Deep South Eats: Happy Valentine's Day Strawberry Brownies

I had the pleasure of providing the treats for B's class Valentine soiree.

Mostly because no one else was signing up!

They don't do a big party because next week we have her Sweetheart's Tea for the class mothers.

B is at the age where I really try and let her give input.

She has an opinion and this is her class at school and not mine!

I want her to be proud of whatever we bring in to share with her friends.

But I digress...

After being given many different possibilities for treats we could create,

She had her heart set on brownies...a girl after my own heart.

Together we made the house standard fudge brownie and cut them out in hearts.

We decided we needed some more Valentine's color to add to our tray of treats.

Thanks to Pinterest and a strawberry cake mix in the pantry, we were excited to create these jewels!

Delicious...absolutely delicious I tell you.

 Ingredients:

• 1 strawberry boxed cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup water
• Non stick spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by lining with Parchment paper or foil and spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine dry strawberry cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Stir until well combined and no visible lumps of cake mix. The batter will be VERY thick.
• Press into pan and use a spatula to distribute evenly in the pan.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side comes out clean.
• Allow to cool and pull the parchment paper out of the pan. Use a cookie cutter or knife to cut into desired shape.

Optional Glaze: 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and 2 to 3 Tablespoons of warm milk combined. Pour over warm out of the oven brownies. (We avoided the glaze because I thought the teachers would appreciate less sugar in the 5 year old children)

Original Pinterest pin.

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

Deep South Eats: Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

 It is cold and rainy here with the forecast calling for...wait for it...more rain. Nothing warms me up on a cold and drizzly day quite like a hot bowl of soup. I have been wanting to try this soup for quite some time and let me tell you it did not disappoint. I have already professed my love for tomato soup, but add in the cheese filled tortellini and I swoon.

The best part about this recipe is that you can whip it up in no time, and children of all ages will be drawn to the fact that their is pasta in their soup. The addition of the sun dried tomatoes helps the overall flavor of the soup to be rich along with the smooth creaminess of the half-n-half. Serve this up with a quick tossed salad and you have a quick and delicious weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cans (10 3/4 ounce) condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped 
• 2 cups half-n-half
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (9 ounce) package cheese filled tortellini
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute garlic until golden brown, watching it closely to prevent burning.
• Add tomato soup, sun dried tomatoes, half-n-half, chicken stock, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the tortellini to the tomato base and allow to cook according to package directions, approximately 8 to 9 minutes.
• Once tortellini is fully cooked, serve warm in bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Original recipe from Tasty Kitchen (I have made a few alterations).

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

The Sweet Life: Belle's Fifth Birthday Part One

This beautiful, spirited girl turned 5 years old a few weeks ago.

It is hard to believe how fast time has flown by and that she will be starting real school this fall.

She is a sweet, determined little girl, and I know God has great plans for her life.

As usual we did our 20 Questions on her birthday.

I always love to hear her answers and look back as to how they have changed.

Belle's 4th Birthday

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

Deep South Eats: Frito Snack Mix

This past Sunday, we had our annual small group Super Bowl party. As tradition stands, we bring a ton of appetizers and desserts and feast on all the carb-y goodness. No really, I have been limiting my carbohydrate and sweets so by the end of the night the sugar crash was crazy. I use these opportunities to dive into a new recipe or two. I had been eyeing a few Pinterest recipes for some time and new that this Frito Snack Mix would be a real winner. 

What happens when you combine a sweet, caramel sauce with salty, crunchy Fritos? Pure amazingness. Like mind-blowing goodness in each bite. I could hardly wait for it to cool on the counter and was willing to risk burning my tongue to taste. It was quite a hit at the party with only a few measly crumbs in the bottom of the bowl. My mom is already begging for the recipe for our family cookbook. I am not sure that you all will truly appreciate me for sharing this as it is addictive and so incredibly "healthy"...haha.

Ingredients:

• 1 (10.5 ounce) bag of Fritos
• 2 cups rice Chex cereal
• 2 cups pretzel snaps or twists
• 1 1/2 cup nuts of choice (I did pecans and they were perfect for the overall flavor)
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup mini M&Ms (these will be found on the candy aisle in a blue bag)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• In a large baking pan, combine Fritos, Chex, pretzels, and nuts. Set to the side.
• In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup over medium heat. Let the mixture come to a gentle boil and boil for 4 minutes without stirring.
• Remove the pan from heat and pour mixture evenly over Frito mixture in baking pan. Use a spatula to stir to coat the Frito mixture evenly.
• Bake in oven for 8 minutes, stir mixture, and return to oven for another 8 minutes. While baking, line an area of your counters in wax paper.
• Remove from the oven and pour the mixture evenly on prepared wax paper.
• Allow the mixture to cool. Sprinkle M&Ms over the cooled mixture and break into bite-size pieces.
• May be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Original recipe from Shelley at Cookies and Cups.

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!