Apple Pecan Cake with butter cream icing

Here is the recipe for the apple cake I made for Girls night.
If you bake it in two 9 inch spring pans filled halfway, then layer with cream cheese frosting, it is divine!

Apple Pecan Cake
3 cups of flour
3 large eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups cubed & pared apples
1/2 cups butter - melted
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 10" spring form pans. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together. Beat oil, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl.
Stir in dry ingredients. Batter should be very thick.
Fold in apples, pecans and raisins.
Pour into the pans
Bake 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan.

cream cheese frosting

makes enough to ice two 10 inch rounds layered, and decorated. you can cut the recipe in half if you aren't layering.

8oz cream cheese softened
1/2 stick butter(or 1/4 cup) marg
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 cup milk
4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
whip together until smooth and creamy.

ice cake when cooled, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) or melted choc chips. 30 seconds and stir until melted.
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.
Easy cream cheese frosting
8oz cream cheese
½ stick butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix the butter and cream cheese until creamy mix in vanilla and gradually the sugar. Store in fridge after use.


Melting chocolate
2 cups choc chips
Good sized glass bowl for melting chips.
1tsp butter.
Melt butter and chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals stirring between cooking. Until melted. Work fast and cover balls with sauce.



recipioe found at cakerella.com

Yellow Squash Casserole

Another one I found from Allrecipes.com. This one is from ROSECART. I have more yellow squash than I know what to do with so I've been trying to find recipes and this one is my favorite by far! My husband and picky little boy couldn't get enough of it either! I love the egg and buttery crackers in this.

4 c. sliced squash

1/2 c. chopped onion

35 buttery crackers, crushed

1 c. cheese, shredded

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 tsp. salt

black pepper to taste

2 T. butter

Put squash and onion in large skillet with small amount of water. On medium heat cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and place in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix cracker crumbs and cheese and add half of the mixture to the squash. Mix together eggs and milk and add to squash. Stir in 1/4 c. melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Spread in 9 x 13 inch pan, sprinkle with cracker mixture and dot with butter.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Zucchini Brownies

I found this on Allrecipes.com from Marian. These brownies are fabulous! There isn't a typo in the recipe, it doesn't call for any eggs. That's what makes these brownies fudgy. I haven't tried it but I'm sure you can add an egg and it will be more cakey if you prefer. Because they're fudgy I don't put any frosting on them and they are still fabulous but to each his own.

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, 1/2 c. cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into sugar mixture (it will be a course texture). Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when lightly touched.

Chocolate Frosting:
6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt together cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir in cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies.

Microwave Custard

3 eggs

2 cups milk

2 T sugar or honey

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

Beat eggs until fluffy and then add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir. Continue to heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring after each, until thick and creamy. It will continue to cook a little in the bowl so I usually take it out before it is too thick. Serve hot or cold. Top with cinnamon, nutmeg, or caramel topping.

It cooks best in thicker ceramic bowls. And remember every microwave cooks a little different so you may need to adjust your time. If it turns grainy it is over cooked. My kids and I love this for breakfast.

Sponge Bob Chicken

This recipe came from my sis-in-law who at the time had a love for Sponge Bob so I'm pretty sure that's where it got its name from. Super easy and super quick!

3-4 chicken breasts
1-2 zucchinis cut into rounds
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mush soup
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c milk

Put chicken in a square baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Place zucchini rounds over chicken and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Sprinkle cheese over zucchini. Mix soup, sour cream, and milk and then spread over the cheese. Garnish the top with a little more cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 mins depending on the thickness of your chicken. We like to eat this over mashed potatoes that have been seasoned with garlic salt. So yummy!
I often put it together during nap time and refrigerate until 30 min before dinner.

Beef and Broccoli

Sorry its been so long since Ive posted...Ive had that first trimester yuckiness and haven't cooked or done anything in regards to food for a bit now. I was craving this and my friend Amber had given me a recipe and its so yummy!

1 pound top round beef steak
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c apple juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
2 c fresh broccoli
4 Tbsp oil
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tsp sesame oil

Cut beef steak into thin strips, set aside. Combine soy sauce, sugar, water, juice, and cornstarch in small bowl and set aside. In large skillet stir fry broccoli with 2 Tbsp oil for about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook. Set broccoli aside in a dish. Pour remaining oil into skillet and add beef steak and cook until well browned on all sides. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not more than 1 min. Pour soy sauce mixture over meat and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in sesame oil. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli serve over rice.