Leah Sledge: Food

Summertime Strawberry Jello Cupcakes

3:56 PM

Sound Delicious? THEY ARE!

I found this pin on Pinterest:

Source: Uploaded by user via Leah on Pinterest

but it linked to a picture, not a website and had a vague description of what seemed to be a tasty cake.

I thought I would elaborate on my version...

FIRST... I am of the opinion "Why make cake when you can have CUPCAKES!" So, do whichever you feel more comfortable with. The cake version is DEFINITELY easier!

Here's what you'll need:

Box of white cake mix

BIG box of Strawberry Jello (8 serving)

Strawberries

Cool Whip

Cupcake Liners

(Ingredients for cake mix... mine was 3 eggs, water, and vegetable oil)

Prepare your cake mix according to the box directions.

Fill your cupcake trays with the batter and bake according to the directions on the box.

After baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, mix together the Jello according to the package directions.

Return to your cupcakes. Take a fork and poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes. Poor the Jello mixture over the top of them until they are saturated.

(This is where the cake becomes easier. With the cake you can poor haphazardly over the top whereas you must poor CAREFULLY with the cupcakes. I put the Jello mix into a measuring cup that had a handle and a spout to make pouring easier. The best advice I have to avoid overflowing the cupcake is to pour a little, let it absorb, then poor more!)

Move your Jello soaked cupcakes to the fridge to chill. The Jello box says 4 hours, but I chilled mine over night.

After your cupcakes have chilled and stiffened up, cover them in coolwhip! I used a piping bag for mine, but you can use a ziploc with the tip cut off!

Use this awesome Pinterest tip for adding the coolwhip to the bag:

Source: bakingdom.com via Leah on Pinterest

After they're "iced" add a 1/4 strawberry slice to the top and return to the fridge!

Pull out right before serving for a light, cool, summertime dessert (or breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack for us pregnant folks)! It almost tastes like strawberry shortcake!

ENJOY!

If you have an awesome summertime dessert, I'd LOVE to hear about it!

Bad Wife

Caution Food

8:44 PM

It's 10:30 pm. Everyone here is asleep. Even my special needs dog who never leaves my side has left me for fluffier pillows and sweet dreams.

Being the perfect housewife I am... Liam was the only one who ate dinner. Don't judge me. I think Will ate some Doritos...

I decided at this late hour that I am hungry and I begin to scour every potential food receptacle in the kitchen. I stumble across these bad boys...

Totino's Pizza Stuffers. I know, I know. Carbs before bed, Nasty gross processed food, this isn't even made of food... I KNOW!

What intrigued me was the "CAUTION! FILLING WILL BE VERY HOT! Wait until cool enough to eat." on the back of the box.

I waited what I thought was a reasonable amount of OMG I'm staaaaaaarvvvvvvvving minutes. Lo and behold I now have no tongue. It was scalded off by artificial cheese and whatever else is inside that thing.

Inhales, Exhales, he-who-he-whos, fanning... nothing works to cool off hot food inside your mouth. Excepting spitting it, but the damage has already been done.

So, how do you KNOW your food is cool enough to eat? I'm certain this is something that the greatest of minds sit around and discuss... especially after they receive giant mouth blisters from 600 million degree food!

Bad Mom

BOGO Chicken and Veggie Pasta (while nearly setting the house on fire)

3:56 PM

I've never been much of a cook. I suppose that is what happens when you come from a very long line of "cooks" on both sides of your family yet show little interest in food aside from eating it. Having a professional Chef turned caterer for a sister doesn't help either.

When Will and I first got married me cooking dinner meant putting a frozen pizza in the oven or browning ground beef for a taco kit. I would always say that my family members could throw 5 ingredients in one pan and make a five course meal... and I was not like them! My Dad would remind me that no one starts out a well rounded cook and something about having a family and kids brings it out. He was right. After several years of trial and error and whole lot of experimentation, I've become a semi accomplished cook with many "recipes" (for real though... with an ingredients list and instructions and all). I now actually have a handful of dishes I've created, too!

Pasta is always my staple food. Whenever there is "nothing to eat" and I really need to go to the grocery store... there is ALWAYS pasta! The recipe I'm sharing is one of my "own"... though I really think every pasta variation ever has already been created, so I don't know how much credit I can take...

I call this my "BOGO Chicken and Veggie Pasta". Why? Well, it has chicken, veggies, pasta, and everything was BOGO at Publix!

The main ingredients you will need are:

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (not pictured)

1 bag of spinach

1 box of Penne pasta

1 can of diced tomatos

1 small can of black, sliced olives (a large can is pictured... but I used half)

1 "Savory Garlic" Philadelphia Cooking Cream

6 ozs of grated parmesan cheese

In a medium pot, boil water for pasta. In a Large skillet, heat 2 tbsps of olive oil.

Thinly slice your chicken into bite sized pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cook chicken over medium heat until done.

Open and drain your tomatos and olives

Add the entire bag of spinach to the cooked chicken. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.

Add to the chicken/spinach mixture your tomatos, olives, and cooking cream.

Drain your pasta and put it in a LARGE bowl.

Cook your Chicken & Veggie mix for 2-3 minutes or until the cream has melted. It should be a tad soupy due to the moisture from the wilted spinach.

Combine your chicken & veggie mix with your pasta and mix well. Stir in 6 oz of parmesan cheese. Sprinkle and extra dash or two of garlic salt over the top.

Stir.

The pasta is so fabulous tasting and can be served hot or cold.

If you want to get extra fancy, you can make some "loaf-bread garlic bread"

Here's how:

Take 5 slices of regular "sandwich" or "loaf" bread.

Cut in half corner to corner to make triangles.

Spread your triangles out on a baking sheet.

Brush on melted butter (I use about 3 tbsps)

Sprinkle your buttered bread with garlic salt (be generous, but not dramatic) and a teensy bit of parmesan cheese.

Place baking sheet under oven broiler for 1-2 minutes.

WATCH IT CAREFULLY OR YOU WILL END UP WITH THIS:

funny side story: I'm making this dinner. Will has Liam in the bath. As I put the bread under the broiler I go back to the bathroom to check on them. I end up talking my head of to Will and Liam about Lord knows what. Will decides I can finish Liam's bath so I take over. As Will leaves the room he shouts "WHAT ARE YOU BURNING!?"

I freak. I totally forgot the toast!

I go to rush out of the bathroom.

crap.

DON'T leave the baby alone in the tub, Leah!

Smoke detectors begin BLARING!

and this is no lovely chirp... think high school pee your pants the world is ending smoke detector screech.

drain baby bath.

snatch soaked baby from water and smother with towel... not sure whose towel or where I got it. All I know is it was NOT a baby towel and it may or may not have been clean.

Run with naked baby to kitchen which is FILLED with nasty smoke.

Oven is open.

Husband and Bread are missing.

Turn oven off.

Open windows.

Turn on bathroom and range fans.

cough, cough, cough

BABY, LEAH!

Dress baby and prop him in front of brain rotting iPad.

Find husband outside feeding SCORCHED toast to dogs... poor dogs.

Apparently I missed some KILLER flames coming out of the oven... I only witnessed the blackened aftermath!

ANYWAYS...

just be careful with the broiler!

This is what your garlic toast should look like!!

The dish cost me (Remember, BOGO! and coupons) about $7.00 and fed 6 adult people.

I hope you love it as much as we did!!

Enjoy!

Family

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

12:33 PM

"Liam, if I put you in this now will you keep it clean until everyone gets here for the party?"

...what was I thinking?!

No baby outfit would be complete without a good dose of spit up! Especially spit up that has been played in!

We celebrate like good Irish with great food and great company!
On tonight's menu is:
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Shepherd's Pie
Rosemary Potatoes
Cheddar Ale Soup
Seared Lamb Shanks and Green Beans
and for dessert:
Queen of Puddings
Key Lime Pie (hey, it's green!!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours!

There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were.

Food

The Cheater's Guide to Chicken & Waffles

5:55 PM

Chicken & Waffles. Best. Food. Ever. Never heard of it? Well, you're probably not from the south. No worries, Wikipedia knows all.

UNFORTUNATELY... it's generally not a food option. Several Factors play into this scenario...
1) Finding a restaurant that serves Chicken & Waffles is nearly impossible. I have definitely never seen it locally.
2) I don't own a Waffle Iron. Sad truth.
3) In my current 9 month Preggo state... The act of standing over a stovetop frying chicken is completely unappealing.

Go figure 9 months Preggo is when I crave Chicken & Waffles!

What's a girl to do?

Cheat.

Here's the Cheater's Guide to Chicken and Waffles. Same taste... less work.

What you'll need:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Flour
Butter
Tony Chachere's Seasoning (or whatever seasonings you like for fried chicken)
Frozen Waffles (NO, I'M NOT JOKING)
Maple Syrup
Ziploc Bag
Baking Dish

ummm.... and an oven and a toaster... but those are probably obvious... as is plate, fork, knife, etc. but just in case you were unaware, now you know.

I don't measure and I'm bad a giving directions :) Here Goes...