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.