Happy Easter!

I love the Springtime and all things new! I love that we have the opportunity to remember and celebrate the Easter season! I'm so thankful Christ gave me the gift of the Atonement and was resurrected!

My youngest is almost 13. She decided to hide eggs this morning for her 17 year old brother and even though he wasn't feeling the best, he participated and found them. He then took the time to hide her eggs so she could do the same. They are good to each other!

I threw a roast in the crock pot and we attended our church services.

Once home, my kids colored some hard boiled eggs! I love holidays and am glad my kids will still humor me by participating in them!

The simmering roast was beginning to smell just right! 

We sat down and enjoyed a delicious Easter dinner!

The roast was deliciously moist! I usually simply put onions on the bottom of the crock pot adding the roast and pouring two cans of cream of mushroom soup over it with a couple cans of water.

 The potatoes and carrots come later so they don't go all mushy. 
We had a green salad, jello salad, fruit and rolls to go with it! Mmmmm.

My kids have all retired to their rooms to read and enjoy the evening; that is why I am up to no good and posting on Easter Sunday! However, I am about to call them for the peach pie just emerging from the oven that we are going to eat a la mode! 

I certainly hope you and yours had an enjoyable Easter!

Mock Cheese Cake

This is a strawberry desert! The recipe I have says it is a cheesecake, but I wouldn't call it that. It is more like a super tasty cream pie.

Strawberry cake

This could easily be a raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, peach, or whatever you like cake!

crush a couple of packages of graham crackers into fine crumbs (or do it the easy way and purchase graham cracker crumbs).

Melt 1/2 c. butter

Stir in  1 & 1/2 C. crumbs and press into a 9 X 13 pan.

Cream 2 pkgs of softened cream cheese, 1 C. sour cream, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 C. lemon juice.

Boil 1/2 C. water and dissolve a small pkg of lemon jello in it. Once dissolved, add 1/2 C. cold water and stir. Allow the jello to get cold and partially set. Add jello to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Fold in about half of a container of cool whip (I whipped some cream instead). Pour over crumbs and place in fridge till set. Make a pkg. of Danish desert up

according to directions on pkg and add 4 C. sliced strawberries to it. Pour over the top and refrigerate again. When set, slice and serve! 

Note; you may use canned pie filling for the top.

Orange Glazed Pumpkin Cake

I made this cake back in February for my Mom's birthday and am just now getting around to posting the recipe. It is delicious and very moist!

Orange Glazed Pumpkin Cake

1 yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 & 1/4 c. pumpkin

1 c. orange juice

1/3 c. sour cream

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

Combine and mix well. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes. Cool.

Orange Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

4 tsp. orange juice

3/4 tsp. orange zest

Combine well and drizzle over cake.

Easy Chicken Lasagna!

This recipe was a shot in the dark, but I had leftover pesto and wanted a way to use it that was different. I found this recipe and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was!!

Chicken Lasagna

melt 4 T. butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 c. flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 3 c. whole milk and cook 2 minutes more. Take off heat and stir in 1/2 c. pesto.

Stir together 15 oz. ricotta cheese, 1 c. grated parmesan, 1/2 c. pesto and some salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 2/3 c. sauce in a 9X13 pan. Lay no boil lasagna noodles on top. Top with 1/2 c. ricotta mixture, 3/4 c. cooked diced chicken, 2/3 c. sauce, and 3/4 c. grated mozzarella. Repeat layering three more times, finishing with 1 and 1/2 c. grated mozzarella. Cover with foil. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Let lasagna rest 15 or so before serving. 

Saint Patricks Day Dinner!

Yeah, I'm a month late and a dollar short, but here it is for an idea you could use next year!

I made the bread stick recipe that is on my blog, the chicken lasagna that will be on my blog shortly (I'm a bit behind; stats class has been keeping my nose to the grind stone!). Steamed some asparagus, green spinach salad and served sugar snap peas. It was a fun GREEN dinner! We had green pistachio desert a few days later cuz that's the way I roll.

Happy Green Day!

Homemade Pesto!

I received a pasta roller for Christmas and haven't had much time to try it out. Made some pasta, so I had to make some pesto to go with it!

Basil Pesto

1/2 c. pine nuts

2 c. fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add to any pasta dish!