Potato Casserole

My good friend Sarah gave me this recipe and it is so yummy! This is what we would call "funeral potatoes". And I can't make anything with out changing it a little, but I'll give the original recipe then add my notes of what I changed.

Yummy Potato Casserole
6 medium potatoes (par boiled)
1/4 cup margarine
1 carton sour cream (16 oz.)
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup (10 oz.)
1 teaspoon dry onion or some chopped onion
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
1 cup crushed corn flakes

Cook potatoes, peel and grate. Melt margarine with soup until blended. Add sour cream, onion and cheese and mix well. Pour over grated potatoes. (I mix them together.) Put in 9 x 13 inch dish. Sprinkle the top with corn flakes. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. It will be thick but just mix the best you can and then put it in the pan.

My notes: **So instead of parboiling the potatoes I just microwaved them for about 4-5 minutes until the were easy enough to poke with a fork but not to the baked potato stage yet. I let them cool before shredding, but still used hot pads to shred since they were still hot. Along with what is called for I added milk to mine too, I wanted it a bit more creamy. I think I added a little less than a cup. I also added salt and pepper before baking, since I'm a salty kind of person, but know that the recipe truly doesn't need it. And then instead of corn flakes on top I put bread crumbs, which I didn't end up liking. Bo and I decided it would've been awesome to put French's Onions on top for a good flavor; we're going to try that next time. I even contemplated adding some chopped ham into it, but didn't have any. No matter what, this recipe turns out tasty!

Pasta Chicken Salad

6 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 pkg. Bow tie pasta-cooked and drained
sliced green onions
16 oz. Kraft coleslaw dressing
2 cups mayonnaise (see note)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. grapes halved
1 cup chopped celery
1 20 oz. Can pineapple tidbit, drained
1-2 medium apples, chopped
slivered almonds

Combine chicken, pasta, green onions, coleslaw dressing, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and chill. Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients. Makes about 20 servings

Note: The last I made this, I didn't have any mayo, so I used only the dressing, just enough to make it wet -- I used about 10-12 oz. I think I like it better without the mayo.

Crazy Cocoa Cake

At our Enrichment Activity the other night a lady in our ward make this amazing cake. I got the recipe from her, so I thought I'd share. The cake reminded me of the cake on the movie Matilda, ya know, the big one that the boy has to eat. That cake looked so good, so I'm glad to have the recipe now to make my own cake! ☺

Crazy Cocoa Cake
3 cups flour,
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1 Tbsp Vanilla
¾ cup Oil
2 Tbsp Vinegar
2 cups water

Sift together flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Sugar and Cocoa. Make 3 wells in the dry mixture, in the first put Vanilla, the next put Oil, and the last put Vinegar. Pour water over all of it and stir until well blended. Pour into a sprayed 9x13 pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Topping:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Cocoa
1 cup Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup Water
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Butter

In a heavy saucepan mix cornstarch, Cocoa, Sugar, and Salt. Slowly add Water and stir while cooking over medium heat. Mixture will thicken. Take off heat and add Vanilla and Butter. Pour onto cooled cake while topping is hot. Cool cake and serve.