Frozen Strawberry Margarita Dessert

I shared a slice of the wonderfully refreshing frozen treat with the great ladies at City Hall.  They were celebrating birthdays and I just happened to show up at the right time.  How lucky I was to be there, because this is SO GOOD!!!

Frozen Strawberry Margarita Dessert

• 1 cup finely crushed fat-free pretzels
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 14 oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine crushed pretzels, brown sugar, gourmet nuts, and melted butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of an ungreased 10″ springform pan and chill until firm.

2. Combine all of the juices with the sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Puree strawberries with juice in a food processor and add to the condensed milk mixture; beat until combined.

3. In small bowl, beat whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla; fold into strawberry mixture, then pour over chilled pretzel crust. Cover and freeze until firm.


*Hint* I left out the nuts because the "nuts" in my life don't like them!  Crazy people!!!
Thinking of trying this using fat-free cool whip instead of the whipping cream next time.  I'll post on how that turns out!

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Cinnamon Honey Butter!

If you have ever eaten at a Texas Roadhouse then you know why I NEEDED to make these!  They are the most delicious rolls I have ever had and this copycat recipe is right on!!  I am new to making breads of all kinds and this was so easy to make!  Of course making bread takes time, but these rolls are so worth the time!!  I can't make them all the time however, because I would eat them all!!  So good!

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 c. sugar 

2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)

2 whole eggs

2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar; let stand until frothy.  Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter).  Beat thoroughly.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk)about 3-4 hours).  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled(about 2-3 hours).  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.  Serve with Cinnamon Honey Butter (below).  

*Hint* I shaped my rolls by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then I folded the rectangle in half, making it about 1-inch thick. I used my rolling pin and rolled over the dough, ever so gently, just to seal the two halves together.  I then used a dough scraper and cut the rolls into squares and placed those on my greased baking sheet.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Whip the room temperature butter with whisk attachment for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth.  Scrape down sides of bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy.  Yield: about 3/4 cup.

Lemon Jello Cake

A friend told me about this cake.  He said that he would take anyone up on ANYTHING as long as there was a piece of this cake on the table.  I figured I better give it a try.  I was good, but I would not say I would do ANYTHING for it!  I did motify it to make it a little healthier!

Lemon Jello Cake


1 Lemon Cake Mix
3 oz pkg sugar free lemon jello
3/4 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup water
8 egg whites
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used 2 large lemons juiced)
2 cups powdered sugar


Blend cake mix, jello mix, apple sauce, water, and egg whites until moistened.  Use an electic mixer for approximately 5 minutes.  Grease and flour a 9x11 cake pan.  Pour cake batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.  poke holes in cake.  Smooth glaze evenly on top of the cake while the cake is still warm so the glaze will absorb into the cake via the holes.


Cut into 16 pieces.  Each piece 193 calories.

Pizza Roll-ups

These pizza roll-ups were so fast and easy and my family just gobbled them right up!!  Could not be easier!!

1 pkg crescent rolls
24 slices pepperoni
4 sticks mozzerella sting cheese, each cut in half
pizza sauce


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll crescent rolls into single triangles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  On the wide end spread a little bit of pizza sauce, top with 3 pepperoni slices, and half sting cheese stick.  Roll up.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crescent roll is browned and cheese is oozing out.  Use extra sauce for dipping if you'd like.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

I love crock pot meals!!!  This Crock Pot BBQ Chicken was wonderful and my entire family loved it!  It was sweet and spicy and super easy to make!  Here I have it along side home-made baked sweet potato fried and some veggies.

Crock pot Barbecue Chicken

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (I threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray's all the way!)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in crock pot. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

Crock Pot BBQ Beans

At a Holiday Party this winter someone made these beans and they were wonderful!!  I have done a few things different at times to change it up a bit, but either way you have it; yum-o!!

Crock Pot BBQ Beans

1 can green beans, drained

1 can wax beans, drained

1 can lima or butter beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can pork and beans, NOT drained

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and removed from grease *See Hint*

1 small onion chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Mix all together and put in crock pot to simmer for several hours.

*Hint*

You could substitute turkey bacon in this. 

I have also used it as a main dish by using cooked ham that I had leftever rather than using the bacon.

Strawberry-Orange Pasta Salad with Chicken

My husband came home from celebrating Easter with his family and said that a family friend had made this wonderful salad for their Easter meal.  I sent her a message for the recipe, because it's not very often my husband gives me food ideas!!  I made it that following weekend and my entire family loved it as well!  What a great addition to my salad selection!  *Hint* She said the original recipe didn't call for the chicken, but she thought it really made the salad great and I agree.  But if you would like it without the chicken, go ahead.  Either way I think it would be great!

Strawberry-Orange Pasta Salad with Chicken

2 cups Farfalle (bow-tie)
1/3 cup Kraft Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
1/4 cup Mayo
4 green onions, sliced
1 can (11 oz.) madarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced strawberries
chicken

Cook pasta, drain, and cool.
Mix dressing and mayo.
Add pasta, chicken, and onions, toss to coat.
Stir in fruit.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.