<p>After leftover Halloween candy, chocolate is the last thing I want to think about- as my daughter said " if we don’t get more trick or treaters, I see stomach aches in our future!".</p>
<p>I loved quiche. H and D not so much. Guess who ends up eating most of it?
Sewhappy- I looked online at a few other chili recipes and several added beer. I don’t know what it does but the chili was delicious. The interesting thing looking at a bunch of recipes is how long of a simmer time. Some were as little as 20 minutes to up to 3 hours. All had the same basic ingredients. I simmered about 90 minutes because that was the amount of time I had. I will serve the leftovers tonight along with some hamburgers that I am making with the rest of the ground beef package. The ground beef sold at our Whole Foods is pretty reasonable if you buy it in the pre-packed large size. It is about 4 lbs. I use part of it and make the rest up into patties that I freeze. The beef is far superior in flavor and texture to what the Vons sells.
I want to try the squash. They didn’t have one at Trader Joe’s so I will check next time I am at one of the other markets.</p>
<p>Sewhappy, so you have made that Hershey’s Cake? I have a D whose bday is coming up and she ALWAYS requests homemade chocolate cake/chocolate frosting, I will make homemade frosting but I have never made homemade chocolate b-day cake…!</p>
<p>abasket,</p>
<p>The Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake is sort of the quintessential chocolate cake, in my view. It’s not an easy recipe. But definitely worth it. Be sure to also make the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Frosting following the cake recipe. </p>
<p>It’s not overly sweet, just really pure good moist dark chocolate cake. Also, it’s a layer cake and the batter is generous so you end up with a really tall, handsome cake.</p>
<p>I also like the Trader Joe’s cake mixes, but not so much the chocolate. Big fan of the bourbon vanilla cake, though. I usually make a homemade butter cream frosting for it.</p>
<p>Have been trying not to bake too many desserts – DH is trying to lose weight.</p>
<p>Happy Birthday to your D!</p>
<p>Ek, if you have a garden, then you should grow delicata. I grew it last year and probably donated 40 squashes to the food pantry and I had a small squash patch. I also found out that my dh isn’t that thrilled with squash.</p>
<p>It was a trader joes to the rescue start here. I cooked some bowtie pasta al dente then layered it with tj marinara sauce, tj veggie Italian sausage and tj lowfat mozzarella in the crockpot. I sliced the sausage and cooked it with a little onion, garlic and olive oil first. Came out yummy and you could use regular sausage obviously.<br>
Dessert was some beautiful granny smith apples from a friends farm. Sliced them then mixed with just a little sugar, cinnamon, flour and lemon juice. Rolled out a tjs pie crust, cut into small circles and made little rustic apple tarts.</p>
<p>I made the below again, this time with “smoked paprika” and it was better. :)</p>
<p>Sams Club sells the Ranch Hidden Valley dry mix in jar, so used that this time as well.</p>
<p>*Hidden Valley Original Ranch Pork Chops</p>
<ul>
<li>Servings: 5</li>
<li>Prep time: 15m</li>
<li>Cook time: 25m</li>
<li><p>Total time: 40m</p></li>
<li><p>Dish Type: Main Course</p></li>
<li><p>Cuisine: American</p></li>
<li><p>Cooking Method: Broiled</p></li>
<li><p>1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix</p></li>
<li><p>Salt and freshly ground black pepper</p></li>
<li><p>6 pork loin rib chops about 1-inch thick</p></li>
<li><p>Dash of paprika (optional)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Instructions</p>
<p>Preheat the oven to 450ºF.</p>
<p>In a small bowl, add the Seasoning mix, together with the salt, pepper, and paprika and mix well. Liberally sprinkle the pork-chops on both sides with the seasoning mixture.</p>
<p>Arrange the chops on a baking sheet. Bake the pork chops for 20 minutes, turning once until browned or an internal temperature of 160ºF is reached. Serve immediately.</p>
<p>I did use regular paprika, but next time I’m going to try using some smoked paprika for some added flavor. </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Sewhappy, I have made that Hershey’s chocolate cake for at least 20 years, and it is a repeat request to me from family. However, I don’t agree it is “not an easy recipe.” It is so simple, it is the chocolate cake I taught my young kids to make using one bowl, adding the wets to the dries, and the boiling water finale just “takes the cake!”
Sometimes we add cinnamon and other spices to the dry part.
I even recently tried to teach this to one son’s girlfriend after I saw she had many store bought cake mixes in the larder. Darling, if you love chocolate cake, this recipe is almost as easy as adding eggs, oil, and liquid as specified on the box.</p>
<p>Best salmon tonight. It was the recipe that came with the cedar planks, which you need to remember to soak an hour in advance. And fire up your grill in advance too. Make a rub with 2 tsp ancho chili powder (I ground up a dried chili which I think was an ancho chili)m 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 TB brown sugar. Cover a largish filet of salmon (the size of your plank). Heat the plank 3 minutes on your fire turn it over and put the fish on. (The temp should be about 350 degrees.) The fish should be done in 15 minutes. We didn’t have enough coals so it took twice as long, but it was still delicious. The recipe suggests dripping honey on it, but we thought it was plenty sweet from the brown sugar and didn’t need more.</p>
<p>Made this for husband’s poker night this appetizer this weekend-
a big hit. </p>
<p>** Buffalo Chicken Dip **
4 - boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 2 pounds, boiled and shredded with 2 forks (I do mine in the crockpot and then I have homemade chicken broth for other cooking uses; the meat shreds so beautifully, too.)</p>
<p>1 - 12 ounce bottle** Frank’s Hot Sauce (try NOT to substitute…
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce bottle Ranch dressing [ I used blue cheese per comments suggesting this
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 - ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese or combo thereof</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a 13x9x2 inch baking pan, combine the cooked, shredded chicken meat with the entire bottle of Frank’s, spreading to form an even layer.</p>
<p>In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream cheese and entire bottle of Ranch dressing, stirring til hot and smooth
Pour this mixture evenly over chicken mixture.</p>
<p>Sprinkle with chopped celery.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Then add the shredded cheese and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or til bubbly–do not overbake or the cheese topping will get browned and hardened! </p>
<p>Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
Serve with celery pieces (cut the celery cross-wise, not lengthwise…you want the dip to get scooped into the celery piece)…or with any sturdy dipping chip like Tostito Golds. ** Tostito Scoops worked fine, it does thicken as it cools. best warm **</p>
<p>**Abasket **, you wrote ** "and she ALWAYS requests homemade chocolate cake/chocolate frosting, **</p>
<p>Oh, check out Pioneer Woman’s (Ree Drummond) ** “Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever” **----- have made in many, many times, for Woman’s Club events, birthdays. as dessert for guests. Always a HIT!</p>
<p>Can freeze leftover cake! Very yummy when partially frozen, too :)</p>
<p>Birch, you’re right. The Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake is not hard. I’m thinking of making it so many times during those hectic juggling years of job, kids at home, house, etc. Everything felt daunting back then!</p>
<p>Here’s another oldie but goodie cake recipe that also involves boiling water. It’s very dense and moist and yummy.</p>
<p>Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake</p>
<p>2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla, divided
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup buttermilk</p>
<p>1 pkg cream cheeze (8 oz)
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour 17x11 baking pan.
Stir together flour and sugar.
Put 1/2 cup butter, the oil and water in saucepan, bring to a boil.
Pour heated mixture over flour mixture, beat thoroughly.
Beat in eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and buttermilk.
Pour into prepared pan, bake 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Frosting:
beat together until creamy the remaining 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, cream cheese. Blend in powdered sugar, beat until fluffy.</p>
<p>Spread icing over warm cake.</p>
<p>I also made the hidden valley ranch pork chops with the smoked paprika and they were a big hit. They came out very moist and tasted great.</p>
<p>Here is a good appetizer recipe for holiday gatherings.</p>
<p>Gorgonzola Dip</p>
<p>½ lb. gorgonzola
½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
½ cup finely chopped green onions
2-4 gloves minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice</p>
<p>Crumble gorgonzola and mix with all other ingredients. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.</p>
<p>Both sheet cakes sound wonderful! Will have to print out and give a whirl!</p>
<p>Here is another easy appetizer recipe:</p>
<p>Baked Brie Recipe with Sundried Tomatoes</p>
<p>Ingredients:</p>
<p>about 8-10 oz. Brie
8 oz. jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping teaspoon of dried thyme or 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
fresh cracked black pepper
Baguette or crackers
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Remove rind from Brie, then cut brie into cubes.
- In small bowl, combine sun dried tomatoes, garlic, thyme, fresh cracked black pepper
- In baking dish, layer the base with about 1/3 of the sun dried tomato mixture, then top with 1/2 of the chopped brie. Repeat the layering until the top layer is the sun dried tomato mixture.
- Allow the layering to at least reach the rim of the baking dish. The dip will melt down considerably.
- Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until the brie completely melts and becomes bubbly. You may need to stir the dip one time, about 15 minutes into the baking to combine the layers.
- Serve warm, with bread or crackers</p>
<p>OK…does anyone have the chocolate cake recipe that while making the batter (before adding flour/dry ingreds) that you set some aside and it’s your frosting? </p>
<p>I think it has cream cheese in it. </p>
<p>We used to make this when I was a kid, and we can’t find the recipe. </p>
<p>It really is a tasty, moist cake!</p>
<p>^ fascinating. I hope someone shares it with us.</p>
<p>I have showmom’sgorgonzola recipe, but it calls for red onion instead of green, and Oregon Blue Cheese. People who swear they hate blue cheese gobble it up! You all should try it!</p>
<p>I had to take cupcakes to a party last night and almost forgot. All I had in the cupboard was a white cake mix and a box of powdered sugar. This is what I came up with.</p>
<p>white cake mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup finely grated carrot
Mix and bake according to package directions.</p>
<p>Frosting
4 Tb. butter
1 cup brown sugar<br>
6 Tb. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 to 1 box powdered sugar
4 Tb. butter</p>
<p>Bring butter & brown sugar to boil and boil for 2 mn. Add milk and vanilla, bring to a boil again and boil 1 mn. Let cool. Whip caramel with powdered sugar and softened butter.</p>
<p>I drew apple pie duty for Thanksgiving this year. Up until last year I always made it with granny smith apples. Last year I used granny smiths and macs in a ratio of about 60:40 per a Cooks recipe. The result: granny slices held their shape, macs basically cooked down. Everyone liked it. Just wondering if anyone else has a favorite pie apple or combination.</p>