Tropical Fruit Delight Cake

Welcome to another edition of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Don't for get to use the   Linky on Lisa's site.  Next week will be exciting because At the Well will be hosting TMTT.  It should be fun!
Now, today Lisa posted the Pacific Rim Chicken which made me think of this super yummy cake.  So I'm re-posting this.  Honestly... I may have to get these ingredients and make this tomorrow!  Forget that I started my new walking/running get my rear in gear for my 40th bday coming up in Dec.  :-)
So, enjoy!
(I originally posted this April 13, 2009)
Today's treat is Tropical Fruit Delight Cake
I made it this weekend for our family Easter dessert EGGstravaganza. We had so many people together this year (which was fantastic) that we went out to the Salt Lick for BBQ for Oh So Texas Easter lunch. Then back to Me Maw and PaPaw's for dessert and the Easter Bunny. We had wonderful treats! I hope you love my cake. I made it a few years back and have been looking for a reason to make it again. After the all the positive feedback yesterday, it looks like I WILL be making this again soon.

Tropical Fruit Delight Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 box Butter cake mix
1/2 cup oil
1 (11oz) can Mandarin oranges (with the juice)
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a bow. Pour batter into 9 inch Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes (it took more like 40 mins. this time.)

Allow Cake to cool. Remove cake from pan and refrigerate about 1/2 hour. Stick holes in cake with a fork and spread frosting. Refrigerate.

Ingredients for Frosting:
1 (3oz) package of vanilla instant pudding
1 (8oz) carton of Cool Whip
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

In a bowl combine pudding mix and Cool Whip. Drain half the juice from the pineapples then add remaining juice and fruit to the mixture.

This cake is SO refreshing and moist. You will love this for a Spring or Summer event.

I'm dying here... I need some cool relief!

Y'all I am HOT!!! No, not that kind of hot... HOT like Hell HOT!!! Who can stand it? It has been 101 -104 degrees here.  So YES, I am once again posting something cool and refreshing because it is all I think about. Snow, snow-cones, ice, ice cream, cold lemonade, iced tea, iced coffee... do you get the picture?
So, today it is Ice Cream. I've taken this recipe straight from the Eagle Brand Milk website.

It is Mint Chocolate Chip Ice... one of my favorites!!!

Ingredients
	1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND� Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
	2 teaspoons peppermint extract
	Green food coloring (optional)
	2 cups (1 pint) half-and-half
	2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream, unwhipped
	3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions
	In large bowl, combine EAGLE BRAND�, peppermint extract and food coloring (optional); mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients.
	Pour into ice cream freezer container. Freeze according to manufacturer�s instructions. Freeze leftovers.

 Check out Lisa's blog for Mr. Linky!


Thanks you Eagle Brand Milk for today's recipe!

A little Comfort with my food Please...

(this was orginally posted on Oct. 28,2008  by me)

Welcome to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Glad to have you join us. My sister, Lisa, and I co-host this blog carnival. We share recipes, kitchen and cooking tips, and anything food related that you want to share. So, join the fun. Write your foodie post and then link back to my blog, mentioning Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Don't forget to leave your link info, with Mr. Linky he lives at Lisa's blog.

Today I am writing about something amazing I saw last week. I could not believe my eyes. Could it be that simple I thought? Could it be that easy to have homemade doughnuts in my own home? Surely not!

BUT Paula Deen made it so. She made Doughnuts using... are you ready for this (you MUST do a drum roll in your head please)... store bought biscuits!

Yep, you read that right, biscuits. I was sitting there with my jaw dropped open like an idiot.
I got so excited. I plan to try this on Saturday for my little family as a treat.
You can go directly to the Food Network website to see the recipe and more wonderful Paula delights.

Paula Deen's Chocolate-Dippy Doughnuts

Ingredients:

Peanut Oil
1 Can store -bought biscuits
1 (4oz) bar sweet chocolate ( Baker's German recommended)
1/2 oz (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat fryer with peanut oil to 350 degrees
Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnuts into fryer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.

Stick a fork through the doughnut holes and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets, about 5 minutes.


Seriously... this is NOT a weight watcher kind of post... it is all comfort here!

Have a great week and don't forget to come back next week for more foodie fun. Now, check out Lisa's for more exciting food posts.

picture from FoodTV.com

I've fallen in love again...

Yes it is true, I've fallen in love again... with... READING!  I have to be honest, for most of my life thus far, I have not been a reader.  Oh, in high school and college it was all about the "required" reading and I didn't jump full force into the wonderful world of books.  In 2000, when I was newly single again, I found comfort  at night in reading.  I had such a hard time going to sleep in my little apartment all alone, I would read until I fell asleep.  I enjoyed it, but the passion had not ignited.

But, at Christmas my husband gave me one of the best presents I have ever received.  A Kindle.  I absolutely love it.  It has been so great!  With all the problems I had during my pregnancy this Spring,  I found myself sitting in the recliner most evenings and days when I was not working.  Especially the last 2 months when I was having to be off my feet.  It was great because I would find a book online a the Amazon store and in a matter of moments it loaded to my Kindle and I was reading.  There are so many books that are free and under $9.  I read books I've been wanting to read for years but was too lazy to go to the book store and buy them.   

I have found a perfect time to read... it is while I am holding my little man and giving him a bottle, which happens quite often.  We get to snuggle and I get to read.   As soon as I finish a book, I am looking for the next one to start.  The BEST news is that the last 7 books I've bought were actually FREE because I use Swagbucks. com as my search engine.  You win swagbucks randomly for searching and doing surveys.  Once you have 450 swagbucks you can buy a $5.00 gift card for Amazon.com.  Well, when most of the books I buy are $9.99 or less, it only takes two gift cards and WHA-LA... Free book.  I have averaged a new book every 2 weeks.  I am LOVING it.  My husband loves it because well... they are free and now that I'm not working outside the home, I'll take all the free I can get. 

So, have you found any books you just can not put down?  I'd love to hear what they are.  I'm not big on sappy romance stuff-  I like intrigue, mystery or historical fiction, oh and really... almost anything!  I'll give you list of what I've read in the last 4 months. I can honestly say, I have enjoyed reading them all!  

Let me know what you recommend, PLEASE!

Here is my list...

"The Apothecary's Daughter"

"The Poisonwood Bible"

"Shanghai Girls"

"The Help"

"The Secret Life of Bees"

"The Kite Runner" 

"A Thousand Splendid Suns"

"The Lovely Bones"

"The Scent of Rain and Lighting"

"The Girls With the Dragon Tattoo"

"The Girl Who Played with Fire"

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest"

"The Shadow of the Wind"    

"The Heir"

OK... I think that is about it.  Whew!  That is more books than I have read in 10 years... seriously!  Now, when I finish a book and I'm waiting on more swagbucks to buy a new free book... I am re-reading some classics that I loaded for Free as well.

"Pride and Prejudice"

and all the Jane Austen collection.  I LOVE them as well.

Now, what is it I am forgetting to do... Oh Yes... laundry!  As much as I want to sit and read all day... I do have housework to do... blah blah blah... but then back to my book or should I say Kindle!  

Sticky Chicken Linky Love

Welcome to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. I am so glad you are joining us today. I co-host TMTT with my twin, Lisa. This blog carnival is all about sharing recipes, cooking tips, and wonderful kitchen and cooking finds. This is a very talented community of cooks. I know you will find something to tempt you.


By the way... have you seen Lisa's new blog layout? Pretty snazzy huh? I think it is so sassy!

Today I'm actually posting a link to a great recipe. If you have been around TMTT very long you have no doubt seen Lisa refer to this recipe. It is "Sticky Chicken in Crock Pot". I made it today an Oh my house smells so good! This recipe comes from "The Newlyweds" blog. She has fabulous stuff, you just have to visit her page.

The reason I made the Sticky Chicken is because tomorrow I will be making another one of her fabulous recipes that calls for the chicken, it is Enchiladas De Pollo Y Queso. Have mercy, they are so tasty! Being a Texas girl, we love our enchiladas and these certainly satisfy. So, follow the links over to The Newlyweds for some super good recipes!

God's Plans

I love going to church on Sunday night because our pastor is like a different preacher.  It is a much smaller crowd, much more intimate, and I think he just lets his guard down a bit more.  Tonight he was using 2 Samuel 7:1-17.  This is the passage where King David wants to build a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant, But God has a totally different plan.  David wasn't trying to do something wrong but it wasn't God's timing for the Temple to be built. 

It really got me thinking.  How many times do I think I'm doing what God would want because it is a "good cause" or "something for the church"  but God didn't need my help or even ask for it.   I was also reminded of Abraham who left all he knew to go to a new land that God would give him and he never made it there, but with faith he continued to go the path God sent him.  Moses never made it to the promise land but he continued to be faithful and obey.  They trusted that God had a plan even if they didn't understand it.

Waiting on the Lord, being faithful in the everyday things that he asks of us, listening and then obeying.  It really isn't that hard... why do we act like it is?  I hope this week I stop and wait and listen before just jumping right in.  It might do me some good to actually ask God what his plans are... he may just tell me.

Not Guilty

I was able to go to choir this week for the first time since February.  Some of you know I just had a baby 3 months ago, but it was a tough pregancy so I had to stop singing in choir and take it very easy.  I missed choir more than anything... it is such a special time of worship for me and our church choir is my family.  I was so excited to find out we will be doing an arrangement of this song "Not Guilty" It is awesome.  The first time I heard it a friend sang it in church and I just wept... what powerful words.  All I can think is I am so unworthy of forgiveness... Thank you God for forgiveness....

Hello blog world... I'm back

Hello, My name is Lana... do you even remember me? I once was a blogger. Oh yes, remember? I used to blog all the time, not just on Tuesday's when we talk food. Seriously folks, I've been on a blog fast and I am so glad to be typing again. It all went down hill for my blogging when I went back to work about 3 years ago and then my hours kept increasing at work and my blogging was decreasing. It was life and that was it.

Also, I was working at our church... and honestly, there is only so much I can put in this blog about my church and the people I worked with and or crazy situations I encountered. Oh don't get me wrong, there was plenty to talk about, just would not have been a good idea to put it on the world wide web. One thing you have to remember working at a church is... people are still people even when they work at a church... we are all human and that makes for fun and well... you know what I mean.

So since we talked last... no, no, I'm not going to give you all the details... but A LOT has been going on. My dear husband went back to school and graduated with a Masters in Software Engineering. I am so proud of him! And we have a new addition to the family... a sweet baby boy. Spencer Knox! Is he the cutest little guy ever! We are all in love with him, especially his big sister Kathryn. It has been a fun 3 months so far.

So, thankfully, I am no longer working and am home now, officially a Stay at Home Mom again.

I am praying this gives me more time to do the things I have truly missed since ging back to work... blogging, attending Ladies Bible study, volunteering at my daughters school, helping family when needed, getting my house cleaned up and maybe even do some painting. Most of all I am looking forward to taking good care of my family.

I'll do my best to get my blogging butt back in to gear, be patient with me, I'll try to think of something fun or interesting or profound to say... or maybe not.