Neopolitan Cupcakes

 

I've been so bad at updating this lately!  But these were such a delicious find on Pinterest that I had to post.  I used THIS recipe, but used strawberry cake mix instead (as the pin I found did).  So super yummy!  I used THIS cream cheese frosting recipe for the topping.  Highly recommended!

pioneer woman's carrot cake.

I made this cake for Easter.  It was very easy to make and turned out really well.  Next time I wouldn't use as many pecans in the frosting.  I put a few chocolate chips around the top to make it look better, but I don't think they added much to the looks.  Here is the recipe!

Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake is to die for!  It was easy to make but takes some time.  I recommend only baking it for 45 minutes rather than 50 -- maybe even 40.  It was pretty crispy on the outside edges.  But some people said they liked it that way.  I can't wait to make this again in the summertime!  It was a hit.  SO delish.  Find out how to make it here.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay... this may be my favorite pumpkin baked good recipe EVER.  My sister-in-law sent me this recipe and I wish I could kiss her from a 1,000 miles away for it!  Delicious, amazing, wonderful!


Pumpkin Cake


4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
16 oz. pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. nutmeg


Mix eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together until well blended. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Do not frost until cool.

Frosting

6 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
2 tsp. vanilla
3-4 c. powdered sugar

Let the cream cheese and butter soften to room temp. Then mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth and you have reached desired consistency.


I am keeping it in the fridge and it tastes really great cold.  I definitely recommend keeping it cool before you eat it.  


I will be making this every fall forever.

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I guess I'm the last person ever to discover this recipe - everyone says they know it and make it all the time.  It is simple and fast!

Crockpot Italian Chicken (as found here)


4 chicken breasts
1.5 packets of dry Zesty Italian Dressing
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Throw it all in the crockpot and cook on low for at least 4 hours.  I put mine in for 8 hours and shredded it. Stir well to mix the soup and the cream cheese together once it's warm enough to mix easily.  The original recipe I found tells you to cook those two ingredients on the stove top to incorporate and then throw in to the crockpot - but I'm lazy and skipped that step and just stirred it all together when I was ready to eat it.  You can serve it any way you'd like - full breast, chopped, shredded, etc.  I cooked bowtie and penne pastas that I had on hand from previous meals and put this on top of it.  Some people like rice with it - but I hate white rice and refuse to make it.  I also threw some cherry tomatoes on top because we have a zillion of them and need to use them up!

My husband steamed yellow squash and zucchini to go with it.  Delicious!

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

I am obsessed with Einstein's pumpkin shmear (sp??).  But I never make it to Einstein's and I wanted to try a homemade recipe to see how it measured up.  I made Skinny Taste's Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese - but I used fat free cream cheese (the recipe called for 1/3 fat).  I think next time I would use a full fat cream cheese - it would be worth it.  This cream cheese is more creamy and thick rather than light and fluffy like Einstein's.  I think I prefer Einstein's but this is still really tasty and easy to make.  Plus there is more of it so you're saving money.  I'll be eating this for lunch for a week on wheat bagels and I look forward to doing so!

Maybe next week I'll treat myself to an Einstein pumpkin shmeared bagel, though.