Volcano Lovers

Molten Lava Cake

Ingredients:
pecans and coconut
cake mix
eggs and oil (as specified on cake mix)
cream cheese
butter
powdered sugar

Directions:
Sprinkle bottom of a 9x13 cake pan with about 1/4 c. coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans
Prepare any kind of chocolate cake mix according to box directions and pour over pecans and coconut.
Melt 1 cube butter and 1 8oz. package cream cheese together in microwave. Mix in 2 cups powdered sugar.
Pour cream cheese mixture over chocolate layer. bake according to cake directions. (I've found that the cake takes 10-15 minutes past the lowest baking time, but I like to start checking earlier just to be safe). Just keep your eye on the cake and try not to take it out too soon.

* We really like this cake, and it has a little bit of a fancier feel than just a regular cake. Justin likes it best cold, I don't know yet how I like it best.

The real recipe I think I'll make for Easter

Sour cream lemon pie is my husband's favorite pie. This is the recipe that looked the closest to the one we like from a local pie shop. I think I'll use a regular crust instead of Graham cracker crust to give more of a regular pie feel than a cheesecake feel.

Sour cream Lemon Pie

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 C. graham crackers crumbs
1/4 C. sugar
4 Tbs. butter, melted

Cream Cheese Layer:
12 oz. cream cheese
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. Knox gelatin
1 Tbs. cold water

Lemon Topping:
1 1/2 C. water
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. fresh lemon juice
4 egg yolks beaten
5 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. butter

Directions

To make crust, mix all ingredients together and shape in a 9" greased pie pan. Bake at 375 for 6 - 8 minutes remove from oven and cool.

To make cream cheese layer, combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and salt in medium sized pan and cook on a very low heat stirring constantly until mixture starts to boil lightly. Mix gelatin with water and dissolve. When dissolved add to mixture along with vanilla and stir well. Cook until mixture reaches a light boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool off. When it's luke-warm layer cream cheese on crust and refrigerate until cooled.

To make lemon topping, place water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and lemon peel in a sauce pan and whisk until mixture comes to a boil at medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes until thick. Pour 1/2 hot mixture in beaten eggs slowly and stir constantly. When the mixture is completely blended pour egg mixture in to the hot pudding stir and cook until the pudding reaches boiling stage. Stir and let boil slowly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat add butter and vanilla stir and set aside until cooled off. When lemon mixture reaches room temperature gently smooth it over the cream cheese mixture and chill for several hours before serving. Fresh whipped cream may be added for garnish.

Easter Pie- the recipe I think I'll make

Marie Callender's Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Lemon Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
dash salt
1 cup water
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar in a small bowl. Press the crust mixture into an 8-inch pie pan.

Prepare the cream cheese filling by mixing cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla and an egg using an electric mixer. Mix well until smooth. Pour cream cheese filling into graham cracker crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is cooked. A knife stuck in the middle of the filling should come out mostly clean.

As the pie cools, make the lemon filling by combining 1/2 cup sugar with cornstarch, salt and water in a small saucepan. Set mixture over low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often.

Whisk in egg yolks, then add lemon juice and butter. When mixture simmers again remove it immediately from the heat.

Pour the lemon filling over the cream cheese filling, and let the pie cool. When cool, chill pie in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Slice into 6 pieces to serve restaurant-size portions.

Reuben Swirl Rolls

*I just tried this recipe and LOVED it. I'm usually not a big sauerkraut fan but this really is delicious. If you are too afraid to try the sauerkraut, I've heard it is also great with any kind of cheese and deli meat.

Reuben Swirl Rolls

Ingredients:

• 8 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
• 1 ½ tablespoons Thousand Island dressing
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 cup sauerkraut
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced corned beef
• extra Thousand Island dressing for dipping, if desired

Method:

Spray counter with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls into a ball and roll into a 9x13-inch rectangle. Spread dressing evenly over dough. Arrange cheese slices evenly over dressing. Sprinkle with sauerkraut, caraway seeds and pepper. Top with corned beef slices. Starting from a long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Using a serrated knife, cut into 8 slices. Place cut side up on a sprayed baking sheet (if they start to unroll, secure with toothpicks). Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise 30-45 minutes. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with extra dressing for dipping, if desired.

A Spooky Treat

I saw this idea in a magazine and thought I would try it out. We hollowed out oranges (plus a little clementine for my 2 year old) and filled them with chocolate pudding. We let the pudding set up first for awhile so that it wouldn't spill out the holes.

A lot of work for a little something sweet, but I think it might just become a tradition.

Granola and Turtles

I stole these delicious recipes from my cousin, Honey's blog. She is an inspiration to me. She has 5 kids and I think she does a great job.

My mom would make granola when I was growing up and I thought it was such a hard process - until I tried it the other day! Piece of cake. And, it turned out really well. Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
• 1 1/2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2. Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

I didn't have oat bran, wheatgerm, sunflower seeds or walnuts on hand and I didn't want to go buy them. I also added a pinch of nutmeg. It makes a bunch, but it also goes really quickly as it is so good.

Pretzel Turtles - AWESOME!!

These would make a great Christmas treat for your friends and neighbors or at any gathering.

Ingredients: pretzels, Rolos and pecan halves.

Directions: Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Lay out each pretzel with a rolo on top. Put in a 325 degree oven for 3 - 3.5 minutes, just enough for the chocolate to sweat. Pull them out and gently press a pecan half onto each pretzel. Voila!

Both recipes tried and true - you should try them too. 5 Stars!

A Gluten-free treat

As some may know, or not know, my sister-in-law is on a gluten free diet. Her diet has really opened my eyes to the gluten free world and sometimes it is fun to twist my brain and discover new things that she can eat.

Imagine my delight when I came across a blog with this yummy picture. I thought it was a cute idea. I actually made cocoa krispy treats for our Easter Picnic, but the presentation wasn't as awesome as it is here. Live long and prosper.


Rice krispy treats made with cocoa krispies, spooned into greased muffin tins, pressed and indented with a buttered spoon, allowed to set until not totally gooey and placed in festive cupcake papers, chocolate eggs lovingly divvied and positioned in nests, nests lined up and stacked on the biggest tray we could find, presented with a big grin, consumed with zeal!

What's for Dinner?

My mom made this delicious salad and so I decided to make some for my hubby. It's a great change from your everyday routine and it is so delicious. I didn't have time to go to the store so I was missing the avocado and the lime cilantro dressing but had some cilantro and ranch on hand and just used that. It was nice to have something that was light, yet filling.

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

Valerie Phillips

Published: Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 12:00 a.m. MST (deseret news)

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1 5-ounce package romaine leaves or chopped iceberg lettuce
2 cups salsa
1 15-ounce can corn, drained
1 large avocado, or 2 small
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar, Colby or Monterey Jack cheese
1 red bell pepper, chopped

Directions

Mix chicken and taco seasoning. To make four composed salads, place a large handful of lettuce on each plate. Top with 1/2 cup salsa in the middle, spreading it slightly. On top of salsa, arrange 1/3 cup chopped chicken, 1/3 cup corn and 1/4 cup each of the avocado, beans, cheese and bell pepper.

Lime Cilantro Dressing:
1 6-ounce container lime-flavored yogurt
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice

Mix dressing ingredients well. Serve with salad. Serves 4.

Options: Toss salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve with dressing on the side.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

EASY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 3/4 to 1 c. peanut butter 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. Bisquick baking mix Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add biscuit mix; mix well. Chill at least one hour. Shape into one inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned (do not over bake). Cool. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

The recipe I used didn't call for an egg, but I think that would have made these better. The cookies I made were a little too rich and wonder if an egg would have helped. On the other hand, if you are out of eggs sometime, know that these cookies turned out even with no egg.

I love that these cookies are softer than the traditional peanut butter cookie. They are a little bit rich, so be prepared (after eating 1 cookie I felt like I had eaten 4). These were really quick to mix up, too. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate- a match made in heaven

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats (by Todd Wilbur)
1 Tbsp. Margarine
2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
1/8 tsp. salt
5 C. miniature marshmallows
1/2 tsp.vanilla
6 C. Rice Krispies Cereal
1- 12 oz. bag milk chocolate chips
non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine margarine, peanut butter and salt in a large saucepan over low heat. (I'll say right now that clean-up is 10 times easier if you do this all in the microwave instead).
2. When peanut butter and margarine have melted, remove from heat. Add the marshmallows and microwave again (for about a minute or until the marshmallows are melty and puffy).
3. Add Rice Krispies adn stir until cereal is well coated with the melted marshmallow mixture.
4. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Pour the Rice Krispies mixture int the dish and, using wax paper or lightly greased hands, press down until it's flat in the dish. Cool
5. Prepare the topping by pouring the chocolate chips into a glass dish. Microwave for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir Gently. Microwave for an additional minute on 50 % power Stir gently once more until smooth. If the mixture hasn't completely melted, zap it again for another 30 seconds.
6. Use a spatula to spread a thin layer of chocolate over the top of the Rice Krispies mixture. Cool at room temp. (at least 72 degrees), or chill until firm. Slice into 16 bars.

Can you believe that in the 7 years I've lived away from home I have never once made Rice Krispy Treats. I was a little nervous, but they turned out pretty good. My few mistakes- #1) Substituting semi-sweet chips for milk chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet in cookies but in this recipe they were too strong). #2) I got so anxious to mix the Rice Krispies into the marshmallow mixture that I forgot to add my two extra cups of Rice Krispies in. (hence, the smaller dish I ended up pressing my treats into so they wouldn't be paper thin). By the way, this dish I used is Polish Pottery. I first fell in love with polish pottery in Germnay. They make the cutest designs.

Famous Breadsticks

I went to a party not too long ago and brought my mom's famous breadsticks. They were a hit. Here is the recipe.

Famous Breadsticks
1 1/2 c. hot water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 heaping Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. melted butter

1. Combine hot water and sugar. Cool until just warm and add yeast.
2. Add flour and salt and mix and knead for 3 min. Let rest 10 min.
3. Add more flour to form a soft dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1" strips.
4. Twist each strip and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salad supreme (McCormick makes it) or parmesan.
5. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.
6. Enjoy

If I came out victorious, anyone can. I am seriously intimidated by making bread but they turned out great (If I do say so myself).