Tag: easy

Judy’s Trifle Cake
jacqui_monet
June 19, 2016

In Daddy-Long-Legs, Judy goes to to a girl’s college and meets many new types of people, makes life-long friends, travels to places she’d never thought she’d go and experiences incredible new things. Segue! I think that a poor orphaned girl (whose name was literally chosen from a gravestone and the phone book) would love any chocolate dessert that was presented to her while away at her fancy new college. This recipe is recreation of something that my mother used to make for my siblings and I as kids. This version though is very quick and inexpensive. It’s light and airy and oddly refreshing. Judy’s Trifle Cake will leave a great impression on your dinner guests and not just the poor college students.

You will need:

Chocolate Cake ( I used a boxed cake baked in a 13 x 9in pan)

Chocolate Pudding (seriously, I’m not against the boxed stuff you guys)

 

Whipped topping (you can make it from scratch OR Cool Whip)

Vanilla extract.

Fresh Fruit (think berries)

chocolate shavings or mint

Directions:

Prepare the Pudding as the box says and chill in the fridge.

Prepare the chocolate cake but make a few substitutions. Butter for Oil and Milk for Water. Add a cap full of the vanilla extract. Place the baked cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board or tray (upside down) and return to the freezer for another ten. Once completely cool, slice off the top to make it level and all four sides. Next, cut into cubes.

There are a few different ways that you can plate this.

  1. If you have a trifle dish  you can layer everything together. Cake, pudding, fruit, whipped topping until the dish is filled. At the top, garnish with fruit and a sprig of mint.
  2. In a mason jar you can do the same thing treating it like a tiny trifle dish.
  3. On a dessert plate you can  make a square with four cubes, cover with pudding and you can either spoon or pipe the whipped topping. Lastly, garnish!

Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoy this super simple dessert!

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Isabel’s Bellini
jacqui_monet
June 1, 2016

IMG_4379Now, I do not condone underage drinking in anyway but I didn’t make the Rules, Joanna Philbin did. Lol, see what I did there? Isabel Rule? The characters’ last na-. Oh never mind.

Anyway, Isabel loves her champagne. This drink is totally yummy and perfect for summer.

 

You will need:

1 medium peach, peeled and pureed

4-6oz Champagne (cold)

Raspberry or Strawberry sauce/syrup

Pint glass

 

Alternative:

If you want to easy on the wallet sub the Champagne for Sparkling white wine. Or, for a non-alcoholic version, use sparkling apple cider.

 

Directions:

Swirl your chosen sauce/syrup around the inside of the glass.

Pour the peach puree into the glass and slowly add Champagne. Gently stir it with a tall spoon and be careful to not touch the sides.

Mike’s Doritos Casserole
jacqui_monet
May 31, 2016

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Mike lives in tiny shack-like house with a couple of his surfer bros. Joanna Philbin’s description of his place makes you feel gross. Like, if you ever actually went there, you would need to strip off your clothes in the garage and take a shower as soon as you got home. A hot boy does not equal a clean home in this book and just because he lives in the Hamptons(ish) doesn’t mean he has a ton of money.

Enter Mike’s Doritos Casserole. You probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

You will need:

Rice 3 cups (I use microwavable Minute Rice)

Water 3 cups

Doritos large bag (not the family sized one)

Velveeta Cheese (1/2 large block or 2 small ones)

Milk ¼ cup

Ground Beef 1 lb

Jimmy Dean hot sausage 1 tube

Bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu’s Chunky Sun-dried Tomato and Sweet Basil)

13×9 baking pan or casserole dish, small pot, large frying pan, large mixing bowl, strainer

Oven, stove, microwave

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350.

In large bowl combine rice and water and microwave per the box’s instructions. Minute rice will take 10 mins.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and the hot sausage together in the frying pan.

While that cooks, cube the cheese and toss it in the small pot with the milk on medium high. Frequently stir this so it won’t burn. It should be very smooth.

All three things should be done at about the same time. Strain the meat and remove the cheese from the heat.

Add the meat, cheese and entire bottle of spaghetti sauce to the rice bowl. (I said it should be big haha.) Mix thoroughly.

Crunch up the entire bag of Doritos, then add it to the bowl!

Mix, mix, mix. Transfer to the casserole dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 mins. Remove foil and bake for another 10 mins.

Alternative:   If you want to assemble one day and then bake on the next you will have to refrigerate it and then bake for 25 mins covered and 10 mins uncovered.

 

This unexpected casserole is absolutely amazing and I double-dog dare you to take this to Thanksgiving dinner this year!