My Cooking Spot

When Girl Meets Kitchen

Coffee Cake Pound Cake

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Coffee Cake Pound Cake

Pound cakes originated in Europe in the first half of the 18th century and originally weighed 4 pounds! That was because a traditional pound cake contained one pound each of sugar, butter, flour and eggs.

Here’s my take on pound cake:  If I could get away with it, I would slice it horizontally about 1/4 of an inch below the crusty top, take the top part and leave the rest of it for everyone else.  Frankly, I love the taste of a pound cake, but find most of them too thick and a little on the dry side.  That’s why I usually make a simple glaze to add some moisture.

On the other hand, coffee cake is one of my favorite cakes because of the streusel topping.  What if a pound cake and coffee cake got married?  That’s exactly what happened in my coffee cake pound cake.

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Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Baked Chicken Parmesan

Now that the kids are back in school, all the after-school activities are in full swing. Whether it’s sports or piano practice, it doesn’t leave much time for dinner prep.   

One of the midweek meals I rely on often is Baked Chicken Parmesan. It’s fast, delicious and goes well with so many different sides. I usually serve it alongside Fettuccine Alfredo, a green salad and garlic bread.  It’s so versatile and extremely easy to make.

Helpful Hint:  When I’m rushed even more than usual, I buy Alfredo Sauce in a jar instead of making it from scratch.  My family can’t tell the difference.

I won’t name names, but I have a few picky eaters in my family. This is one chicken dish that they all agree on so its frequently my go-to meal when I’m short on time. 

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Pineapple Delight Trifle

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Pineapple Delight Trifle

Pineapple Delight Trifle is one of those recipes where I took a little bit of this and a little bit of that from several recipes and created a new and better recipe.  Sometimes I just love to play with my food and come up with an exciting and tasty recipe and that’s exactly what happened when I created this delightful concoction.

This is another no-bake dessert because, really, who actually bakes in the summer time?  Not this girl! Every dessert I’ve made lately seems to have ice cream or whipped cream as an ingredient.  I just crave real simple, real cold foods this time of the year. [Read more…]

Stuffed & Grilled Mini Bell Peppers

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Mini Bell Peppers - Stuffed & Grilled

For the past month or so I’ve been enjoying mini bell peppers in my salads and stir fries.  Is it just me or are they crunchier and tastier than regular bell peppers?  They sure are more colorful!

You know the old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen?”  It’s been a reality around here the last week or so. We’ve had temps reaching over 100 for the past two weeks.  Summer arrived with a roar.  So, I’ve been conjuring up new recipes to cook on the grill.

Here in South Carolina, we have to deal with the heat and the humidity.  It’s like being in a sauna!  Humid heat feels much hotter than dry heat.  It does a number on my hair, too.  Curly hair frizzes and straight hair gets flat and limp.

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