Lisa’s Darn Good Chocolate Cake

I’m a fan of dessert.  And I’m a fan of chocolate.  I don’t think I’m over the top about chocolate the way some people are.  But I definitely don’t turn my nose up at it.  And I’m not the biggest fan of cake.  I like it fine, but there are definitely other desserts that can sway my vote away from cake.  However, there is one cake that I will eat any day of the week and twice on Tuesdays. (Tuesdays, instead of the traditional “Sundays” for that quote, because that’s the day my small group meets so that’s the day I’m most likely to get this cake since Lisa is in my small group.) 

Lisa Driver loves to bake.  She tells the tale of when she started baking a few years ago and decided to bake through a cake cookbook she received (The Cake Doctor, for those of you who are interested) and because of that her husband gained 50 pounds in just a couple months since she was so good at it.  And she is good at it!  I’ve had several of her baked goods and I can’t say I’ve had a bad one yet.  However, there is pretty much only one dessert of hers that I’m completely devoted to.  As in, undying devotion “devoted to”.   

I love to make desserts myself.  I like to be creative and see the elegant finished product.  And to have people rave over it.  I think I have a couple really good desserts up my sleeve that I can whip out from time to time.  But Lisa’s cake takes the prize.

This “Darn Good Chocolate Cake” is a chocolate bundt cake with chocolate chips mixed in (sometimes a peanut butter chip surprise or two as well but my all-time fave is just chocolate chips).  The cake is moist and delicious all by itself.  And I could maybe see myself being able to recreate the cake.  However, Lisa apparently took a whipped chocolate frosting recipe from the cake cookbook and tinkered with it until it reached a frothy state of perfection.  I used to be able to eat just frosting as a little girl, but these days I find that a little frosting goes a long way normally.  Not so with this frosting.  I could eat it with a spoon.  But it’s even better slathered onto this delicious cake. 

A big thank you to Lisa for introducing me to this delightful dessert and for making it on request whenever we all demand it (and we do demand it pretty often)!  There are few desserts I’d put in the same category as this cake.  And that goes for the restaurant variety as well.

A Dairy-Free Baby Shower Menu

Yesterday I hosted (and had lots of help!) a baby shower for a friend that is severely allergic to dairy.  So in her honor, we all pitched in and came up with a dairy-free menu to serve for her.  It was fun trying to come up with good options.  And I think we found some good stuff!  Here is what we served:  (any time “butter” is called for, I used Blue Bonnet Light, which is dairy-free)

Baklava Cups

1 pkg frozen mini fillo shells (15 shells in a pkg)

2/3 C chopped mixed nuts (preferably Pistachio or Pecan Lover’s Mix)

¼ C honey

1 tsp water

Fill frozen shells with nuts.  Place on a baking sheet (with sides) and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Mix the honey and water.  Pour evenly into shells.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crispix Sticky Snack Mix

6 C Crispix cereal (you can use Rice Chex for gluten-free)

½ C slivered or sliced almonds

½ C butter

½ C brown sugar

2 T light corn syrup

Bring butter, brown sugar & corn syrup to a boil in a large pot.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add cereal & nuts until well coated.  Spread mixture onto wax paper to cool. 

Lemon Tartlets

Tart Shells:

½ C butter, softened

1/3 C sugar

1 egg white

1 ¼ C flour

Filling:

2 eggs

1/3 C sugar

1 T butter, melted & cooled

3 ½ T lemon juice

Powdered sugar

For shells, beat butter & sugar until light & fluffy.  Add egg white; blend well.  Add flour & mix just until well blended.  (May need more flour with dairy-free butter.)  Drop level scoops of dough into greased mini-muffin pan, using a small cookie scoop.  Press dough into cups with well-floured mini tart shaper.  For filling, lightly whisk eggs; whisk in sugar & butter.  Add lemon juice & mix well.  Pour filling evenly into tart shells.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove tartlets & cool completely on a wire rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.  (Makes 24 tartlets.)

Crunchy Macaroons

1 ½ C rice krispies cereal

1 ¼ C flaked coconut

2 egg whites

3 T sugar

1/8 tsp almond extract

Combine all ingredients.  With damp fingers, shape into small rounds on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Skinny Taste Southwestern Black Bean Salad
1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

9 oz frozen corn, thawed

1 tomato, chopped

1 small hass avocado, diced

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 lime, juice of

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp cilantro (gross, never use it!)

salt and fresh pepper

Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.  Serve with baked tortilla chips or eat with a spoon!  (I actually think the tortilla chips mask some of the flavors, so I prefer without.)

Rumaki

2 cans whole water chestnuts, drained

1 lb bacon, cut in half (I used turkey bacon, which was perfect; if using regular, you will have to cook it some first before using)

14 oz ketchup

2 small plastic containers baby food peaches

3 T brown sugar

Splash of soy sauce

Wrap bacon around water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick (use uncolored).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Mix remaining ingredients.  Pour over water chestnuts and bake for 30 more minutes.

We also served hummus with pita chips, a black bean dip (made by my friend Jenny) with veggies, fresh fruit and cupcakes that the guest of honor brought (silly thing felt she needed to bring something – too nice!).  And another friend brought the fixins for Shirley Temples, complete with cherries on top!  It was a great time and we introduced the guest of honor to some new foods that (she said) she loved. 

My Best Meal

I think every cook probably has his or her “best meal”, the meal they cart out for dinner guests or special occasions and know that it will be a crowd pleaser.  I honestly can’t nail down what my best meal would be as a cook.  I think it’s probably either stuffed Cornish hens, chicken pot pie or Italian grilled chicken with garlic herb potatoes and Aunt Marti’s corn.  And the meal would probably end with either strawberry trifle or devil’s food cake with penuche frosting.  As I’ve already posted the recipes for everything else, I’ll give you my recipe for strawberry trifle.

Strawberry Trifle

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, destemmed & sliced

1 pkg vanilla pudding mix (I use sugar free, fat free) + milk to make pudding

Angel food cake, cut into chunks

8 oz Cool Whip

Mix milk & pudding mix.  Let stand for few minutes to firm up.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Add a dash of sugar to strawberries & mix.  In a nice clear bowl or trifle dish, layer cake chunks, pudding mix & strawberries.  Repeat until filled.  Cover & chill until ready to serve. 

What’s your best meal?

Update on Free Food

Back in the beginning of June, I wrote a post on “Budget Friendly Food” and I listed a bunch of free offers and discounts I’d gotten for signing up for restaurant email clubs, etc.  Well, since most of those clubs have other offers periodically, as well as birthday incentives (and my birthday was recently), I have a new list of “best of” offers to share:

-free Orange Julius drink

-free dessert at Buffalo Wild Wings

-free dessert at Fazoli’s

-free fried ice cream at La Mesa

-free Like It at Cold Stone Creamery

-free frozen yogurt at TCBY

-free cookie at Bruegger’s Bagels

-buy one, get one Blizzard free at DQ

-free burger at Ruby Tuesday (and you thought it was just going to be desserts!)

-free appetizer at Famous Dave’s

-free “Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity” meal at IHOP (or meal of equal/lesser value)

And, for those of you who are more interested in lasting free stuff rather than just food (or, if you’re trying to stay away from empty calories!), perhaps this will appeal to you:  since signing up for Westroads Mall and Oakview Mall’s email clubs in May, I’ve received $50 worth of free giftcard offers.  I’ve only been able to redeem $30 worth of them due to schedule conflicts, but that means I’ve gotten $30 worth of free stuff at those malls since May!!!  The giftcards are redeemable at every store in those malls.  Totally worth the monthly update emails I get from their clubs. 

Smith Family Favorites: Meal Edition

The following recipes are all meals I grew up eating.  My mom was an amazing cook and definitely passed on her love of food to me.  Most of these recipes are of the comfort food variety, which is always a hit with me.  

Porcupine Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (I’ve been using ground turkey lately)

½ C long grain white rice

1 tsp salt

1 T minced onion (I use onion flakes)

1 can condensed tomato soup

2/3 soup can of water

Form first 4 ingredients into meatballs, not too big.  Mix soup & water; pour over meatballs.  Cover & bake at 325 degrees for 1 ½ hrs.  (Love served with garlic mashed potatoes!)

Sour Cream Enchiladas

½ C chopped onion

½ C sour cream

1 dozen tortillas

1 C diced cooked chicken

2 cans cream soup (chicken, mushroom, celery, etc)

4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

Combine soup, sour cream & chiles; stir til smooth.  Mix together chicken & onion.  Add spoonful of sour cream mixture down the middle of each tortilla, then add a spoonful of chicken filling.  Roll each tortilla & place side by side in baking dish.  Pour remaining sauce over all & bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.  (Can add cheese on top, but not in my house, of course.)

Mom’s Microwave Meatloaf

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey

8 oz tomato sauce

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 C quick oats

1 T minced onion (onion flakes)

1/8 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder, to taste

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients into a microwavable loaf pan (I have a Pyrex one); cook 8-10 min. 

Sauce:

1/3 C ketchup

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 T mustard

Blend well; pour over loaf.  Cook an additional 3-4 minutes.

Ham Balls / Loaf

2 lbs. ground ham or ham loaf mix

2 lbs. ground beef

2 C graham cracker crumbs

2 eggs

1 ½ C milk

Mix & spread into pan or shape into balls. 

Sauce:

1 can tomato soup

1 ½ C brown sugar

¼ - ½ C vinegar

Pour sauce over loaf/balls & bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing (from Grammy P.)

6-8 pork chops

2 C bread crumbs

1/3 C marg/butter, melted

1 C hot chicken broth or V-8

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage

Brown pork chops in small amount of oil.  Season with salt & pepper; place in baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients to make stuffing.  Spoon a mound of dressing on each pork chop.  Bake at 350 degrees  for about an hour.

Bacon Chicken

1 pkg dried beef

2-4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 C sour cream

4 pieces of bacon

Line 9x13 pan with dried beef (I break up into smaller pieces).  Wrap chicken with bacon and place on top of dried beef.  Mix soup & sour cream.  Pour over chicken.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serve over long grain & wild rice mix.

5 Hour Oven Stew

2 lbs stew meat

2 tsp salt

1 onion

2 T tapioca (not pudding - just tapioca granules)

6 potatoes

3 stalks celery in large diagonal cuts

1 T sugar

6 carrots in large chunks or baby carrots, cut into chunks

1 large can V-8 juice

Put all ingredients in an oven dish or pan and cover tightly.  Bake at 325 degrees for 5 hours.  Uncover midway & stir.  Serve with biscuits or corn muffins. (This is a very thick stew.)

Baked Potato Soup from The Machine Shed

2 ½ lbs baby red potatoes, quartered

½ lb bacon, diced

1 jumbo yellow onion, diced

¼ bunch celery, diced

2 oz chicken soup base

1 qt milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 ½ sticks marg/butter

¾ C flour

1 C heavy whipping cream or ½ & ½

¼ bunch parsley, chopped or dried parsley

Boil potatoes in 1 qt water for 10 min.  Set aside.  Do not drain.  In a large pot, sauté bacon, onions & celery over medium-high heat until celery is tender.  Drain bacon grease & return bacon, onions & celery to pot.  Add milk, potato water, chicken base, salt & pepper.  Heat over medium-high heat until very hot.  Do not boil.  In large saucepan, melt marg/butter.  Add flour.  Mix well & allow to bubble, stirring for 1 min.  While stirring soup, constantly add the flour & marg mixture slowly.  Continue stirring until soup is thick & creamy.  Stir in potatoes, parsley & cream.  Serve while hot.  Garnish with shredded Cheddar, fried bacon bits & chopped green onions.  (We love Tastefully Simple’s Bacon Bacon for bacon bits.)

Savory Beef Skillet

1 lb ground beef

¾ C onion, chopped (or onion flakes)

1/8 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp oregano

Dash of pepper

1 ½ C tomato juice

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 C Minute Rice

In large skillet, brown meat & onion; drain grease.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Mexican Chicken Casserole

3 C cooked chicken, diced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Rotel tomatoes or 12 oz salsa

1 medium onion, chopped

Broken up Doritos or tortilla chips

Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Mix soups & salsa/tomatoes together.  In dish, layer ½ Doritos, chicken, onion, soup mixture & cheese.  Repeat, ending with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Sunday Dinner (aka Pot Roast)

4-5 lb beef roast (arm roast preferred)

1 pkg Lipton’s beefy mushroom soup mix (or beefy onion or onion)

Peeled potatoes

Peeled carrots or baby carrots

Small peeled onions, if desired

Brown roast on both sides in Dutch oven or roasting pan.  Sprinkle dry soup mix over roast.  Cover tightly and put in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  After an hour, put carrots, potatoes & onions around roast.  Cover tightly & return to oven at 275 degrees for 2 -2 ½ hours.  After removing meat & veggies, use drippings to make wonderful gravy. 

Hot Chicken Salad

3 C cooked chicken, cubed

1 C diced celery, optional

1 – 2 C cooked long grain rice

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

½ C milk

¾ C Miracle Whip

1 T lemon juice

2 T finely chopped onion (or onion flakes)

3 hard cooked eggs, diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix all ingredients together & put in 9x13 dish.

Topping:

1 C cornflake crumbs

¼ C melted marg/butter

½ C slivered almonds

Spread on top & bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Seafood Pasta

4 T marg/butter

½ C flour

Milk, as desired

1 can chopped clams

Other seafood, such as shrimp or crab

Garlic

Salt & pepper, as desired

Melt marg/butter, add flour & garlic; stir over low heat until flour has been absorbed.  Add milk while stirring over low heat.  It will bubble and get thick so keep adding milk & let cook until it’s the thickness you like.  It’s good if it’s fairly thick before adding the clams because the juice will thin it down.  Don’t let it boil after you add the clams, to avoid the clams getting tough.  Add rest of seafood, salt & pepper, to taste.  Serve over cooked pasta. 

My family also grew up loving cooked broccoli with Hollandaise sauce (refer back to the previous Brunch post for the Hollandaise sauce recipe).  The creamy texture and crisp lemon acidity is a perfect accompaniment to the chewy green broccoli.  And, though I never loved it due to my abhorrence of sauerkraut, most of the rest of the gang loves Canadian bacon or bratwurst & sauerkraut pizza.  Just a few of our favorite things!

Smith Family Favorites: Brunch Bunch

Continuing what I started, I’m now going to give you some of my family’s favorite breakfast or brunch recipes.  Some of these may strike you as odd, but I assure you they’re delicious!  Our family has sometimes been known for the “odd” but also known for good food (I like to think).

Mom’s Microwave Monkey Bread

¼ C butter/marg

½ C brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 T water

7.5 oz Pillsbury Flaky Layers biscuits (comes in 4 pack)

Microwave butter, sugar, cinnamon & water for 1 min or until butter is melted & sugar dissolves.  Cut biscuits in half with kitchen shears.  Mix well.  Spread into greased microwave bunt pan (must have!).  Microwave 2 ½ min or until biscuits are no longer doughy.  Flip over onto plate to serve.

German (Baked) Pancakes – similar to a popover puff

1 C flour

6 eggs

1 C milk

4 T melted marg/butter

½ tsp salt

Place all ingredients in blender until well mixed.  Pour into greased pan (bar pans work best – double the recipe for a jelly roll size pan).  Bake at 450 degrees for 20 min.  Serve with melted butter & powdered sugar.

Scrambled Pancakes

4 eggs

1 C milk

1 tsp salt

2 T sugar

4 T butter/marg

1 ½ C flour

Beat eggs well before adding milk, salt & sugar.  Add flour & mix well.  Melt marg/butter in skillet until hot.  Pour batter into skillet.  Stir & chop as it cooks until contents are similar in size & shape to scrambled eggs.  Serve with syrup or melted butter & powdered sugar. 

Homemade Hashbrowns

Potatoes, unpeeled & washed

2 T canola oil

Cookie’s Seasoning

Cut potatoes into small chunks.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Spread potato chunks into skillet; sprinkle with seasoning.  Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft.  Sprinkle with seasoning, if necessary.

Matt’s Oven Bacon – truly amazing!

1 lb. thick sliced bacon

Brown sugar

Line jelly roll pan with tin foil.  (He says Walmart’s brand heavy duty foil is the best for nonstick.)  Spread bacon slices over foil.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 30 min (the thicker the slices, the longer it will take to bake).

Goldenrod Eggs

6 T butter/marg

½ - ¾ C flour

3-4 C milk

1 hard boiled egg per person + 1 extra

Bacon bits

1 piece of toast per person (or more, depending on how hungry you are!)

Melt butter/marg in large fry pan; after melted, add 1/2-3/4 c. flour, enough to absorb the butter.  Stir in some milk on low heat until thickened.  Then add more to make a good sauce.  Separate egg yolks from the whites.  Slice the whites and add to the sauce, then mash the yolks.  Pour sauce over toast & sprinkle with mashed yolks and bacon bits. 

Eggs Benedict

English muffins

Canadian bacon / ham

Eggs, cooked over medium or poached

Hollandaise sauce:

3 egg yolks

6 T butter/marg (butter works best)

3 T lemon juice

On low heat, stir in lemon juice with egg yolks; add butter ½ at a time, stirring the whole time.  It will slowly start to thicken.  If it separates, stir in 1 T hot water.  Pour sauce over muffin that's been topped with Canadian bacon and an egg.

When we still lived in Cincinnati, we found a little bistro that served the most amazing French toast.  And you’re thinking, “Cari hates bread.  How could she say ‘the most amazing French toast?!’”  And you’d be right on target.  I do not love French toast.  But let me describe this particular dish and see if you can’t understand why even I craved this French toast: two slices of Texas toast, dipped in vanilla bean batter, rolled in Frosted Flakes crumbs, cooked to perfection, covered with crème brulee sauce, topped with sliced bananas & whipped cream & dusted with cocoa.  Seriously.  Amazing.  Even my sister, who is not the biggest fan of bananas, loved this meal.  It also comes with a side of fresh fruit and we always ordered their homemade seasoned hashbrowns for something that cut the sweetness a bit.  Every person we introduced to this French toast has loved it.  How could you not?!  Last time we went back to visit “the Nati”, the bistro had moved, but we hunted it down and had our way with that French toast.  And we look forward to doing it again.  And again.  And again.

Smith Family Favorites: Dessert Style

I recently visited my younger brother in Illinois and while I was there, he inspired me to write a few posts with recipes that are a bit unique and beloved by our family.  Our family loves food, thanks to a mom who was a great (and, at times, innovative) cook!  I thought I’d start off with desserts.  None of this ‘saving the best for last’ nonsense!

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Cake Batter:

1 ½ C flour

1 C sugar

¼ C cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 C water

1 T vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 C oil

Mix; beat well.  Fill foil-lined muffin tins 1/3 full with batter. 

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 C sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat well, adding chips last to prevent melting.  Top each muffin cup with heaping spoonful of filling.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min.

Coconut Cream Cake

1 white cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 oz cream of coconut (not coconut milk)

8 oz Cool Whip

Flaked coconut

Bake cake mix according to directions. Poke holes in it while still hot.  Mix together cream of coconut and condensed milk.  Pour mixture over cake.  Allow to cool.  Spread Cool Whip over cake and sprinkle with flaked coconut.  Refrigerate til ready to serve.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

2 eggs, well beaten

1 C sugar

1 ½ C flour

1 tsp salt*

1 C sour cream

2 T cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Beat together; add ½ C boiling water.  Bake in 9x9 pan at 325 degrees for 20-25 min. 

*For 9x13, double recipe, but do not double salt.  Bake for 1 hr.

Frosting: (Vanilla Buttercream)

3 C powdered sugar

1/3 C marg/butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 T milk

Mix sugar & butter in medium bowl; stir in vanilla & milk.  Beat until smooth & spreadable.  Frosts one 9x13 cake. (I halve the recipe for the 9x9 cake above.)

Butterscotch Blondies

1 C butterscotch chips

¼ C marg/butter

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 C flour

¾ tsp salt

Melt chips & butter together (I use the microwave, stirring every so often).  Add brown sugar & cool for 5 min.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Spread into 9x13 pan & bake for 25 min at 350 degrees. (I put into a slightly smaller bar pan; otherwise the bars will be very thin.)

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1 C marg/butter, softened

3 C oatmeal (I use quick oats for better consistency)

2 eggs

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

Chocolate filling:

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

½ C butter/marg

Cream sugars & marg/butter.  Add remaining ingredients & divide mix in half.  Spread half in an ungreased 9x13 pan.  For filling, combine all ingredients in saucepan & stir over low heat until melted.  Pour filling over mixture in pan, then sprinkle/crumble remaining mixture on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.  Let cool before cutting.

Texas Sheetcake Brownies

2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ C oil

½ C buttermilk

½ C butter/marg

4 T cocoa

1 C water

Frosting:

½ C butter/marg

4 T cocoa

6 T milk

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Chopped nuts, optional

Beat eggs & add sugar, then remaining ingredients.  Melt butter & water together.  Combine butter mixture with egg mixture.  Spread batter into a greased jelly roll pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  For frosting, bring butter, cocoa & milk to a rapid boil.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar & vanilla.  Frost while brownies are hot & sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Mudballs

1 C peanut butter

½ C butter/marg

2 C powdered sugar

3 C rice krispies

1 tsp vanilla

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

Melt chips & butter together.  Add other ingredients & mix well.  Roll into balls & refrigerate for 15-20 min.  (This is great to make with kids!)

Mom’s Ice Cream Mix

6 eggs, beaten til foamy

½ C sugar per egg, added gradually

1 pint whipping cream

1 quart ½ & ½

½ tsp salt

2 T vanilla

Fill with milk up to line on canister

Granola Bars

1 C brown sugar

¾ C butter/marg

4 C oatmeal (I use quick oats for better consistency)

¼ C honey

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

½ C chopped pecans, optional

Melt butter/marg, then stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients, chips last to prevent melting.  Stir well.  Press firmly in an even layer into a 9x13 pan (I use a slightly smaller bar pan for thicker bars).  Bake for 25-30 min at 350 degrees or until golden brown.  Cool before cutting. 

Aunt Jeanie’s Fudge

3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

Chopped walnuts, optional

Dash of salt, optional

Melt chips & milk in microwave, stirring occasionally.  Add salt (optional).  Add walnuts (optional).  Add vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread into 9x9 pan.  Cool & cut.

Fresh Peach or Strawberry Pie

Graham cracker crust or baked pie shell

Fresh fruit, ready to fill crust

1 C sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 C water

2-4 T peach or strawberry jello (I usually use regular, not sugar-free)

Cook sugar, cornstarch & water until clear.  Add jello.  Pour over fruit in pie shell or crust.  Chill.  Serve with Cool Whip.

Funfetti Cookies

1 pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
1/3 c. oil
2 eggs
1 can Vanilla Funfetti frosting

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. Stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in sprinkles from cake mix (if separate). Use cookie scoop for desired size of cookies. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheet. Frost while warm. Store in tightly covered container.