CROCK POT SWEET GARLIC CHICKEN

This is a really great crock pot recipe! Serve over rice, baked potatoes, pasta or wrapped in a tortilla! 

CROCK POT SWEET GARLIC CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

2/3 c. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

1/4 c. lemon-lime soda

2-3 Tbsp. minced garlic

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp. water

3-4 green onions, chopped for garnish (optional)

Spray a 5 or 6 quart crock pot with non stick spray (or line it with those AMAZING crock pot liners you can buy).

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce and pepper.  Mix well.

Pour over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

When done, remove the chicken to a large plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour the sauce from the crock pot into a medium size sauce pan.  
Bring sauce to a boil. 
Mix together the water and cornstarch. While sauce is boiling slowly whisk in the cornstarch mix, and continue whisking until the sauce has thickened, usually 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes (remember that the sauce will continue to thicken while it cools).
  
Pour the sauce over individual servings of the chicken or you can mix all the chicken into the sauce-however you like it!
  
Enjoy!

Cranberry Apple Crumble

This recipe is so good.  And it is easy to assemble.

CRANBERRY APPLE CRUMBLE

FILLING:

3 c. peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples (3-4 apples)

2 c. fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries

1 tsp. finely minced orange zet

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. butter

3/4 c. white sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl toss together the apples, cranberried, orange zest and salt.

Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the 1 tsp. butter.

Transfer the apple mix to the baking dish and sprinkle the 3/4 c. sugar over the top.

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1 c. butter (2 sticks), melted

1 tsp. salt

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. rolled oats

2/3 c. flour

Combine all the topping ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix very well with a fork.  Or you can use a food processor, simply pulse until everything is combined.

Spoon the crumbly topping over the fruit, and bake for 45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm.  Add some vanilla ice cream with each piece-delish!

Note:  The original recipes suggests trying this dish using other fruits such as pears and blueberries or peaches and blackberries.  I'm sure your favorite combinations of fruit will work perfectly with this dish.

This dish can also be made a day ahead.  Simply prepare and store in the fridge until ready too bake.

Glazed Fruit Pie Bars

I got this recipe from my girlfriend Kylee (and she in turn found it at The Recipe Critic via Pinterest). She mentioned them one day so of course I had to try them.  She gave me the recipe and I got right to work.  The original recipe uses cherry pie filling but my son doesn't love cherries so I doubled the recipe and made the bars with apple pie filling and blackberry pie filling (for my husband). 

They got an A+ from my family!

GLAZED FRUIT PIE BARS

1 c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling (2 cans may be used if you're a fruit lover)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light yellow in color.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add the vanilla and almond extract.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture, 1 cup at a time.

Lightly spray a 15 x 10-inch pan with non-stick spray.  

Spread 3 c. dough evenly  on the pan. 

Spread the cherry pie filling over the top.

Drop remaining dough in little dollops over the top of the fruit.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool.

GLAZE

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 Tbsp. milk

Combine well and drizzle over the cooled bars.

THANK YOU KYLEE!

White Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Frosting

During the summer I was at an event where this cake was served, and everyone there fell in love with it.  I immediately knew I needed to make this for my son, the self proclaimed cake aficionado. 

My recipe has been adapted to make a standard size cake ( 9 x 13 pan), while the original recipe makes a half sheet cake size.  I have posted the recipe for the larger size cake at the bottom of page.

These photo's are from the 1st cake I made, the 1/2 sheet size cake.
The adapted recipe makes a much thicker/taller cake.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED FROSTING

1 (18.75 oz) box golden vanilla cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) box instant white chocolate pudding mix

3 eggs

3/4 c. oil

1 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bow, combine all of the cake ingredients and beat for 2-3 minutes.

Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been coated with non stick spray.

Back for 28-32 min or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool completely.

WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED FROSTING

1 3/4 c. whipping cream

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz) box instant white chocolate pudding mix

In a large mixing bowl partially whip the cream until it is about 1/2 way thickened.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the milk and pudding mix and whisk until it is just mixed. Pour the pudding mix into the half whipped cream and continue to whip until the frosting is thick and spreadable.  Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to mix until it is the desired consistency that you like.

Spread on cake and serve.

Note:  I like to chill this cake for a couple of hours before serving and I love serving it with fresh fruit.

1/2 sheet size recipe:

Cake

1 ½ boxes golden vanilla cake mix

1 white chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz.)

6 eggs

¾ c. water

¾ c. oil

1 ½ c. sour cream

Prepare as directed above.

Whipped Frosting

2 ½ c. whipping cream

¼ c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. milk

1 white chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz.)