Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

Combine and beat:
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch salt

Beat in separate bowl:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
1 tsp. baking sodaFill tins 1/3 full of chocolate. Drop large spoonful of cream cheese filling in each. Cook 20 minutes at 325 degrees F. Makes 12 delicious muffins!

Note: Some really yummy sounding muffins at http://quietrest.blogspot.com/ . The recipe is entered on October 31st and it is called "Muffins That Taste Like Donuts". Doesn't that sound good! I want to try those along with a recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins which is notated below. A team mate at work made them and said they are a big hit at her house.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Dump Cake –TF
1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 package yellow cake mix or spice cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9”x13” baking pan. In a bowl, mix everything except last 3 ingredients. Pour in pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of pumpkin, then sprinkle nuts over mix. Drizzle butter all over nut & mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Edges will be light brown. Good served warm or cold with Cool Whip or Whipped Cream.

Note: I prefer it warm. Just zap in the microwave. I used 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon/ginger/cloves. I used a spice cake mix instead of the yellow.

Apple Butter Spice Cake--Not yet tried

I have not made this yet but I want to and when I do pictures and a review will be included.  I found this recipe at:  http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/

Apple Butter Spice Cake

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup apple butter (found in the jam section of your grocery store)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup wheat germ or quick oats

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or grease one 9"x13" pan. In small bowl, prepare the topping by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In bowl of standing mixer, blend together butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add apple butter, vanilla, wheat germ or bran cereal. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour cream; mix well after each addition. Pour 1/2 batter into pan, sprinkle 1/2 the topping over top. Pour remaining batter and top with remaining topping. Bake for 40 minutes.The best part about this cake is the brown sugar topping on top and in the middle!

Hip Hop Dot's Peanut Butter Cookies

Hip Hop Dot's Peanut Butter Cookies

Bake @ 375° for 8-10 minutes

3 cups flour
½ cup butter
½ cup lard
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt

Cream fat, add sugars & mix.  Add peanut butter, beaten eggs, vanilla and mix.  Sift together flour, salt, soda & mix with creamed mixture.  Shape into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Press with fork to make criss cross design with sugar.
Hip Hop Dot's Peanut Butter cookies are best when eaten the next day.  Warm they are disappointing and cooled they are better but I could taste the lard and was upset I hadn't used shortening.  But after they sat overnight they were superb.  I want to get some of the bigger, decorative sugar crystals to sprinkle on top because I think it would look and taste better then granulated sugar.  Professor loves them.  He asked who they were for, because I usually bake stuff to take to work, I told him they were for us!  Oh there was that big smile of his that I love! 

Crock pot Lasagna

Well my Crock pot lasagna has received 6 vigorous thumbs up, 2 of them from Hip Hop Dot, the team's chef.  So I am sharing the recipe.  I used just ground beef, no ground turkey and I dispensed with anything low fat.  I will use more cream cheese and mozzarella next time.  Make it mighty cheesy!

Crock pot Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. low-fat ground beef
1/2 lb. low-fat ground turkey
1 small container low-fat Cream Cheese (not ricotta)
1 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 cup small button mushrooms
2 grated carrots
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. pkg. of mozzarella cheese, low fat
Using a cooking spray, spray your crock pot well (you will be glad you did this). Brown the meat and drain, then run hot water to drain even more of the fat content out. Chop onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms.

In the crock pot lay a layer of noodles (no need to precook), then layers of meat, cheese, cream cheese, sauce, and veggies until you fill crock pot up. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 1 hour.

Servings: 4
Time: 30 Minutes Preparation Time

Easy Chicken Pasta Salad

Easy Pasta Salad is what I whipped up for the Professor and I yesterday evening.  It was pretty good although the next time I want to use grilled chicken rather then pan cooked chicken.  Professor really liked this and it was easy to make.  There is plenty left over for him to eat this weekend while I work.
 Easy Pasta Salad

• 1 package chicken tenders
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 package (12 oz.) fettuccine pasta, uncooked
• 1 package (16 oz.) frozen vegetable mix
• ¹/2 cup bottled Caesar or Italian dressing
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¹/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. In large skillet, saute chicken in vegetable oil over medium heat until done. (Insert instant-read meat thermometer in thickest part of chicken. Temperature should read 170 degrees F). Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Add vegetables to pasta last 5 minutes of cook time. Drain pasta and vegetables and mix with chicken, dressing and basil.

Mix well; cook until heated through. Add cheese; toss to coat pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh bread, if desired. Serves: 4

Hip Hop Dot's Tomato Relish

As I previously stated I was slicing and dicing vegetables for Hip Hop Dot's recipe for tomato relish.  Heirloom tomatoes from my mother's neighbor, onion, cucumber, banana pepper and Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.  Oh it is so yummy and the Professor loves it.  I took some over to Mom's when we dropped off the pretty Mum we got for her.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

1 1/3 cup water
¾ cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups frozen/fresh vegetables
½ teaspoon onion powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1-10¾ oz cream of chicken soup

Stir soup, water, rice, veggies & onion powder in a 12"x8" shallow baking dish.  Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired.  Cover.  Bake @375° for 45 minutes or until done.  Top with cheese.

Because I am my mother's daughter, I didn't follow the directions exactly.  I used a Mexican Cheese mix that I had in the frig and I mixed it in with the rice.  I used the par-boiled rice we have here at home.  I didn't cover the pan and I think that the chicken breasts were a bit too thick because I baked it an hour.  But it was good, especially the rice and His Royal Self enjoyed the rice too!

Amish Sweet Bread

Oh the house smells good from the Amish Sweet Bread that I baked.  It should have been 2 loaves but I was able to stretch it into 3.  The recipe follows!

Amish Sweet Bread

1 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3.5 oz. box vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 - 1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/4 cup milk

Sugar/Cinnamon Mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease two loaf pans.

Mix oil and sugar, add eggs and vanilla; beat. In separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients, including walnuts. Add dry mix alternately with milk until well blended.

Mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon together in small bowl. In two greased loaf pans, sprinkle mix on the sides and bottoms of the pans. Save some to sprinkle on top of loaves.

Pour batter into prepared pans, sprinkle top of loaves with the sugar/cinnamon mix. Optional, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top. Bake for one hour or until tested done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. May be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Freezes well; tightly wrap cooled loaves in plastic wrap, then in foil before freezing.

Note: I have read that you can substitute 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce for 1/2 cup of the oil. I have not tried this.

As you can see it looks as wonderful as it tastes and it really is as moist and sweet as the Amish Friendship Bread that begins with starter, but you don't have to deal with all the feedings and mess.  Make this!!!! 

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

1-package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1-cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can (10¾ ozs) condensed cream of chicken soup
1-cup Original Bisquick® mix
½ cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Stir remaining ingredients in small bowl with fork until blended. Pour into casserole. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.

My notes: I used cream of mushroom soup, diced up a couple of small red potatoes and added more chicken, I cubed up 2 chicken breasts from the Parmesan Chicken the night before and put it in an 8"x8" square pan.  Professor liked a lot.