Super simple Berry Shortcake (UPDATED)

If you want simple, it doesn't get simpler than this! This is a recipe from Sandra Lee's Semi-homemade cooking and is a winner with both simplicity and delicious taste! I have added my own twist and suggestions below. Never again do you need to make up excuses for skipping dessert! Haha oh I love desserts!

Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Prep 10 min
Inactive 1 hr 0 min
Cook 20 min

Ingredients
1 can (16.3-ounce) biscuits (recommended: Pillsbury Grands Southern Style)
2 pints fresh berries, quartered (any berries will do! I did frozen mixed berries)
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can of whipped (lite) cream topping

Directions
If you have frozen berries, put in a medium bowl, pour half of the sugar in, and let sit (covered) on the kitchen counter. They will soak and unfreeze. May take a few hours.
If you have fresh berries, in a medium bowl, combine the berries and half of the sugar. Let stand for 1 hour to meld flavors.



When ready to bake, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Unroll biscuits, place on baking sheet and bake in the oven according to directions.

In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.
Remove biscuits from oven; split the biscuits and dredge in cinnamon sugar; place on serving plate.


Put macerated berries on bottom biscuit, put on whipped cream and top with the top of the biscuit. Garnish shortcakes with a swirl of whipped cream topping and drizzle with the juice of the berries.


Serves about 5 (depending on number of biscuits cooked).

Another variation? / a way to make a smaller portion?:
Put berries on each half, then swirl on the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mix on top!

The first whole one was soo good, I wanted a little more! So yes, I definitely had one full and a "half" portion of these shortcakes! Delish!

Rice A Roni Buttery Herb Chicken

When I was engaged, my college girlfriends wanted to throw me a bridal shower! They wanted to do something different than the showers I had had before, so they decided upon a Pounding! A pounding is an old fashioned type of shower that was given to brides back in the "day". You give a pound of some sort of food instead of a gift! So they stocked up my pantry full of fun foods and paper products, and we all stocked up on great memories together as we celebrated the evening!
So one of the many items I was gifted was an assortment of Rice A Ronis!!! All flavors! So I thought, I should make a complete meal out of this! Add some chicken, add some veggies and BAM! A full on meal in less than 20 minutes! I will post another Rice A Roni recipe for reference :)

Ingredients
1 package RICE-A-RONI® Herb and Butter
1 skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon margarine
2 cups water
1 cup frozen broccoli

Directions
1. In large skillet, sauté rice-pasta mix with 1 Tbsp. margarine over medium heat until rice mixture is golden brown, stirring frequently.
2. Slowly stir in 2 cups water and 1 uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces; bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 min.
4. Cook frozen broccoli in microwave safe container, cover with plastic wrap, for 4 minutes.
5. Stir in Special Seasonings to skillet. Cover; simmer additional 10-15 min. or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Let stand 5 min. before serving.
Add the 1 cup frozen broccoli during last 5 min. of simmering.



Serves 2-3.

Our First Supper

Well I kind of cheated on this one, but we will chalk one up for "semi-homemade cooking" and making do with limited supplies! During a Costco shopping spree (yes! we are officially members! I love Costco!), I bought an already marinated Lamb for two! So... Our very first meal in our apartment was the grandest feast of them all!!!
Lamb is Tommy's meal of choice, aka this dinner will be hard to top! At least for a while, till we splurge on another lamb dish. ;)

It was something like this, but it was on sale for less than $20, gotta love sales!
Then I made a salad with lettuce, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
And I also heated up some green beans with garlic on in a pan on the stove. classic!

It was cute! I always envisioned our first meal together in our new place surrounded by boxes and eating on top of a box fresh chinese take-out! haha very movie-esque :) But this blew my movie day dream out of the water! We had tender lamb, fresh veggies, and all our dishes on our coffee table in the living room. Candles were lit too! Very romantic and very delicious!