Blueberry Pineapple Dump Cake

     I know, I know, I have posted TWO recipes today. You are probably wondering if I have gone nuts or something!?!?! Well, the truth is..........yes! Just kidding! Honestly, I had the oven on to bake the chicken for the yummy Crunchy Chicken Salad. I figured that while I had the oven on, I may as well try out this amazing cake.

Blueberry Pineapple Dump Cake
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, in juice
1 (20-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
1 C. Fresh Blueberries, (optional)
1 Gluten Free box yellow cake mix
1/4 C. chopped pecans

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour the pineapple with the juice into the bottom of the pan. Spread it out evenly. Spread the blueberry pie filling over the crushed pineapple. Evenly distribute the fresh blueberries over the pie filling. Pour the cake mix over the top. Spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix. Pour the melted butter over the top of the entire mixture (don't stir) Bake for 30-45 min. or until lightly browned and bubbly.

I love a cake that requires no stirring!

Dump the pineapple in the pan, spread it out.

Evenly spread the blueberry pie filling over the pineapple.

Be sure your blueberries are washed.

Drop the fresh blueberries down onto the pie filling.

Top with the cake mix and pecans

Pour the melted butter over the cake mix and bake at 350 for 30-45 min.

It should be brown and bubbly like this when it comes out of the oven.

Serve it up warm, even with some vanilla ice cream if you dare.

Yummmmmmm

     This cake is a hit! I will be making it again soon. It was super easy to make and tasted soooooo good. I hope that you like it too!! Enjoy!

-Jessica

Basic Muffins turned into Three Different Kinds of Muffins!!

   I have been preparing wildly for tonight's Relay for Life event. I have been packing my bags of campsite decorations, gathering donations, checking with my team to be sure they are ready...and then it hit me...what in the world are you going to eat? The snacks and such that are served are not usually gluten free. You will have to take FOOD!! UGH....so I decided to bake muffins. I couldn't decide on a flavor though...so I just made three kinds. They turned out pretty good so I thought I would share the recipe with you!

Basic Muffins

2 C. Gluten Free Flour Mixture
1/2 tsp. Xantham Gum
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/4 C. Milk
2 Eggs
3 T. Oil OR 5 T Applesauce
1tsp. Vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Divide batter into muffin tins generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 Deg. for 15-20 minutes.

I divided my batter into thirds and added the following ingredients in to make 3 different kinds of muffins. 

Blueberry Muffins
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
1/2 -1 C Fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract.

Mix together and bake as directed

Apple Cinnamon
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
1/2 C Applesauce
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Pie Spice

Mix together and bake as directed.

Lemon Yogurt
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Lemon extract
1 Cup Lemon yogurt

Mix together and bake as directed.

I used applesauce instead of oil in the basic batter.

Adorable cuppeycake wrappers with awareness ribbons on them.

Divide the batter into thirds.

Lemon yogurt muffin batter

Blueberry!

The 3 different kinds of muffins.

The recipe came out making 15 muffins, so I had to use a 2nd muffin tin.

Yummy finished product! Mm Mmm Mmmm!

Blueberry came out super fluffy and yummy!

Applesauce was very moist and good flavor.

Lemon yogurt came out very very moist, could use a little more lemon flavor. Next time I will buy a lemon and put in some zest.

Lemon Berry Pancakes....easy peasy

     I know that this recipe is not a rocket science level of difficulty. However, it is quite yummy so I had to share. I bought a big package of blueberries and thought I would use them in some pancakes. I also had some strawberries in the fridge. SO, that's where the berry portion of this idea happened. I decided to whip up some pancake batter using Gluten Free Bisquick. However, I thought it would be amazing if the pancakes had a lemon flavor to compliment the berries....thus the lemon berry pancake was born.

Lemon Berry Pancakes

1 C. Gluten Free Bisquick Mix
1 C. Milk
1 Egg.
2 T. Oil
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 C. Fresh Blueberries
1 C. Sliced Strawberries
Syrup

Combine the ingredients together until no lumps remain. Heat a griddle/ skillet. Pour approximately 1/2 C. of the batter onto the griddle. Sprinkle blueberries onto the batter. Flip the pancake when golden brown. Cook the other side until golden. Remove from the heat and top with more blueberries, strawberries, and syrup.

I heart blueberries

Pour approximately 1/2 C of batter onto the hot griddle.

Top the batter with fresh blueberries and cook until golden.

Flip and cook the other side.

Top with berries

Add a little syrup

Enjoy! These are SO yummy.

I hope you enjoy these pancakes. I think the lemon flavoring gives them something a little different.

-Jessica

Red, White, and Blue Sweet Risotto

     I will confess that this recipe doesn't have many pictures to go with it. I had never made risotto before, except for the box stuff that comes with a seasoning packet. I had visions of Chef Gordon Ramsay screaming at me while making my risotto. If you have ever watched Hell's Kitchen, then you know that is about all he does....scream at people, taste their risotto, and yell at them some more because it is a failure. So I was a touch stressed out when thinking of making risotto from scratch. I had no time to grab the camera, I had to STIR!!! However, the end result is sooooooo yummy. I think even Chef Ramsay would approve.
     This recipe was inspired by a recipe that Whole Foods posted on their Facebook page this week. I mostly stuck to their recipe, however I used what I had at home. I used regular sugar, a blood orange, and the milk that was in the fridge. In other words, I didn't go out and buy expensive organic this and that to make this. I did have to go buy coconut milk, that wasn't anything that I had on hand. I also decided that I would use both strawberries AND blueberries in my recipe. The more fruit the better, right? Right! I hope that you like my version.......

Red, White, and Blue Sweet Risotto

6 cups Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup Arborio Rice
Zest and juice of 1 orange (I used a blood orange)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1-2 cups blueberries, washed

Over medium heat combine the milk, vanilla, and sugar. Warm until simmering and then reduce the heat to low. Keep warm. In a second pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and cook until toasted, stir often to keep from scorching.(3-5 min.). Add the orange zest and juice. Stir constantly until juice is absorbed, then begin adding the milk mixture 1 cup at a time. Let the milk absorb (stirring frequently) and then add another cup until all 6 cups have been added and rice is thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk. Let it set for about 5 min. 

In a small bowl, spoon sliced strawberries and blueberries. Top the fruit with risotto and garnish with a few more berries. Serve warm, but also good cold. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Combine milk, sugar, and vanilla. Get this mixture warm before starting the rice.

Stir Stir Stir...........YES CHEF!!!

Put the berries in the bottom of your bowl and top with warm sweet risotto.

Garnish with more berries and enjoy!

 Ommm nommm nommmmm!!

     Be sure to invite some friends over to help you eat this, it is highly addictive if you end up with leftovers. Enjoy!

-Jessica