More Then Enough Chocolate Cake

The first time I made this was for James' birthday. We loved it so much we decided to make it for Glens Birthday as well. It was a hit again! Especially for Glen. We gave him a huge piece and he ate it all! I was surprised because he is only one! Enjoy. For all those who have asked for the recipe here it is.
(This recipe is from the Dave Ramsey website)

Cake Ingredients

2 cups sugar
½ cup shortening
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups of buttermilk

Icing Ingredients

½ cup butter (softened to room temperature)
1 3-oz package of cream cheese (soften to room temperature)
½ teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of whole milk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (1 oz. each) melted and cooled

To Prepare Cake:

Preheat oven to 325. Spray and flour two 9-inch cake pans. (For easy cake release, I always line the bottom of my pans with parchment paper, sprayed and floured.)

Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add melted, cooled chocolate.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Add dried ingredients to the wet batter, alternating with buttermilk until combined. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, remove and cool completely.

To Prepare Icing:

Combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add powered sugar slowly, beating on low speed. Stir in one tablespoon of milk and melted chocolate. Beat until fluffy. Add additional tablespoon of milk if needed.

Jo's Tips: I add a chopped up candy bar on top to give it an extra something. I used Skore for Gens cake and chocolate chips for James. I am going to use Snickers next time!

Split Pea Soup

This is a very easy and yummy food storage meal. I grew up eating split pea soup. I remember the first time I had it. Mom made it for dinner and I didn't want to try it because it was PEA soup! I hate peas and I couldn't believe they were trying to feed it to me. They knew how I loathed that ugly green vegetable! My dad coaxed me into eating it by telling me it didn't taste like peas and you know what? It didn't taste like peas! It has been a favorite soup of mine ever since!

Ingredients

1 lb. split peas (washed and sorted*)
1/2 pk frozen bacon
1/ onion (diced)
2 stalks of celery (diced)
2 carrots(diced)
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken broth
crock pot

Directions

1. In a frying pan add bacon, sliced into little pieces.
2. Add about 2 Tbsp olive oil to braise the veggies.
3. fry bacon until cooked, using medium heat.
4. Add chopped vegies ( not the garlic and bay leaf)
5. Cook until you have a slightly brown color.
6. Put the peas in your crock pot
7. Add chicken broth, veggie mix, bay leaf, and garlic to the crock pot.
8. turn on the crock pot to low for 8 hours.
9. enjoy yummy soup

Jo's tips: *You need to sort the split peas from any small pebbles that might be hiding in your peas. (it happens). You can also add a dollop of sour cream to the soup. It makes it taste creamier and is so good. If you don't have chicken broth you can add bullion cubes to water. I like lots of salt so I add some to my bowl!

It has been crazy at my house since Christmas. First the car broke right after thanksgiving, then I was sick for the three weeks before christmas, the week in between christmas and new years we gutted the bathroom in order to lay tile, which we also did, then the car broke again. And in the middle of it all the batteries died in my camera. I Have new batteries now and have calmed down just enough to start cooking again! yeah. There is a catch.....We are living on our food storage right now because we spent all our money on cars and bathrooms and doctor trips! Ok enough about me lets talk about food!
The first time I had a grilled peanut butter and jelly was when I was in kindergarten! My dad was in charge of getting me lunch. Usually mom only made regular pb&j but that day I had it grilled (dads are so cool) with a large glass of milk! It was the best lunch a five year old ever had!

I ate a whole lot of these when I was pregnant, for some reason I just craved them. So pick your favorite jelly and have yourself a grilled pb&j sandwich! they are soooooo good!

Curry Chicken

I first had a dish like this at a very good oriental restaurant called La Cai Noodle House, at 961 s State st. in Salt lake. It is one of my favorite places to eat. The food is delicious and the prices are reasonable. The Curry chicken was so good I had to try to make it at home. This recipe is one of my husbands favorites. I still go to La Cai to get their curry chicken, but when I want to score some brownie points with my hubby I make this! I hope you like this as much as I do!

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts (Cubed)
3 carrots pealed and cut into circles
1 onion sliced into long thin slices
2 cans chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1-2 tsp curry powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
1tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter

Directions

1. In a large skillet add some oil and fry up the chicken breast until cooked through.
2. Take out chicken and set aside. Add some more oil to pan and add the onions and carrots. Fry on medium heat until onions are nice and brown. Take off burner and set aside.
3. In a large pot add last 8 ingredients. Turn on burner to medium high. Add the meat and vegies. cook until boiling.
4. In a small cup add 2 tbsp corn starch and a little water. About 5 tbsp, (it won't matter if you add too much water) stir the corn starch until it is all mixed with water and there are no lumps.
5. Add the corn starch to the curry chicken stiring until it comes to a full boil. Turn down heat and simmer on medium low until you are ready to eat.

Jo's tips: Serve this with rice. If it is too runny repeat step 4 until it is thick enough to put over rice. If you like it really spicy add more curry powder. All curry powder has different spice levels so find one that works for your family.

Baked Potato Soup

This soup is great even if the picture isn't! I made this soup for my husbands work as a Christmas gift and it was a hit! I make this recipe to my tastes, but feel free to mix things up a bit if you want. I sometimes add more sour cream sometimes less. enjoy!

Ingredients

4 or 5 large baking potatoes
2/3 cups butter
1/3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
10 strips cooked bacon crumpled
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bake potatoes at 350* for 65-75 minutes or until tender. Cool completely. Peal and cube.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth with a wire whisk.
3. Gradually add broth then milk. stiring the whole time. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
4. Remove from heat whisk in cheese and sour cream. Add potatoes and bacon. Garnish with green onions.

Jo's tips: Most or the time I just boil the potatoes with the skins on and then peal and cube the potatoes. It seems easier to me. Occasionally I will bake them.

Overnight Danish Twists*

I first had these at a family get together.
My sister in law brought them.
They were so good I ate about 5 of them!
*this is a Betty Crocker recipe!

Twists

2 Tbsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup (two sticks) cold butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 jar (10oz) of your favorite jam or preserves

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 to 3 Tbsp milk

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit for 10 min. Stir in granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in butter,using a pastry blender or crisscrossing two knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Separate eggs; refrigerate whites for brushing pastry. Stir yolks and 1 cup milk into flour mixture until soft dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours for proper rising, but no longer then 24 hours.
2. Lightly grease two to three cookie sheets. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough into three equal parts. Roll 1 part dough into 9x7-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Cut crosswise into nine 1-inch strips. For each twist, pinch ends of strip together to form ring, stretching strip slightly. Twist to form figure 8. Place at least 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining 2 parts dough.
3. Beat egg whites; brush over dough. Let rise uncovered at room temperature about 25 min. or until puffy and loops fill in.
4. Heat oven 350*. Make an indentation in the center of each loop. Fill with 1/2 tsp-1 tsp jam. Brush dough again with egg whites. Bake about 15 min. or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
5. In a small bowl, mix all powdered sugar glaze ingredients, with a hand held electric mixer, until smooth and thin. Drizzle over warm twists.

Jo's tips: I made these twists to long the first time I made them, so when they rose in the 8 form, the holes did not fill in. I just lightly pressed the sides to cover the hole, so that my filling didn't fall out. I also used my home canned apple pie filling. Yumm! And for an extra treat I added four Tbsp cream cheese to the glaze before mixing. I also put the glaze in a small plastic bag and cut to tip off to drizzle.

Chicken Stroganoff

I made this recipe last night for dinner and got really excited about it
because there is so much you can do with it!
It is so yummy and rich,and even the kids gobbled it down.
Beware this is not for the calorie counter.

Ingredients

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -cubed
3 Tbsp butter
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of water (use the empty cream of chicken can)

Directions

1. In a big frying pan add chicken, butter, and Italian seasoning packet.
2. Fry on med-high heat until chicken is cooked through
3. Add cream cheese, cream of chicken, and water to frying pan.
4. simmer until the cheese and soup are well mixed and melted.

Jo's tips: You can also make this in the crock pot. Add the chicken, butter and seasoning to the crock pot, turn on low for 6-8 hours. Add the soup, cream cheese and water to the crock pot. Turn on high and let cook together for about half an hour, until all cooked together and melted.
Serve with rice or noodles. I am going to make this recipe into a casserole. So as to have yet one more way to make the yummy dish. When I make it I will post the revised recipe!