Cake in a Can ( what I sent to Brad in Iraq)

INGREDIENTS
8 oz butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
6 whole eggs
6 Tbs sugar
1/2 C flour
Caramel cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
1/2 pound butter
1/2 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caramel



DIRECTIONS
Melt butter and chocolate together.

Whisk eggs and sugar together.

Whisk melted chocolate mixture into egg and sugar mixture. Whisk in cake flour.

Pour cake mix into a tin can or container, bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until outside of cake is set and center is still soft.

Top cake with your choice of toppings while still hot.

For icing: Cream butter and sugar. Fold in cream cheese.

Finish with caramel and vanilla.

Surprise Cookies

These cookies are awesome with either Rolo's or Milk Dud's
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Puppy Chow or Monkey munch

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Cute appetizer idea

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Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Creme

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These sound so good!  I may just try them

Scotcheroos with Chocolate topping

Yesterday I posted Kellogg's version of Chocolate Scotcheroos.  However that is not how I made them last night.  My version:

6 cups of Rice Crispies
12 oz of butterscotch chips
3/4 Cup of peanut butter
12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 TBS  of shortening                                                                                                                                     Melt the chips and peanut butter in a saucepan on stove.  Pour this over Rice Crispies so the cereal sticks together.  Spread in a 9 X 13 pan.  Refrigerate.   Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a saucepan on stove.  Pour over cooled butterscotch Rice Crispy bars.  Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.                                                                                     

Chocolate Pretzel rings

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Bacon Cheese Pull Aparts

• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 (16.3 oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands® Flaky Layers Refrigerated Original Biscuits
• 4-6 slices crispy bacon, cooked and broken into 1/2-inch pieces (or you can use 4-6 Tablespoons packaged real bacon pieces)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (4-5 medium), using both the green and white parts of the onion
• 1 (4-ounce) can mushroom pieces (optional)
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 11×7″ or 12×8″ (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray (if you don’t having either of those size pans, you could probably use a 9×13″ pan–it just may turn out a little flatter). In large bowl, beat egg and milk with wire whisk until smooth. Separate biscuit dough into 8 biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Gently stir the biscuit pieces into egg mixture to coat evenly, then fold in bacon, cheese, onions, and mushrooms, if desired. Spoon the mixture into your sprayed baking pan and arrange biscuit pieces in a single layer. Bake 23-28 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm by cutting into squares, or just pulling biscuits apart. Makes about 8 servings.

Spinach Lasagna

I have wanted to try this for a long time.   Click on title to view

Firey Pepper Pasta

Recipe: Fiery pepper pasta

Padma Lakshmi

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry spaghetti or thin spaghetti
• Approx. 1-2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4-5 peeled, crushed garlic cloves
• 2 cups diced green bell pepper*
• 2 cups diced red bell pepper*
• 1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes
• Fresh chopped herbs like parsley or dill (optional)

Preparation

1. Boil a large pot of water with salt on high heat until to a gently rolling boil. Toss and stir in pasta and cook to package instructions or al dente, usually 7-9 minutes.
2. While pasta is cooking, place a strainer at the ready in sink. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. When hot, add bell peppers and then after 3-4 minutes add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until peppers are softened and garlic is just barely turning golden but not brown.
3. Stir in chili flakes, and then remove skillet from heat before garlic turns dark as this will make it bitter.
4. Remember to remove and drain pasta in time and toss together with the peppers. Serve warm.
5. Stir in fresh parsley or dill.
(*Yellow and orange bell peppers are also nice instead)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Recipe: Corned beef and cabbage

Ariane Duarte

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, halved
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 -3 pounds corned beef brisket
• 3 cups water
• 1 bottle dark beer
• 1 small green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

Preparation

Combine potatoes, carrots, garlic, sugar and bay leaf in large slow cooker. Put brisket on top of vegetables and add water and beer. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Add cabbage for last 1 1/2 hours.
Remove beef from slow cooker. Let rest, loosely covered, 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Remove and discard bay leaf. Remove vegetables with slotted spoon and serve with corned beef.

Serving Size

Serves 8

Ruldolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Cookies

These are really cute!

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