Cooking

Cherry Cake Pops

~ lindy

Cherry Cake Pops

Ingredients and Supplies:

*1 box white cake mix, make according to direction but replace the cherry juice for 1/4 cup of the water

*1/4 cup Maraschino Cherry Juice, this is added to the cake mix

*1 container 16 ounce Cream Cheese Frosting, see **note below

*Red Food Coloring, optional add to cake batter for more pink color

*Green Ribbon, leaves

*Bendable Green Straws, stem

*1 cup Wilton Red Melting Wafers, melt more as needed to cover cake pops

*1/4 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Directions:

*Makes at least 10 Cherry pairs (20 cake balls) using 1/2 cake mix, see **note below

*Make cake balls 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches

*To make the whole box of cake mix you will bake as noted on the box. Then allow the cake to cool and crumble up the cake and mix with the container of frosting. Then form into cake balls and refrigerate.

*Using bendable green straws, pull apart the Bent part of the straw, bend straw and cut the straw making both sides equal. Then cut the long side to match the shorter side. Hope this makes sense🤷‍♀️. See pictures.

*While cake balls chill, melt melting wafers, we used Wiltons melting pot. But you can melt candy wafers and coconut oil in a one cup glass measuring cup in 30 second increments (stirring between each increment) in the microwave until melted.

*Dip each cake ball using a dipping tool or fork etc… dip one at a time in the melted wafers. Place cake balls on Silpat/baking mat, placing 2 dipped cake balls side by side but not touching then add the bent straw. Repeat as needed. Refrigerate after dipping them until all are set. Then add green ribbon as desired. Serve.

**Note: I made 12 cupcakes and then a 8 inch round Cake to make these cherry cake pops. And 1/2 the can of frosting added to the 8 inch round cake which you will crumble up before adding the frosting.

Also See Cherry Party

Enjoy!

Lindy

Kung Pao Chicken

~ lindy

Kung Pao Chicken

You will Need: Slow Cooker/Crock Pot and Wok

Ingredients:

*3 pounds boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, I use frozen, thaw in fridge

*1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

*3 tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce

*1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce

*1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

*2 tablespoons Dry Chopped Onion Flakes

*2 tablespoons Dry Minced Garlic

*3 tablespoons Brown Sugar

*1 inch Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated

*2 cups diagonally sliced Long Green Beans, I used frozen from my garden, but if you use fresh slice length wise and then in half

*5 Green Onions, all white parts and some green, save some for garnish

*1 large Yellow or Red Bell Pepper, sliced

*2/3 cup Unsalted Roasted Peanuts, roughly chop if desired, save some for garnish

**Cornstarch, if needed for thickening the sauce

**Extra Light Olive Oil for Wok or other high heat oil

**Cooked White Rice, I used a rice cooker

Instructions:

Gather all ingredients.

In a Slower Cooker/Crockpot with liner for easy clean up, add the frozen chicken thighs. Then add the follow ingredients pouring/spreading evenly over chicken: Rice vinegar, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, red pepper, dry onion and garlic, brown sugar and ginger. Cover with lid and allow to cook on high for 6 hours or according to you slow cooker instructions.

Then remove chicken thighs one at a time to your cutting board and cut into 1 inch pieces. Reserve the juices in the crockpot/slow cooker.

Heat wok with 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or (I like to use extra light olive oil, it needs to be extra light) medium high heat on stove. Add the cooked chicken pieces and toss/stir every so often until browning occurs (3 to 5 minutes) on some pieces of chicken. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Set aside.

Note: I like to cook the chicken this way to give the chicken as much flavor as possible and l really love the meat to be tender not chewy.

Add to the wok the green beans, cook on medium high heat in the wok for a 2 minutes then add bell peppers cook another 1 to 2 minutes and add peanuts, scallions and browned chicken pieces. Stir/toss together, remove from heat and set aside.

Sauce:

Remove the juices from the crockpot and pour over chicken. Note: If the juices are very liquidly then add juices to a sauce pan and bring to a boil and then simmer sauce down until it thickens. If needed make a slurry in a small bowl add 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons cold water mix until incorporated then add to the juices a little at a time and stir until sauce thickens and then pour over chicken mixture, toss/stir together. Serve over rice and garnish with peanuts and green onions as desired. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Lindy