German Chocolate Bars

1/2 cup softened butter 

1 pkg. Betty Crocker SuperMoist German chocolate cake mix
1 tub (1 lb.) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy coconut pecan frosting
1 (6 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, cut butter into cake mix, using pastry blender until crumbly. Press half of the mixture (2 1/2 cups) in bottom of pan; reserve remaining cake mixture. Bake 10 minutes.

Carefully spread frosting over baked layer; sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Stir milk into reserved cake mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto chocolate chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cake portion is slightly dry to the touch. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator. Yields 48 bars.

Someone made these for my last book club meeting. They were super yummy!

Mom's Fabulous Rolls

Combine:
2 cups scalded milk
1 cup sugar
2 cubes soft butter

Combine:
1 cup warm water
3 Tblsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar

6 beaten eggs

8-10 cups of flour

3/4 Tblsp salt

When butter and sugar are dissolved, add the yeast mixture, then
add the eggs. Stir in the flour a small amount at a time and the salt. Mix until the dough is smooth and soft. Let the dough rise until doubled, then shape and let rise.
Bake at 350 degrees until light brown. (10-12 minutes)
When making cinnamon rolls, add a little more sugar to the dough.
As with all of Mom's recipes, this makes a lot!

Hint: The closer you stay to 8 cups of flour, the softer the rolls.

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

1 Spice Cake Mix
1 3/4 cups pumpkin
2 cups chocolate chips (white chocolate is equally delicious!)

mix together thoroughly
scoop onto cookie sheet
Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes (or until baked through) oven time varies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

I made a powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla), spooned it into a zip lock bag then sniped a corner to drizzle it on top! it's prettier and less messy to do it this way! So yummy!

Blog Makeover!

 I thought it was time to get a new picture as our header! I hope that everyone is ready for the Holidays, or at least starting to get ready!  I was hoping that everyone could share their favorite Holiday dishes through out the next couple of months!  I know that I enjoy trying new recipes this time of year and making some of my traditional favorites! I love you all and hope that everyone has a happy Holiday Season! 
                                                                                                     Love, Diana

Yummy Yam Bake

4 or 5 big yams baked. Peel and cut into 2" chunks.

Toss together:

1 1/2 tsp. fruit fresh (citric acid)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 tart apples cored, seeded and sliced (not too thin a bit thicker is better)

You can peel apples or not

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Layer in a 2 or 3 qt. casserole dish starting with yams, then apple/nut/spice mix.

(I use a deeper casserole for more layers.)

Dot the layers with 1/4 cup butter

Bake at 350 until apples are just crisp tender. (20 to 30 minutes)

Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler

Cover casserole with miniature marshmellows or large marshmellows.

Brown the marshmellows under the broiler, watch CAREFULLY!! It takes less time than you think to brown those marshmellows. It tends to brown all at once.

Recipe can be easily doubled for a crowd.

Super Simple Hot Fudge Sauce

Melt in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute:

1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cube (1/2 C. ) butter

Stir and melt for another 30 seconds if needed.

Add 1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed

milk and 1/8 C. milk and stir until blended.

Heat through.

This is the best hot fudge sauce I have ever made. Next time you buy some good vanilla ice cream, just make this to go with it! Super delicious!

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
2 cups Sugar
½ cup Vegetable oil
½ cup No sugar added applesauce
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Grated zucchini (peeled or not, your preference)
2 ½ cups Flour
1/3 cup Flax seed
¼ cup Oat bran
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp. Baking powder
1 Tbl. Cinnamon
½ cup Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour – through cinnamon). In an electric mixer, beat eggs until light and fluffy (very yellow). Then add sugar and oil – beat. Stir in vanilla and zucchini. Add in dry ingredients and stir with a spoon now. Add nuts if desired. Cook 65-70 minutes at 325. Let cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan, cool completely on rack.


I LOVE this recipe. I'll post a pic when I get one. I'm going to make this this week and am going to try 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 cups applesauce. I'll let you know how that turns out. I also use mini bread pans and cook the bread for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:

1 1/2 cups shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

Add:

3 well beaten eggs

Add:

3 cups + 6 Tblsp flour

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 1/2 tso salt

Add:

3/4 tsp hot water

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Add:

1 pkg chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups nuts

coconut (optional)

Bake 350 - 375 for 8 - 10 minutes

Makes about 6 dozen

CHOCOLATE CAKE POPS

1. Bake a plain Chocolate Cake and let it cool.
2. Break it into pieces into a large bowl.
3. Add Chocolate frosting (about half a container) and mix until it it’s the consistency of Play Dough.
4. Use an ice cream scoop to get a portion of dough and put it on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper.
5. Put them in the freezer until solid and firm.
6. Use a double broiler and melt Chocolate flavored Baker’s Chocolate (about 2 Boxes).
7. Use a toothpick or two spoons to roll each pop in the melted chocolate.
8. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place it on a plate covered with waxed paper and decorate with sprinkles or nuts and marshmallows.
9. Once a few are decorated (enough to fill a plate) put them in the freezer to harden (about 5-10 mins). Repeat until all cake pops are hard.
10. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Grandma McGee's Mile High Biscuits

3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 1/8 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg and milk all at once; mix until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 to 12 times. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and freeze. When biscuits have frozen, they may be stored in a plastic bag in the freezer until needed.
To bake frozen biscuits, place on a lightly greased pan. Bake at 475 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until light brown. Yields 1 dozen.

That's how Grandma's recipe is written, but I have never frozen the biscuits. I always cook them up right away, and I never grease the pan.

Chicken and Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 pkg. frozen mixed veggies, thawed
{Or boil some carrots, and use canned green beans and/or corn.}
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can refrigerated biscuit dough

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°

1. Mix soup and sour cream in 8" square baking dish {can be adapted}.

2. Stir in chicken, veggies, and cheese.

3. Place desired amount of biscuits in soupy-chicken-veggie mixture.

4. Bake uncovered at 350° for 35 minutes. Pay close attention though, it's really easy to overbake the biscuits. Just take it out when they're golden brown.

5. Enjoy with your lovely family, and tell me how it turned out!

Faster Method:
Mix and place everything minus the chicken, pop it in the oven, and run to the grocery store to pick up a rotisserie chicken to have on the side before it's done. Or maybe the biscuits and veggies are the side. Whichever you prefer. It's still good eatin'.