holiday pretzel treat

A few years ago, I found this recipe, and it was so incredibly easy, that I put my then little kids to work on helping me make these yummy treats. Since then, my girls have made these every year. It's a family favorite (OK, it's a favorite b/c I don't have to bake or slave over a stove... they can do it all!).

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Place a bunch of square pretzels on a cookie sheet. Line then up as close as possible.

(note to myself: comb Maddie's hair before pictures are taken! EEKS!)

This is where your kids come in handy! Make them unwrap a bunch of Hershey kisses. It'll take a while. Trust me. Oh, and buy a few bags of kisses b/c chances are, they all won't make it to the cookie sheet.

Place the Hershey kisses on top of the pretzel.

Place in the oven and leave for 4-6 minutes. I had to leave for 7 minutes b/c my chocolate was still too hard by 6 minutes.

Dump some M&M's on the table.

When you pull out the cookie sheet, immediately have your kids put one M&M on top of each kiss, squooshing it down.

Tada! Place in fridge for about 10 minutes to harden up!

You could also use a Rolo candy with a nut squishing it down! A turtle!

Cheddar Chowder

I had this years ago at a bridal shower, and it was so divine! So fattening too! Serve this with warm bread and a salad on the side!

Ingredients for soup:
2 c diced potatoes
1/2 c diced carrots
1/2 c diced celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 c water

Ingredients for white sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
2 c grated cheese
1 c cubed ham

Mix all vegetables except white sauce ingredients and bring to boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes while making the white sauce.

To make the white sauce: melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to make a paste. Add milk and stir constantly over low to medium head. Heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add cheese. Pour sauce into vegetables (do not drain the water!) and add ham. Heat thoroughly and serve!

Amy's Notes: I buy the small packages of diced ham found in the meat department by the bacon & lunch meats. It's the perfect size!

Potato Soup

I love a good, warm, hearty soup on a cold winter night! This is definitely hearty!

Ingredients:
5+ potatoes
1 small onion
2-3 stalks celery
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c evaporated milk
2 tbsp margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
a little water & a lot of salt & pepper
Mrs. Dash
shredded cheese (optional)

Peel & cut potatoes. Dice up onions & celery. Boil potatoes, onion, & celery until tender. Drain and mash a little. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until warm. I add Mrs Dash because it gives it a little bit of a different taste! Top with cooked bacon, chives, cheese, etc if you'd like!

The key here is to add until it tastes perfect! (and I'm talking about the salt, pepper & Mrs Dash).

saucy parmesan chicken

Found this amazing recipe in the Kraft's magazine a few years ago. This is a keeper! And it's FAST!

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts (I use chicken strips/tenders)
1/4 c Italian dressing
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a resealable bag. Turn over several times to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate, making sure chicken is not overlapping each other. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken on a piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Amy's Note: I use the cheapest Italian dressing I can find. It works just as well as the expensive stuff!! I also use the chicken strips/tenders for this recipe. Also this recipe is great with buttered parmesan noodles!

chicken parmesan strips

My grandma gave me this Weight Watchers recipe a few years ago, and it's HEALTHY!! It's also very yummy! My girls love this recipe! I love to stock up on the chicken tenders/strips when they're on sale and use it in this recipe.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken strips
1/2 c skim milk
1/3 c nonfat dry bread crumbs
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place chicken in shallow bowl and cover with milk. Cover & refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours. Combine rest of ingredients. Dip chicken pieces into crumb mixture to coat well. Place on sprayed baking sheet. Spray each piece of chicken with olive oil spray. Bake 20 minutes or until brown and done. {bake at 350 I think ... maybe it's 400?! Just watch it!)

Amy's Note: I only have Italian bread crumbs on hand, so it gives an extra taste! I also don't spray each chicken piece with olive oil spray. You don't need it!

fruit dip

Years ago, when I worked/helped at the LDS Mission home preparing for new missionaries to enter the mission field, (and where said goodbye to the old missionaries), the Mission President's wife gave me a few recipes that are keepers. Here is one of them:

Ingredients
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 container whipped strawberry cream cheese
1/2 container Cool Whip

Mix together and serve with fruit!

Very delicious!

mayonnaise cake

I know... the name sounds gross, right? But, it's the moistest, chocolatey'est (is that a word?) cake ever! And it's the ONLY thing I eat with homemade ice cream!

Mix together:
2 c sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 large tbsp cocoa & more (& more?? How much is.... & more? I don't know!)

Add:
1 c cold water
1 c sugar
1 c salad dressing (y'know, mayonnaise?! Salad dressing! The cheap stuff!)
1 tsp vanilla

When mixed, pour in greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

chocolate angel food cake

Since I'm on a roll, and I'm doing chocolate stuff, here is another favorite my mom made when I was growing up. This is soooo yummy!

Ingredients
2 12 oz pkg chocolate chips
4 eggs, separated
1 pint whipped cream (or 2 containers Cool Whip)
2 tbsp sugar (do not use if you're using Cool Whip)
1 Angel food cake
1 c nuts, chopped

Melt chocolate chips. Add egg yolks and beat. Set aside and let cool. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in egg whites, then the Cool Whip. Break the cake in pieces and put in a 9x13 pan. Cover cake with chocolate mix. Sprinkle with nuts (I hate nuts in my food, so I disregard). Chill several hours. Can be made one day ahead!

chocolate mousse pie

Yummmm.... I love this frozen pie. My mom used to make this pie for Thanksgiving dinner, after the French Silk pie was retired from Thanksgiving at our house.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Bar
1/3 c milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 3 oz softened cream cheese
1 container Cool Whip
1 8-inch graham cracker crust

Heat chocolate and 2 tbsp of the milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Beat sugar into cream cheese; adding remaining milk & chocolate mix and beat until smooth. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped topping, blending until smooth. Spoon into crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Store in freezer.

rod's super fudge

Since it's the holidays, and that means my favorite foods come out at this time of the year! Every year since I can remember, as soon as Thanksgiving came, my dad whipped out his famous fudge. (hence the name "Rod's Super Fudge"). This is a family favorite, which has become MY family favorite, and it's the most requested recipe to have or thing I'm requested to make! The tip to this recipe is to keep the fudge COLD after you make it! Don't let it get to room temperature otherwise it's not as awesome.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
4 c sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg chocolate chips (try milk choc or semi-sweet, they both give different flavors!)
2 giant sized Hershey bars
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 c nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, sugar & milk in huge saucepan; after it starts boiling, cook for 5 minutes at a rolling boil. Remove from heat and beat in remaining ingredients. Will make one 9x13 pan and 1 9x9 pan of fudge, or will fit one cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Let cool in fridge & cut. Make sure you keep it cold (best when it's cold!) and keep in airtight container.

Amy's Notes: Last year I noticed Hershey's stopped making their usual giant sized Hershey bars candy bar. Bummer. I used the slightly smaller bars, but I could tell it didn't taste as 100% as it could. This year I'm going to use another bar, but maybe half of a bar?

Another tip to have, is to have every ingredient unwrapped and ready to go. This is a FAST thing to make, and you're not going to have time to unwrap each thing and put it in. So prepare beforehand!

pumpkin pancakes

I found this amazing recipe on allrecipes.com last Saturday morning. I had about a cup full of canned pumpkin leftover from my pumpkin cookies and I didn't want it to go to waste. I found this, and it was AMAZING! My girls loved this.... Mike didn't touch it though (said something about not liking pumpkin, but he loves his pumpkin pie.... go figure!). Even more, Katie requested this for her birthday breakfast in January! Can you say... Ka-CHING?! Winner!!

Ingredients:

2 c flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c milk

1 c pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil & vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough until combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Use approximately 1/4 c for each pancake. Brown on both sides & serve hot. Warm your syrup!!

Amy's Notes: I didn't have allspice. So, I used a whole bunch of pumpkin pie spice (like 2 tsp?) and it was still good.

{Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies}

My mom made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies every Thanksgiving (well, maybe a few years she made them). She used mini chocolate chips in it, and they were "oh... SO moist!" I fell in love with them. But, I kept hearing several friends tell me "try THIS recipe, it's the BEST", and so this year, I am trying a new recipe. It's my friend Rachel's recipe. I had to change it around a bit due to some of the ingredients I was short on, but it still is a very moist, yummy cookie!!

Ingredients
1 c butter

1 c shortening

2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

caribbean lime coolers

This recipe was featured in Betty Crocker's Cookies & Bars magazine this month, and it is out of this world! So delicious! If you love anything citrusy, then THIS is your cookie to try!

Caribbean Lime Coolers
(makes 2 1/2 dozen)

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 c coconut
1 tbsp grated lime peel (about 1 lime)
3 tablespoons lime juice (or about 2 limes)
6 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1/4 c powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, coconut, lime juice, lime peel, butter & egg until soft dough forms.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper), drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart (or do like Maddie did to get 4 dozen: make them really really tiny)
3. Bake 9-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. With small strainer, sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies. Store covered @ room temperature.

homemade chocolate cupcakes

I recently found an awesome cupcake recipe on Bakerella .... a really cool blog dedicated to all things yummy & bake-able. (just click on the word Bakerella if you wish to see the website) She made cupcakes by scratch. Whoa.... by scratch? Never done it before! I'm usually using my trusty box of cake mix. However, this recipe was from Martha Stewart, and how could it be bad if it's from Martha Stewart??!! Well, the recipe was SO simple, so easy..... and involved few ingredients and ONE bowl! Away I baked...... and they were SO delicious! WAY better than cake mix cupcakes, I must say!

My fudge frosting is from my Betty Crocker recipe book. I use it on ALL of my chocolate cakes. So incredibly yummy!

Ingredients

Makes 18 to 24

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Amy's Notes: This was very runny batter ~ and I was very hesitant that I did it right (since cake mix batter isn't very runny)... but it's supposed to be runny, so you did it right! If you don't have buttermilk, just take 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar & add enough whole milk to make a cup, let sit for 5 minutes!

No-Cook Fudge Frosting

(from Betty Crocker's recipe book)

Cast of Characters:

4 3/4 c sifted powdered sugar

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c margarine or butter, softened

1/3 c boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

Mix powdered sugar & cocoa. Add margarine, boiling water, and vanilla. Best w/ an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Cool for 20-30 minutes or till or spreading consistency. Frosts tops & sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

chipotle's basmati rice

I love Chipotle's rice they add to the burrito bowls! It is SO yummy! Thankfully, I found the recipe online, and it is a TRUE recipe that they use!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter

2 tsp. fresh cilantro

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Add cilantro after fluffing rice.

chocolate covered bananas

My grandma made this for me when I was a kid... and I.LOVED.IT!

I think she dipped hers in chocolate chips that were melted. Then sometimes she rolled the banana in nuts.

My mom made some too, but she used Magic Shell, and those were so yummy too!

Peel & cut your bananas in half, and stick a popsicle stick in the middle of each one. Place on a tray and put in freezer for 3 hours.

Maddie brought home some Heath Magic Shell from a leftover ice cream party. I put it in the fridge.

Apparently it is the WRONG thing to do, because it was hard. There was a little section on the back (in tiny letters, I have to add!) that says "DO NOT REFRIGERATE!" Oops! So, I ran under hot water for a few minutes until I had some that poured out. The Magic Shell will harden almost immediately, so you will not be able to roll in nuts, M&M's or anything fun.

If you wish to use melted chocolate chips, don't freeze your banana first.... chop your banana in half, then roll in chocolate, then you can easily roll in a bowl full of nuts, chopped M&M's, etc. Just place in freezer for a few hours.

blueberry streusel scones

I'm on a scone making kick, and I found this recipe online (joyofbaking.com), and just HAD to try it out! When blueberries finally went on sale, I bought a pint and went to work!

Ingredients

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

6 tbsp chilled butter

1 c fresh blueberries

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c cream or milk

Streusel Topping

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp chilled butter

For the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into small pieces & blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg & vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently for or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the streusel topping: in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender (or fork), cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned @ 425 degrees, about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days!

Amy's Notes: I used buttermilk instead of milk or cream, just because I've been using buttermilk with all my other scone recipes. If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first! Also, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I never have on hand. I used both salt & salted butter, and it tasted fine. You could just omit the salt if using salted butter. Also, make sure you bake on parchment paper! This always helps when baking cookies, scones, etc!

Orange Cranberry Scones

picture by me

This is the same similar scone recipe as the Cinnamon Raisin Scones, but a few ingredients have changed.

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour

3 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c cranberries (or Craisins)

zest of 1 orange

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add cranberries & orange zest. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.



Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

picture by me

My sister in law Rachel gave me this recipe. I made this for the first time yesterday, and WOW! It was amazing!!

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c raisins
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
couple shakes of cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add raisins. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

friendly french bread

This recipe is from a friend in Overland Park. She is a fantastic baker. She shared her recipe a few months ago on her blog, and I have since made this twice, and each time it was "ooh, so yummy!"

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c hot water

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1/3 c olive oil

2 tbsp SAF yeast

6 c white flour

Combine water, sugar, salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour in mixer. Add yeast and then add the last 3 cups of flour. Lex mix until well combined, and then let rest for 10 minutes. Mix again for just 5 seconds, then let rest for another 10 minutes. Do this a total of 4 times and then put dough on floured surface. Knead to handle stage. Cut into 2 equal parts and roll each into a 9x12 rectangle. At this stage, you can put butter and garlic powder on the dough, or pesto sauce or just leave plain (whatever you like). Roll up and cinch the seam together and put both facing each other on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Slash the top with a sharp knife 3 times and brush with a beaten egg on top. Let rise for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, in the middle of the oven. Voila! Crispy on the outside, soft & delicious on the inside!

Makes TWO big loaves!

mike's favorite banana nut cake

Mike loves his Grandma... even more when she made him his favorite cake. Traditionally it's in a jelly roll pan (big oversized cookie sheet), with sliced bananas on top with whipped cream over that. Here is Grandma's Banana Nut Cake (or otherwise known as "Mike's Favorite Banana Nut Cake").

Ingredients:

2 c mashed bananas (4-5 bananas)
1 c buttermilk
1 c margarine
2 c sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated
2 1/4 c sifted flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c chopped nuts

Sift flour 4 times, then measure. sift all other dry ingredients 4 times (except sugar). Cream sugar & margarine. Add egg yolk then sifted flour. Mix, add milk, mix, add bananas & nuts. Add rest of dry ingredients. Fold in stiffly beatened egg whites. Bake in greased & floured deep cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Put in refrigerator after cool. When ready to eat, slice bananas and place on top. Whip real cream w/ 1/2 c sugar & place on top.

Amy's Note:
The first time I made this recipe, it took me FOREVER! So, I decided that the next time I made it, I wasn't going to sift my flour, and it still turned out great. I'm going to make it today in a bundt pan, but I'm not going to stiffen my egg whites either. I'll let you know if it turns out or not. :)

ETA: OK, Mike refused to touch it in a bundt pan. ::GRR:: I guess he wanted to put his sliced bananas & whipped cream on top, and doing it in a bundt pan didn't allow him that freedom. However, it was very delisious. I kept it in the fridge!

{amy's chocolate chip cookie}

This is actually the recipe from the back of Nestle's Tollhouse cookie recipe. This is literally the ONLY recipe that I can make a darn good chocolate chip cookie. I don't know why, but it's the only one. My trick is to use half shortening, and half butter (that is left at room temperature!). Oh, and I watch the timer, and pull the cookie sheet out when the cookies are just starting to turn a little bit brown, but not quite. They still remain very movable after they cool when I do that. Love these cookies!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c butter (1/2 c shortening 1/2 c butter)

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 pkg chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda & salt. Put aside. Beat butter that is at room temperature (DO NOT MELT!!) & shortening with sugars, eggs & vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and eat!

Amy's Notes:

**My mom introduced me to parchment paper. Now I never do any baking without this. My cookies literally slide off my cookie sheet and are baked PERFECTLY with this stuff!

**I never combine my flour, soda & salt and set aside. I do it all in one pan, but just start w/ the butter/eggs/sugar first, then add the flour, soda & salt. I'm too lazy to dirty up more dishes, I guess...

{red beans & rice}

I've made this a couple times in my married life. It's a huge dish, but it's very delicious!! It's a little spicy, but not too bad.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c brown or white rice

1 c canned tomatoes (1 can)

1 c grated cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 c cooked red beans (1 can), drained

2 1/2 c water

Heat oil, add onion & garlic, cook over medium heat until soft. Add rice and stir to coat. Add tomatoes, break them up with a spoon. Add chili powder, sugar, salt & cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans & water. (use liquid from tomatoes, if they were canned!). Add cheese. Transfer to an 8 cup casserole and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.

{black beans & corn salsa}

My mom gave me this recipe. I love it. You can make it as mild as you like, to as hot & spicy as you'd like. I like mild. I want to be able to eat. :)

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 c diced red onion

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt & pepper, each

4-6 tbsp lime juice

**can add 1/4 c cilantro

**can add pickled jalapeno slices

Mix & let flavors mingle overnight, if possible. At least 4 hours if you can't let it sit overnight. You can also add green peppers, tomatoes, chopped parsley, garlic, etc... if you want to add some different types of veggies, flavors, colors, etc. Just remember to keep the proportions the same as above.

Serve with tortilla chips, or on salads!

Amy's Notes:

**I always start with 4 tbsp of the lime juice and adjust my taste to the dressing.

{cheesy asparagus}

Last week I was thumbing through my huge stack of magazines that are piling up on me. I found this recipe that looked pretty yummy & simple. I love simple. Anything that is few ingredients, I'm going to try. I made this for the first time yesterday for Easter dinner, and it was a winner.

Ingredients:

1 lb trimmed asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

lemon zest

Toss 1 bunch (1 lb) trimmed asparagus in 1 tbsp olive oil with 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (not the stuff you put on spaghetti... the real stuff!). Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Amy's Notes:

*I could do without the lemon zest. It was good with it on ... but it also made me think "uhh.. I can also do without as well". The family loved this recipe! Even my picky Katie ate seconds on it, so it for SURE is a winner!

*Leave the asparagus in a long stem. Just trim the bottom portion of the vegetable.

{potato casserole}

This yummy recipe is always made on holidays for my family. Why only the holidays? Because it's loaded with tons of fat (sour cream, butter, cheese, etc), and frankly because it costs so much money to make! We love it so much though.... I think I need to start making it more often and just freeze half of it in the freezer (9x9 pans). This dish generally goes by Holiday Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, but I just call it potato casserole.

Ingredients:

3 - 12 oz pkg shredded hash browns, thawed

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c diced onion

salt, pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz sour cream

10 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Mix together, bake at 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 pan.

Amy's Notes:

*After several years of getting tired of biting into onions that still tasted a bit strong, I started sauteeing them a bit before I added them to the recipe. It takes out the strong onion taste, but still adds to the recipe!

{coca cola ham}

This is more of a reminder to myself of what TO do the next time I bake a ham. Considering it was the first time I've ever made ham...... ever, it turned out REALLY awesome. I'm typing it up so I don't forget how I made it. It's going to look a little juvenile the way I type it, but oh well..

I had a spiral cut ham (bone-in). It came w/ a packet of honey glaze that I had to add water & heat up on the stove.

I poured a can of Coke on the bottom of my huge roasting pan, and dumped the ham face down (tiny part of the ham was sticking up). Covered it all with foil. Then, I didn't baste it. Couldn't find my baster thing. I was supposed to, but it turned out delicious without basting it.

I baked it for 1 hour at 350 (it was cooked already), then took it out, place it on my roaster flat (skinny part of the ham was laying sideways now), separated some of the slices, and spread the glaze over it. Then baked it for another 10 minutes at 425.

It was so delicious.....

{creamy parmesan mashed potatoes}

(picture is not mine... it's Kraft's)

I love my Kraft Food & Family magazine. It's free, and comes out every quarter. I have tried numerous recipes from them, and they ALL are delicious. This recipe came from my new magazine. We tried it tonight, and it is most definitely a WINNER (and a keeper!). It isn't very calorie friendly, but I think if you use low-fat (or even fat free) cream cheese & sour cream, it could be a little friendlier to your hips.

Ingredients:

2 lb. red potatoes (about 8), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz of Philadelphia's 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
3 Tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

PLACE potatoes in large saucepan. Add broth; cover. Bring to boil on high heat; simmer on medium heat 15 min., stirring after 8 min. Uncover; stir potatoes. Simmmer, uncovered, 5 to 6 min. or until potatoes are tender and most of broth is absorbed.

ADD cream cheese. Reduce heat to low. Mash potatoes slightly until cream cheese is melted. Add sour cream and Parmesan; mash until potatoes are smooth and heated through.

Amy's Notes:

**I thought "uhh... 1 cup of broth isn't enough!" well, it is, and I drained part of my entire can of chicken broth out of my pan to make it about 1 cup of broth. Just make sure you follow the directions CLOSELY!! It really does resemble the mashed potatoes you might find at Applebee's or Chili's!

{crumb top for pies}

My sister in law Tiffany gave me this recipe, and hands down it's one of my favorite crumb recipes ever! I used this recipe to teach a "how to make an apple pie" class at our church's women's group years ago. It was "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" over & over. I think this would work well on peach pies, apple pies... anything! And, it saves me time from having to make a double pie crust (which I dislike very much!)

Ingredients:

2/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c flour

1/2 c oats

1/3 c softened butter

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients with a pastry blender or a fork. Sprinkle over the top of any kind of fruit pie (apple, peach, etc) or a crisp. Bake as directed with your pie.

Amy's Notes:

*If you forgot to pull your stick of butter out of the fridge or freezer to soften, pull it out, slice it through and lay it out in a circle. It will soften within minutes.

*Adding coconut is an option as well.....

{single pie crust}

My grandma makes the best pies. Her pies are always so flaky. I'm not a big fan of pies, since it takes FOREVER to make one. But, I always get so many compliments on my pies every single time I make it, so it makes it worthwhile..... sometimes. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c sifted regular flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c Crisco

3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour before measuring, combine salt & flour. With a pastry blender, cut in Crisco until uniform; mixture should be fairly course. Sprinkle with water. Work dough into a firm ball with hands. Press dough into a flat circle with smooth edges (make sure flour is under your dough!!).

Amy's Notes:

*I have the hardest time transferring my pie crust over. Just wrap it around your rolling pin and transfer it over.

*I didn't add the baking time to bake this (sorry!), if you're making a cream pie. Most of my pies are apple or pumpkin, so it needs to be a raw dough when you add in the filling. If you do bake it by itself, then use a fork and punch holes throughout the pie so it doesn't bubble up, Then watch it carefully.

*One fun memory I have when my grandma or even my mom made pies. They would always use the leftover dough to make cinnamon crisps for us. LOVE it! So if you have leftovers, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it and put it in the oven for your kids. :)

{lasagna}

This is my mom's recipe. I had to have her come over one day after I was married to show me how to make it. It turned into an all day event. ::rolling eyes:: But, I have it down to a pat now, it DOESN'T take me all day, just an hour or less. :) Serve with a delicious salad & garlic bread.

Ingredients:

16 oz box lasagna noodles

1 egg

1 container cottage cheese (large)

2 tbsp parsley

parmesan cheese (1/4 cup in & on top)

2 - 8 oz mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb hamburger

1 onion, chopped

2 jars spaghetti sauce

Boil lasagna (see my notes!). Brown hamburger with onions in it. Drain the cottage cheese. Mix egg, cottage cheese, parsley, 1/4 c parmesan cheese, 1 package of mozzarella cheese & garlic powder. Mix spaghetti sauce with hamburger after it is browned & drained of fat. Spread a little sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan, layer with noodles, then add a little cheese mixture, then sauce. Do it again with noodles, cheese mixture then sauce, etc. Keep going until you get to the top or you run out of cheese mixture & sauce. Add another package of mozzarella cheese on the top, and sprinkle with 1/4 c of parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour at 350. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*I no longer boil my noodles. Some people prefer to boil the noodles, but now I save myself even more time and buy the "no boil" noodles. SO easy!

*I buy the cheap spaghetti sauce (like the 99 cents in a tin can kind). I can't taste a difference anyways, so why not go cheap? Especially with all the ingredients it can get a little expensive, cut corners on brand names whenever possible!

*Make SURE you let it sit for a bit before serving! Otherwise your beautiful lasagna will turn into a soup if you serve it immediately after pulling it out of the oven!

{green chili chicken enchiladas}

This is the ONLY recipe I know by heart. Sad, isn't it?! It's not spicy at all, and only one kid will eat it (Katie refuses to eat anything Mexican, it seems... except burritos). This is made kind of in layers, so it's more of a casserole type of enchiladas than a rolled enchilada.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 can diced green chili

1 c diced onion

1 big can of chicken

corn tortillas

tons of grated cheese (1-2 bags)

OK... here is where it gets kind of tricky. If you want to make a full 9x13 pan, then double the chicken, green chilis, onion (but keep the cream of soups the same). I usually do a 9x9 pan, or a pan that is still rectangle but slightly smaller than 9x13.

Combine all the soups, chicken, onion (NOTE! I usually saute my onions a little first so it gets the strong "oniony" taste out a bit!!). Layer a thin spread of soup mix on bottom of dish. Layer with tortillas, soup mix, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*Sometimes I make this and freeze it, so I have a fast meal on hand.

*I don't always use just cheddar cheese. Sometimes I've used a mixture of mozzarella cheese & cheddar (which is fantastic!), and also the Kraft brand "Mexican" mixture of cheese. That adds a little bit of zing to the taste, I think!!

*and I mentioned the onion. I saute my onions from now on b/c some onions I buy are just SO strong! When I saute them, it takes out the taste a bit.

*I'm too lazy to boil my chicken, then shred it. So, I just get out a can of chicken from my food storage/pantry and cut it open. Easy!

{fettuccini alfredo}

I found this recipe on topsecretrecipes.com.... it's a knock off recipe from Olive Garden's Fettuccini Alfredo, and SO yummy (and very much high calorie... SORRY!!)! Sometimes I top it with grilled chicken, sometimes I don't. Serve it with a salad & long rolls, and it's perfecto!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch salt

1/2 c parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan over medium/low heat. Add garlic, cream, salt & pepper and bring mixture to simmer. Turn head down if it reaches a rapid boil. Add cheese & continue to simmer for 8 minutes.

Amy's Notes:

*Make sure the water for the fettuccini is boiling when you start this, and dump the pasta in the water. This alfredo sauce will take awhile to cook (maybe 20 minutes?)....

*This sauce would also be good on a pizza with chicken on it!!

{peanut butter easter eggs}

I found this on allrecipes.com, and I'm hoping to make this for this upcoming weekend!! There were too many "it's fantastic" reviews for it NOT to be bad, which is why I'm adding it before I'm even trying it!

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package confectioners' sugar

1 c creamy peanut butter

1/4 c butter

1 tbsp milk

8 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate

1 tbsp shortening

In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter & milk (if needed for moisture) until blended. Shape mixture into two 1/2 pound eggs or make a bunch of smaller eggs. Freeze eggs for 1 hour.

While the eggs are freezing, cut semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces & place in top of double broiler w/ shortening. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Stick a long-tined ford in top of each peanut butter egg, dip it in melted chocolate to cover then drain on waxed paper. When the eggs are cooled & set, decorate the eggs to suit your fancy.

Amy's notes:

*Use more milk if needed to bring it together (not so crumbly)

*Use milk chocolate chips for dipping

*some people liked using half chunky peanut butter & half creamy peanut butter

*lessen the amount of sugar if it is too sweet

*can use a heart shape for Valentine's Day, etc

{monkey bread}

this recipe is from my friend Jenni back in Kansas... she made these one day just as an after school snack. I was amazed ANY woman would make anything w/ yeast & bread just for an afterschool snack!

Monkey Bread
Cream together:
2 T butter

2 T sugar
1 egg
1 t salt
1-2 T yeast

Add alternatively:
3-3 1/2 c flour
1 cup water

Let rise 20-25 minutes, then roll into a rectangle, and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch squares (I used a pizza cutter), dip it in 1/3 c melted butter. I put these in a bundt pan (you'll lay these sporadically all over the pan) and let rise again. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

-----------------------------------------------------

I'm so inexperienced when it comes to letting dough rise, and I didn't use the type of yeast that doesn't need proofing, so if this turned out great, then I know this is a dummy's guide for great dinner rolls! Thankfully, the Texas heat really does a great job at letting dough rise (if I set it on the grill outside and NOT on the ground, it rises!!).

I have seen monkey bread also made where you cut them in circles, and line them up in a bundt pan standing up (circles standing up), then you can just pull them off.

Course, one friend used to dip hers in butterscotch pudding (the dry mix) then line them up circle wise. You can also dip these in butter, then dip again in cinnamon sugar, for a yummy breakfast treat!

{homemade banana ice cream}

Using my family's basic recipe for homemade ice cream, we tweaked it a little one night and instead of making butterfinger ice cream (which is Mike's favorite of all), we made banana ice cream (I had 6 small bananas that needed to be disposed of, and fast!)

It was OUT OF THIS WORLD! and worthy of its own post. :)

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

6 bananas (we froze for an hour)

1 tsp of vanilla (or a little more if you like vanilla)

2 quarts of half & half

a little bit of milk if needed to fill the canister (which we didn't)

We took a blender and blended up 3 eggs, 3 bananas, 1 c sugar and some half & half then poured it in the ice cream maker container. Then we did it again w/ the rest of the ingredients. Freeze as directed according to your ice cream maker. FANTABULOUS!!

When we make butterfinger ice cream, we use 6 butterfinger bars, crushed, and lessen the sugar to 1 3/4 cup.

{knock off manwich}

Knock Off Manwich

one 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp Worchestire sauce (or however you spell it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Let simmer for about 5 minutes or so, and it's DONE! The mixture is enough for a pound of hamburger, so double accordingly if you have a huge family. I love this moreso than Manwich itself, which is almost too sweet in a way. This was a little sweet, but not overbearingly sweet.

Definitely a LOT cheaper than buying Manwich!

{broccoli cheese soup}

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 (16 oz) pkg broccoli florets

2 ½ c milk1/3 c flour¼ tsp pepper

8 oz Velveeta

Heat large saucepan coated w/ cooking spray over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic, saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Combine milk & flour, stirring until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Place 1/3 of soup in a blender or food processor (or hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 cup each).

Both of my girls eat this…. and one of them HATES vegetables (Katie). VERY yummy with fresh bread or rolls on the side.

{strawberry mozzarella salad}

My favorite salad in this entire world.... I tried this at my friend Mandi's house last year, and I slightly changed it a bit, but it's become my favorite salad hands down. I made this for our church's Christmas party, and it's been a hit since. I know the recipe has been passed too & from all parts of the US!

Add lettuce (the above was butter lettuce, which I'm not sure what that is, but I guess any kind of nice green lettuce will work), slice up some strawberries.

We had bought the small mozzarella balls and sliced those up, but I think those mozzarella sticks will work good too.

Then, crush up some candied pecans (we loved the glazed Pecan Pie flavored Pecans). Add those three ingredients to the lettuce.

Then, mix up these ingredients for the poppy seed dressing:
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 c oil
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Normally, one could add 1 tsp finely chopped red onion, but I had forgotten it, and it was still delicious! I did not pour all of the dressing over it, maybe about 1/4 cup. I saved the rest in one of my new "oh so cute" mason jars. I have managed to make this salad a few more times, and every time I eat it, I just am "mmmmm-ing" all over again!

{sweet 'n spicy pulled pork}

So easy, only 3 ingredients. Eat your hearts out!

Sweet 'n Spicy Pulled Pork
1 1/2 c salsa (I used Pace Picante, medium)
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3-4 lbs pork roast

Mix the salsa & brown sugar together. Sit the pork roast in a crockpot, pour mixture over top of roast. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. It will shred by itself. I helped it along by shredding some more and pulling all the fat out at the end. No need to add water as the water will come out of the pork roast.

This recipe is so yummy, so moist, and yet sweet but a little spicy! I took those mini rolls from Sam's so we ate it like a sandwich. Mike wants me to add a habanera pepper next time. Yikes!

{golden sweet cornbread}

Golden Sweet Cornbread
1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x9 pan w/ Pam. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeals, sugar, salt & baking powder. Stir in egg, milk & oil until well combined. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This is fantastic with butter & honey (or honeybutter!).

{chicken tortilla soup

I have been dying to try my friend Calli's recipe of Chicken Tortilla Soup. I finally gathered all the ingredients for this soup, and after serving it to my family, it is a WINNER! Enjoy this recipe that will for sure keep you warm! Couple it up with my recipe for sweet cornbread, and you'll be in heaven!

Cindy's Famous Tortilla Soup

2 Chicken Breasts

5 Cloves of Garlic

1 Large Can (I think I used 3 normal sized cans) of Green Enchilada Sauce

3 (8oz) Cans of Tomato Sauce (I used 2-15 oz cans)

2 Cans of Corn (drained)

2 Cans of Sliced Olives (drained)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Cook the chicken breasts in enough water to cover along with the garlic, cumin, and salt. Take breasts out, cool, and shred. To the chicken water, add all the other ingredients. Bring to a slight boil, then turn down to medium and add chicken. Cook on med-low for about 10 minutes, or until chicken has had a chance to reheat. Put in a bowl and serve with cheese, sour cream, and shredded tortilla chips. I also didn't use sliced olives... I used chopped olives, but it still turned out very yummy!

{meatloaf}

MEATLOAF

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs, beaten
1 c oats
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil

Mix all together by hand and place in a loaf pan. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until done.

{texas sized cinnamon rolls}

OK... these probably aren't "Texas sized", but they were the largest cinnamon rolls I've made so far. My friend Lisa has 11 kids: 9 boys & 2 girls ~ surely she can make good rolls, right? I had her cinnamon rolls a few months ago, and I truly thought she bought them from the store. Imagine my surprise to see her super large pan filled w/ this amazing treat. Yes, she made them! From scratch! (I sometimes make my cinnamon rolls from frozen bread). So, I told her the next time she made the rolls, to let me know.

Sure enough, one Friday afternoon comes around and she's calling me on the phone! "Amy!! I'm making my rolls!" I said "OK, be there in 5 minutes!". So away I went, w/ a huge bowl in my hand, to learn all the secrets of cinnamon roll making (and I learned a lot!).

Cinnamon Rolls
makes 4 dozen
2 c milk + 1 stick butter
melt in the microwave, let cool a bit
Mix:
2 pkg yeast (that's under 1 tbsp x 2, so under 2 tbsp)
3 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
salt (1/2 tsp - 2 tsp)... says recipe calls for 2 tsp but she likes sweeter rolls,
so she uses about 1/2 tsp
Mix milk & flour stuff
Add 1 egg & beat
Add about 3 cups more flour

Knead for 10 minutes & rise for 1 hour or double in size (punch)

Roll out into rectable, and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, etc.

Do all that extra stuff you love, and let rise again, bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until done.
Now, we did not use a mixer, we used our HANDS (and a whisk & wooden spoon)! Let me tell you, I am very grateful for my Kitchenaid mixer.... but I did learn that we can use our own hands for this, and it turns out just fine! I did also learn that when we roll it out, it should NOT stick to our rolling pin! Mine was always sticking.

Thanks Lisa for the great tuturial! My first batch (I had to bake them all in 3 pans) was undercooked (ugh), but my 2nd pan was a little overdone. One of these days I'll get it. Why does everyone else's rolls always turn out better than mine? After you pull them out of the oven, drizzle the frosting over it immediately.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)

{banana bread}

One of my fastest & easiest banana bread recipes. This only makes one loaf, but it's incredibly moist & yummy! Sometimes I add in a handful of chocolate chips, and one can add nuts in it, but since I'm not partial to nuts in my food... I keep them out. :D

Ingredients:

1 c sugar

2 c flour

2 eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 mashed bananas

Mix all well together. Bake at least 1 hour or until done at 350 degrees.

{easy raspberry lemonade}

This recipe is perfect for a shower of any sort. Just add a few raspberries & mint leaves to a tray of ice cubes, cover with water & freeze. My family LOVES this recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 12 oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate

3 c water

3/4 tsp lime juice

1 12 oz can lemon lime pop

1 c fresh raspberries, garnish (optional)

1 c crushed ice

1 c fresh mint, garnish (optional)

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water & lime juice. Stir in lemon lime soda & crushed ice. Serve immediately.

{death by chocolate}

This is an amazing 4 layer cake created by my friend Leisa. I am a chocoholic lover by nature, and I can't even get through a single slice of this b/c it's so yummy & rich!!

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Chocolate cake mix
1 box 3.9 oz chocolate pudding
4 eggs
½ c vegetable oil (or canola)
¼ c water
8 oz sour cream
1 c chocolate chip (milk chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla

Use two cheesecake pans (so you don’t have to worry if it’ll all come out!). Spray with Pam that has the flour in it.

Take out 1 tbsp of the dry cake mix, place it in a bowl. Pour the 1 cup of chocolate chips in to coat it so it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pan when baking.

Mix all ingredients above, adding the coated chocolate chips very last. Mix for 30 seconds slow, then 2 minutes on medium speed. Add chocolate chips, mix briefly. Pour equally into both cheesecake pans, and bake at 350 for approximately 32 minutes. This time may vary, so pay attention to your cake! Use a toothpick to check if it’s done. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Frosting Ingredients:
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting
¼ tsp orange extract
1 large Hershey bar, chopped up finely

Open one can of the milk chocolate frosting. Pour the orange extract inside, and let sit. You can also use any other flavoring extract (raspberry, etc) if you’d rather have something different.

By now, the cake will be cooled. You will need to take the cheesecake pan off (the bottom of the pan will be holding the cake still). There is an adjustable cake leveler that you can find at Walmart for around $2-3.00. It is level, so you drag it across the counter, and it slices it in half according to where you want it. Slice both cakes in half. Take one part of the cake, and place it on the platter. Add some cream cheese frosting over it, and sprinkle some chopped chocolate pieces over it. Do this w/ all the layers, but when you get to the top layer, you will spread the chocolate w/ orange over the top & on the sides.

Now, to do the chocolate curls: buy 2 big bars of the Symphony Milk Chocolate (you may not use it all). Put it in the cooling oven (it’ll still be a little warm). You will want it a little flexible. Open it up, and on the side (where it’s thin), take a vegetable peeler, and slide it away from you, creating a long piece of chocolate. You will have to create the curls with your fingers. Place it on the top of the cake & arrange. This is the most time consuming part of the entire cake! When it isn’t curling well anymore, place the bar back in the oven to become a little more flexible. You may do this every 10 curls!!