Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

I'm Back! The AC is working, and I am feeling nice and cool. I also read a really cool article on how to photograph food... gave me some pointers, maybe my pictures will get a little better. No promises though.

When I was little mom used to make this casserole a lot. I am sure I hated it at one point in time. But finally broke down and tried it and liked it. Just like the snickers bar. (SHOCKING I KNOW!)

Anyway, as I am thinking about getting ready to move, I was going through mom's recipe box copying things that I like so I can have them with me. I saw this one, and I have been craving it ever since. Then I was browsing the food blogs I read, and I saw someone made this too! I am pretty sure it was the same recipe, but I can't remember which one I saw it on, so I can't double check.

This comes from mom's recipe box

[Printable Recipe]


Ingredients:

1 Can cream of chicken soup

1 8oz can sour cream

4-5 chicken breasts (I used 4 but they were HUGE!)

poppy seeds

1 Sleeve Ritz crackers

1 stick butter

Directions:

Cook chicken and dice them. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with the diced chicken.

Cooked and diced chicken


mix the soup and sour cream together and spread over the chicken.

Smother with mixture


sprinkle with poppy seeds ( Note: 1/2 the casserole has poppy seeds sparingly for Matt's belly)

yummy poppy seeds


Bake 350 for 20 mins until bubbly.

After 20 mins, crush a sleeve of ritz and mix with 1 stick melted butter.

Mixing Ritz and butter


Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 5 more mins.

The finished product


It tasted just like my mom used to make it. Matt liked it so that is good. I will be making it again but with 1/2 the pan without poppy seeds. They aren't good for Matt's belly. The blog that I saw made with without poppy seeds and said it was yummy. I am sure it would be fine without. It was quite a hit here...I took my serving and went back to clean up and it was almost gone!
easy peasy

I promise I will come back

I was going to post on my way to NYC, but I was sitting by the window and being on the computer was making me car sick, so I let Matt play on the computer and I tried to sleep... I really just whined about being bored for 4 hours :-D Sometimes I am a toddler. I guess that is why my boyfriend loves me.  So I was all ready to sit on the aisle and write my super yummy posts on the way home, sans car sickness, but as it turns out our bus' air conditioning broke on such a wonderful 90 degree day. So, I attempted to turn on my computer and work, but I got it on, checked my emails, and my legs were sweating, and I swear the computer was going slower too. It was just too hot. So I turned off dear old laptop and slept and sweat for 4 hours. OY! Only to call my momma and tell her I was showering off the grossness from the bus ride and coming home. To which she laughs and says we have no AC at the house! WOOOOOO. It is going to be 90 tomorrow. If the part doesn't come in tomorrow, and we still don't have AC I will be spending the evening at Panera, writing blog posts and a paper for class. Feel free to stop and distract me. It is moments when I am writing a paper for my class that I miss my college roommates, they were the best way to procrastinate ever! I'd write a paragraph, then lay on Carol's bed for 20 mins talking about everything not my paper, only to go back to it, and leave it again over and over. Haha it is a wonder I graduated :-D (jk mom and dad, I studied really hard and did all my work WAYYYYY in advance :-D ). I did all my best work when everyone went to bed and it was just me and the drunk people walking home outside my window at 2am.  Anyway. Sorry I haven't been posting. More is coming this week. :-D

Want to see NYC? Radio City Music Hall- We didn't see a show, but we did see annoying Giants and Jets fans lined up a day before the draft.

Empire State Building from top of the Rockefeller CenterThe really bright part to the right is Time Square...where the ColdStone has a bouncerFrom M & M world...droool.

UPDATE: I can insert a link! WOO

I figured it out... it is called using the help button. DUH. Anyway, I went back and linked to The Crepes of Wrath in my truffle post. I feel like there was another post that I wanted to link to something but I couldn't figure out how, but I am tired, and I can't find it. So if there really is another post and you know of it leave me a comment and I will add the link. If not, I made it up. I do that sometimes, it is the Pam in me. :-\

And because I hate posts without pics....

I Heart D.C.


Not food related, but pretty. I can't wait til I love closer to D.C. and the cherry blossoms. :-D

How to make boxed brownies better

YUMM-O


I have 2 dinners that I made this week that need posting, but I doubt I get them up here this week. I have a million things to do tomorrow after work, and I leave Wednesday after work to go to New York City :-D Matt and I are going to celebrate 3 years of him putting up with me together. I am very excited, and we get to see his mom, which is always nice. I <3 her :-D.

Anyway, enough mushy, I had to make baked items for The Bee's bake sale this Saturday. Since I won't be there to work it, I said I would bake. I made a double batch of funfetti cookies, and 2 batches of brownies. I decided that they needed to be special brownies, but I am tired and have other things to do, so I didn't have time to be too fancy. I did spice them up a little.

The first batch I melted marshmallow fluff, dotted it around the brownie batter in the pan and swirled with a knife. Be careful when microwaving marshmallow fluff. Just like marshmallows, they puff up. Short spurts worked best.

Marshmallow


The other batch got lines of melted peanut butter swirled into it.
Peanut Butter


They bake just the same as if it was just the batter, but smell twice as good. My house smells amazing right now.

PB on left, Marshmallow on right


Next time you want to spruce up your brownies, toss in some PB or marshmallows.

Another tip- to cut clean brownies:

Make sure they are cool, and use a plastic knife. It works much better,less brownies stick to the knife. Though I heart when brownies stick to it, it is like a little treat for the cutter (ME) :-D

We are taking the Bolt Bus to NYC, it offers WiFi and Outlets to plug in, so maybe I will get a blog post in this week...or maybe I will nap...no promises.

Just get ready, Mexican Lasagna and Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole to come soon. :-D

Cake Truffles

The problem with making yummy treats for parties when you have a baking blog is that you have to post it right away; or you get facebook wall posts nagging for it. ;) I joke Jax! I <3 you. Thanks for giving me 4 or so hours of tiny baby time.

[Printable Recipe]

Cake Truffles


I made these reallllly yummy cake truffles. I saw the recipe at The Creapes of Wrath

I changed it a little bit, but it is the same basic idea.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) (I used cake tops from a couple cakes I made and half of the cake from Austin's Ice cream cake)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup Nutella

18 oz. milk or dark chocolate (I used chocolate almond bark)

Sprinkles or whatever you want for decoration

Directions:

I paired the chocolate cake with the peanut butter and the yellow cakes with the nutella

- Put cake in bowl and crumble

Chocolate cake


Yellow Cake


- Add PB or Nutella and mix well.

mixed with peanut butter


Mixed with Nutella


- Form into balls and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.



- Place in freezer ( I left in for about an hour or so)

- Melt chocolate and dip cake balls into the chocolate ( I used little tongs, the fork and tooth picks didn't work)



- Decorate the way you wish

- Let cool in freezer

These were so yummy. The chocolate/PB ones were very rich but very good.

My only complaint is that the yellow/nutella ones didn't hold together well and got my chocolate a little but it wasn't so bad. Maybe next time I will use more nutella.

I will be making these again. Every time I make a cake and level it I will freeze the tops and when I have enough cake I will make them again.

There you go Jax.

Ice Cream Cake

[Printable Recipe]

Birthday Boy and his cake

Saturday is my baby brother’s birthday. He will be 20. Once again our parents decide to leave us for the weekend of a birthday, a reoccurring theme lately. I think it is because they are in denial that they have 24 and 20 year old children which make them really freaking old (sorry to those who have children older, you aren’t old, it is just my parents.) I am holding down the fort, watching the dog, fending off any parties that try to pop up at the Eubanks household. All parties must be held elsewhere. Kobi doesn’t like them.

Anyway, we celebrated Austin’s birthday at Easter dinner. Like I have done with everyone else on their birthday, I ask what kind of cake they want. He answers “an ice cream cake” hmm, that’s a new one for me. But I am not scared. A little bummed because I have this cool cake pan in the shape of a guitar and I wanted to use it for his cake, but not scared.

Upon further discussion, he wants 2 layers of ice cream, 1 cake. Chocolate for the cake, vanilla for the ice cream (BORING) We decide on Oreo for the ice cream. That’s a little better.

I decided that I would still use the cake pan. Making an ice cream cake isn’t that hard, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again. But it will be a simple round or square cake, no shapes. I also will not be making it unless it is staying put. We drove it from Frederick to Wheaton. It was a nightmare.

Ingredients:

1.5 quarts Ice cream

1 cake from the box

1 pack Oreos (I used a little more)

1 tub chocolate icing

Directions:

Line pan with plastic wrap, and fill with softened ice cream. Cover and let refreeze. (I put it in around 9:00pm on Monday, and took it out 3pm on Wed)

Repeat for a 2^nd layer. The 2^nd layer I made smaller, and I used a hairdryer to melt a little of the ice cream and pressed crushed Oreos into it and then covered and froze. Once it is hardened remove from pan.

Bake cake as directed on box, I added a box of jello. Once cool, level and wrap in foil. (I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE...DUMB)

To Assemble:

Put the ice cream layer with the Oreos on the bottom. Spread a layer of chocolate icing on the ice cream and sprinkle a thin layer of Oreos. Also spread a little icing on the cake and place on the ice cream. The icing is mostly used as glue; it isn’t supposed to be pretty. On the top of the cake layer put another icing and Oreo layer then the last ice cream layer. Cover and put in freezer to refreeze.

Take out and ice, working quickly and putting back in freezer as needed.

Mom decorated the cake for me because I had dinner plans and it was taking me a lot longer than expected. I only had certain colors mixed, and a limited amount of icing to work with. Mom did a great job.

my piece :-D

The cake looked wonderful; I didn’t take a picture before I left the house. L It didn’t travel well. The sun beat on it the whole way, I had the AC blasting, and my hands were numb. At the last light before Mema’s the cake slid a little, and I put my hand in it, and the neck broke. Sigh. It still tasted good.

Easter Bird's Nests

Disclaimer: My camera battery died, I don't know where my charger is and so I had to use my old camera. The pictures all have a funky coloring to them. Hopefully I can find my charger soon so I don't have crappy pictures for long. I am sorry for the lack of quality pictures

I know when you think Easter, you may not think birds nest. But I do. I have very fond memories of making these treats with my mom for all my friends at Easter. I took them to the Easter school party, and Easter sunday school party, and gave my friends Easter treat bags with them in it. Every holiday the teachers at The Bee try and give their students something. I find it very hard to get my kids something, they are 6 weeks to 9 months. They don't eat candy, they can't play with the toys that are at the dollar store, and the toys they can play with are expensive, and really expensive times seven. So I wasn't going to get them anything for Easter, even though the kids in the older infant room have really cool Easter baskets coming their way, I just couldn't afford it. Then I got to thinking about this recipe, and the memories I have of making it, I decided I would make them, and share the recipe with their parents, and maybe give them the gift of memories with their parents and siblings when they get older. Mom and dad get to eat the treat and the extra jelly beans I tossed in. :-D

NOTE: I doubled the recipe

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:



3 cup rice krispe cereal

1 cup shredded coconut ( I am not a big fan of coconut, I just used 1.5 cups)

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Jellybeans

Directions:

Mix cereal and coconut in a large bowl
cereal and coconut


Bring corn syrup, b. sugar, peanut butter and vanilla to a boil.



Remove from heat and mix into cereal.



When cool enough to touch, make balls of the mixture and form into nests.



When completely cool add jelly beans



It made 20 nests...1 fell apart, 1 my brother ate, 7 were bagged for the kids, and 11 are for the teachers at The Bee.

I have to say that the second the heat started working on the mixture, I was tossed back into my kitchen in Georgia, sitting on the counter, helping mom. I even know where exactly I sat. Amazing how smells do that. Sigh, to be little and carefree again........anyway....

I think doubling it in one batch was a bad idea, it was too much to work with and I had a hard time getting the later ones to form and not fall apart because they were cooling off too much, but a quick trip in the microwave fixed that. Mom helped me, her nests were more balls with a little dent, I was going for more of an actual nest. There was debate, no winner decided. I like mine cuz they would hold more jelly beans Mom said something along the lines of birds only poop out about 3 eggs so her smaller ones were fine. Haha.

I wrote the recipe on pretty little cards, and tied it to the bag and wrote them a little note about how I hope they can use this recipe to make memories with their families. :-D I love my kidders. I love my momma <3 (and daddy too)



Side note: The Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans were AMAZING... I will be stocking up on a few bags, the SweetTart ones were so-so, I will stick to the SweetTart ducks bunnies and chicks, and the Reese's Pieces eggs are of course wonderful. :-D

The Princess Cake...

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!

It took a lot longer than I thought, and my hand killed, but it was amazing!

Walking it downstairs to her, I got a bunch of comments, and the other lady at the desk took my email and blog address so that she can show her co-workers :-D

I made the cake from a chocolate box but I added chocolate jello and mini chocolate chips. There was extra batter so I made a little cake for Matt and me, it was super moist! (i used 2 boxes of cake mix, 1 jello and 1/2 bag mini chips)

Enjoy the picutres, you can email me if you want one :-D

Next weekend I am making an Oreo ice cream cake for Austin's birthday.

The cake pan - the tube in the middle comes out





in the oven


I forgot to take a picture before I put it in the oven. Sorry.

Cake Release- I won't make another cake without this

The base before I smoothed it out.


I used parchment paper after it had been in the fridge for a while.



The finished product


She even has earrings


Pretty Pretty Princess


If I get a picture of Mykaela and her cake I will post it.

Overall I am very, very pleased. I wish it didn't look like a 4 year old wrote her name, but I think it was wonderful.

Who wants the next cake?! :-D