Wednesday, September 24, 2008

DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

1 coffee mug
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
Small splash of vanilla
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional
Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.
Add egg, mix thoroughly.
Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.
Add chips, if using.
Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts.
Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired. Eat and enjoy ! (This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)



***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night !!! 'Get thee hence' to the microwave!!!
You could add canned frosting, too. The batter does rise up 'way over the top of the mug, but doesn't run down the side. Fun to watch! Be careful not to overcook--our microwave is higher than 1000 watts, and three minutes was a dab too long--dried the cakes out a little bit. Anyway, give it a try! And be sure to watch it the whole time it's baking in the microwave!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Garlic Parmesan Eggplant Slices Recipe

I love eggplant and I love this recipe. I found it online at CDkitchen.com. I haven't tried it, but I bet this would be a great side for a spaghetti dinner. It is also easily adapted to a gluten-free diet, by using gluten-free bread crumbs.

Serves/Makes: 4

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant sliced 1/4"
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped ripe tomato

Directions:

Place eggplant slices on 15 x 10" jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with salt. In 9" pie pan, stir together flour, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. In large skillet, cook olive oil, pepper, and garlic over medium heat until sizzling.

Meanwhile, dip eggplant slices into eggs; coat with flour mixture. Fry 1/2 of eggplant slices in olive oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, on each side.

Remove to serving platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.

Remove to serving platter; sprinkle with tomato. Cover with foil. Let stand 2 minutes or until tomato is heated through.


This recipe from CDKitchen for Garlic Parmesan Eggplant Slices serves/makes 4

Sauteéd Green Beans

OK, I admit, I'm not a big fan of green beans, but I make these and really like them. Just a note - I kind of cook like my mother, so measurements aren't that important. I believe the most common measurements sometimes are either until it looks right, until it smells right, or until it tastes right. This is one of those recipes. If you are a precision cook, just ignore this recipe totally.

Ingredients:
Butter
Chopped onion (red or yellow)
Minced garlic
Green beans - ends off and cut to your favorite length (fresh is best, but not vital)
3-4 strips of bacon (I use precooked because it's what we have.)
Salt and pepper

Melt butter (you'll need at least 2 Tablespoons) in a sauteé pan on medium heat. Add onions until it looks like the right amount and cook until onions start sweating. Add garlic - I use at least 1 Tablespoon, but I really like garlic. Cook together for about 1 minute. Add the green beans and keep cooking, stirring occasionally. The beans need to cook 5-10 minutes to soften. About 2-3 minutes before the beans are done, add the bacon, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beans are done to your liking.

This makes enough for about 4 when I make it, but as you can tell, it's easily expandable. Just don't make any ingredient too sparse and you will be about right.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Cake Mix Cookies














I made these cookies and they are sooooo good! I used strawberry cake and Kendall loved them too! They are so easy and it actually made 5 dozen cookies! I even made them into sandwich cookies! I think they would even be good as icream sandwich cookies! All Carson could say was mmmmmmmm!

1 package of cake mix (any flavor)

1 large egg

1/4 cup of oil

1/4 cup of water

1 cup of chopped nuts, raisins, oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips, M&M'S® etc. (anything you like in cookies)



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water. Beat until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredient (s). Drop by teaspoon about 1 inch apart onto greased cooke sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Makes about 4 dozens. Yummy!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

I wish I could take credit for this recipe! It comes courtesy of one of my good friends. This is supposedly the actual recipe from Cinnabon!





Rolls
1 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm milk (105 to 100 degrees F)
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose four
Filling
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened
Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in warm milk in a large bowl.
2. Mix together the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with four. Put in a bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough flat until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide. It should be about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
6. For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened margarine evenly over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly over the surface.
7. Working carefully from the top (a 21 inch side), roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
8. Cut the rolled dough into 1 3/4 inch slices and place 6 at a time evenly spaced , in a lightly greased baking pan. Let the rolls rise again until double in size (about 30 minutes). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until light brown on top.
9. While the rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
10. When the rolls come out of the oven, coat each generously with icing. Makes 12 rolls.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Mrs Ingraham's Easy Lasagna

1-2 lbs hamburger
1 jar marinara sauce
Lasagna noodles
9 slices Mozzarella cheese

Fry hamburger
Add Marinara sauce

Layer noodles, meat & Mozzarella cheese alternately.
Bake at 350 for 20 -25 minutes if you precook the noodles OR if you use uncooked noodles put a light layer of meat under the 1st noodles and bake covered in foil for 45 minutes and 15 minutes more uncovered.

$$$$ Million Dollar Fudge $$$$$

6 C Sugar
1 can evaporated milk
Boil, stirring all the time, to soft ball stage (236 degrees)
Remove from heat--
Add 2 12 oz bags of chips, any flavor or combination you want to.
1/2 lb margarine
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 1/2 can chopped nuts, raisins etc (optional)
Blend only until mixture is well mixed and chips melted.
pour into a buttered cookie sheet.(17x11x34)
batch makes 96 pieces 8 across & 12 down 16 pieces per pound

Meatza Pie

In a 9" pie plate combine 1 lb ground beef, 2/3 C evaporated milk, 1/2 c bread crumbs and 1 tsp garlic salt.
Mix well and press firmly on the bottom and sides of the pan.
On this, spread 1/2 c pizza sauce & a 2 oz can of mushrooms, stems & pieces.
Sprinkle with 1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Pink Salad

Mix Cool whip and jello together (jello should be from a red fruit or the salad won't be pink).
Add cottage cheese, bananas,pineapple, Mandarin oranges, and strawberries.
Mix well, refrigerate until time to eat it

Chocomollow Brownies


Cream together:
1/2 LB Margarine 2 C Sugar
1/3 C Cocoa
Add 4 eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each.
Mix in:
1 1/2 C flour 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Vanilla 1-1 1/2 C Nuts (optional)
Spread on a greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Spread entire package of Mini marshmallows on top of the hot brownies and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes. Cool.

ICING:
1/4 lb margarine 1/3C evaporated milk
1/3 C cocoa 2 C powdered sugar

Heat evaporated milk with melted margarine. Add remaining ingredients & spread over the marshmallows. Let stand overnight before cutting & serving.

Lori's Crescent Rolls

1 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar

Disolve yeast in water, sprinkled with sugar to activate yeast.
Mix the following in large mixing bowl:

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Add yeast mixture when foamy. Then dump in 4 c. flour and Mix together well. Dough should be soft, yet not too sticky. Let rise until double, about 2 hours. Punch down and divide into 2 balls. Roll each out to about 1/4" thick circles. Spread with softened butter. Using a pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Starting at the wide end, roll up triangles to form crescent rolls. Place on greased baking sheet 1" apart with tips tucked underneath. Let rise again about 45 min.

Bake at 350 for about 15-20 min or until lightly golden. Remove and brush tops with butter.

Lori's Mango Salsa

makes 2 qts.

6 mangoes, peeled, seeded
3 kiwis peeled
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1/2 white onion, peeled
4 jalapenos, deveined
1 can pineapple, drained and warmed in oven until slightly brown
2-3 limes, juiced (approx. 1/4 c.)
2 T. kosher salt
2 bunches cilantro

Blend all ingredients together in food processer. Chill overnight for best flavor.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 - 5 oz. can chicken, drained
2 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. ranch dressing
3/4 c. hot sauce (buffalo wing sauce)
Shredded cheddar cheese to taste,
Frito Scoops

Beat cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce. Fold in shredded chicken. Spread mixture into pie plate sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.
Add cheddar to top and bake an additional 10-15 min.
Serve hot with frito scoops.

Best Ever Meatloaf

2 eggs
2/3 c. milk
3 slices bread
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 oz. shredded cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

Topping: 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. mustard

Beat eggs. Add milk and bread and let stand until bread absorbs liquid. Stir in onion and cheese. Add ground beef. Mix well. Shape into loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. (I have also put this in my crockpot and cooked on high for a couple of hours.) Combine topping and spoon over meatloaf after about 30 minutes. Spoon topping over mixture every 10 minutes until done. (When doing this in the crockpot, I just spoon over topping about 20 min. before serving time and again about 10 min. later.)

California Tacos

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 clove minced garlic
1 T. minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 - 2 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or to taste
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans water
1 can tomato paste
2/3 c. Minute Rice

Brown ground beef with minced garlic and minced onion, drain. Add the restof the ingredients except the rice. Bring to boil. Add rice. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min. until rice is tender. Serve over fritos. Top with layers of grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, olives, green peppers, sour cream and salsa as desired.