Chocolate Pudding Cake

posted by Traci, adapted from Allrecipes.com

Tried this last night. It's easy and oh so delicious! Some reviews liked it with ice cream. I loved it plain.

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
  
  
  
  
• 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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• 2. In an 8x8 inch square pan, stir together the flour, white sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add milk and oil, mix well. Sprinkle brown sugar, remaining cocoa and chocolate chips over the mixture. Add the vanilla to the hot milk, then pour the water over the top.
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• 3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the surface appears dry. Serve warm with a spoon or at room temperature.
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• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups hot milk

Bacon-Potato Soup

from 101 More Things To Do With A Slow Cooker

6 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups water
2 cups chopped onions
4 chicken bouillon cubes*
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Combine potatoes, water, onions, and bouillon cubes in a greased 5 to 7 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender. Stir in crumbled bacon, milk, and gated cheese. Cover and cook and additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 10-12 servings.

Serve with hot biscuits and garnish soup with fresh chopped parsley.

VARIATION: Add 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/2 cup chopped carrots with potatoes at the beginning of cook time.

* 4 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules can be substituted.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies III

Here is a great recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I found this recipe on a Sunday when I didn't have eggs. I like it so much that I have made it since then even when I did have eggs. It is nice if you are making the cookies with your kids so you don't have to worry about batter tastes and raw eggs! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.

1 cup butter 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup boiling water 2 cups quick cooking oats 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Beat butter or margarine, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mix well.
2.	Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Stir in rolled oats, raisins and chocolate chips.
3.	Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes. Don't over cook. (There are no eggs in this recipe, I didn't forget to type it down).

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups (about 20 squares) graham crackers, finely crushed *seems like I usually just use one package of them
1/3 cup stick margarine or butter (I always use butter)
3 tablespoons sugar

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Mix crumbs, margarine and sugar. Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of pie plate.
3. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown; cool.

Just posting this recipe for Brett!

Cookie Dough to Eat

posted by Traci

note: This is seriously a dangerous recipe. It always satisfies my cookie dough craving. The nice thing is, it doesn't make a ton of cookie dough, but it makes enough to snack on and then put some away in the fridge for later.

1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tbs water
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup- 1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together. Add water and stir. Add flour and chocolate chips. Stir. Enjoy!

PS I've never tried it, but I don't imagine these would bake very well. So just eat the dough!

Crispy Rice Cookies

posted by Traci

note: These cookies are designed as a cookie in jar, like you give away as a gift. So it is mixed up a little differently. I suppose you could rearrange the ingredients and mix them more like traditional cookies if you like.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tbs water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup m & m's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 egg, water, and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the butter mixture. Stir until well blended. Mixture will be on the drier side. You may need to mix with your hands. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Brownie in a Mug

posted by Traci
Okay guys, I post this recipe with EXTREME caution. You may become addicted.

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 dash salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Handful of chocolate chips (optional)


Melt the butter in a standard hot chocolate mug. Add applesauce, milk and vanilla. Stir. Stir in sugar. Add cocoa powder and flour on top. Mix the flour and cocoa together on top of the wet ingredients without disturbing the wet ingredients (okay you can mix the flour and cocoa in a separate container, but I'd rather spare a dish and mix them on top of the other ingredients). Add your dash of salt. Stir all ingredients together in mug. Add chocolate chips if desired. Microwave on high for about 1 min. Give or take for wattage and your desired consistency. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Traci's tweaks: The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of butter or oil I just switched for the applesauce to cut down on calories. Maybe next time I'll try all applesauce. The original recipe also called for 4 tbs of sugar, but I reduced it because the applesauce does add some sweetness. Also, the original recipe called for water, not milk. I used milk just because.

Lion House Potato Casserole

It's been since February since anyone updated this, so I figured it was about time. :)

From the book, Lion House Classics

5 Large potatoes
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs or dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Boil unprepared potatoes until tender. Drain and peel; shred coarsely. Place in 2- or 3- quart casserole dish. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions, and cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Do not mix. Toss crumbs with melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

posted by Traci
Make this. You won't be sorry :)

This is the cheesecake I make most often and it is delicious! Of course I never tend to follow a recipe exactly so I usually make some modifications.  I have posted the original recipe and a link to it on allrecipes.com in case you want to look at reviews there and such. Here are my modifications:
I make it with a graham cracker crust.
I cheat and use seedless raspberry jam instead of making the raspberry sauce myself. You only need about a 1/3 cup of jam. Warm it up in the microwave and stir to make a smooth sauce. You can also spoon more jam over the top after the cheesecake is done.
One note: I have never been able to get the baking time on this right. It always seems waaay to jiggly when time is up so I always bake it waaay longer than the time says. I don't know whats up with that, but I have never ruined this cheesecake no matter how long I have left it in.

Healthier White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup 1% milk
• 3 (8 oz) packages neufchatel, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cover the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with double layers of aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons 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 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bring a kettle of water to a boil. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with the milk stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together neufchatel 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 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
5. Place the pan in a roasting pan. Place in oven and fill the roasting pan with the hot water to halfway up the outside of the pan. 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.

Carmelitas (delicious!)

*2 C. flour
*2 C. oats
*1 1/2 C. brown sugar
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 1/4 C. softened margarine (2 1/2 sticks)
(*crust ingredients)

1 12 oz. jar caramel topping
3 Tablespoons flour
1 C. Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan. In large bowl, blend crust ingredients. Press half of mixture into pan. Bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine caramel and flour. Remove crust from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Drizzle evenly with caramel. Sprinkle w/remaining crust crumbs. Bake 18-22 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Enjoy the yummyness!