Mardi Gras Side Dish - Creole Okra

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 large onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
* 3/8 teaspoon dried thyme
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut okra

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until limp. Add the green pepper; cook and stir until tender. Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice, and pour them into the skillet. Season with thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the frozen okra, and pour in enough of the reserved juice from the tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until okra is tender.

Shamrock Toasties

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with this easy after-school snack.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Green pepper

English muffin

Cheddar cheese
1. To make one, slice a green pepper crosswise near the pointed end to get a small, three-lobed shamrock shape. (If your pepper has four lobes, you've got a lucky clover instead.) Cut a small slice for a stem.

2. Toast half an English muffin, then top it with a slice of Cheddar and the pepper shamrock. Place the muffin on a tray, then broil it in a toaster oven until the cheese is melted.

From Family Fun Magazine

Restaurant Style Artichoke & Spinach Dip

* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Chicken Piccata

* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thin and cut into 2-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup butter, divided
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 1/3 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons capers
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together flour, black pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, coating evenly; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; stir and cook the garlic until light brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic from the skillet and set aside.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of butter into the skillet with the olive oil. Cook the chicken pieces in the oil and butter over medium-high heat until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Pour the wine into the hot skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping the browned pieces from the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil the wine until it is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth, reserved garlic, lemon juice and capers. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and parsley. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet and continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the angel hair pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well.
5. Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of the sauce and capers. Place the cooked angel hair pasta into the skillet with the remaining piccata sauce and toss to coat.

Pamper the Goddess Within Giveaway

To Enter the Pamper the Goddess Within Giveaway, you need to visit: http://lunawolfs.blogspot.com

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LunaWolf's Mystical Essence is giving away one of our newly released Goddess Pampering Sets.

The purpose of our give-away is to share our products with all and to share this special set with one winner FREE!

Here's to the Pampering the Goddess Within us all,

~Vicki Green
http://lunawolfsmysticalessence.com

Be sure to read my other blog for great recipes, kitchen tips and more too! http://themysticalkitchen.blogspot.com Giveaway drawing will be held on February 24th.

Luscious Lemon Cake

Luscious Lemon Cake

INGREDIENTS
• 4 eggs
• 1 (3 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan.
2. Beat eggs until thick. Add pudding mix, cake mix, water, and oil; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 minutes.
4. In the last 5 minutes of baking, prepare the glaze. Mix lemon juice and 3 cups confectioner's sugar in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Pour hot glaze over hot cake, and let cool for approximately 1 hour. Carefully invert cake onto serving platter. Finish with a light dusting of confectioners sugar.

Here are a few suggestions for this cake:

• Frost the cake with lemon cream cheese icing from an 8 oz. package cream cheese, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and powdered sugar.
• Instead of flouring the pan, use granulated sugar, which will eliminate the floury residue on the cake.
• Garnish with whipped cream that has had a little lemon juice or extract added.
• If baking in a bundt pan, wait about 15 minutes before inverting the pan to dump it. Some recommend the sides of the bundt pan to be cool before dumping it. You can use a rubber scraper to help release the sides and not scratch the pan.
• The cake is actually better if it sets a day.

WOW! A Chocolate Cake Without Eggs

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE


INGREDIENTS
• 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Add sugar and mix together.
3. Add oil, water and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

A couple of suggestions for this recipe:
Add a cup or more of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a more chocolatey taste.
Substitute part of the water with milk instead.
Use applesauce for all or part of the oil.
Add 1 tsp. cider vinegar.
It helps to also thoroughly mix the wet ingredients first then add to mixed dry ingredients and combine for about 1 minute.
Pour into cake pans, let sit 5 minutes to let the baking soda start to work then bake about 30-35 minutes for 2 round cake pans


We hope this recipe will assist those looking for cake recipes that contain no eggs or dairy (butter).

Shared with permission from: Linda Dougherty http://www.CakeIdeas101.com

Caramel Apple-Tini

Caramel-Appletini

1 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
1 oz Shakka or Dekuyper Luscious Red Apple liquor
2 oz apple juice
1/2 oz caramel flavoring syrup
1 oz caramel sundae topping

Pour everything but the topping in a shaker tin over ice. Shake until well chilled. Dip rim of martini glass in caramel, drizzle caramel into glass. Pour martini. Garnish with two speared green apple pieces.

The Red Fairy Cocktail

Mix in shaker:
1 oz Absinthe
1/2 oz Grenadene
1/2 oz Red Bull

Shake well; Strain into glass,
(can also be made as a shot)

Cranberry Candle Cups

SUPPLIES:

4-6 clear martini glasses or wine goblets
1 12-oz. bag Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries
4-6 votive candles*
Greenery or flowers, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

Fill glasses 2/3 full with fresh cranberries. Nestle a votive candle on top of the cranberries. If desired, add a few blossoms or sprigs of greenery.

Be careful to keep lit flames from directly touching the cranberries; the heat of the flame could cause the berries to burst. Do not leave lit candles unattended. Discard berries when they become soft, which can range from a few days to about a week.

* Variation: To use taper candles, start with empty glasses. Use candle putty to secure candle to the bottom of the glass (glasses with a flat bottom work best). Add fresh cranberries around the sides of the candle, filling 2/3 full.

Source: http://www.oceanspray.com