Chocolate and Fruit Trifle

We had a family party for the Pyne's tonight and I wanted to make something festive and fun. I saw this recipe and wanted to try it and it was a hit! I am so glad it turned out so yummy! I will have to find another recipe for a trifle. I love my new trifle bowl; isn't it pretty?

1 package devil's food cake mix

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup cold water

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

2 T orange juice

2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

2 cups fresh raspberries

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; pour into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. Bake at 350 F until done. (20-30 minutes). Cool completely on a wire rack. Crumble enough cake to measure 8 cups; set aside (will be cake leftover.) In a mixing bowl, combine milk and water until smooth. Add pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Fold in the whipped cream. To assemble, spread 2 1/2 cups pudding mixture in a 4-qt glass bowl. Top with half of the crumbled cake; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Arrange half of the berries and kiwi over cake. Repeat pudding and cake layers; sprinkle with remaining orange juice. Top with remaining pudding mixture. Spoon remaining fruit around edge of bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12-16 servings. Recipe from Quick Cooking magazine NOV/DEC 2000 issu

Tuxedo Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp hot water

4 large eggs

1 cup (6 oz.) white chocolate chips

Yield: 18 servings

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl combine flour and soda with a wire wisk, and set aside.

In a small saucepan melt butter and 2 cups of chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly till smooth.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat chocolate mixture and sugar until smooth, about 5 minutes. Continuing to beat, add the vanilla, then the water, a tablespoon at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl. next, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Gradually add the flour mixture, blending at low speed. Then add the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and the white chips. Blend until equally distributed throughout batter.

Spread batter in to prepared baking pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out just slightly moist.

Cool to room temperature. cover well and refrigerate until cold cute unto bars to serve.

Shortcut Pumpkin Bread

This is from Parents Magazine..it looks easy and good. I need to try it soon:

Prepare a yellow-cake mix according to package directions, omitting water.
Stir in 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup mashed bananas, and 1 tsp cinnamon
Pour into a greased 9 " loaf pan; bake at 375F for 50 minutes.

In a mixer bowl, beat 4 oz. softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter until creamy. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar. Frost cooled bread; chill. Makes 16 slices. Per slice: 281 calories, 14 g fat.

I'll put pics up as soon as I get it made!

Parmesan Chicken over Angel Hair

1 jar spaghetti sauce (25 oz)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup italian seasoning
5 grinds fresh ground pepper
12 oz angel hair pasta
1 lb chicken breast (6 slices 1/4" thick each)
1 T olive oil

Place spaghetti sauce in small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.

Mix Parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, and pepper in a bowl.

Boil water, stir in angel hair pasta, and set timer for 7 min. When timer sounds, drain pasta.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Coat each chicken cutlet with cheese mixture and place in skillet. cook 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, place one cup pasta on each plate, top with one chicken breast slice and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sauce.

Easy Turkey Bake

6 oz stove top stuffing
chopped turkey or chicken
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 350 F Add 1 2/3 cup hot water to stuffing and set aside. Mix turkey and broccoli in 13 x 9 pan. Combine soup, milk and cheese and pour over turkey. Top with stuffing. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Cheesy Ham Stovetop

Here is a main dish Emma!

2 cups macaroni, uncooked
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup green onion
2 T margarine
2 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
13 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tsp mustard
1 cup ham

Drain cooked noodles. Saute onion and stir in flour and salt. Slowly add milk stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and gradually add cheese till melted. Add mustard, ham and macaroni. Serves 4-6.

This is for Kalli--I don't know what it's called

1 pint Strawberries
1 banana
1 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Blend strawberries, banana and sugar.
Top with whipped cream and brown sugar.

Russian Spiced Wassail

2 c presweetened powdered orange drink (like Tang)
1/3 cup presweetened powdered lemonade drink
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together well.

Combine 2 T wassail mix with one cup boiling water.

Cabbage Top Ramen Salad

2 cups cooked chicken
3 T slivered almonds
1/2 head cabbage
2 T sesame seeds
1 pkg top Ramen noodles chicken flavored

Dressing
Seasoning from chicken pkg
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 T vinegar


Refrigerate 8 hours

Cookie Salad

1 pint buttermilk
2 small vanilla instant pudding
1 cool whip (8 oz)
3 cans madarin oranges (or 11 oz)
2 large cans pineapple (or 14 oz)
1 bag crushed fudge striped cookies

Let set one hour before serving.

Low Fat Chocolate Caramel Decandence Cake

1 Devil's Food cake mix
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups water
2 T vegetable oil
1 cup fat free caramel topping
3/4 cup fat-free condensed, sweetened milk
1 8 oz container Cool Whip Fat free
2 1/4 oz Heath or Skor English Toffee candy bar, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350F, then lightly spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions replacing the 3 eggs with 6 egg whites and the 1/2 cup oil with 2 Tablespoons. Bake cake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.
3. Poke holes over the entire top of cake using a fork. Pour caramel topping and condensed milk over top of cake and spread to cover evenly. Cover cake and allow to chill 2-4 hours or overnight.
4. One to two hours before serving spread top of cake evenly with whipped topping and with English toffee pieces. cover and return to refrigerator until ready to serve.

290 calories and 5.2 grams of fat

Macaroni Salad

1 cup elbow macaroni
3/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 T green onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pickles or relish
2 T milk
1/4 tsp salt, pepper
2 Hard Boiled Eggs

1. Cook pasta, drain, rinse with cold water.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine pasta, cheese, celery, peas and green onion.
3. For dressing, mix mayo, pickles, milk, salt and pepper.
4. Pour dressing over pasta. Add chopped eggs. Cover and chill 4-24 hours.

Chocolate Delight

1st Layer
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Mix first three ingredients together and spread on bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake 10-15 minuts at 375 F. cool.

2nd Layer
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix next three ingredients together and spread over cold first layer.

3rd Layer
2 small packages of chocolate instant pudding
3 cups milk
Beat together for two minutes and spread over 2nd layer.

4th layer
Use about 1 1/2 cup of cool whip to spread over the third layer.

To Finish: Sprinkle top with nuts or chocolate.

Creamy Potato Soup

3/4 cup butter 5 cups potatoes, cooked and cubed
3/4 cup flour 1 cup celery
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste 1/2 cup onion
3 cups milk 2 cups grated cheese
3 cups chicken broth

Heat butter on medium heat until melted. Add flour, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk, then broth. Add potatoes, celery, onions and cheese. Cook until creamy and cheese is melted.

Taco Soup

I need to get my sister Emma's recipe for Taco Soup but here is one that I found on an old Relief Society newsletter.

1 lb ground beef browned
1 package mild taco seasoning
1 16 oz can of corn
1 16 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 28 oz stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
grated cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Simmer beef, seasoning mix, corn, beans, tomatoes, and sauce for 20-30 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Chicken filled Braid

This is a variation of a Pampered Chef recipe I have. You put crescent roll triangles with their points outward and then put the filling on top. Then I twisted each triangle point together.

Here is the filling recipe: Cream of Chicken soup mixed with chicken, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper and any other spices (I put parsley flakes) Then cook at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. I just waited till it looked golden brown. Also I brushed some egg over the top of all of it to make it shine. Delicious!

Pasta Salad

My friend Becky McKimmey gets credit for this one. The other night we traveled up to Salt Lake to attend the Primary Training meeting that they had at the Assembly Hall and she ate this for dinner. It looked so good I just had to get the recipe. It is so easy and I made it yesterday and it was as good as it sounded!

1 package 12 oz rainbow twirly noodles (you can use whatever pasta you want)
Cucumber (chopped)
zucchini (chopped)
Cheddar cheese blocks
tomato (chopped)
carrots (grated)
green onions (chopped)
parmesean cheese (grated)
Zesty Italian dressing
Bacon
Chicken Breast (chopped)

Cook up the pasta then add the rest and Voila you have a yummy salad!!!

Fire Engine Cookies

Okay...so I couldn't get the frosting color right. It was still fun! It was supposed to be red frosting but I could only get it pink and then purple. But here is the recipe. I got it from a Taste of Home magazine so I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this!

16 whole graham crackers

1 cup vanilla frosting (I just made some cream cheese frosting)

Red paste or liquid food coloring

32 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies (Oreos)

Black shoestring licorice

16 red gum drops

With a serrated knife, cut the top left or right hand corner off of each graham cracker at a 45 degree angle. Tint frosting red; frost crackers. Place two snadwich cookies on each for wheels. For each truck, cute licorice into two 2 1/2 inch pieces. Place the large pieces parallel to each other above wheels with the small pieces between to form a ladder. Place the medium pieces at cut edge, forming a windshield. Add a gum drop for a light. Makes 16 cookies.

They were a lot of fun to make and my kids have been enjoying them!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Okay--Seriously this is an easy recipe and ohhhh so good!

12 oz bottle of Chili sauce

12 oz Grape Jelly

Pre-made Meatballs (I got mine at Costco)

Mix sauce and jelly together--add Meatballs. Slow cook for 8-10 hours in the crockpot. I'm serving mine with rice but you can have potatoes, noodles....you choose! Enjoy!