Raspberry Poke Cake

Over the past few months, I have been baking cakes for my family, on a regular basis.  I usually make at least one a week, though some weeks it goes so fast that I make a second one, and then there are weeks that I make a particular cake that seems to just sit there for a while before getting eaten.

Raspberry Poke Cake is the cake for this week, and I can already tell you that I will have make another by week's end.  It is that good, and it has gone THAT fast that there are but 3 or 4 pieces left.

My 16 year old son especially, loves it.

If you're looking for a quick and easy dessert for those moments where family or friends come by, and you need something to serve with a cup of coffee, look no further.  I'm pretty sure you will have all the ingredients needed, in your pantry.
 

Raspberry Poke Cake

1 box white cake mix (ingredients needed for cake)
2 boxes raspberry jello (1.4oz), or a 3 oz. box of jello
1 and half cups boiling water
Cool Whip (8z)


Bake the white cake mix according to package directions.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

Mix the jello with the boiling water.  Poke holes all over the cake, you can use a fork or the handle of a spoon or knife etc.

Pour the jello mixture slowly over the cake.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  When cake is cool, cover with cool whip.  That's it, super simple and yummy.



Options:  You can take some raspberry jam, and after the cake has been refrigerated for 30 minutes, slather on a thin layer of jam over the cake before adding the cool whip. 

You can also warm the jam up slightly to make it easier to pour, and pour on a thin layer over the cool whip.  Or you can use pie filling as well to top the cake after the cool whip.

There are tons of variations to this cake, so do whichever you like, but I will say that even just as simply as I've given you the recipe above, it is super yummy and doesn't really need anything else added.

Update and hello!

Hi everyone, welcome back to my food blog.  I know, it's been a minute since I've posted a new recipe, I think the last one was back in October of 2019, which is just crazy to think.

Life gets in the way, we get busy, we tend to just eat our usual easy, family loved recipes, and I haven't really been making anything different or anything worth sharing. 

However, I really and I mean really want to get back into trying new recipes, updating the food blog and sharing with you all.  So many of you have enjoyed my recipes and meal ideas throughout the years, and I feel like I'm letting everyone down by neglecting my blog.  So, with that in mind, I'm going to try very hard to update it, at least once a week to start with, and then move on from there.

For a while I wanted to do a weekly feature, showing you all what we've eaten every day that week.  I love seeing vlogs and posts like that, and thought it would be fun to do.  Thing is, every single time I've thought about doing it, I completely forget to take a picture of our dinner.

I will try to make a conscious effort to remedy that and maybe start posting my weekly meals.

Anyway, I just wanted to come in and say a quick hi, not even sure if there is anyone still reading or following this food blog.  If you are still here, thank you and hello.  Feel free to say hi down below and let me know just how long you've been following this blog, I would love to know.

I am sharing a recipe today, in a different post, obviously, for a cake that I think everyone has had at least once in their life, or knows of, which is Raspberry Poke Cake.

Like I said above, right now I'm shooting for a recipe or some kind of food post, once a week, at the very least.  I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to post more than that because I am not sure if I'll be able to.

Hope you're all doing well, thank you again for following my blog and I hope to see you all around here more.

Have a blessed day!
xoxoxo

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are not only delicious, but a great way to use up over ripe bananas.

My family tends to go through phases, there are the months where I can't seem to buy enough bananas to keep in the house, and then there are the months were not a single banana is touched.  We are in one of the latter months and so I ended up with a bunch of bananas going so ripe, that they started turning to mush.

I usually will make banana bread, or banana streusel cake, and even chocolate chip banana muffins, but when I saw this recipe over at Butter with a side of Bread, I just knew I had to try.

They are great for breakfast, for a snack, for a mid afternoon treat or even a late night movie watching munchie.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Source:  Butter with a side of Bread

5 very ripe bananas about 1 2/3 cup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil any type- I use coconut
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mini chocolate chips divided



Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5 (I used a 13x9)  pan with non-stick spray.

Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Yields 24 bars.

Grandpa Julio's Simple Vanilla Cake

Grandpa Julio was my dad's father.  He was this amazing man with a killer sense of humor and full of stories to tell.

He used to love singing us random little tunes that he had no doubt learned from his own parents.  It never dawned on me why he knew so many Brazilian songs, and it wasn't until I was old enough to realize and know that his father and his father's parents and ancestors, were all from Brazil.

He was the fun grandpa, we would go to the coast on vacation and would watch him swimming in the ocean, he was like a fish, in and out, gracefully swimming, but also coming to stand by us and holding us tight when a big wave would threaten to go over our heads.  We don't swim, our parents don't know how to swim, and my brothers and I don't either.

I have the best memories about my time with him, and I'm glad that I was able to enjoy so much of it because unfortunately he would be taken from us in 1991.  I'm still not completely sure exactly what happened, it seemed to come out of nowhere, one minute he was fine and then next we had a gentleman at our door letting us know that my grandfather had passed out in his car and it had rolled down to hit this man's car.

From that moment, he would have sudden fainting spells, a brain hemorrhage resulting in two holes being drained into his skull to relieve the pressure.  Then while in hospital his heart stopped beating numerous times and he had to be brought back over and over again.

He finally passed away at home, I was there for the last moment and it's an image that will forever stay in my mind.

That was really the only sad memory that I have associated with him, the rest was nothing but good times.  By far the biggest and fondest memory I have is of our childhood, and the times he would just walk into the kitchen and whip up a quick simple vanilla cake for us to enjoy.

He didn't care that it was midnight, he only cared that his grandchildren had requested a cake and so he obliged.

This cake right here, is the one he used to make and no matter how many times I have it, or where I am at the time, I am immediately back in that kitchen, and I can see that handsome smile across the table, gosh I loved my grandfather and miss him so much.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and really hope your family will too.  Let me know if you make it and what you think :)

Grandpa Julio's Simple Vanilla Cake

3 eggs
1 cup of vegetable oil
2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour


In a bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and sugar, until well combined, about 2 minutes or so.  Next add in the baking powder, cornstarch, milk and flour and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes until smooth.

Grease a bundt cake pan with butter and flour, pour in the cake mix and bake at 350 degrees.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then invert into onto a plate.  Sprinkle on some powdered sugar and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

One of the reasons I love this cake so much, aside from the memories tied to my grandfather, is that I am not much into very rich cakes and frosting and all that jazz, I much prefer a simple cake that is not overly sweet.

Two Week Meal Plan

We are halfway through September, Fall is officially upon us, even if Texas is not exactly letting go of it's summer temperatures.

Today I bring you my meal plan for the next two weeks, some of the things coming up may sound a bit strange but my kids suggested some meals from video games that they play.  I know, crazy but I promise there's nothing out of this world.  You should know by now that I don't make anything that requires a lot of time, strange ingredients or things that you wouldn't readily have available in your fridge or pantry.

As always, links are provided for the recipes already on the blog, any unlinked recipes have not yet been posted.  I've pulled out some of my cookbooks and got inspiration for some of the meals, so those recipes will not yet be available for you all.  They will however show up here, soon.

Saturday 09/21 - Bowties and Blush

Sunday 09/22 - Homemade Pizza

Monday 09/23 - Sour Cream Taco Bake

Tuesday 09/24 - Chicken in Cream Sauce, Mash, Salad

Wednesday 09/25 - Durotar Warrior's Pie

Thursday 09/26 - Slow Cooked Easy Cheesy Ravioli Casserole

Friday 09/27 - Ham Steaks, Scalloped Potatoes

Saturday 09/28 - Ogri'la Chicken Fingers, Onion Rings

Sunday 09/29 - Leftovers

Monday 09/30 - Chicken and Sausage Ragu, Salad

Tuesday 10/01 - Korean Beef Bowl

Wednesday 10/02 - Skewered Peanut Chicken, Sesame Noodles

Thursday 10/03 - Pork Schnitzel, Potato Salad, Best Beans