Rainbow Doodle Cake

This month was my favorite 6 soon to 7 year old's birthday. She wasn't really getting a party this year so we wanted a special cake. I spent a bit of time on pinterest and found this!

Rainbow Doodle Cake

 

 

It was made by a lovely lady with the cutest website ever. Lots of tips on baking! The picture above is hers. (used with permission) You can tell she has a few more skills and a way better camera then I do!!

Her link can be found here: http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/rainbow-doodle-birthday-cake/

 

 

 Here is our version. It was late at night so the lighting is horrible but it was super cute.  I had never heard of edible markers but seriously, how cool are they?! I really wanted my girl to make cute rainbows and such but she had to draw a Longhorn. She's a bit of a Texas fan. This was my first time working with fondant. It went pretty well except a crack here and there (I left it out too long after rolling it - kids were calling my name) but we cut out some fondant with cookie cutters and let the kids color those to cover the few flaws.

This got a little massacred in the cutting but you get the general idea. The  colors really are that vibrant! The actual cake was good and although my layers ended up larger then hers we just cut thin slices. The cake got eaten over the next two days and not a crumb was spared! I am going to admit to cutting and pasting the recipe. Honestly, it is hers and not mine and if you visit the site she has great tips on Swiss merginue buttercream (it's sad how many buttercreams I could have salvaged if I had read the article first) and on how to fondant.

White Cake (but not really)
2 sticks (226 g) butter, room temp
2 1/3 c (466 g) sugar
5 egg whites, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 c (375 g) all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c (355 g) milk, warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple GEL food coloring. Liquid will not be vibrant enough!
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Oil and line how ever many 9” cake pans you have (I have three and I just reused them).
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites (I cracked them all into one bowl) and add them a little at a time. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the milk and flour mixture in two parts.
Divide the batter amongst 6 bowls (I did it by weight. Weigh your mixing bowl before you begin adding ingredients and then subtract the weight of the bowl from the final measurement after the batter is completed. Divide that number by six and add that weight of batter to each bowl), and then whisk a fair amount of the appropriate food color into each bowl. Keep in mind that the color of the unbaked batter will be the color of the baked batter. Pour into the pans and bake for 15 minutes each.
When you remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cooling rack, in the pan, for ten minutes. Then flip, cover, and stash them in the fridge to cool quickly.
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream
To fill and crumb coat:
9 egg whites
1 ¾ c (350 g) sugar
4 sticks (454 g) of butter, room temp
2 tsp lemon extract
To frost:
5 egg whites
1 c (200 g) sugar
2 sticks (227 g) butter, room temp
1 tsp lemon extract
Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it’s completely smooth, it’s done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer back to high speed and whip until it has come together, about five minutes. Add the extract, beat briefly and then use.
If the buttercream seems soupy after all of the butter is added and does not come together after whipping, refrigerate for 5 to 7 minutes and continue whipping until it becomes fluffy and workable.
Assembly
Stack the layers in your preferred order and fill and frost as you would any other cake.

Birthday Dinners

Birthday dinners are a HUGE thing at our house.  The birthday person gets to plan the menu for their own, very special birthday dinner.  Whatever they want.  In a family of 6 this is a pretty big deal.  Especially when the mom loves to cook what she likes most of the time…

Savannah’s dinner was the most thought out, well planned meal from a six-year old EVER.  She analyzed her options, she thought long and hard, and came up with pretty much the perfect menu.  Each one of the 15 people who ate the dinner would agree, I’m sure.

Jalapeno poppers

Homemade rolls with homemade jam

Tomato/alfredo shrimp pasta bake

Green salad

10 layer rainbow layered jello

Grape soda (we also offered Strawberry)

Strawberry lemonade ice cream cake (just use Strawberry Lemonade mix)

Seriously, so fattening, so time-intensive to make, but oh, so delicious!  Thanks Nannah!

TOMATO/ALFREDO SHRIMP PASTA BAKE

• 16-18 oz. pasta (I use penne, radiatore, or farfalle), cooked as directed on packaging
• Large jar spaghetti sauce (it doesn't have to be fancy, I use Hunts, it's cheap and the spaghetti sauce isn't the star of this dish)
• Alfredo sauce (see recipe below, or you can use a large jar of store bought sauce
• 1 pound medium shrimp, cooked, deveined and tails removed, chopped into bits
• Mozzarella cheese - enough to cover a 9x13-in. casserole

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cook alfredo sauce, if you're making the homemade (and much, much tastier) sauce.  Once sauce is cooked, add the shrimp to it and stir in.  Line 9x13-in. baking pan with spaghetti sauce, just dump it in and spread it out. Add cooked pasta, then pour the alfredo sauce (w/ shrimp mixed in) over the pasta. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until it is bubbly.

Amazing Alfredo Sauce:

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

2 tbsp. cream cheese

3/4 c. parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. garlic powder

In a saucepan, combine cream, butter and cream cheese.  Simmer until all is melted and mixed well.  Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  Stirring constantly, with a whisk, simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick.

This Year's Valentine's Cake for Chocoholics Everywhere

Elizabeth's Extreme Chocolate Lover's Cake

Rated: Submitted By: ELIZABETHBH Photo By: KEVINXS Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 16

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup unsalted butter 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream 1 cup water

FROSTING: 6 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 4 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened   GANACHE: 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.


2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake
comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

4. Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, whip the butter for about 10 minutes until it is super fluffy, beat in egg yolk. Gradually blend in the confectioners' sugar, alternating with 2 tablespoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons cream, then blend in the melted chocolate. Beat in the softened cream cheese.

5. Make the Ganache: In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Assemble the cake: When cake is completely cooled, cover the bottom cake layer with as much ganache as desired. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, or until ganache has set. Spread frosting over the ganache. Cover with top layer of cake. Frost top and sides with buttercream, and garnish with more ganache.

Happy July 4th!

Don't forget to make a Jello Cake decorated with whipped cream and berries.

Have a happy 4th of July!!

The Real Lip Lickin' Deal

A couple of months ago we had some friends over for dinner. It is an unwritten rule that you must serve Tres Leches cake after fajitas. Actually, I just wrote it so now it is a written rule.
This is the real one. I've had recipes that are made with a yellow cake mix and it's just not the same as being made with a homemade sponge cake. Make sure you also use real whipped cream and not cool whip also.
Scrumptious. Truly scrumptious.

Tres Leches Cake

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
⅓ cups Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
¼ cups Heavy Cream
_____
FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping (minus 1/4 cup)
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a large measuring cup. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork all over (don't mutilate it though. Slowly drizzle your three milks mixture all over the cake, try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. I actually don't use the last 1/2 cup because I think it makes it a little too sweet.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes in fridge.

To ice the cake, whip remaining heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.
Refrigerate any leftovers.... if there is any.

Comfort Food

Everyone has that one food (or several foods) that make you feel better. I'll pretty much eat anything warm on a cold day; my husband will eat anything chocolate.

Today it's cool (I'm freezing, but really it's like 60° outside) and I'm feeding people tonight...perfect combination for warm, comforting Oatmeal Cake with Coconut frosting.

OATMEAL CAKE w/ Coconut Frosting

1 cube butter, cut up

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup quick oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, boiling water and quick oats and let sit. Mix together sugars and eggs in separate bowl, then add to first mixture. Stir in flour, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla. Place in greased cake pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp canned milk

1 egg

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup coconut

Mix well. While cake is still hot, spread on top. Broil in oven to brown coconut. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.

Doesn't that look amazing?

Another Birthday Cake

I've discovered that if you are going to do a fondant, marshmellow is the way to go. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, even better!

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 Box devils food cake
1 can cherry pie filling
1 small tub sour cream
2 eggs

Mix cake mix, eggs and sour cream together as best you can (it will be dry). Fold in cherries. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
go here for the best one Spread on cake and let cool in the fridge until its slightly stiff.

MM FONDANT
16 oz. White mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2-4 Tbs. Water
2 lbs. Powdered sugar
1/2 cup Good Brand Shortening (this is very unlike me, but the brand with trans fat (not crisco or smart balance) works better

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave: put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total.
Now grease your hands (or mixer) GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle.
Adding about a cup of sugar at a time, start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Regrease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is too dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes about 8 minutes (if doing by hand) to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

Add food coloring to the fondant and knead in. technically you should use the special icing coloring gel that comes in jars. You can get it at most craft stores or online. I just used regular cheap liquid stuff (I didn't need any vibrant colors) and added more sugar. If you are doing it all one color you may add the coloring in the very beginning when you are melting your marshmellows.
Roll out onto greased surface to the size you need and add on top of already iced cake that has been sprayed with a water bottle. Otherwise your fondant will not stick.

This recipe makes a lot! I had about 1/4-1/3 of the fondant leftover.

If this is confusing there are a lot of videos you can watch on YouTube. That's where I went to cake decorating school one night last week.

TIP:
To make the flowers on top, I rolled out the fondant and used a cookie cutter. I then let them dry out on the counter overnight in an egg shell carton so that they wouldn't be flat.

The Best Breakfast Cake

This is seriously our favorite breakfast cake. It is very moist and delicious! This picture doesn't really show the yumminess, just try it.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake

A Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook from the 80's.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Sifted powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and butter with an eletric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add half the flour, the eggs, milk, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat about 2 minutes or until well mixed.

Beat in remaining flour on low speed until well mixed. Spread batter evenly into an oil-sprayed 13x9 in pan. Spoon preserves in 8 to 10 portions on top of batter. With a knife, marble preserves into the batter lightly.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar on top. Serve warm.

Upside-Down Pumpkin Cake

I was assigned dessert for last Sunday's dinner-with-the-family. About 8:00 p.m. on Saturday I set about deciding what to make. At that point there's no convincing me to go to the store for extra ingredients, my energy expired about 4 hours earlier. Though this would typically mean preparing one of the stand-by recipes that you always have the ingredients for, none of them sounded perfect. Instead I pulled out a recipe book I received from my Mom this past Summer. It's one of the classic compilation cookbooks, put together by a Relief Society, and handed out to friends and family for a great/cheap gift. I love them. I love them mostly because they are tried and true recipes that someone has made and enjoyed enough to put into a cookbook. This one is HUGE, very well organized and tabbed and it's from Alpine, Utah so it's high class, y'all. :)

I opened up the dessert section and started looking for recipes that sounded good that also included ingredients found in the Snow family pantry (which by the way is still a shelf, in my dining room...big, nice pantry is coming soon). Recipe #4....Upside-Down Pumpkin Cake...sounded perfect. It's Autumn, almost my beloved pumpkin season...AND I had all of the ingredients...

It was perfect. If by perfect you mean moist, easy, delicious and ok to cook 16 hours before it needs to be eaten - Perfect!

So, thank you Mr. and Mrs. Pranger from Alpine, Utah. I've never met you, probably never will, but the recipe you provided our Texas Snow family will be used again, and again, and probably again...

UPSIDE-DOWN PUMPKIN CAKE

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

pinch salt

1 1/2 c. sugar (I would decrease this to 1 c., it was pretty sweet)

3 eggs, well beaten

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup melted butter

Combine pumpkin, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and blend well. Pour batter (it is pretty runny) into a greased 9 x 13 in. baking pan.

Spread dry cake mix over top of pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with butter. Moistening as much of the dry cake mix as possible with the butter. Bake 1 hour in 350° F oven. Cool slightly and serve with whipped topping.

Y'know what's good?

Zucchini bread french toast. Just sayin'. The kids suggested it and I being the amazingly patient, understanding mother that I am...well, we tried it. Delicious with a little sour cherry jelly dabbed on top. Mmmm!

Also, I made the best, BEST brownies the other night. Well, actually it's more like cake than brownies. We'll call them cake brownies...k?

Simply wonderful.

However, I can cook pretty much anything presented to me in a recipe, but I can not, let's repeat, CAN NOT, seem to master frosting. It always tastes good, but the consistency always bugs me. Maybe it's because I just don't particularly care for frosting, that makes me dislike it all...hmmm.

However, this is all that's left of Shane's lunch helping of the cake brownies...he said he liked it all, even the frosting. Which did, by the way, turn out much better than some recipes, I'd say keep this one, it tastes good, but wait until it cools to frost anything...trust me on that one. It's a much better frosting today than it was yesterday.

TEXAS CAKE BROWNIES

3 cup flour

3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup butter

9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

6 tsp. buttermilk

4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 12 x 18 inch jelly roll pan. ***Please note the size, it's a huge batch of brownies!!***

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a small saucepan, bring butter, cocoa and water to a rapid boil. Pour over the flour mixture and stir until combined. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract, in that order, and mix well.

3. Spread evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool before frosting.

4. Frosting: In a small saucepan melt 1/2 c. butter, stir in powdered sugar, 3 tbsp. cocoa, buttermilk and vanilla, in that order. Beat by hand until creamy. Spread on cooled brownies.

Birthday Cake

For my sons birthday this year we did a cowboy theme. I got the pattern to cut out the boot from Parents Magazine. I just used my sons boot as inspiration for decoration because I didn't like how theirs was decorated. If I can do this anybody can!

Sunday Dessert

I eat dinner nearly every Sunday with my in-laws. It's one of the blessings of living close to them, you get a free, really good dinner every week. I don't think I've ever had anything bad at their house.

I don't think my kids will be able to say that about my house...if they won't fess up I will. There have been some bad meals, but with each one I've learned a little more.

Anyway, back to the Sunday dinner. One of the great things about this weekly meal is trying new recipes (or re-trying old ones) and having a whole new audience to try them out on. I love getting an assignment of vegetables or dessert and coming up with something everyone (or almost everyone) will like. There have been some fun creations because of these weekly dinners.

Last Sunday I re-tried a classic - Individual Cheesecakes - mmmmm. They are easy, fast and versatile - perfect for Sunday dinner with the fam. And, since my mother-in-law requested the recipe and I failed to write it down for her...here ya go!

DELECTABLE INDIVIDUAL CHEESECAKES

2 pkg. cream cheese (I use low fat, seems a reasonable way to work into my diet)

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

vanilla wafers

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Mix cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy, add eggs one at a time, mix in vanilla and lemon juice.

In muffin tin, line 12 cups with liners. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each lined cup, then top with cheese mixture.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn off oven and let sit for another 10 - 15 minutes in oven. Then remove to refrigerator. This recipe makes 12 individual cheesecakes.

These are great topped with just about anything. I've tried a homemade peach/cinnamon sauce, caramel, hot fudge sauce, mint chocolate sauce, cut fruit...seriously, anything.

Because It's Friday, and I Can

I don't know about you, but I've had one heck of an emotional and trying week.  It's been good in many ways, but I am glad that it's Friday.  I think I deserve a treat, and though this recipe isn't going to do it for me...you know chocolate just isn't the key to my happiness, it should help someone out there have a better day.

CHOCOLATE TURTLE CHEESECAKE

1 (14 oz) package caramels

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (9-in) chocolate crumb pie crust - or 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs and 3 tbsp. melted butter, mixed together and pressed into 9-in pie plate, then baked at 350° for 6-8 minutes

1 (3-oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 (3.9-oz) package chocolate instant pudding mix

1/2 cup fudge topping

1. Place caramels and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan.  Heat over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans.  Pour into pie crust.

2. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and milk in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Add pudding mix; process for about 30 seconds longer.

3. Pour pudding mixture over caramel layer, covering evenly.  Chill, loosely covered, until set, about 15 minutes.  

4. Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer in a decorative pattern.  Sprinkle top of cake with remaining pecans.  Chill, loosely covered, until serving time.

Want To Know Where I've Been?

I've never claimed to be a cake decorator. Ever. I'll be honest and tell you that I do enjoy making my kids' cakes for their birthday parties, and I've been able to come with a few fun ones, but I am NOT a professional. Nor do I really have the desire to be one. Thankfully my kids are forgiving and really to a kid it's all about eating the cake, not what it looks like.

My 9 year old has an obsession with Pokemon. I don't get it, but he does. Therefore, I did some quick research and planned, on his request, a Pokemon birthday party. Invitations, cake and cupcakes were all Poke-balls....whatever they are. The invites were a hit, and the kids actually loved, and identified, the cake. Yay. Thankfully the parents were as ignorant as myself and couldn't really judge the cake.

The food was easy, hot dogs, chips, lemonade and candy. But let me say now, we will NEVER, EVER have 13 9 year olds in one house again...EVER!

Here's some pictures from cakes in years past...thankfully you can't turn me into Cake Wrecks, they accept professional work only!

(hey, they wrecked these ones by themselves...)

Easy Spring Dessert

I'm trying to prove that I'm not an idiot and I really can do a post that's not in all CAPS.  I swear my blog was on strike about the Quinoa post, it must not be a vegetarian, because my last two posts could not be edited out of being in CAPS.  Even Shane, the computer expert, looked at them and shook his head...actually, he shook his head at me and indicated it was user error, but we won't go there...his official diagnosis?  Redo the posts.  I refuse.  If my blog is going to be uppity about vegetarian postings, I'm going to make it look bad by refusing to redo the abominable postings.  Sorry.

Anway, here's to hoping this posting looks normal once I push the publish post button.  If it ends up in CAPS I'm giving up and you won't have another posting from me until my computer apologizes, I swear!

Anyway, in order to celebrate the great weather here in Desolate West Texas, and to celebrate the near arrival of Spring to other areas of the country, I'm posting an easy, easy no-bake cheesecake dessert.  YAY!! (No, that was just me being excited, the post is still cooperating)

EASY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

1 (9-in) graham cracker crust

1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (18-oz) can cherry pie filling

In large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually mix in sweetened condensed milk, until smooth.  Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.  Pour into premade crust.  Chill in fridge for approximately 3 hours, or until set.  Top with cherry pie filling when serving.  Serve cold.

Slow Cooker Sunday

This recipe comes from Family Fun Magazine's website, see here
for original recipe.  It looks delicious and very easy.
CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	1 cup all-purpose flour
	2 teaspoons baking powder
	6 tablespoons butter
	2 ounces semisweet chocolate (or 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
	1 cup sugar (2/3 cup & 1/3 cup, added separately)
	3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
	1 tablespoon vanilla extract
	1/4 teaspoon salt
	1/3 cup milk
	1 egg yolk
	1/3 cup brown sugar
	11/2 cups hot water
	Whipped cream or ice cream

1. Coat the inside of a 2 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. (Note: the cake's cooking time and final appearance will vary depending on your crock's size.) 
2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water and mix well. 
3. Whisk in the 2/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa, vanilla extract, salt, milk, and egg yolk. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. 
4. Pour the batter into the slow cooker and spread it evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, cocoa, and hot water until the sugar is dissolved. 
5. Pour the mixture over the batter in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot.
6. Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you'll know it's ready when nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot. (As you check, try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake.) 
7. When it's done, turn off the power and remove the lid. Let it cool for 25 minutes, then serve it in bowls topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

My Valentine's Cake

What the cake looked like when I made it...I kind of messed up on the ganache glaze.

What the cake looked like after we got into it....mmmm.

Death-by-Chocolate Cake

1 package devils food cake mix

(mix according to directions on package)

1 tub chocolate ready-to-spread frosting

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

crushed candy, whatever type you wish to use but toffee would be really yummy

1. Heat oven to 350°.  Generously grease 2 round pans. (I used square pans)  Pour cake mix into two separate pans.

2.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Run knife around side of pans to loosen cakes and remove from pans to wire rack.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3.  Frost layers with tub of ready made frosting.  Stack layers.

4.  Heat whipping cream in saucepan over medium heat until hot, but do NOT boil; remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Carefully pour chocolate mixture onto top center of cake; spread to edge, allowing some to drizzle down side.  Garnish top of cake with crushed candy.  Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. 

(Side note: Next time I make this cake I will add mint extract to either the ready made frosting or the chocolate ganache glaze, it would be sooooo good!)

February what?!?

I have been told that as you age, time goes faster. I do remember time going so S-L-O-W-L-Y when I was little. Christmas took forever to get here, Summer vacation just went on forever, the days were longer...but I'm not old and time is FLYING! Seriously, it's been what, 33 days, since we brought in the New Year and I still haven't actually written down my resolutions. By now I usually have written them down, started them and broken them, therefore canning all future resolutions and gotten on living my life. Well, welcome to February 2009...wow!

My husband is a choco-holic. I kid you not, if he could get an IV with chocolate he'd be completely satisfied. I think his mom ate a little too much chocolate while pregnant. That being said, he's very easy to please with desserts. For Valentine's day I try to make him a special dinner, you know all his favorites. He loves lasagna, he loves bread, and he loves chocolate and sweets...voila! Chocolate cheesecake. To be completely honest, for people like me who could easily live without chocolate, it's a little rich. But Shane loves it, so Happy Valentines Day to him!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

18 Chocolate Sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

3 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (8 squares) Semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
(I usually use the equivalent of cocoa and oil, listed on cocoa container)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325° if using a silver 9 inch springform pan (300° if using a dark nonstick 9 inch springform pan). Mix crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan and bake for 5 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven for 1 hour. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool cake completely before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store in refrigerator.

Before serving I usually sprinkle cocoa and powdered sugar over the top of the cake.

J = Johnny and Jello Cakes

I've never tried the following Johnny cake recipe, but I've always been fascinated with this type of griddle cake. I make cornmeal waffles last weekend, and if these are anything like them, they have to be great! The Jello cake is an old standby at our house. If we need to take a dessert somewhere and I'm feeling less than ambitious I'll take this because it's delicious!

johnnycake; johnny cake, jonnycake
Thought to be the precursor of the pancake, the johnnycake dates back to the early 1700s. It's a rather flat griddlecake made of cornmeal, salt and either boiling water or cold milk; there are strong advocates of both versions. Today's johnnycakes often have eggs, oil or melted butter and leavening (such as baking powder) added. Some renditions are baked in the oven, more like traditional cornbread. Also called hoe cake or hoecake. (allrecipes.com)

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease thoroughly an 8 inch square cake pan.

Combine cornmeal and milk. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together the egg and milk.

Cream shortening, and blend in sugar. Stir flour mixture and egg mixture alternately into creamed mixture alternately. Blend in cornmeal mixture.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot, with maple syrup.

Jello Cake

1 white or yellow cake mix
1 package of any fruit flavor jello - I prefer wild strawberry or raspberry
1 container whipped topping

Prepare cake mix as directed on box for a 9x13 in. pan. Once cake is removed from oven poke top of cake with fork at 1 inch intervals. While cake cools combine package of jello with 1 c. boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour over cooled cake and refrigerate for about an hour. Top cake with whipped topping.