recipes

Mmm, after searching long and hard, I finally found a recipe that makes THE BEST focaccia. It’s very similar to the bread they serve at Macaroni Grill. We had it fresh out of the oven the other night with a little olive oil over fresh cracked black pepper for dipping, and it was absolutely to die for. I wrote a guest post with the recipe for Lori over at My Wooden Spoon if you’d like to try it for yourself!

BTW, don’t forget to vote for Lori’s Shrimp Stroganoff Casserole in the Velveeta Casserole Challenge. You can vote once a day, and you might even win one of ten coupons for a FREE loaf of Velveeta Cheese from me!

Are you looking for a super yummy and cute desert to make for the Fourth of July? Well, look no further! The kids will love it, and you can feel good about serving them something that’s both tasty and healthy, because as we all know, the two don’t always go hand in hand.

Ingredients

1 c. vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 c. Cool Whip
1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 c. cut-up fresh strawberries and/or raspberries
3 c. fresh blueberries

In a mixing bowl, stir together yogurt and vanilla extract. Fold in Cool Whip until evenly distributed. You can do this part ahead of time and assemble your parfaits just before serving to prevent the fruit from getting mushy.

To serve simply alternate layers of berries and yogurt mixture in a red, white, and blue pattern. They look prettiest in clear glasses so you can see the layers. Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy!!!

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

In honor of the Chocolate Party over at Life as Mom, I thought I’d post my to die for hot fudge cake recipe. There’s nothing like it right out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Plus it’s a great recipe to make with kids. It’s super easy, and they’ll think it’s magical the way it separates into layers of gooey chocolate and rich hot fudge. You’ll love it because the touch of cinnamon adds a little something extra that you just can’t quite put your finger on.

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c. whole milk
2 T. melted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. boiling water
vanilla bean ice cream

4 Easy Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8″x8″ glass baking dish or shallow 2-qt. casserole.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 1/4 c. cocoa. Whisk in milk, melted butter, and vanilla just until smooth. Spread batter into baking dish.

3. In a small bowl mix brown sugar and 1/4 c. cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Carefully pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over mixture. DO NOT STIR.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Batter will separate into cake and hot fudge layers. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. It tastes just as good reheated, but you will have less fudge because the cake will absorb it.

Enjoy!!!