Sunday, December 5, 2010

Too much chocolate cake

This is the cake my sister made for both McKay and my now birthday. I recently made it for a dessert contest. It is really yummy and SUPER chocolaty. Now it is my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Enjoy!

The recipe is originally from Make it and love it

Cake Recipe
1      (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2      1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
3      1 cup sour cream
4      1 cup vegetable oil
5      4 eggs
6      1/2 cup water
7      1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into 2 well greased 8 inch pans
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 
Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least half an hour before putting on a cooling rack. 

While that is cooking make the buttercream recipe from Cooks.com 
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING 
6 tbsp. butter
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
2 to 3 tbsp. milk

1. Cream butter.2. Combine sugar and cocoa.
3. Add sugar and cocoa mixture to butter
4. Add milk to and butter mixture. I would start with 2 tbsp. of milk and if it's too thick add another tbsp. of milk.
 
After the cake is cooled, fill the middle layer with buttercream frosting. 
 Fourth, make ganache

Recipe
2 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small bowl on top of a double boiler, combine the corn syrup, chocolate and heavy cream. Let melt and combine while whisking often. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Let the ganache cool for a few minutes.

Fifth, pour the ganache over the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides. Take a spatula and spread the ganache over the parts not covered.

Pipe buttercream stars on the rim of the top.

Add Almonds. Take raw sliced almonds and place them over medium heat in a sautee pan. Keep them moving by wiggling the pan until they get lightly golden. Remove from heat and alow to cool. Sprinkle them on top of your cake.           

Friday, October 29, 2010

Apple crockpot treat??

Core four apples

blend sugar, cinnamon, and raisins (but I hate raisins. They are gross. I used cranberries. They are yumm)

spoon mixed mixture into in apples

I have no idea what to call it actually. Maybe Inside Apple Crisp?
Put four apples into the crockpot. Add some water. I added 2 cups and that was too much. Top with a dopple of butter. Cook on low for 6 hours or until tender. Unless you want it mushy. Then cook it longer.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

THE Cinnamon rolls I sent you a picture of

My ladies and their families,


as promised, here is the recipe for the cinnamon rolls that will make you rob a bank to keep your pantry full of supplies. Click here. Obviously the coffee is omitted. You can use orange jam/marmalade and orange juice to change it from cinnamon rolls to orange rolls.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"Ham" Hamburgers

Girls, you have got to make these! I saw this on a Rachael Ray Cook book and being the lover of burgers that I am made it. I have made them 3 times in a 4 week period and really love them. I mix it up a little with different spices just to try things out but by adding the ham.... well, it makes a big difference I think. Enjoy!

ps-I just use the George Forman to grill it on but I did use the pan and it turned out good too.


  • 1 pound lean ground pork
  • 3/4 pound deli-sliced honey-baked ham, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (a palmful)
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Four 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh pineapple
  • 4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
  • 1 cup pineapple or mango chutney
  • 8 red-leaf lettuce leaves
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
Side note
Serve with an oil-and-vinegar-dressed coleslaw.

DIRECTIONS:


  1. In a large bowl, combine the pork, ham, maple syrup, grill seasoning, hot sauce and mustard. Form into four patties.

  2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the pineapple slices and cook, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.

  3. Place 1 patty on each roll bottom and top with some chutney, lettuce, a pineapple slice, onion and a roll top.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Chicken Lettuce wraps

This is a really yummy reciepe that I found but adjusted a little bit. You can too its really just how you like to taste

1 cucumber, core out seeds, diced
2 chicken breats, cooked, cubed, seasoned w/ lemon pepper
1/2 c green onions, chopped (I didnt have green onions and so i put chives which was better I thought)
1/2 c. celery
1/2 c peanuts
1/2 c mayo ( and for all you health nuts out there i put probably half that and it still tasted really good)
1/2 c Yoshida sauce (its like a teriyaki sauce)
2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
romaine lettuce leaves
salt and pepper

I wanted this to be more filling so I put it over rice and it was SO good!

Enjoy

Cassidy Soup on the Spot

I have one that I actually just made up on the spot.. I was in the mood for soup, but i'm not a big fan of chicken noodle and since I get home from school late i don't have much time to actually put in a lot of time to make an extravagant meal, cuz i'm hungry then and want it right now, but i still wanted something real tasty and healthy.
 
1 can of chicken noodle soup
add water to the soup for more juice and for more servings (estimate of what you think is good)
1-2 potatoes cut in cubes
part of green pepper cut in slices
1 carrot
i added about teaspoon of evaporated milk, added chicken bouilon
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
salt and pepper to taste
I sprinkled in some mozerella cheese
 
It turned out really yummy...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna

This is THE lasagna. Oh I am salivating just thinking about it. You can go here to find the recipe.


I did make some changes to it though. And they are listed below:
I used chicken because we didn't have beef or sausage
I used fresh Parmesan rather than dried (again, only because I didn't have dried)
I used oven ready lasagna noodles rather than making them ahead of time. Where it says to cook the noodles, I didn't. I just layered them "hard" where it says to layer them. I cooked the noodles according to the oven ready directions.

TIP: Line your pan with foil if you have it just to make cleanup after a breeze.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Candy Cookie Pops

Pillsburry dough, candy mini's, and lollipop or Popsicle sticks
insert stink into candy. It won't feel a thing
roll out dough nice and flat, or not. It doesn't matter much actually
get enough dough to cover your yummy mini candy bar
and just wrap it around all nice and cozy like so. Your candy will thank you
create a ball and put in the oven (on a cookie sheet) to bake. 
results: deish! Serve at something where you will get a lot of compliments or if you are trying to impress the boss. It will work everytime
love, makana-anana

Fresh Fruit Cobbler


Arrange 3 c. cut up fresh fruit in pan. Sprinkle with a mixture of
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbsp flour
dot with 2 Tbsp butter 

Sift together into bowl:
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Add 1/2 c. shortening or salad oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp milk

Stir with fork until blended. Drop by spoonfuls over fruit. Bake 25 min at 350. 

Marcia

Crockpot Swiss Steak

The second is Swiss Steak I changed the recipe a little  (it seems so simple that it might not be very good but its delicious if put in a crock pot

2 lbs steak (doesn't have to be exact)
1 tsp salt 1/4 c. flour 1/8 tsp. pepper
Combine and pound in meat on both sides.

put in crock pot and add 2 c. tomatoes 
2 large onions (i never use that much) 
garlic salt

Marcia

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Enchiladas that rock

DSC_0111_5835

This is my last re-post. I made these for a dinner trade and my oh my sweet Caroline! They were yummy!

You can get the recipe here.
I used chicken instead since that is just what we had on hand. I followed the directions exactly and they were amazing. This is my fav enchilada recipe thus far. You could make two 8x8 pans of this. One to eat now and one to eat later.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Lemon Chicken Take out

Ok ladies. You are going to LoVe this recipe. Its from my friend Megan and she got it from Rachel Ray. I have made it a lot and seriously, you will never need take out again. I always double this recipe so we have leftovers for a while. It is a big crowd pleaser... or hubby pleaser if he likes lemon chicken




Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)
  • 1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar ....i used 2tsp plain vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
  • 8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd  (You can make your own here)
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions

Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt. Heat a large skillet or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat. Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium.
Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallions or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve with Special Rice, recipe follows.
Cook's Notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets.
Chicken broths and stocks are available in resealable paper containers, making storage of remaining product easy and on hand in the refrigerator; they are found in the soup aisle.
Lemon curd is a sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly aisle.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Hot Dog Cupcakes

Is it a cupcake? Is it a hot dog? What is that?
Well, it is the perfect dessert to your backyard BBQ. That is what it is. It has been kid-tested and mother approved. Well, sort of.
I saw these at the grocery store and thought "I can make that" and so with an invite to a BBQ and being asked to bring dessert, I just knew that this would be the debut of the hot dog cupcakes. They are really simple.

Bake and frost cupcakes
Cut up red licorice and get vanilla cookies
cut the top circle part of the cookies. NOT IN HALF. Just the top part
get the cookies to stick... frosting and shoving are welcome. 
add your licorice like this....
and some yellow fondant writer for mustard and you are done!