Blueberry Cream Cheese Braided Loaf!

Oh my goodness!!! This is amazing. I saw it last week on Rhoda's Southern Hospitality Blog and KNEW I had to make it!

I made it yesterday and now I can't walk into the kitchen without wanting another piece! It is truly delicious!

If you don't like blueberries, don't sweat it. It would be just as good with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, canned drained peaches...well, you get the idea.

You can click on the link above in purple to see the recipe on Rhoda's blog. She made a couple of adjustments and the recipe below reflect those adjustments. This recipe is SUPER easy and I hope you try it!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Braided Loaf

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg, separated
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, divided
1 (11 oz.) refrigerated breadstick dough
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed, drained and dried
2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl at med. speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg yolk and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Beat until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Remove breadstick dough from can. Unroll and separate dough into rectangle. Place dough horizontally on baking sheet. Press seams together to seal.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto center third of dough.
5. Sprinkle blueberries over cream cheese mixture.
6. Separate dough at perforations up to cream-cheese mixture slightly stretching dough strips. Beginning at top edge of dough, braid strips to cover filling (this makes more sense as you are doing it). Tuck last 2 ends under at bottom of loaf.
7. In a small bowl, beat egg white and water with fork until blended to form an egg wash. Brush egg wash over braided loaf.
8. Bake until golden brown, approx. 20 minutes. Cool for at least 45 min.
9. In another small bowl, combine remaining 1 cup confectioners sugar and orange juice, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over braided loaf before serving. Slice with bread knife.
10. Enjoy and try not to each too much!

Rhoda's braid was prettier than mine but you get the idea. Also, please don't comment on the condition of my baking sheet. I LOVE my old seasoned sheets! They work the best!

I know this looks a little brown but it's not that brown in real life. Just be sure to watch yours in the oven. My oven is a little hotter than it should be so I baked mine for 17 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Hash Brown Casserole!

I've seen this recipe called everything from party potatoes to funeral potatoes but we call it Hash Brown Casserole here in Western Pennsylvania.

Of course, it's another easy recipe...just my style.

I generally use store brands for everything in this recipe and it works just fine. I've also mixed in ham cut up in cubes and added green beans on the side to make it a complete meal. I don't make it very often because it makes a lot for my little family. I usually save it for family get togethers. My favorite thing to serve this with is barbecued chicken and lima beans. I don't know why, all the flavors just blend for me.

My family loves the topping and the original recipe wasn't enough for them so I double it. The recipe below reflects that change.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs. frozen hash browns
16 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 sticks of melted butter (1 stick for base and 1 for topping so keep them separate)
4 cups corn flakes

Directions:
~Mix the first 4 ingredients and 1 stick of melted butter together well in a very big bowl.
~Add the hash browns to the mixture.
~Put the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
~Crush the corn flakes in a Ziploc bag.
~Add 1 stick of melted butter to the crushed corn flakes.
~Put corn flake mixture on top of base.
~Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 15 min.
~Let sit for 10 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Chilled French Apple Dessert!

Since I've been posting all those calorie rich recipes lately, I thought it's time that I slim things down.

This recipe is a Weight Watchers dessert and has a POINTS® Value of 4 per serving.

I wasn't too sure about it but it was surprisingly delicious. Curtis and Allison both gave it a thumbs up.

Chilled French Apple Dessert

Ingredients:
27 average cinnamon graham crackers squares
2 1/2 cups canned sweetened chunky applesauce
6 oz. light artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
1 cup lite whipped topping
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Line bottom of an 8-inch square pan with nine graham crackers.
2. In a small bowl, combine applesauce and yogurt.
3. Pour half of mixture onto graham crackers, layer with nine more crackers and repeat. Top with remaining nine squares.
4. Spread whipped topping over top and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Chill 2 hours. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Calico Baked Beans!

Don't you just love great baked beans? I know I do!

This recipe come from my BFF's Mom, Sandy. She's like my second Mom and graciously passed this recipe to me when I fell in love with it.

:::WARNING!::: This recipe makes a lot! Really! I mean it! So if you only have a few people in your family, you will be eating it for days or you can freeze half of it for another time. I always make it for a party because I'm afraid that if I have it for days at a time, I'll not like it anymore. You know. Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing.

Calico Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 medium can of Campbell's Pork and Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Lima Beans (drained)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions:
~Cook off 1 pound of bacon, drain and when cooled, crumble.
~Brown 1 pound of ground meat with chopped onion. Drain grease.
~Add all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together well.
~Bake at 350 degrees covered in oven safe cookware for 45 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!