Raspberry Trifle

When you get a cool trifle bowl for a wedding gift, you must find a way to work it in.  I made this for a picnic at my parents house.  It got rave reviews.  Even drew comparisons to a Dairy Queen blizzard.  Who knew?  It was very good.

Raspberry Trifle

Source:  allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup white sugar

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1 (10.75 oz) package prepared pound cake

2 (10 oz. packages frozen raspberries, thawed

2 TBSP. unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

1.  In a medium bowl, beat cream with 1/4 cup sugar until a stiff peaks form.  In another bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar.  Fold 2 cups of whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.  Reserve remaining whipped cream.

2.  Slice pound cake into 18 1/2 inch slices.  Drain raspberries, reserving juice.  Line the bottom of a 3 quart glass bowl or trifle bowl with one third of the cake slices.  Drizzle with some raspberry juice.  Spread one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over cake.  Sift one fourth of the cocoa over that.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the raspberries.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining cream cheese mixture, whipped cream and sifted cocoa.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

Frozen Cosmo

I'd heard about this concoction and had to try it!  This was a great frozen drink!  

Frozen Cosmo

I didn't have a measuring tool to measure in these increments so I just used the measurements for parts.  It worked perfect.

20 ml.  Citron Vodka

20 ml.  Vodka

60 ml.  Cointreau

120 ml.  Cranberry Juice

1 tsp.  Lime Juice

8 small ice cubes.

Blend.

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-ups

A super easy, weeknight meal. Not much to it and most of the time all of these ingredients will be on hand. Not even really a recipe but I thought I'd share.

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups
Source: Kraft Food & Family Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large green & 1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Cook and stir vegetables in large non stick skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in barbecue sauce; cook in medium heat 3 minutes or until the chicken in done, stirring occaisionally.

Spoon chicken mixture down the center of the tortillas; top with cheese.
Roll up; cut in half.

Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies

I am going through a stage where I'd much rather 'home make' something, than use a box. So from a cooking class with Rania Harris these brownies fit the bill. They have a little bit of a different taste ~ I'd say a more sophisticated brownie. And they are super easy to make - only a saucepan & no beaters.

Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Source: Rania Harris

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter ( I used the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter baking sticks ~ turned out fine)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate - chopped
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cup + 2 TBSP flour (for baking dish)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 coup halved dried cherries (pitted)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

Butter & flour a 13x9 glass baking dish.

Melt butter & unsweetened chocolate in a heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

Mix in sugar. Mix in eggs 1 at a time, then the yolk. Add extracts, and then flour and cinnamon and stir until just blended. Mix in cherries and chocolate chips.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until brownies are firm around edges and tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs, about 35 minutes.

Cool on rack. Cut into 16 or 32 pieces.

Kalua Pork

For mothers day, I took my mother and mother in law to a cooking class with Rania Harris.  This was a great class as we learned many usable recipes (more to come!!)!  We had some guys coming over to do work at our house tonight so I was looking at something to have ready, easy.  A crock pot meal was perfect.  Sandwiches ready quickly went I got home!  And they liked them :)  PS ~ I know, I know I have to work on getting pictures with this blog.  I'll work on it!!

Kalua Pork

Source:   Rania Harris

Ingredients

1 boneless pork butt - 6-7 lbs. (pork shoulder)

1/4 cup sea salt (Hawaiian sea salt preferred)

3 TBSP. garlic powder

2 TBSP. freshly ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup liquid smoke (found near the ketchup in the grocery store)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

Directions

Warm your slow cooker on high for 15 minutes before placing the pork shoulder inside.  Season the pork with salt, garlic powder, pepper and fresh garlic and place it in the slow cooker (fat side up).  Combine the liquid smoke, soy sauce and water and pour over and around the pork.  Cook the pork on high for one hour.  Reduce the temperature to low and continue to slow cook the pork for about 6 hours.  Check the liquid level from time to time (try not to open the lid too often, as the heat will escape and the cooking time will be longer) and add 1/4 cup water, if needed.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker ~ it will be very tender.  When cool enough to handle, shred the pork (using two forks) and combine toss with the remaining liquid in the slow cooker.

Notes:  Can cook in the oven at 250.

Serve with rice or as a sandwich.  

Can also be a good base for pork barbecue ~ just shred & put back in the crock pot to warm with your favorite barbecue sauce.