3 friends....since we were about 12 years old. Reuniting for a kickboxing adventure/girls' night out... Old friends, refusing to grow old.
So fun. So awesome. Even if I'm such an uncoordinated dork. And, apparently, I hit like a girl. ;) But...hey. It was only the first class of 5 that we signed up for. You can't learn new things if you're not willing to look likea dork sometimes. And I am totally willing, haha ;)
And.....my kids. One day....they will look back and be thankful for the woman that took care of them.....& kickboxed across the living room & into their bedrooms as she warmed up, did less than supersonic Wonder Woman spins, and basically acted like a fool sometimes. They will laugh and say, "I'm glad my mom was a li'l bit crazy". Right now, however, I think they're thankful that very few see the things that they do.... wink emoticon Their eyes roll. Their mouths say, "MOM. You're weird". But....those lips. They turn upward, even though they fight it....and they smile. Haha. ;)smile emoticon
Posting two recipes this week since I didn't post any last week....plus, I always serve these biscuits with Lemon Pepper Shrimp Linguine ~ it just wouldn't be right to post one and not the other! : )
My family ♥loves♥loves♥loves♥.....did I mention ♥LOVES♥ these tender, buttery, cheesy & garlicy gems of delight! To be honest. we love any biscuits......buttermilk with honey, buttermilk with jam, cinnamon raisin.... if it's a biscuit, we love 'em! It's a good thing, too, because I'm fairly certain it would be against the law to be ♥Southern♥ and not love biscuits. ; )
My kids think it's a special occasion when I make these.....if you're familiar with Red Lobster and their *amazing* Cheddar Bay Biscuits, these taste nearly ~ if not completley ~ identical to thiers.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup butter flavor shortening
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup buttermilk
(Don't have buttermilk? Put 1 Tbsp. white vinegar into a measuring cup and fill it up the rest of the way with milk to measure 1 cup...works like a charm for baking!)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, baking powder, baking soda
and 1/2 teaspoon bouillon; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add cheese. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls
1 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
Combine butter with remaining garlic powder; brush over biscuits.
Bake 4 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Serve warm and try not to eat them all yourself!
I know sharing is hard sometimes, but it IS the right thing to do! ; )
Shrimp linguine flavored with fresh lemon, pepper and garlic. Quick, easy and delicious....and a very elegant dinner! Suitable for company with very little effort!
**I usually use a 1 lb. box of pasta and double the amounts of other ingredients, sometimes adding some frozen spinach and frozen red/green pepper and onions to make a one-dish meal. : )
Please forgive the fact that those are spaghetti noodles pictured....I was apparently out of linguine noodles when I took this pic ; )
Ingredients :
1 (9 ounce) packages fresh or dried linguine (I use whole wheat - Barilla, Healthy Harvest, or Publix brand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine (or additional chicken broth)
1 lemons, juice of
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
Thaw frozen shrimp in fridge or run under cold water.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook according to package; drain.
While linguine is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine (or additional chicken broth), lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil (also add frozen spinach/peppers/onions if desired - whatever amount you prefer) into the saucepan. Cook until shrimp is pink. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.
Ever since this post, I've had requests for the recipe for the pictured cinnamon rolls that I teased you with, but because I am old and forgetful I kept.....well, forgetting! I was going to post a healthy recipe this week, but I recently teased my Facebook friends with another picture of my cinnamon rolls resulting in a few more requests & reminding me that I was supposed to post this recipe weeks ago....oops! Better late than never (I've been saying that way too often lately) ~ ~ they're worth waiting for, anyway! ; )
These are made with freshly ground whole grain flour, but you can make them with all-purpose as well. Just substitute all-purpose for the wheat (you should need a little less of all-purpose and omit the gluten, lecithin or dough enhancer).
1 cup brown sugar, packed (white sugar may be substituted)
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 -2 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Combine water, oil, honey and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for approximately 2 1/2 minutes. (Temp should be between 130 - 135°F) If you do not have a thermometer, it is easy to get it too hot. and it will kill your yeast. Microwaves can also vary greatly in how fast they heat. Adjust as necessary.
In mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, dough enhacer or lecithin, gluten, yeast and raisins; mix together. Add liquid ingredients and mix until well blended. Continue to mix adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl enough flour has been added. Allow to knead 8-10 minutes, or until the dough forms a smooth ball .
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-in. x 8-in.rectangle; spread with butter. Combine filling ingredients; spread over dough. Roll up from long side;seal seam. Slice each roll into 12 rolls; place cut side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over rolls. Cool in pans on wire racks.
Yield: 2 dozen.
*Note: One package of yeast is about 2-1/2 teaspoons of yeast.
Posting this recipe by request of a friend......if you've ever been to one of our birthday parties (well....except for Jacob ~ he's a boy after my own ♥chocolate-loving♥ heart) , you've most likely enjoyed a version of this cake. Guaranteed to bring rave reviews and happy party-goers!
Warning: There is nothing healthy about it. But it is good! And.....it IS for a special occasion, after all! ; )
Take It Easy Yellow Cake
Ingredients :
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
Directions:
Heat oven to 350*.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add shortening, milk and vanilla. Beat on med for 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat for 30 seconds more.
Bake in greased 13x9 pan for 35 minutes, or until pick comes out clean.
Mix all ingredients together until thick. Place in refrigerator until it sets. Spread filling on cake & layer. *Note, cake MUST be completely cooled*.
Wilton Extra Special Buttercream Icing
Take note: this makes a lot....which I usually need because we tend to have big parties where entire families stay, so I need to make a big cake and need all this frosting! You might want to halve the recipe.
Ingredients:
2 cups solid vegetable shortening
8 cups (2 lbs.) confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract or your favorite flavoring (I use 1 tsp. vanilla + 1 tsp. almond)
6-8 ounces whipping cream
Makes: About 7 1/2 cups.
Instructions:
Cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well-blended. Add salt, flavoring and whipping cream; blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until icing is fluffy.
Extra-Special Buttercream icing needs to be refrigerated, both after it is made and when it is placed on a cupcake. It will keep 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
*You may substitute 1 cup butter or margarine plus 1 cup solid vegetable shortening to achieve a more buttery taste.
Our choir at church is singing this song Sunday and I've had it in my head ALL DAY LONG since we practice it last night in choir! I was planning to post this recipe and I thought I would use it as my new Friday theme.....I even found a video of the Chicago Mass Choir singing the same version and thought I'd post it so that YOU can have it playing over and over and over and over again in your head as well. ; )
(You'll need to mute the auto music player at the bottom of this page if you want to hear the video.)
Now....on with the recipe.....sorry ~ sometimes I get distracted.........
There is much excitement in the air and our taste buds are tingling in anticipation......not only due to the fact that we're getting our groove on from this song ; ) , but because my house is currently saturated with the smell of this delightful popcorn baking in the oven! What can I say........we're definitely a family of food-a-holics!! One of my children's (and hubby's) favorite treats, I only make this when I'm planning on sending the majority of the batch elsewhere! On this Friday, half of the batch is going with my son to his very first overnight church retreat......I've been on church trips before & I happen to know that when the men are in charge and no moms are part of the food planning ~ the boys don't fare nearly as well as the girls do! So, I'm sending this along.....guaranteed to bring smiles to the faces of all who happen to be blessed to be in MY honey-bun's cabin! I also happen to know that between my son & a certain friend of his who could eat the whole batch himself, this treat full of caramel-ly goodness will be gone in no time! It's become a birthday party staple for us, either served at the party or sometimes given as party favors. : )
Originally from Taste of Home, the only change I have made to this recipe is the name and the amount of salt. It was originally named for a themed party and we don't always need a party to make it! We renamed it based on what everyone who tastes it always says....
Can't Stop Eating It! Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients:
6 quarts popped popcorn
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt (I use 1/2 tsp.)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Place popcorn (6 qts. = about 24 cups) in a large bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda; mix well. Pour over popcorn and stir until well-coated.
Pour into two greased 13-in. x 9-in.x 2-in baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 250 for 45 minutes,stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. (I find it easier to remove from the pan and break up when it is still SLIGHTLY warm.) Store in airtight container or plastic bags.
Yield: about 5-1/2 quarts.
Try it....you'll like it! It'll become one of those memories your kids will look back on one day and say, "Remember when mom used to make that homemade caramel popcorn......" and smile, reminisce, and have warm and fuzzy, comforting thoughts! But, please heed my warning....it makes A LOT, so make it either when you're having company or your kids are going somewhere and you can send a bunch of it with them. Otherwise, you may gain a bit of weight ~ you seriously CAN'T STOP EATING IT!!! Or, am I the only one with self control issues??? ; )
