Lime Cream Cake

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine from several years ago and had to try it because I'm obsessed with anything LIME. It was so light tasting and REFRESHING! Hope you like it!

Lime Cream Cake
1 box butter-recipe yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
7 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
2 cups whipping cream, whipped and slightly sweetened

Combine the cake mix, eggs, butter, water, and lime juice with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Equally divide thick mixture into two greased 9-inch round pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans, then cool completely on a wire rack.

In a bowl, blend together the condensed milk and lime juice until smooth; fold in the whipped cream. Split the cooled cake layers in half so you have 4 layers of cake. Place bottom layer on cake plate and put about 1 1/4 cups lime cream between each layer of cake, topping with the remaining cream. Serves 10 to 12.

TIP: I think cake mixes tend to turn out a little dry, so try adding a box of vanilla pudding mix to your cake batter before baking. It will be super yummy! Also, you could definitely use different cake mixes or cake made from scratch if you prefer. I think a lemon cake mix would be amazing!

Spicy Potato Chowder

I based this recipe from another recipe I got from a FRIEND who got it from a friend and so on. It is actually from Market Street Grill, a local RESTAURANT in Salt Lake City. Let me just say, SOOOOO good!

Spicy Potato Chowder

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup flour

2 cups peeled and diced potato
1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green bell pepper

1 cup diced leek

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 quart half-and-half

Combine the melted butter and flour in an ovenproof dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, combine all of the remaining ingredients except the half-and-half in a large soup pan and simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in the baked butter and flour mixture, which should make everything look slightly less thick than cookie dough. Stir in the half-and-half until well blended and then heat through, stirring occasionally. Makes 6 servings.

TIP: I didn't have clams or clam juice when I made this, but you you can add both. Just replace the apple juice with clam juice and add a can of clams. I also like to add both red and green bell pepper because the red really pops and adds some nice color to this super yummy soup!

Poppy Seed Casserole

This is a SUPER yummy pasta recipe from my mom that always gets RAVE reviews. I think the cheese mixture you TOSS the noodles in is the SECRET to how tasty this dish turns out!

Poppy Seed Casserole
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
12 to 18 ounces rotini noodles, cooked and drained

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the turkey and bell pepper together until turkey is done; drain. Add the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer over low heat. 

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, and poppy seeds, and then mix with the drained hot noodles. Place noodle mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and top with the turkey sauce mixture. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the Parmesan over top. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can use ground beef if you prefer it over the ground turkey. Also, since there is so much yummy stuff that goes in to this recipe, I usually use light cream cheese and sour cream, and I can never tell the difference (neither can the other people eating it!). So try saving a few calories that way and make it more "healthy"

Caramel-Coated Marshmallow Krispies

As embarrassing as it is, I got this RECIPE from my kindergarten teacher about 25 or so years ago. It was a recipe my CLASS made together, and I've now made it off and on all these years. It's SIMPLE, and obviously kid friendly, and is definitely not your normal Rice Krispies TREAT. I hope you like it!

Caramel-Coated Marshmallow Krispies
1 pound caramels, unwrapped (about 60)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 bag large marshmallows
Rice Krispies

In a saucepan, melt together the caramels, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Once all melted and smooth, dip a marshmallow into the caramel to coat and then roll to cover in Rice Krispies. Set on wax paper to cool for about 1 hour before tasting!

TIP: The full recipe makes quite a few, so I usually do half and make around 10 or so for my little family. And that leaves me some caramel to use as a dip for apples! Also, make sure to store in a plastic ziplock bag or container. Take note that after a few days the Rice Krispies might lose some of their "crispiness." :)