Mom's moist Chocolate cake

This is definitely one of my favorite chocolate cakes EVER. When I was a little girl I always thought it was too rich. But as I have gotten older it is definitely a fav.

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 T cocoa
2 cups hot water
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 T vanilla

Add all dry ingredients except soda and baking powder. Mix in eggs, add hot water and vanilla. Add soda and baking powder and then add oil last. It makes a fairly runny batter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. (I always use the pam/flour spray stuff not just oil in the pan)
Cool, Frost and enjoy!!

I store mine in the fridge after the initial night. We like it cold.

Roasted Chicken and Corn Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

I found this recipe on a blog and thought I would try it. I had bought a mexican pack from Bountiful baskets and had a dozen tomatillo so I decided this would be a good recipe to use up some if them. Definitely a keeper. I did cheat on the chicken and purchased a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shredded it. It turned out awesome!


Roasted Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

Yield: 10 enchiladas, about 5-6 servings

4-5 cups tomatillo sauce (recipe below)
2 3/4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup corn frozen kernels, thawed (roasted if you can get them)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish if desired
1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish if desired
10 corn tortillas (preferably Tortilla Land tortillas)
16 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend (low fat or regular)
Light sour cream for garnish

1) Roast the chicken. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until chicken reaches 160-165 degrees, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. If you are going to complete the enchiladas now, turn oven down to 350 degrees. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and discard. Shred meat by hand. You should have about 3 1/2 cups. Save any extra for chicken salad or soft tacos.

2) Make the filling. In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, corn, cilantro, green onions and about ½ cup of the tomatillo. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3) Ready a large glass or ceramic baking dish by placing a just enough sauce over the bottom to lightly coat. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium high and cook tortillas according to package directions. Remove to a plate as they are cooked.

4) Assemble the enchiladas. Place one cooked tortilla on a plate. Top with 1 tablespoon of tomatillo sauce, then about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese. Roll enchilada and place in the prepared baking dish seam side down. Complete with the rest of the tortillas. Top the enchiladas with sauce (you may not need it all) and sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate or freeze extra sauce after dinner.

5) Bake enchiladas covered with foil for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot throughout. Take the foil off the last few minutes. To serve, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro if desired.

Tomatillo Sauce

Yield – about 6 cups

3 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed, diced medium
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced fine
3 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 1/4 cups water
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1) Combine tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic, water, oregano and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring almost to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover with a lid and cook until tomatillos are broken down and saucy, about 20-30 minutes.

2) Sauce can be used chunky or briefly pureed in a blender to make it a little smoother. If blending hot liquids, take precaution. Fill blender only half full, place lid on top and a towel on top of the lid. Blend on low speed for a few seconds. Do in two batches for safety.

3) Use tomatillo sauce immediately or refrigerate after cool for a few days.

Scotcheroos

These are another addicting treat. My friend Brittney has made these a few times and brought them to different events and they are always a hit. YUMMY!

Scotcheroos

1 c. Light corn syrup
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 c. Butterscotch Chips

Mix corn syrup and sugar in a pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in Peanut Butter. Mix well. Add Rice Krispies. Spray 9x13 pan with PAM and press in rice Krispie mix. Melt Chocolate chips and Butterscotch chips on low heat. Pour on top and spread over the whole pan. Let cool and ENJOY!

Yummy Peanut butter bars

***WARNING***
These are addicting. I am not responsible for any weight gain due to eating the whole pan

I got this recipe from a friend and it quickly became a favorite of mine.

1c. Butter (softened)
1c. Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. Salt
2c. Flour
1c. Brown Sugar
2/3 c. Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking soda
2c Oatmeal

Mix together all ingredients and spread out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. As soon as they are out of the oven pour a bag of Semi Sweet Chocolate chips over the top (these should melt by themselves if they are not then just put the pan in the oven for a minute). Drizzle over the top 1/2 cup peanut butter mixed with 2 T powerdered sugar and thinned down with milk and enjoy!!!

Cheesy Garlic Ranch Potatoes

These are some of our favorites as far as potatoes. I get so tired of Potatoes and Gravy so this is a good way to mix it up a little bit. I don't really have exact measurements since you do sort of make as many as needed but this is just the directions....

So boil your potatoes so they are soft enough to mash them. So put in your butter and instead of milk use Ranch Dressing to thin them down (Do not use a bottle of ranch though it won't taste good) I always used the BYU creamery Ranch. It seems to have the best flavor but if that is not available then use another restaurant style ranch. I buy a thing of it from the salad bar at our grocery store here in Texas since we don't have creamery around. Anyway, while mixing put a bunch of shredded mild cheddar cheese in it too (make sure to put it in while it is hot or it won't melt). I always add a little bit of garlic salt w/parsley in it as well for a little extra flavor. So mix these to the consistency that you like your potatoes and enjoy. NO GRAVY NEEDED

These go awesome with prime rib, steaks, ham or especially the Marinated Shredded ham that i have posted on the website.

Strawberry Danish Dessert cake

1- white cake mix- prepared according to package

Mix - 8 ounce cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar

After cream cheese and sugar are mixed fold in 1 cup cool whip and spread over cooled cake. Chill while making the strawberry topping

Topping- 1 package Danish Dessert (strawberry or raspberry) prepared as a glaze
1 quart sliced strawberries

You will put the topping over the cake when you are ready to serve! ENJOY!!!

Homemade Pico

Pico de Gallo

• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 red or yellow onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 lime
• Salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes in half and de-seed them. Place in a medium bowl. Next, dice the onion and add to the tomato. Finely dice the jalapeño and add to the bowl as well. The seeds are where the heat is so you can choose to add as much or as little as you like. Chop the cilantro and add with the rest of the vegetables. Juice the lime into the bowl and last, add salt and pepper.

Strawberry Tart

I came across this recipe on a recipe blog and it sounded amazing so I thought I would post it so I have it when I decide to make it. If you try it let me know but I will definitely be making this within the next week or so. Anything with Strawberries is yummy to me these days.

Fresh Strawberry Tart

• 1 baked pastry crust, recipe below
• 2 tblsp strawberry jam or jelly
• 1 box of instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 container of Cool Whip
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

Prepare the crust per the recipe below. Heat the strawberry jam in the microwave for 20 seconds until it is pourable. Brush onto the crust. Mix the pudding according to the directions on the box. Fold in the Cool Whip and the lemon extract. Pour and spread the pudding mixture into the cooled tart crust and top with fresh strawberries. Allow to chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Pastry Dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the egg and salt. Slowly add the flour until the mixture forms a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Roll or press into a tart dish or pie plate. Butter and flour the bottom of your pie plate to ensure the crust doesn’t stick when you are serving it. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

Oatmeal Cake

1c Oatmeal
1 Cube Butter
1c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Soda
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 1/2 c. Hot water
1c. Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking powder

Mix Oatmeal, Hot water and butter in a bowl and let sit. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour in 9x13 baking pan (greased and floured). Bake at 350 for 35 minutes


Coconut Frosting For Oatmeal Cake
1 cube Butter
4 tsp Milk
1 bag Coconut flakes
1c. Brown sugar
1c. Chopped pecans or walnuts
Cook for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved completely and spread on cake.

LOP

Okay so my sister use to make this all the time. I refused to even try it cause it had Oyster sauce in it. There couldn't possibly be anything that tasted good with oyster sauce in it. Well I finally gave in and this recipe quickly became a hit with me and my family. Definitely a must try at least once.

Lop
1 bunch green onions chopped
garlic salt (for taste)
1 T. Hot Chili sauce (I made the mistake of not getting hot once and it ruined it)
4-6 chicken breasts
1 good handful of Cilantro (chopped fine)
1 bottle Oyster sauce (I found this with asian food at walmart)
1 tsp Soy sauce

Cut up chicken to small cubed pieces. Cook in skillet, season with garlic salt. Once chicken is cooked add onions, cilantro, oyster sauce, chili sauce. Cook in skillet until warmed through. Add small amount of soy sauce. Serve with sticky rice.

Chicken Alfredo Fettucini

If you are a chicken Alfredo fan then this is a must try. This is by far the best recipe I have ever tried.

1/4 c. Butter
1/4 c. Olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut up raw
1/2 c. Green onion
1 c. Whipping cream
1 envelope Alfredo sauce mix
12 oz Fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can (15oz) Diced Tomatoes Italian style (drained)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 c. Parsley (I use fresh and chop it)
2 T Basil
1 pkg Fettucini Noodles
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Saute chicken in hot oils with garlic and onions til cooked thoroughly. Stir in cream, dry sauce mix, mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Boil over hi heat. reduce heat, simmer 3-5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in parsley and basil. Remove and serve over pasta sprinkled with cheese.

Baked Beans

This is by far my favorite baked bean recipe EVER. My Mom always made them and I think it is one of the few that I like. Jason hates baked beans and he actually will eat these too. I figured with it being spring and BBQ's then it was a good time to share this one.

Mom's Baked Beans
2 cans Pork and beans (29 oz cans)
1 green pepper chopped
1 c. brown sugar
1 lb Bacon Cooked and diced
1 onion chopped
1 c. ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients, cook in oven 2325 for 3 hours or cook in crock pot for 6 hours.

Feedback

I love to hear feedback on the recipes as you try them. It is always fun to hear what people thought or if you made any changes that were awesome. Also if you have any fun recipes for me to try email them to me at kacy215@gmail.com. I love new recipes!!!

Marinated Shredded Ham

With Easter coming up I thought I would finally post this. I had made it for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a huge hit. I was a little worried and ended up doing a second ham just to be safe. Well safe turned into massive leftovers. The baked ham didn't even get touched. This doesn't sound all that great but honestly it is so tasty. Great for Easter dinner, Christmas dinner or just cause you want ham.

Marinated Shredded Ham
Buy a bone in ham (whatever is on sale, shank or butt portion. I bought the cheapest I could find)

Marinate:
1 bottle of italian dressing
1 T ground mustard
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. molasses

Marinate in triple layer plastic bags for 3 days. Put ham in crock pot and pour the marinate over the top then bake in crock pot until it falls apart. About 10-12 hours.
*Depending on the size of the ham you may have to cover crock pot with foil for the first 6 hours or so until you can pull out bone and so the lid will fit on.

Crepes

I love crepes and this is by far one of my favorite recipes. I have this awesome crepe pan that my Mom bought me years ago and it definitely makes it super easy. If you don't know what a crepe maker is then go HERE Of course they are discontinued but I am sure there is someplace that has something similiar. Anyway here is the recipe I use. We love to stuff them with strawberries and whip cream, homemade jam or syrup and powdered sugar.

Crepes
3 eggs
1/2 c. water
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
3 T. Butter
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine eggs, milk, water and butter in mixing bowl. Beat until combined. Add flour and salt. Beat until smooth. Refrigerate batter 1 hour (I never do this step). Drop desired amount in preheated pan and tilt pan around til it is coated. If crepe has holes add a drop or two of batter. Cook until edges are lightly browned and top is dry. Loosen edges with spatula and tip pan over and crepe should fall right out. If necessary loosen the center of the crepe to help ease it off.

ENJOY

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

I got this recipe from a friend. When she told me about it I wasn't 100% sure but was still excited to try it. Oh my gosh. It was so yummy. Had I not eaten tons of chips and dip and smokies prior to dinner I could have eaten the whole crockpot. Okay not really but it was delish. Enjoy

Pineapple Salsa chicken

Ingredients
4 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cup salsa
1T Mexican seasoning mix (cumin , chili powder, garlic powder and salt)
Garnishes, like sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, chips, lime wedges, cilantro etc.

Directions
Place the chicken in the crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Mix the chicken back in with the rest of the ingredients. If mixture is too wet you can drain off liquid. If making burritos this would be wise so it is not soupy.
This is great made into tacos or burritos or enchilada filling or piled on top of chips and smothered with cheese and eat as nachos or even done as a salad.