Back from my hiatus!!!

Well, let's just say I took a hiatus for a while...don't we all need that every now and then!! Well, I did and what have I been doing you might ask, well, of course spending time with my 2 babies, planning a mission trip, training for fitness competition late this year possibly, the list goes on...so, I think I was due for a break!! Not to say I took a break from cooking, I still do that for my hubby and kiddos and even though I am in training and eat very clean foods, on Sundays I do eat a meal of whatever I want and dessert!! So, I wanted to share with all of you now that I am back and will be baking something every week to share with all of you, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do on Sundays....

This recipe is for Butterfinger Cake, let's face it when I train all week and Sunday rolls around, I pretty much bake something I am craving, but this particular Sunday, I being the sweet wife I am, let my husband choose his dessert..hehe Well, he chose Butterfinger Cake, I know my Mom use to make it for me as a little girl, but I really had forgotten how good it is after all these years..I made it and thought well, I will just have a bite, I had 2 big pieces, it is that good...very simple but ohhhhh soooo good!!!! and not only did my hubby love it, but my girls LOVED it too...I hope you all enjoy it too!!

Butterfinger Cake

1 box devil's food cake mix
1 bottle carmel topping (found in icecream section of your grocery store)
1 can Condensed milk
1 large tube Cool Whip
1 Butterfinger bar

Prepare cake according to package directions. Immediately after removing cake from oven, poke several holes all over top with fork. Mix sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping together, now pour over hot cake, and spreak it over entire cake. Chill well....After cake has chilled, and you MUST wait until it's chilled, then  spread Cool Whip over top and sprinkle crushed Butterfinger bar on top of cool whip...

I am telling you it's DELISH!!

Now, go and try this cake!!!!!

I am soooo behind, but finally caught up!!

Hi everyone, I have been so busy lately and haven't had time to post any recipes, but promise this weekend recipes will be coming again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cupcakes how I love you!!

I have to say I have a new love lately, cupcakes...I LOVE them...mostly red velvet..it's funny the things you never cared that much for and then wake up one day, and WOW, it's your new favorite thing...Actually, I only wish I could eat them everyday, but with training I only get a cheat on Sunday, so I save it for that day..I have also found not just any old cupcake will do, I am only wanting a gourmet cupcake since my cheat is only on Sunday, you have to make it worth it, right...well, my friend Shirley, who is also trains, and is a pro figure competitor just started a business in Atlanta, and it's called Sweet Cheats..and let me just tell you these are the BEST cupcakes in the world...seeing I have to support my friends and their new business, I ordered up some for my family and 2 for me..they got rave reviews..I cannot even tell you how good it was..I had red velvet which had white chocolate under the buttercream/cream cheese topping, yes, both, and Pumpkin Harvest with a gingersnap in the middle and cream cheese icing...Oh, how I wish it was Sunday again...



My two cupcakes...OH MY GOODNESS...they make my mouth water all over again..lol

Now for my family...the left is Chocolate Cookie Dough, and the right is Strawberry Shortcake with a vanilla cookie in the middle...

and a closer view....if anyone lives in Atlanta let me know and I will send you her contact info..really the best EVER!!

Fall days and Fall recipes...

I am so glad I have people interested in my recipes...I really have to confess, I haven't had much time for this because I have a family blog, a family book, recipe blog, etc, etc...so I decided to simplify my blogs, and deleted my family blog, I do a family book that is basically the same thing, and the only reason I do it is for my family, so by doing that, I have more time to work on my recipe blog, which is really my hobby to bake and cook...and now even though I still am in training, I get a cheat meal and dessert every Sunday, which is great, because I can try my own recipes..lol

I had to throw in a pic of me and my sweet girl from this weekend, out at a park enjoying the day..It's always nice to know who the person behind the blog is too!!!

oops, eyes closed..

 now, that is better!! My little baker!!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

What says it's Fall better than apples!!! Then add some caramel and cheesecake to it and you have a yummy Fall dessert in no time at all..This recipe is from Christie Bayless of San Bernardino who serves these to her catering clients and this recipe is one of their favorites!!!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusal topping (see below)

1/2 cup Caramel Topping


Preheat oven to 350 degrees..In a medium ball, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly in 13x9 inch pan lined with foil. Bake 15 minutes, or until light brown.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm crust. (your crust doesn't need to be cool because it's going right back in the oven) don't you love when that happens, you don't even have to wait on it to cool off!!!

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.Sprinkle evenly with Streusal Topping. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is set. Now, drizzle with some warm caramel topping..I just heated mine a couple seconds in microwave and then poured over the top..now, hurry, go make this, you won't be sorry!!!!

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oates
1 stick butter, softened

In a small bowl combine all ingredients..

 I took a few bites, just so you could see the middle of that cheesecake goodness...hehe

Cowgirl Cookies

I found a great cookie recipe for Fall, as a matter of fact, you can use this recipe for any holiday, and just change the Reese's pieces, to colored M&M's to match the holiday season..but for mine because I LOVE Reese's pieces,  and the colors matched with Fall that is what I used and I LOVED THESE COOKIES!!!!

Cowgirl Cookies (from Bakerella)

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Reese's pieces or M&M's
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in candies, chocolate chips and pecans.

Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper, place balls one inch apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are set, cool 2 minutes..remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack..store tightly covered..

Enjoy, really one of the best cookie recipes I have ever tried!!!

These my friends are delicious!!!!!! You have to try and don't they just look like Fall!!!!

Gooey Butter Cakes..

How, I hope you fellow recipe bloggers haven't given up on me..I really haven't been cooking too much, with the heat of the Georgia sun, I have tried to stay out of the kitchen, and we have been super busy this summer, but it has been calling my name....Plus, I can only go so long without being back in my kitchen baking up some good treats for my family...although, I am teaching the girls healthy choices, we still splurge every now and have some good, delicious, very fattening treats..that is what a treat is suppose to be anyway, right..in moderation.. So, what better recipe to try when you want to eat lots of butter, than Paula Deen, right..lol, this is her butter cakes, but I add chocolate chips to mine, which makes it even better...For any of you who visit or want to visit her restaurant, they are always on the dessert menu if you order her buffet, it's usually some type of butter cake, but to me you can't beat fresh out of the oven butter cakes..:)

Well, here is a delicious treat I made for 4th of July, one of the desserts, the other was homemade banana pudding, which I will post later, made with cream cheese..yummy..but this was for the kids and they loved them, they are delicious and you must try them!!!

Gooey Butter Cakes with Chocolate Chips

18 1/4 ounce package of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted.. (told you it was lots of butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients and mix well. Pate into lightly greased 13x9 pan. Prepare filling.

Filliing:
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, melted (yep, that makes the 2nd stick of butter in this recipe)
16 ounce box powdered sugar
chocolate chips (I added about 1 cup) just add however much you like, you could even do half with and half without..

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add butter, beat. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake mixture, now add your chocolate chips if you want them, don't mix just add to top. Now bake for 40-50 minutes.

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