Weekend Silence in Remembrance of the April 2011 Southern Tornado Victims and in Honor of the Survivors Amid the Devastation

"The Southern Fried Bride" will be silent this weekend in remembrance of the April 2011 Southern Tornado Victims and to honor the survivors amid the devastation. I am thinking about and praying for all of those involved and their loved ones. Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to give $10.

April Showers Recipe: "Angela’s Southwest Delight Pasta Salad"

Today marks 38 days until I walk down the aisle to become Craig's wife in June! I am rounding out my "April Showers" recipes this week. I had so much fun at both of my April bridal showers and I look forward with great anticipation to my May bridal shower. This is my recipe for an easy, fun and tasty pasta salad that is perfect for serving at showers, church gatherings and other special occasions. I plan on serving this next month at another May shower, a baby shower I am co-hosting for my sister-in-law Jackie with her mother Cheryl. I love the texture of bow tie pasta and it is in a comparable price range to the usual macaroni. A few healthy ingredient substitutions make my take Southwest-inspired take on the usual pasta salad a light choice, as well.

“Angela’s Southwest Delight Pasta Salad”

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 16 ounce package bow tie pasta

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup fat free ranch dressing

3 slices cooked turkey bacon, crumbled OR 1/4 cup bacon bits

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon parsley

In large saucepan, prepare pinwheel pasta according to direction on package. Drain pasta and rinse. Drain and place pasta back into pot. In separate mixing bowl, combine sour cream, ranch dressing, bacon, chili powder and parsley until well blended. Pour mixture over pasta and stir well. Mix in chicken. Transfer into serving bowl. Refrigerate one hour before serving. Serves 8-10. Enjoy!

April Shower's Recipe: "Angela's Breezy Berry Party Punch"

This past weekend, two wedding showers were held for me and my fiance' Craig, who made the trip from New York with his parents Warren and Sharon to attend the showers with me. We were overjoyed that so many of our loved ones gathered together to help us celebrate our upcoming marriage. This week, I am sharing my recipe for a party punch that is a lower sugar version. This punch is perfect for occasions such as a wedding or baby shower, birthday party or church women’s social. I hope you will find this punch “berry” wonderful!


“Angela’s Breezy Berry Party Punch”
Fills standard-size punch bowl

½ of 1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray Light White Cranberry Juice

½ of 2-liter (or 1-liter bottle) diet lemon lime soda

1 envelope (8-serving size) unsweetened Berry Blue-flavored Kool-Aid mix

1 pint Blue Bell No Sugar Added vanilla ice cream

2 cups crushed ice

Thaw pint of ice cream 10 minutes before making punch mixture. Fill empty punch bowl with ½ of 64-ounce bottle of white cranberry juice. Add ½ of 2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda. Add envelope of Kool-Aid and stir well. Add 2 cups crushed ice. Add thawed pint of ice cream to top of punch, do not stir. Enjoy!

45 Days Until the Wedding!

I cannot believe the wedding is in 45 days! *insert slight panic here*

Happy Tuesday!

My fiance' Craig and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from our friends and loved ones at our two wedding showers this past weekend. I can't wait to share all the details with you this week!

My Double Shower Weekend is here! Recipe Corner: "Angela's Endless Possibility Cake"

I am so excited because my fiance' and his parents are arriving today from New York for a double shower weekend! Tomorrow is my personal shower and Sunday is a Couple's Shower. I can't wait to tell you all about it and share pictures! In celebration, I am sharing with you my recipe for what many call a basic yellow cake and basic buttercream frosting. However, I call my recipes for them “Endless Possibilities” because you can take these two recipes and turn them into a cake for all kinds of special occasions or just because. I used these recipes to create this 3-tier wedding cake for a couple.

"Angela’s Endless Possibility Cake”

Yield: 2 8-inch round cake layers

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla to mixture. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding small amount of dry mixture to batter, then adding small amount of milk to batter, beating well after each addition, until both have been completely added into mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray. Pour batter into pans and spread batter evenly in pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let cool in pans for ten minutes, run a knife around edge to loosen the cake, then turn out on counter to finish cooling. When cakes have completely cooled, spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Use ¾ cup of frosting in center of cake and use remaining amount on top and sides of cake. Enjoy!



“Angela’s Endless Possibility Frosting”

Yield: Frosts two 8-inch cake layers

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

With an electric mixer at low speed, mix powdered sugar and butter together. Once combined, add vanilla and milk. Increase speed of mixer to medium and beat for additional 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth and of spreading consistency. If frosting becomes too thick, thin frosting by adding an additional teaspoon of milk.

April "showers" of recipes: "Angela's Berry Grapeful Party Punch"

This month there will literally be "April showers" for me! Two wedding showers will be held this month for me and my fiance' Craig. We are blessed to have wonderful friends and family to celebrate this special time in our lives with us and each of the shower hostesses have a special place in my heart. In celebration of these upcoming showers, each week during the month of April I will be sharing with you a favorite shower recipe I have created in my kitchen. This week, I'm sharing a purple party punch perfect for occasions such as a wedding or baby shower, birthday party or church women’s social. I hope you will find this punch “berry” wonderful!

"Angela’s Berry Grapeful Party Punch”
Fills standard-size punch bowl


½ of 1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray Light White Cranberry Juice


½ of 2-liter (or 1-liter bottle) diet lemon lime soda (I used Diet Sierra Mist)


1 envelope sugar free grape Kool-Aid powdered mix


1 pint Blue Bell Southern Blackberry Cobbler ice cream


2 cups crushed ice


Thaw ice cream 10 minutes before making punch mixture. Fill empty punch bowl with ½ of 64-ounce bottle of white cranberry juice. Add ½ of 2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda. Add envelope of grape Kool-Aid and stir well. Add 2 cups crushed ice. Add thawed pint of ice cream to top of punch, do not stir. Enjoy!

My Wedding Inspiration: Mom's Butterfly Kisses

My mother so looked forward to my wedding day before she passed away in 2001 at age 49 after a courageous battle against kidney failure. She will not be there in person to see me marry the man of my dreams, Craig, as a June bride this year and do what I so wanted her to do, walk me down the aisle to give me away at my wedding.

We heard the song “Butterfly Kisses” at a sorority sister's wedding several months before she died and she told me after the wedding ceremony, while we were still in the church, that she felt like this time, this illness was one she wouldn’t be able to beat as she had done so many times before throughout my childhood. She told me she hoped that if she couldn’t be there in person on my wedding day, that I would always remember her “Butterfly Kisses”, because that was exactly how much she loved me.

My wedding inspiration for our theme will be butterflies in my wedding colors of pink and green, gently fluttering all over the place, just as she did in life spreading joy to so many people. I plan to lovingly craft lots of the butterflies myself, thanks to finding inspiration through Martha Stewart’s butterfly craft punch set.

Cookin' Corner: "Angela's Crowd Pleasin' Lasagna" - and that's no joke!

Since we have had a cold spell these past few days here in Northeast Oklahoma, I am sharing with you a dish I find worth turning on the oven for. I have long been a fan of lasagna and my recipe uses lean ground beef and a variety of reduced fat cheeses. It makes a healthier version of lasagna with the same great flavor. Have a great weekend and I hope you stop back by soon to sit a spell!

“Angela’s Crowd-Pleasin’ Lasagna”

8 ounces lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 jar (16 ounce) spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pint light ricotta cheese

1 8 oz. package reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded American cheese

1 8 oz. can mushrooms, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain well. Return beef mixture to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add mushrooms, if desired. Stir in garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning. In baking pan, layer 1/3 of lasagna noodles, 1/3 of meat sauce and 1/3 of ricotta cheese and 1/3 package of Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with ½ cup American cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Welcome to my blog hop friends and I hope you stop back by soon!