I need some help, y'all.

As silly as it sounds, I have a confession. Nearly seven years have passed since I've met and began dating my husband, Cory, and up until a few weeks ago, I had yet to cook for him. Not even once. The truth came out when Cory mentioned he would like to come home at least one day a week and find a home cooked meal waiting on him instead of finding me with a bowl of cereal in my hands and that look of "it's every man for himself in this household." 

So I cooked him a meal..well, cooked would be a very loose term. To risk grossing y'all out, I didn't fully cook the meat to stuff in my manicotti. And he might have gotten sick the next day...bless his heart, he swears it wasn't me.

And to think, I thought I was in the clear after such a long, successful, cook free rate of seven years. Well, dang...so here comes my second confession. I don't know how to cook. Ya'll. I'm a baker. Not a cook. I'm known for making pies and banana bread...although I do make a mean breakfast. (Favorite meal everrr.) But cook, I am not. 

So I need y'alls help. Will you help a girl out and send me some recipes? Preferably something I can make in both a veggie (me) and a meat (him) version. And this time, Cory has requested we cook together.. ;)

xoxo,

Recipe: Cake Batter Blondes

Thanks to following @southernsocial on Twitter, I now have a new recipe that makes my sweet tooth sing. (Well, it never takes much, but I digress.)

Now I will admit, I'm used to baking my stuff from scratch.

So when I followed the recipe by Girl Meets Life, and she said to use a box of cake mix,
 I freaked at how easy these were to make and how they were just wayyy too good. 

Ingredients:

one box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (not optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350. Girl Meets Life's recipe called for mixing a yellow cake mix and 1/4 cup of sprinkles together, but I went with Funfetti, because, well...that's what it is already.

2. Pour cake mix into large bowl and make sure to break up any lumps.
3. Mix in oil and beaten egg.
4. Because this cake is suppose to be dense, I alternated adding in my milk and chocolate chips just so I wouldn't have such an arm workout mixing this sucker. (And I ended up using the full 1/2 cup of milk.)
4. Place batter in a greased 8x8 cake pan.
5. Bake for 25 minutes until the edges just turn a golden brown.
6. Cool for a full 20 minutes or more before you start cutting. The gooey center needs to set. You may think they are not done when you first take them out, but trust me, they are!
7. TRY NOT TO EAT THE ENTIRE THING.

I'll be trying this next with a box of dark chocolate cake mix. 

Yum.

xoxo,

Recipe: Onion Souffle'

Now I must say that this is not the most healthy recipe I've ever shared.

But oh my Lord, is this dip good.
(and that's coming from someone who doesn't even like onions!)

Ingredients:

1 16 oz package of frozen chopped onion

3 8 oz packages of cream cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayo

paprika to top

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together and top with a generous amount of paprika (that's what browns on top).
Bake anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes depending on your oven. 
Serve with chips or crackers.

Now, I dare you not to eat it all. :)

xoxo,

Recipe: Banana Bread

They say I can make a mean banana bread.

It's no secret, really.

 This simple recipe shared from my grandmother & mother is just about as old as I am 

and has been permanently ingrained into my memory.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter (or shortening..but I prefer butter. Just trust me on this one!)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 or 4 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (I don't really like nuts, so I always leave them out in mine.)

Mix ingredients in order given.

Bake in greased loaf pan in 300 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Now dig in!

xoxo,
 

Fat Tuesday: King Cake Recipe

It was 3 years ago that I started baking king cakes as a tradition for Mardi Gras.

I've used the same recipe with some minor tweaks, and I love it every time. 

Prep Times: 30 min.; Cook: 10 min.; Stand: 5 min.; Rise: 1 hr., 30 min.; Bake: 16 min. 

This recipe uses bread flour, which makes for a light, airy cake. You still get tasty results with all-purpose flour-the cake will just be more dense. (I highly suggest buying a bag of bread flour, and I found mine easily at a local grocery store.)

Yield: Makes 2 cakes (about 18 servings each)

   I used my milk bottle measuring cups that a sweet friend gave me as an early wedding gift.

Ingredients:

• 1  (16-ounce) container sour cream
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/2  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6  to 6 1/2 cups bread flour*
• 1/3  cup  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• Creamy Glaze (ingredients below)
• Purple, green, and gold-tinted sparkling sugar sprinkles (or whatever colors you like)
• Plastic babies for good luck! 

Preparation:

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100° to 110°.
2. Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.
3. Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms. (I had a 1970's hand mixer for mine, so kudos to anyone who owns a stand mixer, but it still can be done by hand!)
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.
6. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread 1/3 cup softened butter evenly on each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter on each rectangle. 

** This is where I did mine a little differently. After dividing the portions in half, I took one half and divided it into three equal strips of dough, rolled each strip in the cinnamon mixture, and then braided my king cake instead of having a jelly roll. (I think It yields a prettier cake and still incorporates the cinnamon mixture throughout.)

7. I then stick a plastic baby on the underside of the cake and through the braids. The baby is cleaned before and non toxic. If you roll it up, add the baby while rolling. Just tell you guests to carefully look for it before their eat their slice!
8. Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with second dough roll.
9. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
10. Before baking, use the remaining butter and cinnamon sugar mix on top of cakes.
11. Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes). Drizzle Creamy Glaze evenly over warm cakes; sprinkle with colored sugars, alternating colors and forming bands. Let cool completely.

*6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour may be substituted.

 I did one braided and one jelly roll style.

Creamy Glaze:

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Note: this is can be subtracted if you don't want a very tangy glaze.

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

Mix together the first 4 ingredients

then stir in 2 tablespoons milk, adding additional milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach spreading consistency. 

Now enjoy :) I brought the braided one to work, and it was a huge hit.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

xoxo,
 

Blogs You Need to Follow

The interesting thing about blogging (besides the possiblility of meeting new people) is the ability to share with others the blogs that you love so much.

Here are some that I cannot live without:

Maskcara

I found this blog yesterday after a random afternoon of Pinterest surfing, and I ran across one of her hair tutorials for Victoria Secret hair. Enough said. Besides the obvious hair styling posts, she'll vlog some awesome makeup tutorials, and I love that she mixes inexpensive finds along with counter brands. I'm also rather jealous of her longggg hair.

Becoming Mrs.

I actually have the pleasure of knowing Candace in real life, and ever since we have met in Phi Mu, we have shared ideas about how our wedding planning would look like one day. (Yeah, we are those girls...) Since becoming engaged, Candace started a blog of all her DIY projects, dress shopping finds, and wedding ideas. Let me tell y'all, this girl has style, taste, and is always put together. And of course, I get positively giddy when a new post of her shows up on my feed. The latest one has to do with her DIY save the dates. Adorrrrable.

Putting on the Grits

One of the first blogs I've ever followed, "Grits" had me hooked from day one with her southern charm, recipes, and amazing photography skills. My favorite is her Lemon Icebox Pie.


Any blogs I need to follow? Or tell me about yours! I love learning about new ones :)

xoxo,