KimM

Pumpkin Spice Eclair Cake w/Chocolate Frosting {No Bake}

October 3, 2013 by KimM 7 Comments

Eclair Cake is one of those desserts I see often at potlucks, family gatherings, and is a personal favorite of mine. If you are not familiar, it’s a no bake dessert that is made up of just a few simple ingredients: graham crackers, vanilla pudding, cool whip, and usually chocolate frosting (but I’ve also seen it with chocolate pudding on top).

I decided to make this dessert for a church dinner, and as I was getting my supplies from the grocery store, I spied this…

HOLD THE PHONE! Pumpkin Spice pudding?! I immediately scooped up several packages, and then the idea of substituting the pumpkin spice pudding for the vanilla pudding, and using cinnamon graham crackers instead of regular in the eclair cake came to me. It sounded seasonal and delicious…and it was!

I realized too late that the milk was left out of the picture, but I used skim. You could use any kind you like, and I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use almond, soy, etc., but I’ve never tried it.

As I mentioned, I made this to take to church, so I couldn’t get a picture of the inside of the cake after I made it. However, I assumed I would be able to quickly (and discreetly) take a phone pic after people started cutting into it. Well, that didn’t go according to plan. When I got to the dessert table, it was gone! Only some crumbs of frosting remained, and someone even came along and licked the spoon before taking it to the kitchen 🙂 Luckily, I had snagged a few bites from one of my children’s plates, so I can attest that it was very tasty.

I usually make this in a 9 x 13 pan, but on this occasion, I made 2 8 x 8’s – one pumpkin spice and one regular eclair cake. (The regular cake was also eaten before I got to the dessert table!) The following recipe is for the 9 x 13 size.

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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Spice Eclair Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

1 box Cinnamon Graham Crackers you will have some leftover
2 boxes Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 container Cool Whip
1/2 tsp. cinnamon optional
1/4 tsp. allspice optional

For Frosting -

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Mix 2 boxes of instant pudding with 3 cups milk. Stir until it begins to thicken.
Fold in container of Cool Whip.
Line a 9 x 13 pan with single layer of graham crackers.
Spread 1/3 of pudding mixture on top of crackers.
Place another layer of graham crackers on top of pudding.
Repeat layers, ending with pudding mixture.
Place in refrigerator to chill while making frosting*

For the Frosting

Mix sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium size pot.
Bring to a boil over medium heat - stirring the entire time with a wooden spoon.
Boil for one minute (still stirring!)
Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Mix until it just starts to thicken - don't let it thicken too much or it is difficult to spread over cake. Pour over pudding layer of cake. Icing will 'set' on cake.

Time Saving Tip - If you do not want to make homemade icing/frosting, you can take a store-bought can of frosting, heat in the microwave, and pour over cake.

Allow cake to chill in refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight before serving so the graham crackers can soften and create a cake like texture.

I like to divide my pudding into thirds when layering my eclair cake, but if you want a thicker pudding layer, you can just divide it in half, ending with graham crackers on top. I’ve made it both ways, I just prefer a thinner pudding layer. It’s an easy dessert that always goes over well! What do you like to bring to potluck/cover dish dinners?

KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. She lives in NC with her husband, three children, and 2 fur babies. You can find her blogging about her kitchen adventures at Makin’ it Mo’Betta.

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles – Freezer Friendly

September 4, 2013 by KimM 4 Comments

Back-to-school time is upon us once again. The hustle and bustle of getting the kids out the door, looking presentable, with everything signed and packed, and a nutritious breakfast in their bellies is no easy task. Even if your kids don’t have to leave the house, or if you don’t have kids at all…breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Your body needs it to jump start the metabolism and get needed fuel to those brain cells. With that being said, it’s sometimes so much easier to grab a bowl of cereal, or a granola bar as we are running out the door. That’s where these freezer friendly waffles come in!

A healthy breakfast is just a few minutes away when you have a freezer stocked with homemade, whole grain waffles, that only need to be popped in the toaster. In just minutes you have a hot, filling breakfast. The kids will enjoy deciding what toppings to put on their waffles, while moms will love knowing they are getting whole grains, along with energy from natural sugars. Some topping ideas may be bananas and peanut butter, blueberries and walnuts (my favorite), chocolate chips (my kids’ favorite)…the possibilities are endless! You can even fold them and carry them with you for breakfast on the go. If your kids do like them plain, you could always add in some extra cinnamon, pumpkin or apple pie spice, or whatever they like. I like to think of waffles, pancakes, and muffins as a sort of “blank canvas” that you can design however you want!

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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles – Freezer Friendly

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups milk cow's milk, almond milk, etc.
2 tablespoons oil*
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons honey could also use maple syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
*I like to use a combination of olive oil and canola oil or coconut oil.

Instructions

Whisk all of the ingredients together.
Pour onto a greased waffle iron.
Cook until steam is no longer coming from waffle iron.
Eat immediately or cool and freeze.
This made about 6 six-inch round waffles.
To prepare from frozen: These can be microwaved, but for best texture I recommend cutting them in half (or fourths) and placing in the toaster until warm and crisp.

This recipe does not contain eggs, and could easily be made vegan.

Sunny Blueberry Orange Bread

August 7, 2013 by KimM 3 Comments

It’s no secret that blueberry and lemon is one of my favorite flavor combos, but I am so glad that I decided to try blueberry and orange together! It’s a burst of sunshine and happiness in your mouth! Blueberries are in season, and I am enjoying every minute of it. I love them in my yogurt, in my green smoothies, in muffins, cakes and more!

The only juice my son will drink is Sunny D, so that is what I used in this bread. However, any OJ could be used, you just may need to increase the amount of sugar, depending on how sweet the juice is.

Look at all those blueberries! I made mini loaves of bread, but you could also make one 9 inch loaf (or use a muffin pan, just reduce baking time.)

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5 from 1 vote

Sunny Blueberry Orange Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Sunny D juice drink
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon orange zest optional
1 heaping cup blueberries fresh or frozen
Glaze – 1 cup confectioner’s sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and enough Sunny D juice to reach desired consistency.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.
In separate bowl, mix together juice, egg, oil and zest, if using.
Add your wet ingredients to the dry, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Fold in the blueberries.
Divide batter into 3 mini loaf pans, or one large (9 inch) loaf pan (sprayed with non stick cooking spray, or greased with butter)
Bake for 30-35 minutes for mini loaves or approx. 55-60 minutes for large loaf, or until bread is golden and springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
While slightly warm, pour glaze over top of bread loaves, if desired.

If you are looking for more great recipes for blueberries, check out the Ingredient Spotlight: Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries!

KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. She lives in NC with her husband, three children, and 2 fur babies. You can find her blogging about her kitchen adventures at Makin’ it Mo’Betta. You can also follow her on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Pineapple Chicken

July 11, 2013 by KimM 12 Comments

I absolutely love Asian inspired dishes, and have been experimenting with several different recipes lately. I recently made a spicy bourbon chicken that I thought was amazing…but the rest of my crowd, not so much. My family does not do spicy! So, the next time I had a craving for Chinese, I decided to skip the spice and see if I could create something my kids would eat. I had some pineapple in the fridge, which gave me inspiration for this Pineapple Chicken. It is sweet with the brown sugar and pineapple, but deliciously flavorful with hints of ginger and the saltiness of the tamari (gluten free soy sauce).

I topped mine with sesame seeds, green onions, and red pepper flakes, and served it over brown rice. We had an Asian chopped salad as a side, which is quickly made from a bagged salad kit (which I have found WalMart and Sam’s Club).

I am pleased to report that my girls loved it!! (My son is 5 and only eats chicken in the form of a nugget! I’m praying for the day he outgrows this.) I am super excited that I can add this to our regular rotation so I can get my Chinese food fix, and it is easy to spice up my individual portion so everyone is happy!

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5 from 2 votes

Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts - cut into bite size chunks
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
Approx. 1 cup pineapple tidbits or small chunks
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Tamari
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 T. ketchup
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. cornstarch
½ tsp. powdered ginger
Crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha optional

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
Add chicken and cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken from pan and add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.
Add chicken back into pan with sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered.

KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, three children, and 2 fur babies. She blogs about her kitchen adventures at Makin’ it Mo’Betta. You can also follow on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

‘Cheater’ Chili – for hot dogs and more! – 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

July 3, 2013 by KimM 2 Comments

We love a good cheater recipe around here! Kim has a fantastically easy version of Chili for hot dogs. You’re going to love this recipe. Bonus: there are 3 different methods for cooking it. Check out the notes on the recipe and choose what works for you.

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to hot dog toppings. For me, I want a grilled hot dog, loaded with chili, onions, mustard, ketchup, and slaw….yummmm! With grilling season under way, and lots of cook outs planned for July 4th, I wanted to share this super simple chili recipe I recently made. You only need THREE ingredients…a couple of pantry staples and ground beef…that’s it!

I used one can of Hunt’s Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Chili and one can of Manwich Sauce (for Sloppy Joes). My original intent was to use this as a base, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn’t need to add anything but the ground beef! It had a great flavor, and was perfect for our hot dogs! I received lots of compliments on it too. I also think this could easily be made in the slow cooker, but someone would need to be available to give it a stir once in a while to break up the meat.

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5 from 1 vote

‘Cheater’ Chili – for hot dogs and more!

Ingredients

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 15 oz can tomato sauce seasoned for chili
1 15 oz can Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce- original
cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

Brown ground beef in large pot.
Rinse under hot water to remove grease and then return meat to pot or place in crockpot.
Add tomato sauce, Manwich and cayenne pepper to meat.
Heat on medium high heat until boiling. Or cook in slow cooker on low for 5 -7 hours.

If you want a little spicy kick to your chili, you could add in some cayenne pepper! I made this chili the night before my cookout, and heated it up in my crock pot the day of. This also kept the chili nice and warm without tying up my stove top.
How do you eat your hot dogs?!
KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. She has three children, ages 12, 10 and 5; 2 fur babies, and blogs about her kitchen adventures at Makin’ it Mo’Betta. You can also follow on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.