Devil's Food Cookies

I love to watch Food Network, and I've seen Sandra Lee make cookies using cake mix, so I decided to give it a whirl myself.

I used a Devils food cake mix and added...

2 large eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 c walnuts

2/3 c chocolate chips

1 t vanilla

Mix together, bake at 350 for 8-10 mins.

They are really tasty and so much faster than making cookies totally from scratch!

Smothered Pork Chops

This is one of our favorite comfort recipes, and on a night like tonight when it's freezing and there is snow outside, it's just perfect!

Ingredients:

Pork chops (6-8 thin cut)

1/2 c buttermilk (or see my substitution below)

1 1/4 c beef broth

1 c flour

1.5 T onion powder

1.5 T garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

Oil

Mix:

1 c flour

1.5 T onion powder

1.5 T garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

Dredge pork chops in the mixture (we use thin cut):
Fry them in a pan that has a coating of vegetable oil.
Remove the pork chops from the pan. Add a few tablespoons of the flour mixture to what is left of the oil, and whisk together. Then add 1 1/4 cup of beef broth. Whisk together and then turn your pan down and let it simmer and thicken, about 3-5 min's.
Add half a cup of buttermilk, or if you don't have buttermilk 1/2 cup of milk mixed with 1/2T of vinegar or lemon juice.

Put the pork chops back in the pan and let them simmer for 3-5 min's.
Eat up!

Creamy Italian Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 pkt. Italian seasoning

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can (soup can) water

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 pkg. cream cheese

Mix all together in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with noodles.


I actually didn't cook mine in a crockpot because I didn't have time, but I boiled my chicken and then cubed it and threw everything in a sauce pan. It was YUMMY. In total it probably took me about 15min's (outside of boiling the chicken). I hope you try it and like it as much as we do!

German Chocolate Cake

So I thought I'd post my German Chocolate Cake recipe for you all. It's my grandmothers actually. It's SO yummy. The cake part we don't make from scratch but of course you can!
We use the Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake mix.

Here's the icing:
2-5oz. cans evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks (beaten)
3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick, about 12 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Beat until thick enough to spread. Then place this mixture into the fridge and let it harden before attempting to spread it onto a completely cooled cake.

TIP - I have found that taking my metal cake spatula and freezing it helps the icing adhere to the cake, because it wants to stick to the warmest object.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 can (15 oz.)pumpkin (pure pumpkin)
½ cup Crisco
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in Crisco until mixture is fine. Add pumpkin, milk and eggs, mix until combined; do not overmix.Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 (4-serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream, whipped
36 vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

Instructions
In large bowl, combine EAGLE BRAND® and water. Add pudding mix; beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes.
Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 1 cup pudding mixture into 2 1/2-quart glass serving bowl.
Top with one-third each of the vanilla wafers, bananas and remaining pudding. Repeat layering twice, ending with pudding mixture. Chill thoroughly. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

So if you need something to make for a friend or a party or whatever, try this recipe out. You won't be disappointed!

Oreo Balls

Go here to view the video!

1 package oreos (I use mint oreos)

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 package of white chocolate or almond bark

If you have a food processor, dump the oreos in and pulse them until they are sandy. Then add the cream cheese and pulse until it forms a ball.

If you don't have a food processor, what I've done in the past is double up 2 ziplocks and pound the oreos with a meat mallet until sandy. Then, just mix in a bowl or a stand mixer with the cream cheese.

Form into quarter sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment (make sure it will fit into your fridge). Once they are all formed, let them set up in the fridge for several hours.

Then melt your chocolate or almond bark in a microwave or over a double boiler. I prefer a double boiler and I add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil if I'm using plain white chocolate. Let the chocolate cool a little bit then dip the oreo balls in it and place them back on the parchment and then back into the fridge until they set up! Enjoy!

One batch will make about 60.