Author: lmc

Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Cake, Desserts, Food

Lemon Cake Mix Bars

Posted on by lmc

I bought several lemon cake mixes at the beginning of the summer as I like to make a lemon jello cake every once in a while. This week, while going through my recipe box, I remembered a quick cake mix bar that I used to make for my kids lunch box meals. It’s a moist and dense bar with a lemony glaze that packs a punch! My family likes to top this bar with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a summer evening treat.

Lemon Cake Mix Bars

Ingredients

For the bars:

  • 1 box lemon cake mix
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup white baking chips
  • 2 eggs

For the glaze:

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest, optional
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Prepare a 7×11” or 9×9” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. 
  2. Stir until blended. 
  3. Stir in baking chips. Pat into baking pan.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-22 minutes or until light golden brown. 
  5. Cool completely.
  6. Mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to make a glaze. 
  7. Pour and spread over cooled bars. Cut and serve.
Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Food, Low Carb, Snack

Easy Cheese Crisps

Posted on by lmc

-SUPER EASY cheesy snack. For those watching your carbs, give this recipe a try!

1 package of sliced cheddar cheese

1 Tbs. everything bagel seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cheese slices lengthwise and widthwise to make four smaller squares. Sprinkle with bagel seasoning mix and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove rounds from cookie sheet and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Cool completely.
You can use whatever flavor cheese you like. Sprinkle with any seasoning you like. Enjoy as a flavorful cracker, crisp, or dipper. Serve on top of a salad instead of croutons. Enjoy as a crisp chip… These disappear fast!
Posted in Baked goods, Baking, breakfast, cookies, Desserts, Food

Easy Cherry Oat Bars

Posted on by lmc

If you’re looking for a quick and delicious recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is it! These tasty bars are packed with flavor and are great for a quick, on-the-go breakfast, a packable lunch box treat, or an after dinner dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If desired, switch up the filling with whatever flavors you have on hand… I’ve used strawberry- rhubarb jam, strawberry preserves, and blueberry spice spread.

Easy Cherry Oat Bars

  • 18 1⁄2ounce box white cake mix
  • 2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 3⁄4cup butter, melted 
  • 1 cup cherry preserves
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1⁄2cup  pecans, finely chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray with cooking spray a 9×13” pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oats and butter until butter has been evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.
  • Press two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. (I use the bottom of a square plastic bowl to firmly pack the mixture in place.)
  • In a separate bowl, mix the preserves with water and carefully spread over the crust.
  • Add pecans to the remaining one-third of the oat mixture and crumble this over the top of the cherry layer.
  • Bake 375 for 28-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the center doesn’t collapse when you press lightly.
Posted in Dinner, Food, Main Dish, Pasta, Sauces, Skillet Meal

Midwest Goulash

Posted on by lmc

This tasty goulash comes together quickly… Perfect for a mid-week meal or to inexpensively feed a crowd. Serve over corkscrew pasta with a crispy side salad and some crusty garlic bread for a winning family meal with plenty of leftovers.

Midwest Goulash

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 pound mild Italian Sausage
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 jar Bertolli 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves, (remove after cooking)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( to taste)
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • Small bouquet of fresh type, oregano, basil, rosemary tied in kitchen twine.

Instructions:

  • In a large Dutch oven, sauté  ground beef, chicken, and sausage over medium-high heat until browned. (Breaking up the meat into large chunks.) 
  • Add garlic and onions and cook until tender.
  • Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove fresh herb bouquet and bay leaves. Serve over pasta or rice with garlic bread on the side. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Posted in Baked goods, Baking, breakfast, Brunch, cookies, Food

Easy Biscotti

Posted on by lmc
Cherry and White Chocolate Biscotti

I found a cookbook at a local resale shop last week. The book looked like it had never been opened. As I thumbed through the recipes, I noticed lots of delicious looking treats. There were pages and pages of biscotti recipes, all of which were made from a foundation of cake mix and other pantry items. The Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti recipe caught my eye so I quickly purchased the book for 78 cents.

Bargain Buy – Second Hand Cookbook
Form dough into rectangular bars before baking

This weekend I made a batch. I had to use dried cherries because I had run out of dried cranberries.

Baked and Cooled Biscotti
Slice and Return to Oven to Make Crisp

This turned out to be a great recipe. My family loved the sweet, crunchy exterior with mugs of piping hot coffee and tea. I’ll be making this one again!

See the recipe in the cookbook image below…

Cake Mix Biscotti

1 box white cake mix

1 cup flour

1 stick butter, melted

1 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix everything into a stiff dough. Place two logs on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Carefully slice into 3/4” slices on diagonal. Place cut side down on cookie sheets. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave biscotti to bake until dark golden and crisp.

Original Recipe but Made with Dried Cherries
instead of Cranberries
Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Gifts, Vacation

Dollar Tree Crochet Craft Kits

Posted on by lmc

When on vacation or traveling, I like to have a few portable crafts on hand. An unexpected flight delay, a rainy afternoon, or a relaxing day at the pool are all part of the trip. Having a handy craft at the ready can be quite enjoyable. I look for projects that are compact and simplistic, without lots of parts and pieces.

Visiting the local Dollar Tree, I found a few Amigurumi kits that I would bring on my Disney Vacation Club trip. I usually take a day or two to just relax and stay away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and shops. These kits are $1.25, but remember, you get what you pay for… The pattern is VERY difficult to decider and I ran out of yarn for one of the petite pets (dog) and had to improvise with yarn I had left over for another part of the project. You’ll notice I have used gray yarn on the left dog ear because I ran out of brown.

Gray yarn used to trim ear

Before leaving for vacation, I enlarged the pattern in my copier so I have a legible pattern to follow. (The pattern that accompanies the kit is very small and difficult to follow.)

Dog
Enlarged copy of pattern
Bunny
Teddy Bear
Dollar Tree Kits

I also found a YouTube video for compact Easter Crochet Flower that hold Cadbury Eggs for a cute co-worker gift before the holiday. I used Peaches and Creme yarn from Walmart ($1.99 at Florida Walmart) to complete the flowers. These cakes are compact and easy to pack. I also travel with a mesh craft bag that fits in my carry on. Inside I have crochet hooks, stitch markers, TSA approved scissors, tapestry needles, etc.

Easter Egg Flower
Simplistic portable supplies

What crafts do you like to bring along when you travel?

Posted in Baking, Food, Snack

Spicy Pretzel Pieces

Posted on by lmc

Our family enjoys this slightly spicy snack mix. A quick and tasty way to use up broken pretzel pieces.

Spicy Pretzel Pieces

  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 packages dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 16 ounces pretzels broken pretzel pieces

Method

  • In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except pretzels.
  • Mix well and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Continue to combine pretzel mix while waiting for the oven to preheat. Make sure all pretzel pieces are completely coated.
  • Once the oven is preheated, pour pretzels into a lined baking pan and spread into an even layer. Set the bowl aside without washing the bowl.
  • Place in baking pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and stir, making sure to mix back in any oil or spices on the bottom of the pan.
  • Bake for another 15 minutes.
  • Pour pretzels back into original mixing bowl and stir well to pick up any spices or oil left in the bowl.
  • Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Food

Granny Square Sweater

Posted on by lmc

Baby it’s cold outside! The midwest winter has returned to Indiana and it’s the perfect time to take on a crochet project. I loved making this boxy sweater as this granny square pattern uses up the many scrap balls of yarn I have hanging around in my yarn baskets. While I didn’t rely on a specific pattern for this sweater, I took some advice from YouTube crafters and used my daughter’s general body measurements to gauge the size for this garment. She is an extra small size but wanted a chunky, loose-fitting cropped style that she could wear over a long-sleeved t-shirt or turtle neck. Here are the two resources I used for general guidance.

Sasser House YouTube:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yo2Aogz-qQ

Adore Crea YouTube:

https://adorecrea.com/how-to-crochet-a-daisy-granny-square/

I am new to crochet so I enjoyed the ease of making simple, colorful squares and joining them together to make this youthful sweater…

Posted in Crafts, Crochet, holiday, holidays

Handmade Wooden Buttons

Posted on by lmc

I enjoy making handmade gifts so I’ve been crocheting items for the holiday season. Recently, I visited a local craft store to find buttons that would adorn some of my crocheted cowls and book covers. I was thoroughly disappointed with the selection and voiced my concern to my hubby. He quickly gathered up some fallen branches from our forested property and made me these fabulous buttons. He used a vice to hold the branch (circumference about 1”) and a hand saw to carefully cut the 1/4” buttons. Then he drilled holes using a 1/8 bradpoint drill bit to secure the buttons with yarn. (He often uses a radial arm saw to quickly made several buttons.). He then sanded the face and edges of each button. I will lightly finish these with mineral oil and our beeswax. I am in love with this rustic look! Can’t wait to attach them to my latest creations…

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, breakfast, cookies, Food

Jumbo Breakfast Cookies

Posted on by lmc

Filled with an abundance of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, these jumbo cookies are a better alternative to most breakfast pastries. A half-cup measure is used to deposit the flavorful batter on to parchment lined cookie sheets. The result…hearty fruit and nut studded cookies that can be packed into a lunchbox or slipped into a zip-lock bag for a quick mealtime treat.

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted

½ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted

½ cup raisins or chopped dates

½ cup finely chopped dried mango

1 cup banana chips

1/2 cup measured batter

Directions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a very large bowl, mix together flours, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add oil and sugar; beat until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and coconut extract; beat until just combined.

Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until well combined. By hand, Mix in nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, as the batter will be very thick.

Form dough into 19-21 cookies (using 1/2 cup measurement for each), and place on parchment-lined baking sheets (approx. 5 cookies per sheet). Press 3 banana chips into the top of cookie. Flatten cookie slightly/evenly and reshape accordingly. Bake until golden and firm, 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets, about 30 minutes. Store in air-tight container.

Before baking…
After baking…

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, September 2012