Best EVER Cream Cheese Frosting!!!

Holy stinking cow this is AMAZING!!! For me, frosting is one of those things that has to taste just right to eat it (and there are very few I like). I found this recipe on notsohumblepie.blogspot.com and just the ingredients told me it was a keeper. But then I made it, and I kid you not, I took a bowl of it and sprinkled it with teddy grahams and had myself one awesome treat! It's THAT good!

Ms. Humble's Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

16oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cold cream

Beat the cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.

Blueberry Dessert

So this is what I've always called this dessert since I first tried it at a Young Women in Excellence meeting back when I was around 13, and I begged my mom to get the recipe from whomever made it. But it is just so dang good, it really should be renamed.... something with "awesome" in it (I'm thinking of Ivan the Terrible who wanted to be named "Ivan the Awesome"  in Night at the Museum 2 haha). Because it is AWESOME! I only make it about once a year, because I have a tendency to sneak half the pan when no one is looking or to eat it just as a meal. It's that good!

1 white cake mix

1 ¼ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup butter or margarine

½ cup chopped nuts (I always omit this because nuts don't belong in sweets haha ;)

1 egg

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

21 oz can blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. In large bowl combine cake mix, 1 cup oats, and 6 tbsp margarine. Cut it in until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumbs for topping. To remaining crumbs blend in the egg. Press into prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, to reserved crumbs add remaining ¼ cup oats, 2 tbsp margarine, nuts and sugar and cinnamon. Beat til well mixed. Spread base with pie filling and sprinkle remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely and then keep refrigerated.

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oh my! This cheesecake is the real deal!!! Stacey is a rock on baker and this is just more proof of her incredible skills in the kitchen! Pumpkin only appeals to me in small amounts of flavor, and this recipe has it just right! This is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving Dessert!!!

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp sugar

Filling:

3- 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

Whipped cream

Mix crust ingredients together, just til coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 cup the sides of an 8” spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Set aside. Combine cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl, mix smoothly with an electric mixer, add pumpkin, eggs and spices, beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temp and then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.

Mini Fruit Pizzas

Oh I wish I would've taken my camera to recipe group last month! Every single item brought was delicious and all of them made the dang good list! So I'll post them for you even with no picture because you will totally want these recipes!! 

1 pkg Pillsbury refrigerator sugar cookie dough

8 oz cool whip

4 oz. cream cheese at room temp.

Roll dough into 48 ¾” balls. Place balls in mini cupcake pan. Bake for 6-7 min at 350. Let cool for a few minutes then remove from pan (dough will cave in while cooling). Whip softened cream cheese and then add in cool whip until nice and smooth. Place in baggie, cut off tip and pip into cookies. Decorate with fruit. (From Samantha).

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

To eat these cookies is to step into the memories of my wonderful childhood, with the iconic mom who is baking away in the kitchen making delicious, enticing and aromatic goodies for her kids, friends and guests. These have been my favorite since I was a little kid and because of that, I'm sure they always will be :) More a cake like texture than cookie itself, these are best right off the pan with at least 16 oz of milk!

1 cup applesauce

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar

½ cup shortening

2 eggs

¾ tsp cloves

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 bag chocolate chips

In a small bowl add applesauce and baking soda. Stir and set aside. In a larger bowl cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and cream. Add applesauce mixture and stir well. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. (Dough will be fairly sticky). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Vampires

I had to post this pic of these adorable cupcakes my friend (and preschool student's mom) Angie made for our party!!! Didn't she do an awesome job!!

Quick Banana Bread

When Grandma showed up with 6 overripe bananas that needed used immediately and with a lack of desire time to whip up a couple batches of banana bread, I decided to try out artsyfartsymama.com's easy version. Although I would have to say this has more of a light cake with banana flavor appeal that actual banana bread, the way my kids ate through 2 loaves in 8 minutes deemed it a keeper! And hands down it is a lot easier and quicker! 

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs

3 overripe bananas, mashed

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix everything together and pour into greased bread pans (I find it cooks better if they aren't super thick which is why I do 2 pans. You can do just 1 pan with it being really thick if you want though). Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Strawberry-Peach Crisp

This is the perfect summertime/fall cobbler! When I first got this recipe out of the Kraft Food magazine, I seriously made it every single week for my family! We couldn't get over the flavor! Now it's tradition to have it every summer as the perfect fruity, crunchy, perfect deliciousness treat :) (Guilty confession: My fav fruit has always been peaches and strawberries, and my fav cereal is Honey Bunches of Oats, so this was bound to be my fav dessert :)

1/2 cup flour, divided

2 cans (15 1/4 oz each) peach slices, drained

2 cups halved strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter

3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds Cereal, lightly crushed

1 tub Cool Whip topping 

Preheat oven to 350. Remove 2 tbsp of the flour; set aside. Toss peach slices with strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar and remaining flour in large bowl. Place in ungreased 8" square baking dish. Mix Reserved 2 tbsp flour and the 2 tbsp sugar in separate large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cereal and mix until well blended (I find I have to use my hands to mix the crumble mixture thoroughly into the cereal). Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake 25 min or until topping is lightly browned. Served with Cool Whip.