Key Lime Fudge...Only Two Ingredients!

 

This key lime fudge is perfect for St. Patrick's Day or the Easter holiday and it only has two ingredients and takes just minutes to make! 

 

 

They have Key Lime frosting out for the spring season and you need white baking chips. You only need a 12 oz. bag of chips and not this big huge bag.  I buy in bulk!  You will also need some Spring sprinkles.

 

 

1  16 oz. can of Key Lime frosting
1  12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips
Spring, St. Patrick's Day or Easter Sprinkles

Place the chips in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds, stir.  Microwave for about 1 more minute and stir again.  Do this until the white chips are completely melted.  This depends on your microwave.  Mine took about 2 minutes.  

Remove the top and the aluminum from the top of the frosting.  Microwave it for about 20-30 seconds.  Be sure to remove all of that foil or you will have fireworks in the microwave.  There is a reason I know this!  Stir the frosting into the melted chips and blend really well. 

Pour this into a 8"x8" or a 9"x9" pan that you have lined with wax paper.  You can spray the dish with nonstick spray if you don't have wax paper, but I think the paper works better.

 

Sprinkle with whatever sprinkles you want to use as soon as you pour it in the pan and it has not set yet.  If you wait until it has set, they will not adhere and will all fall off.  

 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.   Turn it out and peel the paper off.  Cut in 1 inch squares.

 

This Key Lime flavor will be great for St. Patrick's Day or Easter, but you can make virtually any combination with this you like, just by changing the frosting and the chips.   I think lemon would great for Easter also!  Do this with the kids, they will love experimenting with the flavors and putting the sprinkles on.

 

                                                                     Key Lime Fudge!

 





Pistachio Cake!

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with this beautiful "Pistachio Cake"!  Not only is it pretty, it's a moist, delicious tasting cake also.   This version is really dressed up with a butter cream frosting, which is more suitable for decorating.  

If you don't want to go all out or are not that big on cake decorating, I also give an optional version, baked in a regular Bundt pan and topped with a simple glaze.  Either way, it will delight your family and friends! 

Here is what you will need for this:

1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix 
1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup Sprite or 7 UP
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 cup walnuts, chopped or pistachio nuts, chopped and slightly toasted (optional)
few drops of green food coloring (optional)

Butter Cream Frosting

8 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening ( used Crisco)
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)


If you don't want to use the butter cream frosting and would rather do a Bundt type cake with just a simple glaze, skip the butter cream and make this:

Glaze

2 Tbs. butter, melted

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 - 3 Tbs. half and half or milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)

Optional garnishes:  chopped pistachio nuts or holiday sprinkles for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add almond flavoring and mix. Do not over mix.  It makes your cake dry.  If you are using the walnuts, stir them in.

If you are using the butter cream frosting, bake this in a tube pan or 2  9" cake pans that have been sprayed well with nonstick baking spray or greased and floured. 

In the tube pan, the cakes need to bake about 50-55 minutes.   If you are using  the 9" cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes.  Test with a toothpick inserted in the center.  When it comes out clean they are done.  

If you are using the simple glaze, bake in a 10 inch Bundt pan for 50 - 55 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting or glazing.

Prepare the butter cream frosting.  Beat powdered sugar, butter and shortening in a large bowl.   Beat milk and vanilla flavoring. Add almond flavoring if you are using it.   If it's too stiff beat in more milk a few drops at a time.

To make the simple glaze, just stir all of the ingredients together and blend until smooth.  Make sure it's thick enough so that it doesn't all run off of the cake.

 Frost the cake with the butter cream.  We piped around the top and bottom edges, but it's not required.  Then garnish the top with sprinkles or you could use the chopped pistachio nuts. 

Pistachio Cake!



Recap Perfect Easter Dinner!

 Spinach Strawberry Salad with Praline Pecans

Bacon Wrapped Maple Glazed Pork Loin

 Oven Roasted New Potatoes with Rosemary

 Green Bean Bundles

 Southern Corn Pudding

Nana's Bodacious Banana Cake

Easy Yeast Rolls

This is your perfect Easter Dinner and the recipes to do it all!  Happy Easter!

Peeps and Bunny Wreath!

I love this pink and green check deco mesh for spring and Easter!  I also found some cute Peeps to use at the Dollar Tree.  This wreath turned  out great and didn't cost a fortune to make.



Easter Peeps Flower Arrangement!

I am loving all of the ways I am seeing Peeps used for Easter this year!  Peeps have always been my son's favorite at Easter (he's 23 and he still loves Peeps).  I understand that most kids don't really eat the Peeps in their Easter baskets...so why do you keep buying them?  Because they are so cute and they fill the thing up I guess.  The funny thing is, my son ate the Peeps and left the big ole chocolate Easter bunny.  I ate that...lol, or his friends did when they all came over.  His friends never touched his Peeps though.  This is an idea for a floral arrangement using Peeps that I originally saw on Pinterest.  Next week, I am going to make a cake for Easter decorated with Peeps and Easter M&M's.  

I used branches from my dogwood tree for the flowers and jellybeans and two rows of Peeps for the vase.  Put a glass in the center of the bigger vase for your branches to go down in water. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Praline Pecans!

I love spinach salads.  I had the idea for this salad several years ago, before so many served spinach salads with fruit and nuts.  I am not sure why I thought of it, maybe I saw something similar in the food magazines I constantly read, but I don't remember ever seeing this anyplace when I first started making it.

Now it seems everyone has some sort of spinach salad with fruit, especially in the spring.  It's just perfect for Easter dinner and I also serve it for Thanksgiving and Christmas sometimes.  I add the dried cranberries to it for those holidays and it's wonderful.

Here is what you need for this: 

1 bag baby spinach

1 bunch green onions

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups sliced strawberries

5-6 slices bacon

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. half and half

1 1/2 cups pecans

1/4 cup honey mustard dressing

1/4 cup poppy seed dressing
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)  I add them for holidays!!! 







Make the pralines first by melting 1/2 stick butter in a skillet with 1 cups brown sugar.  When melted add 1 tsp. vanilla and about a 1 Tbs half and half...2 if it seems too thick.

Cook this until it bubbles and stir constantly because it will stick.  It is also very hot so be careful.

Add pecans and stir to coat. Once coated spread on waxed paper or nonstick Reynold's Wrap.  These will need to sit and dry for about an hour. Once dry, break apart for your salad into smaller bites.

Next layer spinach, green onions sliced, Parmesan cheese, and sliced strawberries in a pretty salad bowl.

Cook the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels, add bacon and then praline pecans to salad. Wait to dress the salad at the table or right before serving.  Use 1/4/ cup honey mustard and 1/4 cup poppy seed dressing.  The two flavors really complement each other and are perfect with the salad ingredients.  No need to even mix them.  Just add separately and then toss the salad.

This salad will make spinach lovers out of people who say they do not eat spinach!