Delicious Recipes
This is where you'll find all of my favorite recipes to make for your family and friends.
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Ellen’s Scrumptious Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Many of us have a bounty of harvest coming from our gardens and my friends always have extra zucchini to share. This is my grandmother’s recipe to help use up some of those homegrown zucchini’s this year! Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa (I like to use Trader Joe’s) 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup softened butter 2 eggs 2 teaspoons orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup milk 2 1/2 – 3 cups of grated zucchini Powdered sugar Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Step Two: Blend all…
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JB’s Homemade Sweet Summer BBQ Sauce
My Mom would call my Dad, JB, short for John Bradley. This recipe actually came from one of my Mom’s college roommates but I always remember my Dad making this sauce when I was a kid. Several years ago I asked him for the recipe – he just laughed and said it was “by look“. We took some guesses at measurements and I think this version captures it perfectly. We like to use this on grilled chicken in the summer (with fresh sweet corn on the side of course!), in place of ketchup if we make homemade turkey sloppy joe’s, or on one of our favorite homemade pizzas, BBQ chicken.…
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Refreshing & Delicious Frozen Cherry Limeades
When I was a young girl my Mom would make frozen limeades on hot Midwest summer days – a treat we all enjoyed and it’s a drink that brings up fond childhood memories of life on the farm. I took this simple recipe and added my own twist to it by adding sparkling water and a homemade cherry simple syrup. Follow the simple steps below to make one of your own! Cherry Simple Syrup – Makes ~ 1 1/2 cups 10 oz. frozen and pitted cherries 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar Step One: Place the water, sugar, and frozen cherries into a small uncovered saucepan on medium high for…
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Quick & Easy Ooey Gooey Molten Lava Cakes
This is a “fancy” dessert you can make with just a few minutes of prep time. I serve this regularly when we have friends over for dinner. This recipe has just 5 ingredients and is sure to impress your guests. Serves 4. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 2 tablespoons flour 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks 1/4 cup of sugar Serve with a scoop of ice cream (optional) Step One: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Step Two: Spray four 6 oz. ramekins or glass bowls. I find that using Baker’s Joy or a cooking spray that has flour works best – this will…
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Fast & Simple Italian Meatball Marinara Hand Pies
My daughter has been in a musical theater program for the past several months and is on the go with her busy schedule in the evenings. This recipe has been a steady friend as an easy grab and go homemade meal for her – it’s so good I wanted to share it with all of you! Serves 6. Ingredients: 2 frozen puff pastry sheet – thawed 1 cup of marinara sauce 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese 3 large sweet Italian sausage links 1 egg Italian seasoning Step One: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Step Two: Place your thawed puff pastry sheet (I like to use Pepperidge Farms) on…
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Simple Fresh Strawberry Crisp Crumble
This is one of my go summer recipes and this is my recently updated healthier version – a version with less sugar and flour but still amazingly delicious. Serves 6. Ingredients: 4 cups of strawberries, cleaned, hulled & quartered 1/8 cup of granulated white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup flour 3/4 cup old fashioned oats 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Vanilla ice cream – optional Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Step Two: Get out a pie pan or an 8×8 baking dish – grease with cooking spray. Step Three: Clean, hull,…
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Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
One of my husband’s favorite desserts is carrot cake and this is my go to recipe. I always crave carrot cake in the Spring as it is a dessert I normally make around Easter. Kudos goes to Cory, a fellow mom from our parenting group for sharing her recipe with me over 15+ years ago. Serves 8-12. Update: In April 2024 I decided to half this recipe and make them into cupcakes and muffins. If you cut the below recipe in half you’ll yield ~ 16 cupcakes/muffins. Half the cream cheese frosting as well if you make them into cupcakes (see photo below). Bake for ~ 22 minutes. Ingredients: Step…
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My Favorite Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
A very dear friend of mine, Jess shared her homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe with me several years ago. It quickly became a go to salad dressing recipe for my Mom & I. I make homemade croutons (recipe below in Step 4) and put shaved parmesan on top. I like to serve this on the side of Italian dishes – like lasagna or chicken parmesan subs or by itself if I want a light dinner. For an extra easy weeknight comfort meal consider serving this on the side of a loaded baked potato. Serves 6. Ingredients: 6 cups of chopped and washed romaine (You can also sub in 2 cups…
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Simple Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe
One of our favorite cold night comfort foods is pesto pasta with fresh parmesan. Pesto is super simple to make and it is easy to store in the refrigerator for a variety of uses. It is delicious to put on an over easy egg, on bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and tomato, on crackers, on a baked potato or on pasta. Makes ~1 cup. Ingredients: 3 cups of fresh basil leaves, packed 3/4 cup olive oil 3/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup pine nuts 4 cloves of garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper 1 lb. box of angel hair (if you choose to serve on pasta, serves 6) Step…
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Homemade Peppermint Stick Ice Cream & Heavenly Hot Fudge
It is our Christmas Eve tradition to have peppermint ice cream with my Grammie Ellen’s homemade heavenly hot fudge – it wouldn’t feel like the holidays without it. This is a once a year treat and I am so excited to share the recipes with all of you. Homemade Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Makes 10 1/2 cup servings I use the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker Ingredients: 1 cup of whole milk, well chilled 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups of heavy cream, well chilled 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 3/4 cup crushed hard peppermint candies Step One: In a medium bowl, use a hand…
