Cake Pops

By: Laura

    Well, it's official, I'm addicted to Pinterest.  Thanks to my good friend, Aileen, who introduced me months ago, I've been pinning up a storm.  At first, I thought, what's the point?  But then after a few innocent pins, I was hooked.  

    One of the things I always see in the food and drink section of Pinterest is cake pops.   They are so cute in the pictures and I decided it was time to give them a try.  Actually, messing up my husband's birthday cake may have pushed me into them.  I forgot the vanilla in his cake and decided that instead of throwing it out (it wasn't that bad, you just knew it was missing something) I would attempt cake pops.  

   Now, I just want to be frank with everyone when I say, these aren't that easy.  They are timing consuming as well as frustrating at times, but they are delicious and a very sweet treat, so I do think it makes up for the long prep.   Here's how it all went down.  

Begin with crumbled cake that has been baked and cooled.   

Add your favorite frosting into the mix.  I chose a chocolate buttercream frosting that my mom makes, but you could use cream cheese, vanilla buttercream or any store bought frosting to make things a bit more simple.

Once the frosting has been added to the cake and mixed well (just use your hands, it's easier) then begin to form them into balls.  This was the frustrating part for me because mine did not look like balls, no matter what I did.  How do they do it on Pinterest?  I don't know!

Chill the balls in the fridge for at least a couple of hours and up to overnight.  I even popped them in the freezer before I used them to make sure they were hard enough to work with.  If they are too soft, this leads to disaster during the dipping stage!

For the final step, melt almond bark in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it is stirred smooth.  I used two packages of vanilla almond bark for this large batch of cake pops.  Dip the pops! Note, if you are going to sprinkle them, do so right after dipping because the bark does harden quickly.  

Check out the insides of the finished product.  Oh my goodness!

This is one of my cake bombs as I like to call them.  Total disaster, but still delicious!

The final cake pops!  Aren't they cute?  Dress them up for a great 4th of July dessert.   

So, as I said, these do take a while to prepare, but they are worth it.  I ate way too many of them and had to give some to the neighbors just so I wouldn't gain 5 pounds over the weekend!  Give them a try for your 4th of July party.  It's only a few days away!  

Cake Pops

List:

1 cake mix or scratch cake (any flavor) baked, cooled and crumbled

2 packages almond bark (any flavor)

Wooden Skewers

Frosting 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Recipe: Mom

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup shortening

1 t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb.)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cocoa

Cream shortening and butter together, then add cocoa and milk.  Beat in powdered 1 cup at a time.  Beat until light and fluffy (4 - 5 minutes)

Balsamic BBQ Chicken Breast

By: Laura

It's officially the first day of summer people, and what better way to celebrate than with a little grillin' action on the patio!  I fancied a less traditional meal for summer solstice and decided to go with a grilled chicken breast (it was something I had in the freezer, that might have swayed my decision).  I was searching Food Network's website to find some inspiration and as crazy as it sounds, I once again went for a Giada recipe.  I know, I know, I have my doubts about her show, but I do believe the lady can cook and in this case, grill.  The recipe appealed to me because I had all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry, but not only that, there was no prep (a.k.a. marinating) which was great for a last minute meal.  So, let's check out the easy steps:

To begin the process, place some balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce,  mustard, salt and pepper into a medium sized sauce pan.  Stir the mixture together until it's smooth and then simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes.  

Coat the chicken with some of the sauce and keep the remaining sauce for later.  (Get some chicken dipping action going on!)  Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side and then serve it up. 

And look what you get...is this Famous Dave's or my kitchen?  Who can tell, really?

And there you have it, a simple delicious meal for the first day of summer.  Give it a try, it won't take but 30 minutes for you to whip up, including the sides.  Happy Summer!  

Find the detailed recipe here

Classic Meatloaf

By: Laura

So, you're probably thinking, meatloaf, really?  It's June for heaven's sake, but actually, last week when I was whipping up supper, it was only 55 degrees outside.  That's not grilling weather for me, folks.  And considering it was June, I refused to turn on the heat and therefore had to use the oven as a personal heater.  My plan was to make an all in one meal that would need to cook in the oven for a good long time (the longer the "heat" was on, the better!). That meal, was of course, meatloaf with potatoes and carrots on the side.  I went to my Mom's classic meatloaf recipe that was used numerous times in my childhood and got to work.

Start by crushing up some saltine crackers (about 1 cup).  I had some wheat saltines and they worked just fine.

Once you have the saltines crushed, add in 1/2 cup of milk, one egg, one teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of dried onion flakes, or in my case, onion powder.  Of course you could do fresh chopped onion as well.
 

Add the meat into the mix and then work the entire concoction with your hands.  It just works better, I'm telling you!
Finally put the mixture into a pan and form it into a loaf-- a meat loaf, that is.  

Cook the meat loaf for half an hour on it's own and then add in the potatoes and carrots and cook for an hour more.  Now, that's a classic meatloaf!

Watch out for little ladies trying to get to their dinner early!

Even though this is not the typical summer meal, it's good for the occasional cool or rainy day.  There's always time to make a classic. 

Classic Meatloaf

1 pound of ground beef

1 cup of crushed saltines

1 t. salt

1 T. onion flake (dried)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Mix the above ingredients thoroughly, and mold into a loaf in a greased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.  Add in peeled and halved potatoes as well as carrots.  Cook for an hour more.  

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple and Pickled Onions

by Leslie

That's right, all.  Summer is pretty much here.  It is.  I mean, all the tell-tail signs are there: the sun is out, people are grilling, and I am listening to Beyonce non-stop.  It is without a doubt summer.

And summer isn't summer without a delicious taco fiesta.  It's no secret that I love Mexican flavors.  I would estimate that about half of the main dishes I make involve black beans, cumin, and chili powder.  This recipe, however, stands above the rest.  It is a "special" dish because it takes a bit longer than others.  Is it worth it, though?  Totes-ma-goats.  

Remember when Laura made her Pulled Pork Sandwiches?  Well, we're going to start with the same thing.  Take a weekend day and cook up that pork.  The only difference is, don't put BBQ sauce on it, and for heaven's sake don't put it on a bun.  We have another final resting place for that pig.

If you are a vegetarian, I'm sorry you had to read that last line.

While your pork is resting, go ahead and get crazy with toppings.  My toppings are tropical in inspiration--pineapple chopped so finely you get a taste in every bite, fresh chopped cilantro, and tangy pickled red onions.  Aren't they beautiful?

How do you pickle onions, you ask?  Well, it's not as hard as it seems.  In fact, I did it on the fly because at the last minute I realized I had a red onion.  Let me tell you, pickled onions (or other veggies) will take your tacos to a new level.  The tanginess balances out the pork so well.

Pulled Pork Tacos--Caribbean Style

3 T. Paprika

2 T. Minced Garlic

1 T. Packed Brown Sugar

1 T. Ground Mustard

3 T. Sea Salt

1 Pork Roast (shoulder or rump)

1. Stir together paprika, garlic, sugar, ground mustard and salt in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over the pork. Cover pork with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. (Up to overnight)

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Transfer pork to roasting pan. Roast until instant read thermometer reads 170 degrees (about 6 hours). Transfer pork to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Shred it up!

Pickled Onions (very simply)

A more detailed recipe can be found here

1 large red onion sliced into half-moons

1 cup of vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 bay leaf

peppercorns

salt to taste

Heat up the vinegar and all other ingredients except onion on medium high heat until boiling.  Add the onions and lower the heat.  Let simmer for about a minute.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.  

You can store the onions in the cooking liquid for around a week, or eat them immediately, like me!

Serve the tacos on warmed corn tortillas.