Double Chocolate Brownies!

This is for any chocolate lover out there ~ seriously! One bit of these simple easy brownies and you'll be hooked!

And seeing how this recipe is once again super easy...it will only take a few short sentences before you are saying to yourself ~ I must make these for myself!!!!

Take your favorite brownie store purchased brownie mix and combine the ingredients according to the package...

Add a 1/4 of cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)....

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of instant ground coffee...

A nice splash of whole milk...

Baked in preheat over (according to the package)...

And there you have it ~ Brownies to die for ~ seriously!!!!!

Lemon Cookie Pie with Sprinkles! (perfect kid dessert!)

As mention from the title above, this is truly the perfect dessert for any child {and grown-ups too}!

It is super simply {which you all know I am all about the simple}!

And super delicious too!!!!

All you need is...

2 bags of Betty Crocker's Sugar Cookie Mix (serving per bag is 18 cookies)

1 1/2 tablespoons of Lemon Extract

a 9" greased pie dish (I used flour based cooking spray0

and

colorful sprinkles (of your choice)

Preheat oven to recommend setting according to the package...

Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the package (please remember you are using two packages so remember to 2x the ingredients)...

Add the lemon extract to the mix...

Beat until smooth (I do use my electric standing mix master)...

Place cookie batter into pie dish and top with sprinkles...

Cook on recommended oven setting for 20-22 minutes.

And there you have it...one very large and extremely tasty sugar cookie!!!!

Lemon Lime Giggle Pie!

Oh...

This one is oh so easy...

and...

Oh so good!

Perfect for serving on one of those clear summer evening and a day of fun in the sun!

Take 2 boxes of Lime flavored Gelatin Dessert mix...

Cook according to directions listed on the box....

Place combined mixture into a 9" glass pie dish (depending on how deep your dish is you might not fit all the gelatin mixture in ~ do worry just fill the pie dish with the mixture until full)...

Place pie dish into the refrigerator for the time stated on the box so gelatin can firm...

once the gelatin is set...

Take 6oz of diary whipped topping and 2 Tbsp of lemon zest ~ combine together....

Place flavored whipped topping on top of firm gelatin ~ covering completely over the gelatin...

Add some fresh sliced limes and lemons to garnish on top...

And there you have it!

I came up with this super east dessert one night (very recently) where we were low on cash and we were having a small dinner party! Seeing how the other served courses "ate" up most of my budget, I needed to come up with something creative and fast. Seeing how I already had all these simple ingredients already in my pantry and refrigerator, my mind started working and this was the end result! And what a hit it was!

Pineapple & Flavored Whipped Topping Dessert

In the mood for a cooling dessert or a refreshing afternoon snack?

Well I got an easy answer for you!

Take a 20 oz can of pineapple chucks - drain out the liquid from can and rinse with cold water...

Place the sweet pineapples in a serving dish...

Add some fresh orange zest (using almost full orange) to 4 0z of whipped topping (like Cool Whip) and blend together well...

Top fruit with flavored diary whipped topping...

Add a bit more orange zest to garnish...

And there you have it!

This fresh, sweet, fruity, and very satisfying dessert (or afternoon snack) is perfect when enjoying a beautiful summer day!

Fettuccine Alfredo!

Fettuccine Alfredo! Now this is my daughter's Francesca favorite dish!

As well as another family favorite!

and...

I do believe that this is the meal that got my husband to propose to me ~ seriously!

and...

It was the first thing I EVER learned to make!

All you need is...

- 1 lb of your favorite Fettuccine pasta COOKED according to the package (I like using the green & white colored pasta to give the dish some extra color)

{for the sauce}

- 1 pint of heavy cream (no substitute)

- 1 stick of salted butter

- 1 tsp of ground nutmeg

- 3/4 tsp of white pepper

and

- grated Pecorino Romano cheese to taste

Heat the heavy cream, butter, nutmeg, and white pepper in a sauce pan and stir. Your sauce is done once butter is 100% melted. Top over cooked pasta and toss within the pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese on top to taste and there you have it!

Seriously ~ it is that easy!

As I stated earlier in this post, this is the first thing I ever learned to cook home made and after seeing the recipe, you can see why ~ it is really that easy and oh so tasty! And seeing how a dish of this famous pasta out can cost an average of $14 - making this meal at home is simple, easy, and very inexpensive!

Now...as for the proposal...my husband has admitted to me that after having this "the only" homemade dish I could make, he truly believe that I could cook and knew right than & there that I was the gal for him. Unlucky for him, this was the only dish I knew how to make...all those years ago.

I guess you can say I have come along way since those years living in my little apartment in Old Towne Manassas many, MANY moons ago....

{a little bit behind the scenes}

What can I say ~ except I do come from one crazy Italian family!



Are we loud? Oh ya!



Can we eat pasta every.single.night? You bet!



Do we have this passion to cook? Hell ya!



Do we enjoy a amazing glass of wine? YES! YES! YES!



Now this is not the only things that make my family what we are but when most people think of the typical Italian family...we are so it! Even with my Chinese children to add in the mix ~ we are one crazy Italian family!



To say that we are loud...that is an understatement - seriously. I could never understand why my grandmother & mother spoke so loud but after surviving some years among this family...I now know the answer to that...you need to be loud in order to be heard. There can be several conversations going on at the same time and for everyone to be heard....voices tend to get loud! I wish I could video tape my family all making home made raviolis. It is truly "a piss your pants" funny! It wasn't until I moved away that I began to appreciate those special moments in my grandmother,s - now my mother's kitchen! While we are small in numbers, we are loud in voices.



While I do try to keep up with the wonderful Chinese traditions that is my children's heritage...I also find myself teaching my children the ins & outs to surviving my crazy Italian family! I know they say the Chinese invented the noodle, but we Italians were the ones to add that amazing sauce and really per-fect it as a meal (at least in my opinion).



I love my family ~ to pieces! And I do know I would not be where I am today without each & every one of them playing a major role in my life. I can only hope & pray that I instill within each of my children what is important in life...and in this family...cooking, food, celebrating each course that is place in front you, and sharing it with your true family & friends...that is what is really important and what life is all about.

Fruit Cobbler ~ oh so good and oh so simple!

My next recipe I am going to share with you all is a recipe I was given to me by another fellow adopting parent! After receiving this recipe about a year ago, it didn't take me too long to add my special touches to give this recipe a little something of my own! The best part is that once again it is very simple and very easy to make for everyone to enjoy!!!!

"Thank You Mrs.C for sharing your original recipe with me for without the basic ingredients, I would not discovered what works best for my family!"

Now without letting you wait any longer, here is the two recipes combined...

1 cup of sugar
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup of butter (melted)
1 cup of self-rising flour
1 table spoon of lemon zest or orange zest ~ depending on the fruit you use
and...
2 cups of fresh fruit of your choice (I used only strawberries this time)


Mix fruit and zest together until well blended.

than...

Place fruit in lightly greased baking dish. Combine sugar, flour...once mixed...sprinkle over the fruit. Pour melted butter and extra sugar on top on top. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.