The Weekday Chef – Page 11 – Featuring Chef Pattie

Easter Bundt Cake and Cupcakes

I had a party the other night for my only daughter. She is having her first baby boy. So we had a family baby shower celebration. This cake is pretty cute and could be done for Easter too.

I decorated it with cream cheese icing, plastic and candy eggs and little Easter Chick suckers on sticks.

It was lots of fun. I made pulled pork, potato salad, veggies and dip and my daughter-in-law Wendy (co-hostess) made a fruit salad with this marshmallow creme dip that was to die for.

Our healthy stuff offset the bad but tempting stuff I think.

We also had various cookies, donuts, lemon bars, cupcakes and other candies and treats.

Aren’t these cupcakes super cute with the pacifiers on them? They just have mini chocolate chips for eyes.

I had fun playing with all my collection of pastel sugars and sprinkles. Each cupcake also has a baby pin or rattle sticking out of the top or a circus pick.

I made a mini heart bundt cake out of lemon mix and frosted it with lemon icing and filled it with lemon curd. It is pretty too.

The guest of honor and the co-hostess. We had some cute decorations too.

And this game turned out fun. We had 3 minutes to make a baby out of playdough. I think the orange and yellow ones were winners. My little granddaughter Meg liked the tiny pale peach one the best though. lol.

The recipe is from All Recipes.com. It is called Too Much Chocolate Cake. HERE is the link for the recipe. It has 4000 reviews and still 5 stars so it is a serious winner in the dessert department. You cannot go wrong. And the base is a boxed cake mix, so easy!

This was a cute diaper motorcycle made with receiving blankets, socks and diapers. Wendy made this and topped it with a cute stuffed bear. So clever!

Some of my Easter decorations in the great room. I’m almost done with the grandkids’ Easter baskets…but they’ve already found them and dug into the bubbles and eggs. Rats!

I really like how it all turned out. Happy Easter everybody!

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Sliced Almonds

Chicken Salad Sandwiches with grapes and almonds

I got this recipe it from a friend, who got it from a caterer, who was serving it at a wedding reception. It is really good for wedding reception sandwiches. It’s also great on croissants for a fancy luncheon with your girlfriends. I just made it for the hubs and me for dinner. It’s light and fresh and yummy.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH GRAPES AND ALMONDS
Recipe from my neighbor Maryann’s caterer…..
2 1/2 cups cubed, cooked, white chicken breast meat
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sliced celery
1 1/4 cups seedless red grapes, sliced in half
3/4 to 1 cup Hellmans or Best Foods mayonnaise
(depending upon your preference)
Oneida seasoning salt to taste
A few shakes of Pepper to taste

Chicken salad on a Jimmy John’s white roll cut in half….yummy!

It is a simple chicken salad recipe.It is a great sandwich recipe and it is fresh and low calorie. I’ve used it at 2 of my kids’ wedding receptions. I think I doubled the recipe for about 65 mini sandwiches.

Here we used Costco White Dinner Rolls (package of 36) cut in half. It was so easy and the chicken salad went a long way. It is also great on mini croissant rolls.

I start with white chicken meat and dice it up into chunks. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store too. Or just white meat breasts boiled or broiled, cooled and chunked. Add mayo and then add finely chopped celery, red grapes sliced in half and SLICED almonds. (or slivered if you love crunch)

Some people love the crunch of slivered almonds but I like the sliced better and they look pretty in the sandwiches. Add fresh fruit or a fruit smoothie to your chicken salad sandwich for a yummy, healthy treat!

I love a good berry smoothie

Now the secret ingredient in these sandwiches is ONERA SEASONING. It is usually found in the market near the fresh fish or near the butcher area. It is kind of a seasoning salt.

One more thing. Be sure to use fresh and a high quality mayo like Hellman’s or Best Foods. The creamier your mayo the better the sandwiches are. I’ve used Costco rolls cut in half (the 36 package) or small croissants for buffets because they will make your salad go a long way.

Jimmy John’s long rolls are delicious breads to serve with this chicken salad also. I buy them for 50 cents day old at the shop, and go home, cut them in half, and put them in freezer bags. They are great to have on hand to use for steak sandwiches or albacore tuna or deli turkey. This is a picture of one long roll cut in half.

It’s a really delicious sandwich. Add a slice of lemon pie for DESSERT! Now THAT’s what I’m talking about!

St. Patricks Day Decorating and Peanut Butter Cake

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up SOON!

This is one my favorite months of the year. My family were all IRISH! And my mom was an Irish Catholic. We REALLY celebrated St. Patrick’s Day every year. I remember dinners where she would actually give us kids a bit of wine with 7 up to toast to some of her favorite SAINTS.

Those are happy memories of sitting in the formal dining room with my 5 siblings cracking jokes and eating yummy food like corned beef and cabbage, baked potato and green popcorn . I love St. Patrick’s DAY! I’m a Pattie, and my mom called me Patrick for a silly nickname when I was little. So there you have it. Our family loved celebrating this fun “pinch me if I forget the green” day.

I don’t have very many decorations for it but I always do at least my entry table and my dining room table in honor of my mother and her love of St. Patrick’s Day. I also decorate my classroom in Shamrocks, leprechauns and GREEN, glittery stuff and of course GOLD wrapped chocolates!

So in honor of the lucky leprechauns out there, I turned my kitchen and entry hall into a bit o’green today!

And here is my classroom….we’ve gone green there too.

My kitchen table is very lucky too. But alas, I have eaten all of those peanut butter cups you see there. I’m not very good at avoiding the gold when I know there is chocolate stuff inside! But I DID make a fun chocolate cake with unwrapped peanut butter cups on top!

I know it’s not green but it WAS super delicious. I just used a regular boxed cake mix and added:
a small package of chocolate pudding mix (dry, just dump it in)
and 1 cup sour cream to the recipe.

For this delectable Peanut Butter Icing:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream or milk. It’s so yummy!

Chocolate cake with Peanut Butter Icing. And the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup on top makes it so festive!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And may the LUCK of the IRISH always be with you!

Chocolate Party

Have you ever been to a chocolate party? Where everything on the tables is made from chocolate? We had one on Friday afternoon at school put on by the 5th grade teachers. It was a hoot.

Wouldn’t you like a taste of this DECADENT Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake? Oh heavenly yum, was it GOOD! I think it was a favorite. I took a picture after I’d gobbled half of it up.

Here it is before I bit into it….it’s a lot prettier here…..Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes….The icing is made from butter,
powdered sugar and peanut butter. And of course a peanut butter cup. Yum. Each one felt like it weighed a pound in your hand!

I must admit that I was a piggy and ate 2 of these bad boys….The cupcake itself has a peanut butter cup in the center too!

I found THIS RECIPE online at All Recipes.com. It’s my favorite recipe website. I’m trying these for sure!

She melted some chocolate and swirled it on top of the cupcakes but I’d probably be too lazy for that. A candy peanut butter cup on top is plenty of lovin for anybody.

Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe from All Recipes.com)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/3rd cup cream

Mix the butter and peanut butter, add in half the sugar and half the milk and mix. Then add the rest and mix again. Frost cooled chocolate cupcakes and top with a peanut butter cup cut in half. Enjoy!

Then of course you just HAVE to have a Texas sheet cake made with fudgy chocolate icing!

Chocolate chip peanut butter cookie bars were also one of my favorites….I love these things!

Brownies cut into a heart shape….so cute! There was row after row of chocolate madness!

Chocolate eclairs and plain bon bon bites.

Then the real fun began. We were to take 1 piece of each kind of chocolate on the tables.

And there were at least 10 different kinds of chocolate candies to judge on a scale of 1 to 5 on a rubric.

I think Bliss Chocolate was one of the winners and also the Lindt chocolate was good too.

Here was our voting tables….with our ballots. We had fun categories do judge like “when broken does it have bubbles” and “smooth and creamy on your tongue”. It was fun discussing the merits of chocolate. I was just happy eating it all!

And here is our judging ballot for the chocolate party. It was fun. And I think we were happy campers all afternoon in a chocolate coma!

Paradise Bakery Copycat Chicken Walnut Salad

Walnut Chicken Salad with Fresh Parmesan Cheese…just like Paradise Bakery…only with a little bit added….

Have you ever had the Chicken Walnut Salad at Paradise Bakery and Cafe? I love that place. They give you a cookie with each order. I like a little sweet with my salad or soup, ya know?

The Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie at Paradise Bakery….

Yummy place for salads and a quick lunch…

I’ve actually gone there twice in one week once, just to eat their soups and salads. My favorite is the Chicken Walnut. And I can’t pick a favorite soup. They are all really good there.

The Asian Salad is pretty good at Paradise Bakery too….but….the Chicken Walnut is the best.

The only thing is….they DON’T put enough walnuts in the salad. No way. I always go up and ask, “Did you forget my walnuts?” And they ALWAYS tell me “NO”. I just like a lot of crunch in a salad.

Their sandwiches are pretty good too…

Chicken Walnut – One of my favorite salads there! Here is what they say is in the salad……
Our famous Chicken Walnut salad on top of romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, garlic croutons & parmesan cheese.

My favorite seasoning salts; Johnny’s Garlic Salt and Johnny’s Seasoning Salt.

Use up lots of your fresh veggies….I added some purple onion to my hubs…he’s an onion lover!
I just got some fresh shredded Parmesan cheese from the deli…

I like sweet, red peppers in mine. We both love cucumbers too…and the Walnuts of course…

And you gotta love some Texas Toast garlic croutons. Or make your own out of buttered and toasted bread. Just drizzle butter and garlic salt on top. My favorite brand is the Johnny’s Garlic Season Salt. These are my 2 favorite seasoning salts. I use them in almost every dish.

So here are the INGREDIENTS for 2 salads
Romaine lettuce cut into bits
1 tomato cut into wedges and then halved
1/2 cucumber cut into spears and then chunked
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese (or more to your taste)
Seasoned croutons
1 grilled chicken breast cooled and cut into chunks
ground pepper
1 Tablespoon for each salad of Caesar dressing.
1/4 cup walnuts (or more if you like)

Add some black pepper to it right after tossing….

Directions for Chicken Walnut Salad
Cut up all the veggies and lettuce and place into 2 salad bowls. Add the fresh Parmesan, the chicken and the walnuts. Add Caesar dressing and croutons and shake on some black pepper. Enjoy!

Yum…this is sooooo tasty and yummy!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Wingers Copycat Sauce

Buffalo Chicken Tenders…with Copycat Wingers Glaze and Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce….

I LOVE Buffalo Chicken. But I like the sauce to be a bit hot and a bit sweet. After some trial and error, I think I have the perfect, delicious Super Bowl Party food! These Buffalo Chicken Tenders are soooo yummy! They will really be a crowd pleaser…and they are not hard at all. You probably have all of the ingredients at home right now, except maybe for Franks Hot Sauce and Buttermilk.

Yummy Buffalo Chicken Tenders….Perfect for A SUPER BOWL PARTY FOOD! wOO hOO!

Well My class voted on who would win the SUPER BOWL this Sunday, and it looks like 49ers have it. Losers have to
do 12 push ups. I hope I don’t lose again, like last year. Those push ups get harder to do every year! Anyway….Hope you have fun on Super Bowl Sunday watching the game.

INGREDIENTS BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS in Wingers Copycat Glaze
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 chicken breast fillets cut into 1/2 inch strips OR 8 to 10 chicken tenders

2 ingredients I had to purchase to make the Buffalo Chicken Tenders…Buttermilk for the dipping sauce and
Franks Red Hot Sauce for the Buffalo Glaze on the Chicken….

I used a leftover chicken breast sliced into strips and some purchased chicken tenders for this recipe…..

Wash and pat dry the Chicken Tenders before breading them….

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, peppers, and spices in a bowl. Whisk together egg and buttermilk in another bowl. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk/egg mixture first and then roll into the flour mixture.

Dip chicken strips into the buttermilk and egg mixture….then dredge into the flour and spice mixture….

Flour and spice batter for dredging the Buffalo Chicken Tenders in after dipping in the buttermilk egg mixture.

Set the plate of chicken tenders in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat up a frying pan with oil (1/2 inch in pan) and add a few Tablespoons of real butter just before frying. It makes the flavor better. Then fry chicken a few minutes on each side till it’s golden.

Lay fried chicken pieces on a napkin to soak up excess oil. Then mix up your Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Put the Franks Hot Sauce into a pan and add the brown sugar and real butter…..mix it up! That’s it!

Then pour it over the fried chicken or toss in a large salad bowl with the chicken….either way works great.

I read this cool review on taste testing the top 4 rated hot sauces to decide which one to buy for my sauce recipe. Here it is from Serious Eats.

All 4 hot sauces were in my local market but this is the one recommended by Serious Eats!

Boneless Buffalo Wings Glaze (like Wingers)
1/2 cup Franks Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (or use 1/3 cup if you like heat more than sweet)
2 Tablespoons Real Butter

This is very similar to the flavor of Wingers Buffalo Wings….very sweet and a hint of heat.

Dipping Sauce for Veggies & Boneless Wings
1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/3 Cup Ranch or Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Mix it up and use for a great dipping sauce

All I do for dipping sauce is mix half greek yogurt (plain) and half ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing depending
on who loves which dressing! My hubs is a blue cheese man. I love the ranch flavor.

Put celery, cucumbers, red peppers, carrots out in bowls to dip with your Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Wingers Copycat Glaze

This would be a perfect football game food or a party appetizer of any kind. How about for the Super Bowl? Yum. Dig in!

Chicken Mexican Lasagne

Here is a recipe that includes tortillas, mexican cheese and chicken; what’s not to love? It is called Chicken Mexican Lasagne and it is GOOD!

I made this version with regular salsa but you could also do it green and use salsa verde for another delicious taste. You can also make it go further for a bigger crowd and add black beans, if you’d like to extend the amount it makes.

CHICKEN MEXICAN LASAGNE

1 pound chicken, (or 4 chicken breasts) cooked and diced
1 onion diced fine
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 small jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 cup milk
a few shakes Lawry’s Seasoning to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus additional for garnishing)
12 soft taco size corn tortillas (or try it with flour for a different texture)
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can black beans (optional)I don’t add these but you could to increase the serving sizes for a crowd.

DIRECTIONS:

 Mix chicken, sour cream, salsa, milk, corn, cilantro and spices in a large bowl.
Taste and adjust spices.

Cut tortillas into fourths and layer on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. Layer chicken cheese and tortillas again. You should be able to do it at least twice. Top with cheese. Sometimes I add sliced olives on top so it looks like enchiladas. Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven. Let set about 45 minutes before serving and you should be able to slice it into squares. It will set up by then.

Top with sour cream and a slice of avocado if you like. Enjoy! In the meantime, I’m getting out my Valentines Decorations out and having fun with that!

My kitchen table decor….I got red plates last year too….I’ll have to get them out and decorate the Valentines Table.

Lollypops to give out to visitors…..
Gotta have some fun candies in the jars and little ceramic Valentines bowls around the house….

Front entry table…I love the lighted heart decoration so much….and so do my grandkids. They turn the lights out and stare at it!

This is an end table in the living room….cute Valentines decor….

Now all I need is a few grandkids to give hugs and kisses to!

Chicken Enchilada Soup like Chilis

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP LIKE CHILIS

Chicken Enchilada Soup like Chilis Restaurant

It is another COLD day in Utah, a perfect day for making hot soup. I had some poached chicken in the fridge and decided to make one of my favorite soups; Chicken Enchilada. It tastes just like the famous soup at Chilis Restaurant.

Here are some of the ingredients I use. I have a giant jar of Taco Seasoning mix, but you could use a packet of one. I always have enchilada sauce on hand, so I use what I have.

I always start by chopping and browning my sweet onion in a Tablespoon of butter and a Tablespoon of oil. Then I add the Mexican Corn Flour….and stir it up for a few minutes.

It looks like this…it comes in a package just like a 5 pound bag of flour. You can make corn tortillas out of it and
pork tamales. I use this flour all the time.

Stir in a few Tablespoons and cook the flour with the onions and a little bit of broth to make a roux.

It should look kind of like this when you have simmered it for about 3 minutes. Now it’s time to add the rest of the chicken stock and the veggies.

After adding the chicken stock, I puree a can of diced tomatoes in the blender and add that in. Then I add the 2 cans of enchilada sauce. I love the Rosarita Brand, but use whatever you have purchased on sale. I had 1 mild and 1 medium can and it tastes perfect.

I also add the 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn. Then I chop up my chicken breasts (2 large or 3 small) and dump that in too. Then I start spicing it up with cilantro, taco seasoning, chili powder and cumin.

This was 2 large chicken breasts I diced up. When I buy chicken fresh they don’t shrink down as much as some that I’ve purchased at Walmart. Costco frozen breasts usually don’t shrink down either, so those are a good buy.

Here is the Chicken Enchilada Soup before I added the corn and the beans. It is a thick base. I just added cilantro and the spices. It already tastes wonderful!

Now while that is simmering for about 10 minutes on low I start to figure out what toppings I would like to add. I usually add diced avocado, fresh cilantro, cheese, and some fried tortilla strips or just broken up tortilla chips. Some people also like fresh tomato diced into their soup too for a more chunky texture.

Slice up your avocado right in the peeling, then just scoop it out with a spoon. No mess!

I would fry up some tortillas and then cut them into 1 inch pieces about now. Then add them to your soup as toppings or as part of the soup. Or if you are lazy like me, just use some Tostitos chips and break them up in your soup.

Here is my Chicken Enchilada Soup and I’m just starting to add my toppings…..yummy….

Chicken Enchilada Soup like Chilis Restaurant….it is SO GOOD!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP RECIPE
2 large or 3 small chicken breasts cut up into cubes
1 large, sweet onion diced and caramelized
3 Tablespoons Masa Harina (Mexican corn flour)
11/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
a few shakes of Taco Seasoning Mix
1 teaspoon Lawrys or Johnnys season salt
2 cups chicken broth (or water with 2 bouillon cubes)
2 small cans enchilada sauce of your choice (I used 1 can of mild, one can of medium)
1 medium can of tomatoes (pureed in the blender)
11/2 cup frozen yellow corn
1 small can black beans (drained)
Top with mixed shredded Mexican cheeses and sour cream, tortilla strips (or fried, sliced tortillas) and diced avocado, and chopped cilantro. (I usually use Tostitos Tortilla Chips with this recipe, or I fry some tortillas).

Caramelize onions in 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon oil. Add 3 tablespoons of Masa Harina and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and make a roux. Cook for a few minutes on low. Then add the rest of the chicken broth and the spices and the cut up chicken. Add the corn and the enchilada sauce and season to taste. Puree a can of diced tomatoes and dump that in. Simmer for 10 minutes on low. Then add the beans. Simmer another 5 minutes while you chop the avocado, grate the cheese and chop the cilantro. It’s ready to serve start to finish in about a half hour. Top with sour cream, tortilla strips (or fried tortillas cut up into bit sized pieces), avocado, cilantro, and cheese. It is delicious and filling. Serves 6

Chicken Enchilada Soup….it is a great winter soup to warm you up on a cold, snowy day!

Texas Caviar or Black Bean Salsa

This would be a great recipe to try on Super Bowl Sunday, coming up…..guys LOVE chips and dips! But if you just want to munch on something pretty healthy and filling today while we are all stuck inside in this cold, winter weather, this is a fun chip and dip recipe that my family loves. And it is quick and easy too!

Texas Caviar or Black Bean and Corn Salsa

This is one of my favorite salsa recipes. But you can actually use any kind of bean you like. I’ve done it with BLACK EYED PEAS and BLACK BEANS and it is equally yummy. The secret is in the salad dressing you use and the flavorings. The veggies themselves and the beans and corn are rather bland without spicing it up! Let’s make up a batch in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. We have the holiday off here in Utah. I’m betting he loved this southern salsa.

TEXAS CAVIAR

1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black eyed peas, OR black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons small red onion, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
A dash of Lawry’s or Johnny’s seasoning salt
A few shakes of chili pepper
3 Tablespoons Zesty Italian or House Italian Dressing

I LOVE this recipe. I can sit and eat the whole thing myself in a few days. It is so colorful, healthy and yummy on wheat crackers or on Tostitos chips. Or on these new Pretzel Crackers. They get gobbled up REAL FAST!

Texas Caviar or Black Eyed Peas and Corn Salsa! It’s SOOOOOO yummy!

I LOVE these new pretzel crackers too, called Flip Sides. They hold the salsa a lot better than chips do. And they are pretty filling as a finger food. Enjoy!

Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Banana Nut Cake…..so divine…. I love it!

Banana nut cake has always been one of my top 3 favorite cakes. I love banana nut ice cream too. How fun if I could bake a banana cake and top it with banana nut ice cream. no not really, that would be kinda weird.

But this is a great way to use up your extra bananas that are getting ripe on you. I was making homemade bread the same day or I would have probably made banana bread. But a cake is just right on a snowy day in January too!

Look what my daughter made me! It’s a cake taker! Isn’t it cute? Here are a few others that I love. I have the
bundt cake taker but would LOVE the cupcake taker too. It’s collapsible so it’s easy to store!

I really love the colors and the inside fabric is coordinating. She got me a cake pan with a lid and a cake server too (you can barely see it peeking out of the material. She’s very creative. I loved it.

This recipe is super easy. The base is just a yellow cake. I always mix the oil with some butter because I hate when you can taste oil in somebody’s dessert cake. That’s just wrong!! You could use walnuts in this cake too but I only had pecans on hand.

BANANA NUT CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 small box french vanilla pudding dry mix (I use a half a box in all my cakes)

Directions
Pour the yellow cake mix in your mixer and add all the rest of the ingredients mixing till smooth. Put in a 9 x 13 pan or use a smaller cake pan (9 x 9) and then make a dozen cupcakes too!

Bake according to directions on box, usually around 30 minutes at 350. Check cupcakes which will be done in approximately 21 minutes. When cake is cooled top with cream cheese icing and sliced almonds (for looks).

Cute pans for a decorative party dessert. I might invest in one of these cute pans soon.

Flower Power Cake Pan Wilton Daisy Sunflower Wilton 2105 3055

I thought these cake pans were really pretty and interesting. These would be pretty designs on your cake wouldn’t they? I have not seen these designs in the stores yet. I’m sure it is on Amazon though. I just love Amazon! Check HERE for all kinds of cute ones.

I got this silicone cupcake pan with football shapes to try it out for Super Bowl Sunday treats.

Here’s the after pictures. I will have to fill the cups a little bit less next time so they keep the football shape.

Icing
1/2 cube butter, 1/2 large brick of cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar and a little milk to make smooth.
Beat on high in your mixer till smooth. Add a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

When cakes are cooled frost with icing and top with sliced almonds for a really pretty effect.

Yum this cake was soooooooo decadent and delicious and very nutty. Banana Nut Cake is a keeper!

Here are the finished football cupcakes before icing. I think chocolate icing with the 3 little white lines of the laces would be super cute, what do you think?