Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Sweet Potato Pie (Pssst, it's better than Patti's!)

If you haven't heard the latest craze about the Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pie, then you need to get out more! It seems she has her own Sweet Potato Pie available at the local Wally World (aka Wal-Mart for those who didn't know) Well, my mother in law gave me her recipe( which I tweeked a little bit) and it is really good!! You can try it for yourself tho. And Patti, let me know how YOU like it!

2 Cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 Cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup buttermilk* (can also use regular whole milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 unbaked pie shell (You can make your own! So much better!!)

*Pie Crust*

1 & 1/3 Cups Flour

1/3 Cup Oil

3 Tablespoons milk

Mix this up with a fork and roll out between 2 layers of wax paper. This is really easy and so flaky!! I haven't tried using coconut oil but I bet it would be off the chain good!!

*How to make the pie filling*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Prepare the pie crusts and set aside. It's a good idea to have those ready and waiting.

Mix all ingredients well and pour into pie crust.

It's best to use a deep dish pie pan. I used a standard size pie dish for mine.

Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes. If the edges get too brown, place aluminum foil around the top during last few minutes of baking.

*For the happiest life, days should be rigorously planned, nights left open to chance* ~Mignon McLaughlin

Georgia Peach Mango Blueberry Smoothie

Smoothies!! Not all smoothies are the same. This smoothie was one of the best ones I've made.
Having fresh mangoes and some fresh Georgia peaches make things so much better. We love yellow mangoes better. They don't seem as "stringy" as the big red ones. Hubby bought a case for $8.00 at the Hispanic market. (Yay!!)

A local grocery store usually sells big bags of bruised up bananas for ONE DOLLAR!! You can't beat that!! They look bad but they are good ones for sure. That goes to show you that we should not judge others by the color of our skin. We all have bumps and bruises. Deep down inside we can be good people. 
Peel them and throw them in the freezer. If you don't peel 'em, you might as well forget about those bananas!

Who wants a smoothie? I do! I do!! Here's what you'll need:

A blender (duh!)
1 frozen banana
1/4 Cup frozen blueberries
1 peeled and cut up Georgia Peach
1 peeled fresh mango
1 Cup Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt (any flavor you like)
1 handful of quick oats
1 cup Almond milk 

Blend this all together and enjoy!! Garnish with a slice of fresh peach. YUMMY!!

My Swirly Pan Adventure

Hey y'all! Here are some pictures of the cakes I had the pleasure of baking in The Traveling Swirly Pan!! My favorite is the Swirl It To Me Cake - I really LOVE cinnamon swirly things!! This recipe was adapted from SouthernPlate.com 's - "Sock It To Me Cake". I used Yoplait Apple Pie yogurt since I rarely have sour cream on hand. Talk about YUMMY!!!

Make sure you grease & flour the pan REAL good! I figured a swirly pan deserved a swirly cake.
The next cake I made was something my hubby LOVED! (It's all about keeping daddy happy! wink wink)

This is a Buttermilk Lime Pound Cake - also found on Southernplate.com . Christy Jordan has some really good recipes!!! FYI - All of the batter did not fit in the pan. I made 6 cupcakes. Please don't over-fill the pan. I wouldn't want you to have a mess in your oven! (Smile!)
For the frosting I used butter, cream cheese, fresh lime juice and powdered sugar. What makes it so good is the fresh pulp from the lime. (Shhhhhh! That's a little secret )

I was so excited to be a part of The Traveling Swirly Pan. Next I hand it over to Renee Dobbs with Magnolia Days http://magnoliadays.com/blog/  Enjoy Dorothy & Toto!!

Thank you for reading! Make this a great day!
Love,
Jett

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

This will be your next favorite dinner!! We got so tired of buying those expensive already cooked chickens from the grocery store. Try this and let me know how it turns out! I use potatoes instead of just balling up some foil. The potatoes taste SO good baked in the chicken broth. You might think you're using too much season salt, but you're not.

Time 360 minutes

• Serves 5

Ingredients

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• 1 - whole hen chicken...thawed, rinsed & patted dry
• Lawry's Season Salt
• 1 Medium Onion - cut up
• aluminum foil 
• 4 Baking potatoes
• Large crock pot
• Crock pot liners (make for easy clean up)

• How to make it

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  • Season the chicken inside & out with Lawry's Season Salt.
  • Place 1 liner in the crock pot
  • Wrap potatoes in aluminum fol.
  • Set seasoned chicken on top of potatoes (this keeps juice away from the chicken.
  • Scatter the onion around the chicken
  • Put the lid on the crock pot and let this cook for 4 - 6 hours on HIGH
  • You will have a tender, moist chicken that you'll wonder why you didn't do this a long time ago!
  • Mmmmm yummy! Enjoy :)
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The Seven Ups and a 7Up Pound Cake Recipe

    The 7-Ups  of Life

Wake Up - Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice & be glad in it" Psalms 118:24

Dress Up - The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.  A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.  "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at outward  appearance but the Lord looks at the heart"  I Sam 16:7

Shut Up - Say nice things & learn to listen.  God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul"  Proverbs 13:3  "Gossip betrays confidence avoid men who talk too much" Proverbs 20:19  "Listen to advice, accept instruction and in the end, you will be wise"  Proverbs 19:20

Stand Up - For what you believe in.  Stand for something or you will fall for anything.  "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

Look Up - To the Lord.  "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13

Reach Up - For something higher. As Jiminy Cricket sings "High Hopes" Always try to better yourself.  “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Colossians 1:27

Lift Up - Your Prayers.  "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING" Philippians 4:6

NOW - here's something else to be happy about .... A 7Up Pound Cake recipe!!

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup 7 UP

For the Glaze:

• 1/4 cup 7 UP
• 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Combine butter, shortening, sugar, vanilla and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt, and add to butter/sugar mixture alternately with 1 cup 7 UP, beating well after each addition.

Spoon batter into prepared 10-inch tube pan, and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert on serving plate and remove pan.

While cake is cooling, make the glaze by stirring together the 1/4 cup 7 UP and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Punch holes in top of warm cake with a toothpick. Spoon glaze over cake, and cool completely before serving. 

Makes one 10-inch cake. 

One of my favorite cakes EVERRRRRRRR! Make it and let me know how it turns out!

Love ya,
Jett

National Carrot Cake Day - My Favorite Cake!

My Moms Carrot Pecan Cake

• Time 70 minutes
• Serves 12

Ingredients

---

• 1 1/2 Cups cooking oil
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs(room temperature)
• 3 Cups grated raw carrots
• 1 Cup chopped nuts
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  How to make it

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  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Generously grease and flour 2- 9 inch cake pans.
  • A 10 inch tube pan works well also.(This is how I do it!)
  • Line with waxed paper for easy release.
  • Combine the oil and sugar. Mix well.
  • Sift the dry ingredients together.
  • Add half of flour mixture to the sugar/oil mixture.
  • Add the rest of the flour mixture with the eggs, beating well after each addition.
  • Add the carrots and mix well.
  • Fold in the pecans. (TIP: before adding the nuts to the cake, toss the nuts around with a small amount of flour so they won't sink to the bottom of the cake)
  • Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes(or until toothpick inserted comes out clean)
  • Cool completely on racks.
  • Remove the waxed paper.
  • My Favorite Cream Cheese frosting. 
  • 1 stick butter - softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese - softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Vanilla 
  • Beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread on cooled cake. Top with nuts if desired.
  Oh my goodness! This cake is my absolute favorite ... but I say that about all cakes! LOL - I hope everyone has thawed out from the snow and ice last week. We didn't have any drama, thank goodness!! On a normal day it would take my daughter about 20 minutes to get home from the train station. Tuesday it took over 2 hours! Talk about a nervous wreck! We all got home and didn't leave out until Thursday. We had everything we needed and didn't have to venture out until Friday. 
• Hugs - Jett

Caramel Glazed Apple Cake

Wow! This cake smells so good. I’m crazy about pound cakes, so this one will definitely be made again.  Wanna know how to bake this? I thought you did!! Here’s how:

2 Cups sugar
11/2 Cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 Cup chopped walnuts

Caramel Glaze
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 12-inch tube pan.
In large bowl beat oil, sugar, eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, salt and baking soda until smooth. Stir in apples and nuts. Toss a teaspoon of flour in with those nuts to help distribute evenly thru the batter.
Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

CARAMEL GLAZE
In 2 quart saucepan, heat all ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil 2 minutes stirring constantly, remove from heat and pour over warm cake.
Yum!