This week’s Foodie Friday guest is Chris H. Olsen a nationally known home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality, public speaker and friend of ARWB. In his book, Chris shares his landscape and gardening knowledge along with his unique flair for home decor and design. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

 Chris H. Olsen

So I absolutely LOVE desserts!! They are my favorite part of any meal!  If I could just have a meal of delectable desserts…then I would just be in HEAVEN!  But, I would have to live in a gym too…because we all know that you can’t live off of desserts!  So, I decided to share with you one of my FAVORITE desserts.  I actually served this to a few of the tours that came thru my home during the holiday season, as well as my family for our holiday dinner dessert instead of the traditional ones!  The truth is that to make a Tres Leche Cake it can take so many steps and lots and lots of time, if anyone knows me, then you KNOW I want things done in as few steps as possible!  There are so many other things to be doing,  especially when you are getting ready for guests to arrive!  So…here is an AWESOME recipe that I found and made my own!  I hope you enjoy it and send me pics so I can see how much your family loves it!  Live life to the fullest my friends!

 Easy Tres Leches Cake

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Serves: 15-18

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box white cake mix (only use the ingredients that are listed here to prepare the cake!)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups water

Three milk soaking liquid

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Suggested Topping

• whipped cream (I like to make my own whipped cream, but you can use cool whip or another prepared whipped cream)
• sliced fresh strawberries (if you want them to be even sweeter, slice them and then put a little sugar on them, just a tablespoon, and let them soak in their natural juices while you prepare the cake)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Grease (if you are using a spray, then use one that doesn’t have flour in it)  9×12 baking pan
3. Beat all 4 eggs in a large bowl
4. Add water and cake mix and beat on medium for 3 minutes.
5. Pour batter into greased pan
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake has lost its jiggly (isn’t that such a fun word?) center and springs back when touched
7. Let the cake cool to room temperature (don’t cover it or it may form a film on top)
8. Mix the 3 milks together in a bowl that is easy to pour from
9. Poke cake full of holes. (A chopstick works great for this. Don’t skimp on the holes; that’s what allows the cake to absorb the milks)
10. Pour the milk mixture over the cake slowly, until it absorbs the liquid.
11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
12. Serve as desired. If you’re serving company, you might cover the cake with whipped cream and fruit; you might just drizzle heavy cream over each serving; you might puree a carton of frozen strawberries and use that as a base to serve slices on.

 

A force to be reckoned with Chris is not only an award winning landscape architect , he is known for his risk taking designs that incorporate the unexpected and unusual as he has created some of the most recognized designs and locations in the state of Arkansas. 

Chris H. Olsen has nearly 30 years of experience in landscape and interior design, attended Oxford University, and has his BA from the University of San Diego.  He’s the author of Five Seasons:  Unique and Stylish Ideas for Your Home and Garden as well as numerous blogs on landscape design and seasonal projects.  His television segments, Today’s Home:  Living the Good Life with Chris H. Olsen is currently televised in more than 33 states.  Chris presently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he maintains a garden boutique and nursery, Botanica Gardens, and is spokesman for the Little Rock Visitors Bureau.  He is an active participant in numerous charities, and a contributor to numerous lifestyle publications.  His design ideas, for both indoor and outdoor, are infused with wit, personality, and enthusiasm. Chris encourages all that he encounters to not only think outside the box but to Live Life to the fullest every day! 

 

You can following along with Chris on:  Chris H. Olsen, Botanica Gardens, Facebook, Twitter, and  his new endeavor Plantopia opening April 6