Darn Good Chocolate Cake

I am mainly putting this recipe on the blog so I don't loose it again. It is too good to forget. I got it out of the Cake Doctor Book.

1 pkg. devils food cake/or dark chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar(for dusting)

Mix first 6 ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and lightly dusted with flour bunt cake pan. Cook in oven at 350* for 45-50 mins. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy warm with ice cream. Mmmm-mmmm...yummy!!

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

5 pounds apples
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Brigham City Peach Cobbler

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP butter
1 cup flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
Ice cream or whipped topping (optional)

For filling, in a large saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add almond extract. Stir in peaches, lemon juice, and the 1 TBSP butter; heat through and keep warm while preparing topping.

For topping, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the 1/4 cup butter into the mixture until it resembles course crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Turn hot filling into a greased 1.5 or 2 quart casserole dish. Immediately spoon on topping in 6 mounds. Bake at 400 for approximately 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

*also works well with raspberries and blackberries

Two Meals in One

This is a great way to make one meal turn into another for two days of dinners.
(Picture is of day 2 Enchilladas before they are put in the oven.)

Day 1: Fajitas

3 lbs. pot roast(beef Chuck roast) Only $7 at Winco!!!
1 green pepper, julienned
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. water
1 pkg. fajita seasoning mix

Combine all ingredients in to Crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours.
Last hour of cooking shred beef and add 1 c. brown/white rice to soak up juice.
Reserve about 2 1/2 c. meat mixture for day two.
Serve in tortillas with cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole...what ever sounds good.

Day 2: Enchiladas

Leftover fajita beef ( about 2 1/2 c. packed)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can tomato soup
1 pkg. enchilada seasoning mix
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
12 tortillas

Reheat fajita beef in microwave for about 2 mins with cream cheese. Stir together. Spread beef mixture over 12 tortillas, roll up and place in baking pan. Mix tomato soup and seasoning packet together. Spread on top of tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce. Bake in oven at 350 for 30 mins. or until cheese is melted and food is heated through. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. Enjoy!!

Ice Cream Caramel Crunch Delight

This is the ice cream dessert we served at April P.'s baby shower. Thanks to my old roommate Nadia for this awesomely decadent dessert.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 chopped pecans
1 cup margarine, melted
12 1/4 ounce jar caramel topping
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

1. Stir together the flour, oats, sugar, pecans and margarine.
2. Spread in a thin layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Cool, then crumble.
3. Press 1/2 of crumb mixture into a 9x13 pan.
4. Add 1/2 of caramel topping, spread evenly (super hard to do, I just try to drizzle evenly).
5. Carefully spoon on the ice cream, spread evenly (once again, not easy to do without disturbing the crumbs. So I open up the ice cream box, slice the ice cream into 4-6 slices and place them on the caramel. Then I spread to fill in the cracks.)
6. Layer on 2nd half of caramel topping and the next 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Freeze immediately.
7. Cut into squares for serving.