Getting ready for Easter

Looking back at Easter in 2009, I remember the fun I had decorating our Easter dessert with candy grass.

Have you ever heard of such a thing? I found it at Target, of all places, in the aisles of their seasonal things. It was so easy and tasty compared to coloring coconut. It's a great alternative if you or your bunny don't like coconut!

This was my traditional 2-layer vanilla cake and cupcakes with homemade buttercream frosting. Using a large icing tip makes swirling on the frosting very quick business.
Happy Easter!

Blueberry Pound Cake

I found this recipe years ago (maybe 1998?) in a Cooking Light Magazine. It was on the cover and I bought that issue just for this recipe. Isn't it always a treat to find a yummy recipe that calls for a bundt pan?! I first made it for my mother-in-law’s birthday and it was delicious. It is a hit every time, although it’s getting harder to find lemon yogurt. This last time I used “Lemon Chiffon” Publix-brand yogurt. (If it comes to it, I suspect plain yogurt and a ½ tsp lemon extract may make a good substitute.)

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup butter
½ (8oz) block of 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I use fresh)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 (8oz) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
½ cup powdered sugar
4 tsp lemon juice (approx juice from 2 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed in mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups, leveling with knife. Combine 2 T. flour and blueberries in a small bowl and toss to coat. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries & their flour. Fold in vanilla extract.
Pour batter into a 10-inch tube or bundt pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; then remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl and drizzle over warm cake.

Yield 16 servings.
287 calories per serving

Mint Brownies

Makes 12 muffins

1 box brownie mix (I use Ghirardelli Double Chocolate or Chocolate Chunk mix)
1 egg, oil & water as directed on box
York Peppermint Patties, chopped (approximately 12 small or 4-5 large)
Powdered sugar to garnish

Generously spray 9x9 pan or 12-muffin pan with Pam. Preheat oven as directed on brownie box.

Prepare brownie batter as directed. Spoon muffin tins half full with batter. Gently push in 3-4 pieces of peppermint patties (approximately 1 small patty per muffin tin) into batter. Top with remaining batter. (If baking in 9x9, spoon in half of batter, layer chopped patties generously and cover with remaining batter.)

Bake as directed on box – they will bake quicker if using muffin pan.

Cool completely on wire rack. Using small knife gently loosen brownies in muffin tins and remove from muffin tin. Keep brownies upside down and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Store in air tight container up to 3 days (although they never last that long at my house).

Stir Fry Pork & Cashews

I guess you see that we're on a little Asian quest in our home when it comes to new recipes lately. This one was absolutely fanastic and SO easy. It takes 5 minutes prep, to cut the pork into 1/2 inch pieces and 6 minutes to cook. I served it with hot cooked rice, and a steamed asian veggie blend. The kids gobbled it up.

1 lb. boneless pork loin cut into 1/2 inch pieces (buy the cutlets, and it's super quick to slice up)
4 T. stir-fry sauce
2 T. orange juice
3 tsp. cornstarch
4 T. vegetable oil
1 cup unsalted or lightly salted cashews
orange slices for optional garnish

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Heat veg oil in large nonstick skillet. Add pork and cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in cashews. Serve asap with rice.
Yum Yum!

Chicken Fried Rice

This is straight from Paula Deen's Jan/Feb 2010 magazine. I can' take any credit, but I have to post it because I've been raving about it to so many friends that everyone wants the recipe. Since it's loaded with veggies, I just served it with egg rolls and fruit - a simple meal!
It makes enough to serve 8-10 people, so you may want to half the recipe unless you want left overs for a week!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
(cheater: I used canned chicken and just added it at the end to heat through!)
1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
2 T. sesame oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 (8oz) package sliced mushrooms
6 cups cooked & cooled rice (make the day before & put in refrig)
1 (8oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained & rinsed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Sesame seeds and chopped green onion for garnish

In medium bowl, combine chicken and 3 T. soy sauce. Let marinate while preparing other ingredients. Remove chicken from soy sauce & discard sauce.
In large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 T. oil over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon, set aside & keep warm.
Add eggs, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until scrambled. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.
Heat remaining oil. Add carrot, celery, onion & garlic, and 2 T. soy sauce. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli and mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
Stir in rice, water chestnuts, peas, red pepper, cooked chicken and any juices, scrambled eggs, and remaining 3 T. soy sauce.
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired, and serve immediately. Store leftovers in refrigerated in air-tight container.

Hearty Ranch Dip

I'm torn about calling this a dip or a spread. It's just so thick and hearty there's no good way to explain it. It's divinely delicious and each time I serve it someone asks me for the recipe. Most recently I brought it to my Mothers of Preschoolers meeting.

1 cup Mayo
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch mix
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 bell pepper, diced (whatever color you like, I usually use orange)
1 white onion, chopped
6 oz deli smoked ham or turkey chopped (approx 6 slices)
4.25 oz can of chopped black olives

Mix mayo and ranch mix together. Add all remaining ingredients. Chill. Serve cold with Fritos Scoops or crackers.
It keeps in the frig for up to 3 days. ** If you make it ahead of time, chop the onion & store it separately in a foil ball. The, wait until the day you serve it to add in the chopped onion. Otherwise the onion will overtake the flavors.