Saturday, August 17, 2013

Jail House Rock Cake

I have many memories of being a kid. Back when I grew up was a good life. The one occasion that I will never forget and one that was a very sad moment was when I came in from outside playing with my sister and friends and found my mom crying in the living room. It seems "The King" Elvis Presley had died and the world seemed to stop for a short period of time. This past week was the memory week of the day Elvis died all those many years ago. In many hearts the King will live and his music for sure will never be forgot. The cake recipe I share here brings back some of those earlier moments of the reign of Elvis Presley when life seemed so much easier.
 
 
 
 
Elvis Presley Cake: (Jail House Rock)
 
 


 White cake mix
8oz can crushed pineapple
1 c. sugar...
8oz pkg Cream Cheese
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 c crushed pecans

Bake a white cake, cool and poke holes in it. Boil crushed pineapple with juice and 1cup of sugar then pour over cool cake. In large bowl mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar. Add vanilla and crushed pecans, mix good and put on cake.


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Friday, August 16, 2013

Peach Season and a Chicken Recipe

Southern Illinois is in full swing of Peach season. We simply love all the amazing recipes that you can use peaches in. First of all the delicious pastries, pies and cobblers not to mention other desserts where you can use peaches. If you want to try something not so sweet then try to use peaches in your meals as well. Check out this Chicken recipe sure to be a pleaser and oh so yummy!!!

 
 
 
 
Sriracha-Peach Chicken Wings
1 (15oz) can peach halves in heavy syrup
1 tbsp sriracha, plus more if desired
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus extra
1 1/2 lb chicken wings or drumettes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Open the can of peaches. Strain the heavy syrup from the peaches into a small sauce pan. Place the syrup over medium to medium-high heat and reduce in half.
Place three peach halves into a blender or food processor with the reduced syrup, sriracha, vinegar and dark soy sauce. Puree until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
Finely dice the remaining peach halves. Add the diced peaches, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to the bowl with the peach puree. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Taste the sauce. Adjust the seasonings as desired with more kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and sriracha as necessary. (I like a lot of spice so more sriracha is always welcomed in my book!)
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Season the chicken wings lighly with kosher salt, toss to coat. Place the wings into the lined sheet pan. Evenly pour the sauce over the wings, toss to coat with sauce, and place into the preheated 400 degree oven. Bake at 400 for 50 minutes, flipping the wings and basting with sauce in the pan after 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Using tongs, carefully transfer wings to a serving dish then spoon remaining sauce from the pan over the wings. Enjoy!

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Famous Cheese Dip


One of the things I love to do in the cool summer evenings is to sit out side with family and friends and chat while the world goes by. This cost very little and is always a good time. Want to have a few friends over and share a snack? Well here is an awesome snack that many say will make you famous. LOL thus the name the famous cheese dip






 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese OR grated jalapeño jack
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small purple onion, diced (you can use chopped green onions as well or omit onions if you don’t like them)
◦Serve with Wheat Thins or Frito’s Scoops for dipping or evenVeggies

 Place all ingredients in a shallow baking dish (a 9″ square pan or round quiche pan will be perfect!)
 Microwave on high for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients are melted enough to stir together.
 Stir until combined. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with Wheat Thins or Frito’s Scoops for dipping



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International Left Handers Day

Are you left-handed? Do you know someone left handed. Well Happy Lefthander day. Now every day for a left handed person is not happy. Then have to learn to overcome many obstacles from the notebook and pencil they learn to write on to cooking utensils. You see the world is made for right handed people and to left handed people the world seems backward. So if you have a child who is lefthanded please take a bit more patience as they learn and study.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Truck Driver Day --- Truck Driver Gravy

I grew up in a rural community where farms, tractors and farm animals are present. In my early teens we moved down state and away from the family farming area. Here I met my husband who grew up in a trucking family. I soon learned all about the family and their business and grew to respect truck drivers more than ever. So on this day August 12 I had to create a post for the truck drivers every where





Truck Driver Day
Keep on truckin' on August 12th. It's Truck Driver Day. Honk the horn, and hit the roadways.
If you don't drive a truck, you can simply wave to truckers who pass you on the pavement. Who knows? Maybe a friendly truck driver will wave back or even blow his or her horn on August 12th.

Want to help celebrate this day? Why not try this awesome truck stop gravy recipe

Meat Mixture

8 ounceslean ground beef
1/4 teaspoonground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoonseasoning salt, to taste (amount will vary greatly depending upon how salty your sausage seasoning is)
1 teaspoon sausage seasoning (a spice blend containing fennel and other spices)

Cream Sauce

2 1/2 cupsskim milk
1/4 cupall-purpose flour
8 ouncesreduced-fat cream cheese, cut into small chunks, at room temperature (neufchatel)
1/2 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce, to taste
2 -3 drops hot sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)             
NOTE: If desired, use 8 ounces of lean turkey bulk breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean), and omit the beef, sausage seasoning, salt, and pepper
 
Whisk together flour and milk and leave near the stove (you may need to re-whisk right before adding it later). In a large skillet, brown & crumble meat until no longer pink; push cooked meat to on side of the pan, tilt to allow fat to drip to the opposite side; remove from heat and drain fat (I drop in a slice of bread to sop up the fat, then remove and discard). If you chose to use ground beef, sprinkle meat with pepper and the sausage seasoning, and some salt to taste (only add half now); if you used the turkey sausage, do not add any seasonings at this point. Add the milk mixture to meat and return pan to the burner, over medium heat. Add cheese and stir, breaking up with your spoon, cooking and stirring until cheese completely melts into the sauce (it will look very curdled at first- this will disappear once it fully melts), lowering heat to medium low if needed to keep from boiling; this will take about 10 minutes or so- stir often. Once cheese is fully melted and sauce is slightly thickened, add Worcestershire sauce and, if desired, a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Taste and add more of any seasoning (including the rest of the salt, if needed) until it tastes savory. Continue cooking over low heat until sauce is as thick as you prefer (it will also thicken up more as it cools)- I usually only leave it another 5 minutes. Serve over warm fresh cooked biscuits that have been split open


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August 12 - Celebrate Vinyl Record Day

 
 
When I was a kid the music we listened to were records or on cassettes. Todays digital music storage and playback int todays era were not even thought of or perhaps thought of but not realized. The day of the record took a lot of care as not to scratch the record as it was being removed from the sleeve or placed back in. Resting the needle gently on the record would allow you to listen to some awesome songs. The record itself comes in a giant sleeve, a spacious canvas fro the visual part: the album artwork. The records often create a listening experience fundamentally different than the one offered by mp3 players.
 
If perhaps you have a surpluss of records and no way to play them check out this craft idea
 
Vinyl Record Bowls
 
 
 
Go to the Dollar Store and buy two stainless steel mixing bowls, one larger than the other. Then go to a thrift store to buy your records. Pre-heat the oven at the lowest temperature, about 200 degrees. Place the small mixing bowl into the oven upside-down, and center the record over the bowl. Watch it carefully, and between 4-8 minutes, you’ll notice that the record starts to get floppy. Wait until it starts to fall onto the bowl, then remove the record (using oven mitts) and quickly place it into the larger bowl on the counter. You have about 10-15 seconds to mold the record into the shape that you want. Ditch the oven mitts while doing this, and just burn your fingers. You’ll live.
These bowls can be used to serve dry foods like nuts, chips, hard candy — but steer clear of any greasy foods.
 
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Sunday, August 11, 2013

Boogie Wipes Review and Giveaway

Are you preparing to go back to school? Let Boogie Wipes be part of it. Everyone knows that life can be messy and with Boogie Wipes you can help your child keep their act clean. Whether it be that runny nose that all to often appears as school gets started, sticky treats that accompany every classroom party or after school snack or to simply wipe hands and face whenever needed. Boogie Wipes can do each of these jobs easily.

Boogie Wipes available in package size as few as 10 or in a pack of 45. Scents such as grape, menthol and unscented allows you to have the boogie wipes of choice. Boogie Wipes are made with saline that easily dissolves boogies also known as mucus caused by the common cold, allergies, or other times where a child may have plenty of boogies present. Boogie Wipes are recommended by Pediatricians as a gentle, effective alternative to dry tissue.

Puffs has teamed up with Boogie Wipes and has released Puff's Fresh Face from the maker of Boogie Wipes. Now available at Target and drugstore.com!  Available in fragrance free, light lavender, Vick's menthol and fresh scent. Visit Puffsfreshfaces.com to receive your $2.00 coupon!! 

New at Boogie Wipes are their 90 count simply unscented canisters which are available now in most major retailers like Target, Walmart and BabiesRUs. Also be on the outlook for cotton candy scented Boogie Blasters 12 count pack as well as Boogie Mist which is a saline mist with a twist.

Now for a great giveaway where one winner will be awarded (2) 30 count packages of boogie wipes. This giveaway is open to all residents in U.S. , Canada and Australia

To enter giveaway please tell me one item that is very important and always on your back to school list

Extra entries: (after answering initial entry)

Giveaway starts now and ends August 21, 2013 Thanks for entering and please include your email so that I can easily contact you if you are the lucky winner. Good Luck

disclaimer: we were sent samples of the product that we mentioned in this post. Thanks to the sponsor for sending us a sample so that we could provide a good review

Play In the Sand Day August 11 and enjoy some dessert

Play in the Sand Day
No summer is complete without a little sand between the toes. Have you been to the beach yet? Sunbathers and sand castle architects truly dig Play in the Sand Day on August 11th.
Go with the grain on Play in the Sand Day. Pick up a pail and shovel, and smooth out that beach towel. Take the day off on August 11th, and hunt for beautiful seashells and intriguing pieces of driftwood or sea glass at the shore. Perhaps this is the perfect and playful dessert for this day






36 vanilla cream-filled sandwich cookies
3 (3.9 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (You could also try lemon flavor)
6 cups milk
1 large package gummy fish candy
umbrellas


 Place the sandwich cookies into a resealable plastic zipper bag, and crush with a rolling pin into crumbs. To get finer sand, chop cookies in a food processor. Whisk together the pudding mix with the milk in a bowl, stirring for 2 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the crushed sandwich cookie crumbs into the bottom of a serving bowl, and spoon the pudding over the crumbs. Smooth out the top of the pudding, then top with the rest of the cookie crumbs to resemble sand. Poke gummy fish halfway into the sand and add a cute umbrella. Refrigerate until serving.

recipe source here

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Blogger Question ==== Bargain Week

This past week was national bargain week. Did any of you find any amazing bargains this week? To start the week off I headed out to an auction sale where I found many beautiful pieces from depression glass to old pyrex. To finsish the week out did some shopping and found quite a few amazing deals. Awesome in my opinion. What did you do???