Better-Than-Anything Cake

Cake--

1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

2 cups warm water

2 eggs

1-3 oz package chocolate instant pudding mix

Mix together first 3 ingredients, then add dry pudding mix.

Bake @ 350* in sprayed 9X13 pan for 35-40 minutes.

Frosting--

Beat together--

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

Fold in 8 oz soft Cool Whip

Top with 4 crushed Heath or Skor bars

If making in jelly roll pan, make cake the same, baking for about 20 minutes.  Check with toothpick.

Frosting-- 

6 Tlbs melted butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 egg yolks

12 oz Cool Whip

8 candy bars

💗Donna LeBaron

Blueberry (or Raspberry) Muffins

Ingredients:

10 Tbls butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

16 oz sour cream

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups blueberries (if frozen, do no thaw)

4 Tbls sugar (for later)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375*.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar.  Melt together for about 3 minutes and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.  

Line 24-30 muffin tins with muffin cup liners.

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Mix together and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sour cream.  Beat together.  Once the butter and brown sugar mixture is cooled, slowly add into the egg and sour cream mixture.  Stir in the oats and fold in the flour mixture.  Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin liners about 3/4 full and sprinkle a generous pinch of sugar on top of each muffin.

Bake for 24-26 minutes or until the edges are medium brown and the tops are firm. 

💗Made It Ate It Loved It

Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice

6 large bell peppers (any color)

1 Tbls olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 lb extra lean ground beef

3 cloves minced garlic

1-14 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend, divided

Salt & pepper, to taste 

If you don't have cooked rice, make some.

Preheat oven to 400* and move the rack to the middle position.  Meanwhile, prep your ingredients.  Cut the tops off the peppers as if you were carving a pumpkin, and as evenly as possible so the filling doesn't fall out.  Remove any seeds/membrane.  Chop up the usable stuff from the pepper tops to add to the filling.

Place the peppers cut-side- up in a 9X13 baking dish.  Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of dish to steam the peppers and cook faster

Add the oil, onion, and chopped up pepper tops to a skillet.  Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the skillet.  Cook it, breaking up the meat as you go, until it's browned and cooked through.  Drain off most of the fat/liquid.

Stir in the garlic, followed by the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning.  Let warm through and then take off the heat.

Stir in the cooked rice and 1/2 of the cheese.  Season the mixture with salt & pepper.  Spoon mixture into peppers.

Cover baking dish tightly with foil.  Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes

Take dish out of the oven. Peppers should be a little bit firm to the touch.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Return peppers to the oven, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Note:  Recipe works best with peppers that are roughly the same size.  Also, the ones with 4 bumps on the bottom are less likely to fall over.

Bacon-wrapped Little Smokies

These are a little time consuming, but loved by our family.

1-48 oz pkg Little Smokie sausages
2-1 lb pkgs bacon
Brown sugar
Tooth picks

Cut each package of bacon into fourths. Wrap each sausage with a piece of bacon securing with a toothpick.

Place on foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle  each with brown sugar. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until bacon is done.  To keep warm, place in a crock pot with lid kept off a bit so they don't get soggy.

Baked Beans

In large oven-proof crock or dutch oven, stir together:

6-15 oz or 3-28 oz cans pork & beans

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbls mustard

3/4 cup brown sugar 

Bake or fry 1 lb bacon. Remove bacon from grease.  Fry 1 large chopped onion in bacon grease and pour onion and grease into bean mixture.  

Bake uncovered at 350* for 1 hour.  Stir.  Top with crumbled bacon.

💗Brad

Hamburger Soup

Brown 1 1/2 lbs ground beef with 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic.  Drain and set aside.

Cook the following vegetables until almost tender:

2 large potatoes, peeled & diced

4 medium carrots, peeled & diced

28 oz plum tomatoes

1-46 oz bottle tomato juice

2 large onions, diced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

2 zucchini, sliced and quartered

Add:

Ground beef

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can cannellini beans, drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

1 tsp oregano

pepper to taste

7 beef bouillon cubes

2 cups water

Tabasco to taste

Simmer until blended.

          

Four Bean Soup

Brown 1 lb hamburger.  Add 1 diced onion and 1 diced green pepper.  Sauté until onion is clear.

Add 1 tsp minced garlic and 2 tsp chili powder

Stir and let season while you open the following cans:

2 large cans pork & beans

2 cans pinto beans (drained)                   

1 can dark red kidney beans (drained) 

1 can garbanzo beans (drained) 

1 large can tomatoes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 small can chopped green chilies

Add to the hamburger mix.  Bring to a boil, then let simmer.