4th of July

Red, White, and Blue Trifle by Sandra Lee

So what are you having for the 4th?

Down here in the South, we like to grill so, weather permitting, here are some ideas for your 4th feast:

Decorations-

tablecloths

festive lights

red, white, and blue ribbons

red, white, and blue candles

star shaped ice cubes (add confetti inside before freezing)

Breakfast-

Star shaped pancakes topped with whipped cream, berries, and red, white, and blue sprinkles along with "stripes" of bacon

Lunch/Dinner-

Ribs, steak, sausage/brats, or burgers

Texas Country potato salad by Paula Deen

Rosemary Corn-on-the-Cob

Beans
other grill ideas

Dessert-

Strawberry Shortcake by Paula Deen

Pie

Cookies

Fruit pizza made with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

Cobbler

Homemade ice cream

Red, White, and Blue Triple Berry Brownie

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Taste of Home's 4th of July recipes

Jell-o Easy Patriotic Pie

S'Mores

Fun for the kids-

Rice Krispie treats made with red, white, and blue sprinkles OR M&Ms, then cut out with star cookie cutters and drizzled with red, white, and blue icing or melted candy melts

Red or blue Kool-Aid
Red or blue Jell-o or Jell-o jigglers

Homemade Crayons and Tye-Dye Candles

This is another idea from iMOM.com

1.When you have accumulated a box full of broken crayons you can gather them up and evenly distribute them (without the wrapper) into a small muffin tin.
2.Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees until the wax is fully melted.
3.Remove the tray from the oven and set it in the freezer for half an hour.
4.Once the wax hardens and cools you should be able to easily remove little "crayon cookies" from the tin.
(If you would like you can add some glitter to the mix before you bake them for a little more sparkle.)

To create tie-dye candles you can follow the same baking instructions above, and use the melted crayon wax to dip small white candles in. You can find the candles in the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store or at the dollar store. The wax creates a tie-dye effect and you can accentuate the waves by tracing them with glue and adding glitter or acrylic rhinestone jewels.

Make Your Own Play-Doh

This is another idea sent to me by iMOM.com

Recipe #1

•1 cup flour
•1/2 cup salt
•1/2 cup water
•A few drops of food coloring

1.Measure out 1 cup of four, and pour it into a bowl.
2.Measure out 1/2 cup of salt, and add that to the bowl.
3.Add 1/2 cup of water to the above mixture.
4.Mix until mushy.
5.Add a few drops of food coloring, and then knead the dough. (Add more food coloring for more intense color.)
Recipe #2

•3 cups flour
•1 cup cold water
•1 cup salt
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
•2 teaspoons vegetable oil
•A few drops of food coloring
1.In bowl, mix water, salt, oil, and food coloring to make a bright color.
2.Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture becomes doughy.
Recipe #3

•1½ cup flour
•1 cup salt
•1/2 cup water
•2 tablespoon oil
•A few drops of food coloring
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Ice Sculpting for kids

Picture from Family Fun website

I received this idea from iMOM.com

1.Start your preparations for your ice sculpting at least 10 hours in advance.
2.Fill plastic containers, ice trays, muffin trays, or milk cartons with water and add a couple droplets of food coloring.
3.Store them in the freezer and wait until the water is frozen solid.
4.When you are ready to start building, take the objects outside and have your kids help remove the ice from the containers.
5.Let your children try stacking, sorting and building with the ice.

Stephanie's idea: For more fun, use shaped ice trays such as stars (found at Wal-Mart around the 4th of July) or hearts, etc..... (found at IKEA or craft stores such as Hobby Lobby)

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff by Paula Deen

2 lbs. beef tips (aka stew meat)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of onion soup
1 (8oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained ** I use pre-sliced fresh mushrooms instead
1 tsp. pepper
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 (8oz) carton sour cream
1 (16oz) package of egg noodles, cooked and hot

In a slow cooker combine beef tips, onion, onion soup, mushroom soup, mushrooms, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours (it only took me 6 hours when I prepared this). When done cooking, stir in cream cheese and sour cream and mix until combined. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

In my opinion: This was fabulous! I even loved the leftovers and I am not one for leftovers. I'm putting this at the top of my slow cooker favorites.

Very Cherry Cake by Paula Deen

1 cup butter, softened
1¾ cups sugar
2 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup whole buttermilk
5 egg whites, beaten until stiff
1 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
Cream Cheese-Cherry Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish: maraschino cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray three 9-inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add cherry juice and vanilla, beating until combined.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; sift. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until combined after each addition. Gently fold in beaten egg whites until mixture is smooth. Gently stir in maraschino cherries.

3. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese-Cherry Frosting evenly in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with maraschino cherries, if desired.

Makes one 9-inch cake


CREAM CHEESE-CHERRY FROSTING

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Slowly beat in cherry juice until mixture is smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

Makes about 4½ cups.

In my opinion: This was a fabulous cake. I think it will become a Valentine's Day tradition.

Welcome!

Welcome to my recipe blog. Please feel free to join my group on Facebook. Just type in, "Aggieland Mommy Cooks."

As you will see on the right, under labels, (scroll down a little) there are lots of categories to choose from.

Feel free to leave a comment about how you found me and what you are looking for. I am currently looking for more, yes MORE Crock Pot and Freezer recipes. Pretty soon I'll be doing the grilling thing again though...well my husband will be...and we'll be looking to try some new recipes on the grill too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Snow Ice Cream

recipe from allrecipes.com

1 gallon snow
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk

When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.


Here's one from Paula Deen
8 cups snow, or shaved ice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls

Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars

•2 sticks margarine (or butter if you want to indulge) -- softened
•1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar-- packed
•3 large eggs
•1 teaspoon ground ginger
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 and 1/2 cups flour
•1/4 cup minced dried cranberries
•1/4 cup Lindt or Perugina or other quality white chocolate -- coarsely chopped
•1/4 cup minced candied ginger


•For Frosting:
•4 ounce cream cheese -- softened
•1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
•2 Tablespoons butter -- softened
•1 teaspoon vanilla


•For Garnish:
•2 Tablespoons minced dried cranberries
•1/3 cup white chocolate chips (e.g. Ghiradelli or Guittard) -- melted
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

1. Beat butter and sugar together for the cake base, and add eggs/vanilla beating until fluffy. Sift together flour, ginger, and salt and then add to the butter/sugar mixture beating well. Fold in the cranberries, chocolate and ginger. Spread thick batter in pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden.

2. When cake is cooled, mix all frosting ingredients together and spread a thin layer over the cake. Immediately sprinkle with the minced cranberries. Then use a cake decorating bag of melted white chocolate with a tiny decorating tip (like the size used for writing on cakes) and drizzle the chocolate over the cake.

3. Cut this into bars immediately because the white chocolate hardens pretty fast and makes cake cutting messy

In my opinion: These bars are GREAT! I have never had them at Starbuck's so I don't know how they compare, but I loved making them myself. My husband does not like chocolate so I am always looking for white chocolate recipes and this is one we'll make again and again.

St. Patrick's Day

Cupid's cups made with lime jello-"Leprechaun's ..."
Dipped marshmallows
Dipped pretzels
Bailey's Irish Cream Cake
TONS of yummy dessert (Bailey's Irish Creme and Creme de Menthe) recipes here.
Irish Coffee Brownies
Irish Cream Bread Pudding
Shamrock Milkshake
Irish Cream Cheesecake
Iced Irish Cream Coffee



Leprechaun Fizz-
Ingredients: • lime sherbert • ginger ale or spriteDirections: 1. One recipe I do every year with my kids, is what I call the "Leprechaun fizz". I just use clear plastic cups, put a scoop of Lime sherbert in each cup, and fill with ginger ale or sprite. It's sickenly sweet to me, but the kids sure love it! The love to watch the green fizz.

St. Patrick's Day

I can't believe St. Patrick's Day is in 9 days. I'm a little late in my planning for fun things to do with my kids. Here are some ideas so far:

Grasshopper Pie (not for the kids)

Leprechaun's Kiss (like Cupid's Cups but using green Jell-O)

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Easy 1-2-3 Shamrock Milkshake

Grand Champion Cow Patty Pie

Marshmallows on a stick dipped in melted green candy (Wilton) and with sprinkles added

Green tinted white chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles

More to come....

The MOST amazing banana cake ever!

A co-worker made this banana cake today for another co-worker's birthday. It came from this blog, Sweet Blessings, and I would have to say it might be the best cake I have ever had. Plus, it has bananas in it so you KNOW it's a healthy cake ;)

Cake:
3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 t vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 t lemon juice
1 1/2cups mashed ripe bananas


Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 t vanilla


Cake:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice and set aside. In another bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture along with buttermilk- alternating between the two. Stir in banana mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake for between one hour and one hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.


Frosting:
Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in vanilla and then powdered sugar. Mix on high speed until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.


TIP OF THE DAY: Do NOT skip the freezer step! It sounds strange but is what makes this cake so yummy and moist! I was skeptical at first but promise, you will be amazed!

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Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork by McCormick

3 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast, well-trimmed (or pork Boston butt roast)
6 oz pkg McCormick BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning (I couldn't find at HEB)
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c cider vinegar
...pickles
...buns
...Texas Country Potato Salad by Paula Deen

1. Place pork in slow cooker.
2. Mix seasoning packet, ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar until blended. Pour over pork. Cover.
3. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. remove pork from S.C.
4. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return to S.C.; mix and heat with sauce before serving.

10 servings

In my opinion: This was fabulous! I am drooling just thinking about it. I was amazed at the flavor and tenderness. Think of the possibilities for left-overs: fajitas/tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, etc....

Crock Pot Aloha Chicken

from Gooseberry Patch's Slow Cooker Recipes

4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
20 oz pineapple chunks
11 oz mandarin oranges, drained
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T soy sauce
1 t fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1. Arrange chicken in slow cooker; set aside.
2. COmbine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
Serves 8-10.

In my opinion: I don't remember when I made this recipe. All I wrote on the recipe card was, "interesting."