Mark's Cherry Chocolate Birthday Cake

I made this for Mark's birthday and it was such a hit! This is a cake from a book called "The Cake Doctor" and is a must-have for every baker's kitchen... I also have "The Chocolate Cake Doctor"... heavenly. Enjoy!

Cake:
1 box Devil's food Cake Mix
2 eggs
1 can cherry pie filling
2 tsp. almond extract

Mix together and break up all the cherries until they are in tiny pieces (about 3 minutes). Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees until the top springs back (anywhere from 20-30 min. depending on your oven).

Glaze:
Melt in a saucepan over medium heat--
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar (I've cut this down to 1/2 c. sugar or used Splenda with the same effect, but you will need to add a little more choc chips if you do this, so use about 1 and 1/2 c. choc chips or so)

Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves, remove from heat.
Pour in 1 cup chocolate chips (or one bag) and stir until melted. Pour over warm cake, and enjoy!!

Fruit Pizza

After making this for Jenny's baby shower and having many ask for the recipe, here it is! It really is fabulous... and extremely easy... I've included 2 variations of it, one with cookie crust, the other with a brownie crust (ummm, yea need I say more? it's to die for).

Fruit Pizza

1 package (18 oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough (I use 1 and a half tubes because I like it a little thicker crust)

1 package cream cheese (8 0z), softened

1/3 c. sugar

4 cups assorted fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries, kiwi, bananas or peaches; blueberries and raspberries

Preheat oven to 350. For crust, shape cookie dough into a ball, place in center of pizza stone, flatten slightly using palm of hand. Using a lightly floured dough roller, roll out dough to 12-inch circle, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from pizza stone using a bread knife. Cool completely. For topping, combine cream cheese and sugar, mix well. Spread mixture evenly over top of cookie. Slice strawberries, peeled kiwi or bananas; slice peaches/mango. Arrange fruit over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Banana Split Brownie Pizza

1 package (21.5 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

2 T. sugar

2 bananas, sliced

1 c. strawberries, sliced

1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

1/4 c. chocolate ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Cut a circle of Parchment Paper (this is very important to prevent the brownie from running over the edge of your pizza stone - DO NOT substitute wax paper, it will scorch or melt in your oven) to fit your pizza stone. Pour brownie mixture onto parchment paper, spread into 14-inch circle. Bake 15-18 minutes or until brownie is set. Do not overbake. Cool completely. Mix cream cheese, pineapple and sugar until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture over brownie. Slice bananas and strawberries, arrange over cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle chocolate topping over pizza. Enjoy!

Now, I use the pineapple version of the cream cheese for both pizzas, it's more yummy with the fruit pizza than the cream cheese/sugar version with the first recipe. Enjoy, enjoy!!

Cafe Rio Pork Tacos and other stuff... amazing

This is so completely amazing... seriously, tastes like the REAL thing. I've made this several times and it's always a huge hit. Courtesy of Suzanne Davis (who got it from Holly Cook), thank you, thank you, thank you girls. Wow! Let me know when you've made it! The easiest and yummiest meal ever.

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatillos - peel off paper, chop
1/3 - 1/2 cups buttermilk, to consistency you want
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Put in blender and mix.


Shredded Cafe Rio Pork
3 lbs pork
16 oz. bottle of chunky salsa (blended in blender so chunks are gone)
1 can coke
2 cups brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it 1/2 way up the pork with water. Cook on High for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together sauce ingredients and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

Homemade tortillas
3 C. flour
1/2 C. veggie or olive oil
1 1/8 C. luke warm water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients and knead. If too hard to knead, add a little water but if too sticky add a little more flour. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Makes about 12 small balls. Flatten each by rolling them out and then cook them in a frying pan.**I usually have 2 frying pans going at once so they all get cooked faster

Best Cookies Ever (w/low-cal version...)

Ok, so I've been making these cookies for years now and altering the recipe in the most bizarre ways to create the yummiest (and as low-cal as I could make them) cookies, so enjoy!!

Mix with Mixer:
2 eggs (1/2 c. egg beaters)
3/4 c. white sugar (3/4 c. Splenda)
1 c. brown sugar (1/2 c. Splenda brown sugar mix)
1 c. butter (1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. applesauce)
2 tsp. vanilla

Add by hand, stirring:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour (or 2 c. flour and 1/4 to 1/2 c. almond meal - warning: this will boost the calories, but make the cookies so so moist)
2 packs maple & brown sugar INSTANT oatmeal (for low-cal use the LOW SUGAR version)

1 package semi-sweet choc. chips (or 1 package cinnamon chips, add 1 tsp. cinnamon to first part of recipe if you use those)

Chill before baking for about 10 min.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.

Low-cal version: about 84 calories each (no almond meal)

If you make these the yummy NOT low-cal way and you don't want to do the oatmeal, add an additional 1/4 c. white sugar and 1/4 c. flour.

Also, I've added 1/4 c. peanut butter and it's so yummy... Enjoy!!

I just now signed up too. Hopefully I'll get some recipes in this next week. I jsut wanted to start figuring out how this works. I'm not so good with computer things... love you guys, erin

Thank you girls!

Okay, I am not posting a recipe, even though I can't wait to come home tonight and do it. I just wanted to say thank you, and way to go, girls!!! I can't wait to cook these recipes. You guys are amazing and I love you sooo much!!!
Love,
kk

Smoky Barbecue Chili

Smoky Barbecue Chili

2 cups chopped yellow onion
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 jalapeno chili
2 chopped seeded chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds stew meat or ground beef
1 3/4 cups no-salt-added tomato puree (can of stewed tomatoes put in a food processor)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add chiles; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until chiles are tender. Cool slightly. Place half of chile mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid spills). Blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining chile mixture.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 7 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan. Add chile mixture and beef to pan. Stir in tomato puree and remaining ingredients except beans; bring to a boil.
Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans; cook 15 minutes.

Ok, so I know this is a LOT of ingredients... but it really is simple and super super yummy! It goes great w/the pumpkin biscuits or regular cornbread. It's amazing!