Delicious Strawberry Cake Recipe

One of my all time favorite desserts is strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. It is perfect for practically any occasion, but I think it’s especially great for Valentine’s Day.   If you are looking to whip up an extra special treat for your sweetheart, then look no further than this moist and delicious strawberry cake.

Today’s post is also a collaboration with Kelsey from The Old Farmhouse Blog. Be sure to go check out her delicious recipe and follow her blog as well. She is an incredible decorator, baker, and just all around precious person.

Strawberry Cake Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:

• White Cake Mix (You can make your own mix or buy a boxed mix)
• 1 Small box Strawberry Jello
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 3/4 Cup Oil
• 3/4 Cup diced Strawberries/Drained (Reserve juice for Icing)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix dry ingredients together and then combine with the rest of the ingredients. Mix together in stand mixer and separate into three 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for about  30-40 minutes at 350 or until cakes look done. Allow cakes to cool on rack until they are room temperature and then place in freezer until you are ready to ice them.

Here’s what you’ll need for the icing:

• 1 Box Powdered Sugar
• 1 Stick Butter, Room Temperature
• 4 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
• Reserved Juice from Strawberries

Mix together and spread generously in between each layer and on top of cake. If you are a little extra, you may even want to double the icing recipe. When you are done icing the cake, garnish with strawberries.

Enjoy!!!

 

Tried and True Super Bowl Party Food

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, I thought today would be a perfect day to share some of my tried and true recipes for football party food. I’ll be sharing 3 recipes that are always game day staples in our home. Each recipe is simple and quick, which means you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the big game and your guests.

First up is my go-to salsa recipe. To start, let me just say that I am kind of a salsa fanatic. I love, love, love salsa. So much! I’ve also experimented with plenty of ingredients and discovered what I believe is the perfect combination. My family and friends have asked me for this recipe so many times and since I just threw the items in without measuring them, providing people with an exact recipe often proved to be difficult. I have since, however, made a conscious effort to measure what I use so I can give you this delicious recipe.

Kayla’s Salsa Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1  Can Original Rotel (or you can use mild or hot depending on your preference)
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 Yellow Onion
• 1/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• Pinch of Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
• A Clove of Garlic
• Fresh Jalapeño Slices, seeds and all, to Taste (this all depends on personal preference) I like things hot so I throw in several slices. You may want to start small if you like things mild. You can always add to, but you can’t take away.

I have found the best way to make this is just to throw everything in a food processor and pulse until you achieve the desired consistency. You can also add more salt, lime juice, onion, garlic or jalapeño depending on how you like your salsa.

Next up is my favorite chili recipe. I can’t entirely take credit for this as my husband was the one who first introduced it to me. It’s actually my mother-in-law’s recipe. I may have changed it just a little, but the main things are still the same. It’s so yummy and I’m sure you are going to love it.

 

Anderson Family Chili

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 28 oz. Can Tomato Puree
• 1 4.5 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
• 2 lbs. Lean Ground Beef
• 6 Cans Black Beans
• 2 Cans Kidney Beans
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, Diced
• 1 Green Pepper, Diced
• 1/2 Cup of Cilantro
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
• Pepper to taste

First, you’ll want to brown the ground beef and then add onion, garlic, and green pepper to ground beef until they become soft and translucent. Next, drain the grease and add to a large stock pot or dutch oven along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, bring to simmer, and cook on low to medium heat for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally. If chili appears too thick, add about 1/2 cup to a cup of water until it reaches your desired thickness.

We like to eat this chili stack-a-meal style with corn chips and all the fixins…sour cream, diced tomatoes, lettace, onions, cheese, jalapeños, etc.

 

My final recipe is one that I’ve seen done many times and in many ways, but it’s a screams game day so I have to share my favorite way to make it. This isn’t my original recipe but I’ll share it just in case you’ve never made it before and want to give it a try. It’s not healthy at all, but the super bowl only comes around once a year. ; )

Cheesy Game Day Dip

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 16 oz. Block Velveeta Cheese
• 1 Can Hot Rotel
• 1 Lb. Hot Sausage
• A couple shakes of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

First, brown the sausage and drain the grease. Then, cut up Velveeta cheese into cubes, place in microwave safe bowl and add the can of rotel.  Microwave the cheese and rotel in 1 minute increments, stirring between, until melted. Finally, add the sausage and seasoning salt to the cheese mixture and stir until well blended.

Throw in some chips and a few toppings for your chili and you are all set to host your friends and family for the Super Bowl.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do! Also, if you like my spread, it is super easy to recreate. I just covered the bar with Kraft paper and used a sharpie to decorate it. The plates and cups are from the dollar tree and the Pro Pots Crockpot and football dish are borrowed. Then, I just used some of my everyday serving pieces for the rest. Hopefully, this will inspire you to get creative with your decorations too.

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Breakfast Quiche Recipe

Today I want to share one of my absolute favorite breakfast recipes with you.  It is so good that it has quickly become a common dish for special occasions within our family. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be just for breakfast. I’ve made it for Mother’s day, our daughter’s baby dedication, and for various birthdays. My husband and I even decided this past Christmas that we would begin the tradition of having this on Christmas morning each year. It is a delicious and flavor packed breakfast quiche.

I joke that this recipe was born out of sheer luck as I was trying to decide what to make one day when we were having company over and all I could I find in my refrigerator were the ingredients listed below. I decided to take a chance and thankfully it turned out well. I’ve tried a lot of different types of quiche over the years and I can attest to the fact that not all of them taste so great, but this one is my personal favorite and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Here’s what you will need:

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Pie Crust-Unbaked (I use pillsbury, but feel free to make your own if you have the time)
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1 lb. of Hot Sausage
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Orange Pepper
• 1 Yellow Onion
• Salt
• Pepper

First, you will need to brown the sausage, drain the grease, and set it aside to cool. While your sausage is cooling, dice up all the bell peppers and onions, and place them in the same skillet you browned your sausage in.

Allow the peppers and onions to cook until they are soft and golden colored, then turn off heat and allow them to cool. Remember, you don’t want to mix any hot ingredients with the eggs for risk of them cooking to quickly.

 

In a separate bowl, crack your eggs and whisk in heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Add the sausage, peppers, and onions when they are all cooled to room temperature. Finally, add the cheese and stir until all ingredients are well blended.

Once your quiche mixture is ready, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and begin to prep your crust. While homemade crust is delicious and can be used here, I have found a store bought crust to work just as well with this recipe. Plus, it’s easier and gives me time to steal a few more snuggles with my sweet baby girl. You can use a pie pan if you want, but I have found a quiche pan with removable bottom to work best. I’ll be sure to link the one I have below. Carefully press the crust into the grooves of the quiche pan. It doesn’t have to be perfect, so spend as much or as little time on this as you want to.

Now that your crust is ready, place the quiche pan onto a rimmed cookie sheet (to catch any excess) and pour in egg mixture. Cover the quiche loosely with a pie of aluminum foil to prevent the quiche from browning too quickly and place on the center rack of the oven to cook for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and allow quiche to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

ENJOY!!

Quiche Pan:Williams-Sonoma Quiche Pan

Pumpkin Butter Recipe + Gift Idea

Pumpkin Butter is one of my favorite things to enjoy during fall of the year. Not only is it the perfect way to garnish practically any baked good, but it also makes a great gift for family or friends. It is easy to make, cooks perfectly in a slow cooker, and your home will smell amazing while it’s cooking. If this sounds appetizing to you, then pull out your slow cooker, some canning jars, and a few simple ingredients to make this delicious recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Slow Cooker
• Glass Canning Jars
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp. honey
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup apple cider (no sugar added)
• 2 tsps. ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsps. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ yard decorative fabric to add a little flair to canning jars
• Scissors (to cut the fabric)

Place all ingredients, except lemon juice in slow cooker, stir well, and cook for about 6 hours. Stir mixture occasionally (about every hour or two) to prevent scorching, sticking, or burning. After six hours, remove pumpkin butter from slow cooker, add lemon juice and allow time for it to cool. When it is cooled, place pumpkin butter in glass jars and store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Makes Approximately 3 cups

To add a little extra flair to your jars, cut fabric into circles a little larger than canning lid and place on top of metal lid before you place ring onto the canning jar. This will dress up your pumpkin butter and make it a perfect gift.

**Please note that home canning is not recommended for pumpkin**

Check here for details: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite fall recipes. I love to make this pumpkin bread as a gift for friends, a yummy breakfast treat, or simply just because. You can also substitute the pumpkin for bananas or apples, or even add some chocolate chips to make it a little extra special.  However you choose to make it, this simple bread recipe is sure to be one of your favorites.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

15 oz. Pumpkin Puree

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Note: For banana bread, substitute 1 1/2  cups bananas for pumpkin. For apple bread, substitute 2 cups grated, cored apples and 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, & 1/4 tsp. cloves

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350

Step 2: Beat 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla in mixer until well blended

Step 3: Mix in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice

Step 4: Add Flour and mix until all ingredients are well blended

Step 5: Pour mixture into greased bread pan and place in oven to bake for 35-40 minutes

ENJOY!!!