Chocolate Cake W/ Fudge Frosting

After that terrible Packer loss i was sure glad I had some of this cake and frosting left over to mourn with ;) This recipe is VERY CHOCOLATY you need to like chocolate in order to enjoy this. It is very rich, but yet very good!



Chocolate Cake 2 1/4 C Flour
1 2/3 C Sugar

3/4 C Butter (softened)
2/3C Baking Cocoa
1 1/4 C Water
1 1/4tsp Baking Soda
1tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla
1/4tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs

1. Heat oven to 350' 9x13 pan

2. In large bowl beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 40-45 minutes.

While preparing the frosting as all good cooks do (right?) I burnt my hand! I did not boil it for the full 3 minutes so my "frosting" turned more into a glaze.

Fudge Frosting
2C Sugar
1C Baking Cocoa
1C Milk
1/2 C Butter
1/4 C Light Corn Syrup
1/4tsp Salt
21/2-3C Powdered Sugar
2tsp Vanilla

1. In Saucepan, mix granulated sugar and cocoa. Stir in Milk, butter, corn syrup and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil 3 minutes. Cool 45 minutes.

2. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla with spoon until smooth. Frost onto Chocolate Cake.

Happy Baking~ GoPack~!

Caramel Rolls

This is another First for me!! I have never made Caramel Rolls, These are phenomenal. Loved every bite i took of these. I made 1 batch for my family for breakfast and there was only 1 left on the kitchen table by the time breakfast was over. I will be making these again no doubt!

Rolls
3 1/2 to 4 C Flour
1/3C Sugar

1tsp Salt
2 pkg yeast (41/2 tsp)
1C Very Warm Milk
1/4 C Butter (softened)
1LG Egg

Caramel Topping
1C Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C Butter (softened)
1/4C Corn Syrup
1C Pecans (optional)

Filling
1/2 C Pecans or Raisins (optional)
1/4C White or Brown Sugar
1tsp Cinnamon
2T Butter (softened)

1. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/3 C granulated sugar, the salt and yeast. Add warm milk 1/4 C butter and egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

2. Place dough on lightly floured surface. knead about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Place dough in bowl, let rise in warm place about 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

3. In 2qt saucepan, heat brown sugar and 1/2 C Butter to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in corn syrup. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with pecan pieces.

4. In small bowl mix all filling ingredients except 2 T Butter. Set aside.

5. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Flatten dough with hand or rolling pin into a 15x10 rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread 2 Tablespoons of softened butter onto the rolled out dough, sprinkle with the filling. roll the rectangle up tightly. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Cut roll into 1 inch slices. Place in 9x13 pan allow to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

6. Heat oven to 350' Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 2-3 minutes. Place heatproof tray onto pan immediately turn tray and pan over. Let pan remain 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over rolls, remove pan. Serve Warm.

Delicious!!  Happy Baking!

Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie..... Delicious, Do I need to remind you that I am now a fan of pie? We enjoyed this last Sunday night while watching some football at my brothers house. This is a fantastic pie that will impress your friends not only because it is made from scratch but also because it has a delightful taste!

Butter Crunch Crust

1C. Flour

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

Mix together with a pastry blender until crumbly, sprinkle into a 9x13 pan. Cook in 400' for 15 min or until golden brown. Press into a 9' pie pan.

Coconut Cream Pie
4 Lg Egg Yolks
2/3 C Sugar
1/4 C Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Salt
3 C Milk
2 T Butter (softened)
2tsp Vanilla
3/4 C Coconut

1. In Medium bowl beat egg yolks with fork; set aside. In 2 qt saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.

2. Immediately stir in at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks, then stir back into the sauce pan. Boil and stir 1 minute' remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and coconut; cool filling slightly. Pour warm filling into pie crust.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top with Sweetened Whipped Cream.

Sweetened Whipped Cream
1 C. Whipping (heavy) Cream

2. T Granulated or Powdered Sugar (I used powdered)

1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer until light peaks form.


Happy Cooking!

Chicken Stroganoff Pot Pie

Looking for a new crock pot recipe? So was I! This recipe was pretty tasty just add some salt and pepper and its a satifying meal that can cook all day and you can put little effort into.

Happy Cooking!!

Chicken Stroganoff Pot Pie 1 Envelope Chicken Gravy Mix
1 Can (10.5 oz) Chicken Broth- Condensed
1lb Boneless chicken breast
1 bag (16oz) Frozen stew vegetables (thawed, drained)
1 jar Sliced Mushrooms (Drained)- I did not add
1/2 C Sour Cream
1T Flour
1 1/2 C Bisquick
4 Medium green onions, chopped (1/4C)
1/2 C Milk
1 C Frozen peas

1. In slow cooker stir gravy mix and broth until smooth. Stir in chicken, stew veggies and mushrooms.

2. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours

3. In small bowl, stir in sour cream and flour until well mixed. Increase heat to High. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

4. In medium bowl mix Bisquick and onion. Stir in Milk just until moistened. Stir in peas. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto chicken-vegetable mixture.

5. Cover and cook on high setting 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of topping comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Beef Stew

   Some of my favorite things about fall: Cool weather, fall fashion, and warm food! I called my mom and told her I would go over to her house (leave the mess there) and make supper for my family! Boy what a chore! It is harder cooking for 8 people as opposed to 2. But I was the one with the idea so I got out my "Betty Crocker Cookbook" and found a recipe for Beef Stew. Yummy.. Perfect for a bigger crowd and perfect for a cold Fall evening. I prepared it as it was written in the cookbook by placing it in the oven for 3 1/2 hours. But possibly because I did a double batch the vegetables would not soften. So because of the lack of time we placed it in a Nesco roaster on high for about another hour and then the veggies were tender and ready to serve. I topped it with some fluffy dumplings and.. PERFECTO! It was delicious and worth the wait (or so I thought so) Happy Cooking~~!

Beef Stew

1lb Beef Stew meat cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Medium Onion
1 Bag Baby Carrots
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (Undrained)

1 Can condensed Beef broth (I used beef bullion)
1 Can (8oz) Tomato Sauce
1/3C. Flour
1T Worcestershire sauce
1tsp Salt
1tsp Sugar
1tsp Dried Marjoram leaves
1/4tsp Pepper
12 Small Red Potatoes (Cut Into Fourths)
2 C Sliced Mushrooms

1. Heat Oven to 325'

2. In oven-proof 4-qt Dutch oven mix all ingredients except potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and bake 2 hours, stirring once.

3. Stir in potatoes and mushrooms. Cover  and bake 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.

Slow Cooker Directions
Chop Onion(1/2 Cup) Omit tomato sauce. Increase flour to 1/2 Cup. In slow cooker mix all ingredients except beef. Add beef Do not Stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Dumplings
1 1/2 C Flour
1T Parsley Flakes
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2rsp Salt
3T Shortening
3/4 C Milk

1. In Medium Bowl, mix flour, parsley, baking powder and salt,. Cut in Shortening using pastry blender. Until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in Milk.

2. Drop dough by 10 spoonfuls onto hot meat or vegetable in boiling stew (do not drop directly onto liquid or dumplings may becaome soggy) Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 more minutes.

Sloppy Joes

A quick and easy meal that (surprisingly) to this day I have never tried preparing for a meal, Sloppy Joes. As you should know by now quick meals are the best meals in my mind, anything that doesn't consist of me slaving over the stove all night is a great meal to me! It is a good party food and so quick & easy even making it from scratch. I had it on the table ready to serve in about 25-30 minutes. When I'm in a crunch for time this meal will make it onto my menu!

Sloppy Joes
1lb Hamburger
1 Medium Onion
1/4 C. Chopped Celery
1 C. Ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Ground Mustard
1/8 tsp. Pepper

In Skillet cook beef, onion, and celery; brown hamburger (8-10 min)

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10-15 minute, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender.

Fill buns with beef mixture.

Happy Cooking!!

Hot Chocolate

My favorite thing to do on a cold night is to snuggle up in some blankets, put in a feel good movie, and sip on some hot cocoa. That's exactly what I did tonight! Take some time out of your busy schedule this week and do the same for yourself!! I will include below a recipe for two cups of hot cocoa topped with cool whip! Enjoy!!

Hot Chocolate
2T + 2tsp- Cocoa powder
2T + 2tsp- Sugar
3/4 C. Water
Dash of Salt
Mix together, bring to a boil, simmer for 4 minutes, stir in Milk.
2 1/4 C. Milk
Heat until warm


Sweetened Whipped Cream (for 2)
1/2 C. Whipping Cream (heavy)

1 T. Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla
Beat in electric mixer until stiff.

Meringue Shell

I had some extra egg whites in my fridge after using a recipe that called for only yolks (don't you hate that?) so I "whipped" up some Meringue Shells (single serving) They suggest that you serve ice cream over the shell and drizzle with chocolate syrup. In my opinion it was very sweet, almost too sweet. Something you would have to be in the mood for. But It DOES melt in your mouth.. i enjoyed that!

Meringue Shell

3 Large Egg Whites

1/4tsp Cream of Tarter

3/4 C. Sugar

Heat oven to 275'F Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In bowl beat egg whites and cream of tarter in electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 Tbs at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form and mixture is gloss. Do not under beat. On cookie sheet drop 1/3 cup fulls of meringue shape into circles, building up sides.

Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave meringue in oven with door closed for 1 hour. Finish cooling at room temperature.

Happy Cooking!!

Spaghetti Pie W/ Garlic Bread

Another cold night ahead and I am in the mood for some good ol' home cooked Italian Food! I make Italian food quit often but I am not the kind of cook who will add oregano and other spices, cheeses and vegetables like those great chefs do. So I was excited about my meal tonight! Spaghetti Pie? Sounds interesting.. It includes green pepper, chili powder, and mozzarella cheese. Three things I would have never thought of adding to my "typical bland spaghetti". What goes better with some hearty pasta than some warm Garlic Bread? The only Garlic Bread I have ever baked has been the kind you find in aisle 8 at the supermarket in the frozen food section. This could be a real treat!

That it was. I was more than impressed with the taste of the pie, So many flavors and so filling! The garlic bread warmed me from the inside out. It was a fabulous dinner that I will be making again!
Spaghetti Pie
4 oz Uncooked Spaghetti 1/2 lb. Ground beef
1 Small Green Pepper
1 Small Onion
1 Jar (14oz) Tomato paste sauce (I used Spaghetti sauce)
1tsp Chili Powder
1/2tsp Salt
1/4tsp Pepper
2 Lg Eggs
1 C. Cottage Cheese
1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese

(If you hold uncooked spaghetti together in a bundle 4oz is about as big around as the size of a Quarter)

1. Heat oven to 375' Spray 10 inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.

2.Meanwhile in 10-inch skillet, cook beef, bell pepper and onion over medium heat 8-10 min, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5-6 min, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened.

3. Place spaghetti in pie plate; gently press on bottom on bottom and 1 inch up the sides.

4. In a bowl stir eggs and cottage cheese until well mixed; spread evenly over spaghetti. Spoon beef mixture over cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Mozzarella Cheese.

5. Bake 35-45 min or until center is set. Let stand 5 min before cutting.

Garlic Bread

1 clove garlic, Finely chopped, or 1/4tsp Garlic Powder (I used Garlic Powder)

1/3 C. Butter (soft)

1 loaf French Bread, cut into 1 inch slices

1. Heat oven to 400'F

2. In bowl, stir garlic and butter until well mixed.

3. Spread butter mixture over one side of each bread slice. Reassemble loaf; wrap securely in foil.

4. Bake 15- 20 min or until hot.

Banana Cream Pie

There is something new I learned tonight.
1. I am now a pie lover.
2. My husband is a big Banana Cream Pie Fan!
I have some left over crust from the previous night, also a couple of bananas that needed to be used... so I thought I would try my hand at another pie! It was fantastic, such a great snack. We enjoyed it with some hot chocolate on this cold September night. I will be making this again soon to share with some family and friends!

Butter Crunch Crust

1C. Flour

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

Mix together with a pastry blender until crumbly, sprinkle into a 9x13 pan. Cook in 400' for 15 min or until golden brown. Press into a 9' pie pan.

Banana Cream Pie

4 Large Egg Yolks

2/3 C. Sugar

1/4 C. Cornstarch

1/2tsp Salt

3 C. Milk

2 T. Butter (Soft)

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Large Bananas

In bowl beat egg yolks with fork, set aside. In saucepan mix sugar, cornstarch & salt. Gradually stir in Milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil & stir 1 min.

Immediately stir in at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil & Stir 1 min ; remove from heat. Stir in butter & vanilla; cool filling slightly. Slice bananas into pie crust; pour warm filling over bananas. Refrigerate 2hrs until set.

Happy Cooking!!

Lemon Meringue Pie

I am not much of a pie eater and i don't bake them often. But, in the even that my Mom & Grandma are stopping by for a visit, pie & coffee are a must! So I got out my "Betty Crocker Cookbook" and found a recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. That sounded delish so I started the process.

First making a crust (That is not in the Betty Crocker Cookbook) Then boiling up the "lemon goodness" Pouring that into the crust & topping it with an "ever so fluffy meringue" It was fantastic, and I'm typically not a huge fan of pie so this is a big deal. And my company was equally impressed. This will make it into my "Need to make again" file. Served with a cup of coffee and good conversation makes for an enjoyable evening.. I even got the approval of my husband when he snuck and got a 2nd slice!!

Butter Crunch Crust (Not Betty Crocker)

1 C. Flour

1/2 C Butter (soft)

1/4 C Brown sugar

Mix together with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Spread crumbs into a 9x13 pan and bake at 400' for 15 min or until golden brown. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

Lemon Meringue Pie Filling

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2C. Sugar

1/3 C+1T Cornstarch

1 1/2 C. Water

3 T Butter

1/2 C. Lemon Juice

Heat oven to 300'

Beat egg yolks with fork; set aside. In 2-Qt saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil & stir 1 min.

Immediately stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 2 minutes until very thick; remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon juice.

Pour hot lemon filling into pie crust. Spoon meringue onto hot lemon filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to the edge of the crust to seal.

Meringue

1/2 C. Sugar

4tsp Cornstarch

1/2 C. Cold Water

4 Large Egg Whites

1/8 tsp Salt

In sauce pan mix sugar and cornstarch stir in water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil & stir 1 min; remove from heat. Cool completely while making pie filling.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Very gradually beat in sugar mixture until stiff peaks form.

Spread over hot pie filling. Bake 15 min or until meringue in light brown. Cool.

Happy Cooking!

Squash

I went to my Mom's the other day & as great moms do, she sent me home with some fresh goods from her garden. Yum! Squash... Doesn't that just tell you that Fall is Here? So I found 2 variations in my "Betty Crocker Cookbook".   

Caribbean Crunch Squash
I was really excited about the Caribbean Squash, it included coconut on the top(which I love!).  But I will be honest with you.. It was not the best. Not terrible, but I will most likely not make it again.
The Caribbean Crunch Squash-- I will give 1 Star.

1 buttercup squash
2T Butter
2T Peach preserves
2T Graham Cracker Crumbs
2T Coconut
1/4tsp ginger
1/8tsp allspice
1/8 tsp pepper.

Put combines mixture into the squash (as shown below) Bake @ 350'F for 45-60 min or until tender.

Glazed Squash.
The Glazed Squash was very simple. Glazed Squash-- I will give 3 Stars.
Just adding 1Tbs. of Whipping (Heavy) Cream
1Tbs. of Maple Syrup to the center (shown below) before you bake it (baking instructions are same as above).

Happy Cooking!!

Peach Cobbler- Fresh vs. Frozen

Frozen VS. Fresh

What sounds better for a treat on a cold night than Peach Cobbler? I personally have never tried Peach Cobbler before. I love peaches but I always thought making cobbler would be hard... Not True!! I got out my "Betty Crocker Cookbook" and found 2 variations of Peach Cobbler. 1. Fresh Peaches. 2. Frozen Peaches. It always seems like taking the frozen fruit route in the easiest, but is it the tastiest? So I put it to the test 1 Fresh peach cobbler vs 1 Frozen peach cobbler.

What were the results? I cooked for a small group at Grandma's for a Packer Party so I have some judges. The results were.....*drum roll* The Same! You couldn't really tell the difference if you didn't know there was a difference. In my opinion the cobbler with the Fresh peaches had a little more "beef" to it. The Peach chunks were a little bigger/juicier/tastier. But outside of "Peach Season" I would definitely be fine using Frozen peaches. Plus it is more convenient & quicker (Which I am always a fan of!)

To "top it off" I made homemade Whipped Cream. Now that is a delightful treat! And it is FAST to make. Awesome!! I will include the recipe below for your enjoyment!!

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 C. Whipping (heavy) Cream

2. T Granulated or Powdered Sugar (I used powdered)

1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer until light peaks form.
Fresh Peach Cobbler

1/2 C Sugar
1T Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Cinnimon
4 C. Peaches
1tsp Lemon Juice
1 C Flour
1T Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3 T Firm butter
1/2 C Milk

1. Heat oven to 400'

2. In 2-quart sauce pan min 1/2 cup of sugar the cornstarch and cinnamon. Stir in the peaches and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat 4-5 min. Stir constantly until mixture in thick and boiling. Boil and stir 1 min. Pour into ungreased 2 qt casserole dish, keep peach mixture hot in oven.

3. In bowl mix flour 1 T sugar the baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop in spoon fulls (oprox 6 spoonfuls) onto hot peach mixture.

4. Bake 25-30 min until topping is golden brown.

Happy Cooking!

Getting Started

Just to let you know, I never thought I would be a "blogger". However I have been thinking a lot lately about a challenge I have wanted to do. Ever since I watched the movie Julie & Julia I have wanted to cook through an entire cookbook.I have always been a big fan of the "Betty Crocker Cookbooks" So I thought, What a fantastic idea! I can go with the concept of Julie & Julie but is will be more like Betty & Kayla! However, seeing I am working full time I am unable to put a time limit on how long it will take me (Where in the movie she finished the whole book in a year)! So I thought i could test out what it feels like to be a part time blogger while sharing with you how the Betty Crocker recepies work out for me, and which ones i will never make again! I did take a peek into the book and I seen at some point I will have to make mussels & lobster so this may just be a challenge that you dont want to miss out on! Happy Cooking, Wish me luck!