Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate-Chip Bundt Cake

Recipe From: Donna Holiday (Blake's Mom)

This cake is famous in the Holiday Family. If you love chocolate, it is the best. I promise!

Ingredients:

1 pkg Devils Food Cake

1 pkg instant chocolate pudding (3.9 oz)

1 3/4 cup milk

2 eggs (beaten)

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

powdered sugar

Mix together the cake, pudding, milk and beaten eggs. Blend for a few minutes. Add the chocolate chips. Spray bundt pan with flour spray and bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes and sprinkle on powdered sugar.

Mini muffins: 350 for 12 minutes

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Recipe From: Leslie Reber

When I was a teenager, my young women's leader made banana bread for us. I've changed the recipe to mini muffins with chocolate chips instead of nuts...much better! I usually double (or 1 1/2) the recipe depending on how many ripe bananas I have. Blake either takes them to work or I freeze the extras.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar (I use half splenda)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup ripe bananas (mashed)
1/3 cup butter (I use half low fat)
2 tbsp milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (they melt better than regular sized)

In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, all the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add the mashed bananas, butter and milk. Mix on low speed until blended...then on high speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and remaining flour. Beat until blended, then add chocolate chips. Use flour spray to grease pan. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes (mini muffins), 20-22 min (cupcake size), 60 minutes (loaf). Let cool on a wire rack.

Mini Sloppy Joes

Recipe From: http://anne-marie.tastebuds.blogspot.com/

Everything is better when it is smaller. Of all the sloppy joes I've had in the past, none have brown sugar in them....genius!

Ingredients:

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 yellow onion
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 pkg dollar size rolls

Brown ground beef and onions. Drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low about 10 minutes. Serve on dollar size rolls.

Salmon with Couscous

Recipe from: http://deliciousdishesyum.blogspot.com/

Easy and fast, but not a favorite. I'm not really a fan of couscous. I ate it all, but didn't feel full or satisfied...must be healthydish! Sam didn't care for it either - imagine couscous spuuing all over the floor.

Ingredients:

2 4-6 oz salmon fillets

1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 small orange
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup water
1 garlic cloved (minced)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup couscous

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with lemon pepper. Place in a greased baking pan and drizzle with soay sauce. Arrange orange slices on top of the fish. Bake, covered at 450 for 8-12 minutes. In a saucepan combine broccoli, broth, water, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, covered about 3 minutes until broccoli is crisp. Stir in couscous. Remove saucepan from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe From: Proffit Family

I've been making these as long as I can remember. The recipe came from my mom's collection. Blake and I eat cookies AT LEAST 2-3 times a week. Now that we are preparing for Costa Rica, we don't indulge nearly enough.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (I use Blue Bonnet...have no idea why!)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla, baking soda, baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1/3 to 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs together until creamy. Combine the remaining ingredients, adding chocolate chips last. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 325 for 14 minutes (so they are soft). Let cool on the cookie sheet. Blake and I only eat a batch at a time, so we put the remaining dough in the freezer, so we can have cookies whenever we want!

Sweet Pulled Pork Salad & Taquitos

Compilation of Recipes
After spending the weekend in Utah, I got to eat Cafe Rio again. Yummy. I've tried many different recipes for sweet pork and the tomatillo dressing. This is the latest, and so far the best. The taquitos were inspired by The Cheesecake Factor (of all places). We ate there the last night in SLC, and ordered taquitos as an appetizer. It's amazing how great meat and cheese can taste!

Pork Ingredients:

Pork Butt Roast (I know, it's the butt...but! I've tried a tenderloin and regular roast, and the HEB meat lady said the butt is the best for pulled pork...agreed!)
1 can Coke
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup fat free French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours.

Tamatillo Dressing Ingredients:

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1 large jalepeno
1 clove garlic
1 tamatillo
1 handfull cilantro
1 lime
1 cup fat free mayo
1 cup fat free plain yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Other Ingredients:

Guerrero Tortillas
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Black Beans
Steamed Rice (mixed with cilantro and fresh lime juice)
Lettuce, Cilantro, Limes, Pico di Gallo

Apple Dip

Recipe From: Krisite Paraspolo

At Samantha's baby shower, my co-worker Kristi made this dip...it was a favorite! I also served it at Sam's baby blessing.

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg heath bar toffee bits
Gala and/or Granny Smith Apples
Pineapple Juice

Cut the apples into slices and pour pineapple juice over them. The juice will keep them from turning brown and they'll stay crispy and sweet. Let cream cheese sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to soften. Combine all ingredients (except for toffee bits) and mix in a food processor. Add the toffee bits right before serving...they tend to get a little soggy. Sometimes I use fat free cream cheese and substitute the sugar for splenda...it is just as good.

Beef Lo Mein

Recipe From: Salt Lake Tribune

When Blake and I got married in 2001, he said one of his favorite things was asian style noodles. I probley tried 10 different recipes until I found this one.

Beef Marinade:
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame seed oil

Sauce:

2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp sesame seed oil
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp white pepper (or less)
4 tbsp peanut sauce

Ingredients:

1/2-1 lb beef flank steak
1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
1/2 lb bean sprouts
1/4 cup green onions
garlic and ginger

Mix beef marinade. Cut steak into 1/4 inch slices. Marinate beef for about 15 minutes. Cook meat and set aside (I just put it in the broiler). Add noodles to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Do not drain. In a bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or skillet, add grated ginger, garlic and salt...saute until fragrant. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add cooked meat, noodles (scoop directly from the pot of water so there is a bit of the salty water), green onions and bean sprouts. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Yickies

Recipe From: Grandma Jones

I have been eating these cookies for as long as I can remember loving chocolate. I've seen a million different recipes, calling them a million different names. I can't live without them. Period.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar (I use half splenda)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cube butter (I use light butter)

3 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups quick oats

Optional Ingredients:

heath bar bits

chocolate chips

raisins

walnuts

Combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is melted. Then add oats. Stir until mixed...add optional ingredients then drop onto tin foil.

It is best to eat them with a spoon when they are still warm. Because I use low fat, low calorie ingredients, they are really gooey and sticky and never really harden. Blake will only eat these with chocolate chips and heath bar bits. My dad always "ruins" them with walnuts and raisins. A million different ways to eat 'em!