Divine Chocolate Pie

This is seriously the most delicious chocolate pie EVER!

I use my grandma's pie crust recipe but you are welcome to use whatever recipe you want.  I've included her recipe at the bottom on this post.  This chocolate pie recipe is listed in ounces.  You can easily convert it to cups if you'd like.  There are 8 oz. in one cup.

• 1 pkg. chocolate fudge instant pudding (small)
• 6 Oz. Water 
• 2 Oz. Hershey’s syrup

• 6 Oz. Sweet and condensed milk
• 3-4 Cups Heavy whipping cream (2 cups for the filling and 1-2 cups for the topping)

Mix together sweet and condensed milk, water and syrup until well blended. Add chocolate fudge pudding mix and beat until blended. Put pudding mix in fridge and let set for 5 min. Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream until stiff (unsweetened) Fold together pudding and cream together. Pour into pie shell, top with sweetened whipped cream, grate chocolate on top.

*Grate fine chocolate – semi sweet inside crust as it comes out of oven for a tasty layer of chocolaty goodness.

**One thing we've just recently tried was freezing this pie. It is delicious! That's what Brian requested for his birthday dessert. If you are going to freeze it, make it a day ahead and then freeze it so it's nice and ice creamy. Seriously - so good! We actually prefer the frozen pie over the normal version.

Here is my grandma's recipe for pie crust (it makes enough for 1 pie with a top and bottom crust, or 2 pies with just the bottom crust).

• 2 Cups Flour

• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Shortening
• 1/4 Cup Cold water

Mix flour and salt together, remove 1/3 cup flour mixture and set aside. Cut shortening into flour/salt mixture until crumbly. Mix 1/4 cold water with the 1/3 cut flour/salt mixture you set aside to make a paste (sometimes I have to add a touch more water.....maybe an extra 1/8 cup). Add paste to other mixture and mix together. The less handled, the better. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Once in the pie dish, prick with a fork all over and bake at 400 for 12 minutes. If you are baking a pie that has a filling and then a crust on top, you'll want to wait to bake the crust until your pie is all put together. Place 2" strips of foil around the outer crust. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

This recipe has been one of my favorites since college. It is such a good recipe when you have a chocolate craving because you probably have everything on hand to make it at a moment's notice. I love easy recipes that call for ingredients I already have! This cake is magical- you throw in the most basic ingredients, and in 45 minutes, it becomes something amazing and unexpected! Everyone loves this cake. It is good with ice cream or just a tall glass of ice cold milk!

  

HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

1 cup flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 TBSP cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp butter, melted (can use margarine or shortening)

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the milk and butter and mix to form a batter. Put in an ungreased 8x8 in square dish.

Combine the brown sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle over the batter.

                                                  Pour the hot water over top of the cake.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

This is what we are having for dinner tonight.  Since it started getting cold, I've been craving this chili.  It's one of our family favorites.  The recipe is from Plain Chicken.  

2 chicken breasts

1 can black beans

1 can corn, undrained (look at my notes below)

1 can Rotel, undrained

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 8 oz package light cream cheese

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Top with Tortilla chips and cheese!

*Note: I don't actually use canned corn.  I use frozen corn.  I find that the canned corn and juices give it too much of a sweet flavor.  So I add in some corn and then add a bit of water.  

**I have also found that there needs to be some liquid added after it's done cooking.  I just add water to get it to the desired consistency.

We're Back!

Welcome new contributors!  I'm excited to get this blog back up and running.  Feel free to post recipes at your leisure.

The main purpose of this blog is to have a place to share our favorite recipes with each other.  Whether its a family recipe passed down from generation to generation or something you found on Pinterest - we want it!  I love having a specific place to go when I'm in a slump where I know the recipes will be good.

When you do a post please give it a label so the recipes can be easily organized and found i.e. dinners, soups, desserts, etc.

Also, if you are posting a recipe that you have found on someone's blog, please link it back to them and give them credit.

I can't wait to try all of the new recipes from you ladies!!

Cherry Bars

I love these treats.  They easy to make and are great for parties.

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups floer

1 - 21 oz. can cherry fruit pie filling

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 - 2 Tbs milk

Grease 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.  In large bowl, cream sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.  Gradually add flour and backing powder - blend well.  Spread 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spread pie filling over batter.  Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over pie filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over bars.  Sprinkle with green sprinkles (optional).  Cut into bars.

Garden Bounty Tortilla Soup

This soup is very good for you and is a great way to get your kids, spouse or anyone for that matter to eat their veggies.  I am a picky eater and really don't like a lot of veggies, but this soup is delicious!

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth (you can use chicken bouillon cubes - 1 cube to 2 cups of water)
1 red onion, diced
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 carrots, pealed and diced
2-4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup tomato paste (more if desired, to taste)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole pepper of the canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use the La Costena brand)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, diced
1 yellow summer squash, diced
1 Red bell pepper, chopped
1 Green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh, frozen or canned corn - optional

In large stockpot over high heat, combine chicken broth, chicken, onion, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle pepper, jalapenom oregano and cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  When the chicken is cooked, remove from pot and shred it.  Add salt and white pepper.  Add zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers and corn if desired.  Bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat to low and summer 15 minutes.  Add cilantro, lime and orange juice.  Stir well and remove from heat.

Garnish: Tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocados, jalepeno rings, lime wedges.  (I usually just do chips, cheese and cilantro and some lime juice).

Makes approx. 3 quarts

*Freezer Meal*
When I make this dish, I double it and then make freezer meals (I usually freeze 3 portions and keep one).  When freezing, leave the potatoes and chicken out.  Then when you are ready to have it for dinner add the potatoes and chicken and cook on the stove until ready.

White Chili - a great fall recipe

1 T oil
1 med onion chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1 can white northern beans
6 c chicken broth
1 t chicken bouillon
7 ozs diced green chillies
1 cup sour cream
2 t dried oregano
2 t chili powder
1 lb lean ground turkey
3 cups Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

directions:
1. saute garlic and onion in oil
2. add turkey, cook through
3. add all remaining ingredients, saving sour cream and cheese until the end
4. simmer until cheese in melted

Peach and Strawberry Crumble

This is a recipe of Giada's on the Food Network.  It is quite delicious.

Filling  
-  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon) 
-  1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot flour 
-  1 pound medium strawberries, halved 
-  1 1/2 pounds yellow or white peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced* see Cook's Note 
-  1/2 cup light brown sugar


Topping 
-  2/3 cup all-purpose flour 
-  2/3 cup old fashioned style oats 
-  1/2 cup sliced almonds 
-  1/4 cup light brown sugar 
-  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
-  1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 
-  1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes


 Directions
Serving suggestion: whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or gelato
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and arrowroot until smooth. Add the strawberries, peaches and brown sugar. Gently toss until the fruit is coated. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pan.
For the topping: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Pulse until mixed. Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Sprinkle the mixture over the filling and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is light golden. Cool the crumble for 5 minutes.
Spoon the warm crumble into bowls and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Using the bread recipe below, I make pizza pockets (you can  use Texas Roadhouse Rolls instead of the bread recipe if you want).  I fourth the bread recipe for this and it will make 4 - 5 large pizza pockets.  Here is the fourthed recipe:

Dough Ingredients:
2 5/8 cups bread flour
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 Tbs salt
3/4 Tbs yeast
3/4 Tbs lecithin
1 cup hot water

You'll want to spray your counter with pam as well as your hands so the dough doesn't stick.  Break the dough into little balls and flatten them out into a circle.  On one half of the dough put your pizza toppings - except for the sauce. Fold over the  dough and seal it well.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

 Top the pizza pocket with garlic butter.  To make the garlic butter, combine melted butter, garlic powder, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and seasoning salt.

Serve with heated pizza sauce.

Bread Dough

I went to a bread class a while back and learned this recipe.  It's a good recipe because it's things that can be found in your food storage and it uses lecithin rather than oil since oil can go rancid.  This recipe can make four loaves of bread (when they calculated the price for one loaf it was 25 cents!).  You can also use it to make pizza, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Ingredients
10 ½ cups white bread flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 rounded tablespoons saf-instant yeast
3 tablespoons liquid lecithin*
4 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with cooking spray. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let rise 25 minutes. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.  If you are using it for pizza dough cook at 450. 

*Only half of this recipe will fit in a kitchen aid mixer