Credit: Lori Frost
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
1 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan, or 2 (8-inch) rounds... whatever you're making. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl of electric mixer. Mix on low speed until combined. (*You may want to start heating up your water right now in order to get it boiling...) In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. While the mixer still on low, add the boiling water and stir just to combine. Make sure you're scraping the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula! Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 45-60 minutes for a 9x13 pan, or about 30-40 minutes for 2 (8-inch) rounds. This is supposed to be a slow-bake cake, so that's why there's a low temperature setting and longer cook time. Check it early, but don't be afraid if it takes an hour to bake completely. Allow to cool in the pan(s) for 30 minutes and then remove them and place them on a cooling rack if you're going to be frosting them or making a layered cake. You will not be disappointed!!
Credit: Stacey Smith
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can black beans (or pinto beans, if preferred)
- 2 packages Spanish rice, prepared
- 1 can corn
- 1 onion, cut into thick strips
- 1 can Rotel
- salt and pepper
- sour cream
- grated cheddar cheese
- avocado chunks
- green onions
- parchment paper
- thread, doubled up (embroidery thread preferred)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350-375 degrees. Make 4 large parchment paper squares (about 14" square-- the sides will be gathered to make a bag, so it has to be big enough). Place 1 chicken breast in the middle of 1 parchment square and season, if desired. Layer 3 or so spoonfuls of beans on top. Then place 3 or so spoonfuls of rice on top of that. Top with some corn, 4-6 onion strips, and a couple scoops of Rotel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pull all of the sides up to make a "bag" and twist. Tie the string very tightly around the neck of the bag to seal it. This is very important because the steam/heat trapped inside helps when cooking the servings. Place all of the bags on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes.
- To serve, have each person take one bag. Remove thread and pour bag's contents on plate. Shred up the chicken and mix it all together, adding sour cream, cheese, avocado, and green onions. Now it's ready to eat, or you can scoop it up with corn chips.
Credit: Amber Every
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups of flour
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add gradually to mixture. You can refrigerate the dough at this point if you would like. Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookies cutters. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes until light and fluffy, but not brown.
Credit: Anna via
My Wooden Spoon
Ingredients:
- 1 T yeast
- 1 1/2 c warm water
- 2 T sugar
- 3 T oil
- 3-4 c flour
Directions:
Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (combine all in a bowl and let the yeast do it's job). Once that is ready, stir in the oil. Then mix in the flour until it forms a ball. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth. Press dough into shape on the pizza stone (you can even use the rolling pin, but make it easy by placing the dough on the stone and rolling it directly on the stone so you don't need to transfer it). Add sauce and toppings. Place in cool oven, then turn dial to cook at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
*If you are skeptical of placing it in a cool oven (like I was), just go ahead and turn on the oven when you roll or press your dough and check your pizza 4-5 minutes earlier to make sure you don't overcook it. :)
Credit:
Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 large egg yolks
1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces fresh raspberries
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once the crust is cool, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don’t break the raspberries.
Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set. Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator up to five days.
Note: Use fresh raspberries and make sure you gently fold the berries into the lemon filling or you will have pink bars.
Serves 16
Credit: Jenn Eastman
Ingredients:
1 T margarine
⅓ c finely chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ c sliced olives
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
½ c sour cream
1 (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (you can use canned chicken, too)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (divided into 3/4 cup + 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup milk
1 package burrito sized flour tortillas (or 8-10 freshly cooked flour tortillas)
Directions:
Sauté margarine, green onion, and garlic in small pan. In a small bowl, stir together olives, green chilies, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Add sauteed mixture to sour cream mixture and set aside 3/4 cup sauce. Add chicken and 3/4 cup cheese to the remaining sauce. Fill tortillas with this chicken mixture. Roll and place in a Pam-sprayed 9x13 pan. Take the reserved sauce and stir in the milk. Spoon this over the tortillas and top with another 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Credit: Lynn Muir
Ingredients:
- 1 pork roast, boneless, unseasoned
- 3 c salsa of choice (I've heard that mango salsa is great, but we just use Pace)
- 2 c brown sugar
Directions:
- Place pork roast in the crockpot on LOW with the fatty side up.
- Cover all of the meat with salsa and brown sugar. Note: This is not science, so go ahead and add more salsa or water if needed while cooking, and feel free to add more brown sugar toward the end to suit your taste buds. :) Place lid on crock pot. You will be cooking this for about 5-6 hours.
- After 4 hours, flip the pork roast and spoon the salsa mixture back over the entire roast. Replace the lid.
- When the pork is tender (another hour or two later), shred the pork with forks and stir it in with the juices. Let marinate in these juices for about 30 minutes before serving for maximum results.
- Serve as burritos or salads Cafe Rio style! Yum!!
