strawberry shortcake trifle

i came across this strawberry shortcake recipe while looking for another strawberry recipe, but it looked so delicious that i couldn't pass it up. it's so different from most other shortcake recipes i've studied. tweeked and tasted over the weekend, it's no wonder it's highly rated over at the food network. from my kitchen to yours... happy tasting!

adapted from: paula deen
serves: 6
10 min

- angel food cake (i made my own, next time i will use store bought)
- 8oz cream cheese, room temp
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 12oz whipped topping, thawed
- 1 c sugar
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp strawberry gelatin (jell-o)
- 1 c water
- 2 c fresh strawberries, sliced

1. dice cake using a serrated knife.

2. mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping. set aside.

3. in a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, and water. cook over medium heat until thick. remove from heat and allow to cool completely. fold in berries.

4. assemble in a bowl by layering: cake, strawberry mixture, cheese mixture until all ingredients have been used.

optional: top with whole strawberries and fresh mint for serving.

gazpacho

earlier this week, j and i enjoyed homemade gazpacho with my parents. while, i agree with my little brother that eating gazpacho is a little like digging into salsa with a spoon, i do think it's great my mom did some chopping and dropping in her kitchen. this inspired me to check out some gazpacho recipes online and after some taste testing, my favorite hails from the divine barefoot contessa. happy tasting!

courtesy of: ina garten
serves: 4 -6
20 min

- 1 hot house cucumber, halved and seeded (not peeled)
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 23oz tomato juice (3 cups)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper

1. roughly chop the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, and onion into 1" cubes. put each veggie separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. do not over process!

2. after each veggie is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. mix well and chill well before serving. the longer the vegetables sit, the richer the flavors.

new!

"sunday brunch" is the newest feature on my personal blog, which specifically showcases breakfast recipes. i'll be linking every third week here, instead of reposting. i highly recommend you try the market crab benedict. happy tasting!

market crab benedict

chinese egg whites and tomotoes

french toast casserole

pineapple upside down biscuits

i'm not so good with the whole distant relative relationship thing, so we'll call sherry, my eleventh cousin nine times removedish, she sent me this recipe the other day and my tummy can't wait to try it! i love pineapple upside down anything and paula deen is definitely in my top 5 favorite southern gals {with scarlet o'hara, reese witherspoon, and two of my grandmothers}. and like all things paula deen, it starts with a sticka butta. this must be a winning recipe. happy tasting!
courtesy of paula deen
submitted by sherry thompson
makes: 10 biscuits
10m prep, 15m bake

- 10 maraschino cherries
- 1/4c butter, room temp
- 1/2c packed light brown sugar
- 10oz crushed pineapple
- 1 pkg refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

1. preheat oven to 400. grease 10 cups in a muffin tin. strain the can of pineapple juice, saving the juice for later.

2. combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. divide among the muffin tins. place a cherry in the center of each muffin tin, making sure it hits the bottom of the tin. place 1 biscuit on top of pineapple/cherry and spoon one tsp of reserved pineapple juice over the top of each biscuit.

3. bake 12-15min, or until golden. cool for 2min and invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. serve warm.

granola bars

school's out for summer! with my older, more self sufficient kids at home for the summer, i thought it was a good idea to be one step ahead of the game this week and have a handy breakfast available for them to help themselves to in the wee hours of the morning. this granola bar recipe was uber quick and incredibly easy. i accidentally left these in the oven for an extra hour (oops!) and it was still yummy ~ mega crunchy, but still super yummy. i will be trying it again, next time using a timer... happy tasting!


adapted from nigella lawson
makes 16 chunky bars
10 min prep, 60 min bake

- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup mixed seeds (i used pumpkin, pepita, and sunflower)

1. preheat oven to 250. prepare a 9x11 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line with tin foil. in a small pot, warm the sweetened condensed milk.

2. in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and coat with warm milk. press into prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

3. remove from oven, let cool 15 minutes and cut into 16 chunky bars. let cool completely before serving. store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.