Smore's Bars

Ok this will be my last fattening and sugary recipe...for a while. Monday will be my first official day on phase 1 of Southbeach :( This babyweight will not come off by just cutting calories. I am forced to drastic measures. I will miss cake, cookies, pasta, bread, and potatoes. I love these! I will miss them considerably.

1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 c graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
5 milk chocolate bars, hersheys
1 c marshmallow creme, I used mini marshmallows cause the creme is hard to spread

In large bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla until well mixed. Combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to creamed butter mixture, but set aside 1/2 c of the graham cracker mixture for topping.

Press remaining dough into 9 inch square pan, layer the chocolate bars over. Then layer the marshmallows over the chocolate. Crumble the left over graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. cool and cut into bars, store in airtight container.

Red Velvet

I never really had the chance to fall in love with red velvet cake until later in life when I made it at school. I didn't even know that it's actually a chocolate cake dyed red. I made this yesterday, and yes amazing.

Ingredients
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c butter
1/2 c shortening
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
2 oz red food coloring

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add vanilla and food coloring. In separate bowl add flour, cocoa powder, and salt, stir well until the cocoa is evenly distributed and no lumps. Then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Then add buttermilk. In a small bowl mix the vingegar with baking soda and pour over batter and mix together. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min in a 9X13 pan, or until center is set and toothpick comes out clean. You can make into 2 8 or 9'' rounds or cupcakes.

Once cooled I made a cream cheese frosting. I didn't really measure much, it was 4 oz of plain cream cheese, about 2 c powdered sugar, maybe less/more. 1/2 tsp vanilla and a tablespoon or two of milk. I just added enough to get spreading consistency.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ok, I always have bananas left over to make something out of so instead of the banana buttermilk cake that I was going to make for Taylor's birthday, I made these, and the kids hoovered them quickly.

1 egg
1/3 vegetable oil
3/4 c sugar
3 medium bananas, mashed
2 c flour
1/2 c old fashioned oats
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c mini chocolate chips(I used regular milk chocolate chips cause the minis only come in semisweet and I DON'T use semi sweet in chip form!) personal reasons :)

In large bowl beat egg, oil, and sugar until smooth. Stir in bananas. Combine flour, oats, soda, powder, and salt, stir in the banana mixture just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper line muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Peanutbutter candy

Those of you that went to public school here in Pocatello should remember these delicious treasures from school lunch, the one and only thing I loved from school food. I've come across many copy cats and this one by far wins by miles! It doesn't use rice krispies but crushed graham crackers so the consistency is much finer and better.

Peanut Butter Filling
2 c powdered sugar
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. melted butter
2/3 c. graham cracker crumbs (4 large retangles will be perfect)

Chocolate topping
2/3. c chocolate chips
4 Tbs peanutbutter
2 tsp. butter

Line a 8X8 square pan with foil with some overhanging the edges. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the 4 ingredients for the filling and mix until all combined and somewhat smooth, there should be a few graham cracker chunks. Then spread in the pan into an even layer. Then the 3 ingredients for the topping need to be melted together either in microwave or stovetop. Then spread over the peanut butter. and put in fridge until set and chocolate stiff. Then lift out by foil and cut into 1 inch pieces, store in fridge, if any is leftover :) LOVE

Revision

This is just a new topping idea for the strawberry poke cake that I posted earlier. I made this for Mike on fathers day, and I've never seen a cake that big go so fast! So yummy.

So make the white cake with strawberry jello, but for the topping use:
8oz plain cream cheese, softened
8oz pkg of cool whip
1/2-1 c. powdered sugar
fresh strawberries, sliced

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and add the cool whip and mix in the powdered sugar, use less if you don't want it too sweet or more if you do. I didn't really measure I just added until it was the sweetness I liked. Once it's mixed together and smooth spread over the cake making sure it goes into the holes. Then top with the fresh strawberries. Seriously amazing!

Creamy Mints

These no-cook mints are good for parties and use any colors you want1

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp mint extract
2 drops food coloring of your choice
4 1/4-4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
superfine or granulated sugar

In a large bowl mix cream cheese, mint extract and food coloring until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar until mixture becomes stiff.
You can use candy molds which you would coat the molds in the extra sugar and press mint mixture in. Then take them out on wax paper. Or you can use a tablespoon to form into a ball for each one and roll in the sugar. Then using your thumb or back of a fork to shape the mints. Store covered in the fridge and can be frozen for up to a month

Pickle

I love pickles! My girls love pickles, and I came across a fun tip a few months ago and I just got around to trying it. I'm sure you've tried the homemade pickles with vinegar and onions but it's not the same as a pickle from the store. So what you do is save the pickle juice once your pickles are gone and cut up cucumbers, I made them spears and put them in the leftover juice. Let them sit in the fridge for at least 5 to 7 days. And you'll have yummy pickles again! We tried ours last night and it was awesome! Also please send comments on something you've wanted to try and don't have a recipe for. I'll get a good recipe and try it and then post!