Darn good chocolate cake

I got this recipe from my sister, Steph, a while ago but since then I have seen it on various blogs as well. I'm sure it has made it into most people's recipe box's, but just in case any of you don't have the recipe, here you go. I normally steer clear of cake mixes. Not that I am too good for simplicity - I just think they're weak. But, there are two recipes that I have that use them, and doctor them up terrifically... this is one. It's super easy, and SUPER yummy.


Darn good chocolate cake:

1 box dark chocolate cake mix
1 pkg 4 oz instant chocolate pudding
4 large eggs
1 c sour cream
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 semi sweet choc. chips

Mix everything together very well, add choc chips. Cook in greased and floured bundt pan (12 cup?... whatever the bigger one is). Bake at 350 for 45-50 min, or until toothpick comes out clean... just don't overbake. Cool about 30 min before removing. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or use a chocolate glaze. Here is what I use:

Chocolate glaze:
On stove, melt 1 pkg chocolate chips, one can sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbl butter together. Remove from heat, then add 1 tsp vanilla. You may want to add a couple tablespoons of milk as well, if it is thicker than you want. Drizzle over cooled cake. Also, I usually only use half of the amount that this makes and just save the rest for something later.

** A couple of side notes:
A yummy variation of this is to use butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips instead of the chocolate. I know that sounds weird (or yucky), but my sister did this when she didn't have chocolate pudding one time, and it was quite yummy.

Another variation I've tried is to substitute 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree for the oil and 3 of the eggs. Again, it sounds odd. I saw this on the Today show and decided to give it a try. The lady said to replace the oil and eggs in a cake mix recipe for the pumpkin. Cake mix recipes call for 3 eggs and this one uses 4, so I did still added one egg (impressive math skills, right?). Now, I'm not going to say that it tasted exactly the same, or that it was as good as the normal recipe (because I hate when people claim you can't tell the difference). But, I was pleasantly surprised. However, I did notice that it took just a bit longer to cook. I took mine out just a bit too early, and it was a little doughy.

Pumpkin carrot bread/muffins

I like veggie/fruit breads. I like them a lot. I make them a lot. For some reason, my mind has justified these as being 'healthy', as opposed to cakes or cookies or other baked goods. But, that's probably not quite the case, since I end up eating a good half loaf of bread or half dozen muffins vs. a couple of cookies. Anyways, since I eat them a lot, I like to come up with new combos, or new ways of cutting out some lard, while keeping in some moisture, or adding more hidden veggies in them so that I can use the word 'healthy' with less guilt. So, here is a recipe that I came up with that is moist and 'healthy'. I guess it's very similar to the pumpkin zucchini bread I posted, but it's more on the pumpkiny side and even more moist.


Mix:
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 c milk

1/2 c oil
1 3/4 c sugar

Add:
2 c shredded carrot

Add:
3 c flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

You can also add 1 cup of choc. chips for some extra yumminess. For bread (makes 2 loaves): grease loaf pans and bake at 325 for 50-65 min, or until toothpick comes out clean, cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pans. For muffins (makes about 24): grease muffin tins, fill almost to top and bake at 350 for 18-22 min, or until set, cool for a few minutes before removing. For mini muffins (makes about 48): grease tins, fill almost to top and bake at 350 for 12-16 min, or until set.

Cheeseburger Soup

Sorry, no pic at the moment. But, this is a super duper yummy soup. I got this recipe from my sister, Steph, and it won me the 'Best Soup' award at a ward party a few years back. If that isn't a testament of a great soup, then I don't know what is :) It does take a bit more time, than a throw-everything-in-a-pot soup, and dirties a few more dishes, but I (and my family) would say it's worth it. Here is the recipe along with way too many side notes. If you have a large family, or like leftovers, then I would definitely double the recipe.

Cheeseburger Soup:

1/2 pound burger (more if you like a lot of meat)
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. grated carrots
3/4 c. chopped celery (I always add a bit more carrot and celery)
4 c. diced (smaller is better) potatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 Tbl. butter
1/4 c. flour (I like it a tad thicker, so I use more like 1/3 c)
3 c. chicken broth
8 oz velveeta, cubed (I add an extra ounce or two for more cheesiness)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream (optional - it's good either way)

Brown burger and set aside. In large skillet, saute veggies and spices in 1/2 of the butter until potatoes are soft (I cover it with a lid until almost done to prevent the veggies from burning before they are cooked). In a large pot, melt the rest of the butter and add flour to form a paste, then add 1/2 of the broth and boil until thick. Add veggies, the rest of the broth and other ingredients (I also add chicken boullion to taste - at least a few teaspoons, maybe more?). Simmer 15-20 minutes. This is a really good soup to serve in a bread bowl.

Southwestern Pasta Salad

 

I made this on Wednesday for playgroup, and everybody seemed to like it. I love it. This recipe makes a big salad.

1 (24 oz.) bag Rotini pasta – cooked, drained and cooled

2 cans of black olives - sliced

1 can white kidney beans - rinsed

1 can black beans - rinsed

1 red pepper – diced

6 small tomatoes – seeded and diced

1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen corn (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 – 2 C of shredded Colby Jack cheese

2 jars of Lighthouse Salsa Ranch Dressing

1 C sour Cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Add sour cream and dressing – mix well. Top with additional cheese. Chill.

The original recipe called for garbanzo beans. This is a great recipe for using what you have on hand – the possibilities are endless with this salad. For dinner last night, I threw in some chicken – yum!

No Knead Bread

I've seen no-knead bread on a lot of blogs. I've tried two different recipes. They are slightly different, but have the same idea. Here are the links to both with a summary of the differences.

Sister's Cafe 5 Minute No-Knead Bread (this is the one I brought to playgroup)

• Makes 4 small loaves
• Uses lots of yeast--takes about 4 hours start to finish
• Bake on a stone with a pan of water for the crust.
• More mild flavor
• I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and the rest white on the playgroup loaf.
  

NY Times/ Sullivan Street Bakery Bread (this is the one that seems to be the favorite in the blog world)

• Makes 1 large loaf
• Uses minimal yeast and takes 1-2 days to rise
• Bakes in a dutch oven to generate steam and the crusty exterior.
  
• Longer rise time gives the flavor more time to develop.

I haven't decided which I prefer. I do like that I don't have to plan so far in advance for the Sisters' Cafe version, but I kind of like the flavor of the other. You can be your own judge I suppose.

Italian Kabobs

Every New Year's Eve I let the kids choose some fun party/appetizer foods for dinner. The kids choose these Italian kabobs every year. The kids love them because all of the ingredients are very kid friendly and they are a lot of fun to put together. The kids love to assemble these while sneaking olives and tortellinis here and there. Sometimes if I have leftover tortellinis from dinner the night before I will make these for the kids to take in their lunch. It makes for a nice change from the regular sandwich. The picture is pretty self explanatory but here are the directions.

1 small pkg. tortellini
1 can black olives
4 pkgs. of string cheese
pepperoni

The only thing there really is to explain is the tortellini can be prepared two different ways.

Option #1- After you boil the pasta you can either add and little butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. My kids preferred way to eat them.

Option #2- Cool the pasta, combine with Italian salad dressing. Let marinate while you get the other ingredients ready. The Italian salad dressing adds a lot of great flavor. This is my preferred way to eat them.

Brie and Cherry Pastry Cups

 

I made these for company on Christmas Eve. They were a hit, but It was just my mom and my sister, so they probably wouldn’t tell me if they tasted awful. My mom did take the recipe and all of my leftover ingredients to make them for her company, so I think she liked them.

I thought they were quite tasty, and took minimal effort – perfect for busy holiday times. This recipe is from my friend Betty at this site.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3-ounce package), thawed

1/3 to 1/2 cup red cherry preserves (see substitution note)

4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch pieces (36 pieces)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (I didn’t add these)

 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375°. Spray 36 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. Cut pastry into 36 (1 1/2-inch) squares. Slightly press each square into muffin cup; press center with finger.

Bake 10 minutes. They will be all puffed up, so press the center with handle of a wooden spoon (I used the handle of my whisk – it was the perfect shape). Bake 6 to 8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Immediately press again in center. Fill each with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Top with cheese piece, pecans and chives.

Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Substitution

If you like spicy foods, try substituting red or green jalapeño jelly for the cherry preserves. It's a delicious touch of sweet and spice!

(I used green jalapeño jelly – not too spicy, just a little bit of heat like an after burn. We liked these more than the cherry ones.)

Also, since there was extra jalapeño jelly I poured some on top of a brick of cream cheese and we spread this on crackers – good stuff!

Do-Ahead

Go ahead and assemble the cups and bake up to 4 hours in advance, omitting the final bake time for melting the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Right before serving, heat at 375° just until warm and cheese is melted.