Simply Delicious White Cupcakes

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

3. For 9 x 9 pan, bake for 30 to 40 minutes. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

My Notes:

This recipe turned out beautifully! The only thing I did differently: I used 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. almond extract and then I noticed it actually called for 2 tsp, but it still turned out tasty. (I must say I love the flavor that almond extract adds to a recipe!) I also added a little bit more milk, to make sure the cupcakes turned out moist, which they did. My daughter Chloe wanted them to be pink, so we put a few drops of red food coloring in the batter at the very end. :) And then we used a can of "fluffy white" frosting, turned pink, to top them. I will definitely be using this recipe in the future!

Cheesy Chicken / Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 (12 1/2 oz.) can chunk light tuna in water
OR 2 (5 oz) cans of white chicken

1 pkg. frozen vegetables

1 (12 oz.) pkg. wide egg noodles

Season to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup
OR 1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 c. milk

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1 1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c. grated Mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook and drain vegetables.

Heat soup, milk, and sour cream. Blend until smooth.

Cook and drain noodles.

Mix all ingredients together with tuna (or chicken) and 3/4 cups each of Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.

Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

My Notes:

The first two times I made this recipe, I used tuna (and told my kids it was chicken & they ate it). I've actually never used frozen vegetables and one time I just put a can of corn in it, which was good. The last time I made it (see picture above) I used one large can of chicken and cream of chicken soup and it was very good. I usually just put some salt & pepper in it to flavor it. This recipe is very easy to cut in half if you don't need to make a 9 x 13 dish. Last time I made it I put it in two 8 x 8 dishes and my family ate one & I was able to give the other dish away to someone for a meal. :)

Apple Custard Pie

My sister made this awesome pie for our step-dad for his birthday - I only had one bite since it was his b-day present :) but that one bite I had was oh-so-delicoius! Enjoy this recipe while it's apple season and you can visit your local orchard and get some good apples and at a good price!

Apple Custard Pie

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter/margarine, melted
1/2 cup corn syrup (dark or light)
1 tsp vanilla
2 large apples, peeled/thinly sliced
1 pie crust (unbaked), 9 inch
2 tbsp walnuts (optional)

In medium bowl, combine sugar and corn starch. Whisk in eggs.

Stir in margarine, corn syrup and vanilla.

Fold in half of the apples. Pour into pie crust.

Place remaining apples in overlapping circle on top of pie. Sprinkle with walnuts (optional).

Bake in 375 degree oven 50 minutes or until center of pie is set. Cool on wire rack.

My sister's notes:
It was more like an hour for the pie to "set." It still looked a little watery/buttery on top when I took it out. But thankfully, it had set!

The next few pictures are of a Dutch Apple Pie I made last week! ('Tis the season for apple pie I tell you!) It is a recipe I received from my Mom last year... and I've already posted the recipe, which you can find by clicking on "2009" and then "November."

Before the crumb topping (above) and then after the topping & all baked (below)... The pie turned out soo good!

Awesome Banana Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

4 ripe banana's, mashed (or 3 large)

2/3 cup buttermilk (or sour cream)

1/2 chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease & flour two 8 inch pans (or 9 x 13 pan).

3. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

4. In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light & fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas.

6. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk (or sour cream). Stir in nuts (optional). Pour batter into prepared pans.

7. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

My Notes:

This cake is awesome... very moist and wonderful! I used my 9 x 13 pan and frosted half of it with store-bought cream cheese frosting (the other half I left unfrosted for my kids who said they wanted it plain!) I didn't put nuts in mine and I used sour cream instead of buttermilk. I also only had 4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter so the other 4 Tbsp. I used margarine. Overall it was quite delicious, so I hope you try this recipe next time you find you have some overly ripe bananas! :)

Meatloaf

1 packet/envelope of Lipton onion soup mix

2 pounds of ground beef

3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs

2 eggs

3/4 cup of water

1/3 cup of ketchup

Optional:

2/3 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper

1/3 cup ketchup for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients with spoon or with hands.

3. In a 9 x13 inch pan, shape into loaf.

(Spread optional 1/3 cup ketchup over the top of the meatloaf.)

5. Bake 1 hour and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

My Notes:

I easily cut this recipe in half when making it for just Chris and I. I just use 1 lb. of ground beef and half a packet of onion soup mix, and so on. It turns out great and is done in less than an hour (approx. 45 min. or so!)

Easy Chocolate Banana Bread

Easy Chocolate Banana Bread

1 1/3 cups mashed very large bananas

(2 large or 3 small/med)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp veg. oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 2/3 cup Bisquick

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of loaf pan.

Stir together bananas, sugar, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl.

Stir in Bisquick, cocoa and chocolate chips. Pour into pan.

Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool 10 mins.

Remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Wrap tightly and store are room temperature up to 4 days; refrigerate up to 10 days.

My Notes:

This was originally a Bisquick recipe. I always use Heart-Smart Bisquick which is a little bit healthier. I changed up the recipe by adding cocoa to it. I think the bread turned out a bit dryer than usual because of the addition of the cocoa, so next time I may decrease the Bisquick to an even 2 cups, instead of 2 2/3 cups, or perhaps just increase the milk or oil? I would do whatever you think is best. :) I also used mini chocolate chips and sprinkled a few on top. If you're a big chocolate lover, you could add more cocoa, as the 1/2 cup of cocoa gives it a good flavor, but doesn't make the bread super-duper chocolatey. Also, the recipe says to use one 9 x 5 x3 inch pan, but I split the batter between my regular loaf pan and my mini loaf pan. For the mini loaf, I usually leave it in the oven about 20-25 minutes and the larger loaf (in my oven) takes about 40-45 minutes. I hope you enjoy trying this recipe!

Banana Oat Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup veg. oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas

1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil and vanilla.
3. Add the mashed banana and combine thoroughly.
4. Stir in the flour/oat mixture until just combined.
5. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray and divide batter among them.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

My Notes:

I filled a 12 cup tin, plus a 12 cup mini-muffin tin! I baked them at 375 instead of 400 for about 18 minutes. I also mixed a little brown sugar and oats together and sprinkled it on top of the muffins before baking. These are absolutely wonderful - very moist & delicious & just perfect! Enjoy!

Tomato Feta Bread

So a few months ago I fell in love with feta cheese. :) I had it on pizza and realized I REALLY like it on pizza.... and I really like it on salad; greek salad's are great.... and when I saw recently on a local pizza place's menu "tomato feta bread" I just had to try it out.. and I thought it would be like breadsticks, but it was like a garlic bread loaf cut in half & covered in lots of wonderful spices, mozzarella cheese, slices of tomato and of course, feta cheese. It was awesome goodness. Then I was at Wal-Mart one day and found a loaf of french bread for 75 cents and thought it was the perfect time to attempt to make this bread on my own!

My attempt didn't turn out as great as I would've liked, so if you read this and have some suggestions, let me know!

Tomato Feta Bread

- Cut french bread into thin slices.

- Spread a little butter on each piece.

- Sprinkle with garlic powder and Kraft parmesan cheese.

- Put thin slices of tomato on bread slices.

- Cover in feta cheese crumbles and mozzarella cheese.

- Bake until crispy and cheese is melted.

(I put a small tray in the toaster oven at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.)

* Sorry I didn't take any pictures after the bread was baked!

I think this is what I'll do different next time....

In addition to the garlic powder, I will also use some italian seasoning. And instead of slices of tomato, I will dice the tomato. The tomato slices were just a little too fresh & juicy and tend to make the bread soggy. And I think I needed more cheese! Chris doesn't like tomatoes so I made a few slices without and those pieces were excellent. :)

Let me know if you have made something like this or have any suggestions for me!

Blondies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, dark or light
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate or white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces, lightly toasted

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 8x8 baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. To brown sugar mixture, whisk in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture and stir until completely combined. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 20 or more minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

When I made these, I omitted the nuts because we're not big nut eaters at our house and I only sprinkled a few chocolate chips on one side, since my husband likes them with NO chocolate! I definitely would recommend this recipe - they turned out perfect & yummy, especially warm from the oven! (I must add, the photos included are not mine, but a few I found on the internet since I didn't photograph mine..)

Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
(Mix together & set aside)

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat wet ingredients until light & fluffy.



Add flour mixture and mix until smooth. Chill one hour. Roll out and cut into shapes. Place cookies on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies.

My advice: If you really want chewy & not crunchy cookies, keep a close eye on them and also turn down the temp. on your oven if you know it runs a little hot. (I set mine at 365 and my cookies took exactly 8 mins.) As soon as the cookies begin to brown on the edges, take them out.

I am nowhere close to being an expert decorator, especially when I know the cookies are only going to be eaten by us, so please ignore how messy my frosting & sprinkles look! :) I also have to say this is my FIRST time ever making homemade cut-out sugar cookies, because I've always just believed they're too time-consuming & difficult to make... So I was surprised how easy it turned out to be... the only annoying part was that as the cookie dough got warm, it wanted to stick to my cookie cutters or my countertop. So I would cut out just enough to fill a cookie sheet and then put the bowl of dough back in the fridge until I was ready to put another batch in the oven. Also, I didn't venture into making my own frosting. I am not a big fan of homemade frosting, it's a combination of the sweetness & texture I don't really like, and the store boughten is cheap, easy & yummy, so that's what I used. I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe!

Cereal Peanut Butter Bars

These are sooo delicious! My sister made them a long time ago and shared the recipe with me, but I just never made them. I remembered I had some Honey Bunches of Oats cereal in my cupboard that no one was eating, and I knew I was supposed to take some chocolatey dessert for Easter at Chris' grandparents, so here was my pick! :) They're super easy to make and will easily satisfy any chocolate & peanut butter lovers, like me!

Cereal Peanut Butter Bars

1 & 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter (I only had creamy on hand, which works)
2/3 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted (I used approx. 1/3 bag of choc. chips)

Directions:

-- Microwave peanut butter, syrup and sugar in large microwavable bowl on high 3 minutes, stirring every minute. (I don't think mine took a whole 3 minutes.)

-- Add cereal to large bowl; mix to coat well.

-- Press into greased, foil-lined 13x9-inch pan.

-- Spread melted chocolate evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand or refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

-- Cut into 24 bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Soup time!

I've never been a big soup eater, but I've come across some very simple recipes that have turned out really goood... and of course soup goes really good with my homemade bread I bake almost every week... so we've been dining on soup quite a bit! I'll share with you 2 different recipes I've tried...

Zesty Potato Soup

3 cans condensed cream of potato soup

2 cans (12 oz) evaporated milk

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

6 slices ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon, crumbled

In a large saucepan, combine the potato soup and milk. Cook over med. heat for 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Ladle in serving bowls. Sprinkle with cheese & bacon. Yield: 6 servings

This recipe is great - I highly recommend the pepper jack cheese, it adds the flavor & zip the soup needs - I don't even like spicy things, but a little bit of this cheese on top is a necessity I'd say. :) Also, I made this soup a second time (see picture above) and substituted one of the cans of cream of potato for cream of broccoli, added about a cup of cooked broccoli to the soup, and I added a can of diced potatoes. It was great, but I didn't really like the flavor the broccoli soup added. I think I'd definitely add cooked broccoli again, but just use the 3 cans of cream of potato soup. :)

Potato Corn Chowder

1 + 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 + 1/2 cups milk

1 can diced potatoes, drained

1 can cream style sweet corn

1. Cook ham, celery and onion in butter in large saucepan until veg's are tender.

2. Add cheese soup, milk, potatoes, and corn. Simmer 5 mins. over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

I got a thick slice of ham from the deli at the grocery store, and cut it into bite sized pieces. I didn't use fresh onion, just added a little minced onion to the soup. I also omitted the celery, since we're not big on celery here. Therefore, I skipped step #1 in the directions entirely. :) The soup turned out really good... I did add a little seasoned salt and pepper for flavor... and like with the potato soup, we added some shredded cheese on top after filling our bowls. I wasn't sure I liked the cheddar cheese soup taste, next time around I think I may try using just cream of potato soup. We'll see. :)

I do realize these soups are not really homemade, since it's pretty much just combining canned ingredients - but when it comes to 'cooking' those are the kinds of recipes I like. :) Enjoy!

Bread Pudding

I had all this old homemade bread sitting on the counter that I couldn't bare to see go to waste... and I LOVE bread pudding, and came across some slow cooker bread pudding recipes on the bettycrocker website the other day... So it's Saturday morning and I decide to look more closely at these recipes... Well, they call for things I don't have, and I definitely don't have 3 hours to wait for something to cook. (My plan was to make this for breakfast, not lunch!) So then I just googled bread pudding and came to allrecipes.com and one of the first recipes I clicked on had LOTS of good reviews, and I had all the ingredients, so... here it is...

Bread Pudding

6 slices day old bread

2 Tbls. butter, melted

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

3/4 white sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2) Break bread into small pieces into an 8 in. square baking dish. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over the bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.

3) In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until all bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

4) Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Mmmmm... I hope you enjoy this! I look forward to adapting this recipe... maybe I will add some chocolate chips, and serve it warm as a dessert, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! :)

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

I got this recipe from a Mom friend of mine, whose son goes to preschool with Chloe. She made these for her son's half-birthday treat and Chloe brought home half of hers which means I got to try them! Wow! I immediately asked her for the recipe. At first I made the recipe just as it was (3 sticks of butter in all!!) and now I have cut the recipe in half and just make half a batch each time.

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 1/2 sticks margarine

1/2 cup + 1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup + 1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 Tbls. vanilla

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

chocolate chips

M & M's

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter, sugars, vanilla & eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in M & M's and chocolate chips (sorry, I don't usually measure these!)

Drop dough by level 1/4 cupfuls (yes, it's a big glob! hehe) about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. (I used the bottom of the 1/4 cup to press them down.) Bake 13-15 mins. or until light brown around edges (centers will be soft). Cool 1-2 mins. and move to wire rack.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies... They are of course quite wonderful when warm from the oven, along with a glass of ice cold milk! Enjoy! :)

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
• Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream(optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter in medium bowl; add eggs and vanilla. Stir together sugar and flour; add to butter mixture. Stir in milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and nuts; pour into unbaked pie crust. (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and omitted the nuts.)

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool about 1 hour on wire rack; serve warm with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. 8 to 10 servings.


To reheat: One slice at a time, microwave at HIGH (100%) 10 to 15 seconds.




My Notes: This pie is incredibly rich and it tastes like you're eating cookie dough -- it's truly delicious, and I definitely recommend warming up each piece (if you aren't serving it right away) and serving it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! :)

Cinnamon Snap Cookies

The best way I can describe these cookies is that they're like ginger snap cookies, without all the spice & zip - just cinnamon and molasses flavors combining to make a soft, melt in your mouth cookie! You will love them... I am sure of it.. And I'm certain they are not going to last long in my house once my husband tries them! :)

Cinnamon Snap Cookies

3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar (could substitute white sugar)
1 egg
1/4 cup of molasses (use glass measuring cup & spray it)
2 1/4 cups of flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar with a mixer until creamy; add the egg and molasses and mix well. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and gently mix together. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixer until well combined.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip into the raw sugar; place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes; cool on wire racks.

Yields: 2-1/2 or 3 dozen

My Notes:

I used margarine sticks instead of butter (it takes 1 1/2 sticks) and to soften them, I put them in the the microwave... which means it got more than softened, it slightly melted... and then when it came time to roll the dough into balls, the dough was not a consistency that was 'rollable' I guess you'd say... not sure if it was cuz of my melted margarine or what. So I put the bowl in the fridge for a bit, but even after 20 mins. or so, the dough still seemed pretty mushy and I just used my fingers to try & mold it into a ball and then rolled it in sugar. They still turned out nice & round. I also only put mine in for 8 mins. each time... I know my oven and I know I didn't want them to get crispy or burnt... and 8 mins. was just perfect.. they were soft & chewy and wonderful!

Bread baking

So I dusted off my bread machine and started baking bread again... I've only ever used the mixes you buy at the grocery store (which includes everything but the water!) But I decided to become adventurous and start making bread from scratch, though it's not like it's much work when you simply have to measure and dump the ingredients in your bread machine, but still... I'm considering this bread to be "homemade!" hehe.

First I tried a recipe I got off the internet for plain 'ole white bread, but was NOT impressed with it... well, I mean, it was good, but the top/center caved in and I used regular all-purpose flour to make it & it just wasn't the best bread ever. So then I went to the library and got a few bread machine recipe books and just randomly picked one which I had all the ingredients for (and I also purchased bread flour in the meantime).... and this loaf of bread was SOOOOO good... And it's a sweet bread, so it took only 2.5 hours instead of the typical 3 hours... So that was nice... amazingly I timed it just right and it was done RIGHT at the same time as our dinner that night, so we got to eat it spread with melted butter and steaming hot and OH MY was it good! So, if you are looking to make a good loaf of bread, here's your recipe :)

Sally Lunn Bread

For 1.5 lb loaf:

1 cup milk (room temp)
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. butter
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp. bread machine yeast

1) Measure ingredients into baking pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Insert pan into the oven chamber.

2) Select "sweet cycle".

** Okay, so I don't really like that those are ALL the instructions given, so here is exactly what I did :)

1) Spray the pan w/non-stick spray.
2) Pour milk in pan. (I put it in the microwave for a short while until considered room temp.)
3) Melt butter in small bowl. Add beaten egg to butter. Pour in the pan.
4) Put flour in the pan, on top of the liquid ingredients.
5) Sprinkle sugar over the flour.
6) Make small hole with your finger in the top of the flour/sugar and pour yeast into hole.
7) Select 1.5 lb loaf (if your machine has a size option) & select "sweet" cycle and "light" colored crust.
8) Let the bread machine do the rest! (Toward the beginning, I tend to check the dough and occasionally use a rubber scraper to get any dry ingredients which are simply sitting in the corner and not getting mixed w/the dough).

Hope you enjoy this yummy bread!!

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

This is a delicious cake - and it was the first time I've ever made a cake from scratch... It turned out REALLY good, but I used my bundt pan to make it and perhaps I didn't spray it or flour it enough, or let it cool long enough before trying to remove it from the pan, but1/4 of the cake remained stuck in the pan. I did my best though to remove it & mold it back to the rest of the cake. :) So it still tasted perfect, it just wasn't perfect looking. I also didn't try the frosting recipe - I simply used a can of chocolate frosting which I added a small amount of milk to in order to make it thin enough to drizzle over the cake. Hope you try this recipe & enjoy it!

HERSHEY'S "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 30 min

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be very thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. (Use a whisk throughout.) Turn heat down to low. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Cookies 'n Crescent Sweet Rolls

I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe yet! My husband loves these... though they are pretty sweet and you may not like them for breakfast.

Cookies 'n Crescent Sweet Rolls

INGREDIENTS:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rolls
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

6 inches Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (from 16.5-oz roll)

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Glaze
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9-inch round cake pan or glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Overlap long sides 1/2 inch to form 1 large rectangle. Press seam and perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough.

3. Spoon small amounts of cookie dough evenly over crescent dough; press or pat to evenly cover. Sprinkle with pecans. (I omitted the pecans.) Starting at long side, roll up; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 pieces. Arrange cut side up in pan.

4. Bake 28 to 35 minutes or until crescent dough is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Roll: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 220mg; Total Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 17g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2

A few chicken and beef ideas

I have no grand title for the first recipe I'm sharing, because this is simply how I make beef in my crock pot all the time... it was passed along to me by my Mom... and you can also use this same recipe with bone-in split chicken breast in the slow cooker...

I usually buy certified angus beef round, boneless bottom round steak at Meijer... since I buy such a small cut, I only pay about $3.50 or less for it... and it's just enough for Chris & I (the girls won't eat beef this way, so it works for us to only buy a small piece).


And now for the recipe part -- we take one beef bouillion cube and dissolve it in 1 cup boiling water. (Maya helped me with this part...) I pour the broth over the beef and then sprinkle (just enough to cover the meat) some pepper, seasoned salt, minced onions and minced garlic. (If you're making chicken in the slow cooker, I use the same seasonings, but I use a chicken bouillion cube instead of beef).
I let the meat cook on low all day long and it's wonderful at dinner time! With both chicken and beef, you can use the broth in the cooker and make some wonderful gravy with it! I usually put some of the broth in a saucepan, heat it until boiling, and then slowly add a mixture of flour & water, all the while stirring, until the gravy is as thick as I'd like. (Sorry I don't measure anything!)

Saucy Parmesan Chicken This recipe is taken from kraftfoods.com by clicking on the address below!

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/saucy-parmesan-chicken-107318.aspx

I had some chicken in the fridge and wanted to make something different, but simple.. and this recipe was it! It turned out really good, but ours didn't look anything like the picture. I even ate the leftover chicken for lunch the next day, by cutting it up and sprinkling it on top of tortilla chips with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top of that and it became delicious chicken nacho's! :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

MIX dressing and cheese; pour over chicken in shallow dish. Turn chicken over to evenly coat both sides of each breast. (I simply threw the chicken in a ziplock bag with the mixture & marinated it this way.)

REFRIGERATE 30 min. to marinate, turning breasts over after 15 min.

HEAT oven to 425ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 20 min. or until done (165ºF).