Poppy Seed Bundt with Lemon Icing

Another winner from my girlfriend Jill! This is a very classy dessert with a unique flavor. And it's super easy, you'll just love it.

{What you'll need}

1 yellow cake mix

3/4 of a package of the large instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of water

1 tsp rum flavoring

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Mix dry ingredients together, add wet ingredients, and put in a bundt cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean.

{Glaze}

1/2 tsp. milk

1 tbs melted butter

Juice of half a lemon

( I don't use real lemons. I use the lemon juice and I usually put 3-4 tbs. in or how ever

lemony you want the glaze to taste.)

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

Make this shortly after the cake has come out of the oven. Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

This is one of my most favorite cake desserts! I hope you enjoy it!

I also divided this and put it into small bread pans for individual treats. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes and they'll turn out great!

(Compliments of Jill Montgomery)

Jill's Buttermilk Waffles

This recipe has been in my girlfriend Jill's family for generations and she was kind enough to give it to me! These waffles are delicious. A great breakfast on a weekend morning or a great "brinner" (breakfast for dinner, as JW calls it) throughout the week. You'll love them. Thanks again, Jilly!!

{What you need}

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup milk)

1 Cup melted butter

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs until light. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry mixture and buttermilk alternately to eggs, begin and end with dry mixture. Add melted butter.

I usually cut this recipe in half, as it makes quite a lot of batter.

(Compliments of Jill Montgomery)

Jill's Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

My darling friend and fellow cooking/baking enthusiast, Jill, has sent me a couple incredible recipes. This was one of them. John and I LOVE lemon flavor and this bread hit the spot. The glaze makes it irresistible. I think it's even better the next day!! Thanks Jilly!

{What you need}

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

6 tbs butter, softened (make sure you use REAL BUTTER!!)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon

(I didn't have a lemon so I just used 4 tbs of lemon juice, but it is better with real lemon)

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1/2 cup powdered sugar

(you can add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make the loaf golden)

{Glaze}

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tbs lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour a 9 -by- 5 inch loaf pan

whisk together flour, salt and baking powder

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Add milk alternately with the flour mixture in 2 parts; mix well. Stir in grated lemon peel and poppy seeds. (or the 4 tbs lemon juice).

Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 min.

Mix together lemon juice (another 3 tbs of lemon juice) and powdered sugar to make a glaze. Remove bread from the pan. Poke some holes in the top of the bread and pour the glaze over the warm bread. Poking holes in the bread makes sure that more of the glaze gets in the bread.

(Compliments of Jill Montgomery)

Pesto Swiss Fondue

I really think this was the best dinner I have ever made! I'm quite proud of myself. Not that I can take credit, because it was just an awesome recipe. It is full of flavor and fondue is always super classy. We served this at a dinner party we hosted and had each couple bring a few of the dipping foods. This could also serve as a romantic dinner for two, or a beautiful spread to impress the in-laws with. No matter who you serve it to, they'll

LOVE IT!

So delish . . .

{What you need}

1 12oz. block of swiss cheese, cubed

2 T flour

2 large garlic cloves, chopped (I used a garlic press)

1/2-3/4 c. of white cooking wine (I used 3/4 c)

1/2 c. milk

2 T of jarred prepared pesto

{Ideas for dipping}

cubed french bread

cauliflower

broccoli

granny smith apples

new potatoes or cubed red potatoes

sausage

bratwurst

Cube cheeses and chop garlic. Place cubed cheese in a tupperware and add flour. Replace the tupperware lid and shake until all the cheese cubes are coated. Spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and add the chopped garlic. Cook on medium high until the garlic just begins to brown. Then add wine. When the wine begins to boil, reduce the heat back to medium and slowly add the flour coated cheese and milk a little at a time, always stirring so it will not burn. When the cheese is all fully melted, add the pesto, transfer to heated fondue pot, and serve immediately. If you are not using a fondue pot you may need to reheat it after a little while as the fondue will thicken as it cools.

(Compliments of The Sisters Cafe)

Caramel Croissant Pudding

This dessert will change your life. This is my all-time favorite recipe from my mama. It's a spin off of bread pudding but people who don't like bread pudding have told me that this is the most amazing dessert they've ever had. And it is really quite simple to make, but super elegant so you look like that amazing chef we are all trying to pretend to be. This recipe easily doubles. Get ready to be a new person!!

{What you need}

12 petite croissants (or 6-9 Large)

2 cups cream

2 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

caramel sauce of your liking

Tear the croissants up in medium chunks and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn, and until the sugar has dissolved. Immediately remove from heat. Transfer into a bowl and put milk mixture into fridge to cool completely, about 1 hour. Once cooled, whist egg in small dish and stir into milk mixture. Pour over croissants and bake at 350 in a water bath for about 40 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

SERVE HOT WITH CARAMEL SAUCE!

(Compliments of Jackie Durrant)

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

submitted by Melanie from The Sisters Cafe

So I didn't try these cookies because I gave up cookies for Lent, but John said he absolutely LOVED them. He said they may even be his new favorite cookie, which says a lot because he is a cookie connoisseur! I love the cooking blog The Sisters Cafe, which is where I got this recipe. It has loads of winners! These are great for parties, etc., or for the neighborhood kids. I know that for a fact, because all the neighborhood kids came over to snarff them when I was done! Major hit.

{What you need}

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. sugar

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c. softened butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 c. chopped almonds, or pecans

(I left the nuts out entirely)

48 Rolo (caramels in milk chocolate), unwrapped 9 oz. pkg.

1 tbsp. sugar

4 oz. vanilla flavored candy coating (opt.)

(I used a tub of vanilla frosting and it worked just as well. I just put it in a ziploc and snipped a tiny corner off to use as a frosting-squeezer-drizzle-thingy. Im sure there is a technical term for that...)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter until light. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture, blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pecans.

For each cookie with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoonful dough around 1 Rolo, covering completely.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up, 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cool on wire rack. Melt the vanilla flavored candy coating in a saucepan or in a baggie in the microwave. Drizzle over cookies.

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

This is a great side and you can make them as cream-cheesy as you like. I don't hold back on the cc, but I use reduced fat cream cheese so I don't feel gross:).

Serves great with any main dish.

{What you need}

8 medium potatoes

(I use Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes with the skin still on)

3 Tablespoons butter

8 oz. cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

seasoning salt to taste

water for boiling

Pretty simple. Just peel and cut up the potatoes and boil them until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash up. Add everything else and mash it all in. Serve hot. Great with a white sauce for a gravy.