Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake
1 package Duncan Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
1 package vanilla pudding
1/2 cup lemon
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs (at room temp)
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Frosting
16 oz room temp cream cheese
2 sticks room temp butter
6-8 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 lemon squeezed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 T Milk

Directions for Cake
Preheat oven to 350. Add liners to muffin tins. Combine cake mix, pudding, lemon juice, water and oil. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer just until combined. Gently fold in fresh blueberries. Pour into prepared cupcake liners (or cake pans). Bake according to box instructions and pan size. Let cakes cool on cooling racks in the pan for 10 min. Remove from pans carefully and continue to cool until room temp.

Frosting Directions
Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and extract, and beat until combined, add milk.

Adapted from Tip Junkie

Grilled Salmon with Avocados

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped*
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper
4 (4-ounce) salmon filets
1 ripe Avocado from Mexico, pitted and peeled

In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and honey. Stir in tomato, parsley, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan or gas or charcoal grill. Place salmon on grill, skin side down. Grill 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill 8-10 minutes more or until flesh of salmon flakes easily. Place 1 salmon filet, skin side down, on each of 4 plates. Cut avocado lengthwise into 12 slices; place 3 slices on top of each salmon filet. Spoon vinaigrette over salmon, dividing it evenly. If desired, serve salmon on a bed of rice pilaf.

*To peel and seed tomatoes, cut a small X in the skin and place in boiling water 15 seconds or until skin can be peeled away easily. Remove skin, cut tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze gently to remove seeds.

Per Servings

426 calories; 33 g fat; 62 mg cholesterol; 146 mg sodium;  8 g carbohydrate;  4 g fiber; 24 g protein

Stuffed Chicken

1 c. goat cheese
1 t dried Italian herbs
1 t fresh parsley
salt
pepper
6 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1 c heavy cream

Mix goat cheese, Italian herbs, and parsley; season with salt and pepper.  Make a slit down the side of chicken, creating pockets.  Spoon cheese mixture inside each breast.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a saute pan over medium heat, heat 1/4 c olive oil; cook chicken, turning once, 6 minutes each side.  Remove chicken.  Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and cream.  Scrape all bits off bottom of pan.  Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes  Spoon sauce over chicken.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 1/4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup half and half
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 t salt
2 t vanilla
2 large eggs
cooking spray

Topping:
1 1/2 c miniature marshmallows
1/2 c flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 t salt
2 T chilled butter cut into small pieces
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Boil potatoes until very tender, drain and cool slightly

Place potatoes in large bowl.  Add half and half, 3/4 c sugar, salt and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Add eggs; beat well ( mixture will be thin).  Scrape mixture into a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, sprinkle marshmallows over top of casserole.  Combine flour, sugar and salt into bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in pecans and sprinkle over marshmallows.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice
1/8 t ground cloves
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t vanilla
3/4 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c milk

For Coating
1/2 c butter, melted
2/3 c sugar
3 T cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Butter a donut pan (Wilton brand from Michaels $9.00)

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until combined, careful not to over mix.

Using pastry bag (a Ziploc bag with end cut works also) fill each donut cup with batter.  The cups should be fairly full but not overflowing.  Bake 12-15 minutes.  Turn baked donuts out onto a wire rack let cool.

Melt butter in one bowl and combine sugar and cinnamon in another.  Brush melted butter onto warm donuts and dip into sugar mixture.  Serve

Just like Jake's Tex Mex Cake

In my hometown there is a little cafe off of Oak Street called Jakes Tex Mex.  It is a local gem that you can not help but love.  One of the best things about Jakes, is the chocolate cake.  I always try to pick out the biggest piece and sweet talk the server into the recipe.  This recipe is the closest I have found and never disappoints! It has become my go to chocolate cake.

Heat in sauce pan until melted
1 c butter
1 c water
4 T heaping cocoa

Sift together
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 t salt

Pour chocolate over dry ingredients, gently mix

In separate bowl combine the following:
2 eggs lightly beaten
1t soda
1t vanilla

Combine with chocolate ingredients then add
1/2 c sour cream

Gently mix, do not over mix.  Can be baked in 9x13, two round pans, cupcake tins...Whatever you feel like.  Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes.  Let cool on rack then place in freezer for a few hours.

Frosting
1 c butter
1/4 c milk
3 T cocoa
3 1/2 c powder sugar
1t vanilla

Let butter come to room temperature, gently work in rest of ingredients by hand.  Spread over cake.

Dinner Rolls

2-2 1/4 c. Flour
1 envelope (2 1/4 t) rapid rise yeast
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 c milk
1/4 c water
2 T butter

Combine 3/4 cup flour, sugar and salt in large bowl.  Set aside.

Combine milk, water, and butter in saucepan; cook over medium heat until temperature reaches 120-130 degrees.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth.  Increase speed to high; add 1/4 cup flour.  Beat until well mixed.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes)  Cover let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball.  Place into a greased round pan.  Cover let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).

Heat oven to 375.  Bake Rolls 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with butter.  Serve warm