Mocha Fudge Cake ~Molly

I found this recipe in Self magazine adapted from a spa in Arizona. It's delicious! I added powdered sugar on top and ate it with ice cream (Mom added milk, but that's gross).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 3 oz unsweetened, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
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• PREPARATION
• Heat oven to 350˚. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl until combined. Beat in eggs, then chocolate, then sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda in a bowl; add to chocolate mixture. Beat in coffee, vanilla and salt until combined. Coat a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray; pour in batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 minutes.
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• THE SKINNY
• 279 calories per slice, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 42 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Baking Powder Biscuits~by Kelsey

This recipe is from my Pillsbury Complete Cookbook.  I make them often.  They are quick and easy and yummy.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  With a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stirring with a fork, add enough milk until the mixture leaves the sides of the ball and forms a soft, moist, dough.  (This should be about one cup.)  On a floured surface, toss dough lightly until no longer sticky.  Roll or press dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut with a 2-inch round cutter (I have found that the top of a wine glass cuts perfect sized biscuits).  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Won Tons~by Kelsey

Mom usually makes these.  They are really good, so I got brave and tried to make them myself.  They turned out pretty good for my first attempt.  They are so yummy, it's worth the effort.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
finely chopped cabbage
2 whisked eggs
pkg of bean threads (I find them with the Chinese food stuff in the ethnic foods aisle of Fred Meyer)
salt
garlic salt
soy sauce
egg roll skins (these are found in the refrigerated produce section, maybe with the mushrooms in Fred Meyer, I can't quite remember)
cooking oil (lots)

Mix hamburger, cabbage, eggs, seasonings, a little soy sauce.  Break up bean threads and pour hot water on them in a bowl so they will soften.  After they have softened, add them to the hamburger mixture.

Put about 1/4 cup of the mixture on an egg roll skin and roll up like a burrito.

Use a little water on your fingers to seal the edge.  Make sure you don't get it TOO wet, though, or it will fall apart.  Place the roll on wax paper on a tray.  They will stick together, so put wax paper in between each layer if you stack them.  Cook them in oil, (I use my deep-fat fryer with about five inches of oil in it).

The trick is to cook them completely inside without burning the outside.  When they turn crispy brown on the outside they should be done.  Let them cool and then serve with a mix of soy sauce and ketchup for dipping.

Cowboy Macaroni ~ by Sarah

My cousin's wife made this the other day and it was delicious! Audrey asked for seconds and later told me it was "an amazing dinner".  I made it tonight and the whole family loved it.  And it's so easy!

Here's what you need:

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can creamed corn, undrained
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained (NOTE: The Fred Meyer brand were gross.  Don't go generic here.)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 bag large elbow macaroni
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion.  Season to taste.  Add corns, beans, tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce.

Bring to boil and simmer to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, boil macaroni according to package directions.  Drain and add to sauce mixture.  Mix well and pour into a large baking dish.  (My 13x9-inch pan was too small, so I was able to also fill an 8x8 dish to freeze.)  Cover with desired amount of shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 until bubbly.  I then turned the broiler on for a few minutes to brown the cheese a little.

That's it!  Enjoy!

Delicious--and it doesn't really need a side dish!

Pasta Salad ~ by Sarah

I posted this recipe last year.  (You can see it here.)

But lately Wes and I have decided we like it better with bow tie pasta, so we have switched over from spaghetti.  It's a still a favorite wherever we take it!

Ingredients:
1 box bow tie pasta
2 packages Italian dry seasoning mix
tomatoes
cucumbers
sliced olives
Salad Supreme or Salad Elegance seasoning
red wine vinegar

*I didn't put specific amounts of some ingredients because it's all a personal preference.  I always use two cucumbers, two medium-sized cans of sliced olives, and a whole package of grape tomatoes or three regular-sized tomatoes.  With the salad seasoning and vinegar, add until it tastes right to you.  (Usually about 1/2 a bottle of salad seasoning and a few generous dashes of vinegar.)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and place in large bowl or Tupperware container.  Mix the Italian seasoning according to package directions, but mix it as if you were only adding one package of seasoning even though you're adding two.  Pour over pasta.  Chop tomatoes and cucumbers and add to bowl.  Add olives, salad seasoning, and red wine vinegar.  Toss well.  Toss well again before serving and use a spoon to scoop the "good stuff" back on top of the noodles because it tends to sink to the bottom.

Vanilla Coconut Cupcakes ~Molly

Since I didn't get an Easter Basket from Mom, I was forced to make my own Easter treat. I decided on a recipe for coconut cupcakes that I've been dying to try for months. This recipe just didn't seem right to try while there was still the possibility of snow, but I finally decided the time had come!

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except I used vanilla extract and juice from one lime to the icing.

Reduced coconut milk:

• 2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk* (preferably organic)

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
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• Frosting:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
  • Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)
  
  
• For reduced coconut milk:
  Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to mediumlow; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
  
  
  For cupcakes:
  Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
  
  
  For frosting:
  Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to mediumhigh and beat until light and fluffy. Chill for at least a half hour. Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  
  

Potato and Sausage Soup ~Molly

I'm minorly obsessed with kale right now. It might be my new favorite vegetable. I fry it until it's crispy and put it in wraps. I chop it up and add it to scrambled eggs. I search for recipes that use it instead of studying for my Money and Banking midterm. Finding this recipe on epicurious.com was totally worth the B-.
I don't have a picture, so use your imagination. It looks like a broth-based soup. With chunks of potato, sausage, chickpeas, and kale. If you want to get fancy, add a piece of italian bread with butter on it. You could also find the recipe on Epicurious. It's actually called Kale and Chickpea Soup, but I knew none of you would read this recipe if that's what I titled this post.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 red potatoes(3/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 lb kale, stems and center ribs cut out and discarded, then leaves very finely chopped (4 cups)
• 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth (28 fl oz)
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14-oz) can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/4 lb sausage, diced and browned (I used smoked bratwurst)
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• Cook onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add potato, kale, broth, and water and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then add chickpeas and chorizo and gently simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
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• Note from Kelsey:  
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• I made this soup for my family and a couple of young "cowboys".  They all loved it, even the kids!  It is definitely something I will make again.  It smelled so good when it was cooking!  I served it with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and a green salad.  I took a picture so I could add it to Molly's original blog post. 
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