Strawberries and Cream Crepe Cake

I have such a love/hate relationship with summer.  Do you?  I hate the heat, I love the heat.  I hate mosquitos, I hate bugs, but I love being outside.  I guess I'm a girl who can't be pleased or something.  One thing I DO love about summer most is fresh fruits and veggies.  Though I haven't ever grown strawberries, we have a few farms around here to go pick them at.  My sister did recently and I knew, when I tasted the jelly, it NEEDED to become part of a recipe.  And what is better in summer than anytime of the year?  Strawberry shortcake, of course!  Well, I figured most everyone knew how to make that, and I have been hungry for crepes, so here you go.  The marriage, as I see it, of the two delicious dishes!

This is a very easy dessert.  I think you could technically eat it for breakfast or brunch, maybe supper, oh let's be real, you will want it at midnight too!  You will probably use store bought jelly or jam and that is perfectly fine.  But please don't buy store bought crepes.  My heart won't be able to handle it.  You can go to my recipe for Nutella Cream Crepes and do a couple of things that I will list with the recipe.  Make those Nutella Cream Crepes while you are at it.  And roll that "R" for me baby.  HA! 

NOTE: My crepes appear a bit thick, they are.  I used my 6 inch nonstick skillet that I use only for crepes for this recipe.  Ideally, you will use an 8-9 inch pan for yours.  My cake served 4 very well, yours might serve a couple of more, or leave more for you to eat at midnight.

Here is what you are going to need to make the 3 different components that you will need to make this light, and delicious recipe.

You will need :
a double recipe of my crepe recipe and to this recipe, you will add 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  Make your crepes, and set aside to cool.

Vanilla Cream Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
1 individual cup of vanilla pudding or 1/3 cup if you are measuring it from regular size batch

Add all ingredients in a bowl and using your hand mixer, mix until well combined, then turn to high and beat for 1-2 minutes. 

Strawberry Filling
1/2-3/4 cup strawberry jelly
1-2 T. hot water

Mix together and microwave for 30 seconds, to loosen the jelly and make it a bit thinner. 

Now, here is how it goes...

First get your jelly/jam and vanilla cream together...

Then pull over your crepes...

Now, lay a crepe on a plate and top with a THIN layer of cream...

Top with another crepe and spread with strawberry jam...

Rinse and repeat until you have stacked all of your crepes.  I don't recall how many my double recipe made of the 6 inch but it will make a few less of the 8 or 9 inch.  No worries, your cake will still be perfect.

When you are done, refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.  If you are doing this with any other fillings I don't think it needa chilled, but with the jam it does.  Do not make this HOURS in advance. (You can make your crepes way in advance just not the whole cake)  You pretty much want to eat it as soon as it is chilled.  It ROCKS!

 

That is it.  Simple, isn't it?  I hope your enjoy it and make it soon!  Be creative with your fillings too!  Post your photos on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.  Use the hashtag #chefwannabesfood !

ENJOY!



Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Bake

A good evening to you all.  I always say that, don't I?  How should I start?  I mean the options are HOLLAAAAA, or like........YO.  No, those won't work.  Anyway, it IS a good evening, when I am writing this anyway and I hope it is for you too!

Summer has sprung.  I know we are all doing a lot more cooking outdoors but, sometimes, indoor cooking is our choice too!  We still have families to feed or maybe only ourselves.  In fact this recipe will do fantastic in the freezer if you have to many leftovers.  Those of you who are single will love to know that.  You can take out the broccoli, it will still be delish, but, honestly, if you take out the broccoli put in peas or something green.  Cause I am the mom that's why!

Enjoy this easy, and yummy casserole that is sure to fill up the tummies of all you love!

2 T butter
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup flour
2 3/4 cups milk
1 T. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
16 oz. pasta, cooked to al dente
2-3 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced
16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

If you cook your pasta in salted water, make sure to keep the water when you are done and cook your chicken in it.  Drain your pasta and set aside.  Return pot to stove top and add butter and onions.  Let onions cook for 2-3 minutes, while stirring. 

Add in flour and allow to cook while stirring for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.  Add in onion powder, salt, pepper and milk.  Let come back to a boil, stirring often.  Add in chicken and broccoli.  Remove from heat and add in 1 1/2 cups of your cheese.  Stir and pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and back for 20-30 minutes.  

This is a really easy recipe that is usually a winner for anyone I make it for!

ENJOY!

Strawberries and Cream Donut Holes

Evening folks!  This is one of the easiest recipes EVER.  It is more of an assembly process but I decided to share it with you anyway.  Are there recipes that are "to easy"?  I think we could all use a few of these in our last minute panic arsenal! 

Honestly, you COULD do this with glazed donuts as well but in my opinion, the sugar coma, won't be worth it.  I love using the donut holes because you can use them as a little mini dessert, little snacks, and it is just enough.  Feel free to make your own donut holes, I purchased mine because I was in fact taking these somewhere as a gift and was in a rush.  I recommend the glazed ones, no sugar dipped or anything. 

The amounts of the ingredients will really depend on how many you are making, I did a dozen.  I also used fresh sweetened whipped cream, but if you groove on cool whip or the stuff in a can, go for it.  The world is your sandwich friends, make it how you like it.  Make sure to buy your donut holes the day you are making these or they will go stale!

I hope this quick and easy, dessert, food gift, or snack is enjoyed by everyone you make it for.  Oh yea, make sure to make it!

1 dozen donut holes
4-6 nice ripe strawberries
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Start with prepping your strawberries, slice them thick or thin, just make sure you put the rounded end slices with the rounded part down in the whipped cream so the tops will sit nicely!  OCD much?  I own it.  In a bowl whip the cream, sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.  Now cut the donut holes in half and go to town.  You can pipe the cream on, but I just used a spoon.  Don't worry if you get whipping cream where you think it shouldn't be, I mean, that means there is just more.  NEVER a bad thing.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve but I recommend serving immediately.  (you might notice I said I made a dozen and there are only 10 on the plate)  No shame in my game, NONE!!

ENJOY my friends!

Coconut Orange Body Scrub

Hey friends!  Long time no see!  I have no excuse other than some other things have had to take priority, and there aren't enough hours in a day.  But I think I am back.  I think I said that before, but I am pretty positive now.  I am running 2 businesses, caring for my grand littles a few days a week and trying to keep up the blog and website.  Oh then there is being a wife, and having household duties, and all of that stuff!  We have had weddings, and baby showers and lots of photo shoots, it is crazy but I refuse to give up the things I love, so even if it is between 2 and 6 a.m., I WILL keep things up!

So speaking of baby showers, I held a surprise one this week for my niece Maegon.  She is my oldest niece, she is only 5 years younger than me, so she is more like a little sister.  She is pregnant with her first baby, and this was something she was told may never happen so I wanted to celebrate big!  She lives out of state and was coming in for another nieces wedding and it was the perfect time!  I wanted to do something fun for the favors, as I themed her shower "The Jungle Book".  Her favorite color is orange (good choice, so is mine).  So I filled brown paper bags with banana runts, gummy bears, coconut jelly beans, animal crackers, bright green sixlets (needed the color!) and this sugar scrub.  Lots of you said you didn't mind seeing a recipe that wasn't food, although, you technically could eat this so if you have little ones and like to keep things natural, well, this is safe. 

There are 5 million recipes for body scrubs out there.  Many the same and many different.  I had some coconut oil I wanted to use up, and I wanted a sugar based scrub and not a salt one.  By the way, this is an awkward disclaimer, make sure you use this on your body and keep it away from, umm..... your "undercarriage" as it is sugar based which feeds yeast and well, I will let you google it, if you don't know what I am sayin!  OMG, that was so weird to type in a food blog.  Let's hurry ad just move on.  Act like it didn't happen.

This made about 10 half pint jars, but if you are using just for yourself, store in an airtight container and use it before self tanning, after being out in the sun, or just to pamper your skin it smells out of this world and it works amazing!  My mix and match was a hit, so here we go!

1 cup coconut oil, melted
4 cups granulated sugar
10 drops of orange essential oil.  (I purchase it at my local natural product store)
orange food coloring

Literally just put this all in a bowl and start mixing.  It might take a couple of minutes but it will all mix beautifully. 

The addition of the food coloring will not affect your skin at all.  When you have the color consistent you are basically done!  While I can't be exact on the shelf life, I am sure that it is at least several weeks and honestly, it won't be around that long anyway!!!

Enjoy soft, exfoliated, delicious smelling skin!!