Chocolate-Orange Fudge Cake

This quick cake-mix enhancement turns into an elegant dessert, perfect for those you love.

Chocolate-Orange Fudge Cake

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. oil

4 eggs

1 small package instant chocolate pudding

1/4 C. chocolate syrup

2 Tbsp. orange zest

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, pudding, syrup, orange peel, and cinnamon. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350* for 50 minutes. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

You should know me by now and I must admit the things I did differently....I didn't have a chocolate cake mix and just added 4 Tbsp. of cocoa to a yellow one. I didn't have chocolate pudding and used vanilla instead. I also melted part of a dark chocolate candy bar in place of the syrup.

It's what's for dinner

Made some stuffed green peppers for dinner last night and my kids, including the finicky one, actually ate them! I scanned several recipes on the web and then improvised using the ingredients I had on hand.

Stuffed Green Peppers

1 lb. of ground beef

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 C. diced onion

2 C. brown rice, cooked

1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

4 or 5 green peppers

1 C. mozzarella cheese, grated

2 cans tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef with onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Add the cooked rice and Parmesan cheese. Slice peppers in half, remove the seeds, and place them in a greased baking pan. Stuff the meat mixture in them pushing it down with a spoon. Pour two cans of tomato sauce over them. Bake at 375* for 35 minutes. Cover them with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

I used to boil my peppers prior to filling them. This was the first time I tried it without that step. I loved the fresh taste! Feel free to substitute sausage for the ground beef, add additional spices that suite your taste, or experiment with other cheeses as well. 

Happy Heart Day!

Tried a new sugar cookie recipe this year and loved it! Messed up the first batch of frosting by substituting almond milk....made a second batch today that turned out perfectly creamy.

Ever frosted all your sugar cookies and then been perplexed at how to properly store them without making a mess? Tried this sandwich solution and discovered my cookies were sooooo easy to stack in a container! 

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 C. butter

2 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 C. sour cream

6 1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Mix well. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350*. Frost with your favorite icing. I use 1/3 C. butter mixed with 4 1/2 C. powdered sugar, 1/4 C. milk, and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. 

Belgian Waffles

Through the bacon grease fog that engulfed my kitchen this morning, emerged one of the most delicious breakfasts I have ever attempted. These are delicious! Don't let the entire cup of butter scare you! Well...I suppose it should scare you...but all good things are made with real butter! I got this recipe from a dear friend and received permission to share it with you. I fed four hungry boys and two girls with one batch. They are so good, you can eat them plain. Now, I just need an extra waffle maker.  

Belgian Waffles

2 C. flour

3/4 C. sugar

3-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 C. milk

2 eggs separated

1 C. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat egg yolks and add milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir into dry mixture until just combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron until browned. Serve with your favorite toppings. Fruit is wonderful with them. 

Fondant centers for chocolates

Life is like a box or counter full of chocolates. I love a good challenge in the kitchen and that is why I taught myself to make fondant centers.

My kitchen transforms into a chocolate factory for a week or two in December. There is something about being able to test and second guess the humidity in the air, the temperature at which water boils and many other factors and variables on any particular day.....well, it provides some intrigue for me anyway....yes, I am admittedly a tad crazy...but only on days that end in Y.

I have posted my favorite fondant recipe in the past, but I haven't ever taken a picture of the centers prior to being dunked in tempered chocolate.

Here they are in all their raw beauty! (p.s. I didn't actually take this picture either...someone else did or I wouldn't have one).

This year I made; grand opera cream, lemon, raspberry, coconut, maple nut, pear, eggnog, and rum nut. The rum nut is by far my favorite!

Here is a picture after they have been dipped and have a bite taken out of them...and by the way, that was the best part of this photo shoot!  

Pictured here is raspberry, maple nut, and eggnog.  Don't they look divine?  Ahhhhh...mission accomplished!

Special Dinners

I enjoy trying to have a nice dinner at least once per week. The past few months have found me very busy with the classes I took during this semester. I only got around to making rolls a couple of times. My teenage son made the comment that I never make nice meals anymore. I have tried to do better. 

I made a nice Sunday dinner when one of my older boys came for a visit and was able to find the time to make a nice Christmas Eve dinner as I thought a friend was going to join us; as it turned out, he did not so I tried to invite others as I had prepared too much food! In the end, it ended up just being myself and my two youngest kids. 

My son and daughter set the table for me and even used the Christmas dishes. I thought that even though it was small, it was very special. I was very glad I was not alone.  

Homemade Rolls

I love this roll recipe. They are great the next day and even freeze well. 

2Tblsp. yeast dissolved in 2 C. warm water

Add: 1/3 C. sugar, 1/3 C. shortening, 2 & 1/2 tsp. salt, 2/3 C. powdered milk, 1 egg, and 2 C. flour. Beat until smooth. Add 2 C. flour and knead until smooth. Add 1 C. flour and again, knead. Let rise until triple in bulk. Roll out and shape. Place on greased baking sheet. Rise for 1 & 1/2 hours. Bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes.

Pretzel/Raspberry Salad

This is a yummy combination of sweet and salty.

Combine and press into a 9X13 pan; 2 C. crushed pretzels, 2 Tblsp. sugar, and 3/4 C. melted butter.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350*.

Mix 1 C. sugar with 8 ounces of cream cheese.  Fold in a small carton of Cool Whip.  Spread on the pretzel mixture.

Dissolve a large blackberry jello in 2 cups of boiling water.  Add about 10 ounces of partially thawed raspberries.  Let it sit until thick and pour over the cream cheese layer. 

Lake Trout

I have been fishing a few times this winter and was showing some of my pics to my Dad.  He asked me to post my pictures on here so he can show them off to the guys at work.  The water is so beautiful in the winter time.

This little guy had a deformity....strangest looking fish ever!

A couple of larger fish.

This one had tried to eat too much at once...greedy little sucker.

And finally, my favorite picture of the day.  A sampling of the beauty captured in the canyon.

Gingerbread Cake with Rum Butter Sauce

Gingerbread Cake

2 eggs

1/2 C. melted butter

1/2 C. molasses

2 C. flour

1 C. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 C. hot water

Combine ingredients in order given.  Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan, finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Rum Butter Sauce

1 C. butter

2 C. sugar

1 and 1/2 C. cream

Combine and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp. rum flavoring.

Generously drizzle over sliced cake.  

This is one of my favorite things to make during the holidays.  I made it in two mini bundt cake pans, but it does fit into one as well.  It does have issues with sticking to the pan so grease and flour well!  

Cheese Ball

My Aunt gave me this recipe.  I used to go to great lengths to make a much more complicated cheese ball but ever since she brought this and shared, I have stuck to this recipe.  It is oh, so easy, very pleasing, and also cheesy!!

Cheese Ball

1 bottle of Kraft Old English Cheese spread

1 bottle of Kraft Roka Blue Cheese spread

1- 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1/2 of an onion grated

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

  

Combine all ingredients and blend well.  Refrigerate overnight and roll in chopped nuts.  Serve with crackers.

Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

 Coconut Cream Pie

1/3 C. flour

2/3 C. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 C. scalded milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 Tblsp. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. coconut

1 baked 9 inch pastry shell

Mix flour, sugar, and salt.  Gradually add milk with a wire whisk.  Cook over moderate heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.  Cook 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add a small amount of cream mixture to egg yolk, stir and then add egg to the cream mixture.  Cook one minute stirring constantly.  Add butter and vanilla, take off heat and cool.  Add coconut.  Pour into pie crust.  Refrigerate.  Serve the same day or later.  Stays good for about a week.

Pie is one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving.  I got this recipe years ago from a distant relative.  It is my favorite!

Thanksgiving Place Cards

My sister hosted Thanksgiving this year out in the middle of nowhere!  My assignment was to make a cheese ball, sweet potatoes with apples drizzled in a yummy citrus sauce, and the place holders.  I found this printable Mayflower paper boat online.  I glued them together and fastened a festive picture to the mast for a sail. They were then filled with crinkly paper and candy.  My kids had fun blowing them (empty) across the counter.

Sugar Cookies

I know, I know, wrong holiday again!  I made these before Halloween this year and forgot to post the recipe.  I decided to post this recipe anyway because, you could make turkey shaped sugar cookies or Christmas trees or reindeer or stars or dinosaurs....okay, you get the idea.  This is one of my favorite sugar cookie recipes.  They are a tender cookie with a light mild frosting.  

Best Sugar Cookies

1 cube soft butter

1 cube margarine

1 & 2/3 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 C. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

4 & 1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter, margarine, and sugar.  Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut shapes.  Bake on a greased sheet at 350* for 10 minutes.

Awesome Frosting

1 & 1/2 C. shortening

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

2 Tblsp. Dream Whip powder

4 Tblsp. flour

1 bag of powdered sugar

2/3 C. water

Beat in a mixer for 5 minutes.  Add coloring if desired.  Frost cooled cookies and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

My oldest son made these the other night and they were so delicious, I had to make some more!  The frosting is to die for!  It has a maple flavor and would be great with chopped walnuts adorning the tops.  Just remember to have the walnuts ready and right by your side because the frosting hardens quite quickly!  As you can see, I was not prepared and mine set long before I could put nuts on them.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 C. butter

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 C. canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 C. flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy.  Blend in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Mix flour mixture into butter-sugar mixture.

Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges.

Let cool completely.

Penuche Frosting

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened. Beat in the milk. Blend in confectioner's sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable. Frost cookies quickly.