4th of July

Well in the spirit of red, white and blue I made a trifle which was delicious.  Here's a shopping list:  cream cheese (2), cool whip (1), strawberries, blueberries and pound cake.

Beat cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla until smooth.  Add one 8 oz of cool whip whip topping until well blended (will be smooth and easily spreadable).

Slice the strawberries and the pound cake 1/2 inch thick.

Assemble trifle:

Start with pound cake, then add cream creese mixture, then layer strawberries.  Repeat alternating with blueberries.  Final layer can have sliced strawberries and blueberries.

Refrigerate at least an hour prior to serving.

Hope you enjoy!!! Happy cooking.

Back in Business



WC Cake w/Strawberry filling

Well I had taken a hiatus after my hubby’s surprise party to unwind and get my mind right.  Been cooking but not posting. 

 My latest project was a white chocolate cake with strawberry filling and white chocolate ganache.  The ganache was so tricky because I had never made one but had seen it enough times made that I wanted to try it.  Yummy move on my part. 



Shrimp Pasta



So I am not posting recipes today because it is so late, but I will show some of the creations.  Black tea infused chicken and rice, my new Asian twist to chicken. (Got my idea from watching Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee, I love her show {she is great})  Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese, it is four great cheese baked yummyness (and a new super favorite). 

Shrimp pasta, my twist on an Italian dish, soooooooo good it was gone before I got another plate.  Well I hope you continue cooking.  Will add recipes soon.

P.S. my Kitchen is always open

My next project is Dora for my daughter’s birthday

Semi Homemade Moment

So today I had a bake sale I was participating in so last night when I was baking I had a Sandra Lee moment (I absolutely love her ideas so this was gooooooooood for me).  I baked Snikerdoodles, Sugar cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and four types of brownies.

I took regular brownie mix, followed the directions and then before pouring into the pan I stirred in some options (you can change it up if you want, this is just what I used last night):

Peanut butter chips
Chocolate Chips
Pecans
Sprinkles

Sugar Cookies, Snickerdoodles and Brownies

I had fun with it and it turned out super excellent.  FYI, when you have a bake sale and it is warm outside (lovely Savannah weather, smiling), all your baked boods will have that fresh out the oven feel to them lol.

Well from my kitchen and heart to yours....
Lets get cooking!!!!

Today's Meal

Hello fellow foodies:

Today we held a small homage to the pig, and no I didnt eat him, but my family loved him up :) (glad to help, but not my thing).  So if you are a piggie-lover or -liker, here's a nice healthy choice for you:  baked boneless pork chops, green beans and mashed sweet potatoes.  Finish up with my sister's namesake: the Hayes Classic :)

Shopping List
Boneless Center Cut Pork Chop (I prefer boneless, but if you like the bone, go on)
Smoked Turkey Necks (if you want to try smoked ham or pork meat, go ahead, but heavier salt content)
Cool Whip
Cream Cheese, 6-8 oz packages
Frozen French Cut Green Beans
Canned or fresh sweet potatoes (one of the few veggies I buy canned)
Heavy Cream (if you dont want to, use skim milk {less fat but still yummy})
Eggs
Graham Cracker pie crust
Lemon Estract
Yellow Food Coloring
Lemon Chalet Girl Scout Cookies (if you by chance dont have any, find the nearest Girl Scout or sustitute with lemon flavored sandwich cookies)
Butter

Jae P's food tip:  Some of the listed items should be in pantry stocked, but if not, start to accumulate the items you will use more and maintain a stocked pantry.  Money saving tip for you.

Baked Boneless Pork Chop

10-boneless, center cut pork chop
Salt
Ground Pepper
Ground Oregano
Ground Allspice
Ground Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Season pork chops with other ingredients and let "marinate" for ten minutes. Add small amount of water to pan.  Bake in oven for 40-50 mins.  Let meat rest after you remove from oven at least ten minutes (this step will keep meat juicy).  Serve warm (preferably with veggies listed below).

Jae P's Green Beans

Frozen french cut green beans (you can use fresh green beans too, but you will have to cut them lengthwise at a diagonal to get the french cut style), 1lb bag, two or three bags
Smoked turkey necks, at least 3
Salt
Ground black pepper
Ground red pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup sugar

Place smoked turkey necks in large pot, add at least 5 cups of water, bring to boil.  Add green beans to boiling water and seasonings.  Return vegetables to boil, then reduce to simmer.  Stir beans occasionally.  The green beans will be cooked throughly on low in 20 min.  (If beans are too sweet, reduce amount of sugar, if too salty, add a pinch more sugar to balance.)  Serve warm.

Pitts Kids' Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3 large cans of sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cup sugar
ground cinnamon
1 cup Heavy cream (or skim milk)

(can mix it up by adding ground or fresh ginger, nutmeg or orange zest)

Boil sweet potatoes in canning liquid until tender, approximately 10-15 min (if you used fresh sweet potatoes, will have to boil longer, approximately 25-30 min, make sure you cut sweet potatoes into cubes).  Drain the liquid and return potatoes to pan.  Mash the potatoes with a fork or masher.

Stir in the sugar and cinnamon until mixed.  Slowly stir in the cream, pausing every one-third cup to blend well. (if you want a thinner consistency, add more cream; if you want a thicker consistency, add less).  Serve warm.

Baked pork chop, green beans and mashed sweet potatoes

Jae P food tip:  If you can have dessert with dinner, HAVE dessert with dinner.  Makes dinner that much more fun, and who DOESNT like dessert?

Hayes Classic

2- 8 oz packages cream cheese

4 oz Cool Whip


Hayes Classic without fruit



1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Graham cracker pie crust



Cream the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla (if the cream cheese is not soft, place in microwave for 30 seconds, also start beating the cream cheese and sugar on low so sugar does not fly everywhere).  Fold in the Cool Whip and beat on low until combine.  Spread the mixture into the pie crust.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.  Serve with or without fresh fruit (if you use a frozen fruit blend, ensure that the fruit is thawed, the juices from the fruit mixed with the pie is delicious).

Well I hope you enjoy making and remixing our favorites.  I know my sister will enjoy remaking her namesake ALL the time (smiles).  Next time I will share my other sister's namesake: the Hamilton Delight!

From my heart and kitchen to yours... Happy cooking.

Baked Chicken with Noodles, Peas and Mushroom , Strawberry Cream Pie

Well hola friends.  Today, I am baking chicken my style.

Here is a Jae P food tip: Use fresh veggies/fruit whenever possible, when you can't, use frozen over canned.  Canned has more sodium and preservatives, read the label.  Frozen is almost like fresh!

Anyhow, so here's the shopping list if your pantry is low:

Skinless, boneless chicken breast or breast cutlets

Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, 10.5 oz (2 cans)

Sweet peas

Egg noodles, i am opting for the whole wheat variety, but that is totally up to you

Chicken Stock, 32 oz box

Plated Chicken with Noodles, Peas and Mushroom Sauce

Strawberries

Cool Whip
Graham Cracker premade crust
Cream Cheese, 8 oz each, two

So here we go

Baked Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In retangular dish, place the chicken cutlets (or breasts) and season with salt, fresh cracked pepper and poultry seasoning (it is a combination of herbs, cuts down on the cost of buying all the herbs separately); ensure you season both sides.  Pour two cans of cream of mushroom soup over the cutlets covering them.  Using one can of soup, measure one can of chicken broth and pour over the cutlets and soup.  Place in over and bake for 45 minutes.

Boil remaining chicken broth and add one cup of water.  Add noodles and cook until tender, approximately 7-10 min.  Most of the broth and water will be cooked out, do not pour out.

Steam peas on a saucepan, do not season. (Peas will be added to chicken after it is coming out of the oven and overseasoning will be nasty).

Jae P food tip: When plating a great way to stay healthy is to eat more veggies than meat and pasta.  So ensure you plate at least 1 cup of the peas.  Another way to add variety (to change it up) is to use a veggie blend instead of peas, great way to each different colors of veggies with great taste (with veggie blend, a pinch of salt {small pinch} is recommended)

Once the chicken is cooked, mix the chicken and mushrooms with the noodles, add the peas and stir together.  Let sit for 2 to 5 min for sauce to thicken.  Serve warm.

Strawberry Cream Pie

My take on a strawberry shortcake

Cream 2 packages of softened cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. (try to use pure vanilla, imitation does not taste the same)  Mix in 10 drops of red (or pink) food coloring, gives an added touch.  Add one cup of Cool Whip, mix until blended.



Finished Strawberry Cream Pie



Layer sliced strawberries and cream cheese mix into the graham cracker crust.  Top with sliced strawberries.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.

This is a meal that everyone can enjoy.  It is healthy and the kids will like it.  From my heart and my kitchen to yours.  Have fun in the kitchen!

Cooking for me

Well this is my first blog so here I am.  Cooking for me has been a passion of mine since I was old enough to even cook on the stove.  I thank the late great Evelyn N. for that.  Now I am older, know what I like to eat, cook and share, I have decided to share it with anyone who wants to try it.  I hope you enjoy trying recipes I have either created from scratch or remixed from someone else.  Let's get in the kitchen!!!