Firecracker Cake

It's so pretty & fun isn't it! I made this fun little treat while we were at the cabin for the 4th of July weekend.Plus it's a simple box cake mix that is jazzed up for some fun.

We went to the cabin for the entire week over the 4th. I know I was on maternity leave so it wasn't really a "vacation" per say from work but it was from reality that's for sure. I imagined having all this time and getting all kinds of stuff done while I was on maternity leave. Boy that was a figment of my imagination. That list I had is still just as long, maybe even longer!

It was so nice to go up to the cabin and get away from all the things staring me in the face at home. Throughout the week the whole family joined us to relax at the cabin including the hubby's siblings for a day. It was awesome not to have a schedule, well other than feeding my wonderful daughter!

This cake is so easy to make and so versatile. I already used this concept to make cupcake for out Relay for Life event. We did a cake walk so I used purple and white. Use your imagination and go wild with this one!

Firecracker Cake
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Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
Ingredients called for on cake box
Red food coloring
Blue food coloring
1 container (12 oz) white frosting

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter according to directions on box.

2. Pour 1 c. of the batter into a small bowl; stir red food coloring in until well mixed. Pour another cup of batter into a different bowl and stir in blue food coloring until well mixed. 

3. Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. The blue batter will not completely cover the white batter.

4. Bake as directed on box. Cool cake 5 minutes. Flip out of pan onto cooling rack and cool cake completely.

5. When cake is cooled, divide the frosting evenly into 3 microwaveable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting on high a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of the 1st bowl of microwaved frosting over the cake. Repeat microwaving second bowl. Stir in blue food coloring. Drizzle over cake. Repeat with last bowl, adding red food coloring and drizzling over cake.

6. Let the cake stand until frosting is set. Enjoy!


Recipe From: Love Bakes Good Cakes

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 Our Delightful Home 

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Mexican Chicken Spaghetti

Wowzers! If you are looking for a recipe with a little bit of kick this definitely has it in loads!

This is the second time I've made this recipe actually. The first time I completely forgot to get a picture of it so I just couldn't post it without a picture now could I? That was ok because I got to make it again and enjoy another meal of it.

This is not for the faint of heart or for faint taste buds, but it's a little bit of a twist on your usually same old casseroles that's for sure! Plus I made it after work and it was easy and fast, which is what I look for these days that's for sure! Trying to work, keep a halfway decently clean house, make supper, do laundry, take care of a baby sure keeps me busy. Kudos to all you moms out there. I now fully understand why you are stressed most of the time!!

Mexican Chicken Spaghetti
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Ingredients
8 oz angel hair pasta
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 c. sour cream
1 c. Shredded Mexican Cheese

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees

2. Boil pasta according to package directions and drain.

3. Mix all other ingredients, except cheese, add to cooked pasta. Put in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until melted.


Recipe from: Boomer Brief

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Our Delightful Home
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Cinnamon Sugar Peanuts

It's time for Secret Recipe Club Reveal day again! This month I was assigned Big Bears Wife. Oh my goodness her blog is a gold mine of great recipes! For example she just posts Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups I think I'm going to have to try.

I picked out her Cinnamon Sugar Cashews to make. I might have, just might have spaced that I had to do this on the 23rd of July and waited until the last minute. It's a total bummer I did this because she has so many great recipes to try and I wish I would have had more time! Oh well, guess I'll pin them for later! These were excellent and would make an awesome little treat at Christmas in goodie bags. The only thing that confused me as why she calls them "Cinnamon" Sugar Cashews, because cinnamon isn't in the recipe. I did substitute the cashews for peanuts as they were what I had on hand. They were still yummy!

I have a bit going on in my life and I go back to work today after my 7 1/2 weeks off with my baby, Miss Kinzee Marie. It's hard for this Momma, as I assumed it is for most of us! I know she is with a wonderful daycare mom but I'm still having major separation anxiety. I can't wait until we get settle into a routine.

Cinnamon Sugar Cashews
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
1 c. peanuts (or any other nut)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and generously spray the wax paper with cooking spray.

2. Beat egg white and vanilla in a bowl. Pour peanuts into the egg mixture and stir to coat nuts evenly.

3. Combine both sugars in a small bowl with a lid. Add the peanuts to the sugar mixture. Cover with lid and shake until the peanuts are all coated.

4. Pour the peanuts onto your lined baking sheet. Make sure they are spread out in an even mixture.

5. Bake for 1 hour, stirring peanuts every 15 minutes so they don't stick and burn.

Strawberry Topioca Salad

This is the other salad I made for baptism. I figured the Cashew Chicken Rotini Salad had enough "weird" stuff in it I better make another one that was kid friendly and hubby friendly! I don't know how you consider grapes and cashews weird but he certainly does.

This salad, can you really call it a salad, is the real question I do believe. Anyways I'll skip that discussion for another time. This has been a staple in our house and for get togethers for a long time. It's one of my mom's "go to" salads when she needs to bring out to a family outing or potluck. It's super easy and everyone always seems to love it.

It's your lucky day. I've decided to share it with all of you! If you are looking for something kid friendly to whip up and need it to be a hit, this is your salad!

Strawberry Topioca Salad
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
1 box tapioca pudding
1 box vanilla pudding
3 c. water
1 (.3 oz) pkg strawberry jello
12 oz Cool Whip
1 c. strawberries, cut up

1. Mix tapioca and vanilla puddings. Add water. Bring to a boil, stir constantly until thick. About 3-5 minutes. Add strawberry jello. Cool.

2. When it is cool add cool whip and strawberries. Mix well.

Shared on the following sites - Please give them a visit!

Our Delightful Home
Weekend Potluck
Flour Me With Love