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One of my new favorite ingredients to use is pie fillings.

Sure, it is fun to make my own apple pie filling, but geez? Peel all the apples, core all the apples, slice all the apples, lemon all the apples so they do not turn black…it’s a hassle and takes loads of time!  But pie fillings, they are so easy to use since it is just open the can and you are good to go.  I think this time saver is absolutely worth it!

One of my new favorite flavors to enjoy is lemon cake.  It is perfectly sweet and tangy all at the same time.  I have made this as a layer in cheesecake and as a layer between the vanilla cake.  They all have the perfect taste and texture which makes it amazing.  Try this cake with lemon filling, or cherry filling or anything else that suits your fancy! All of these are amazing options to make into a dump cake and with this one recipe, you can pretty much try them all and not fail.  So here is one recipe that will give you quite a few tasty dessert options. You will never be bored of the same old dessert again!

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Quick Tip: Use any pie filling you’d like to switch up the flavor.

About a year ago, my husband and I were getting the travel bug and wanting to go somewhere.

We were not sure what was the best place to go and did not want to spend much money either.  We wanted a place where the hotel would be reasonably priced and then we did not have to spend much to do things around the place.  We wanted a place with good food and that was different.  We did not want to go to a place that we already had been to.

So, I did my research and looked for top places to visit in Florida.  One of the first that popped up was Mt. Dora, Florida.  It seemed like such a cute little town, and we had never even heard of it.  So we quickly booked a room in a bed and breakfast and headed over.  When we arrived, we found a gorgeous small town with lots of little shops and mom and pop restaurants.  The owner of the bed and breakfast gave us a suggestion and we went with it.

That is when we found Shrimp and Grits on the menu and knew we had to give it a try.

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Quick Tip: Squeeze a bit of lime over the top.

The first time I made a poke cake, I was with my aunt and cousin.

I had slept over their house and my cousin and I spent the day in the pool.  But, before we were in the pool, I was all dressed up in my Sunday best with bows in my hair and all.  My mischevious cousin told me look over the edge of the pool, and I did.  She told me there was a dead frog and I desperately wanted to see it.  When I looked over the edge, she pushed me right in.

Needless to say, I cried for about thirty minutes over that incident.  I was so sad that I had ruined my dress and bow and was afraid of what my mom would say.  My aunt, in the effort of comforting me, told me we would bake a cake together, so we did.  We made a chocolate poke cake.  I was fascinated over the idea of a cake that after baked, I can ruin by poking. I thought if I did that at home, I would ruin a cake, but this cake was made with that in mind.

I was mind blown and could not wait to try it at home.

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Quick Tip: Frost this with any flavor you’d like.

All my life, Chick-fil-a has been our meals for when we hit the road for a trip.

We have never had one of those in our town, so we really loved enjoying it when we were on road trips.  It was truly something fun we looked forward to.  I always ordered my usual: eight count nugget box with fries, a bottle of water and one of their ultimate chocolate chunk cookies.  After a meal like that, I was stuffed!

After always ordering that, I could not even imagine changing up my order.  However, one day I had to.  I had come down with a very bad case of heartburn and had to change my eating habits.  One of those things was eliminating fried foods.  That meant, no chicken nuggets or fries.  What was I supposed to do now?

Well, I reluctantly ordered their chicken noodle soup and was beyond impressed.  It was more like a stew and completely and utterly delicious.  It had tons of noodles and chunks of chicken and I was so impressed. After that wonderful Chick-Fil-A encounter, I knew I had to replicate that experience at home.

And well looky here, I have found the perfect recipe to do that!

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Quick Tip: Add any veggies you’d like.

When I was about 4 or 5 years old I remember my Sunday School teacher making the best ever treats.

She would bring all the little kids a little something to munch on while she taught her class and once a month, she would bring a real special treat.  Usually, that consisted of cookies, cinnamon rolls, or even pizza every now and then.  But one day she showed up with an amazing cake.  She did not tell us what was in it until we were done eating it, but I remember being totally baffled. This cake is light and fluffy and has all the perfect flavors.  It is full of lemon flavors and is a little tart, but still perfectly sweet.  The glaze over the top is soft and melted and it makes for a really delicious afternoon treat.

I think it would go so well with a cup of tea!

After we finished eating it, our teacher told us it was made with 7 up.  That is what gave it that amazing lemon flavor.  I was mind blown.  How could soda make a cake so good? But it was so, and I was not disappointed…instead, I decided to make it at home!

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Quick Tip: Add the glaze while it is warm.

I Call This The OMG Fudge!

To be honest with you, this is actually called Snickers fudge but I prefer using “OMG fudge”. I can’t take credit for the name – I simply came up with it because everyone I’ve ever served this to has always said the same thing; “Oh my gosh!” This fudge is so unbelievably, mouth-watering, to-die-for delicious that it’s hard to describe it without sounding a little crazy. In a way, I guess this does make you a little nuts. You’ll understand when you sink your teeth into this.

Another awesome thing about this yummy recipe from Cooking Mamas is that it’s ridiculously easy to make. No candy thermometers involved, and you mostly just need to stir a few things together. There are only 7 ingredients so it’s definitely not rocket science.

Without a doubt, the hardest part about making this Snickers fudge is waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator until you can cut it to pieces. Now, that is another OMG moment! I’m pretty sure I could just eat the mixture with a spoon and it would still be delicious!

Recipe and image courtesy of Cooking Mamas.

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Quick Tip: Let cool in the fridge before cutting!

This Is Just The Way My Mother Always Made This Casserole

It’s a funny thing, about food. On one hand, you want to try all these delicious-looking, new recipes that will bring you flavors from different countries and cultures. On the other hand, there are some recipes you never ever want to change; the ones that your mother or grandmother used to make, the ones that seem to be so perfect as they are. Just like this one. This awesome bacon and green bean casserole from Dining With Alice is almost identical to my mother’s recipe.

There’s something about this classic Thanksgiving side dish that is so comforting. Maybe it’s the familiar flavors that make you feel like home, or maybe it’s just the fact that this is so beautifully creamy and we’re used to having it during the holidays.

Whatever it is, it makes me want to serve this year after year – even though I always search for all the new and modern alternatives first! To me this casserole is enough to make any meal a festive occasion. Which is kind of funny, since there are no fancy ingredients involved.

Recipe and image courtesy of Dining With Alice.

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Quick Tip: While this is typically a holiday side dish, it would make a nice weeknight meal served with homemade dinner rolls.