Moist Caramel Apple Cake

(picture from kraftfoods.com)

This is so easy and so good! I served it with vanilla ice cream and it was delicious!

1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg (4 serving size) Vanilla or French Vanilla instant pudding
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, coarsely chopped
20 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed 2 min. Gently stir in apples. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50- 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Microwave caramels and milk on high for 1 1/2 min., stirring every 30 sec., until blended. Cool 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake.

Chocolate Beet Cake

Yes, I did say beet cake, you read that right. :) I had some beets that I needed to use and I'd heard of this before, so I looked online for a good recipe. I found a winner! This is so good, super moist, and has beets in it?!? Go figure. :) This is the link to the original recipe I used, but I used the converter at the top to 1/2 the recipe, since I only had about 4 large beets. (about a cup when pureed. And not that it's difficult to 1/2 a recipe, but I think that little tool is nifty. tee hee.) So I ended up with with a cute little squatty 1/2 bundt cake.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened, divided
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
4 (1 oz each) squares semisweet chocolate
2 cups pureed cooked beets
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners' sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. bundt. Bake at 375* for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min before removing to a wire rack. For the top, I just made a simple powdered sugar/milk/butter/vanilla frosting and drizzled it over while it was still warm. The recipe calls for just a dusting of powdered sugar before serving, so either way.

You'll be surprised how moist and nummy it is. Yay beets. :)

Sante Fe Chicken, crockpot style

I got this recipe from my cousin...I don't know the exact amounts, just depends on how many you're feeding! :)

• 2-4 Chicken breasts
• 1 cup salsa
• 1-2 cans black beans, drained (depends on how much you like black beans!)
• 1 can corn
• 8 oz cream cheese (I halved the cream cheese because I thought a whole block was a lot - your call!)
• Fresh cilantro

Combine 1/2 c salsa, beans, and corn. Add chicken. Cover with remaining 1/2 c. salsa and cook 3-4 hours on high heat. Add cream cheese during the last 30 minutes - 1 hour. Top each serving with fresh cilantro.

Serve with rice and a green salad. The leftovers make a great burrito filler.

bread machine cinnamon rolls

Ari and I made these today. Yummy rainy day treats! :)

This is another from allrecipes.com, found here.

*UPDATE: Made these with whole wheat flour the other day (that we ground ourselves) and they were awesome. Yum.

DOUGH
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

MIDDLE
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

FROSTING
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Place dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Your counter might look like this afterwards. :) (except maybe not the weird green color. And you do know the thread-cutting trick, right??) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400*. I must make mine thinner than I need to, because I always have extras. I put the scrappy ones in a smaller dish. :)
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving. Kids like this part. :)

These don't disappoint! I have to go eat one now, bye.

Crunchy Picante Salad

Here Mel, I'm slow and you probably already got the recipe book anyway, but here. This is from Cooking Light's Superfast Suppers. These measurements are so exact, but this is really easy to just eyeball.


6 cups Preshredded Lettuce
5 cups Baked Tortilla Chips, broken into pieces
1 cup mild picante sauce
1/2 cup (2ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced olives, *I use WAY more than this!
1 ripe Avocado (I use 2)
1 Large Lime *Or lime juice it to taste. I use about 1/2 to 3/4 a lime and then serve it with lime wedges for others to add more if they'd like.
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


Mix everything together except the Lettuce and Chips. Pile lettuce on individual plates and then plop some mixture on top and top with crunched up chips. It's best to keep things separate like this if you want to save leftovers so things don't get soggy, because they do, quickly. Also you can serve it with sour cream but it really doesn't need it.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - Dangerous!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped (I like to put them in the freezer first before putting them in the cookies)

Preheat oven to 375F. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes (no longer, even if they look like they're not done). Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

The peanut butter cups in the middle then become oo-ey goo-ey goodness...mmmm

"The Best Chocolate Chip Cake in the Whole World"

This is Liz's recipe, but since I just made it, I'll post it. :)

1 pkg. regular devil's food cake mix (not butter or pudding style)

*use these instructions instead of those on the box*
1 small pkg of instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1 (8 oz) sour cream
6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)

1. Grease and flour bundt pan or 9x13 or 3 layer pans
2. In mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, and flour. Stir to blend.
3. Add oil, water, eggs, and sour cream.
4. Mix at medium speed for 2 min. or until well blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips
6. Pour into pan and bake at 350* for 50-60 min. If using other pans, check after 30-40 min.
7. Can be served plain, with powdered sugar on it or frosting.
   

**Yes, I realize my picture looks like a giant donut -- shoosh. :)

creamy chicken & pasta bake

This one is from Kraft. We had it tonight. It was really good, but only makes an 8x8 dish, so don't plan on leftovers unless you double it. Ari really liked it, too. Photo from KraftFoods.com

1 1/2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (the whole grain pasta we used was really good in it)

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I could have done with a little less chicken, maybe 3/4 lb?)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 cup mozzarella, divided (I realized last min. I didn't have mozz., but provolone was also good:)

2 Tbsp. parmesan

HEAT oven to 375º. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.

DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.

BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.

white chocolate raspberry cheesecake

I can't take credit for this recipe at all (it's from allrecipes.com), but it's yummy and I have to share! I've made it twice - num nyum.(this photo also from allrecipes, but this is exactly what it looked like ... except ours had cracks:)

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (we used whole oreos, crushed)
3 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 Tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 325*. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 Tbsp raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 Tbsp raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to marble.
   
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
6. Enjoy, and watch out, your husband will snitch the leftovers. :)

There are some good additional cheesecake tips there too, if you want to peek. Click here.

Smokey Ribs

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c ketchup
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2c molasses
1/4 c spicy brown mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 lb pork or beef (I use boneless) ribs

Mix ingredients. Put in the crock pot with meat. Cook 3-4 hours on high heat.

Creamy Italian Chicken

*Warning: this recipe is for a tiny crockpot meal for a tiny family! I added notes if you want to double it. I also added notes for my tasty reduced fat version.

I love good crockpot recipes! I've made this before, but just found a version that the kids and I devoured. I tweaked it a bit, and it takes little preparation for such a gourmet meal!

2 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 c. (fat free) Italian dressing (I actually didn't measure, I just dumped it in until it seemed good. By the way, not need for water, the chicken will make its own).

Put these in the crockpot on low for 4-5 hours (6 hours if you're doing 4 or more chicken breasts).

30 minutes before you're ready to eat, put on some pasta to cook. We used whole wheat penne, but fettucine would work. Pull out and shred/cut up the chicken. You could probably skip this step, but the little pieces seemed more moist as the sauce works its magic. Return the chicken to the crockpot and put in one can of cream of chicken soup and 1/3 block of (reduced fat) cream cheese. (For 4 or more chicken breasts, just add the whole block of cream cheese, no need to add more soup). Drain pasta and add to the crockpot with chicken and sauce.

Season the dish with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, I steamed carrots and broccoli for color. Or you could probably add some other veggies directly into the chicken since this dish lacks veggies.

Yum!

Mexican Shredded Pork

1 (3 lb) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 2" pieces (for our small family, I buy 1 lb or less and that's more than plenty.)
1/2 tsp salt
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chili peppers
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chipotle sauce (I've used chipotle salsa)
3 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

*Put the roast in a crock-pot and season with salt. Put chili peppers and garlic on top. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low 7 hours.

*In a pot, mix rice with 2 3/4 cups of the water. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro and simmer 20 min on the stove. (In other words, just cook the rice as you normally would but with lime juice & cilantro.:)

*Remove roast from the crock-pot, and use 2 forks to shred. Return pork to the crock-pot and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid.

*You can serve this just over the rice, or as we like to do, make burritos! Yum yum yummy. Set out cheese, salsa, beans (refried, black, whatever), cilantro, rice, pork, avacado, lime, etc, and tortillas so everyone can make their own.

Grilled tilapia

We're not fish lovers at all, but this makes it pretty tasty! We prefer to grill it outside so our house doesn't smell like fish for 2 weeks :), but this is also a good broil recipe if you prefer.

1 lb-ish tilapia (or any light fish of your choice)
1/4 c. parmesan
1/8 c. butter, soft
1 1/2 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch onion powder
pinch celery salt
smidgen garlic powder (really, this whole recipe isn't one to "measure" :)

Mix ingredients (except fish) in bowl and set aside. Grill the fish for a few minutes (we use a grill pan lined with foil), and when you flip it over, spread the prepared mixture on both sides. Cook through, la de dah, tasty fish. Oopsie, I forgot to take a picture before ... but as you see, it was good. :)

We like it served with steamed broccoli and rice.

Easy, healthy, and TASTY

Spiced Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe came to me from my Dad and it is easy and really tasty. It sounds nasty I know, but sweet potatoes are actually good even without the sugar and marshmallows!

1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

6 teaspoons olive oil

2 boneless turkey breast halves (about 2 lbs each) skin removed

***My parents swear by the turkey, but I used boneless skinless chicken breasts equaling about 3-4 lbs and it was still tasty****

2 sweet potatoes about 8 ounces each cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix rosemary, paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons of coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, lime juice, and 4 teaspoons of oil. Rub all over the chicken. Leaving space between them, place both halves in the center of a large foil lined (easy clean up) rimmed baking sheet.

Brush cut sides of sweet potatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place cut side down on sheet with turkey. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each breast half registers 160 degrees about 50 minutes (potatoes should be tender) Let stand for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil to keep warm

Cut one breast half into thick slices. Cut potato halves into wedges. Transfer turkey and potatoes to serving platter and drizzle turkey with any remaining juices from the baking sheet.

Yummers

Taco Soup

Easy and yummy for "quick dinner" nights. This recipe makes a lot, so 1/2 it unless you like leftovers for lunches. I like the leftover option, personally. :) And FYI, it reheats very well.

Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz. each) mild chili beans, undrained

1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.25 oz.) corn, undrained (I used corn that my mom froze from the summer - yum)

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix

1-1/2 cups water

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown meat with onions in large saucepan; drain.

Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; stir, breaking up tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with the cheese. It was also yummy served with tortilla chips on the side to dip and scoop, and sour cream would be good, too.

I got this from the Kraft Foods magazine, and the picture is from their website. You can actually just click on the picture to get the recipe from the website, but I put it here, too ... um, obviously. :)