That thought crossed my mind when I first saw the 1-2-3 Cake recipe from The Hidden Pantry – would it be awesome, or deadly?

I had to try it out for myself – and not only did I live to tell the tale, it was actually good!

So here’s how you can make your own cup cake (by the way, I had to call it a “cup cake” since I am obsessed with all things cupcake-related):

Step 1: Assemble your supplies.

- 1 box angel food cake mix (no negotiating on this one, you must have it)

- 1 box cake mix of your choice*

*I recommend chocolate since chocolate is the best flavor ever invented.  Also, you want a strong flavor since it will be diluted by the angel food cake.

- measuring spoons

- water

- coffee mug (or similar small microwaveable bowl)

Step 2: Stir your cake mixes together.  I just dumped both of mine in a Ziploc bag, shook it around and stirred it a bit.  I labeled my Ziploc with the contents and the cooking instructions just to make things easy (and I would have used a cute glass container but, alas, I’m out).  Obviously you only have to do this step once per large batch (which should make around 20 individual servings).

Step 3: Grab your cup and add 3 tablespoons of the blended cake mix with 2 tablespoons of water.

The result will be a slightly foamy-looking mixture.

Step 4: Pop it in the microwave for 1 minute.  I put a paper towel under my cup in case things got crazy in the microwave (the cup is on the small side) but nothing happened.

Step 5: Get over the way it looks and just eat it already!!  The finished cup cake will look a little . . . unappetizing.  It’s definitely spongy in texture, which might throw some people off, but I recommend powering through any aversions you might have to the texture and just get to gobbling this sucker up.

As I noted before, the angel food cake definitely dilutes the flavor of the other cake mix, so my cup cake wasn’t overly chocolate-y.  I’m contemplating adding chocolate chips next time (have I told you how happy chocolate has made me through this pregnancy?), or you could serve these goodies in little ramekins with sliced strawberries if you’re trying to class things up.  This time I added a dollop of French vanilla ice cream – not necessary, but delicious nonetheless.

So that is now officially the easiest recipe I have in my repertoire – seriously, even little kiddos could make this as an after school snack!  And it’s definitely a great alternative to a “real” dessert since it kills the craving without a zillion calories.

Now do tell – what’s your easiest recipe?

Well, this is one of those recipes.  Meet my Fiesta Chicken Pockets – quick and easy!

( By the way, I fully realize and acknowledge that I will never have a career as a food stylist – my apologies. )

When I ran across Jenna’s chicken rollups on Pinterest I was inspired to make my own version – and the best part is that you could adapt this recipe to fit what’s in your fridge or pantry.  It doesn’t get any easier than that!

If you want to make this version, here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 1-2 packages crescent rolls (How many you’ll need depends on how full you fill the pockets.  Also, I used reduced fat crescent rolls.)
• 1 box cream cheese, softened in the microwave (I used reduced fat.)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (my hubby bakes a bunch of these a couple times a week, so great to have on hand)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon fiesta ranch dip mix
• salt and pepper to taste (if you use the dip mix I would lay off the salt)
• Optional – small can diced green chilis (not pictured)
• Optional – sour cream and/or salsa for topping (not pictured)

Directions:

Step 1 – mix everything together in a large bowl, except for the crescent rolls (Captain Obvious here).

Step 2 – Lay out your crescent rolls on a baking sheet and fill with about 2 large spoonfuls of the chicken mixture.  Be sure not to fill them too full, you need to be able to fully seal up all the edges.  (By the way, my rolls got wonky coming out of the package so I had to roll them out and cut new pieces, so please forgive me for the crazy appearance of my rolls.)  Note – I had a lot of chicken mixture left over – I’m not sure if that’s because I didn’t make enough rolls when I rolled out my dough, or if I simply needed another package of crescent rolls.  So here’s your warning – you may have extra chicken mixture.  I’m thinking I’ll make these with my leftovers (I’ve made them before and they’re yummy!).

Step 3 – Pull the edges of the crescent rolls over the chicken mixture and pinch shut.

Step 4 – Cook the chicken pockets according to the instructions on the crescent roll package.

Step 5 – Top with sour cream or salsa, or eat them as they are.  Enjoy!!

The moral of this story is that just about anything will taste great if you bake it in a crescent roll.  I made these a few weeks ago for a brunch with my girlfriends and they were a hit, and I’m thinking it would also be yummy to try chicken with apricot jam (maybe?) for a sweet dish or chicken, cheese and broccoli for a quick dinner.  Do you have any crescent roll recipes we need to try?  Let us know!

P.S.  Google Friend Connect doesn’t work on my Wordpress blog anymore – so if you were using GFC to follow this blog make sure to keep up with new posts by clicking here to get’em delivered straight to your email inbox.  Thanks!

And now that I’m finding my way back into blogland after falling into the pregnancy abyss, I’ve decided to officially take a “now and then” approach to blogging – so if I have something I can’t wait to share with you then I will, but if life is crazy then I’ll let awhile go before I post again . . . and not feel guilty about it (key point!).  But I won’t go weeks and weeks at a time without posting like before, I pinkie swear.  Does that sound okay?  Hope so.

And now onto important things – like Christmas cookies.

Jason and I are hosting my family at our house tonight for our very first Cookie Fest – it’s going to be an extravaganza (if all goes according to plan, at least).  Here’s what’s on the lineup:

Source: lovintheoven.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

Source: jen.rames.org via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

Source: steamykitchen.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

Source: recipegirl.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

I know, I’m drooling too.

And since I’m feeling ambitious we’ll also tackle my dad’s pecan puffs.  Yes, I fully anticipate being in a sugar coma for at least 5 days (waking briefly for Christmas, of course).

And if our finished product looks or tastes anything like the recipe photos then I will consider the evening a resounding success.

I’ll let you know how it goes!  Anybody else planning a holiday cookie party?

Kicking off the lineup is Jen from the fabulous blog Adventures of a 30 Something!

She’s been one of my closest friends since 5th grade (!), and from first boyfriends to being bridesmaids in each others’ weddings we’ve been fixtures in each others’ lives for almost as long as I can remember.   Ah, the tales we could tell.  :)  (I almost put in a horrendous picture of us from 1992 but I decided to do us all a favor and spare your eyeballs.)

Anyhoo, I was so excited when Jen started her blog back in November of last year, and she has quickly smitten the blog world with her amazing recipes and adventures around San Antonio with her husband, Kyle, and trusty weiner dog named Frank.  Without further adieu, here’s Jen!

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Hello fellow IGTBH fans! I’m Jen from Adventures of a 30 Something and Liz kindly invited me to do a guest post – thanks Liz!

I have found that cooking is MUCH more appealing when you have fun toys! I wanted to share a few of my latest favorites with you guys today:

1. Olive oil mister – this awesome tool requires only a few pumps, then gives you a continuous spray of whatever type of olive oil you fill it with. It is so handy and functions like a cooking spray but without all the additives. My favorite use so far is spraying corn tortillas on both sides before warming in the oven 3 minutes at 350° – this is a little trick I learned from Rick Bayless that will leave you with pliable ready to roll corn tortillas and you can avoid the old school, time consuming (and calorie adding) way of preparing them in oil stove top. It is also handy for spritzing a salad or veggies, or for spraying a pan before cooking.

2. Pasta measure – Before buying this little guy I would always eyeball the amount to cook – I usually do half regular and half whole wheat spaghetti, so that makes eyeballing it even trickier! Many times I would end up with too much or not enough. Now I know exactly what I will get, and as someone who hates to throw away food, that is really helpful!

3. Herb keeper - Until I finally get my act together and plant the herb garden I have been telling myself to plant for a while now, this is helping me keep fresh herbs handy. You add an inch or so of water to the base, stand up your herbs, pop it into your fridge door, and it will keep them fresh and ready to use for about 2 weeks! Hooray!

4. Immersion blender – I absolutely love this tool! Now that the weather is warming up my Cuisinart Smartstick Hand Blender is getting a little rest since I use it most often to make soups. A couple of my favorites are Spicy Black Bean and Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper (check out the links for more on those). Basically, this allows you to keep everything in the pot without having to go back and forth from a traditional blender to a pot, and I have found that it tends to get absolutely everything in the pot blended where a traditional blender often misses an onion that sticks to the side or a chunk of garlic that gets caught in the base…

5. Rotary grater - I can’t believe I ever bought pre-shredded Parmesan cheese…it is so much better freshly shaven with a rotary grater.

I thought I would share a quick and easy spaghetti recipe with you today that uses a number of these tools:

Spaghetti with Beef, Mushrooms, and Tomato Sauce

• Spaghetti pasta (I use 1/2 regular and 1/2 whole wheat – 1.5 servings of each with the pasta measure tool will make 3-4 servings)
• 24 oz jar tomato sauce (I use Classico sauces, usually either Tomato & Basil or Spicy Tomato & Basil)
• 1/3 lb ground beef sirloin
• 1/3 lb sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Parmesan cheese & rotary grater

Prepare pasta according to package. Spray a sturdy pan with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add minced garlic and beef. Once beef is browned, add mushrooms. Once mushrooms begin to wilt, stir in tomato sauce and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to low, cover, and allow sauce to simmer 10-20 minutes. Add chopped basil just prior to serving and serve with Parmesan cheese (and rotary grater, of course).

What tools do you have in your kitchen that make cooking more fun?

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Thanks, Jen!  You guys should definitely swing by Jen’s blog to check out her recipes – I’ve been trying them and they’re delish!  Jason is obsessed with making one of her salsa recipes, and I definitely can’t complain about that!

My approach to soup is simple (and lazy) – throw some things in a pot with some chicken broth and call it a day.  It typically works out pretty darn well!  I’ve come up with a version of chicken noodle soup that is incredibly easy, and Jason and I think it’s really tasty.

You can adapt this recipe however you want, but here’s how I make it:

Ingredients*

32 oz low-sodium chicken stock

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can corn

1 can navy beans

1 tablespoon bacon bits

2 tablespoons minced dried onions

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

ground pepper to taste

3 handfuls fresh, washed baby spinach

1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (you can use rotisserie, canned, whatever – Jason always bakes a few chicken breasts each week and we use them for sandwiches, pizza toppings, tacos, and soups!)

8 oz uncooked pasta (I use acini de pepe – little round pasta balls)

*These are all things that I always have in my pantry/fridge – make changes to the recipe to incorporate staples from your kitchen!

Pour the chicken stock into a large pot and whisk in the cream of mushroom soup (this gives the soup a little more substance).  Start heating the chicken stock/mushroom soup to a boil while you start opening cans, etc.  Then drain and rinse your cans of navy beans and corn.

Add the beans/corn into the soup pot and add in bacon bits, onions, ground pepper and red pepper flakes.

Add in the shredded chicken, and then tear the baby spinach into small pieces as you add it to the pot.

The last ingredient you will add is your pasta – by this point you want your soup to be at a boil. I think it’s fun to use the tiny acini de pepe instead of macaroni noodles just for something a little different and unexpected – they kind of act like rice in the soup, but you don’t want to add them until the end because they can get really gummy if they’re overcooked.

Just cook the pasta as directed (mine took 9 minutes) and then your soup is ready to enjoy!  It should make about 6-8 servings.

(The soup thickens as it sits, so any leftovers will look a bit more stew-like).

I like to serve this with jalapeno cornbread – delish!  How about you guys – do you like to experiment with making soups?  Or maybe you’ve created some other delicious dish?  Do tell!

The best part is that the recipe is really easy.  Or maybe the best part is that it’s not at all healthy.  I’ll let you decide.

Tortilla Rollups

Serves 15-20 people

*Ingredients:

1 can diced green chilis (I use the small can, but you could use a big one)

1/4 – 1/3 cup minced, pickled jalapenos, depending on your tastes (I buy a huge tin can of jalapenos from Sam’s, chop them up in the food processor and stick them in a big glass jar in the fridge so I always have them on hand)

2 tablespoons dried, minced onions

1 small can minced black olives, drained

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 small jar minced pimento (I didn’t put pimento in these)

4, 8oz packages cream cheese (don’t use fat free)

24 flour tortillas (small-ish, not the huge burrito ones)

* The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t really need to measure and you can throw in or take out any number of ingredients to suit your tastes.  Get crazy.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave so that it’s easy to work with.  Add all of the ingredients into the bowl (except the tortillas, ha!) and mix it all up.  Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the tortillas while the cream cheese is still soft.  Then just roll up the tortillas like cigars and stick’em in the fridge for a few hours until they firm up (cover them or else the ends will get crunchy).  (Note: if you don’t want to serve them anytime soon, stick the rollups in the freezer for up to 3 months.)  Once you’re ready to serve, cut the ends off each rollup and discard, then cut the remaining rollup into 4-5 slices.  Serve with salsa, and enjoy!!

The end result should look something like this:

I forgot to take a photo of my glorious rollups, so this is a stand-in from this blog.  Sorry for being a bad blogger!!  But I swear my rollups were very yummy looking, and I served them on a super cute striped tray from Pier 1 that was a gift from a friend (I actually wrote about it here) – oh, and the recipe actually makes about a bazillion more slices than are shown here.

So that’s my go-to appetizer for parties, family functions, and everything in between.  I’ve also been known to snack on the leftovers – I had a bunch of them for lunch yesterday, actually.  :)  What’s your go-to recipe?

{ I ate all the salad before I thought to take a picture, but this image from Martha Stewart gives you a pretty good idea of what it looks like. }

Anyhoo, in honor of Memorial Day I thought it was appropriate to share this summery salad that would be perfect for a picnic or barbecue.  Here’s how you make it:

2 ears of corn {sprinkled with Lawry’s & grilled, then cut off the cob}*

2 cans of Great Northern beans {or the white beans of your choice}, rinsed and drained

1 small can of diced green chilis

1 avocado, diced

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 tablespoon of your favorite bottled vinaigrette {go for herby, not fruity}

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons dried, minced onion {I think it’s a more subtle flavor than fresh onion.  Plus, I’m lazy.}

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic {I hate chopping garlic so I use the jarred kind}

* When corn isn’t in season, just spread a can of drained, Lawry-fied corn on a baking sheet and pop it under the broiler until it starts browning.  We do this all the time for veggie burritos and it works great.

Just mix everything together, adding the avocado last so that it doesn’t get smushed.  This goes great with grilled chicken, and it makes for an awesome, light summer meal.  It makes enough for 4-6 people if served as a side dish.  Hope you enjoy!

Let me tell you, once you try homemade pizza you will totally be a die-hard fan forever.  My half always has sausage & jalapeno, and I swear that our pizza tastes exactly like my favorite ones from Campisi’s and I Fratelli – not that I’m biased (ahem).  And on top of being delicious, we can make our pizza from scratch faster than a delivery guy can bring us one, and our pizza is cheaper!  (We calculated it at about $6 per pizza – a total bargain when compared to other gourmet pizzas).

Here’s a quick rundown of how to add a delicious pizza recipe to your arsenal.  It looks a little intimidating but it is seriously easy!!

1.  Gather what you need:

Basic Ingredients { for a 2-person pizza }

~ 1 ball of frozen pizza dough { We use individually packaged frozen dough from Central Market, but any frozen dough will do.  There are all sorts of instructions about letting the dough “proof” and expand, etc., but we ignored all that and just defrosted it in the fridge the night before we wanted to use it.  We are rebels, and it worked out just fine. If you want to make your own, this dough recipe is supposed to be delish. }

~ 2-3 T pizza sauce { we use this one, also from Central Market }

~ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese { we buy a big bag from Sam’s, divide it into little ziplock bags and freeze most of it }

Toppings { this is what we use, but you could vary the toppings as you like - olives, fresh basil, chicken and artichokes are a few other yummy options }

~ 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage, cooked & drained { make sure any meat you use is cooked before you put it on your pizza }

~ minced, canned jalapenos

~ pepperoni slices { we use the Wilson’s brand, found near the bacon }

~ feta crumbles { for some reason, a few feta crumbles on top of the pizza are totally yummy – but optional, of course! }

Garlic Butter – optional { spread over the crust, you could also for dipping Papa John’s-style }

~ 1-2 T melted butter or margarine

~ 1 clove garlic, minced { we use the jarred garlic – so easy! }

~ 1 t dried oregano

Prep Stuff

~ rolling pin

~ 1/4 cup flour { to prevent dough from sticking }

~ pizza stone or baking sheet

~ basting brush

2.  Get the dough ready. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (and if you’re using a pizza stone, stick it in the oven to preheat for a few minutes – this will make the crust crispier).  By this point, your dough has already thawed and it ready to be fiddled with.  We’ve found that it’s best to roll out your dough on the pizza stone or baking sheet – otherwise, transferring the floppy dough from the counter to the baking sheet is a serious disaster (or at least it was for us!).

To roll out your dough, dust a thin layer of flour on your baking sheet (if using a hot pizza stone, be careful not to touch it!), plop the dough on the baking sheet, and then dust the top of the dough with a little more flour.  Roll out the dough with your rolling pin until it’s the size and shape that you want (remember that thicker dough will lead to softer pizza).  If you don’t have a rolling pin, just evenly push and pull the dough with your hands, but be careful to keep the thickness of the dough even and not to tear any holes in the dough.

3.  Put on the goodies. Spoon a small amount of pizza sauce in the middle of the dough and spread it around with the back of your spoon – go as close to the edges as you’d like, and this will determine how much crust you have.  Start with a small amount of sauce and add more – you’ll need less than you think (we usually use about 2 – 2.5 large spoonfuls).  Next, sprinkle your pizza with mozzarella cheese and add all of your favorite toppings.  The last step is to brush the crust with your garlic butter mixture using the basting brush.  You don’t have to do this last step but it definitely gives the crust more flavor!

4.  Bake your pizza. Throw your pizza in the 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on it since each oven cooks a little differently).  Your pizza is done when the crust is golden brown & the cheese is melted – then cut it into slices and enjoy it!!

YUM!!  Ready to whip up a pizza?  What toppings are you going to put on it?  Mmmm, I’m already dreaming of our next pizza fest . . .

P.S.  You guys shared some awesome recipes last week – I can’t WAIT to try them out!  In fact, we’re trying Sara S’s lime chicken soft tacos tonight . . . so excited!

This post is shared with The DIY Show Off.

{ For you curious folks, that’s sausage/jalapeno on my half and sausage/pepperoni on the hubby’s half. }

Last night, however, we decided to take a little break from our pizza obsession and try this out for dinner – it was pretty delish!  But even though we branched out a bit last night, we’ve definitely been stuck in a food rut, switching between lasagna rollups, pizza, pizza, pizza, Liz & Jason’s Faux Chinese Food, pantry chili and more pizza.  I’m feeling the need to add some new recipes to my repertoire, you know?

So here’s the deal – I’m begging, PLEADING for you guys to help me out of this rut by sharing some of your favorite recipes with me.  Pretty please?!?  With a cherry on top?  Or, for you savory/cheesy girls (I’m with ya), pretty please with a Dorito on top?

{ Apparently an entire cargo container of Doritos washed up on a beach in North Carolina a few years ago.  Yeah, it’s my dream, too.  Image from here. }

It would be beyond awesome if you’d link to your fave recipes in the Comments – they can be your recipes or someone else’s, I won’t judge if you don’t cook.  And if they’re totally unhealthy and happen to feature large quantities of cheese?  Even better!!  And thanks – my husband will be eternally grateful for your help.  :)

Let me introduce you to my new friend – lasagna rollups.

If you’ve met one before, you surely remember its gooey deliciousness, handy single-servingness (yes, I made that up), and awesome freezability.  Ahhh, freezability – every girl’s best friend.  I got this recipe from this lovely lady, and I know you’ll love it!

Here’s how you can get your hands on one (or 10):

1.  Be prepared. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 and start boiling a ginormous pot of water (the lasagna noodles are really long).  Once the water is boiling, boil 1 box of lasagna noodles according to the package directions.  Once the noodles are done, take them out of the water with tongs and lay them on a pre-greased cookie sheet (if they overlap, drizzle them with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking).  While all this is going on, cook and drain a 1/2 pound of ground beef for the filling.

2..  Assemble the goods.

~ 1 box of lasagna noodles – see above (we like the whole wheat ones – and they’re pretty tasty)

~ 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained  – see above

~ 6 T parmesan cheese

~ 3 C ricotta cheese (feel free to go low-fat on this)

~ 1 C frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed

~ 12 oz. package shredded mozzarella (set some aside to sprinkle on top)

~ 4 eggs (we use Egg Beaters)

~ 1 1/2 t salt

~ 1/4 t pepper

~ 1/2 t dried oregano

~ 1 jar marinara sauce

~ a little bit of olive oil to grease the pan and noodles

3.  Assemble the filling. Grab a big bowl and mix everything together, except for the lasagna noodles, marinara sauce and the olive oil.

4.  Roll along. This is the messy part.  Take each noodle 1 by 1 and fill them up with the filling.  Typically, about 3 spoonfuls will be the right amount.  Place the filling at one end of the noodle and then roll it up. {If you want to freeze the rollups, this is the point where you would wrap each rollup in waxed paper and put it in a ziplock bag to freeze.  Later, when you’re ready to eat them, just take them directly from the freezer and follow Step 5.}

5.  Cook those bad boys. Spread a little of the marinara sauce on the bottom of your greased baking dish, then line up the rollups inside the dish.  Cover the rollups with marinara sauce and then sprinkle the entire dish with your reserved mozzarella cheese (you can add a little parmesan, too, if you want).  Cover with tinfoil and stick the dish in your 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.  If you want your cheese browned, remove the tinfoil and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

I love these guys even more than traditional lasagna because you don’t have to cook a giant casserole and eat leftovers for the rest of your life – freezing them is so convenient!!  Jason and I polished off our last frozen ones the other day and the pictures from this post are of the ones we (and by “we“, I mean he) made last night to replace them (we made a double batch and froze the other ones – and don’t worry, we haven’t even come close to finishing the first batch . . . yet).

I hope you love’em – let me know if you try them out!!  What’s your favorite go-to, easy meal?

This post is shared with A Soft Place to Land, The DIY Show Off and Tip Junkie.