I'm very pleased to have Krista Ames, Author of Second Chances, as my guest blogger today. She's got some terrific recipes, so put on your chef's hat and your apron and read on!
Hi
everyone and thanks for stopping by. I’m
Krista Ames and today I’d like to share a couple of my family’s favorite
recipes.
In my household of 6, recipes tend to migrate
toward easy so my 13 year old can help with the cooking. She may make it sound like a chore but I can
see the grin she’s hiding so I know she’s secretly loving it. That girl can make a mean meatloaf! Today however, I’d like to share one of her
favorite recipes that she loves to eat more than make.
Cream
Cheese Bars
2 (8oz) pkgs. Cream
Cheese(softened)(I microwave 30sec to 1 min.)
2 tubes Croissant Rolls
¾ c. sugar
½ stick butter
Cinnamon-sugar
Preheat oven to 350deg.
Mix sugar and cream cheese, set aside.
Spray bottom of 13x9 pan. Spread
1 can of Croissant rolls in bottom of pan.
Cover the rolls with the cream cheese mixture. Carefully spread the 2nd can of
Croissant rolls over the top of the cream cheese mixture. (I do this last task in triangle
sections. I spread them out on a cutting
board then place them on top so the cream cheese is all covered) Sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over the top and
dot with butter.
Bake 20-25 min. or until
rolls are browning.
Cool before cutting and
serving.
They are so good and I
always have to make two batches, one for my house and one for the get-together
we’re going to that way my family doesn’t eat all of the one we are to share J
Another simple recipe I’d
like to share is::
Pineapple Cake
Cake
2c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple
and juice (Large can)
Mix all ingredients
well. Bake at 350 deg. 30-35 min. in
13x9 pan or Texas sheet cake (jelly roll) pan. (I use the jelly roll pan, makes the cake
last longer and the pieces aren’t so thick.)
Frosting
1 (8 oz.) pkg cream
cheese
½ c. powdered sugar
½ stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat all til creamy,
frost while cake is hot!
**
Besides being a mom of 4
and loving to cook, I’m also a published author which I’m so excited
about. So, if it’s ok I’d like to share
my most current release, “Second Chances” available now through Ruby
Lioness Press.
Blurb:
If you could get a Second Chance...
When the love of Dana's
life leaves without a word, she is forced to move on with her life. Despite loving him, she believes she will
never see him again but, little does she know, she's being set up for a night
that will change her life forever.
Nicholas, A Navy man, did
the only thing he could to save the woman he loved. Driven by a secret, he disappeared and now
returns, years later, with hope for love.
With one opportunity, will he be able to make things right, or is it
just too late? Will she deny any desire
for Second Chances?
Excerpt::
He
watched her knees buckle a bit as Dana clutched at Amy’s arm, never taking her
eyes off him. She said something he couldn’t make out—he never was good at
reading lips. He was good at reading body language, however, and he knew in an
instant what she meant to do just as she turned and made a dash for the patio
door. Instinctively, he propelled himself forward, his body miraculously
unfrozen. He had to go after her. He was the reason she was bailing after all.
He knew from the look on her face. He passed Dave and Amy and shook his head
when Dave tried to speak.
“Don’t. I’m sorry. I have to go after her.”
He closed the sliding
door behind him and stood on the deck, searching the darkness. She wasn’t
there. She couldn’t have gone far. She didn’t know anyone else here, and he
doubted she was familiar with the area. He descended the stairs and walked out
onto the yard along the water’s edge. Where’d she go? He started walking and,
with relief, caught sight of a silhouette against the water toward the end of
his property.
He approached her quietly. She stood, arms
hugging tightly around her middle, and held her shoes in her hand while the
gentle waves splashed up and over the seawall. Damn, he wanted to touch her.
It’d been so long. He couldn’t deny the growing ache pushing against his heart
and a sudden tightening of his groin at the sight of how well that dress fit
her curves, but this definitely wasn’t the time for his libido to come to life.
He wanted to turn her, hold her in his arms,
and nuzzle her beautiful neck just below her ear like she’d always loved. Would
she still like it? Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe he didn’t know her anymore, but he
couldn’t stop himself. God, he wanted this woman still. He wanted her to know
how very sorry he was for hurting her, and why. But she wouldn’t welcome his
touch, especially now. He was certain of it. She’d likely administer a low
blow, which he would totally deserve, and bolt. She was unpredictable that way.
He loved that about her, too.
He was only human,
however, and he couldn’t not touch her. She knew he was there—he’d seen her
form go stiff at his presence. Careful not to scare her, he slowly ran his
fingertips over her bare shoulders and down her arms, feeling her shiver at his
touch before she took a step away.
“Don’t, Nicholas,” she
said in a low, shaky whisper.
You can find “Second
Chances” at any one of these locations.
I love to have visitors so please
make sure you stop and see me at any of these places. Feel free to follow my blog, twitter,
facebook etc., never know when I might have a contest or a giveaway and I’d
love to hear from you J
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kristaames
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristaames
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/kristaames
Web:
www.kristaames.com
Email: krista@kristaames.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Krista-Ames/e/B004FLQ9XM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Krista, I love that you engage your daughter to help you cook. I also applaud your idea of baking cakes in a bar pan so the pieces are thinner. I'm going to do that with my next cake. I have the Pampered Chef bar pans in small, medium, and large. I'll have to experiment to see if large is too thin or just right. Great post! Love recipes.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Cheryl! Oh yes, my kids love to be involved lol. My son has even shown an interest in learning to do laundry and he's 9. hey I'll take help wherever I can get it :) I started using the bar pans when we went to reunions and things, makes whatever you take last much longer. The pineapple cake is so moist too, I love that one. I have done the cream cheese bars in one too, I just double the recipe. Thank you for stopping by. I love recipes too :)
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the great recipe, I had to go back and read your "About Me" to make sure I hadn't taken a wrong turn and found a food blog instead of a writer one! lol
ReplyDeleteThen I found the writing part. Great post!