Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

OK, I think I have died and gone to HeAvEn!!!:) If you like chocolate this is the cake for you!! And it is really easy to put together! It was Caleb's birthday and I talked him into letting me try out this one. And I have to say he really liked it too. WARNING...you may just drool on your keyboard when you see this picture!:)

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

Recipe from Our Best Bites

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1 package Duncan Hines Devil's food cake

1 recipe Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

4-5 Kit Kat Bars, chopped  (you can also use toffee bars like Skor or Heath)

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tablespoon cold water

2 Tablespoons boiling water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate

8 oz. heavy cream

Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don't find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it. The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it's a little too thin for you, just wait and it will thicken pretty quickly. When it's completely cool, it will be thick and fudgy and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.

Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in 2 8" round pans. Allow to cool and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water and allow to sit for about a minutes. While gelatin is softening, bring the 2 Tbsp. to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with and electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare ganache according to directions.

Place one of your cakes on a plate and spread with the chocolate mousse. Sprinkle with the Heath bits (or whatever you like...Tony though nuts would be really good as well). Place the second layer on the Heath bits. Spoon the ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with more Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Side note: This was so rich, but wonderful! It went really well with a little vanilla ice cream...but doesn't about everything!:)

Southwestern Casserole

I wanted to try out this recipe for 2 reasons: #1...because it makes 2, one to eat now and the other to freeze for another time, and #2...I had all the ingredients already in my pantry and I didn't want to have to run to the store for anything! It was actually better than I though it was going to be and was a real crowd pleaser with the kids. They all loved it...which is another bonus!!:)

Southwestern Casserole

Recipe from Taste of Home

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7 ounces elbow macaroni

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each)diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I think this would be better with black beans...I'm going to try that next time:))

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (I used cheddar...didn't have Monterrey and it was still good, but I think Monterrey would be better.)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (optional, if you like the heat...I left them off because me and a couple of my kids are wimps that way!)

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture.

Transfer to two greased 2 quart baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through. Serve one casserole. Cool the second casserole; cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Cover and bake the casserole at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas (The best Chicken Enchiladas!)

These are Tony and my favorite chicken enchiladas. And the recipe sprang from desperation!! It was one of those "what are we going to cook for dinner tonight" nights and so we raided the pantry and this is what we came up with. That was probably 2 or so years ago and we have these at least once a month. They are so delicious and is made from pantry items...so pretty darn easy as well! We call them:

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

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3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 box of rice a roni; long grain and wild rice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (28 oz.) Green chili enchilada sauce (we use Las Palmas, found at Walmart; we love stokes green chili sauce but it's rather expensive, so just try different ones out to find what you like!)

8-10 flour tortillas (you can use corn as well...both are really good)

2 cups grated cheese; use cheddar, Colby jack, or Monterrey jack cheese

sour cream

lettuce, cut into bite size pieces

fresh tomatoes, diced

Prepare Rice a roni according to package directions. While that is cooking, cut your chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a large frying pan until done. Add the black beans, rice and about 1/3 of the can of green chili sauce (or enough to make it moist). Pour enough green chili sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan to coat. Put mixture into tortillas, roll up and place in the baking pan. When pan is full, use the rest of the green chili sauce and pour over the enchiladas. Top with cheese. (Most of the time we have some left-over filling and so I'll just "sprinkle" it on top of the rolled enchiladas and then top with the cheese...just an option:))Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes.

Let me know what you think! My next assignment for myself is to get Nancy (Spanish rice recipe...which incidentally is wonderful with this dish...& wonderful cook...who doesn't use recipes...and a great baker) to teach me how to make her green enchilada sauce...it is SO good!!! I'll make sure to post it when I get it!

Morning Maple Muffins

Kyla and Caleb had their Destination Imagination competition on Saturday and they had to be at the school to load the bus at 6:15 a.m.!!! So I decided to make some muffins for them to take for their breakfast on the bus. These are one of Tony's favorite muffins. The best part is the topping!

Morning Maple Muffins

Recipe from Taste of Home

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2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sour cream

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

9 Tablespoons flour

9 Tablespoons sugar

6 Tablespoons chopped nuts (I used pecans but walnuts are good also)

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 Tablespoons cold butter or margarine

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. For topping, combine the flour, sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly (I usually use my hands for this step...so much easier!). Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until muffins are done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Make 20-24 muffins.

Lemon Lime Jell-O Poke Cake (Eli's Birthday Cake)

It was my little (or not so much anymore) Eli's 7th birthday yesterday and while we were out to lunch he told me he wanted a green birthday cake because St. Patrick's Day is coming up and they've been talking a lot about it in school. So I told him about Jell-O poke cakes and that sounded good to him so that's what we did! The kids LOVED it. Didn't think it had been that long since I'd made one, but none of them remembered ever eating it before so I guess it has been that long!:) Anyway, here's the recipe.

Lemon Lim Jell-O Poke Cake

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1 white cake mix

1 small jell-o mix, any flavor (Eli wanted green so we used lime, but strawberry and raspberry are really good as well)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

Make the cake according to package directions. Cool cake for about 20 minutes. Using a utility fork poke cake about every 1/2 inch or so. Make Jell-O by dissolving Jell-O in the boiling water. After dissolved add the cold water. Pour the Jell-O slowly over the cake covering all the holes. Chill for 3-4 hours. This is what it should look like when finished.

Next I make what my family calls "Chad's favorite frosting". That's my brother, and growing up he didn't like the traditional frosting that you put on cakes, but loved this "pudding" frosting. So I think this is what he had for his birthday cake almost every year!

Chad's favorite frosting

1 envelope Dream Whip

1 small package instant pudding (you can use whatever flavor you would like...chocolate is really good on a white or yellow cake as well, but for this one I just used vanilla!)

1 1/2 cups cold milk

Put all ingredients into a mixer and beat until it thickens. Then frost your cake.

Next I just top that with some whipped topping and then some green sprinkles (or whatever...or nothing!) Here's the finished product! I think I'll go get me a piece of cake now!:) (It's not quite 9:00 right now...can cake be considered a breakfast food???...PLEASE!!:)

The best spanish rice EVER!!

We had a dear friend over to teach us how to make some yummy spanish rice a few months ago, and I think Tony has made this dish probably about once a week since then! She is one of those people who cook without a recipe or exact measurements. It's just a dash of this about a fist full of that...etc! So while she was making it she would get about however much she usually used and then we would measure it so I would have exact amounts! Tony is such a rice lover, and is pretty picky about his rice, but the texture and taste is just perfect for him! It's really quite simple as well. I love it because HE makes it and it's one less thing for me to cook!:)

The best Spanish Rice EVER!!

(Nancy's Spanish Rice)

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3 cups rice (we use Jasmine rice...it has a nuttier taste and is perfect for Spanish rice)

1-2 Tablespoons oil

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef, browned(optional)

2 cans (small ones) tomato sauce

5 1/2 tomato sauce cans full of water

4 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed

1 teaspoon cumin

pepper and salt to taste

Put your rice in a large pot and place on the stove top. Add enough oil to coat all the rice (I'm guessing we use about 1/3 a cup or so...that was one thing we didn't measure!) Brown the rice and oil on medium high heat stirring frequently. The rice will start to turn white(er) than it already is and then it will start to brown. You don't want it a dark brown but a light golden brown and not all of the rice will brown, but when the majority is browned it is ready. I think this is what gives the the rice the texture that Tony so loves, so don't skip this part!!!:)

Once the rice is ready add the remaining ingredients. The key to the salt is to taste the broth before you start timing the rice. It needs to be a little saltier than normal because the rice will soak up a lot of the salt. When it tickles your taste buds, bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Enjoy with absolutely anything!!! We usually don't put in the meat if we are using it as a side dish, but sometimes Tony just likes to make it to eat as a meal in itself and he'll add the meat then (actually I think he would add the meat every time...It's me that doesn't think we need double meat at a meal!:))

Roasted Red Potatoes

I know everyone probably already has a recipe like this, but I just LOVE these...and so does Tony & the kiddo's! It's SO easy too.

Roasted Red Potatoes

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and dice red potatoes into bite size pieces. Just cut as many as your family will eat. We usually do about 3-4 pounds of potatoes, that way Tony has some leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

3. Place in a big enough bowl to toss (preferably with a lid), and drizzle with some olive oil. You don't need too much, I use maybe 1/4 cup for all those potatoes.

4. Then add a packet of onion soup mix. I usually just always use 1 full packet. Sometimes this flavor is stronger than other times just depending on how many potatoes I decided to do, so if you like a stronger flavor you might want to either cut back on the potatoes or use more soup mix.

5. If you have a lid for your bowl put it on and shake the bowl until the potatoes are coated really well. If not, just use a large spoon to stir it all together. You could also use a large baggie with a ziplock to shake if you're not making a whole lot.

6. Pour potatoes onto a large cookie sheet and spread into a single layer. (I also usually spray some cooking oil on the sheet before I put the potatoes on...you probably don't need to do this as they are already coated in oil, but it seems to help them from sticking to the pan for me.)

7. Put in the oven and cook them for about 45-50 minutes or until they are tender when stabbed with a fork!:)

They are now ready to enjoy. My kiddo's like them with ketchup, but I think they're just as good plain.