Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I have made this cake 5 times now. It is a wonderful summer treat.. especially with strawberries from the farmers market. Check out the Pioneer Women's website for the recipe. Here is the link:

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps

I was in the mood for something different so I went to Tasty Kitchen on the Pioneer Women's website and found these. We both loved them. I substituted ground chicken for diced chicken breast.

Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1 TBSP brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

2 1/3 TBSP soy sauce, divided

3 TBSP canola oil

1 pound ground chicken

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Iceburg Lettuce

For stir fry sauce, mix together rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground red pepper, ground ginger, sesame oil, and 2 TBSP soy sauce, making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium high heat. Add chicken and brown. Remove chicken from oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and remaining soy sauce (1 tsp) to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.

Spoon mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Brie Pasta

This dish is one of my favorites to cook as a side when serving a large group or to take as a meal to someone. It can be "rich" but if you love tomatoes and brie, you will love this pasta.

Brie Pasta

1 cup vegetable oil

4 to 5 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 pound brie, remove ryne and tear apart

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 pound angel hair pasta

Combine first 9 ingredients and let them sit for 1-2 hours in large bowl on the counter. Remove bay leaves. Boil pasta and combine.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband is more of a cookie dessert guy than fancy. So we make a lot of cookies at our house. These were in one of my Martha Stewart Living magazines. They definitely satisfy any craving for peanut butter. Paired with a tall glass of cold milk they make the perfect late night snack!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

Put butter and sugars into bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, then peanut butter.

Reduce to low speed and add in flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Drop dough using scoop. Press cookies with fork to flatten and create a cross-hatch pattern.

Bake until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.

Baked Bean Quartet

This is my favorite baked bean recipe. I adapted it from one of my cookbooks. The original recipe had kidney and lima beans, which i do not like. It also called for bacon, but the first time i made it i did not have any so i substituted 1/2 pound sausage, and have made it that way ever since. It is perfect for your next neighborhood picnic.

Baked Bean Quartet

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 pound sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

2 16 oz cans pork and beans in tomato sauce

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 TBSP yellow mustard

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Cook sausage, onion and garlic in skillet.

Combine with all other ingredients in a 3 quart baking dish.

Bake covered at 375 for an hour.

**May be cooked in slow cooker. 10 to 12 hours on high or 4 to 5 on low heat.

Tomato Pie

As soon as the farmer's market on Kings Drive opens I anxiously await ripe tomatoes. During the summer I make a tomato pie about once a week. I am not a fan of the mayo versions that are so popular here, something about hot mayo doesn't thrill me. Here is my version, no mayo!

Tomato Pie

1 frozen deep dish pie crust

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 to 4 ripe tomatoes - sliced - sprinkle with Kosher salt and let them rest for 30 minutes

Olive oil

pepper

basil - chopped

Prick sides and bottom of crust and bake at 400 for 5 minutes.

Layer cheese, tomatoes, basil, pepper and brush with olive oil. Repeat.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Cover edges with foil and return for 20 more minutes.

Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

S'more Puffs

Bunco tonight and I saw this in a magazine and thought, "perfect!"

S'more Puffs

ritz crackers

hersey kisses

large marshmallows, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350. Place crackers on foil lined baking sheet. Top each with 1 kiss, and 1 marshmallow half, cut side down. Bake 8 minutes or just until marshmallows begin to melt. Let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

Source: southern living