Rainbow Cake (from Dessert and Spicy Divas)

Head on over here to check out the awesome Rainbow Cakes that Spicy Diva and I made. Not only are there some really cool pictures, but there are also full how-to instructions if you want to give it a try. If you do, leave us a comment...we'd love to hear from you! Have fun!

Buttercream Frosting (from Dessert Diva)

As I mentioned on my personal blog, Spicy Diva and I are taking cake decorating classes. We are almost finished with Course 1 (there are 4 courses). Soon, I will be posting some of our adventures in cake decorating. For now, you'll have to make do with the recipe for the delicious buttercream frosting we've been using on our cakes.




Buttercream Frosting


Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. meringue powder (find it at your local arts and crafts store)
2 lbs. powdered sugar
*1 tsp. flavoring (find it at your local arts and crafts store)


*Flavoring is basically clear vanilla extract. You can use traditional vanilla extract in place of the flavoring, but your frosting will not be white. If you plan on dyeing your frosting, this would be fine, but if you want white frosting, pick up the flavoring.


Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix the meringue powder into the powdered sugar. In a large bowl, put the shortening into the water; add the salt, flavoring and half the powdered sugar. Beat for five minutes. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat just enough to mix together. Add additional water or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Store in an airtight container, if not using immediately.


**If you want to make chocolate buttercream, add cocoa powder and increase the water just a bit.


Enjoy, and don't forget to check back soon to see some of the cakes Spicy Diva and I have made!

Tuna Tortellini Gratin (by Cheesy Diva)

I assure you this meal is Yumm-O! I will be preparing this dish for our monthly DTD Supper Club tonight. However, I made some earlier this week to ensure the yumminess of it first. Technically, I'm not a fan of tuna - however - this isn't "tuna-y" at all. Plus, the tortellini has CHEESE in it. You all know how I love my cheese!


*Picture taken from Google Images*


What You Need:
1 ¼ pounds cooked tortellini
2 – 6 ounce cans tuna
½ cup red bell pepper
½ cup onion
½ jar Alfredo sauce
½ jar of Marina sauce
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 tables spoons olive oil


Putting the pasta together:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and oil and stir. Transfer the mixture to the prepared backing dish (coated with nonstick cooking spray). Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of each baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

To Freeze:
Put tortellini/tuna mixture into large plastic bag – seal tightly. Put bread crumbs into another small bag – seal tightly. When ready to cook, thaw at room temperature before cooking as directed below.

After Freezing:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly. Remove the foil and slide the dish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.

Easy Meatloaf (from Saucy Diva)

Grandma Gert is one of my favorite people. She's brave, sweet, and above all hilarious. She's not what one would call technologically savvy, however her friend is. When he showed her this blog she thought it was the pretty neat. During our regular Sunday night chat, she threw in how she had this really easy meatloaf recipe that I should put on our...and I quote... "internet recipe thingy". If you knew Grandma Gert, you wouldn't be able to say no either.

Made it. Ate it. Liked it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground beef
1 box of chicken flavored stuffing
2 eggs
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of bbq sauce
Extra bbq sauce for the top of the meatloaf

Prep:
1. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with non stick spray
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients; mix together until well combined (go ahead, use your
hands, I dare you)
3. Form meat into a loaf and place in baking dish
4. Coat the top with bbq sauce
5. Bake for an hour and 15 min at 375 degrees

Meatball Tortellini Soup (from Saucy Diva)

Our Supper Club nights usually have a theme. This recipe was my contribution for our "foods that are spherical" night. And no, that wasn't the actual theme. I've been warned about mentioning the real theme.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 quart beef stock
1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped kale
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 pound frozen, cooked meatballs - thawed ( more if you really love meatballs)
1/2 pound fresh cheese tortellini

Prep:

1. Melt butter in a large pot and cook the onions and garlic until tender.
2. Pour the beef stock into the pot.
3. Add everything except the meatballs and the tortellini. Bring mixture to a boil.
4. Add the tortellini and meatballs and return to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes.

* Makes 3-4 servings.
** If you'd like to precook and freeze this meal, stop after step #3 and freeze broth mixture separate from meatballs and tortellini.


I suggest serving with some warm crusty bread.

Ginger-Glazed Mahi Mahi (from Dessert Diva)

This is the recipe I made for our very first Supper Club. It got rave reviews, and I've made it several times since. The best part is, with the exception of the fish, the ingredients are all ones that you probably already have on hand. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients
4 Mahi Mahi fillets
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions
In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Season the fish with the salt and pepper. Add fish and marinade to a plastic bag; marinate for several hours (or this is the point where you would freeze it). Grill fillets over medium heat for 4-6 minutes per side, turning once. Reserve the marinade; pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for an additional 2 minutes, until it reaches a glaze consistency. Spoon over fish and serve immediately.

Baked Lemon Pasta

This recipe is from my hero, The Pioneer Woman (or P-Dub, as those of us who are especially close to her call her). I made it last night and it was delicious! I thought about making it for our next Supper Club (for a meatless dish) but I thought there would be a few pasta dishes, so I’m looking at something else.

When I made this, I also cooked and diced a couple of chicken breasts and threw them in when I added the sauce. I also doubled the cheese by adding some before it baked and again AFTER it came out of the oven. (Just trying to do the Cheesy Diva proud.)

Baked Lemon Pasta
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.


Remember that whole “presentation issue” I mentioned. Well here’s P-Dub’s picture:

And here’s mine:


See what I mean? Oh, just wait until I do the same thing for the best chocolate cupcakes ever. It gets WAY worse. But, its about what it tastes like, not what it looks like… Right? Right.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Skillet (by The Big Cheese)

*I love how simple and easy this recipe is* Mr. Big Cheese l-o-v-e-s it!

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings, 2 cups each

What You Need
3 cups egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Make It
First, bring large saucepan of water to boil on high heat. Add noodles and chicken. Cook 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through and noodles are tender, adding broccoli to saucepan after 6 min. Drain noodle mixture; return to saucepan.

Add broth, cream cheese and mayo. Heat just to simmer on medium-low heat. Simmer 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly.

Add shredded cheese; stir 1 min. or until melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies (from Saucy Diva)

I got my first pedicure of the season today. It was glorious. I chose a dark, chocolaty color. Mmmmmmm chocolate....mmmmm chocolate brownies....mmmmmm chocolate chip cookie dough brownies. Thank you Bakerella for the recipe!

Ingredients:
For Brownies:
1 package of brownie mix
1 package of of chocolate chip cookie mix

For ganache:
12 oz bag of chocolate chips
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons of butter

Prep:
1. Prepare brownie mix according to directions on the box. Pour into a greased
9x13 pan.
2. Prepare cookie mix according to the directions on the package.
3. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough into the brownie batter. Press down slightly.
4. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until done. Let cool completely.

For ganache:
1. Place chocolate chips into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Melt butter with heavy cream until almost boiling.
3. Pour cream and butter over chocolate chips and let sit for 30 seconds. Stir until
smooth.
4. Pour ganache over cooled brownies.
5. Let set.
6. Pour a big glass of milk
7. Enjoy the chocolaty goodness

Lasagna Roll-Ups (by Cheesy Diva)

*Picture taken from a fabulous website known as http://www.kraftfoods.com/

WARNING: These take time a little bit of patience!!!!! They are yummy and so fun to eat. A cheesy dinner to be loved by all - if you ask me.

What do you need?
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained
2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

How do you make it?
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown meat in skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Combine spaghetti sauce and steak sauce. Remove half of the sauce mixture; stir into meat in skillet. Set remaining sauce mixture aside for later use.

Mis egg, ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spread each noodle with 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. Top evenly with a scant 1/4 cup meat mixture and 2 heaping Tbsp. mozzarella cheese. Roll up each noodle, starting at one of the short ends. Place in greased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses; cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy and go have yourself a relaxing weekend with our scrum-diddly recipes!

Chicken "Margarita" Burgers

Last night I made the most delicious burgers ever- and I don’t even like burgers that much. I will definitely be making these again! I found the original recipe on Annie’s Eats blog but made some modifications based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have any jalapeno peppers and I had a premade Cuervo gold margarita mix (with tequila in it) rather than straight up tequila… Ok, actually I had some pretty fancy tequila but after 10 minutes of struggling I realized I was never going to get the top off. So I gave up and made the change:-)You could sauté some onions and peppers and serve it on a bun with those and lettuce. I did not have onions or peppers… or lettuce. I just used hamburger buns, (light) mayonnaise, and –because a true Dinner Time Diva knows no culinary borders- I threw a little Asian flare in and add some Thai Sweet Chili sauce as a topping. Mmmm… I will not tell you how many I ate. ;-)Enjoy!

Chicken Tequila Margarita Burgers

Ingredients
2 gloves garlic, minced
½ - 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 lb ground chicken
3-4 T chopped cilantro
Some lime juice (I didn’t have any fresh limes)
1 oz margarita/tequila
Dash of soy sauce
Kosher salt
Ground Black Pepper
½ C panko bread crumbs

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken, and cilantro in the bowl. Then add in tequila, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and panko bread crumbs and mix until well blended.
Form the mixture into 4-6 patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Broil the burgers for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides. Check for doneness before serving. I also added cheese to a few and broiled a minute or two longer. Serve on buns with whatever toppings you are craving.

I would love to be able to show you pictures of MY burgers, but you will soon discover that presentation is not my strong suit. This picture above is from Annie’s Eats, so lets just pretend mine looked like that, ok?

Baked Ziti (from Saucy Diva)

This was my contribution to "Casserole, err..I mean Bake" Night. It's very hearty and freezes well!

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients
1/2 lb ziti pasta
1 cup of chopped onion
1/2 lb ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
3 oz (about 5 slices) of provolone cheese
3/4 cup of sour cream
6 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese

Prep:
1. Boil pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown meat and onions in a skillet. Drain and return to skillet.
3. Add sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Layer as follows in medium casserole (I mean baking) dish; 1/2 the pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top with parm.

At this point you can either cover and freeze or bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. If you freeze, thaw completely before baking.

Mangia!

BBQ Meatballs (from Saucy Diva)

Ingredients:

Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 cup of oats
1 cup of milk
3 tablespoons minced onions
1 teaspoon of salt
black pepper to taste

For Cooking
all purpose flour
cooking oil

Sauce (Saucy Diva...holla!)
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons minced onion

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. combine all the ingredients for the meatballs
2. roll into medium sized balls and place on a cookie sheet
3. place cookie sheets into the fridge to set for 5 minutes
4. heat oil in skillet on medium high
5. dredge set meatballs in flour
6. cook meatballs only until browned; place in a baking dish
7. prepare sauce by mixing together all ingredients
8. pour sauce over meatballs
9. bake (uncovered) for 45 minutes

I served with buttered noodles and corn. Comfort food at its finest! This is not a supper club recipe but was given two thumbs up by Saucy Hubby.

This delicious dinner was inspired by our hero, P-dub.

Cheeseburger Soup (by Cheesy Diva)

Alright all you cheese lovers out there! They don't call me "The Big Cheese" for nothin'. Prepare yourself for a recipe full of veggies, meat and other cheesy goodness!

2 Carrots
1 Onion
2 Stalks Celery
8 Cups Potatoes diced
3 Cans Chicken Broth
1/4 c Flour
1/2 c Butter
1/2 lb Hamburger meat
1/2 c Milk
1/4 c Sour Cream
1/2 lb Velveeta Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the meat and drain. Set Aside. Chop the potatoes up into small chunks and set aside. Grate the carrots and chop the celery and the onion. Melt 1/4 c of the butter in a large 5 qt pot and saute the onions and the celery until clear. Add cooked hamburger meat, and potatoes along with the chicken broth. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. While this is cooking, take the remaining butter and add the flour over low heat. Stir until thick then set aside. Once the potatoes are done to your liking add the flour mixture to thicken the soup. Stir well, then add the cheese cut into blocks along with the milk. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. Right before serving take the soup off of the heat and add the sour cream. Stir until incorporated and then serve.

You will find as you cook this you will adjust the amounts of broth and cheese for your own liking. You can also play with the amount of potatoes and meat to make it a more filling soup.

If you are feeling crazy (like me!) you can add in some sort of noodle, too. I like a good shell noodle so all CHEESE can slide into each shell! YUMMM-O

Goes great along with some French Bread!

p.s. My fellow Divas have not sampled this recipe yet, but I assure you it is 100% delightful!