Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle

The recipe below is the perfect dessert to bring to a party.  It makes a lot so it feeds plenty and its soooo good!! Its sure to leave your guests asking for the recipe. 

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle
1 batch of your favorite brownies, boxed or from scratch, cooled and cut into cubes
1 large box (5-ounce) of instant chocolate pudding, prepared and chilled (this will most likely call for 3 cups of milk, nothing else)
1 bag of peanut butter cups, chopped (I used mini reeses cups so I didn't have to chop them)
2 cups heavy cream
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
8 ounces of whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat heavy cream and sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to an separate bowl and stick in the fridge until ready to use. I did not even clean the bowl of my electric mixer and just began mixing the peanut butter mixture.
Add the peanut butter and cream cheese to the bowl and beat at medium speed, scraping down the sides a few times until mixture is creamy. Add in powdered sugar and mix until combined, then mix in 2 tablespoons of milk. Remove the whipped cream from the fridge and add 1 cup of it to the peanut butter, folding it in until the mixture turns lighter in color and is mostly combined.
Grab your trifle dish and begin to layer your ingredients however you’d like. I did a layer of brownies, then peanut butter, then a handful of chopped peanut butter cups, chocolate pudding, whipped cream, and so on. I repeated it until I got to the top, then piped the remaining whipped cream on top and sprinkled the candy on. You really can’t go wrong with layering – just use a long spoon to serve!

Grandma's Banana Bread

So many memories can be tied to food. I remember when we were kids and would visit NJ, there were certain places that we always had to eat. One memory I have growing up is my grandma's banana bread. She used to make the best baked goods from scratch and mail them to us. One of things I loved was her banana bread!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

- Cream Shortening; add sugar, eggs, and beat well

- Mix in bananas, nuts, and dry ingredients

- Bake in greased floured load pan at 300 degrees for 60 minutes

Crab Legs!

During the summer, there is nothing like enjoying one of my seafood favorites at home. If you want to enjoy crab legs just follow the steps below:

1. You can often find crab legs on sale in your local grocery store.

2. Buy a bag of frozen crab legs

3. Boil a large pot of water. Add seasoning, I like to use Season-All.

4. When the water is at a fast boil add the legs and lower heat.

5. Simmer the crab legs for 5-7 minutes.

6. Melt some butter, Crack, dip and enjoy!

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

Tried this new recipe recommended by my sister, Christa, and not only is it easy to make but tastes so good. Will definitely be making this one again. For the recipe go to the following link: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/crispy-shrimp-pasta.html

Royal Cake

Recently attended a party that had a "royal" theme. I opted to bake a cake and display the British Flag using strawberries and blueberries. You could also use raspberries for the stripes.

Eggplant Rollatini

I took this recipe from my friend Alicia's blog. Trying to learn some more Italian recipes and I love eggplant.


Ingredients
1 eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
14 ounces Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta

Directions
1.Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese onto each slice of eggplant. Roll up tightly, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour pasta sauce over the rolls, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
4.Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
5.While the eggplant rolls are baking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Drain.

Serve eggplant rolls and sauce over pasta.

Stuffed Mushrooms

This appetizer has to be one of the easiest by far, but it sure tasted good. It is based on a recipe I saw on The Food Network and modified slightly.

Ingredients:
2 boxes of medium sized mushrooms
1 box of Stove Top stuffing
1/4 cup of butter
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Rinse and drain mushrooms and remove stems
Cook stuffing according to package instructions
Chop up stems and mix in with cooked stuffing
Fill mushrooms with stuffing
Spray pan with cooking spray, place mushrooms in pan and cook for approximately 15 minutes.