Irish Rag Cake with Ambrosia Icing Recipe

Oh...I just love this cake recipe given to me by my great auntie! She used to make this cake for us every year for our family summer picnics and everyone always raved about how delicious it was.

Irish Rag Cake Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
6 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, mix together all of the cake ingredients in the order that they are given. Lightly grease your 9x13" cake pan and bake your cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until its done.

Ambrosia Icing Ingredients:

1 lb. flaked coconut
2 oranges, finely chopped up
1 orange rind, finely grated
1 cup sweet cream
1 egg white, beaten well
1 cup confectioner's sugar (10X sugar)

Mix together all of your icing ingredients until smooth. Spread on top of your cool Irish Rag Cake.

Review and Giveaway - $25 GC Blue Ridge Jam

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Blue Ridge Jams who makes the most fantastic jams that my family has every tasted! Blue Ridge Jam's products are made in small batches with the freshest fruits, vegetables, pure cane sugar and the finest ingredients available...by doing so, they can ensure a superior product that tastes great! .

About The Company (from their web site): Blue Ridge Jams has been making the finest gourmet food products in the Blue Ridge Mountains since 1961. Located south of Asheville, North Carolina with over 200 varieties of products available there is something for everyone. Our product lines include jam, jelly, pickles, relish, chow chow, conserve, and preserves. We also make an awesome array of Fruit Syrup, Salsa, and Apple and Peach Butter.

My Review: The gracious folks over at Blue Ridge Jams sent me and my family 4 jars of their products to try out. We received the: Jalapeno Strawberry Jelly, The Smokey Mountain Special, Three Pepper Jelly and the Habanero Pineapple Preserves. The first one that we decided to try out on our breakfast toast was the Habanero Pineapple Preserves. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it due to the Habanero Peppers...however, after just a few bites, I was in love!!! Hubby describes it as a fresh tasting pineapple with a kick! Later that same day I decided to make us some homemade waffles for lunch. We decided to try out some of the Jalapeno Strawberry Jelly on them and let me tell you, that jelly totally rocked those waffles! Again, the jelly tasted like fresh juicy strawberries but had the jalapeno pepper kick to it. It wasn't too hot...just right. The following day, we had our daughter up for breakfast with us and we decided to use the Smokey Mountain Special Jam which contains strawberries, raspberries and cherries in it and let me tell you, it had a wonderful fruity taste to it. We put it on our whole grain toast and it took our toast from drab to fab! The following day my hubby was anxious to try out the Three Pepper Jelly and he decided to try it out on some crackers, yes folks...hubs likes jelly on crackers! This jelly is a mixture of hot peppers with some spices so it has a really nice kick to it...perfect for my hubby!

Overall Impression: My family loved all 4 of the items we got to try out...my favorite was the Smokey Mountain Special and hubby's favorite was the Habanero Pineapple Preserves...but seriously, all 4 of them are delicious! My order arrived super quick to my home and was well packaged. I highly recommend that you check out Blue Ridge Jams!

Blue Ridge Jam is sponsoring a giveaway over on our sister blog the Two Classy Chics! One winner (US Residents Only) will win a $25 Gift Certificate to spend on the Blue Ridge Jam's Web Site! You need to head on over to the Two Classy Chics Blog to enter! Expires August 12, 2010.

You can read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering!

Delicious Peach Mustard Pork Chops Recipe

Here is another great recipe that I got from my great auntie's stash of recipes. You can grill them on a hot bbq grill or you can bake them in an oven...either way, they are super good! This recipe will make 4 servings.

Grilled Peach Mustard Pork Chops

4 pork chops (lean & fat removed)
1/4 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup honey mustard
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (I use fresh lemon juice)

Stir together in a small bowl the peach preserves, honey mustard and the lemon juice. Grill your pork chops over a hot grill, turning occasionally and basting with the sauce until they are done. (about 20-30 minutes).

(or)

Mix together the sauce ingredients and place in a container with the pork chops and place in your refrigerator for 6 hours to allow the meat to marinate in the sauce. Place pork chops in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Pretzel Pete Gourmet Pretzel Nugget Snacks Giveaway!!!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Pretzel Pete who makes delicious gourmet pretzel nugget snacks. At Pretzel Pete's you will find such varieties as: Honey Mustard, Garlic & Cheese, Peanut Butter Filled, Sour Cream & Habenaro and Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Here is some information about the company taken from their web site:
The Pretzel Pete product line and brand name are wholly-owned by SB Global Foods, Inc. (SB Global). Based in Lansdale, PA, SB Global has been an innovative purveyor of specialty snack foods since its inception in 1991. In addition to SB Global's business here in the United States, the company exports its products to over 40 countries and is a two-time winner of the Pennsylvania Governor's Export Excellence Award.

My Review: Pretzel Pete was generous enough to send me 3 boxes of their gourmet pretzel nuggets to try out for my product review. I received a box of the Honey Mustard, Garlic & Cheese and Sour Cream & Habenaro to try out. I will admit, I am a pretzel lover...so the first box I opened was the Honey Mustard Flavor. Wow....These pretzel nuggets are absolutely amazing! They have just the right amount of honey mustard flavoring and I swear, I ate 1/2 of the box in just one day! The next day hubby and I decided to try out the Garlic & Cheese flavor and I must say...they were absolutely delicious. I am usually not a fan of garlic flavored foods but these pretzel nuggets had just the right amount of flavoring. I saved the Sour Cream and Habanero box for my hubby as he loves spicy foods and this one was just perfect for him. He said they were spicy but not too spicy that it burned your mouth...just the right amount of 'kick' to them.

Overall Impression: I really liked the fact that the pretzel nuggets are in a sealed bag inside the box so that it keeps them fresh. The flavoring for each of the 3 varieties that we tried was just perfect (although my favorite was the Honey Mustard). These gourmet flavored pretzel nuggets were fresh & tasty and make the perfect snack! Matter of fact, the Pretzel Pete's Honey Mustard Pretzel Nuggets are now my new favorite brand to eat!

Buy It: You can buy the Pretzel Pete Pretzels directly from their web site. You can get 4 boxes for only $9.00!

Win It: 2 Lucky winners here on the TCC Blog will each win 3 boxes! You will receive 1 box of each of the 3 flavors that I got to try out.

If you would like to enter this giveaway, please visit our sister blog which is called Two Classy Chics to enter! The giveaway is open to residents age 18+ of the USA Only. Head on over to our sister blog and enter today!

The Giveaway expires on August 10th, 2010 at midnight EST time.

Tupperware Stack Cooker - Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Today I am sharing another fabulous recipe with all of my blog readers and this recipe is by Tupperware. If you love easy to prepare recipes that taste delicious, you need to try out this Red Velvet Cake recipe. This recipe will make 1 cake.

Tupperware Stack Cooker Red Velvet Cake Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tbsp. red food coloring
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In an 8 3/4 cup Wonderlier (tm) Tupperware bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In a 12 cup Tupperware Wonderlier (tm) Bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, red food coloring, white vinegar and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and combined. Pour the batter into the Tupperwave (tm) Stack 3 QT. Cooker with cone that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray. Microwave on high power for 10-11 minutes or until the center tests clean.

You can frost it with whatever you like...we like ours frosted with vanilla frosting.

Watkins Peach Crumble Recipe

My good friend Darlene who is a consultant with Watkins is our guest blogger today. Darlene has agreed to share her Watkins Peach Crumble Recipe with all of my blog readers today. This recipe will make 6 delicious servings.

Watkins Peach Crumble Recipe

2 cans (16 oz/454 g each) sliced peaches in own juices (drain and reserve juice)
Heat-resistant sugar substitute equal to 1 tbsp/15 mL sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Purest Ground Cinnamon 6 oz.
1-1/2 tbsp/25 mL Watkins Vanilla Dessert Mix
2/3 cup/160 mL quick-cooking rolled oats
1/3 cup/80 mL all-purpose flour
3 tbsp/45 mL margarine or butter, softened
Heat-resistant sugar substitute equal to 2 tbsp/30 mL sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Purest Ground Cinnamon 6 oz.

Combine 1 cup/250 ml of the reserved peach juice, sugar substitute, cinnamon, and Vanilla Dessert Mix in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling and thickened. Add peaches; mix well. Pour into 8-inch/20-cm square baking dish. Combine oats, flour, margarine, sugar substitute and cinnamon; mix well. Sprinkle over peaches. Bake at 400ºF/205ºC for 20 minutes.

You can visit Darlene's online Watkins Store to purchase Watkins products. Thanks Darlene for sharing one of your delicious recipes with us today.

Review and Giveaway - Peeled Snacks

Today I would like to introduce you to the company that makes organic dried fruits snacks called Peeled Snacks. At Peeled Snacks, they believe that snacking should be a satisfying part of life. Peeled Snacks are made with organic and all natural ingredients with no sugar or oil added to them. Peeled Snacks provides a healthy way to enjoy delicious, wholesome foods in the form of tasty snacks that energize our minds and bodies, naturally.

My Review: The generous folks over at Peeled Snacks sent me 6 bags of snacks for me to try out...they include: Pine-4-Pineapple, Much-ado-about-Mango, Banan-a-peel, Cherry-go-round, Apple-to-the-core and Apricot-a-lot. Once they arrived, hubby and I were very excited to try them out since we love dried fruit snacks. He immediately grabbed the Cherry-go-round bag and I took the Much-ado-about-Mango bag. Oh my, as soon as you open the pouch, you can smell goodness inside it. We loved that our fruit snacks were delicious in taste and chewy. (they were not sticky or too dry...just right in their texture). I will admit, we both ate our bags in one day! The next day hubby picked out the Pine-4-Pineapple and I chose the Banan-a-peel. Again, these 2 varieties were just as delicious as the first too! When my daughter came over last night, she immediately grabbed the Apple-to-the-core and took it with her. She called today to let me know that she loved them and that she is stopping at Starbucks on her way home to buy some more! LOL For my afternoon snack today I decided to try our last bag, the Apricot-a-lot flavor. I will admit, I am not too much of an apricot fan so I really didn't care for these...however, my hubby loves apricots and snatched the bag from me.

Overall Impression: My family absolutely loved the Peeled Snacks! Here at our household we try to eat healthy snacks...these surely fit the bill for that! These snacks are awesome to pack in your lunches for school and/or work...great for both adults and children! I highly recommend Peeled Snacks to you and your family.

If you would like to win a sampler package of Peeled Snacks, please visit our sister blog ---> TWO CLASSY CHICS to enter the giveaway!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclosure Policy before entering this giveaway. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of the TCC Blog to enter. This giveaway will close on August 5th, 2010 at midnight EST time.

FREE Cupcake Cake Ebook! Learn How to Make Cakes With Cupcakes!

A very good friend of mine named Tara is one talented woman. Tara makes gorgeous cupcake cakes! These cakes are all made by piecing together individual cupcakes.

I am happy to say that Tara has written a FREE E-Book on how you can make cupcake cakes for yourself, family, friends or even start a home-based business. I invited you to visit Tara's site and download the FREE ebook and take a look. She includes easy to follow instructions along with photo's to help guide you through building your own cupcake cake masterpiece.

You can download her free ebook ---> HERE

Grilled Peach Chicken Made With Mrs. Renfro's Salsa

Love grilled chicken? Have you ever heard of a company called Renfro Foods who make Mrs. Renfro's Peach Salsa? If not, you are really missing out!

A few weeks ago I received a jar of Mrs. Renfro's Peach Salsa and I decided to try out their Grilled Peach Chicken recipe on their site...after all, you just need a jar of their salsa and a few chicken breasts. You can grill your chicken or you can bake it in the oven.

We loved this recipe because Mrs. Renfro's Peach Salsa is absolutely delicious! I can't wait to get a few more jars and try out a few more recipes!

You can visit the Renfro Foods web site and purchase the peach salsa or some of the other flavors that they sell. While you are there, check out their recipe section!

Easy To Make Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Recipe

When the weekends roll around, I really enjoy cooking breakfast casseroles for my family because during the busy week...I just don't have the time to make big breakfasts.

This recipe is really easy to prepare. You should assemble all of the ingredients the night before and refrigerate it. Then early in the morning, just place the casserole into the oven and 35-45 minutes later...you have a delicious hot breakfast waiting for your family.

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Recipe

6 slices of bread (I like to use white bread)
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
6 medium eggs
3 cups of milk (I use whole or 2% milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spread the softened butter on your bread slices and arrange them in a large rectangular baking dish. Brown your sausage and drain the grease. Spread the browned sausage over the bread slices and then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine together the eggs, milk, salt and ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over top of the ingredients in your baking dish. Cover the baking dish and place into your refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-45 minutes or until done.

Review and Giveaway - Mohawk Valley Trading Company 4 Jars of Honey!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Mohawk Valley Trading Company that manufactures and sells the most delicious honey you have ever tasted. Mohawk Valley Trading Co. raw honey is unpasteurized, unfiltered, unprocessed, unheated and unblended. Therefore, all of the pollen, live enzymes, propolis, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, and aromatics are in the same condition as they were in the hive. All of their honey is made in the U.S.A.

My Review: The generous folks over at Mohawk Valley Trading Company sent me 4 large jars of their honey. I receive the following flavors: Blueberry Blossom Honey, Adirondack Wildflower Honey and Apple Blossom Honey. Since there was no way I could sample all 4 myself, I enlisted the help of my mother and my daughter. Hubby and I used the Blueberry Blossom & the Apple Blossom Honey in our hot tea for the past few days...oh my...it adds a beautiful sweet taste to our plain old hot tea! I also decided to add a little of the Apple Blossom Honey to some cookies I made a few days ago by substituting some honey for the granulated sugar...they turned out delicious and moist. We then tried the Blueberry Blossom Honey on some pancakes for breakfast one morning and my hubby said he actually enjoyed the honey more than if he had used syrup! I gave the Adirondack Wildflower Honey to my daughter to try out and she decided to mix 3 tablespoons of the honey with some BBQ sauce and marinate some chicken breasts in it and then she grilled them. She said her fianace absolutely loved it and raved about her cooking! My mother is a big tea drinker and she is using the Orange Blossom Honey in her hot tea and told me she absolutely loves the taste of the honey in her tea. She loves the honey so much, she is going to try to make some bread this weekend and add the honey to the ingredients. So as you can see, my entire family is loving the Mohawk Valley Trading Company honey products!

Did You Know Tip: Honey can be substituted for sugar in equal amounts for up to one cup. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, for over one cup of sugar, use about 2/3-3/4 cup of honey.

My Overall Impression: My family is raving about the delicious taste of this honey along with the various ways you can use honey in your every day cooking. I would highly recommend this company to you. My products arrived quickly to my home & they were well packaged. Customer Service with this company is fantastic!

Buy It: A 1 lb. jar of raw honey costs only $10.00.

If you would like to enter the giveaway for your chance to win 4 delicious jars of Mohawk Valley Trading Co. Honey, head on over to our sister blog ---> HERE

Product Review - Popcorn Indiana - Delicious Gourmet Popcorn Snacks!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Popcorn Indiana who makes the most magnificent gourmet popcorn snacks. Popcorn Indiana cooks up the perfect gourmet snack, one that spans the taste spectrum: It's crispy, crunchy, salty and sweet.

You will find the following varieties: Cinnamon Sugar, Famous Original Kettlecorn, Movie Theater Popcorn, Aged White Cheddar Kettlecorn, Smoked Cheddar Cheese Kettlecorn, Buffalo Cheddar Kettlecorn and Sea Salt Popcorn. There are more delicious flavors coming so please keep checking out Popcorn Indiana's web site for information on those.

My Review: Popcorn Indiana was generous enough to send me and hubby 3 full size bags of popcorn to try out for our product review. We received the Famous Original Kettlecorn, Movie Theater Popcorn and Sea Salt Popcorn to try out. I want to first say that I consider my hubby to be the ultimate popcorn addict...he eats popcorn at least 4 times a week. The first flavor he tried out was the Movie Theater Popcorn and after a few handfuls he said to me "Hon, this popcorn rocks, where did you get it?" He said it tasted BETTER than the popcorn that he gets at our local movie theaters! wootwoot! The next flavor we tried was the Famous Original Kettlecorn...I decided to have a few handfuls of this one myself. I can now see why the word "famous" is part of the name because seriously, this popcorn is one of the best that I have ever tried...hence to say, I stole the rest of this bag from the hubby and handed him the Sea Salt Popcorn. At first I wasn't sure if he would like this one...but to my amazement...he loved it! It only took us 2 days to demolish all 3 bags that they sent us! LOL

Overall Impression: Wow, I am really impressed with this popcorn. It arrived quickly to my home. As soon as you opened the bag, you could smell fresh popcorn. The popcorn was delicious, had a great taste & was easy to chew. We didn't find any unpopped kernels in our bags at all. The Movie Theater Popcorn was hubby's favorite and the Famous Original Kettlecorn was my favorite and the Sea Salt Popcorn was just as good as the other 2 varieties.

I would highly recommend that you check out Popcorn Indiana's wonderful popcorn products! I can't wait to go out to CVS this weekend and purchase a few bags!

Buy It: You can purchase Popcorn Indiana gourmet snacks on their web site store, select Bed, Bath & Beyond Stores, select Costco locations, CVS, Duane Reade, Fairway, Food Emporium, Stop & Shop, Walgreens, Walmart, Wegmens and Whole Foods stores.

I invite you to take a look around Popcorn Indiana's Web Site and you should follow them on Twitter.

I would like to thank Popcorn Indiana for sending us 3 delicious bags of popcorn to try our for our product review because I know hubby and I will be buying more!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the products listed above and has received no monetary compensation for her review or post. Shelly has posted her unbiased and honest opinions about the products she has tried. Thanks!

Sam's Creamy Horseradish Dip Recipe

If you are a fan of horseradish like my husband is...then I think you will enjoy his recipe for horseradish dip. He likes to make this recipe and then use it with chips or with some freshly cut up veggie sticks. If you are making this dip for your next family gathering, you will need to chill it for 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to infuse before serving it.

Here is how my hubby makes his dip.

Horseradish Dip Recipe

1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup horseradish sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons cooked and crumbled bacon

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, low-fat mayonnaise and horseradish sauce until well blended. Stir in your finely chopped onions and crumbled bacon bits. Place lid on your bowl and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving with chips or veggie sticks.

Tupperware Watergate Salad Recipe

It has been a very long time since I have posted a Tupperware recipe here on my blog so I decided today to share one of my favorites with you.

According to Tupperware, in 1975, pistachio pudding was developed by a major food corporation. The recipe for Watergate Salad was originally dubbed "Hawaiian Surprise", but to increase its popularity, the name of the recipe was altered to reflect the famous political scandal.

Here is Tupperware's Watergate Salad Recipe

* This recipe will make approximately 7 cups.

8 oz. carton of whipped topping
3.4 oz. pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
20 oz. can of crushed pineapples, drained & reserve the juice
8 oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained
2 cups of miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Combine whipped topping, pistachio pudding mix and a small amount of juice from the pineapples in an 8 3/4 cup Wonderlier (tm) Tupperware bowl. Blend well with the Tupperware Saucy Silicone Spatula (tm). Fold in the remaining ingredients. Chill before serving. (I chill mine for 4 hours or so).

Product Review - Chocomize Chocolate Bars!

Have you ever heard of the chocolate company called Chocomize? I had never heard of them until a couple of months ago when I was able to get 5 delicious chocolate candy bars from them.

This company is unlike any others that I have seen. With this company, you can customize your own chocolate candy bars! You can select if you want dark chocolate, milk chocolate or even white chocolate. Once you select your type of chocolate, you can then select what kind of goodies you want embedded into it such as various nuts, dried fruits, candies, etc.

My husband loves dark chocolate, I love milk and white chocolate. He loves nuts and raisins in his chocolate and I enjoy having a variety of fruits in mine.

When I got my 5 chocolate bars...they arrived very quickly and were well packaged. These are over-sized bars so one bar will last me a few days and ALL 5 of the ones we selected were absolutely delicious and I mean delicious!!!

If you have never tried Chocomize, I really recommend that you give it a go if you are a chocolate lover like I am.

Disclaimer: I personally purchased the candy listed above and was not compensated by the company to make this post. This post is my honest and unbiased opinion about the chocolate bars that I tried.

Zesty Mexican-Style Grilled Kabobs Recipe

When it comes to summertime grilling, one of our favorite things to make out on our grill is some great tasty kabobs! If you love kabobs, I think you will enjoy this easy to prepare recipe that utilizes pork chops and green peppers.

Zesty Mexican-Style Grilled Kabobs Recipe

4 boneless pork chops, cut into 1" cubes
4 Tablespoons of taco seasoning
1/2 to 3/4 of a green or red bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1" strips
1/2 of an onion, peeled & cut into 1" pieces

In a medium bowl, place the pork cubes and the taco seasoning. Place lid on bowl and shake until the pork cubes are covered in the taco seasoning. Thread pork cubes alternating with the green bell pepper and the onion onto kabob skewers.

Grill them over medium-high heat, turning them every few minutes until the pork is done and nicely browned.

Rhodes Raspberry Orange Rolls Recipe

I am a huge fan of Rhodes bread products, if you haven't tried any...you are really missing out! You should visit Rhodes web site for some delicious recipes.

One of my family's favorite Rhodes recipes in their Raspberry Orange Rolls and the best part is...you only need 2 ingredients to make them! I have even made this recipe using strawberry pie filling which is equally good!

Rhodes Raspberry Orange Rolls

1 pkg. Rhodes Anytime! Orange Rolls
1 cup raspberry pie filling
cream cheese frosting (included with the rolls)

Remove the frozen rolls from pan and spray the bottom of the pan with some non-stick cooking spray. Spread the raspberry pie filling in the bottom of the pan. Return the frozen rolls to the baking pan, arranging evenly on top of the raspberry pie filling.

Put the pan on a baking sheet and place in the center of your cold oven, then turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. Bake them for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a serving platter. Spoon any pie filling left in the pan over top of your rolls. Drizzle with the cream cheese frosting.

Canning ~ Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe for Home Canning

1 gallon of cucumbers
8 small onions
1 1/2 cups salt

Wash, but do not peel cucumbers. Slice 1/4" thick. Mix cucumbers and onions with salt. Put large piece of ice in center of large pan with cucumbers. Cover and weigh down so as to keep cucumbers below water as ice melts. After 3 hours, drain.

Syrup:

5 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
5 cups cider vinegar

Boil the syrup good, pour it over the cucumbers and stir with a wooden spoon. Heat all of this until it comes to a full rolling boil. Spoon the mixture into sterilized clean mason jars and seal. Process in your water bath canner according to instructions for your canner. I usually do mine for 10 minutes.

Easy To Make Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Green Bean casserole is usually popular around the holidays...however, it is easy enough to make all year long, especially if you are a gardener and want to use up some of your fresh green beans.

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

2 cans (large cans) cut green beans
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell's)
1 small can of fried onion rings (I use Durkee's)
6 tablespoons Velveeta cheese

Mix up all of the above ingredients in a 2 to 3 quart casserole baking dish but reserve 1/2 of the can of fried onion rings. Bake your casserole, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining fried onion rings over top. Place back into the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes until the top is toasted. Serve immediately as a side dish, store left-overs (once cooled) in the refrigerator.

Win FREE Food and Beverages!

As some of my Shakin 'N Bakin Blog readers know, I also co-own another blog called Two Classy Chics where we do product reviews & host giveaways. Well, if you love FREE food and beverages, I would like to invite you to visit my other blog and read some of our fabulous product reviews and enter some of our foodie giveaways. You never know...you could win one or a few of them!

Please visit us at ---> Two Classy Chics Product Reviews & Giveaways

Homemade Hawaiian Style Pizza Recipe

When it comes to weekends...my family loves it when I make them some homemade pizza! You can top this pizza however you like...but my family loves it when I top it with Canadian Bacon, Pineapples and yes...fresh mushrooms! Here is how you can make your very own homemade pizza.

1 pizza crust measuring 9-10" in diameter
1/4 to 1/2 cup of pizza sauce
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Toppings: Sliced Canadian Bacon, Pineapple Tidbits and Freshly Sliced Mushrooms or whatever else you want to top your pizza with.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, mine usually takes 7-8 minutes to reach that temperature. While my oven is preheating, I prepare my pizza which I bake on a round pizza baking stone but you can use a round baking sheet.

Place your prepared crust onto your baking sheet and then spread your pizza sauce on top. We don't like a slew of sauce, so we use 1/4 cup of sauce. If you like more sauce...add more. Next, top with your shredded Mozzarella Cheese and then spread your sliced toppings on top.

Place pizza in your oven for about 10 minutes. If you have a slew of toppings on it, it might take a little longer to bake so keep an eye on it.