Foodie Friends Friday #15

It is time again for Foodie Friends Friday. Thank you so much for being a part of the linky party last week!  This week's sponsor is The Lovebug Collection.  Three randomly picked winners will be chosen to receive a foodie themed headband/tieback.

What a great weekend at Foodie Friends Friday. So much food and fun again.  

Thank you to everyone who came out and linked up all these fabulous recipes this week!  

Thanks again to our sponsor this week as well, A Mustard Seed Dream, for providing the canister labels as a gift for 3 of our lucky winners.  Be sure to visit her Etsy Store as she has some awesome stuff there!

And now... here are all the winners this week.

Top 3 Voted:

1. Sun-driend tomato chicken spaghetti  5 votes

2. Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake  4 votes

3. Pumpkin Crumb Cake  4 votes

Most Clicks:

 1. Sun-dried tomato chicken spaghetti 

 52. Swirly Pumpkin Brownies 

 53. Sweet Heat Tacos with Pineapple Salsa 

Winners of Sponsor Gifts:

Entry #5Marlys F.

Entry #90Danielle

Entry #34Marsha J.

Foodie Friends Friday

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom

Robyn at Robyn's View

Marlys at Marly's This and That

Lois at Walking on Sunshine

Lindsey at Family Food Finds

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Michelle at From Calculus to Cupcakes

Cynthia at Feeding Big

Jodie at Binomial Baker

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade

Angie at A 'lil Country Sugar

Erika at Chef Picky Kid

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brittle Blondies

This recipe came about in quite an unusual way.  My dad and his friends eat a lot of peanut brittle... don't ask.  Anyway, there is all of these small bits at the bottom of the can, and so he was going to throw this away, when my mom said he should give it to me because she thought I would figure out someway to use it.  So, I went about deciding how to use it.  There are lots of things that would be good with a little peanut brittle mixed in, but I wanted something good enough to be worth your time to buy and crush the brittle just in case you don't have the crumbs from the bottom of many cans like I did.  I know what your thinking, "Who does?"  Right, it is a long story.  But, the story has a really yummy ending.  These are awesome!

To make these, I took a basic blondie recipe I found at Annie's Eats.  Ok, it wasn't really basic until I left out all the good stuff Annie mixed in.  Then, I replaced those mix-ins with the peanut brittle and white chocolate chips (because I kind of have a thing about white chocolate and peanuts).  The results were perfect.  You really have to try these!

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Freezable Slow Cooker Goulash

This is another one of the meals I am making with the intent of eating home cooked food on busy weeknights.  Just like the Curry Chicken, you freeze the raw ingredients, dump them in the slow cooker the day you want to eat it, and it is ready when you get home - well almost.  In this case, you do have to stir in some sour cream and cook the noodles, but you should be able to have dinner on the table about 30 minutes after you get home, with very little work involved.  Also like the chicken recipe, this one called for baby carrots, which I used (I made and froze them on the same day).  Next time, I will just cut up regular carrots because the baby carrots are just not as good after being frozen.  You could also dump in a bag of the baby carrots (unfrozen) with the other ingredients and that might work better.  This is recipe is my favorite of the freezable slow cooker recipes I have tried thus far, and I think you will really like it.  Plus it is super easy!

I got this recipe from Mama Baby Love and only changed it just a little bit.  I reduced the amount of onion by a lot because I am not a big onion fan, and I added additional sour cream into the goulash instead of just using it as a garnish.  Hope you enjoy!

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Foodie Friends Friday #14

It is time again for Foodie Friends Friday!  Thank you all so much for your great recipes last week!  This week our sponsor is Mustard Seed Dreams!  Three randomly pick winners will win a canister label set.

Here are last week's winners:

Fan Drawing: (each will receive a coupon for Free Daiya Cheese)

1.  Jessica

2 . Tara, Let's Eat Beef Stew

Blogger Drawing: (each will receive a coupon for Free Daiya Cheese)

1 .	High Heels and Grills Tin Foil Dinners
2 .	A lil' Country Sugar Roasted Balsamic Zucchini
3 .	Life with Lovebugs Vegetarian Chili
4 .	A Girl's Reflection Italian Wedding Cookies

AND...

Top 3 Voted: 

(don't forget to grab your "brag button" on our Get Our Buttons Page)

#1 Marlys This and That - Baked Rice with Eggplant and Zucchini

#2 Family Food Finds - Vegan Crunch Wrap

#3  Pint Sized Baker - Ginger and Lime Sandwich Cookies

Top 3 Most Clicked

(don't forget to grab your "brag button" on our Get Our Buttons Page)

#1 Sweet Heat Chefs - Dark Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Truffles

#2 Marlys This and That - Baked Rice with Eggplant and Zucchini

#3 Busy Vegetarian Mom - Vegan Philly Cheese Steak

This week's hosts are:

Foodie Friends Friday

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom

Robyn at Robyn's View

Marly at  Marly's This and That

Lois at Walking on Sunshine

Lindsey at Family Food Finds

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Michelle at From Calculus to Cupcakes

Cynthia at Feeding Big

Jodie at Binomial Baker
R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade
Angie at A lil Country Sugar A 'Lil Country Sugar
Erika at Chef Picky Kid Chef Picky Kid

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tomato Bisque

Fall means soup time and tomato bisque is one of my husband's favorites.  In fact, it is such a favorite of his that he is the one that makes it instead of me.  He has tried many recipes, but this seems to be the favorite, at least for now.  I love it when he makes it because it is the ultimate comfort food - soup, and I didn't even have to make it!

He got this recipe from Food and Wine and just slightly adapted it.

Tomato Bisque

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
2 14 1/2-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional garnish:  fresh basil, chopped


Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat Add the onion, carrot, celery and cook just until vegetables are beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.  Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook stirring constantly for one minute Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste stirring to combine.  Bring to a boil. Cover and cook the soup over medium heat, until the vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, puree until smooth in batches using a blender or food processor.  Stir in the cream and heat just until heated through.  Stir in remaining butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.  Garnish if desired. 

Source:  Food and Wine

This recipe was shared on Foodie Friends Friday.

Peaches and Cream Cake for My Mother's Birthday

I made this cake for my mom for her birthday.  It is a vanilla cake using the same recipe I used for these vanilla bean cupcakes.  I know she loves peaches, so I filled it with homemade peach filling.  And, then I frosted it with a quick butter cream that she always says tastes like ice cream.

I originally got the recipe for this cake off from  Annie's Eats , where it was used as cupcakes.  I liked it so much as cupcakes that I decided to turn it into cake.  The filling is one I came up with on my own based on numerous fruit filling recipes I have used and seen over the year.  I pureed the peaches and just kept adding sugar, a little at a time, until I got the right sweetness.  And then, cooked it with cornstarch to thicken it.  I think you will love it as much as I did!

Peaches and Cream Cake
yield:  12 large servings


2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
5 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour three 8 inch cake pans (at least 2 inches deep).  I also line mine with parchement and butter and flour it as well.  Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  Cream together butter sugar and vanilla bean seeds with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time mixing after each addition.  Add vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix until evenly distributed.  Add the flour alternately with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition and beginning and ending with flour.  Evenly distribute the batter into the the three pans  Bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before filling with peach filling and frosting with vanilla buttercream.  Spread filling on one layer.  Top with the second layer and spread filling on it.  Top with the third layer and frost with vanilla buttercream.  Garnish as desired.



Peach Filling

2 cups peel peaches, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Puree peaches in a food processor or blender.  Combine with sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil about 1 minute or until thick.  The cornstarch will have given it a whitish look that will go away and become more translucent when it is cooked.  Let cook completely before filling cake.

Vanilla Buttercream

4 sticks butter, softened

8 cups confectioners' sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/4 cup milk or water (or more if you desire a thinner icing)

Beat all ingredients together using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer.  Frost cake.  This will make too much, but I really don't like to scrimp on the frosting.

Source:  Cake adapted from Annie's Eats.

Freezable Slow Cooker Curry Chicken

My work schedule this year has changed quite a bit requiring a minimum of 45 hours in the building (and I am having a lot of trouble keeping that down to 50), and a start time that has me getting up before 5 am.  And then, there is the work I have to bring home...  So, this has resulted in me eating a lot of convenience food.  I mean I might make something for the blog or cook all weekend for the blog, but week night dinners were becoming, well, not real food.  So, I went in search of a solution and have found quite a few websites with freezable meals that have been very helpful.  Freezable meals that can be cooked in a slow cooker or crock pot have been even more helpful.  My husband does not have nearly as early a schedule as I do, so if I put together slow cooker meals and put them in the freezer, he can then take them out put them in the slow cooker, and they are ready when I get home.  And, the best part is that they are real food.  The goal is fewer chemicals.  I have absolutely no scientific evidence of this and don't even know if there is any out there, but I weigh less when I eat real food.  I have done the calorie counts on what I was eating and what I am eating now.  On paper they are very similar, some days I am even eating a good bit more, but in the two weeks since we have started this, I have lost over 3 pounds with no other changes.  Could be just a coincidence, but it is working for me right now, and that makes me happy.

I found the original version of this Curry Chicken at Mama and Baby Love, but of course, I have to change everything, so you are going to get my version.  Next time, I think I will change it even more.  I don't really like the baby carrots in it.  I have made several of these meals, and the baby carrots just are not good to me after they have been frozen, so next time I am going to cut up my own carrots.  And, yes I have read about the possible evils of baby carrots.  I might change up the other vegetables too next time, and will update this to include those changes if I do.  Don't get me wrong, they were good, just not what I am used to with Curry Chicken.  

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