Perfect and Easy Chocolate Cake

What you need for the cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix (any brand, any type of chocolate-this time I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream (can use light)

Just dump everything into a bowl and mix until combined. Pour into two 9 inch round pans that have been greased and floured (the baking sprays with flour work great). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*And guess what: you can use this recipe for any flavor of cake mix-just switch out the pudding flavor.

What you need for the Chocolate Buttercream:

3 sticks butter, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
9 oz. semisweet chocolate (I use chocolate chips and they work great-1 1/2 cups), melted and cooled to lukewarm temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency. Before tasting the buttercream, I recommend sitting down. Or, if your kitchen permits, laying down.



From Tiffany Dixon Hansen

Chicken Tetrazzini

Easy, quick, cheap, and my family loved it.

1 8oz pkg spaghetti
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 4oz can of sliced mushrooms (I super chopped them up)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti. Drain and place in a buttered 2 quart casserole pan. Mix soup and milk. Add diced chicken and drained mushrooms. Combine chicken mixture with spaghetti. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 in oven for 30 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

4 c cubed hash browns (or potatoes)
1 onion, chopped
2 c sliced carrots
2 c finely chopped celery
2 c chicken broth

Cook all veggies in chicken broth and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.

Add:
3 c broccoli, cut up

Boil additional 10 minutes (do not drain)

Add:
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

In another pan:

1/2 c butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 c regular milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
4 chicken flavored bouillon cubes

In saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour. Add milks and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Add cheese and can of soup. Mix until smooth. Add this mixture to veggies. Heat but do not boil.

pizza rolls.

super easy. super yummy.

ingredients:

chicken

bacon

cheese {cubed or shredded will work}

parm cheese

dough

all you do is roll out the dough flat, cut out squares, lay on cooked chicken and cooked bacon along with some cubed or shredded cheese. fold edges in. we tried two different ways to cook 1. we put them all together in a deep dish 2. we put individual rolls into a muffin tin {slightly greased}. number one made them softer and more yummy. then top with a little olive oil and shredded and parm cheese.

cook at 375 degrees until cheese is melted. {10-15minutes}

these are super cute and yummy little rolls. and it actually filled us right up.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, soft (don't use margarine, NO EXCEPTIONS)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed firm

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, mix in eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit 7-9 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen (36) cookies.

Helpful hints:

-Use a cookie scoop.

-Slightly press down cookies with wet fingers.

-Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper

-These cookies may be a little crisp the first day. Store in a covered container and they will turn soft.

Enjoy!

Applesauce Cake

APPLESAUCE CAKE

by Vicki Harbertson

1 can applesauce (16 oz. or 2 C.) 1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil 1 tsp. salt

1 Tb. baking soda 1 Tb. water

2 cup flour 2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice 2 cup raisins (or craisins)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/4 tsp. cloves

Dissolve soda in water. Mix soda, applesauce and oil together. Add sugar, salt and spices. Mix in flour, raisins (mixed with a little flour so they don't stick together and sink to the bottom). Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 40-45 minutes in a bundt pan. Can serve with icing or caramel sauce and cream.

*This is a great recipe to have for food storage because everything in it is easy to store.

Anadama Bread

Recently our stake had an emergency preparedness fair. Our Relief Society was asked to provide samples of recipes that can be made with food storage staples. This bread stays moist when cut and is very hearty.

ANADAMA BREAD

From A Century of Mormon Cookery

by Hermine B. Horman & Connie Fairbanks.

2/3 cup cornmeal 2 cup boiling water

2 Tb Shortening 1/2 cup molasses

1 tsp salt 1 pkg yeast (1 T)

1 cup warm water 6 cups flour

Stir the cornmeal slowly into the boiling water and mix well. Add shortening, molasses and salt. Set aside to cool. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, about 5 minutes; then add alternately with flour to the LUKEWARM cornmeal mixture. Knead until smooth and place in large greased bowl, in a warm place. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.

Turn out onto floured board, divide into 2 loaves. Place in greased bread pans and let rise again until double in bulk. Bake 375 degrees F for 1 hour.

*This recipe came from the early settlers of Massachusetts.

Costa Vida/Cafe Rio Salad-Debbie Style

My friend, from back in the day when Andrew was going to school and we lived in Student Housing, contributed this recipe to our ward cookbook. This meat is so super scrummy. I thought it would be perfect for Cafe Rio salad. I prefer the beef to the sweet pork (that pork is just WAY to sugary for me) when I get a salad from Cafe Rio or Costa Vida. The dressings I found online and modified to suit our tastes. Kelsey who usually prefers the creamy tomatillo ranch was hogging the cilantro lime I made for myself. So without further Ado...

Crock pot Mexican Style Meat

by Tiffany Pickett

4 pounds chuck roast or pork roast or chicken breast

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 1/4 c. green chili, diced (I used diced canned green chilies)

2 tsp. chili powder

1/3 c. hot pepper sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

water as needed

1. Trim the roast of any obvious excess fat (use your kitchen shears) and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high hear, then sear meat on all sides.

2. Transfer the roast to a crock pot (spray with no-stick cooking spray first). Add onion, chili peppers, chili powder, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add about 2 inches water.

3. Cover crock pot and cook on high setting for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always a small amount of liquid at the bottom.

4. Reduce heat to low setting for 2-4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart.

5. Shred meat with 2 forks ( I prefer to put it in my kitchen aid mixer, wait 10 minutes, and "mix" in with my flat batter blade. It shreds the meat quite nicely, or you can use a hand mixer as well). Use in burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, etc. It freezes beautifully!

**This recipe is for a fairly mild meat. For more spice, add up to 3/4 cup hot pepper sauce and decrease chili powder to 1 tsp and add 1 tsp. cayenne pepper.

Here are my versions of dressings

Creamy Tomatillo

1 packet (1 0z.) ranch dressing mix

1 c. mayo

1/2 c. milk

1 lime, juiced

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch cilantro, washed

1/4 c. cotija cheese, crumbled (find in the ethnic section)

1/4 c. green salsa *

hot sauce

Mix all ingredients in a food processor except hot sauce. Add hot sauce to taste. This tastes best if refrigerated overnight.

Bet you're wondering where the tomatillos are? The main ingredient in green salsa is tomatillos, just saved you 20 minutes at least :)

* A note about green salsa:

The first one or two ingredients in green salsa is tomatillos. There are several brands of green salsa and they all have varying degrees of heat. Hernandez is quite popular, but I find it to be quite spicy. I've found LaCostena brand to be quite pleasant. Start off with the 1/4 cup and add more if you feel you need it. You can skip the hot sauce altogether too if you prefer.

REVISED Creamy Tomatillo

okay, this our even faster better tasting version

2 soup spoon sized scoops of sour cream (about 1/2 cup)

2 soup spoon sized scoops of mayonnaise (about 1/2 cup)

1/2-3/4 cup ranch dressing from a bottle (we used Kraft)

2- 4 Tablespoons green salsa (LaCostena) (2 was spicy enough for us)

1 lime zested and juiced

1 bunch cilantro washed and bottom trimmed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix all ingredients in a cuisanart. This is great because it chops up the cilantro so you don't have to dink around with a knife and cutting board. Make in the morning or the night before. It needs a LEAST 8 hours for the flavors to meld.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1/2 cup canola oil

2 limes, zested and juiced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup limeade concentrate, thawed

1/2 c. cotija cheese, crumbled

1 bunch cilantro, washed

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Adjust to taste if needed (may need more sugar or lime juice). Once again this tastes best after sitting overnight.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime peel (zest)
1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3 Tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

Method:

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and SIMMER 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice, stir. Serve warm.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Warm flour tortillas

Canned pinto or black beans (or both) drained, rinsed and heated

About 4 heads chopped,washed, and spun (in a salad spinner) romaine lettuce

Cotija cheese

Lime wedges

Chopped tomatoes or salsa

Guacamole

To assemble the salads:

In a large bowl place a warmed flour tortilla.

Add rice and beans

Top with lettuce

Meat

lightly crushed tortilla chips

cotija cheese

cilantro sprig

lime wedge

tomatoes or salsa in a scoop in the corner

guacamole in a scoop in the corner

Add your choice of dressing and ENJOY!!!

If you prefer the PORK please click here to link up to the other recipes this will take you to the salads section, please scroll down till you find it.

Easy Crock Pot Recipes

taco soup

-1 jar of salsa

-2 chicken breast/light cooked before hand

-1 can of black beans

-1/2 bag of frozen corn, lightly thawed

-1 can of V8

-1 can of tomato puree

-1 package of taco seasoning

-we added a little bit of parsley, just a sprinkle.

put all in crock pot for 5-6 hours, and when chicken is fully cooked, take out and shred. then put it back in for a little bit longer. serve with homemade tortilla strips, made out of the uncooked tortillas from costco, and fried with olive oil. also, sour cream is delish on top. Enjoy.

Chili:

-2 cans of kidney beans

-1 can of chili ready tomatoes

-1 can of tomato paste

-1/2 can of tomato puree

-1 package of dry chili powder/mix

1 pound of ground beef OR turkey

put all in crockpot on low for 4-5 hours or high until meat is all cooked through.

more to come....

Beet Salad

1 can sliced beets (or use garden grown)

about 1/2 cup sour cream

about 1/4 minced onion (sweet are best)

salt to taste

Mix it all together in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours so flavors develop and meld. Serves 2-3 (Andrew never leaves me left overs)

5 minute Chocolate Cake for One :)

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) A small splash of vanilla extract 1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe) Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Oil, for frying
• 4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch rings
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (found in the chinese food section)
• Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• Pinch paprika (optional)
• Buttermilk Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions,

First make the buttermilk dipping sauce and refrigerate.

Next, In a deep-fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Season tomatoes, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Place flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with the milk. In another dish, mix bread crumbs with cayenne and paprika. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then through the bread crumbs. Add only a few pieces to the fryer at a time, so they can cook evenly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 
  
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and brown sugar. Allow to reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice and whisk well. Add in the scallions and the apple cider mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.

Polynesian Chicken Salad

1 head romaine chopped

4 stalks celery sliced thin (cuisenart)

4 green onions sliced (green part only)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

1/2 (12 oz.) package wonton sliced into strips and fried golden brown (350 F. in deep fryer)

In a bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, onions, sesame seeds, and celery.

Just before serving, toss with desired amount of Polynesian Salad Dressing and top with fried wonton strips.

Can also add a can of mandarin oranges, drained well.

Polynesian Salad Dressing

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil

I have found that Brianna 's Ginger Mandarin Dressing contains these same ingredients (plus a few more) and tastes great. It's a little time saver, especially if you do go to the effort of deep frying your own won tons.

Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup

2 28 oz. cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved.

2 1/2 T. brown sugar

1 medium onion finely chopped.

3 cups tomato liquid reserved form canned tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

3 T. tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 cream

1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves (about 10 large leaves)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray (I just used a silpat liner). Arrange tomatoes on foil in single layer. Sprinkle with brown sugar and top with onion. Bake 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes look dry and light brown. Let cool slightly; finely chop.

2. Place tomato mixture, reserved tomato liquid, chicken broth, tomato paste and allspice in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover;cook on Low 8 hours or High 4 hours.

3. Add evaporated milk, cream and basil;season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6- 8 servings. Tastes great with shredded cheddar cheese on top or with Saltine crackers.

English Trifle

TRIFLE

Tapioca (recipe follows) Gelatin mixture (recipe follows)

1 angel food cake, broken into chunks Whipped cream

Tapioca

¾ cup tapioca ½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar (or equivalent 8 cups milk

sugar substitute) 4 egg whites

4 egg yolks 1 tablespoon vanilla

8 tablespoons sugar (or equivalent

sugar substitute

Mix tapioca, salt, ¾ cup sugar (or sugar substitute), milk, and egg yolks in pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in 8 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute, beating to soft peaks. Set aside. Cook tapioca mixture over medium heat to a full boil, stirring constantly—6 to 8 minutes. Graudauuly add to beaten egg whites, stirring quickly just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Gelatin

2 packages (3 oz. each) red gelatin 2 10-oz. packages frozen raspberries

3 cups boiling water 2 10-oz. packages frozen strawberries (I like fresh)

1 cup vanilla ice cream 1 large can diced peaches, drained

(I've also used frozen peaches sliced in the Cuisinart)

Dissolve gelatin in 3 cups boiling water. Stir in vanilla ice cream, and fruit. (Fresh fruit may be substituted for frozen and canned fruit.) Let chill till partially set.

Pour one-fourth of gelatin mixture into each of two trifle bowls. Layer one-fourth of angel food cake chunks on top of gelatin mixture in each trifle bowl. Top with one-fourth of tapioca pudding in each bowl. Repeat layers. Refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream.

NOTE: If making in a large punch bowl, place one-half of each mixture in punch bowl in layers.

MAKES 2 Trifle Bowls - about 16- 20 servings