my favorite chocolate cake

This is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe!

I got it from good ol' betty- and only modified it a little- I hope she doesn't mind?

I usually make it into a bundt with chocolate glaze but have made the best ever cupcakes and black forest cake too with this recipe! The best part- all the ingredients are in the pantry!

1 2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1/2 or one stick butter room temp.

1 1/2 cup soured milk or buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. spray your bundt pan really good- or 9x13" pan, or two cake rounds, or get your cups ready for cupcakes...

Beat all ingredients on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean- 9x13= 35 to 40 minutes.

bundt= 40 to 45 minutes

cupcakes 1/2 full= 20 minutes

two rounds= 30 minutes

Frost with whatever you like. for the bundt glaze I have used melted store bought frosting... really easy- fudge isn't too bad. Or- this

Chocolate chip glaze:

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tblsp. butter

2 tblsp. corn syrup

1 to 2 tsp. hot water

Heat everything except the water. Add the water a little at a time & wisk or stir quickly until it reaches the consistency you desire. Drizzle over the cooled cake. It's a good thing :)

White Chili

1 1/2 lbs. cooked, seasoned, and chopped chicken breast

2 cans great northern white beans

2 cans shoepeg white corn

1 small can chopped green chillies

1 bag frozen chopped onions

2-4 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 T. lemon pepper

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. cumin seed

juice of 1 lime

4 c. chicken broth

bake chicken- shred and set aside.

saute onions with garlic, pepper, cumin, cumin seed.

when onions are clear add juice of lime and chicken broth.

add rest of ingredients including chicken, let simmer for a little bit. 

toppings for soup:

shredded jack cheese and tortilla chips, chopped tomato, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, or whatever else you would like:) enjoy!

Leslie's Orange Salad

1 large head red leaf lettuce/ or 1 bag baby spinach

1 small red onion sliced in rings

2 oranges peeled and sliced

1 jicama sliced

sugared almonds

chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Dressing

3T. orange zest

1/3 c. orange juice

3 T. sugar

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/2 oil

3 T. good seasonings dry italian dressing

combine all dressing ingredients.  Toss on salad just before serving.  enjoy!

my favorite cookie- oatmeal craisin

These are really great- moist- chewy- cookies!

they are even great with raisins in them- the trick (I typically hate raisins) is the raisins have to be really good, fresh, moist ones. Sunsweet used to sell baking raisins in 1 cup sealed bags & they were fantastic-- I haven't seen them in years though. I hate those dried out gross ones.

But I love raisinettes- mmm doesn't everyone?

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter softened

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3 cups regular rolled oats

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups craisins (or good raisins, if you can find them)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first eight ingredients until well blended then mix in the rest. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls- 2 inches apart. I use a mini ice cream scoop- you should invest in one if you don't have one... they make cookie baking so nice. All the cookies come out perfect & just the same size. Bake until just starting to brown- don't over cook- (or under cook for that matter, personally I think overcooked is worse... ) Immediately transfer to a cooling rack & just as they start to cool down, and they are not too hot- EAT ONE -they are oh so good!

cafe rio style pork & rice with tomatio dressing

I got these recipes over on Tried & trues one of my very favorite cooking blogs.

I have tweeked them a little to my family's taste.

I'm listing my own version & photos because several people in my family have requested me to. They either don't have high speed or just can't figure out how to get to Mique... so here you go!

thanks mique!! Those of you readers who live in Utah-

have probably been to Cafe Rio. Those who live otherwise... will just have to try these recipes!

Cafe Rio Style Pork
1 pork roast between 3-4 lb. picnic roast is fine/bone in or with out doesn't matter

3 cups of salsa

1 cup of brown sugar

Place the ingredients into your crock pot & cook on high for 6 hours or low 10.

(I used Pace medium & blended it with the brown sugar because my kids don't like chunks-weirdos)

When the cooking time is up remove the roast & shred pulling out any fat. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork & mix. Serve on a salad or like me in tacos. I use fresh tortillas, pork, grated cheese, lettuce, salsa & cafe rio style creamy tomatillo sauce & lime rice -recipes below.

Cafe Rio Style Tomatillo Sauce

1 package of ranch dressing mix made as directed for dressing

2 medium tomatillos cut into chunks

1/2- 2 chopped & seeded jalapenos (depending on your taste)

1/3 of a bunch of cilantro

1 tsp. chopped garlic

juice of one lime

blend until smooth in the blender- this makes a lot of dressing, at least a quart!

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Lime Rice

2 cups white rice

4 cups of water

2 chicken bullion cubes

zest of one lime

1 tsp chopped garlic

Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Then stir in

6 Tblsp of finely chopped cilantro

4 tsp sugar mixed with 4 tsp lime juice

salt as desired

Serve!

Gyoza(Pot Stickers)

2 scallions(green onion) chopped
2 large Napa cabbage leaves chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger grated
1/2 lb ground pork
1 T cornstarch
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine
2 t dark sesame oil
1/2 t sugar
1 pkg round won ton skins(you can use square but I the round work the best)Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Spoon approximately 1 T of mixture on the the skin and moisten the edges. Fold the skin in half and pleat the one edge and seal together(see above pictures). Fry the gyoza in a frying pan in approximately 3 T of oil until brown on the bottom and then add about 1 cup of water and cover the pan. Steam the gyoza for about 5 minutes (if water runs out add some more). Enjoy!

Egg Rolls

This recipe was shared with by good friend Michelle. It is a pretty easy and fast way to make egg rolls. (The egg rolls are on top part of the pan on the left side in the picture)
In a large bowl mix:
1 lb. ground pork (I use Jimmy Dean Sausage you can use spicy or regular)
1 lb mung bean sprouts
1 t salt
2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c. finely chopped onions
Any of fillers you want. I like to add celery, carrots and napa cabbage

1 pkg square won ton wrappers
Fold 1T of mixture into a won ton skin. Moisten the edges with water or a beaten egg to help them to sea. I fold them into the shape of a present. Fold the bottom triangle up first, then the sides and then the top. Fry in heated oil(350 degrees) until golden and crisp. Make sure you cook them very well since the sausage is done all the way.

Christmas Caramels

I found this recipe a few years back and now I make caramels every year at Christmas time. They are very easy to make the secret is to stir the ingredients the entire time with a wooden spoon not a metal spoon.
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup karo syrup
1 14 ounce can sweet and condensed milk
Dash of Salt
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep at a rolling boil and cook till soft ball forms in cold water (about 15 minutes). Pour into a buttered 7x11 pan. Cool and then cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.

Cutney Cheese Spread

I am posting this yummy recipe for Janae.....she made this for us at our Christmas party and we all loved it! One of us will be posting a picture soon!

1 pkg. cream cheese softened
1/2 c. cheddar cheese grated
1/3 c. angel flake coconut
1 small jar of mango or apriot chutney
dried cranberries
Walnuts or pecans chopped
Sliced green onions

Mix first 3 ingredients and shape into a rectangle and place on a plate. Spread chutney over the top of the cream cheese and then garnish with cranberries, nuts and onions. Serve with crackers.

Peppermint pinwheels

I love these cookies!

they are really yummy, cute for Christmas & so easy to make.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup margarine

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat the first 6 ingredients together until creamed. Stir in the rest gently. Divide into two equal parts. Add red food coloring to 1/2 of the dough (as much as you think you need) Knead the dough to distribute the color. Cover & refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours. After it's good & cold- roll out the plain dough to about 12x16" then roll out the pink dough & place on top. Roll up the two doughs together starting at the 16" side VERy tightly. As tightly as you can. It'll all be fine if it's not tight enough, just relax. Put the whole roll in parchment paper of plastic wrap & refrigerate again. When ready to bake, cut slices of the roll 1/4 inch think & bake for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees. BE really careful not to over cook them!! they should just barely be turning brown.

*the great thing about these cookies is you can make the dough, leave it in the fridge, then bake a few off here & there! they are especially good with warm with milk or hot cocoa ~ mmm