Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata

The original recipe can be found here at The Chunky Chef.

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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a 3/4 to 1" thickness
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground thyme
1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine (See here for a list of substitutions if you, like me, do not use alcohol)
2 lemons
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley and basil for garnish
1 pound thin spaghetti pasta

1. Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season flour with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.

2. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook batches of 2 (unless you have a huge skillet) to ensure a golden brown exterior. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

3. Drop your pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente (according to package directions).

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and garlic in the same skillet, stir to saute for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, and heavy cream. Whisk to combine and bring the sauce to a low boil. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed. Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes.

5. Drain the pasta, place in a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and add the fresh parsley and basil, and toss to combine.

6. Slice the chicken into strips and place over cooked pasta. Pour sauce over the top and garnish with additional chopped parsley and basil.

Note: May serve with cooked pancetta or bacon, as additional garnish.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This recipe comes from the Delish cooking website. If you haven't visited it yet, you should go and check it out.

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For the Chicken

Set up three separate bowls for breading the chicken.

Bowl 1:

1/2 cup flour

Bowl 2:

2 large eggs, beaten together with 1 tbsp water

Bowl 3:

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

vegetable oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Marinara 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup water

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp freshly chopped basil, plus more for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare breading station with 3 large mixing bowls: 1 bowl for the  flour. In a second bowl, beat together the eggs and water. In a third bowl, add the panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese mixed with a fork.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture. Repeat these steps for remaining chicken and set aside on a plate. 

3. In a deep cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/4" oil. When pan is hot but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

4. Meanwhile, make the marinara: In a medium pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the tomato and water, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and let simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. 

5. Pour sauce into a 9x13" baking dish and top with the mozzarella and bake until cheese is melty about 10-12 minutes. If desired, broil until cheese is golden, 3 minutes.

6. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. 

Cherry Almond Bread

This recipe comes from The Recipe Critic.

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1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 (8 oz) jar maraschino cherries, chopped and juice reserved
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 8x4" loaf pans; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and oil; add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts and beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Measure out 1/2 cup of the reserved maraschino cherry juice. If juice does not equal 1/2 cup, add enough water so that it equals 1/2 cup. Alternately add the flour mixture and cherry juice to the sugar mixture just until it is combined. Stir in the chopped cherries.

Divide the batter equally between both loaf pans. Bake 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack. Dust tops of bread with powdered sugar, of desired. Serve. 

Salted Butterscotch Coffee Cake

I make a similar cake to this that I've also served as a breakfast cake. The recipe is right here. This particular recipe is found on the Julie's Eats and Treats blog.

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Cake
1 (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix, dry
4 eggs
1 (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Cinnamon Swirl
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Salted Butterscotch Glaze    Note: You can also use just a regular vanilla glaze, if you prefer
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butterscotch ice cream topping
2-3 tsp milk
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or a 9x13" cake pan. Mix together the cake mix, eggs, pudding, vegetable oil and water until well combined. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. In a small bow combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over on top of the cake batter.

Bake 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake. In a small bow, combine the powdered sugar, butterscotch topping and milk (you want the glaze to be fairly thick so it doesn't run off the cake). Drizzle the butterscotch glaze over the cake and then sprinkle the sea salt over the glaze. 

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

This recipe can be found at The Gunny Sack.


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8 cups French bread cubes (slightly less than one loaf)
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups peeled, diced apples (about 2 large apples)

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1. Cut the French bread into slices, and then into cubes. Spread in an even layer in a greased 9x13" pan.

2. Peel, cube and dice two apples and sprinkle over the bread cubes. (Note: If preparing the night before or if you want softer apples in the baked casserole, microwave the diced apples fo 2-3 minutes in a small bowl.

3. whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and apples in the prepared pan. (If preparing the night before, cover the apple cinnamon french toast casserole at this point and refrigerate.

4. To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. (If preparing the night before, store the crumb topping in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle over the casserole just before baking.)

5. Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. 

Overnight S'Mores French Toast Casserole

I love s'mores and I love baked french toast, so this recipe sounds like it will be real good. It can be found at The Chunky Chef.


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12 oz French bakery bread (may also use sourdough bread)
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (any variety)
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
powdered sugar for dusting on top

Spray a 2 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cube the French bread into about 1-inch squares. Place in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with most of the chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and crushed graham cracker crumbs, reserving the rest for later.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, chocolate milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine well and pour mixture over the bread cubes. Carefully stir up the chocolate chips, marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs.

To the top of the bread mixture, sprinkle on the remaining chocolate chips, marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs. Cover dish tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is preheating, remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter to take the chill off. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve.

Toffee Banana Bread

You can find this recipe at Chef in Training. This makes one loaf.


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2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x5" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil until thoroughly combined. Add in the mashed bananas, both sugars, and the vanilla and mix well. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture and mix just until combined.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with 1 cup of the toffee bits. Pour the remaining batter over top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup toffee bits. Bake 325 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Lemon Coffee Cake

Another favorite cooking blog, OMG Chocolate Desserts is a wonderful cooking blog. Click on the link to see some fantastic photos and a video of the recipe. 

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Crumb Topping

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

dash salt

3 tbsp light brown sugar

5 tbsp granulated sugar

4 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup lemon curd, store bought or homemade (see recipe below for a homemade version)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp granulated sugar

Homemade Lemon Curd

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

5 tbsp butter

1) To make the homemade lemon curd, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk well. Place over  medium heat and cook for 5-6 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick enough to hold the marks from a whisk. Cool completely.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8x2 or 9x9" square baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

3) Make the crumb topping by combining the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until pea-sized crumbs form. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

4) Make the cake by beating the softened butter for one minute, then add the sugar and beat until creamy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and eggs and beat until combined. 

5) Add the sour cream and mix well. Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Spread half of the mixture in the prepared pan. 

6) Spread 1 cup of the lemon curd over the batter, but do not spread all the way to the edges, or else it will burn during baking.

7) Spoon over the remaining batter on top of the lemon curd.

8) Beat the cream cheese, vanilla extract, sugar and egg until smooth, Spread the cream cheese mixture over the batter.

9) Sprinkle the crumb topping on top and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the center has set, If it browns too much, tent the top with aluminum foil.

10) Cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then pull the paper and lift the cake out of the pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

11) Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

This recipe can be found here on Baker by Nature. I can't wait to make this coffee cake - the photos on the website look fantastic.

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For the Crumb Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake:
1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup full-fat sour cream
10 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
10.5 oz Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped

To make the crumb topping
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter, mixing just until combined. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe. The mixture will absorb the butter as it sits and becomes more crumbly by the time you're ready to use it.

To make the coffee cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan; set aside until ready to use. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, ot in a large mixing bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl, as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the flour mixture in three additions, adding in the flour mixture first and last, and alternating with the sour cream in two additions. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and spread in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the cake in the pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting. 

Apple Cinnamon Scones

This recipe also comes from Jo Cooks. 

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2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup honey

Topping

2 tbsp rolled oats

1 tbsp turbinado sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp milk 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender. In another small bowl, combine the milk, honey and chopped apples. Add the apple mixture to the flour mixture and toss. 

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and form dough into a 9-10" disk, and about 1/2 inch thick. Place dough onto the prepared baking sheet and cut into 8 wedges, and separate them by about 1 inch. 

To top the scones, combine the 2 tbsp rolled oats, 1 tbsp turbinado sugar, ad 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Brush the scones with the 2 tbsp milk from the topping ingredients and sprinkle with the oat mixture. Bake 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown. 

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

This recipe comes from Jo Cooks, another great cooking blog. I've never made scones before, but I've purchased them before, and they are a great addition to your breakfast or brunch menu. They are not too sweet, and usually have a nice crunch to them.

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2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup strawberries washed and quartered
1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks
1/4 cup flour for dusting over your work surface
extra buttermilk for brushing scones
sugar for sprinkling over scones

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour buttermilk in a large glass measuring cup and whisk the eggs into the buttermilk. Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until dough until the mixture is crumbly and resembles peas.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix well with a fork or wooden spoon. Add the strawberries and chocolate chips and roughly mix everything until combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form into a round disk, about 10 inches in diameter and about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles.

Place the scones onto your prepared baking sheet and brush with buttermilk, then dust with sugar. Bake 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

These can be be stored in the freezer for up to one month, 

Orange Dreamsicle Bread

Another recipe from Chef in Training. This recipe just smacks of spring, and sounds delicious, and I can't wait to try it out. You will need 3 (8x4" loaf pans for this recipe.

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For the quick bread:
1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsp orange extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
A few drops of orange food coloring, optional

For the Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp flour

For the Cream Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp orange extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x4" loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, eggs, milk, sugar, orange juice and orange extract until smooth. Add in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until well combined. Stir in the orange extract one drop at a time until you've reached your desired color. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Ad the flour and mix well.

Fill each of the loaf pans with 1/6th of the batter. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese filling over the batter in each loaf pan. Swirl in or marbelize the cream cheese mixture into the batter using a knife. Pour the remaining batter over the cream cheese mixture, dividing evenly between each pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each pan comes out clean.
Cool the loaves in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

For the topping:
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a medium bowl. Add in the powdered sugar, orange extract and heavy whipping cream and beat until smooth. Once the loaves of bread have cooled, frost the tops of each with the topping mixture.

Store in the refrigerator.

Orange Coffee Cake

This recipe also comes from the Chef in Training cooking blog. This is for a coffee cake, and it sounds delicious. Recipe can be found here. You will find numerous orange-flavored recipes at her website. It has been a long winter, and I am looking forward to making some citrus-flavored recipes because they just make me think of spring and warmer weather. Of course, these recipes would be great anytime of the year.

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For the Coffee Cake

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp grated orange zest

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

For the Crumb Topping

6 tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tbsp grated orange zest

For the Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp grated orange zest

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" springform pan with cooking spray. If you don't have a springform pan, you may use a 9" square baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together until the eggs are nice and thick, and frothy. Add the buttermilk, orange juice, canola oil, and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt by hand, mixing just until dry ingredients are wet. Do not overmix, or your coffee cake will become too dry. Spread in the prepared baking pan.

To make the crumb topping:

In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar, flour and orange zest and mix with a fork until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake batter in the pan. Bake 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the springform pan for 10 minutes and carefully remove the cake from the springform pan (leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan) and cool on a wire rack. If you are using a regular, 9" square baking pan, just skip this part and cool cake on a wire rack. See below: drizzle the glaze on the cake while it is still warm. 

To make the glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and the orange zest until combined and drizzle over a warm cake. Serve warmed or at room temperature. 

For other orange dreamsicle recipes, try these recipes out:

Orange Creamsicle Pie

Orange Creamsicle Pie

You can find another variation of this pie just below, or click on the link here for Lemon Cream Pie. This recipe also comes from the Chef in Training cooking blog. I love the orange creamsicle flavor, and you can find numerous recipes online using these flavors. Once again, I haven't yet made this dessert, but it is on my long list of things to try.

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Vanilla Wafer Crust
60 Nilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Orange Cream Filling
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup orange juice
4 tbsp grated orange zest
A few drops orange food coloring, optional

Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine the Nilla wafer cookie crumbs, butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Press into a 9" pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges.  Cool and the refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl, combine the 3/4 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup sugar and using an electric mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, orange juice and orange zest. Mix well and mix in the food coloring, if using. Fold in the whipped cream mixture  until well blended and spread in the pie crust. Set aside.

For the topping, using an electric mixer, beat together the 1 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over the filling in the pie pan. Refrigerate until set and serve. Store the pie in the refrigerator. 

Lemon Cream Pie

A recipe from another of my favorite cooking websites. This sounds like a nice and refreshing dessert - perfect for a spring or summer day. Recipe can be found here at Chef in Training. You can find another variation of this pie at the same website, and also right here: Orange Creamsicle Pie.

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Vanilla Wafer Crust 
60 Nilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Lemon Cream Filling
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 oz cream cheese, softened
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp grated lemon zest

Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine crushed crushed cookies with butter and sugar until thoroughly combined. Press into a 9" pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat on high until creamy and smooth. Add 4 drops of yellow food coloring, if using. Fold in the whipping cream until smooth and uniform in color. Pour into the crust in pie pan and then top with the whipped cream topping.

For the whipped cream topping, whip together the 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup powdered sugar and using an electric mixer, beat until firm.

Serve and store the pie in the refrigerator.

Orange Crush Salad

I found a screenshot of this recipe on Pinterest, and I'm not sure of the original source because all I can find is a screenshot of the recipe. This reminds me of a similar recipe that calls for vanilla ice cream in it that is very good. Once I find that recipe again, I will post it here.

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3 (3-oz) boxes of orange jello
2 cups boiling water
2 cups chilled Orange Crush soda pop
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained

Topping
1 3-oz box instant vanilla pudding
8 oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups milk
3 cups Cool Whip

Dissolve jello in the boiling water, stirring until jello is dissolved. Add the Orange Crush syrupy. Stir in the pineapple and oranges and then chill until firm in a serving dish.

Topping
Combine the vanilla pudding mix and cream cheese until smooth. Add the milk and mix until well combined and smooth. Stir in the Cool Whip and beat until smooth. Spread topping mixture over the jello and chill. Serve. 

M & Ms Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

The original recipe can be found here on Shugary Sweets. This is one of my favorite cooking websites, and you'll find tons of recipes over there.

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1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups M&Ms, any color or variety

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and kosher salt just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Press dough into the prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Outrageous Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake

Another recipe that is on my very long To-Make list.

You can find the original recipe here, at The Slow Roasted Italian . If you haven't yet checked out this website, please do. She tons of great recipes, and loads of videos, as well.

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1 (15.25-oz) box super moist chocolate fudge cake mix (dry)
12 oz can Dr Pepper Cherry soda pop, at room temperature
1 (18-oz) jar maraschino cherries, divided
6 tbsp of cherry juice from the jar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
7 cups powdered sugar (This is a lot of sugar! Perhaps it can be cut back some.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix and soda pop. Whisk until well combined and set aside. Remove 24 maraschino cherries from the jar, remove the stems and then cut the cherries into quarters. Reserve the remaining cherries for garnishing the cake. Add cut cherries into the cake batter and whisk until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula so the batter is even in the pan. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack.

While cake is baking, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until  light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar 1 cup at a time until thoroughly incorporated, beating well after each addition. Add the cherry juice and beat until frosting is light and fluffy. Frost the cake and garnish with the remaining cherries.

Note: If the frosting is too thick, add more cherry juice, 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached, beating after each addition. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar, 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Taco Casserole

I'm going to post a series of recipes that I plan on adding to my menu roster. I haven't tried these yet, but I will post where you can find the original recipe.

You can find the original recipe here, at Dinner at the Zoo . Head over there to see it, and her gorgeous photos.

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2 tsp olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 packet taco seasoning mix
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cups roughly broken tortilla chips
16 oz can refried beans
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, thinly sliced green onions, and cilantro
Cooking spray, such as PAM

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8" baking pan or 2 quart oval baking dish with PAM. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain grease. Stir in the taco seasoning mix and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Place the broken chips in the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread a layer of refried beans over on top of the chips. Pour beef mixture over the beans and top with cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and lightly browned. Add desired toppings and serve.

Party Punch

This recipe comes from my sister Sandy. She been bringing it to all family holiday gatherings for years, and it is delicious! It's very easy to make, and makes a large amount. She will freeze the base of the recipe in plastic, gallon-sized ice cream containers and stores them in the freezer until ready to use.  It needs to be made ahead of time, so plan accordingly.

This recipe can be cut down.

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2 (6-oz) packages lime jello
3 cups sugar
4 cups boiling water
8 cups cold water
1 quart ReaLemon juice
2 (46-oz) cans pineapple juice (this size can be found at most grocery stores)
1 (1-oz) bottle of PURE almond extract (yes, a whole one ounce bottle, and be sure to use the pure extract, and not the artificial. This is what gives it its delicious flavor.)

3 (1-quart) bottles of 7-UP


Mix the jello with the sugar in a large bowl and add the boiling water and stir until it has dissolved. Add the cold water, ReaLemon juice, pineapple juice, and the almond extract. Mix very well and divide between three gallon sized ice cream buckets or other containers of similar size. Place in the freezer.

The night before you plan to serve it (or the morning of, if you plan on serving it in the evening), place the frozen base in the refrigerator to allow it to turn to slush. This shouldn't take too long. When ready to serve, take one of the buckets and empty into a punch bowl and add one quart of the 7-UP and stir and serve. Repeat with the other containers, as needed. One quart of  7-UP per ice cream bucket of punch base.

The other two buckets can be kept in the refrigerator if you know that you will be using them up within a reasonable amount of time. You just don't want them to thaw, or melt, completely. If they do thaw too much, they can be refrozen.