Lemon Cake Box Mix with a Bit of Jazz

I made this lemon cake from a box mix for July 4th. My hubby loves lemon cake! Actually, he just loves cake. Anyway, I did jazz the cake mix up a bit. I can never follow exact directions. Instead of water I use buttermilk. That makes any box cake mix so moist! Everyone will think you made it from scratch, trust me on this.

When I iced the cake I also used a pre-made icing. However, I decided to put some lemon curd in the center of the cake. It made it so very tasty and gave the cake such a burst of flavor! This cake turned out to be so moist and yummy that it actually split on me! You can see in the pics the earthquake it created. I was always told that a cake that falls or splits is usually a yummy cake and this cake proved that to be true.

Have a cakey day!!

Breakfast Casserole

The following recipe is a classic breakfast and sausage bake that my family loves for me to make when we have family gatherings. It is great to have handy during the holidays. Super simple to make. Spray non-stick coating on the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan. I use a glass pan. 1 can crescent rolls - unfold and place in bottom of coated pan. 1 pkg sausage browned, crumbled and drained. Spread on top of rolls. 4 eggs beaten and mix with milk to make 2 cups total. Pour over sausage and rolls. Finish by adding grated cheese on top. I usually get a combination of cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese about 1 1/2 cups spread liberally. Bake in preheated oven for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. Allow to cool and slice to serve. Fresh fruit compliments this dish.

Gingerbread Cookies

I participated in a virtual tea party today with some gals on one of the craft threads that I frequent. What is a virtual tea party you might ask? It is where you get together and share a tea related project with others (in our case it is usually paper crafts) and then you have a cup of tea and the host gives out challenges that are tea related. It is really a lot of fun! I have participated in two now and I plan to do more.

Another thing that is fun to do is have unusual foods with your tea. The last tea I made some specialty sandwiches and scones with my tea. Today, I decided on something rather simplistic but delightful, Gingerbread cookies. I purchased an organic box mix and created these wonderful cookies. I did not put any icing on mine as I prefer them plain. They turned out wonderful!

BTW, the cookie cutter came with the box mix! How fun is that?

Chocolate Cake with Sprinkles

There's nothing better than a little chocolate cake! I created this cake from a simple box mix. Of course I always put milk instead of water in my cake mix as it makes it so much more moist. To add a bit of fun, I decided to use some sprinkles on the cake. I also sprinkled the inside layer that was frosted. So yummy!!!

Coconut Cream Pie

Doesn't this look just so yummy? I made this homemade coconut pie a couple of weeks ago. My hubby just loved it! I actually made it using Splenda Blend. It was awesome!

Smoked Sausage and Rice Cajun Style

If you are looking for a quick and easy meal on a weeknight, then I have just the recipe! Smoked sausage & rice is so easy to make and you don't have to purchase those boxed rice meals. You can make it from scratch so easy. Truthfully, the boxed rice and pasta meals have a lot of bad ingredients in them and msg. Read your labels and you will see. Anytime you can steer away from them and make a meal from scratch, I always encourage you to do it.

Anyway, enough of my healthkick and on with the recipe:

1 1b smoked sausage cut up in bite size pieces
1 cup basmati rice
1 can (no msg) chicken broth
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water

Heat oil in fry pan and cook sausage until brown. Place sausage in bowl and drain oil. Return fry pan to stove and melt butter. Add 1 cup rice and stir until butter is melted and rice has a brownish tinge to it (about 1-2 minutes at the most). Add chicken broth, cajun seasoning and simmer until boiling. Turn burner down to medium low and add water. Allow liquid to cook down (about 5 minutes) covered. Add sausage and once all liquid is absorbed remove from heat. Serve with veggie of your choice and awesome with cornbread! Enjoy.





As a side dish we had stewed okra and tomatoes. A fantastic and yummy combination!

Peach Cobbler with Splenda Blend

We love peach cobbler at our house! Since we are trying to watch our sugar intake, I now try and make desserts using Splenda or other sugar substitutes. I converted my simple peach cobbler dish into a sugar free delight using Splenda blend instead of sugar. Here's the recipe:

3/4 stick butter2 cups peaches; peeled and sliced
Heat butter in 350 degree oven with peaches until butter is melted

Mix the following ingredients in a mixing bowl:
1 cup self-rising flower
1/2 cup Splenda blend
3/4 can evaporated milk
Pour over melted butter and peaches.

Bake 30-45 minutes or until brown. Serve with sugar whipped topping or vanilla ice cream and enjoy!