BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 C butter
3 eggs
2 C all purpose flour (DI)
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder (DI)
1 tsp. baking soda (DI)
3/4 tsp. baking powder (DI)
1/2 tsp. salt (DI)
2 C sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C milk

DIRECTIONS:
Both eggs and butter at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spray PAM in cake pans. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, stir all dry ingredients (DI). Set aside. In large bowl, beat butter with mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 C at a time. Beat for about 3-4 minutes or until all well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk on low speed. After all are added, beat on medium to high speed.
Spread evenly in cake pans. Bake about 30-35 minutes or until center is done. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool on wire rack. Frost with chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
In large saucepan combine one 12 oz pkg (about 2 C) semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 C butter. Heat over low heat until melted, stirring often. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in one 8 oz sour cream. Gradually add 4 1/2 C sifter powdered sugar (about 1 lb), beating on medium speed until mixture is smooth.

(Recipe from: Better Homes & Gardens Favorite Bars & Cookies)

BLACK AND WHITE BROWNIES

BLACK AND WHITE BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 19-21 oz. pkg. fudge brownie mix
1 10-12 oz. pkg. white baking pieces
1 C semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 C pecan pieces
1/4 C butter, melted
3 T hot water
2 C sifter powdered sugar
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C pecan pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 13X9X2 inch baking pan; set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Stir in half of the white baking pieces, all of the semisweet chocolate pieces and the 1/2 C pecans. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Sprinkle with the remaining white baking pieces; bake for 1 minute more. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
For frosting, in a small bowl combine melted butter and hot water, stir in powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat by hand until smooth. Spoon over top of brownies. Sprinkle with the 3/4 C pecans. Cool about 1 1/2 hours or until frosting is set. Cut into bars. Makes about 36 brownies.

(Recipe from: Better Homes & Gardens Favorite Bars & Cookies)

Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

With prices going up, here's one meal that won't break the bank.

Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (about 8 oz.) dry medium egg noodles, prepared according to package directions
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cans (9 oz. each) tuna, drained and flaked
• 2 cans (10 oz. each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 2/3 cup crushed potato chips

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

MELT butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in noodles, tuna, soup and evaporated milk; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with potato chips.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until chips are golden brown.

(Recipe from: Nestle)

Baked Ziti

Ingredients
1 lb. ziti
1 1/2 C marinara sauce
1 lb. mozzarella (grated)
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese
4 oz parmesan cheese (grated)
1 egg (beaten)
3 T basil (finely chopped)
2 T oregano (finely chopped)
3 T Italian parsley ( finely chopped)
1/2 C bread crumbs
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional, good if you want a bit of spice)
salt
pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F (225 °C). Coat a large baking dish with olive oil.
2. Mix ricotta, egg, basil, oregano, parsley and about half of the mozzarella and Parmesan in a large bowl until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook ziti in a large pot of salted water. Drain well.
4. In a large bowl or pot, toss ziti with marinara sauce (and optional pepper flakes) until noodles are covered. Stir in ricotta mixture and fold until it begins to melt. Pour mixture into greased dish and spread it out with a spoon.
5. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top, then sprinkle bread crumbs over cheese.
6. Bake at 425 °F for 20 minutes or until cheese on top turns golden and begins to bubble.

Snack: Cinnamon Apple

Here's a recipe that is easy, healthy and tasty. Cinnamon helps lower cholesterol and regulates blood sugar while one medium fuji apple has approximately 80 calories and 22 gram carbohydrates.

Cinnamon Apple
Ingredients:
Fuji apples- cut into pieces (Granny's are not good for this)
Cinnamon

Directions:
Put apples in ziploc bag and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put as much cinnamon that will coat each apple. Refrigerate until chilled. Last up to a week in refrigerator because cinnamon is a nature preservative. Do not add sugar. Apples have natural sugar in them.

Strawberry Cream Trifle

Ingredients:
1/2 C sliced almonds, toasted
1 pkg. frozen pound cake, thawed (10.75 oz)
1 qt. fresh strawberries cut into squared
1 container (16 oz) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
2 T lemon juice
3 containers (8 oz each) blended strawberry yogurt
1 pkg (3.4 oz) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
powdered sugar

Directions
Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes. Combine fresh and frozen strawberries. Mix well. In mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt, and pudding. Mix until smooth. Immediately fold in 1 cup of whipped topping. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of pound cake cubes into bottom of trifle bowl. Top pound cake with 1/3 of strawberry mixture. Top with half of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the almonds. repeat layers one time. Top remaining pound cake cubes and remaining strawberry mixture.
To garnish, spread remaining whipped topping over top of trifle, forming a flat surface. Sprinkle remianing almods over whipped topping. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

(from: Pampered Chef Spring?Summer 2008 catalog)

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
(from: Janelle)

Ingredients:
head of lettuce and use the large 3-6 outside layers
1 pound chicken breast diced up into small pieces
1 large onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
dash red pepper
1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts (drained, finely chopped)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Chinese rice noodles

Directions:
Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat.

Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and red pepper. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts. Cook about 2 minutes.
Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center and top with the rice noodles.