Copy Cat recipes

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Cafe Rio Copy Cat Recipe – Sweet Shredded Pork Taco with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

04/12/2013 6:02 pm · 0 comments

by Sarah A Thrifty Mom

Cafe Rio Copy Cat Recipe ~ Sweet Shredded Pork Recipe

This is one of our most popular recipes. We posted on it back in 2010 and have never upgraded the photos, lol. But it is just as good as the yummy Cafe Rio Shredded Pork Taco’s with Cilantro Ranch Dressing on them!

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork Taco Copy Cat Recipe

You will need:

  • 3 lbs Pork tenderloin roast ( any pork roast will work)
  • 2 cans of Tomato sauce 15 oz
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 can of coke or Dr Pepper
  • 1 clove garlic diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro minced
  • Cilantro Ranch Sauce recipe
  • And about 6-8 hours in a Slow Cooker

Make sure you follow the complete How-To instructions on Cafe Rio Shredded Pork Taco’s

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Eat on tortilla, with rice, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and Cilantro Ranch.

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Milano Cookie Cake ~ Copycat Recipe

04/10/2013 12:00 pm · 0 comments

by mcktiffany

Milano Cookie Cake Recipe, Money Saving Recipe, Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie Cake, Cake Recipes

Milano Cookie Cake by Tiffany

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was flipping through one of my magazines. You’ve probably seen the advertisement too! Pepperidge Farms, has now come out with a Milano Cookie Cake. According to the ad, it’s available in the freezer section of your local super market. Now, I will most likely never buy one of these cakes, but I certainly liked the idea. I thought, “This has got to be one of the easiest cakes to replicate. I could totally make this.” Using boxed cake mixes, Milano cookies and homemade rich chocolate butter cream frosting, this baby was put together in two shakes of a lambs tail. And isn’t that what us busy moms like?!

Disclaimer… When I post recipes that are “copycat” recipes this doesn’t always mean they taste exactly like the original. After all, I’m just a momma who likes to share recipes. :)  I try and come very very close. However, with this, I have no stinkin’ idea what a Milano Cookie Cake tastes like and most likely never will. I just looked at the picture to replicate it. Whew! I feel so much better now. Oh, but I did add the extra cookie crumbles to the sides of my cake, because I really like cookies - and thought it needed it. Pepperidge Farms didn’t give you extra cookies on there’s, like I did. Just sayin’. ;)

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes (15.25 oz.) each yellow cake mix
  • 1 package (6 oz.) Milano milk chocolate cookies, coarsely chopped
  • 1 recipe for rich chocolate butter cream frosting – below

Recipe For Rich Chocolate Butter cream

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup salted butter, room temp.
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Directions

  1. Bake cakes per package directions in two 9x9x2 square cake pans.
  2. Meanwhile, let’s make Rich Chocolate Butter cream Frosting by melting 1 cup semisweet chips over medium high heat in a double boiler. Once chips have melted, remove top part of boiler from water and heat; set aside.
  3. In a standing mixer combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and  buttermilk. Beat until smooth. Turn mixer setting to slow, slowly pour in melted chocolate. Once you’ve added all the melted chocolate, beat it again until smooth. If needed, add a bit more buttermilk. Your frosting should be somewhat thick, but it should easily spread when frosting your cake.
  4. Remove cakes from oven, let cool completely.  Frost the entire bottom layer of cake, making sure to put a generous thick layer of frosting in the middle. Place the second layer on top and frost it with the remainder frosting.
  5. Coarsely chop approx. 5 Milano cookies and sprinkle them on top of the cake. Finely chop the remainder cookies and gently press them into the sides of the cake. Serve.
  6. Cover any leftovers and store at room temp.

 

 

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Strawberry Shortcake cookie recipe ~ WinCo has what you need

03/17/2013 10:09 am · 1 comment

by Ingard

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies, Money Saving Recipes, Otis Spunkmeyer Copycat Recipes

Ingard tried the  Strawberry Shortcake cookies recipe recently and they were a HUGE hit!

Strawberry Shortcake cookies from A Thrifty Mom.com

Some of you have asked where to find the flavored Craisins.

I was able to find them as well as  a few other ingredients at the Nampa, WinCo.

These are some prices for some of them. In case you are looking for them too.

  • Strawberry Craisins for $3.69/lb
  • Regular Craisins for $3.49/lb
  • Vanilla flavored chips for $2.37/lb
  • Mariana dried sweetened cranberries (6oz) ~ $1.78
    • use $0.50/1 Mariani Dried Fruit Snacks, exp. 3/31/13 (SS 01/20/13)
    • Final price $1.28

Flavored Craisins found on Amazon ~ while they don’t have the Strawberry flavored Amazon has Blueberry, Raspberry and Pomegrante!!!

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For the WinCo coupon match up go HERE

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Strawberry Shortcake Cookies ~ Otis Spunkmeyer Copycat Recipe

03/04/2013 12:00 pm · 10 comments

by mcktiffany

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies, Money Saving Recipes, Otis Spunkmeyer Copycat Recipes

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies by Tiffany

I’m a total sucker for sweet little babies coming to my door selling cookies. Mothers of Girl Scouts, yes, this means your children. ;) But in all reality it’s any and all kids that come a knockin’ selling ANY kind of cookie. Recently, I had a cutie selling frozen Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough for a school fundraiser. I bought a container. Helloooo! Who can turn down cookies, especially from a cutie?! Well, I’m sure there’s plenty of people who can, but me?! Um… that would be a HUGE NO! That’s probably why I have way too much junk in my trunk - if you get what I’m sayin’. ;)

Anywaaays… When I was looking through the cookie brochure, I came across a cookie that struck my fancy. I’m always on the prowl for different flavored goodies I can recreate at home and this was one of them. Strawberry Shortcake Cookies – packed full of white chips, sweet dried strawberry craisins and tart dried cranberries. A blast of flavor coming at you in these babies! Enjoy. And thank you Otis, for the inspiration.

Oh! And one more thing… (I know, sorry, I’m a jibber jabber this week.;)  These smell absolutely fabulous! I wish I could bottle the smell somehow, someway. I was thinking about placing one in each bedroom as a  freshener… no, not really. I’m just kidding. Sides, I most likely would forget that I put them in the rooms and find them a week later- all moldy. But yeah, they smelled that good!

Yields approx. 2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1/2 cup butter, salted, room temp.
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried strawberry flavored craisins
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a standing mixer, beat Crisco, butter and sugars until light and fluffy for approx. 10 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and baking soda; whisk.
  4. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed mixture.
  5. Next, stir in vanilla milk chips, dried strawberry craisins and dried cranberries.
  6. Shape cookie dough into approx 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove cookies from oven and let set on baking sheet for approx. 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container or freeze in gallon sized Ziplock bags for later use.

*Notes*

I found my strawberry craisins in the bulk section in the bins at our local Winco.

 

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Homemade Lemon Larabars ~ Healthy ~Vegan ~ Gluten Free Recipe

02/24/2013 2:00 pm · 3 comments

by mcktiffany

Homemade Lemon Larabars Recipe, Healthy Snack Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Gluten Free Recipe, Money Saving RecipeHomemade Lemon Larabars by Tiffany

My household must have Larabars on hand - ALWAYS! I got savvy real quick after spending too many dollar$ on these tasty babies. With seven of us, all with an addiction to Larabars, I felt my wallet getting lighter day by day. They’re very simple to make and that helps save on my family’s food budget. Plus they’re healthy for you. Win win!

I developed these after the hubs brought home a Lemon Larabar. You see, I have a slight addiction to anything lemon. When he saw that Lara made a lemon version, he knew I’d be alloverit! And I was. ;)

*SEE NOTES*

Ingredients

  • 4 cups pitted dates
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 1 small lemon – reserve juice and approx. 1 teaspoon of grated rind
  • 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract

 

Directions

  1. In a food processor, combine dates, almonds, cashews, juice of one lemon and grated rind; pulse until you get a sticky paste. You will need to stir in between pulsing to get the mixture evenly processed.
  2. Remove sticky date mixture from food processor and place into a medium sized bowl, add pure lemon extract. Spray hands or heavy duty spoon with a little non stick cooking spray. Use hands or heavy duty spoon to mix in lemon extract. Line a 2.2 qt. baking dish with plastic wrap. Press mixture evenly into dish.
  3.  Refrigerate over night. Cut into bars or see notes.
  4. Keep bars refrigerated. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap for an easy take and go snack or store bars in a covered Pyrex baking dish.

*NOTES*

  • The date mixture will be very sticky, this is normal.
  • I went a head and added pure lemon extract to give these bars the extra lemon flavor that was missing using only the rind and juice. For me, it was perfect. If you’re a lemon lover and not afraid that the extract will be overpowering (I promise, it’s not.) go a head and add it to the mixture when you add the lemon juice. However, if you only like lemony tasting snacks, I suggest tasting your mixture before adding the extract. If it’s not enough lemon love for you, add the lemon extract 1 teaspoon at a time and taste before adding the next.
  • Also, just want to let you know that it’s harder to add the lemon extract after it’s been processed in the food processor. The mixture is too thick & sticky. This is why I pulled the mixture out of the food processor and had to stir it in the bowl.
  • If you find that the bar is too sticky for your taste, chop finely, some extra almonds. Remove uncut bars from baking dish, peel off plastic wrap and sprinkle evenly with finely chopped almonds on both sides of the bar, pressing gently, before cutting into bars. Store bars in the refrigerator.

 

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Strawberry Apple Pecan Spinach Salad ~ Healthy Valentine’s Copycat Recipe

02/14/2013 9:00 am · 1 comment

by mcktiffany

Strawberry Apple Pecan Spinach Salad, Healthy Copycat Recipes, Salad Recipes Using Strawberries, Salad Recipes Using Fruit, Salad Recipes Using Apples, Healthy Salad Recipes, Goodwood's Strawberry Apple Pecan Spinach SaladStrawberry Apple Pecan Spinach Salad by Tiffany

Locals and those of you in Utah, have you ever eaten at Goodwood BBQ?! The hubs and I have a handful of times. We love it! Even though my hubs is a vegetarian, he finds great salads to eat there, like this recreation of one of my very favorite salads… Strawberry Apple Pecan Spinach Salad. Full of baby spinach, honey crisp apples, strawberries, candied walnuts, topped with blue cheese and a wonderfully sweet raspberry vinaigrette.

The strawberries added to this lovely salad, put me in the mood for valentines day, (It doesn’t take much.) Is it just me or don’t strawberries scream Valentines?! This would make a beautiful, festive little Valentine’s Day salad, don’t ya think?! Next time I make this salad, I’m going to try and make a chocolate raspberry dressing – then it might just be classified as a dessert salad. ;)  Cause you know, chocolate and strawberries are related aaaand dessert can be dinner too! ;)

Ingredients

  • baby spinach, desired amount
  • honey crisp apples, core removed, sliced, desired amount
  • strawberries, sliced, desired amount
  • candied walnuts, desired amount
  • blue cheese crumbles, desired amount
  • raspberry vinaigrette dressing (I used Annie’s Naturals)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, gently toss desired amount of spinach, apples, strawberries, candied walnuts and blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad, gently toss again. Serve.

Notes: Goodwood’s recipe uses candied pecans.

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