Cake Batter Dip

February 26, 2012 at 6:45 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I saw this recipe, and of course, had to make it.  But I had to make a much, much larger amount.  So I’m not sure my amounts are accurate – but my recipe works, and it’s very convenient.  ENJOY!!!

 

Combine one small container of thawed Cool Whip, one 6-oz container of vanilla yogurt, and one half a box of funfetti cake mix.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve – with graham crackers or animal crackers – and prepare to  be addicted!

Homemade Samoa Bars

February 20, 2012 at 12:20 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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I saw this recipe over at Baking Bites, and I thought – fabulous.  Let’s do this.

So, I did it.  Now I wish I could say, who needs Girl Scouts when you’ve got this recipe?  But you still need them.  These are very good, but not perfect.  The shortbread layer was a a little too thick for my liking, so it tasted more like a shortbread cookie with a coconut topping.  Still good though!

Cookie base:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand.  Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned.

For the topping

  • 3 cups shredded coconut
  • 12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 10 oz. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300.  Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden.  Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt.  Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt.  When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base.  Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer.

Let topping set until cooled.  When cooled, flip the bars over upside down and place them back in the pan, coconut side down.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl.  Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching.   Pour the chocolate over the top (which is now the shortbread) – but save a little for drizzling over the bars.

Once the chocolate has cooled, flip the bars over and cut them into squares.

Drizzle with remaining chocolate.

Deep Fried Cinnamon Rolls

February 16, 2012 at 6:23 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

This isn’t even a recipe. This is just ridiculous.  (Ridiculously good, that is.)

I digress.

You need a can of cinnamon rolls, oil for frying, and cinnamon sugar.

Take the cinnamon rolls and cut them into fourths.

Heat the oil to medium high and drop the rolls in.  They’ll separate a bit and that’s good.

After they turn golden brown, scoop out the fried rolls and put them on paper towel.

Roll the hot rolls in cinnamon sugar – and you can pour the glaze from the canned cinnamon rolls over as well, if you like.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

February 14, 2012 at 8:51 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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For Valentine’s Day, I wanted to make something sweet and something red.  I saw the recipe for these red velvet whoopie pies (made with a cake mix!) and I was sold.  But the filling.  Oh, the filling.  It was to-die-for.  I will be using it again as a frosting for cakes.  SO GOOD!

You need:

  • 1 box of red velvet cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 jars marshmallow fluff
  • mini chocolate chips or sprinkles for rolling

 

Preheat your oven to 400.  Combine the combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil and mix well.  Drop equal scoops of dough onto your parchment lined cookie sheet.  I used the PC medium scoop, which is about two tablespoons.

Bake for about 7 minutes.

While your pies are baking and cooling, combine the butter, marshmallow fluff, and powdered sugar and beat well – until light and fluffy.  You could add a dash of vanilla extract, but you don’t need it – it’s delicious with just those three ingredients!  Spoon your filling into a ziploc bag and pipe onto one side of your pie.

Roll the whoopie pies into either mini chocolate chips or sprinkles – and you’re done!

Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken

February 12, 2012 at 10:36 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

This recipe wasn’t a universal hit in our house, but I liked it.  And it was so easy.  It would be great filling for enchiladas and would be good for a potluck!

You need:

  • 2-3 boneless chicken breasts (frozen)
  • 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can corn
  • 1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Put your frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot.  Cover with the beans, corn, and salsa.

Cook for 5 hours on high, or until the chicken is cooked.  At this point, the chicken will just start to shred on its own.

Add 1 package of cream cheese and let sit for about 1/2 hour.

When you’re ready to serve, just mix in the cream cheese.

Milky Way Salad – a taste of Minnesota

February 1, 2012 at 10:09 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Amanda is my first friend from Minnesota.  I’ve learned a lot about Minnesota from her, and I’ve learned perhaps the most about Minnesota cuisine.  There’s “hotdish” (what a redneck might call a casserole), “glorified rice” (us rednecks wouldn’t have a name for rice that you eat as a dessert), and best of all “Snickers Salad.”  Amanda gave me the cookbook from her grandmother’s church, and it had at least three recipes for this delicacy.  God bless the Midwest.  I would have never thought anything that included candy bars as an ingredient could be considered a salad, but in the Midwest, it can.  In fact, as far as I can tell, there’s really only two kinds of salads in Minnesota.  Those made with candy bars and those made with Jell-o.

I’d say the joke is on those of us eating salads made of lettuce.

I decided to give one of these Snickers Salads a try, but since Matt and I are not big fans of peanuts, I replaced the Snickers with Milky Way bars.  Now you can have a taste of Minnesota for yourself!

You need:

  • 4 chopped Milky Way bars (frozen makes them easier to chop up)
  • 4 Granny Smith apples
  • 8 oz Cool Whip (thawed)
  • 1 package instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 cup milk

Chop up your candy bars.

Combine the milk and the pudding with a whisk; stir in the Cool Whip.

Add the chopped candy bars and apples; stir until fully combined.

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