Comments to which I Never Responded . . . I'm Sorry!

I recently realized that people had been commenting on my posts and asking me questions that I haven't responded to. I am so sorry for not replying--I honestly didn't know that people could post comments (as you might have concluded, I am not very tech savvy right now!).

Caramel Toffee Cake

Since I've known Joe, he's never requested cake for dessert, but after sampling this one that I served at the VDG Smash (our little Christmas party for Joe's fam) he told me I had to make it for his next birthday.


1 Devil's food cake
1 sm. can sweetened condensed milk
1 sm. jar butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping
1 bag Heath bar toffee pieces
12 oz. whipped topping or whipped cream

Prepare cake as directed on box for 9x13 pan. While still hot, poke holes in the cake using a wooden spoon handle. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake, and then follow with caramel or butterscotch. Sprinkle about 1/2 the bag of Heath Bar pieces on top of cake. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Spread whipped cream on top, and sprinkle more Heath Bar pieces on the whipped cream (I didn't use the whole bag). Store in the refrigerator. Serves 12-15. Yummy!

Never-Fail Rolls

2 cubes melted butter
1 c. sugar
3 T. yeast
½ c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
2 tsp. salt
2 c. hot water
7-8 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water. Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Combine water, sugar, salt, butter, beaten eggs, and 2 cups of flour. Mix together; add yeast mixture. Add 5 to 6 more cups of flour. Mix together. Let rise 20 minutes. Punch down and roll into rolls. Let rise until rolls have doubled in size. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

Cinnamon roll variation: After punching dough down, roll ½ of it into a rectangle. Dot with melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on buttered dough. Roll up jelly-roll style. Use un-waxed floss to cut the dough into cinnamon rolls. (Place a strand of floss under the dough; bring up the two ends and cross them over the dough. Pull tight until roll has been cut.) After baking, frost with favorite vanilla frosting.

Hamburger Stroganoff

This is one of those yummy dinners I remember my mom making when I was a kid. She always made real mashed potatoes, and that is the secret to this dinner's success. If you're really pressed for time, instant potatoes will work (some dinner is better than none, right?), but it's sooooo much better to mash your own potatoes (I've tried it both ways--instant potatoes tend to go soupy with the sauce). Enjoy a comfort food classic tonight.

Ingredients:

Mashed potatoes
6 large potatoes, more or less depending on the number of people you are serving
Butter
Salt
Milk

Stroganoff Sauce
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 sm. onion, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 empty cream of mushroom soup can filled with milk
1 16 oz. carton sour cream, I use the lite version

The sauce can be halved for smaller crowds

Directions:
Peel, dice, and boil potatoes. Drain off water. Mash with potato masher, and add butter, salt, and milk until it reaches desired consistency.

While potatoes are boiling, brown hamburger with onion. Drain off fat. Add cream of mushroom soup and milk. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Add sour cream, and stir thoroughly. Heat through. Serve over mashed potatoes.

The Brain!

I carved this spooky watermellon "brain" for our Halloween party. It was a little time- consuming (about an hour's work), but it was lots of fun. Just peel the rind off a watermellon (I used a vegetable peeler), and then cut off a slice from the bottom so that it won't roll around. Using a sharp knife to cut narrow channels, expose the pink mellon to resemble a brain.

Man Catcher Lasagna

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 small can tomato sauce

1 small tomato sauce can of water

½-1lb. ground beef, browned with 1 sm. onion, and drained

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 16 oz. container cottage cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Combine spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, water, and ground beef in mixing bowl. Spread ¼- ½ cup of sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. Place 3 ½ lasagna noodles in pan on top of sauce. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese on top of noodles. Sprinkle 2-3 large handfuls of cheese on top of cottage cheese. Spoon 1/3 of sauce on top of cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with sauce. Sprinkle one more handful of cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil; bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Super Smoothie (from Mom VDG)

Jamba Juice has met its (healthier and more cost effective) match!



1 sm. carton yogurt (I use strawberry or peach)
3 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
Juice from 1 can of pineapple
1/2 c. apple juice
Enough frozen fruit to fill the blender (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple are what I use)

Combine ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to one hour.

Taco Soup

1 qt. tomato juice
1 can corn, drained
1 sm. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 cans kidney beans and juice (I like to use 1 can kidney beans and 1 can chili beans with sauce)
1 lb. hamburger
1 sm. onion

Brown hamburger in large pot with onion; drain fat. Add all ingredients to hamburger, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Sometimes I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers. (I don't double the meat though).

The Goodness of Granola

This recipe comes from my sister's husband, Ben, and it's a winner! Good for breakfast, a snack, or as a topping on yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 lg. boxes old-fashioned oatmeal

2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

2 c. coconut

1 ¼ c. canola oil

2 c. honey

2 c. chopped dates, set aside

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except dates. Place in two to three 9x13 pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 ½ hours, stirring half way through baking time. Cool, stirring once when half cooled.

Note:

This makes A LOT of granola! I usually halve it. Also, I usually need to bake mine a little longer than the recipe directs.

Chicken Biscuit Pie (Dinner)

Ingredients
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cups vegetables of your choice (left-overs or frozen ones that have been thawed)
Salt and pepper
Biscuit Topping
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup milk

Instructions
1. Melt the butter on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe sauté pan with high sides. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover the pan and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown it. 2. Whisk the chicken stock into the pan. When it starts to thicken, whisk in the milk. Add the sage, thyme, chicken, and vegetables, continuing to stir until the mixture is heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Remove the pan from the stovetop and heat the oven to 375 F. Meanwhile, make the biscuit topping by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients. Add the milk and stir briskly, just until the dough pulls together. 4. Flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Using floured hands, knead the dough two or three times, then flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough into biscuits and place as many as will fit, barely touching, on top of the filling. (You can bake any extras separately, on a lightly greased pie plate, for about 15 minutes.) 5. Bake the potpie until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes. Then let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving it. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Ham Sandwich

Colorful with red and yellow peppers, and spiced up with pepperjack cheese, this sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner.


Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
4 sub sandwich-type rolls (I like the deli rolls in the bread section at Costco the best.)
Ranch dressing
3 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips (McCormic’s Montreal Steak Seasoning works well)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large yellow or green bell pepper, cut into strips
Pepper jack cheese
4 thin slices of ham (optional—Joe likes extra protein!)

Instructions:
Open the rolls, and place them face up on the cookie sheet. Spread a thin layer of ranch dressing on each side of the roll. Place chicken strips, ham, and bell pepper strips on bread. Top with cheese. Place sandwich under broiler for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove sandwiches, place tops on them, cut in half, and enjoy!
Serves 4.

Red Hot Ravioli

Who doesn't like some good Ravioli with a touch of extra cheese?


1 package (about 26 oz.) frozen cheese ravioli
2-1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu® Chunky Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, evaporated milk, milk or non-dairy creamer (optional)


1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, bring ravioli, water and salt to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, stirring gently to separate ravioli, 5 minutes.2. Stir in Pasta Sauce. Cook covered and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until ravioli are tender. Stir in cream and heat through.
Serves:
4
Preparation Time:
5mins.
Cook Time:
20mins

Cooking with Melanie

What's better than to cook with your friends? We made lasagna and salad. It was a blast!

Cake for Jenna's 3rd Birthday

This is the cake I made for Jenna's 3rd birthday!

Instructions:

Jacob's Birthday Cake

This is the cake I made for Jacob's 1st birthday!


Instructions on how to do it: