Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake

My mom makes this and there is nothing better than this topped with a scoop of ice cream. It has easy ingredients that most folks have around the house. I'm not a fan of recipes that have alot of ingredients, I lose interest very quickly.

 

The recipe card is from my old recipe book that is made of a picture album. You can just slide the cards into place and take them out then you want to use them. I now prefer using a 3-ring binder since you can type the recipes up and print them out on regular paper but I still use this one too. As I get older there is something about looking back at the handwritten recipes and seeing the ideas of my mom and grandmother in the pages.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 pkg devil's food cake, 2 pkg (3.9oz each) instant pudding, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups cold milk, 1 1/4 cup water

 

Directions:

Prepare cake batter as directed on box. Pour into 9x13 pan.

Mix pudding, sugar, milk, and water. Whisk 2 minutes. Pour over batter.

Place on baking sheet to catch any overflow.

Bake 350degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 20 minutes to let sauce thicken.

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 



Potato Soup

Ok, so who doesn't love some homemade potato soup? On cold rainy days like today it is perfect...and easy.

 

I started with a 5lb bag of Idaho potatos, 1 can each of cheddar soup and cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper to taste, onion flakes.

 

I saved about 4 good size potatos from the bag for baking later this week. Peel and rough chop the rest of the bag into a pot. The size of the chop really doesn't matter since you will mush them later. Cover potatos with water and put on stove. On high bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer till potatos stuck with fork will fall apart.

 

Mush some or all of the potatos...according to how chunky you want the soup. Do not drain the water!

 

Add both cans of soup and onion flakes. If you happen to a real onion laying around you can always saute it in a little butter and add it. If my child saw me doing that and adding it to the soup she wouldn't eat it anymore so I just use onion flakes. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes longer to let everything blend, stir often to keep from sticking.

 

ENJOY!

 

Sidenote: Toppings are endless...bacon bits, crackers, shredded cheese, etc.

 

For adults or kids that like a kick I would add some cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, cumin, etc. I never add anything but salt and pepper to my pot but always keep the other on hand to add to my individual bowl.

 

A great idea would be make a pot then set the toppings and seasonings on table for each person to add as they like.

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Chicken Roll-ups

Easy, yummy, and great for the kids. Still have cresent rolls in the fridge from Christmas that you never got around to making? I have a great way of making them into something a little different for a quick supper or lunch (and the kids love them).

 

Ingredients: 1 can cresent rolls, 2 cups cooked chicken chopped (I used canned), 4 oz cheese (didn't measure, just shredded some), 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can milk (soup can)

 

Directions: Mix chicken and cheese. Add approx 3 tablespoons into cresent roll and roll up. Place in baking dish seam side down.

 

 

 

Mix rest of chicken/cheese mix with soup and milk. Pour over rolls.

 

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it cools but these tastes best hot.

 

 

From our Kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 

 

Oreo balls

This is so simple my little one helped make them.  Three ingredients is all you need... package of oreos, block of cream cheese, and chocolate for dipping.

 

Mix together cream cheese and crushed oreos. Roll into balls onto wax paper.

 

 

I used white chocolate and claimed they were "melting snowmen". I used the white almond bark chocolate, it is east to use and melts in microwave. Roll balls in chocolate then return to wax paper. I spooned more chocolate on top afterwards.

 

You can change the flavor of these in so many ways... using different chocolate, using the different flavors of oreos, etc. There are alot of combos there to try.

 

Hint: Like I said I claimed "melting snowmen" for Christmas or shape them like ghost for Halloween. What are your ideas?

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 

Decked out Brownies

Ok so this is really simple and kind-of a cheat. I used a normal brownie mix and store bought icing.

 

Make the brownies according to the recipe on the box for gooey brownies (not the cake version). Let cool, I let them set over night. Ice the brownies and sprinkle mini mm's. Slightly press the mm's in so they don't fall off.

 

 

This is what I did for a quick birthday surprise for my boss lady at work. I was working late the night before and had to be at work early the next morning so this was a quick idea that wasn't so involved that I had to stay up all night. I cooked the brownies when I got home and let them set all night then iced them and cut them into squares right before I left for work the next morning.

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 



Cannoli Cups

In Girl Scouts our girls (grades k-4) were learning all about different countries to earn a patch. My little one chose Italy, sounds easy enough. Two things you should know, Italians cook very different to us and finding a dish that does not have tomatoes or liquer is very hard. So...we chose a dessert that she could do for her age.

 

Ingredients: pie shell, sugar, cinnamon, 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 pint ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, cocoa (opt).

 

For the cups.. roll out pie shells, cover in sugar and cinnamon. I used raw sugar for a different effect.

 

 

Using a biscuit cutter cut out small rounds and place in mini muffin cups. You can keep re-rolling out the dough till it is all used up..though my cups didn't turn out as well. Before putting them in oven, use a fork and poke the bottom of the cups. This keeps the dough from rising too much. If it does rise just poke back down and into cup shapes when you bring out of oven.

 

Bake 350 degrees till golden brown.

 

Pull out of oven and allow to cool.

 

While cooling make filling. In large bowl mix sugar and cheese till combined. I used the smooth ricotta cheese for a smooth textured filling. Add in chips. Refridge till ready to use, then let come to room temp.

 

Spoon filling into cups just before serving to keep cups crispy. Sprinkle cocoa and more powered sugar on top for garnish.

 

 

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 

Tassies

Tassies is the official name of these little desserts. They are easy to make though a little time consuming. They hold up well being stored in an airtight container so they can be made ahead of time. I used stuff laying around the house for these, you can use what flavors us like most.

 

Ingredients: sugar cookie dough, caramel, chocolate chips

 

 

Make sugar cookie dough according to directions on bag/box. Form into approx 1" balls. Place in a lightly greased mini muffin pan and smush (techinical term) them into cups.

 

Bake at 325 till just a tint of brown. Take out and with wooden spoon handle smush middle back down for bowl effect. Return to oven and finish cooking until golden brown. This is the time consuming part...no exact times since it is according to how think you make your bowls. 



 

While still hot out of oven add caramel and chocolate chips. I added about 1/2 teaspoon caramel and then "some" (very percise I know) chips on top to cover caramel. Let set for a few minutes then with back of spoon swirl chips together to make smooth top. Let cool completely.

 

With thin blade sharp knive go around edges to pop out of mini muffin pan. It will take a while for the chocolate to reharden so stay calm and wait (or eat while warm..lol).

 

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 

Apple Turnovers

These are super simple and very good. They will make your guest or family think you spent forever in the kitchen when it only takes a few minutes. They are better hot but still good when cooled. I took them to a leader's meeting for Girl Scouts along with pigs in a blanket.

 

Ingredients: Cresent rolls, brown sugar, apples, apple pie spice (opt)

 

 

Unroll the cresent rolls, put the brown sugar on the rolls. Peel and slice the apple. Put one slice per roll on the small end. Start rolling...starting with small end till apple is completely covered. Make sure all ends are completely sealed or your brown sugar will leak out during cooking. Put on slightly greased cookie sheet and sprinkle apple pie spice on top. Bake at 350deg till golden brown.

 

If your sugar leaks out I suggest you getting them off the pan before they cool, it is much easier. Put on a wire rack to finish cooling.

 

I didn't peel the apple on the first set I made and did on the second. Difference...easier to eat (bite into) without the peel.

 

I used Granny Smith apples and they were not tart in this dish. I used them because it was what I had on hand. Use whatever you like or have on hand.

 

Hope you enjoy and are having a wonderful Christmas season!

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

 

 

Golden Graham Bars

This recipe is always a HUGE hit anywhere we take it.

 

Ingredients: 8 cups golden graham cereal (I used mini cinnamon graham crackers and they seemed to hold up better), 5 cups miniature marshmallows, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 5 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Directions: In large bowl, measure cereal. Butter 9x13 pan (I lined pan with alum foil and then buttered the foil). In microwavable bowl mix marshmallows, chocolate chips, butter, and syrup. Microwave on high 2 or 3 minutes, stirring after every minute, until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in vanilla.

Pour over cereal, quickly toss until completely coated.

Press mixture into pan, I used my hands to press in...sprayed my hands with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Let stand until completely cool or refrigerate if you want firmer bars. Cut into bars and enjoy.

 

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Hashbrown Casserole

I tried this recipe for thanksgiving and it went over well. It is a copycat of Cracker Barrel's recipe and turned out pretty close.

Ingredients: 2 lbs frozen hash browns, 1/2 cup butter melted, 1 can cram of chicken soup, 1 pint sour cream, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 cups cheddar cheese grated, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions: In a REALLY BIG BOWL mix all above ingredients together, place in a 11x14 (I used 9x13) greased pan. Bake at 350deg F for 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Sidenote: Let your hashbrowns thaw some or it is very hard to mix and takes alot longer to cook. Once it had browned I topped it with some more shredded cheese and returned it to the oven long enough to let the cheese melt on top.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Cranberry Sauce

My last post was for cranberry relish which I really liked. This post is for cranberry sauce, the traditional homemade kind. It is very simple and easy to make. I like it better than store bought and has much more flavor. I made both recipes for the same dinner to give everyone a choice.

Ingredients: 1 bag cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, dash cinnamon, 1/2 cup orange juice. I used the juice from the can of mandrin oranges that I used in the relish. Amount doesn't have to be exact.

Combine all on medium heat. Cover and cook till liquid is gone and cranberries have popped. Stir every few minutes but not consistantly.

When done to a thickness of your liking pour into bowl and serve warm or chill till ready to use. I added 1/4 more sugar after cooking to make it sweeter.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Apple-Cranberry Relish

A new relish I tried for our Thanksgiving lunch and it is great! It's a mixture of fruity flavors that even me dad likes. It is simple to make and is better if made ahead of time which is wonderful. This is one less thing you have to worry about, just make it a day or two early and put in the fridge then forget about it till dinner time.

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh cranberries, 1 (20-oz) can pineapple (drained), 1 orange (I used canned mandrin oranges in their own juice, about 2 heaping tablespoons full), 2 granny smith apples peeled, cored, and cut in fourths, 1/2 cup sugar or more according to taste.

Place cranberries, pineapple, oranges, and apples in food processor. Process into small chunks. Transfer to bowl and add sugar to taste. I started with 1/4 cup, stirred, tasted and added a little at a time till even the 7 yr old liked it.

And....

It is better if made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in fridge. At least overnight if not longer. It gives the flavors time to blend. When time to serve bring out of fridge, stir, and place in serving container. I topped with apple and oranges.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Cheesy Potatoes in a Pouch

We made these on a camping trip and wanted to share. We made these on an open fire but would work in an oven too and no cleanup (except throwing the foil in the garbage).

Ingredients: 1 can Campbell's condensed cheddar cheese soup

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

4 cups frozen steak fries

Side note: We used potatoes. Peeled and cut into "fries" when we needed them. No need to keep frozen and travel very well. I was making these for 12 people so I used 4 cans of soup. The above serves 4. For camping I combined soup and milk and put into recycled mandrin orange containers (they are plastic with lid). I didn't add the garlic or onion since I was making it for kids...mistake. They needed salt very badly.

Ok, on with the directions: Stir soup, milk, garlic, and onion together. Stir in potatoes (I used a gallon size zip-lock bag). Place the mixture on 4 (14-inch approx) squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fold to seal all openings. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

For an open fire (coals)...try using two layers of foil, put a wet paper towel inbetween the layers to help prevent burning.



From our campfire to yours, Mary

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels is a good go-to finger food to have for munchies or to take to an outing. I put a picture of what Almond Bark is below...I realized I used this in a prior post and didn't explain what it is. This chocolate has nothing to do with almonds, it's just white or regular chocolate or should I say "chocolate flavored coating".

To melt this chocolate simply put in a glass bowl and microwave at intervals of 30 seconds. I usually break this up into 2 or 3 blocks to melt at a time. From experience...make sure your bowl is dry, any water will ruin the chocolate. Even if it doesn't look like it is melting try to stir it, it melts without changing shape till you stir it. If you heat it for too long it will burn. Oils such as peppermint oil can be added to make different flavors without affecting the consistancy.

I put the pretzels into the melted chocolate by the handfuls and stir till all is coated then dip out onto wax paper to cool. A fork works well for this and if you have an old fork laying around try cutting the middle two prongs off.  Three blocks goes a long way in coating pretzels.

They dry/cool really quickly spread out onto the wax paper and are ready to eat. By the time you finish with the last of the chocolate the ones you put down first will be done. I made these just for snacking around the house. If I'm taking them out then I usually melt a little white chocolate and drizzle over the top to make them prettier.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Butterfinger Bark

Yes you read that correctly...butterfinger bark. I found this on pinterest and wanted to try it, it sounded so good. I'm so glad I did, it is easy and really tasty. It is made of candy corn and peanut butter..how simple. Oh, and add some chocolate.

Ok, I bought a very small bag of candy corn so I broke down her recipe into the portion I bought. I used 1 cup of candy corn, 1/4 cup peanut butter, and about 4 blocks of almond bark chocolate in all.

Melt 2 blocks of the chocolate and spread out into a small layer. I put it on wax paper. Put in fridge for just a few minutes to make it set.

Melt the candy corn in a bowl, this small amount took about 45 seconds. It is thick and chills very quickly turning to an almost dough state so have your peanut butter measured and ready to mix quickly. Put on top of chocolate and spread out. As you can see from the pic I gave up on the spoon and patted it out with my fingers, like I stated above it is a dough consistancy and does not stick to your fingers. Put back in fridge to chill.

Melt two more blocks of chocolate and add to top. Let all set and you are ready to break your "bark" into desired peices.

Confession...I forgot I put this in fridge between corn and top chocolate coat. By the time I remembered it the corn layer had hardened too much. Even though I put hot melted chocolate on it they did not bond together.  So when I went to break up the bark it fell off. Next time I will not put in fridge at all between corn and top layer process.

Overall it turned out great and is still very good, just not as much chocolate. Once set you do not have to refridgerate. That is just to make the chocolate set from melting.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary

Chicken noodle stew

Chicken noodle stew is an invention of "what's in the house to throw in crockpot". It cooked in the crockpot and only minimal attention was given it. Great for a busy day and a good comfort food for those days when it's cool and yucky outside.

Ingredients: chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies (I used brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots), chicken (canned works fine), taco mix, and noodles.

I poured the whole box of broth in, added the can of soup and 1 1/2 tablespoon of taco mix. I let that get hot then added in 2 large cans of chicken. If you have some leftovers to use or frozen that works great too. Add in the frozen veggies, no need to thaw or cook beforehand. Let that cook on low for around 3 hrs. or till veggies are soft.

For the noodles I put about 2 cups in a bowl with water and microwaved them for about 8 minutes to get the process started. Then added just the noodles to the crockpot to finish cooking. I let it cook on low for about another hour then turned off and let sit.

Finished product! I added cheese on top. For my bowl I also added some cajun spice. It came out rather thick since the noodle soak up most of the liquid so if you would like it soupier then add more broth.

From our kitchen to yours, Mary