Caramel Apple Poke Cake

I made this cake for work...got some good reviews and I pretty much loved it so here it is on my blog. You can find the original recipe HERE from Beyond Frosting. The picture is from there as well. 

This cake is even better the next day. Oh so yummy!!

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup brown sugar

3.4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp Caramel

2 tsp cinnamon

For the streusel:

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp butter

For the toppings: 

1 jar caramel sauce (I found a squeeze bottle you can warm up in the microwave)

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 cup icing sugar

1 can apple pie filling

Toffee bits and caramel drizzle 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare cake by combining cake mix with brown sugar, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, caramel, and cinnamon. Stir just until combine. Pour half the cake mix in the bottom of a  9x13 pan and spread evenly. 

Prepare the streusel by combing all dry ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl: brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Add butter and microwave for 30-60 secs until butter is melted. Stir melted butter into dry ingredients. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the bottom of the pan and gently swirl with a knife. Pour remaining cake batter on top and sprinkle with remaining streusel. 

Bake cake for 24-28 or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven. While the cake is still warm, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of the cake. 

Pour caramel sauce over the cake. Let the cake cool. Add apple pie filling over the cake and spread evenly. 

Add whipping cream to a chilled metal bowl add maple syrup, cinnamon, and icing sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread over cooled cake. 

Top with toffee bits and caramel drizzle. 

Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This soup is so delicious and great for a wintery day inside..or any day really. Pair it with some country biscuits and it makes a perfect meal. I used the wild rice blend from Costco and 2 cans of chicken from Costco as well. The recipe was adapted from a recipe found HERE, from A Saucy Kitchen. Photo is from there as well. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 large celery stalks, sliced

3 large carrots, sliced

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic or 1 heaped tsp of minced garlic. 

1 tsp dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp thyme

5 cups chicken stalk

1 cup uncooked wild rice blend

1 pound skinless chicken breast (or 2 cans of chicken)

3 tbsp corn starch + 1/2 cup water (mixed together in a small cup)

1 tsp of salt

Instructions

1. Chop vegetables set aside. Press saute on the instant pot and add olive oil. Heat up and add vegetables minus the garlic and saute for about 3 mins. until softened. 

2. Add the minced garlic, rosemary, parsley, and thyme and stir and cook for 1 min. 

3. Stir in the chicken stalk and wild rice. 

4. Add the chicken and corn starch mixture. 

5. Secure the lid on the instant pot and make sure the dial on top is set to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 mins. 

6. After the time is up the Instant Pot with automatically switch to keep warm. Let it keep warm for 10 mins depressurizing on its own before releasing the steam valve.  

7. After removing the lid carefully, if using the chicken breasts remove them and shred then add back to the soup. 

8. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed and serve. 

Peach Cobbler Muffins

Three words...OH, MY HECK...these are so good! I love peach cobbler and was looking for a recipe to use up some fresh peaches I had. I came across this one doubled the batch and took some to work. Even the co-worker that doesn't like fruit cooked in baked goods loved them. (Hi Lexie) I gave her some to take to her family. My favorite part is when they get that crunchy top ..which did disappear when I put them in Ziplock bags to take to work the next day, unfortunately, but they still loved them. Next time I won't put them in Ziplocks. You can find the original recipe on The Busy Baker.com which I linked HERE. 

The picture is also from their website. 

Makes 8-10 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup white sugar

2 cups chopped fresh (or canned well-drained) peaches

1/2 cup whole milk

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the streusel topping: 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1 pinch of cinnamon

3 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Instructions

For the muffins: 

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a muffin tin with 8-10 muffin cups. 

    2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a large bowl and whisk together to combine. 

    3. Reserve about 3/4 cup of chopped peaches and add the rest to the bowl and stir gently to coat. 

    4. In a small bowl add the milk, egg, and oil and whisk to combine. Add with a rubber spatula to the flour just until combined - don't mix too much. 

    5. Portion the batter out into the muffin cups about 1/2-3/4 full. 

For the topping: 

    1. Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir. 

    2. Add the cold butter in chunks and break it up with your fingers or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

    3. Top the muffins with the remaining chunks of peaches and a spoonful of the streusel topping. 

    4. Bake at 350F for about 20 mins or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. 

*Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Loaf

I love rhubarb season there are so many ways you can use it and I find new recipes each year it seams. I'm very grateful for a wonderful co-worker that shares her abundant crop each year with me since I don't grow any myself-thanks Debbie! I found this loaf recipe and I took it to work. There were many rave reviews. It is so moist and has just enough of the rhubarb flavour that it's not too overpowering for those who don't like too much rhubarb flavour. I will definitely make this recipe over and over again. I loved it!  You can find the original recipe on Noshing with the Nolands.com which you can find HERE.

The picture is also from their website. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp each baking powder, baking soda, and salt
1/2 cup light sour cream or I used plain greek yogurt.
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, diced very small.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standup mixer (if you have one-if not use reg mixer) cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each then add the vanilla.
4. Combined the milk and sour cream together and add to batter alternately with the flour - starting and ending with the flour. Mix well. Fold in the rhubarb.
5. Pour into the prepared loaf pan, smooth top and bake for 60-70 mins until a tester comes out clean. Let cool 10 mins then remove from pan and cool further on a wire rack. Can be stored in an airtight container for a few days  - but I bet it won't last that long!

Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

This recipe is so juicy and yummy. I've done other pulled pork recipes with the pop and stuff and I always find they don't have a lot of flavour in the end but this one bursts of flavour and is so good on sandwiches or rice or in wraps. It does depend on what BBQ sauce you do use as well. For me I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ sauce. You put some coleslaw on a bun with this and it is sooo good. 

You can find the original recipe and the homemade BBQ sauce she used on the Gimme Some Oven website. You can find it HERE.

The picture is also from their website. 

Ingredients:  

2 Tbsps smoked paprika

1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp salt

3-4 pound boneless pork roast, (pork shoulder recommended), cut into 2 inch cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, divided

1 cup chicken stock or water

Directions

1. Whisk together the smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the pork, then gently toss with the spice blend until it is evenly coasted. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins, or overnight - which I recommend. 

2. When you're ready to cook the pork, press "Saute" on the Instant Pot. Add the oil. Then once it is hot add a single layer of the pork pieces. Brown the pork on all sides, then transfer the pork to a clean plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of pork until all done. 

3. Once all of the pork has been browned, turn the Instant Pot off. Then add the browned pork, chicken stock, and 1 cup of the BBQ sauce to he Instant Pot and give the mixture a quick toss to combine everything. Twist on the lid, turn the vent to "sealing" then set the pressure cooker to "manual" for 60 mins. Once the tie is up, let the vent naturally release (do not do a quick release). 

4. Carefully open the lid Transfer the pork to a separate clan plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices behind. Press the "Saute" button once more, and let the sauce simmer for 10 mins or until it has thickened and reduced by more than half. Meanwhile, shred the pork with two forks. 

5. Once the sauce has reduced a bit, skim some of the fat off of the top with a spoon or use a fat separator to separate - discard. Add shredded pork back into the sauce, and give everything a good toss so that it can soak up those tasty juices. 

6. Serve immediately, topped with an extra spoonful or two of the remaining BBQ sauce. 

*If the pork does not shred easily, just pop it back in the Instant Pot and cook for an additional 10-15 mins on high pressure. 

Caesar Pasta Salad

I wanted to make a salad I hadn't before for a family reunion. I do like caesar salad and some pasta salads so I did a little combining. I found this recipe from chefdehome.com and kinda did my own version of it but you can find the original recipe here. I really liked it and others liked it as well so it's going on the blog so I can make it again. It's pretty easy to do and you can throw in whatever veggies you like to add as well. Hope you enjoy!

picture from chefdehome as well. 

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (I used farfalle but colorful rotini would be fun)

2 heads of romaine hearts, chopped

1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved

1 cucumber, chopped into quarters or halves depending on size. (to your liking)

3-4 green onion (I only chopped the green part)

1-2 cups croutons

shredded parmesan cheese - to your liking. 

To make this easy I just used the caesar dressing from Costco which turned out pretty yummy. 

If you want to make your own here is the recipe given: 

Dressing:

1tbsp capers (roughing chopped)

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 cup mayo

1/3 cup greek plain yogurt

3 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta to al dente, drain, add about a tbsp of olive oil toss and let cool completely. 

2. Make dressing if using it and store until ready to use. 

3. Chop lettuce and veggies and toss together. 

4. Add cooled pasta and dressing and toss to coat. 

5 Add croutons and shredded parmesan toss again carefully to coat. 

*when I made mine I did not measure anything so these measurements are from the original recipe. I don't know how much it will make. My salad made a big steel bowl full. You can adjust ingredients to liking. It's a great salad to have on its own for lunch, you could even put some slices of cooked chicken in. 

Easy Orange BBQ Chicken

This recipe was so good and my whole family loved it, even my picky eater. I've done this recipe a couple of different ways. First I did it according to the recipe which you can find the original one HERE from Crafty Morning. 

Second I barbequed the chicken and put the sauce on that way. Both are very tasty so I guess it just depends on your preference. We put the chicken on some rice and mixed California veggies. 

Super easy and so very good!

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients: 

1 Cup BBQ sauce - Sweet Baby Ray's is the best!

1 Cup Sweet orange marmalade - like Smucker's

2 Tbsp soy sauce

Crispy chicken Ingredients: 

3-4 chicken breasts or you can use the smaller fillets you just need a few more depending on how many you are feeding. 

1 Cup Flour

2 Eggs

Oil

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, add the BBQ sauce, marmalade, and soy sauce. Turn the heat on low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times. 

2. Meanwhile, cut up your chicken breasts into cubes In one bowl beat 2 eggs, in another bowl combined dry ingredients. 

3. Add a thin layer of oil to a frying pan and turn your stove on medium/high heat. 

4. Dip pieces of chicken in the egg and then cover in flour. When the oil is ready, add chicken pieces to it carefully a few at a time. Let cook for about 3-5 mins on each side until it's nice and brown and cooked on the inside. 

5. Set the chicken pieces on a paper towel and let drain. Put in a serving bowl. 

6. Take the sauce off the stove and carefully stir sauce over chicken and mix until all the chicken is well coated. 

7. Serve with rice and steamed veggies. 

Strawberries and Cream Cake

I made this cake for another monthly birthday cake at work. I asked one of the co-workers who was having a birthday what kind of cake she wanted and she said anything but chocolate. Fair enough! I knew the other co-worker who was also having a birthday loved strawberries so the decision was made - it will be a strawberry cake. 

On my hunt for what I wanted to do, I came across two recipes that I sort of took from to create what I made. It turned out pretty good and I had lots of comments on how yummy it was. One said it was even better the next day - so I guess there's an idea to make it the day before -if you have a cool place to put it as the frosting is cream based. 

Hope you enjoy!

 Picture from Chelsea's Messy Apron. 

Ingredients for Cake

1 box of white cake mix

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 cup + 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen but thawed strawberries pureed (keep the 2 Tbsp for the frosting)

1-3oz box strawberry jello (reserve 1 tsp for frosting)

Warm up the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour in a prepared 9x13 pan by spraying with a non-stick spray or coating with butter. 

Cook for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. 

Frosting

1 1/2 cups of cream

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup icing sugar, divided

1 -8oz package of cream cheese, softened to room temp

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp strawberry puree

1 tsp strawberry jello

fresh strawberries

In a bowl beat the whipped cream, lemon, and 1/2 cup icing sugar in a bowl until peaks form. You can transfer the whipped cream to another bowl if using a stand mixer or in another bowl add the softened cream cheese and beat until nice and smooth. Add icing sugar, vanilla, strawberry jello, and strawberry puree and mix until well blended. 

Fold in half the whipped cream and blend well then fold in the last half of whipped cream and blend well again. 

Frost the cake

cut up fresh strawberries and put on top of the cake. 

Enjoy!

Vegetable Ham Soup

I had some leftover ham that I wanted to use and it was a cold rainy day so what better than to have soup. This was so good and of course, goes well with fresh rolls. 

You could do this in an instant pot like the original recipe from Simply Happy Foodie, you can find the link HERE but I made mine on the stove. 

Try it, you'll LOVE it!

Ingredients

4-5 medium potatoes, cubed

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp thyme, or more to taste

1 tsp salt, or more to taste

1 tsp pepper, or more to taste

2 cups ham, diced 

1/3 cup flour

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup tex-mex shredded cheese. (or cheese of choice)

In a large pot add carrots, celery, onion, and chicken broth in a pot and simmer for 5 mins. Add potatoes, coriander, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 mins or until veggies are tender. Add ham. Whisk milk, cream, and flour together in a small bowl and add to soup. Stir simmering until thickened. Add cheese and stir to incorporate. 

Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll

I made this cake for one of the monthly birthday cakes I do at work. It was so light and yummy and enjoyed by all. I will definitely make this one again and again. You could also do raspberries or strawberries. This recipe comes from Natasha's Kitchen and you can get the original recipe HERE.

Pictures also from Natasha's Kitchen. I love her recipes. 

INGREDIENTS:

Sponge Cake

5 large eggs -room temp

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

For the Lemon Syrup

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar

4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon-about 1 large lemon (don't use concentrate, it's gross)

For the Blackberry Frosting

8oz cream cheese softened

8 Tbsp (113 g) which is approx 1/2 cup, unsalted butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

6 oz blackberries chopped (reserving 6 whole berries to garnish)

Optional Garnish

3/4 heavy whipped cream chilled

1 Tbsp powdered sugar

2 lemon slices cut into triangles

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of an 18x13 baking sheet (this is a large cookie sheet) with parchment paper (do not grease).

2. Add 5 eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat on high speed 1 min, or until foamy, Gradually add sugar and beat on high 7 mins (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - so don't skimp on the time). it will be thick, fluffy and tripled in volume. 

3. Whisk together flour and baking powder and sift into egg batter one third at a time, folding to incorporate between each addition and scraping from the bottom to catch hidden flour pockets. Stop mixing when you no longer see streaks of flour. 

4. Transfer to lined baking sheet and bake right away at 350 for 13-15 min (mine took about 16 mins) or until top is golden. Remove from oven and right away run a thin-edged spatula or knife around edges of your cake to loosen from the pan. While cake is hot, invert cake face down onto a clean linen towel that has been dusted with icing sugar. Remove parchment paper, dust with powdered sugar on top and then roll up into the towel. Let the cake cool to room temp (30min-1hr) in a draft-free room. 

5. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for lemon syrup (water, sugar, lemon juice) stir to dissolve sugar and set aside. 

6. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz softened cream cheese, 8 Tbsp softened butter and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat together starting on low speed to incorporate sugar, then turn the mixer up to high speed for 2-3 mins or until whipped, white and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add coarsely chopped blackberries and stir into the cream with mixer on low or by hand, just until incorporated. 

7. Carefully unroll cake and loosen from the towel. Brush the top evenly with your lemon syrup (you might not need all of it but use a good portion). Put dollops of blackberry frosting over the surface and spread evenly. Roll the cake tightly in the same direction you rolled it before. Slice off the crusty ends if desired and dust generously with powdered sugar. 

8. Whip the whipped cream and sugar and transfer into a piping bag with a star tip. Make 6 flowers over the top and garnish with blackberries and lemon triangles. 

Enjoy!