Blackberry Cream Cheese Danish

 YUMMMMM!  SO SO GOOD.  These things are like Toaster Strudel's on crack!  The filling is so delicious and Puff Pastries are amazing.  I love that you can make these will any kind of pie filling and you can play with the glaze flavoring.  I have been dying to make a recipe using Puff Pastry and these definitely did not disappoint.

Ingredients:

• 1 box puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 cup blackberry pie filling (blackberry pie link) 
• 1 block cream cheese (8oz)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add pie filling, cream cheese and vanilla into bowl and blend well.
3.  Roll out each thawed pastry sheet and cut into even 3x3 squares.
4.  Use your finger or brush to paint a the edges of each square with beaten egg.
5. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of filling to the middle of each square and fold in half or a triangle.
6. Pinch the edges together using the tip of a fork.
7. Brush each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet for 15- 2o minutes.
9. In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and coffee creamer until completely smooth.
10. Pour glaze into a small Ziploc bag and push to corner.
11. When Danishes are cooked and completely cooled cut the corner of the bag with scissors and evenly drizzle over pastries.

 



 

Mason Jar Lid Pies

These are seriously the cutest most adorable pies I have ever seen.  Do you see that mini pie piece? When the boys golf, the girls bake and bake we did.  Adorable and Scrumptious!

Ingredients for filling: If you have filling left over you can freeze for later!

• 4 cups blackberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup flower
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Around 12 wide mouth mason jar lids

Ingredients for Crust:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Crisco
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water

Ingredients for crust topping/Dusting:

• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients and form into two equal balls. 
2. Chill dough in refrigerator for an hour
3. After dough is chilled preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Place dough on a flat surface that is dusted with flour
5. Roll dough into two equal pie crusts
6. Place rolled dough over as many mason jars it will fit.  Mine was about 5
7. Repeat with second crust and lids.
8. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut around the lids leaving just enough dough to hang over a tiny bit.
9. Press dough into each lid and pinch sides against the lids like you would do in a pie pan.
10. Roll the remaining pie scraps into another crust and set aside.
11.  In a large bowl add 3 cups of the berries with the flour, sugar and vanilla.
12. Stir together while kind of lightly mashing the berries.
13. Add enough pie filling to almost fill the crust.
14. Using the remaining crust cut out little shapes or make individual lattice patterns and place over berry mixture.
15. Brush the crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
16. Place individual pies on a cookie sheet.
17. Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Check on pies every so often.  If crust is golden brown before the suggested baking time you can remove early.
18. Remove from oven and let cool.

Sweetface Egg Salad

I can't even begin to explain the amazingness of this Egg Salad.  If you already love yourself a good old fashioned egg salad sandwich, this will knock your socks off.  How did this come about, you might ask?  Well, I was enjoying a wonderful homemade Cobb salad when I had the most amazing bite of hard boiled egg and Tillamook Extra Sharp White Cheddar.  My immediate reaction was pure bliss followed closely with the thought of an amazing Egg Salad Sandwich. So here you go....

Ingredients:

• 2 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 2 Tablespoons Mayo
• 1 Teaspoon Yellow Mustard
• A couple stems of chives, diced
• 1/4-1/2 cup Extra Shard White Cheddar
• 4 bread slices
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add eggs, cheese, mayo and mustard to a small mixing bowl.
2. Stir together until blended well.
3. Stir in tomatoes and chives.
4. Season with Salt and pepper.
5. Place mixture onto bread slices and enjoy!!!

Easy Baked Teriyaki Chicken

 

My family was in town this past weekend and my sister marinated some chicken with this glorious sauce.  When I started this blog I was focusing a lot on Semi-Homemade recipes, as time went on I changed things up a bit and was making most recipes from scratch.  The truth is I could make this sauce from scratch and save some money but with two kids and two jobs I prefer to pour!  You can also double the recipe and prepare another meal and freeze.  WIN WIN 

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/2 jar Soy Yay Veri Veri Teriyaki
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
• 1 cup rice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. In a large bowl or Ziploc bag add teriyaki sauce and sriracha and mix together.
3. Add chicken to bag, close and shake
4. Steam rice according to package directions.
5. Place chicken with sauce into a large baking dish.
6. Place in oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove chicken and flip.
8. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Serve over rice and enjoy.

Blackberry Pie



WOW, it has been awhile!  It has been six months since my beautiful baby girl Dilynn has joined us.

Had to show her off!

In that six month's I have opened up my own photography business while still working from home with two kids.  GEEZ, I am tired just typing that.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog but I am sad to say it will be very limited.  Just think of it as a Surprise gift when I do get around to posting.  With all the craziness in my life, I have been going back to my staples in the kitchen.  I have made some wonderful dishes in the past six months and I promise I will get around to making them again.

Now back to PIE.  This pie is so amazing.  The blackberry filling is perfectly sweet and the crust is perfectly crumbly.  I'm not going to lie, this is the third one of these bad boys I have made in the last month.  My neighbor has a huge blackberry bush and everyday my little guy grabs the bucket and walks to it. I really feel I should bake the neighbor a pie for stealing all the berries.

Ingredients for filling:

• 4 cups blackberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup flower
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Crust:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Crisco
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water

Ingredients for crust topping/Dusting:

• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients and form into two equal balls. 
2. Chill dough in refrigerator for an hour
3. After dough is chilled preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Place dough on a flat surface that is dusted with flour
5. Roll dough into two equal pie crusts
6. Place the first crust into a 10" pie pan
7. In a large bowl add 3 cups of the berries with the flour, sugar and vanilla.
8. Stir together while kind of lightly mashing the berries.
9. Pour mixture into pie pan and top with the remaining berries.
10. Top the pie with the remaining crust either in a lattice pattern or the whole thing.  (make some slits to vent if using the entire crust)
11. Brush the crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
12. Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 45minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool.

Walnut Crusted Banana Bread

I have made so many loafs of banana bread throughout the years and I have no idea why I haven't thought of this sooner.  The banana bread is perfectly moist and the walnut crust is divine.  This is definitely my new "go to" banana bread recipe.

Ingredients for Bread:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

 

Ingredients for Pecan Crust:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• dash of cinnamon

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixer beat bananas, butter, egg and sugars until smooth.
3. Mix all remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir.
4. Slowly beat in dry mixture until smooth.
5. Pour mixture into a greased 4x8 loaf pan.
6. Add all crust ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a fork until crumbly.
7. Sprinkle the banana bread batter with the crust mixture evenly.
8. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Rigatoni Bake

As I have mentioned before, my little one does not tolerate milk well.  However, yogurt and sour cream are a go!  I am starting to get creative in making delicious cream sauces without milk.  I must say that I am really not missing it at all.  He can have cheese so I usually just substitute the milk for chicken broth mixed with sour cream or Greek yogurt.  I don't even think my husband has noticed.

Ingredients:

• 1 box Rigatoni
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or diced
• 1 12 oz frozen bag of green beans
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese for garnish
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

1. Boil Rigatoni according to package directions and return to pot with one tablespoon olive oil and chicken.
2. Heat butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan.
3. Cook onions and garlic in butter until translucent.  Add to pot with noodles.
4. In the same skillet melt cream cheese over low heat and whisk in sour cream and chicken broth.
5. When sauce is smooth add all seasonings and whisk in Parmesan cheese until smooth.
6. Pour sauce over noodles and stir.
7. Slowly stirl in whisked egg and green beans.
8. In a grease 9by13 baking dish add 1/2 of the pasta mixture and top with provolone cheese.
9. Add the remaining pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.
10. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.

 

Cookers Note:  This also makes for a fantastic freezer meal.  You can freeze in a large 9by13 or in two 8by8 dishes.  Freeze after step 9 and thaw completely before cooking and follow step 10 above.