BBQ hot dogs and garlic sasuage

Finally some nice BBQin weather!

Who doesnt love BBQ hotdogs! I know I do!
Instead of just having hot dogs I sliced up some of the garlic sasuage I had and decided to try that on the BBQ.

 The garlic sasuage is almost like the polish sasuage deli meat.

While cooking everything on the BBQ I smothered everything with my favorite BBQ sauce, (vintage smoke house with honey). You can use what ever youd like to flavor them.
 I also love to toast my buns on the BBQ  for a few minutes.

 Go for it try something different! Even if it doesnt sound like itll be any good try it anyways cause you never know!

I didnt think the sasuage would be good on the BBQ but let me tell you it was amazing! LOL

Heres a pic of what everything looked like:

Enjoy! :)

Slow cooker potatoes

I love any kind of potatoes so of course when I found this recipe I had to give it a try!

The thing I liked most was being able to prepare it the night before and just let it cook all day giving me time to finish other things.

 Heres what you need:
200g bacon - cooked/diced
2 medium onions -thinly sliced
4-6 medium potatoes - thinly sliced
225g cheese - grated
salt and pepper
butter

Heres how:
 Line slow cooker with tinfoil, leaving enough to cover the potatoes when finished.
Layer half the bacon, onions, potatoes, and cheese. Season and dot with butter.
Repeat with remaining bacon, cheese, onions, potatoes, season and dot with butter.
Cover with remaining tinfoil.
Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours **

When I made these mine didnt take 10-12 hours, they only took 5 1/2 hours, so I would say depending on your slow cooker. Just check them and 5 and go from there!

 I also added a few things when I made mine, I add a little garlic powder and parm cheese.

 Heres what mine turned out like:

Yummy ! And talk about sell amazing!

 Enjoy! :)

Homemade chicken fingers

One of my favorite things to make for a quick meal is chicken fingers, so this time I decided to try making my own.

 I didnt use a recipe or any tips i just winged it and they turned out so good! (Surprisingly.. lol)

Heres what you need:
chicken breasts
egg wash
bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Heres how:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Trim the fat off the breasts, then slice them into strips. Set aside.
Get your egg wash ready, I used one egg to do 2 chicken breasts. ( Egg wash is beaten eggs with a little water.) set aside.
In a third bowl get your bread crumbs and add a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
Now your ready to assemble.
First you dip the chicken strip into the egg wash & coat with bread crumbs & place on tray. Continue with all strips.
I cooked them for about 20-25 minutes, but it depends on the size of your strips.
Have your favorite dipping sauce ready to go and enjoy your homemade chicken strips! :)

Heres what mine turned out like:

So yummmy! Hope you give them a try! :)
 Cheers!

BBQ steak

Who doesnt love a good BBQ steak?!

 Well let me tell you these were amazing haha!

 I have never cooked steak let alone on the BBQ lol but my man and I decided to try it out.

Before we put them on the BBQ we put some seasonings on them and let it soak in for a little bit while we heated the grill.

 You can use whatever youd like to flavor them, we used a little soy sauce, hot sauce, Montreal steak spice, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Cook until they are to your liking! :)

 Heres what ours turned out like:

Oh and we also lathered them in BBQ sauce haha.

SO YUMMMMY!!

  Enjoy! :)

Buttery garlic shrimp

So I didn't think I liked shrimp but my man proved me wrong!

 Heres what you'll need:
- butter
- shrimp
- garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- minced garlic

Heres what you do:
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the shrimp, minced garlic, salt & pepper, and the garlic powder.
Cook the shrimp until they are pink with a little crust on the outside.
TA-DA!

 Heres what they turned out like:

I hope you give them a try! You wont be dissappointed!

ENJOY! :)

Hot pepper & cheese stuffed burgers

I have never made stuffed burgers let alone a normal burger!

 I seen how to make stuffed burgers on Diners, drive ins, & dives and thought I'd give it a try!

Heres how I did it.
First I mixed the hamburger with some spices, bread crumbs, and a egg.
To stuff the burgers I used a cookie cutter to keep the shape of the burger, I pressed down some hamburger then on top of that put some hot peppers and chesse then finished it off with another little layer of hamburger.

I just fried them in a frying pan, but they would be just as good done on the BBQ.

I also toasted the buns with a little garlic butter on them.

 Heres what the burgers looked like:

Let me tell you these were delicious!

 Hope you give them a try too ! :)

Jessica's 18th birthday 'penis' cake

This was a very fun and interesting cake to work on.

My little sister asked me to help her make a birthday cake for her best friend.. this wasn't exactly what I was thinking lol

 This was my first cake that I actually carved into a shape, much easier than I thought!

 First we stacked and filled the cake, then we carved out the shape. Next step was to crumb coat the whole cake, then put the final layer of icing over top.
After the cake was covered we put it onto a cake board then piped the boarder around and did some extra add ons my sister thought would be funny.

 All in all it was a fun cake to do and good quality time with my little sister (:


 Just for laughs, heres what the final cake looked like:

Looks pretty cool eh!

 

Happy 18th Birthday Jessica!



Cake Balls

This was my first time making these but they are really simple and fun to do!

 Alls you do is pick your fave kind of cake along with your fave icing.
Then you bake the cake as directed, let it cool in pan for about 5 minutes but you want to crumble it into a large bowl while its still warm.
Next your gunna mix in your icing, be carefull tho you dont want to add to much icing as it will make them mushy.
* If your mix is to soft stick it in the fridge for a few minutes.
Roll them into balls and put in the freezer to get hard.
Melt your chocolates and get ready to decorate! (This is the fun part!)

 Heres what mine looked like :

You can decorate them with any toppings youd like to!

 

Have fun and enjoy! :)

BBQ Chicken kabobs

To switch things up a bit I decided to make some kabobs and BBQ them.
YUMMMMMMY!!

I didnt really use any recipes to make them I just winged it haha

 So heres what I did!

I started by cutting up my chicken breasts into bit size pieces, then cut up some onions, yellow and red bell peppers in chunks.

 Next I put them all on the skewers alternatly, put them on a plate to set, added some salt and pepper then put them on the bbq.

 As they cook brush them with your fave bbq sauce and flip frequently.
They take about 15-20 minutes to cook through.

 Heres what mine looked like:

Looks good eh? They are!

 Have a try and enjoy! :)

Blueberry Muffins

Yummmm!
 One of my fave quick snacks!

 The only thing Id change about these muffins is I would add a little more blueberries but it all depends on your desire!

Heres the recipe!

1/4 c. soft butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg - beaten
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. blueberries

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternately with milk.
Fold in blueberries by hand.
Scoop into pans and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

 ** YEILD: 1-2 DOZEN

 Hope you enjoy! :)

Heres what mine looked like:

Nanny's coconut cream pie

This pie is my absolute fave!
 Nanny always made the best coconut cream pie and I really missed it so I got the recipe from my mans nan and tried it out.

 I have to say for my first time it turned out perfect and tasted just like nanny's always did, I deffently felt her with me smiling when I did it. :)
 
 Heres the recipe for you to try I promise you wont be sorry!

3 egg yolks - beaten
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
pinch of salt
3 c. milk
1 c. coconut

 In a large sauce pan mix sugar, flour, & salt over med. heat and add 1 c. milk.
Heat the remaining 2 c. milk in microwave and add coconut to pan, once 2 c. mlik is warmed add to pot.
Temper yolks and add to pan. Stir constantly until mix thickens and bubbles break on top.
Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 tbsp. butter and stir till melted. Pour into prepared pie crust and cool covered with saran wrap directly on top of filling.
Once cooled, top with cool whip and toasted coconut.
 * Be sure to keep pie in fridge.

 Hope you all enjoy it as much as we do! :)

Heres what mine looked like:

Fish Tacos

I didnt really use any certain recpie for these fish tacos. But they were really yummy!

 Alls we did is coated to haddock in bread crumbs then pan fried it till done.
You can use any toppings youd like to, but we just used lettuce, tartar sauce and the fish.

For the wraps we just used the soft taco shells, you can use any type you want.

This was my first time making these and I am impressed with how good they turned out.

Heres what they looked like :)

The crunch from the lettuce with the softness of the shell and fish makes for a delicious taco :)

  Go ahead mix up your fish style! :) Enjoy!

Oven baked chicken with cheesy potatoes

Me and my man eat a lot of chicken along with potatoes so I decided to change things up a bit.

 This time I dipped the chicken in egg wash then rolled the chicken breasts in Arrura bread crumb and baked them in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. When the chicken is done I switched the heat to broiler on high just for a few minutes to get a crisp on the chicken.

 For the potatoes I thought Id try to make them a way my mom makes them that we all love.

 First I peeled, sliced, and washed the potatoes, then using a glass baking dish I layered the potato slices with butter, cheese, and a little bit of 3 onion spice mix. Once layered cover with tin foil ( poke a few holes in the top), and place in the oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Check about half way through, and finish baking uncovered.

Heres what mine turned out like :

* Egg wash - mix 1 egg with a little water.
** You can use any bread crumbs you want to!
*** You can add any of your favorite spices or toppings for the potatoes, make 'em your way!

                                 Enjoy! :)

Classic Root Beer float

 Root Beer floats are one f my favorite snacks from my child hood. I love them!

 But hey who doesnt right?!

Heres how I make mine:

 French vanilla ice cream
Mug root beer

I make mine in the big glass beet mugs but you can use any glass.

I just fill the mug with ice cream then top it up with root beer.
Toss in a straw and a spoon and tada classic root beer floats!

Heres what mine looks like :)

Hope everyone enjoys as much as I do!

Chase's 'pizza' birthday cake

So this was such a fun project to do!

Chase is turning 7 and he loves pepperoni pizza so his mom asked me to make a birthday cake that looked just like a pizza!

Heres what the finished product looked like

I made a white cake, colored some buttercream red to look like pizza sauce, and for the pepperoni I used red melting chocolate.
 Cheese almost looks real doesnt it?
Nope its just more chocolate! I used white bakers chocolate and used my zester tool to 'grate' it over the whole thing to be the cheese.

Along with his mom Chase also loved it!

Happy birthday Chase enjoy your pizza cake! :)

Homemade deep-fried potato chips

So I was sitting here tonight really wanting some chips but didnt want to walk to the store haha so I thought why not make my own?
 I found this easy recipe to make them and I just added my own favorite spices!

Heres the recipe! :)

4 medium potatoes - peeled & sliced paper thin (I used the cheese grater with the slicing side)
3 tbsp. salt
Favorite spices

Place potato slices into a large bowl of cold water as you slice. Drain & rinse, then refill the bowl with water & add the salt. Let them soak for 30 minutes. Drain, then rinse & drain again.

Heat fryer to 365. Fry potato slices in small batches. Once they start turning golden, remove & drain on paper towels. Continue until all slices are fried. Season with your favorite spices & enjoy!

Heres my finished product:

Alls I can say is YUMMMYY!

 For such a quick & easy snack I'll for sure be making these all the time!

For my spices I used :
- salt
- parm
- nan's secert spice
- cinnamon & sugar

            Enjoy! :) Cheers.

Chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel topped with cream cheese salted caramel frosting and drizzled with a little caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt

I found a quick and easy chocolate cupcake recipe along with a salted caramel cream cheese frosting and decided to put them together.

Absolutely amazing! The chocolate cupcake tastes like a brownie and the frosting is devine!

Heres the recipes so you can give it a try!

Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. vinegar

Mix all ingredients together well with a mixer or by hand with a wooden sppon. It should be brown, smooth and free of lumps.
 Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting
1 c. butter - room temp
1 250g block cream cheese - room temp
1/2 c. salted caramel( homemade or store bought, if you cant find salted caramel add about 1 tsp of sea salt)
3-4 c. icing sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese. Pour in salted caramel. Beat until combined. Slowly add icing sugar and beat for a few minutes until really light and fluffy.

Heres what my batter looked like:

I used the same technique to take out the centers of the cupcakes.

Here is my finished product:

 

All in all I like this combination! The only issue I found was with the frosting, it was to soft to pipe and just kinda ran off the cupcakes but other than that they are great!

 

Enjoy! :)

Spicy sasuage penne with a twist

OMG...

 Spicy sasuage penne is my absolute favorite meal.
Its super easy and delish!

  This time in stead of making it the same old way with my homemade marinara sauce, I made it with tomato basil pasta sauce. I also decided to put it in a pan and sprinkled it with grated mozza, cheddar, and parm.

 Pop it in the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and wolaaa!

 Such simple twists but it added that extra umph to it! Delish, quick and easy!

Heres the recipe!

5 mild italian sasuage- boiled/peeled/sliced
tomato basil sauce ( i used half a large can)
2-2 1/2 c. penne pasta
1 bell pepper sliced
chili flakes
hot sauce
salt/pepper

Boil the pasta and sasuages in separte pots about 10-15 minutes.
In a big frying pan heat a little oil, add the pepper and sliced sasuages. Fry till peppers are tender.
Add pasta and sauce and stir. Add hot sauce and chili flakes as your taste.
Mix and heat for about 5 minutes or until sauce is warm.

                                          Enjoy! :)

Carrot cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting drizzled with a little chocolate and peanut butter

I'll start by saying these are amazing!

 I found this recipe online and thought I'd give it a try. I am very happy I did. They are quick and simple!

Here is the recipe so you can try too! :)

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1c. flour
2c. grated carrot
2/3 c. oil
2/3c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder or cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt

FOR THE FROSTING:
1/2 c. cream cheese (1/2 block) - room temp.
1/4 c. butter - room temp.
1 1/2 c. icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

STEPS:

Heat oven to 350. Grease 12 muffin tins or line with liners and set aside. In a large bowl beat the eggs for a few seconds. Gently stir in the grated carrots and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine (be careful not to over mix!)
Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before frosting.

FROSTING:
 In a mixer or by hand beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla untill fluffy combined. Gradually add the icing sugar until light and fluffy.

So one thing I noticed while making these was with the frosting, you should make this before hand and have it in the fridge until ready to use cause I fould the frosting to be very soft and hard to pipe.

To grate the carrots you can use a food processor attachment or do what I did and grate them with the cheese grater (I fould this worked really well).

This is what the frosting will look like once mixed.

 

To make the cupcakes a little better I thought I'd put a little of the frosting in the center. This is a technique I've just learned to do and so far I love it! Alls you need to do it is an apple corer, piping bag, and a round tip.

 

Dont take it all out of the center just about half way down is all I did.

 

Using your piping bag and round tip, fill the cupcakes with the frosting just until its level with the top of the hole.

 

I find using this technique adds a little extra umph to the cupcakes along with getting that little bit of frosting with every bite!

Pipe a bit more icing on top of each cupcake.

Alls a did for the drizzles was melt a little bit of peanut butter (about 30 seconds) and using a spoon drizzled a litte over each cupcake. And for the chocolate I melted a little bit of chocoalte syrup (about 40 seconds). And just do the same.

The finished product! Dont look very pretty but like I said the icing tends to be very soft!

 

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! Let me know what you think!





Along for the ride

Welcome to Cooking and Baking with Hayley!

So you like cooking and baking? Well then this is the blog for you!

 My name is Hayley Imlay. I am a pastry chef who loves to not only bake but also cook. I love trying new things, so this is what I'm thinking...

 I'm going to start trying all new recipes for baked goods as well as meals. Anything I find or see that looks good I will do!

 I'm new to this whole blogging thing so you will have to stick with me for a bit but you wont be dissappointed!

 Lots of yummy treats & good techniques to come :)


  Thanks for coming along for the ride!


   Enjoy.