Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Remember these?

Hubby brought home fresh pineapple from a vendor the other day and I finally got around to making something with it. Well, it made this...
My husband raved about this dish so I had to have a little taste myself and og my goodness the gooey topping tastes like the filling in a pecan pie. The metal pan seems to have made it, well that and the almond extract. I know that tradionally this cake is made with cherries as well, didn't have any, but let me tell you I didn't miss them at all. It didn't need a stitch more.

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/8 cups brown sugar
1 box pillsbury white cake mix
1 tbs. vanilla extract
1 tbs. almond extract
any pineapple juice you can salvage
13x9'' metal cake pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spread brown sugar into metal (very important tool in this recipe) 13x9 dish. Melt entire stick of butter either on the stove, in oven or in the microwave and pour over brown sugar. Place pineapple rings on top of brown sugar mixture however you would like.

Prepare cake mix per package directions adding extracts and pineapple juice, if any. Mix only long enough to combine don't over do it. Pour over Pineapples.

Bake about 45 minutes give or take a few.

It is so good, a cold glass of milk... mmmm!

Sweet Marmalade

Ingredients
4 large seedless oranges
2 lemons
8 cups sugar
8 cups water

Directions
Cut the oranges and lemons in half, then very thin, as thin as you can possibly make them, half-moon slices. Discard any lemon seeds. Place the sliced fruit and their juices into a pot. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. It will be a golden orange color.

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Store in the pantry for up to a year.

Look what Michael brought home for us this evening, at work he drives by a farmer and his produce parked out along the road, he stopped and picked up some fresh pineapple. When he gave it to me I couldn't help myself I took the biggest sniff and it smelled so good. I already cut it up because tomorrow I am making fresh pineapple upside down cake. Yummy yummy!

Blueberry Lemon Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 jar lemon curd
1 tub cool whip, thawed

Prepare a boxed white cake mix according to package directions, adding 1 tsp. lemon extract. Toss blueberries with flour and fold into cake batter.

Pour into 2 8 or 9 inch rounds, buttered and floured.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until browned.

Let cool 15-20 minutes and then put onto cooling rack until completely cooled.

Place bottom layer on cake dish, spread entire jar lemon curd on top of the bottom layer, place top layer cake on top of lemon curd. Frost with cool whip.

Cool in icebox until time to serve. Best if cooled overnight so that cool whip sets.

I served this recipe today at a lunch with Michael's grandparents house. Everyone who had a slice raved about it. Great flavor combination. Go me.

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

These taste just like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sooo good. Thanks to Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, for this scrumptious recipe.


Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Peanutty Frito Cookie

1 bag of Fritos
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup Karo Syrup
1 1/4 cup peanut butter

Spray non stick pray in a 9x13 baking pan.

Pour Fritos into large bowl.

Add sugar, peanut butter and Karo Syrup into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until all ingredients have melted together.

Pour over Fritos and mix, be careful it is hot!

Evenly spread into baking sheet. Let cool on counter for awhile and then put into refrigerator. Cut and serve.

For another version when mixing melted sauce and fritos throw in some M&M's or chocolate chips for a chocolate version. My husband loved these and so did I! Enjoy y'all.

Daddies Pea Salad

This picture does this salad no justice- tastes so much better than it looks I promise. Here's the problem though, I only know how to make it for a crowd. If you want to make this for only a few people just do it by eye, the recipe is general.

Today Michael, my father in law Jackie and I went to the annual town meeting and picnic in Iola, Texas. My hubbies parents own a nice amount of land there and there are alot of distant family who still reside there. (Michael and his Dad hunt and camp there, though I am falling madly in love with it as well) Anyhoo, so I brought my Daddies dish and ended up making and carrying (not an easy task) a ton of this pea salad. Amazingly yummy you guys, try this!


canned peas or frozen peas, thawed
tomato, diced
hard boiled eggs, diced
celery, with leaves too, bottom end trimmed, diced
purple onion, diced
velveeta cheese, diced
mayo
milk
dry ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

The trick here is to have more peas than any of the other ingredients, however I like mine with alot of egg so to each his or her own.

Put peas, tomato, eggs, celery, onion and cheese into bowl. Add about 2 Tbs. of mayo per can of peas and 1 Tbs. milk, stir to mix together. Add dash of dry mustard and salt and pepper, stir some more. You want it soupy and taste and play around with the mustard get the right amount.

That's about it, sometimes I add cubed ham the next day for an entire meal. Oh and the longer it sits in the fridge the more the flavors marry together. I always get raves about this dish.

Love you Daddy!

Chicken Pot Pie

I loooovvvve chicken pot pies. The swanson brand ones are my favorite. I remember being little and being so excited on the rare occasion my mom would make us all one for supper. Love them, no joke.

I kept thinking about how I could make a giant one that has the same flavors as the little ones. I found it...


Chicken Pot Pie

2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts, bottom one baked off according to directions
1 can Chicken Gravy, any brand
1 can Cubed Potatoes, drained
1 can Mixed Vegetables, or 1 cup frozen
1 large can White Meat Chicken, break up cubes with fingers
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in bowl and pour into pre baked pie crust, top with other pie crust, raw. Crimp sides and cut three or four slits into top, to vent steam. Bake for 30-35 minutes at same temp. you baked off bottom crust.


It's nothing special to make but it tastes just like a Swanson. Yummy.

Just Peachy Berry Cobbler

The Cobbler is great, not too sweet. Topped with a scoop of Vanilla Icecream it's wonderful.

You guys I just invented this on the spot... go me. I love it when tests come out delish.


Just Peachy Berry Cobbler

4 peaches, slices into wedges and pitted
10-14 cherries, cut into half and pitted
handful of Blackberries
2 Tbs. sugar
dash Ground Nutmeg
dash Ground Ginger

Toss ingredients together and pour into greased oven safe dish.

1 1/2 Bisquick Mix
1/2 Milk, cold
1 Egg
3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
1 Tbs. Almond Extract

Mix ingredients together and drop spoonfuls over fruit mixture.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, turn heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

Top with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.


Nom, nom,