CREAMY CHICKEN PASTA from Sugar Spun Run

This comes from Sugar Spun Run. I made half and got two big servings and used one small boneless skinless chicken breast and it was plenty. I added thawed spinach just for color though the recipe didn't call for it. I didn't add spices to the raw chicken nor did I fry it. I baked it plain and shredded it up after it cooled. I added the spices to the sauce instead but couldn't taste them much so added more. I added a little flour to the sauce to thicken it more. I don't think the smoked paprika and Italian seasonings go together at all, or maybe it was the smoked paprika and Parmesan cheese that didn't go together. I like that the sauce is a blend of heavy cream and chicken broth.

I give this 4 stars and would leave out the smoked paprika.

RASPBERRY LEMON LOAF CAKE from Julia's Cuisine

This dry cake comes from Julia's Cuisine. I made half the recipe in an 8"x2" round pan. I weighed the flour, didn't overmix or overbake it and it's dry. It baked in 23 minutes and when tested twice had moist crumbs on the toothpick. I used sour cream in place of Greek yogurt. Julia told someone in the comments you can do that and I've read you can evenly swap one for the other in baking, so I did. I added poppy seeds too. Half this cake got thrown in the trash. I said in my review on her site that it's dry and she intimated my cake pan size may have something to do with it, but it certainly doesn't. SMH.

This gets 1 star from me.

CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP from Sugar Spun Run

This recipe comes from Sugar Spun Run. This soup tastes good but I'm giving it 3 stars because it calls for entirely too much rice and chicken. I used the same brand as shown in the photo on the website and it took 45 minutes. I let it sit for 20 minutes afterwards and it got so thick I had to add water to it which heavily diluted the flavor. I think this only needed half that amount, so 1/2 c. of rice. I had to add more smoked paprika too because I couldn't taste it at all after it sat for those 20 minutes. And the amount of chicken called for was too much and I ended up wasting most of a chicken breast. Adding cream to this was 100% pointless. All it did was turn my soup a pale chocolate milk color and it was so gross looking that I didn't want to eat it. I will make this again using less rice and chicken and no cream.

WHITE (CHERRY ALMOND) CAKE from Just Plain Cooking

This dry as can be cake came from Just Plain Cooking. I made half, dividing the batter between two 6"x2" round pans, made a layer cake out it that was 3.5" tall. They baked in 26 minutes (there was still wet batter on the toothpick after 24 minutes) and are extremely dry. I added 1/4 c. pureed maraschino cherries, 1/4 c. ground toasted almonds, 1/4 t. almond extract and I used less vanilla than called for. The cake is made with equal parts butter and shortening and egg whites only, not whole eggs. I made my own yellow tinted frosting for it.

I give this 1 star. It's dry and is a big disappointment.