Fast and Easy Weekend Coffee Cake

Nothing beats the sweet smell of cinnamon coffee cake on a Saturday morning!  But it's such a pain to make, right?  Wrong!  If you have Bisquick in the house (or if you're like me, Aldi's Baker's Corner brand Baking Mix - half the price and just as good), you can have it in less than the time it takes to get dressed and drive to Puffy Muffin!

This recipe is from the Bisquick box.  Always delicious!  Give it a try!

Weekend Coffee Cake

Streusel Topping
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp firm butter

Coffee Cake
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk (I use almond milk)
2 heaping tsp sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375

First, make the the streusel topping: Cut butter into baking mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon using a pastry cutter.  Mix until crumbly.  Set aside.

Next, mix together the coffee cake ingredients with a wooden spoon.  Stir until combined  (try not to over mix).   Pour batter into a greased 9 inch round cake pan (or something around that size).  Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the stop of the batter.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.

JL NOVA - Ashburn (Marabella) Chicken

As a former Junior Leaguer (was active for 10+ years!), I have a soft spot for Junior League cookbooks.  I've contributed to a few and purchased many.  In fact, whenever I see Junior League cookbook at a garage sale or thrift store, I buy it.  The recipes are almost always winners.  Here's why:  All recipes are tested and approved of by a committee before they are added to the cookbook.

One of the best JL cookbooks that I own is "What Can I Bring" by the Junior League of Northern Virginia (1999).  (I transferred to the chapter in 2002.)  Some of my favorite (and most shared) recipes come from this book: White Russian Cake, Sassy Sausage Dip, Burgundy Beef Stew, White Chili, Creamy Tomato Sausage Sauce, Cherry Butter Cake, honestly I could go on, but I won't.  Never fear...all of these recipes will make it to the blog eventually.

My introduction to Ashburn chicken came right after my youngest, Ben, was born in 2005 (a fellow League member brought it as a meal).  Also known as Chicken Marabella, it soon became a family favorite.  Some of you may scowl when you read the recipe...prunes and olives?! Ewww!  Please try it anyway.  It's delicious!

JL NOVA "What Can I Bring" Ashburn Chicken

8 chicken breasts
1/2 garlic blub pureed (1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
2 Tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers, undrained (4 oz jar)
3 bay leaves
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1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine

Combine first 10 ingredients in a Ziploc bag; chill overnight or 6-8 hours (I prepare in the morning for dinner that night).  Arrange chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish and pour marinade over the top.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour wine over the top.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  This chicken can be served hot or at room temperature.  I like it with pita bread.

NOTE: If you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you will need to decrease cooking time. Cook at 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Tastes Like Sanibel - Orange Mermaid Cake

Folks who grew up in Edina know there is just one place to spend spring break:  Sanibel Island, Florida.  Well, at least that's the way it was way back when I was in high school.  Sanibel still has a hold of me.  

Sanibel is an off the beaten path island located near Naples, Florida.  There's a charming lighthouse and fishing pier at one end and miles of bike paths leading to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge at the other.  In between are miles of shell covered beaches... and I'm talking good shells like conches, whelks, sand dollars, olives, etc.  There are also amazing restaurants, shops, and a two good supermarkets.

The supermarket that we visit when we get to the island is Jerry's.  Jerry's is an Edina-based supermarket.  Yep, the other one is in my hometown.  So, when I visit, I can purchase items that taste like home, but that I can't get in Nashville.  The other supermarket on the island that I visit, is a little more upscale: Bailey's.  We always make a special trip to Bailey's to purchase an orange Mermaid Cake for my sister (we're normally on the island for her birthday).  It is delicious!  

I've recently came across a recipe for Orange Crunch Cake that is very similar to orange Mermaid Cake.  I hope you like it as much as we do!

Orange Mermaid Cake

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup butter, melted

Cake

1 pkg white cake mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup orange juice concentrate

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

Frosting

1 can white frosting

1 cup Cool Whip

2 Tbsp orange juice

Preheat over to 350.  Mix crust ingredients together and pat 1/2 of mixture in bottom of greased 9x13x2 inch pan.  Mix cake mix with water, concentrate, oil and eggs.  Pour 1/2 of cake batter on crumbs.  Sprinkle remainder of crumbs on batter, then pour remaining batter on top of crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Mix frosting ingredients and frost cake when cool.

The Best Meat Loaf

Growing up in the Upper Midwest, I endured a lot of meatloaf in my youth.  To be frank, I hated it!  Ugh...big chunks of bread and onion in perfectly good hamburger.  No thanks!

I've learned to love meatloaf, thanks to this meatloaf recipe from my childhood church in Edina: Edina Morningside Community Church UCC.   This recipe creates its own barbecue sauce and there are no chunks.  I hope you give it a try!

Best Meat Loaf

1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste (dash)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease regular size loaf pan.  Press brown sugar in bottom of loaf pan. Spread ketchup over sugar.  Combine remaining ingredients until well mixed.  Place meat in pan on top of sugar and ketchup.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour.  Turn loaf out onto serving platter.  Spoon sauce on top.

Doritos Salad - Great Alternative to Taco Night

I have been craving the Doritos Taco Salad for a few weeks.  Oh my goodness...it is so good!

I like bringing this taco salad to potlucks and tailgates - there's something about the Nacho Cheese Doritos and Catalina dressing flavor that is just so right!  This salad is also a great alternative to the same-ole-same-ole taco night routine that we tend to get into during the school year.

Hope you give this a try!

Doritos Salad

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (10 oz) bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, crumbled
1 head lettuce, chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 bottle Catalina dressing

Prepare taco meat according to the directions on the seasoning packet.  Pour meat into large mixing bowl.  Crumble chips and pour onto meat.  Add other ingredients, except dressing.  Toss to combine.  Add dressing, toss again to coat.  Serve immediately.

30 Minute Cheesy Broccoli Soup

I love soup...and not just in the winter.  I make it year round.  One of my go-to recipes is a creamy, broccoli cheese soup.  Unlike some soups, this recipe takes only about 30 minutes to prepare and cook.  Honestly, that's about how long it takes to drive to the supermarket, pick-up soup in the deli, come home and warm up.  Plus, for the price of a single serving of deli soup, you can feed your whole crew.

My cheesy broccoli soup is a variation of the Kraft Velveeta Broccoli Soup recipe.  I really encourage you to give this one a try!

30 Minute Cheesy Broccoli Soup

2 tsp butter

1/2 white or yellow onion, diced

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 lb fresh broccoli, stems removed, chopped

3/4 lb Velveeta (I use Aldi brand to save $$)

pinch of ground nutmeg

ground black pepper to taste

Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat, add onion and cook for about 5 minutes.  Mix in flour and cook about 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.  Add milk and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 minutes.  Add broccoli, cheese, and black pepper. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.  

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Potluck Cherry Butter Cake

This time of year I am always searching for dishes to bring to potlucks and tailgates.  Love me some brownies, but really do not need to add to the 3 other pans there.  One recipe that we come back to again and again is Butter Cake.  I think Paula Dean put butter cake on the map, but we've been making it long before her show was even on the air!

My recipe for Cherry Butter Cake tastes a lot like cherry cheesecake.  The recipe is from my Junior League of Northern Virginia cookbook, "What Can I Bring?" (my favorite JL cookbook).   It's really easy and delicious!  I hope you give it a try!

Cherry Butter Cake

1/2 cup butter
4 large eggs, divided
1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 (20 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in 9x13x2 inch pan.  Beat 2 eggs and cake mix at medium speed with an electric mixer until eggs are blended.  Pour/pat batter in pan over melted butter.  Spread pie filling over batter.  Beat cream cheese and remaining 2 eggs at medium speed with a mixer until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, beating well.  Spread over pie filling.   Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve cool or at room temperature.

Note: If cherries aren't your thing, feel free to swap another flavor of fruit pie filling.