Foodie Friday

Chocolate Dessert Waffles

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Hot Fudge Sauce
Fruit Sauce Topping

Directions:
Stir cocoa and butter in a bowl until smooth; stir in sugar.  Add eggs amd vanilla; beat well.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to cocoa mixture.  Stir in nuts, if desired.
Bake in waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.  Carefully remove waffle from iron.  Serve warm with hot fudge sauce and dessert toppings.

*To sour milk: use 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar plus milk to equal 1/2 cup.
Note: Leftover waffles can be frozen; thaw in toaster on low heat.

Hope's Song - Thursday's Thoughts

Monday Musings

While sitting in Primary yesterday I was asked something by a giggling Sunbeam.  "Why did the crazy chicken cross the monkey bars?"

Grant did not get a chance to stop giggling to tell me ... can someone please find out for me?

Foodie Friday

Slow-Cooker Spinach Dip

(oh how I miss my beloved slow cooker ... maybe I will get a new one as an Easter gift from my loving husband who does not read this blog???)

Directions:
Mix 1 cup grated smoked mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 box thawed frozen spinach, 1 jar artichoke hearts (drained), and salt and pepper in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high, 2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips, carrots, celery, pita bread, sourdough, etc.  mmmmmmm ....

Thursday Thoughts (on Friday)

Monday Musings (on Tuesday)

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish” “Me first! Me first!” says the administration clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.” Poof! She’s gone. “Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii,relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone. “OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”

Foodie Friday's

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce pound cake, frozen
1 16-ounce tub vanilla frosting
24 drops yellow food coloring
6 red drops food coloring
4 cups orange jelly beans
1 5-ounce bag green apple sour straws

Directions:
Trim one short end of the pound cake (discard the end), then cut a wedge off each side as shown above.
Attach the wedges to each other with frosting (crust sides together), then attach to trimmed cake.
Mix the remaining frosting with yellow and red food coloring (to make orange).  Spread over the cake.
Arrange the jelly beans on the cake in tight rows.
Trim the sour straws to various lengths, then gently stick into the top of the cake.

Thursday's Thoughts

"Those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him.”

Foodie Friday

Spaghetti-and-Meatball Cake

(for April Fool's Dessert)

Ingredients:
1 18.25-ounce box chocolate cake mix (plus required ingredients)
2 16-ounce tubs vanilla frosting
2 to 4 drops yellow food coloring
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1 16-ounce bag frozen strawberries, thawed
White chocolate for grating

Directions:
Make two 8-inch round chocolate cakes as the cake mix label directs; cool completely.  Crumble 1 cake into a bowl.  Squeeze a handful of crumbs into a 2-inch ball; roll between your hands until smooth.  Repeat to make 2 more cake balls.
Sprinkle some of the remaining cake crumbs on a clean surface.  One at a time, roll the cake balls into the crumbs, pressing lightly to coat.  If necessary, moisten the cake balls with water to help the crumbs stick.
Asseble the cake:  Put the remaining whole cake on a serving plate or cake board.  Spread about 1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting on the cake with an offset spatula; run the spatula around the sides to make smooth.
Arrange the cake balls on the cake.  Mix the remaining frosting, the yellow food coloring and cocoa in a small bowl; transfer to a pastry bag with a small round tip.  Pipe the yellow frosting around the cake balls in a figure-eight motion to look like spaghetti.
Make the strawberry sauce: Puree the strawberries in a food processor until slightly smooth with a few chunks.  Spoon 1/2 cup strawberry puree around the meatballs to look like sauce.
Grate white chocolate on top of the cake to look like parmesean cheese.  Serve the remaining cake with strawberry puree on the side.

As a side note: Personally, I would take the first cake that you crumb up and to make the meatballs stick together as you roll them, add a little bit of the frosting to the mixture so they will stick together.  That is how I would do it.  And if you do not have white chocolate on hand (because white chocolate is blasphemy!) you can always use coconut.