Crazy Cake

This recipe is a family favorite that I had lost. I managed to find it again at www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cold water

Directions

Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a 9 x 13 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork. Add 1/2 bag of chocolate chips if desired (yum, yum)

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing.

Cheesy Crockpot Cauliflower Soup

I love anything in a crockpot, and this concoction actually turned out to be quite tasty. My sons ate a full bowl apiece.

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2 carrots, cut into small pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
one med onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
Italian seasoning
Parsley
garlic powder
pepper
1-2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions
Dump all vegetables, broth, and seasonings into a crockpot.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours
Put mixture into blender/food processor and puree to desired consistency
Return to crockpot and add more seasonings as desired
Add the milk and cheese at least 30-45 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally to ensure the melted cheese disperses through the soup.
Enjoy!!

Crockpot Potato Corn Chowder

I truly made this one up on my own, so I do not have exact amounts for some ingredients. It served 3 adults and 2 children with no leftovers. I would recommend not quite doubling the recipe for a full standard crockpot.

Ingredients
3 med potatoes cubed
1 can corn
1 can cream corn
1 can chicken broth
4 pieces turkey bacon
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
approx 1-2 cups milk
parsley
garlic powder
oregano
pepper
instant mashed potatoes

Directions
Cube the potatoes (I used the yellow ones and left the skin on) and put them into the crockpot.
Dump in cans of corn and chicken broth.
Cook turkey bacon until crispy - crumble and put into crockpot
Saute onions and celery for a few minutes in the bacon grease, and then add to the crockpot.
Add seasonings (parsley, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, etc)
Turn crockpot on high for 4-6 hours
Add milk about one hour before serving
Before serving, add enough instant potatoes to thicken the soup to desired consistency.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Capers

Ingredients
1 TBS olive oil
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 med chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic - minced
4-6 chicken breast halves
2-3 TBS capers - drained
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 TBS mustard (reg or dijon)
2 TBS mayonnaise (opt)

Directions
Place chicken breasts in 9x13 pan and bake in a 375 oven for 10 minutes.

While chicken is baking, saute mushrooms, onion, and garlic.

Add other ingredients to skillet and mix.

Pour mixture over chicken and continue to bake until chicken is no longer pick - another 15-25 minutes.

Asian Grilled Salmon

The best salmon I have EVER made!!

Ingredients for a family of 4
4 6oz salmon fillets
less than 1/4 cup vegetable oil
approx 1/8 c sesame oil
3-4 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
chopped green onion
1-2 tsp brown sugar (or honey)
2 tsp minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
1 tsp crushed ginger

Directions
Combine all ingredients (change quantities to suit personal taste) in a Ziploc bag and marinate overnight.

Broil at 5 inches below element for approx 5 minutes per side, turning only once.

Enjoy with rice!

Sausage Egg Casserole

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey sausage
1 chopped onion
2 c. shredded cheese (I like cheddar)
1 10 oz pkg. chopped spinach - thawed
8 oz fresh mushrooms - sliced (or one can)
12 eggs
2 c. milk or heavy cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions
Saute onions. Add ground sausage and cook until done. Dump into 9x13 pan.

Add cheese, spinach, and mushrooms to pan. Mix up.

In separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, and nutmeg.

Pour egg mixture over sausage, etc. already in pan.

Bake at 350 for 30+ minutes until set.

Note: You can also add hashbrowns for more variety.

Crockpot of Black Beans

Beans are very nutritious and quite inexpensive, especially the dried ones. The other day, I made a crockpot FULL of black beans. They turned out quite well, especially when paired with rice, salsa, and cheese.

Ingredients
1 lb dry black beans
1 14oz can vegetable or chicken broth
1 can water
1 green pepper
1 onion
cumin (to taste)
chili powder (to taste)
garlic or garlic powder (to taste)

Directions
Boil dry beans in pot on stove top for 10 minutes. Put cover on and let sit for one hour.

Put beans in crockpot. Top with all other ingredients. Mix up. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-7.

Warning!! The one bag of beans make almost a complete crockpot full. Adjust quantities to suit your needs or plan on freezing some. We got 4 dinners for 4 out of one crockpot full!