Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

This cake is sublime! I made two and took one to work and it was devoured. The sour cram makes the cake so moist and the peanut butter frosting is delish! I topped mine with Resees Pieces for an extra PB kick!

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup water

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the cake, in a medium bowl combine the sugar and flour. In a largeM bowl mix eggs, baking soda, and sour cream well. Set aside. In a small saucepan combine peanut butter, butter, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir the boiled peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add to the sour cream mixture. Mix well. Pour into a lightly greased 15×10 inch sheet/jellyroll pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the frosting, while the cake is baking, combine the butter, peanut butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Stir in the vanilla. The frosting will be thick. Mix well. Pour and spread over cake while both are still warm.

Let the cake and frosting cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve.

Recipe Source: from Sprinkled with Flour

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

I have been on a quest for the perfect mac and cheese recipe that does not involve any Velveeta cheese to make it creamy. I gave this one a try and was not disappointed! My kids even loved it which is a surprise because when I make homemade mac and cheese they usually ask if they can just eat the boxed stuff. This was way easy and will now be a staple in our home.

3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.

Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I didn’t need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Ham and Pea Variation
Follow the recipe, adding 4 ounces deli-style baked ham, diced medium, and 1/2 cup frozen peas to the skillet with the cornstarch mixture in step 2.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Super chocolatey moist cookies. They don't taste much like Nutella but I bet they would if I had the hazlenut extract. But they are really yummy and chewy and easy! And that's not a typo, there really are no eggs.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if you can’t find or don’t like hazelnut extract)
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the extracts and beat for another 30 seconds or so. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.

With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until combined completely, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix completely. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 2-3 days).

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet, allowing about 2″ between the dough balls.

Lightly press the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are crackly on top and soft, but starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow them to stand for about 5 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Coconut Lime Sours

I was introduced to this tasty treat at Jeni Georgia's and loved the unique taste.  Kayla also tried these at the Georgia's and begged me to get the recipe.  We finally made them together...so yummy!  This is the recipe courtesy of Bonnye Jolley.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 stick, plus 2 1/2 T. margarine
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup almonds, chopped
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. lime zest

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press crust into ungreased 10 by 15 inch baking pan (I used 9 x 13).  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix eggs, nuts, brown sugar, and coconut until well blended; spread over baked crust.

Bake an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until set.

While still warm, loosen the edges with a metal spatula.  Mix together the powdered sugar, lime juice, and zest with a fork.  Working quickly, spread the lime paste all over the top with a spatula while still warm.  Let cool to room temperature and cut into bars.

Mom's Best Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad and I don't always get along. There are some amish macaroni salads that I like, but usually I skip this at a BBQ. Recently my mom tried this recipe and it is by far, the best macaroni salad to ever go into my mouth. I had seconds and was practically licking my plate. It probably has something to do with the sweetened condensed milk in the sauce, but everyone there agreed it was awesome. I'm sure this will be a frequent repeat in our house.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
• 4 carrots, shredded
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the carrots, red onion, green pepper, red pepper and celery. Mix in the mayonnaise, condensed milk, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the macaroni, toss gently, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I usually make this a day ahead of time, and stir it occasionally to blend the flavors. The macaroni will absorb some of the liquid.

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

We had this last night and it is certainly a keeper. Even the kids agreed! It is actually from Family Fun. My sisters have passed it around and have been telling me it was a winner but I hadn't actually gotten around to making it till last night. I had all the ingredients on-hand except the oyster sauce so I skipped that one. I probably would have only used a drop or two anyway, cause I don't like it very much. I also doubled the sauce- I just don't like it dry at all.

So try it as-is or fix it the way you want...you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients

8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces sirloin tips, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 tablespoons beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Instructions

Stir the spaghetti into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the noodles well, then return them to the pot and toss them with the sesame oil.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue stirring while the mixture cooks for another 30 seconds. Add the sirloin and cook it, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until it is no longer pink.

In a small bowl, mix the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. Add the soy sauce mixture and the pasta to the skillet and continue cooking, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes or until everything is heated through. Serve the lo mein hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Lemonade Deliciousness

It's that time of year for making lemonade. Here are my two favorite recipes:

Crazy Coconut Lemonade

***Note*** Here is the step by step video to see how Ingrid makes it.

In each glass put about 4-6 mint leaves, 2 slices each of lemon and lime, and 2 Tbsp.of sugar. Muddle it (take the end of a wooden spoon and smash it around real good).

In blender mix:

1 cup of Coconut water
2-3 Tbsp.of coconut cream(milk)
2 Tbsp. of lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of lime juice
and ice.

Pour blended mixture in glass and light stir. Add more sugar if you need. Enjoy!!!!!


Tucano's Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes
1 cup sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix water and sugar very well and chill. Wash limes w/soap. Cut off ends, then cut into 8ths. Place 1/2 of limes in blender, add 1/2 of sugar water and pulse 5x. Place a fine mesh strainer over pitcher and pour blended mixture through strainer. Throw out the peel. Add milk. ( I found 6 Tbsp to much, start off with 3) Taste as you go. If bitter use a little more sugar or milk. Serve immedietly.