Blueberry Crumb Cake

Hey, y’all. It’s Spring time and also time for you to make this cake. It is superb. PW recipe. Easy to make. And the blueberries are abundant right now. Plus it's a beautiful day. Do it! 

Makes 16 servings.

Bake time: 40-45 minutes

Clam Chowder

My boyfriend's mother made this recipe some time last year, which is the first time I had ever tried it. I loved it. I've made it a few times since that occasion. That was the first time I had ever tried clams, too. Don't worry, this soup doesn't have an overpowering clam or seafood flavor. It's plain delish. The recipe comes from the Woman's Day magazine. You should man up and try it.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories per serving: 273

Total prep and cook time: 32 minutes

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these crazy green cookies for St. Patrick’s Day this year. They were very easy to make. I found the idea while searching Tastespotting on The Family Kitchen blog. These cookies are just a combination of my go-to sugar cookie recipe, green food coloring, and Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips. I love those baking chips! I eat them by the handful. I think these make a good spring time cookie because of their color and the mint flavor. Make em! You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry besides the mint baking chips.

Makes 40 cookies.

Bake time: 12-14 minutes

Strawberry Cake Bites

I made these on Valentine’s Day, but they would be good to make on any occasion. I used my favorite strawberry cake recipe and made them in a mini-muffin pan so they would be cute and poppable. I think these would be good for a party or gathering because of their size. You can also use a 13x9 inch baking dish or two round pans instead when you make the cake. Anyway, this cake is very very good and very strawberry-y. Very.

Makes 55 mini cupcakes.

Bake time: 18-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box of white cake mix
• 1 c frozen strawberries, divided (you will need 1/2 c frozen and 1/2 c thawed)
• 4 eggs
• 1 small box (3 oz) of strawberry jello
• 1/2 c boiling water
• 1 box (3 3/4 c) of powdered sugar 
• 1 stick (1/2 c) of butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

Fried Egg Toast

I found this strange breakfast idea in my Pioneer Woman cookbook. It’s actually a really great idea. Fried egg and toast join forces. PW calls this an Egg in a Hole, but I like the name Fried Egg Toast better. I eat one of these for breakfast almost every day of the week.

You can cook this as long or as little as you like, depending on how your like your egg cooked. I say no to runny eggs, so I cook mine until the whole egg is solid. If you want to be healthier, you can substitute egg whites for the whole egg. I’ve been doing that this week because I had a ton of leftover egg whites from making my King Cakes. The egg white version is equally as delicious and knocks off some calories if you care about that sort of thing.

Makes 1 serving.

Total prep and cook time: 6-8 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 egg
• 2 T butter (or spray butter)
• salt and pepper

Brownies with Dulce de Leche and Toasted Pecans

These brownies are freaking awesome. Best brownies I've ever made or eaten. They are loaded with globs of caramel and are rich and chocolatey. I seriously love them. Everyone who has tried them says they love em too. I don't think I'll ever look for another brownie recipe. I found this recipe on David Lebovitz's site. I found his website while looking for a good German Chocolate cake recipe once. He's received tons of good reviews, so I trust his recipes to be awesome. 


Don't know what kind of dessert to make for gathering? Make these. Searching for the perfect brownie recipe? Here it is.


Makes 12 brownies.
Bake time: 35-45 minutes

King Cake with Praline Cream Cheese Filling

Check this little gem out. You should totally make it for Mardi Gras (March 8th). Don't buy those crummy store bought King Cakes this year. THIS is what you are looking for. It's super fresh and delicious and you're gonna love it. My mom and I found this recipe a few years ago on this Gourmet Girl blog and added in this praline filling recipe because that's how we like em.

I admit, it is sort of time consuming, but completely worth it. The actual 'work' time isn't very long. It's just that there are several steps to this recipe and that's what makes it take so long. Lots of waiting time.

I've made 3 of these bad boys within the past two days. Anybody want a king cake?! I think I'll try to sell em next year. I have one customer at the moment and I'm working extra hard to make her cake look as spiffy and tasty as possible :)  Anyway, the point is, don't be a baby and just make this king cake. You won't regret it. 

Bowtie Lasagna

This jazz is delicious. It takes less than thirty minutes from start to finish to make, too. It calls for only a few ingredients and was so easy to make! The recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen website.

Makes 6 servings.
Cook and prep time: less than 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 5 c bowtie pasta
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
• 3 c spaghetti or pizza sauce (I used Mama Mia’s cause it’s local!)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c sour cream
• shredded parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)