crockpot chocolate lava cake

 

This recipe is SO easy and SO amazing that I made it twice in less than 24 hours :)

I tweaked it a little after the first time, so I'll share my "tweaked" recipe and then give you the link to the original :)

 

Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake

 

1 package chocolate cake mix (any kind) prepared according to directions
1 small package chocolate instant pudding prepared according to directions
12oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour small amount of cake batter into bottom of slow cooker. Layer half package of chocolate chips. Pour over rest of cake batter (slowly, so the chips don't rise to the top). Layer more chocolate chips over cake batter. Slowly pour in prepared pudding. Layer remaining chocolate chips.
Cook on "high" for 2-3.5 hours (depending on how your crockpot cooks....mine was done in 2.5 hours)
Cake will be done when "lava-y" bubbles on top :)
Serve warm with ice cream.

how mine looked when it was done

 

The only "tweaks" I did were in how you put it in the crock pot. The original way was for all the choc chips to be put in after you put in the cake batter and pudding....but I thought the bites where it was just pudding and cake were too bland....spreaking the chips throughout gives it a little more kick :)
Try this. You won't be disappointed :)

original recipe

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stuffed french bread

This is my husband's new comfort food favorite. We got the recipe from my sis-in-law, Sara.

 It is really good, super quick and makes good left overs :)

Stuffed French Bread

 

1 loaf French Bread

1 onion chopped

1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I used turkey)

1 can mushrooms with juice  (used 1pkg fresh baby bella mushrooms...added 1/4 c. water)

2 c cole slaw mix or shredded cabbage

Hollow bread- cut loaf in 1/2 and hollow out. Brown meat and onion. Drain grease. 

Add soup mix and mushrooms- cook for 5 mins.

Add cole slaw and simmer until tender.

Put 1/2 of cheese in the bottom of the loaf. Add beef mix to fill the bread. Add remaining cheese on top. Put on bread top and wrap with foil.

Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 25 mins. Let cool 10-15 mins before slicing.

 

enjoyed by men of all ages ;)

 

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chicken and kale casserole

I made this chicken and kale casserole the other night for dinner. SO good.

Click here for the recipe.

I added spinach with the kale and was super yummy. I also did half ricotta and half cottage cheese because I didn't have enough ricotta.

The lemon in it is amazing :)

We had it with some homemade bread.

SO good :)

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bread recipe

A few weeks ago, I started baking our bread at home. Mostly because I wanted to because I'm home now and have more naptimes to get things done ;)

Also, I started reading "The Maker's Diet". Oh. My. Word. It is so interesting and has really made me think about what I am feeding my family.

That is a whole different blog post (or several posts!)...

I have tried a few different bread recipes, but they either don't make enough, are too dry, too dense....just not yummy enough.

I remembered this recipe I had written down a while ago from a friend's blog (I can't find the original post to link up to).

I made it today.

Perfection.

The bread is SO moist.

It made 3 of these loaves, so I froze 2.

YUM.

So here it is...

{I put my comments in bold}

Basic Bread Recipe:

1 1/2 cups very hot water
1 cup cold almond milk (can use organic whole cow's milk)
3 eggs (optional) {I did use the eggs and it was perfect}1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 T sea salt
6 - 7 1/4 cups freshly-milled flour {I don't have a grain mill, so I mixed whole wheat bread flour with whole wheat flour and it turned out just fine}4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast {I used a little bit more}
Combine water, milk, eggs, oil, honey, and salt. (Temperature should be just right for yeast.) Mix in yeast. Add flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand or with mixer's dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 8 - 10 minutes). Shape into loaves and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on top with fingernail. Makes 2 - 3 loaves.

This recipe does turn out quite sticky, so I don't know how it works if you have to knead by hand...I  used the dough hook on my Kitchenaid (greatest thing EVER) and let it go for 10 minutes.

SO easy, people...and so delicious. You won't be disappointed. :)

p.s....see my awesome Le Creuset kettle??? I found it in the thrift store. In the box. New. For $10. Eek!

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homemade fruit roll up...flop

I found this recipe on pinterest last week and was all over it. We had a ton of strawberries in the deep freeze from last season and they needed to be used pronto.

We don't have a dehydrator (yet), so I went the oven route.

Unfortunately, I tried it twice and both times they were mushy in the middle and crisp on the edges. Classic signs of too high of a temperature.

The problem is, our gas oven won't allow a setting below 170F. Boo.

 I looked online...oven temps for food dehydrating should be around 140F. Double Boo.

I'll share the experience anyways because I took pictures with my new lens I got for christmas {I luuurve it...thanks, Mom!} and want to share because it was quite fun {and SO easy!}  :)

Step one::assemble ingredients: 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 2 cups strawberries {seriously...that's it...and we doubled it because we had plenty of berries}

Step two::enlist 3 year old to help out and dump ingredients into blender

Step three:: let said 3 year old work the blender...catch picture of her face the minute she presses down :)

blend until smooth

Step four::pour onto baking sheet lined with wax paper

Step five::let 3 year old spread with spatula to her hearts content :)

{make sure it's a little thicker at the edges since that tends to bake the quickest}

Step six::pause for "photo shoot"...someone discovered she can roll her tongue ;)

Step seven::put into preheated oven for 8-ish hours {until fruit is pliable and smooth}

Ours was more of a lovely crispness ;)

BTW, cinnamon strawberries is the most yummy aroma...our house smelled delicious for 2 days.

The great thing about this is that I'm sure you can use just about any fruit/veggie under the sun. I'm quite excited about this.

I'm definitely going to do this as soon as a dehydrator is in my possession :) I will let you know how it turns out!

If you try this and it works, let me know! I would love to hear about it :)

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cake batter puppy chow::abby edition

Like the rest of the world, I love pinterest. I use it mostly for recipes...I can't remember the last time I cracked open a recipe book...no joke.
When I saw this recipe for cake batter puppy chow last week, I was salivating just thinking about it! I love all things cake batter. So good.
The recipe seemed simple enough, but due to my own preferences and our grocery stores lack of supplies, I went my own way.
 Below is what I did, the link above will take you to the original.

1 box of rice chex
2 pkgs white choc chips {yep, 2}
1-2 Tbspn milk
2 Tblspn butter melted
1/4 tspn almond flavor {I was out of vanilla}
1/4 cup sprinkles {I like sprinkles}
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips according to directions on package {I used a glass bowl over simmering water, but you can microwave too in increments of 30-60 seconds}.
Stir in melted butter.
Add milk as needed to get the consistency you want so it will coat the cereal well.
Stir in sprinkles.
Pour cereal into bowl and stir in chocolate mixture.
Stir until well coated {it does get thick...white chocolate can be a pain to work with!}
Put into gallon plastic bag {I had to divide it between two bags because one wasn't big enough}
Pour in cake mix and powdered sugar.
Shake, shake, shake.
Pour out onto waxed paper or baking sheet and let it cool.

Yum!

Just as yummy...if not better than....the original :)
Let me know if you have any questions...but this is a pretty forgiveable treat if you have to deviate from the original recipe like I did.

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lemon, parsley, parmesan chicken

I made Martha Stewart's lemon, parsley, and parmesan chicken last week. Um, AH-mazing.
Miss Andrea posted it on her blog first.
The minute I saw the picture, I had to make it.
I took her comments of what she would do differently to heart and I actually made chicken breasts instead of a whole bird. I used the leftovers to make chicken potpie. So good.
I also used red new potatos instead of fingerling potatoes b/c our grocery store didn't have fingerling.
I made double the sauce as well...just because that's how we like it.
Anyway, click here for the delicious recipe.
Enjoy. :)

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pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Y.U.M.
We went over over to Zeb and Bekah's for dinner last night. Bekah made these cookies. They were amazing! So of course I had to make them, so that's what we did this afternoon. They are so good I had to share.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350.
Bake 15-20 min.

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree (I just used canned pumpkin)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
(in lieu of spices, I used 2 tsp of Tones' pumpkin pie spice....I actually liked it better than the separate spices)
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Using mixer, beat butter until smooth. Beat in white and brown sugars, adding a little at a time, until mixture is fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla and pumpkin. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Slowly beat in flour mixture into pumpking batter. Stir in the chips.
Scoop on well greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
Bake until cookies are brown around edges (15-20 min).
Let rest for 2 minutes before removing and place on cooling rack.

recipe from foodnetwork.com

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sweet&sour short ribs

I made these ribs the other night at they were AMAZING. Think sweet and sour chicken meets yummy juiciness. I had never made ribs before, so I was pretty excited about it.

They were SO good. I think this summer I may try a grilled version...

Brush 2-3 lb short ribs with soy sauce. Roast in 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours.

While ribs are roasting, prepare sauce:

1c. vinegar

1c. sugar

1/2c. sherry wine

2Tbsp soy sauce

1 sliced green pepper

1 Tbsp cornstarch

scant amount water

1 Tbsp zested gingerer

1/2c. pineapple chunks (fresh is best!)

1/4 c. sweet pickles (I did not use)

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in medium sauce pan. Mix cornstarch with water to dissolve and add to sauce. Stir until thick and clear. Add zested ginger, pineapple and sweet pickles.

Drain off fat from ribs and spoon sauce over top.

Place back in oven for an additional 20 minutes.

*Recipe courtesy of Tasty Temptations: Inspired by world famous Tea Cups & Tiaras by Connie Bandstra

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homemade teething biscuits...super easy

I cannot take credit for this one...Shaylyn gave me this idea and I LOVE it....no pictures, though, sorry :)
I've been using "Earth's Best" whole wheat teething biscuits since Addy was about 5 months old...she likes them, but they crumble when they get too soggy, then I get worried about her choking on pieces b/c they are actually kinda hard and don't just melt in her mouth the way puffs do.
Since I've been making her baby food (and saving LOADS of cash doing it!)...I was hoping to find a easy way to make the teething biscuits.
Shay gave me this idea at church yesterday and I tried it this AM and I'm sold.
Take a piece of bread (I have stone ground 7 grain bread that I bought fresh made at the bakery), roll it up tight and squeeze it into a stick type...microwave it for a few seconds (I did for 12) and let it cool....the outside hardens, but the inside stays pretty soft and is easier for baby to gum and swallow....
Addy loved it.....my camera was out of battery when she was gnawing on it, or I'd share the joy on her messy little face ;)

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cranberry, steak, walnut salad

I love this salad. It's so yummy. My step sister-in-law made something similar for my step-sister's baby shower and I did some research online (instead of doing the easy thing and just asking her for the recipe!) and found one like it. I did some tweaking and this is what I came up with. I really like it and it's pretty quick and super easy.

My task now is to find out how to make it healthier (all that sugar!) since we are going on a sugar hiatus and changing our diet a bit :) Hm...this will be interesting...

Salad ingredients (I don't really have measurements for some of these...just add to your liking):

1 head romaine lettuce chopped

dried cranberries

walnuts

bleu cheese (I actually like feta cheese here too instead)

cherry tomatoes halved

1-2 grilled steaks (I use the cheap round steak...but New York strip is super good on this one)

basil (fresh or dried)

lemon juice

Dressing ingredients:

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsalmic vinegar

lemon juice to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Season steak with basil and grill. Season with lemon juice when steak is finished. Cut into strips.

Mix together romaine, tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, cheese, and strip in bowl.
Toss with dressing.

Serve.

mmm.

p.s. if you want to make the salad last longer for left overs or something, don't mix it with the dressing...it'll keep for a few days ...

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quittin cold turkey

I've been debating for a while now whether or not to "publicly" share this, Matthew 5:16-18 talks about when you are fasting, not to make it known to the world...but because this isn't pulling a "woe to me, I'm starving", it's okay.
A few weeks ago I decided to do a fresh fruit/veggie and one natural protein source a day "fast". Originally I was just want to cleanse my body of all the gunk I've been eating and start over (Nick and I are transitioning to a more organic/whole foods diet...but modifying it to our budget/lifestyle). I mentioned it to Nick and he offered to do it with me. We decided to start November 1 (today!).
Well, the last few weeks I've been really trying to pull out of a slump...some of you know I battle depression and it really kicks you in the gut sometimes. I haven't read my bible in...well...a REALLY long time. As desperate as my spirit feels to be quenched, I've been doing a lot of "Christian motions" lately. I go to church and bible study, and every time I'm praying in vain for my heart to melt and my soul to be satisfied....
I realized that I need to stop trying to work my way back to the Lord with the motions....I really need to lean on Him and find my relationship with Him again. I can't tell you how thirsty my heart and my soul feel right now. I want so badly to be back at that place where He is all I need and my heart can rest in Him.
This month's fast has turned into a spiritual fast for me. Rather than turning to food for my comfort (which I unfortunately have gotten quite good at), the Lord will be my sustenance.
I'm telling you this more for my benefit b/c I know that I will have more of an accountability that if I was just going this alone.
Nick has been so patient with me and he deserves better than how I've just ho-hummed about my spiritual life. I know he's going to walk through this with me b/c I have a feeling we are going to have some break throughs this month. :) I'm quite nervous, actually, b/c getting personal is something I haven't done in a long time....but it's what my soul needs.
I don't even know how many people read this and really, I blog for my own entertainment, but to those who take time from your day to read this...please pray that God will chip away at me this month....as hard as He needs to get through to me.
I'm not planning on following this fast on my blog, but I will definitely share what He does in me as the weeks go by...

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better for you(?) buffalo chicken salad...yumminess

I LOVE cooking shows...when I was holed up in the freezing weather with a newborn :) I discovered television. We still had cable at the time, so the "world" was my playground. One show I came to enjoy was (don't laugh) Cook Yourself Thin on (again, don't laugh) Lifetime.

They took some everyday not-so-great for you dishes and recreated them with healthier ingredients...it become one of my little projects to try some of their recipes and they were actually pretty good. One that Nick and I like (me more so because it's fairly quick and super easy) is the Buffalo Chicken Salad. I tweak it a bit when I make it for Nick's and my taste...but below is the original recipe. It's pretty good. Let me know if you try and what you think.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts

Planko bread crumbs (usually in the Asian section of the supermarket)

chopped lettuce

marinade:

2T. hot sauce

1t. apple cider vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1t. brown sugar

~marinade chicken breasts for 10 minutes

~coat chicken with Planko bread crumbs (you can use a little olive oil brushed on chicken to help

help crumbs stick easier)

~bake chicken on wire rack for 12-18 minutes at 400 degrees

bleu cheese dressing:

2T buttermilk

1/4 c. plain yogurt

1/4t. pepper

1/4c. bleu cheese crumbles

~mix dressing and salad

~top with cooked chicken

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haha

I LOVE bathtime baby pictures. Adelyn LOVES her bath and "chew toys" (in this case she's wearing a few) :)

Fun combo I think...

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rub a dub

Adelyn has always loved bath time...she would seriously play in the tub for hours if we let her! I think she's figured out that when she kicks, it splashes....so needless to say, when she's laying on her back, I (or Nick) and the wall are sopping wet by the time we are finished! :)

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yumminess

This is super yummy. It's perfect for breakfasts, brunches, or just because. There's actually a special pan to bake it in, but a friend of mine tried it in her bundt pan and she said it turned out just fine. I make this so much that I definitely have the recipe memorized. (picture isn't mine, I borrowed it from an internet cooking site)

1 1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2/3 c milk
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick melted butter

Beat together sugar, egg, extract and milk. Stir in flour and baking powder. Then add butter. Mix well. Spray cake pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle slivered almonds into bottom of pan if desired. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40minutes or till edges are golden brown. Cool cake in pan completely before removing. To remove place inverted Almond Cake Plate to top of cake pan and then flip. Dust with confectionary sugar if desired.

This is one of those desserts that I wouldn't touch growing up. I made it the other day just to try it and it was so good! Sort of like a comfort food I think. I like load of raisins in mine and then I put a little nutmeg in with the cinnamon too.

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Dust with cinnamon (add nutmeg if desired). Serve warm.

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love love love

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Flipper

We have been trying to catch Adelyn rolling over for the last 3 weeks! She's been rolling over for a while..but it's only when she's in her crib waking up from a nap, in the middle of a nap, or fighting a nap. The child will not flip over when we're just playing! She's so weird... ;)

Anyway...here it is...she gets ticked at me at the end b/c I keep flipping her over to get her to roll over :)

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yum

Last week we started rice cereal...seriously, I know...I can't believe we've hit that time already! She doesn't seem to mind it too much, though, and I know eventually she'll get the hang of eating vs. sucking and quit pushing the food out with her tongue...eventually... :) For now I can get some super fun pictures to share with y'all.

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4 months of funny faces

Our sweet girl turned 4 months last Monday, can you believe it?!

We had her check up on Wednesday. She's 25 1/2 inches long (75%), 15 pounds even (75%) and her head is 40 1/2 centimeters (26%). So just to recap the whole percentile thing....if you were to line Addy up with 100 kids and number them 1-100, she'd be #75, 75 and 26....'kay?

In light of this 4 month thing, I'm posting those pictures that can be used later in life to embarass kids and post at their graduation parties, show to boyfriends (ugh), etc...

I could just be nice and make y'all think that Adelyn is just so cute in every picture and there is no way she could look silly or ridiculous, but where's the fun in that?

So here's our little funny face...laugh, smile...I do every time :)

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