl and set in the fridge for at least an hour. Voila! Fresh salsa, and you didn't even have to peel an onion.

Wanna get some? go here-http://www.facebook.com/l/fba60;www.tastefullysimple.com/web/jhabra

Triple Chocolate Cake

Triple Chocolate Cake...Heaven on a plate...no really, it is.

Chocolate cake recipe from Better Homes, creamy dreamy chocolate mousse from Tastefully Simple, and chocolate ganache, also, from Better Homes cookbook. I wasn't able to get the beautiful smooth texture from the ganache, but it didn't matter. It was so good. Very rich and creamy. I made this for a bridal shower and it was a huge hit.