Mandarin Orange Cake aka "Pig Licking Cake"

Another recipe that my mom use to make for me and my sis.  I LOVE this cake!!!

Cake Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines butter cake mix (do NOT use the box directions for making the cake)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, do not drain
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional, but oh so good!)

Icing Ingredients:
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
1 large can crushed pineapple, do not drained
1 cup shredded coconut (optional, but again, so good!)


Directions:

Mix cake ingredients and split between 3 prepared (greased and floured) round cake pans.
Bake at 325* for 25-30 minutes.  Let cakes cool completely before assembling.

Stir together dry pudding and pineapple.  Add whipped topping, mix well.

Once cakes are cooled...Alternate cake and icing to make a three layered cake, and frost the outside of cake as well.  Cake must be keep in the refridgerator!

Hot Bean Salad

From the kitchen of our Mom! It has to be good then, right? ;-)

Ingredients:

1 lb of bacon
3-4 onions, sliced
garlic or garlic salt to taste
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 large can of B&M beans, Bush's beans, or Pork and Beans
2 cans baby lima beans or Great Northern Beans
2 cans kidney beans


Directions:

1. Pan fry bacon and drain...while the bacon is frying mix together the sugar and vinegar in a bowl.
2. Saute the onions in the bacon grease.  Pour the grease off of the onions, then add the sugar and vinegar mixture to the onions.
3. Boil for 15 minutes
4. Mix all the beans, bacon, and onions together (not the grease) and bake at 350* in oven for 1 hour or cook in a crock pot for 4-5 hours.

The Best Ever "Oven Beer Can Chicken"

My family can't rave enough about this chicken!!!  It is so tasty that even my husband who is NOT a fan of chicken loves this recipe!  We like it so much that we eat it atleast once a week.  Last week my husband had this great idea of making this chicken and then using the meat to make pita pockets for dinner, it was awesome!!  If you are not a fan of beer, you can use a can of chicken broth instead, and the chicken still turns out so moist and has awesome flavor!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup garlic powder

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 (12 fluid ounce) can light-flavored beer (such as Bud Light®, or your favorite kind)

1 (3 pound) whole chicken

2-3 bay leaves (whole)

2-3 Tbsp of veggie oil or olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
1. Mix the garlic powder, salt, dried oregano, and ground black pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Pour 1/3 of one can of beer into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place the open beer can in the center of the baking dish.  Pierce holes using a can opener in the can where there is not liquid in the can (you don't have to do the piercing can part, but I found that it gave the chicken more flavor).  Place the bay leaves and some of the spice mixture (appox. 1/2 Tbsp) into the beer/broth.
2. Rinse chicken under cold running water. Discard giblets and neck from chicken; drain and pat dry. Fit whole chicken over the open beer can with the legs on the bottom. With the breast of the chicken facing you, use a paring knife to cut a small slit on each side and press the tip of each wing into the slit to encourage even cooking.
3. Rub the veggie or olive oil all over the chicken.  Rub the prepared seasoning mixture over the entire chicken.
4. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven. If you find that the beer/broth in the pan has dried or no longer there, add additional beer/broth or some water.  Check the chicken after 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Continue baking until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 30 additional minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven and discard the beer can. WARNING...Chicken and beer can will be HOT, so be careful when trying to remove the can!!!

BBQ Ribs (Slow Cooker Style)

Ingedients:

2 slabs of baby back pork ribs
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups bbq sauce (sweet baby rays, or your favorite kind)
1 cup chili sauce (I didn't have any so I used 1 cup ketchup and 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 Tbsp vinegar (I used 3 Tbsps)
2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used 3 tsps)
2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce (I used 1 1/2 tsps)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*....Season ribs with salt and pepper.  Place in shallow baking pan and brown in oven for 15 minutes.  Turn over and brown for another 15 minutes, drain fat.

In a medium bowl...mix bbq sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, worchestershire sauce, hot sauce, and some salt and pepper (I didn't add any extra salt and pepper).

Place ribs in a slow cooker, and pour sauce over ribs, turn to coat.  Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until ribs are tender.

When ribs are done cooking in slow cooker place the ribs on a pan and return to oven at 400* to carmalize bbq sauce..approx 10-15 mins

(recipe by Alicia Winborn)

Kikkoman Turkey Brine

I haven't tried this recipe, but I want to!

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons of cold water
• 10 ounces soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 2 tbsp sage
• 2 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp thyme

Directions:

1. Night before roasting your turkey, remove the giblets, and neck.  Rinse turkey inside and out.
2. In a large stock pot or 5 gallon bucket mix water with remaining ingredients.  Stir until salt is completely dissolved.
3. Place turkey in the pot/bucket and cover with a lid.  Refridgerate over night or atleast 8 hours.
4. Remove turkey from the brine, rinse well, and cook!

Crock Pot Sesame Chicken

Today was my middle daughter's birthday, and she had a special request that we eat Sesame Chicken.  Going out to eat is so expensive these days, and since we are on a budget, I did what I like to do and found a recipe on the internet.

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)

1 bag (16 oz) ready-to-eat baby carrots

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 to 1/3 cup honey (depending on how sweet you want it, we added extra)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp cold water

3 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sesame seed, toasted

2 green onions, sliced with tops

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker. Add carrots; sprinkle with ginger root. In small bowl, stir broth, honey, oil and dried minced garlic. Pour over chicken and carrots.  Cover and cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

With slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots to serving platter; cover to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; pour into 1-quart saucepan. In small bowl, mix soy sauce, water and cornstarch until smooth; add to liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and sauce begins to bubble.

To serve, pour sauce over chicken and carrots. Garnish with sesame seed and onions.  

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

So I made this a few weeks ago and meant to post pictures, but I never got around to it. Mike loved it so much that I made it again tonight for dinner. I tweaked the recipe and tonight's dinner was DELICIOUS!!!! Mike loved every bite.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package of bacon
1 8 oz package of Philadelphia Cooking cream cheese
salt
pepper
garlic powder
toothpicks

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Pound out the chicken to about 1/4 inch thick (so you are able to fold/roll it)

 Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In the middle of the chicken breast put a good sized amount of cream cheese in the middle.

 Roll the chicken breast up and pin with toothpicks. Wrap bacon around the stuffed chicken breast. I used about half the package on each chicken breasts. I know that sounds excessive and you can do it as you like, it just gives it so much more flavor!

 Pop it in the oven for 40 minutes. Dinner is done!

Dinner was served with sweet mashed potatoes and a cucumber & tomato salad.