apron wings

Poot's Dreamy Orange Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Did you know that you can add half a box of Jell-O to white cake mix and make it the flavor of the Jell-O? Well you can and it is awesome! I found this really weird Jell-O cookbook at a thrift store awhile ago called "The Magic of Jell-O" it has a magician on the front magicking up some Jell-O, pretty sweet. Tony and I decided it was time for an orange cake so here is our recipe:

Half a box of orange Jell-O (about 4 tbs.)

6 drops of Orange Oil

One box WHITE cake mix

Follow the directions on the back of the cake mix box and add the Jell-O and Orange Oil, bake as directed.

We just used a can of cream cheese frosting 'cause it was late and we didn't feel like making our own but if you do just use a standard powder sugar recipe and add the rest of the Jell-O.

The finishing touch- Dinosaur sprinkles- absolutely no substitutions!

Hot Fuzz-tival

For the DVD release of my all time fave movie I had to have a dinner/viewing party but first I needed the ultimate hostess apron

Menu

Meatloaf Cupcakes - I really wanted them to look like Heidi's but they looked really not cute but they were tasty

Church Lady Cheesy Potatoes - I made mine with hashbrown potatoes

Corn on the Cob

fresh strawberrys, veggies for dipping, crusty dinner rolls, and yummy Fuzzy beverages

and for dessert

Black Forest Cupcakes

It was a great night-delicious food, good company, and great movie

Rootbeer Float Cupcakes

I have been wanting to make rootbeer float cupcakes since I read about them on My Paper Crane. I found the recipe on cooksrecipes.com. I added a litlle rootbeer concentrate to make it extra rootbeer-y, and I used store bought whipped vanilla frosting for the "float". They turned out pretty yummy!

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 cups root beer
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (18.25-ounce) package butter yellow cake mix with pudding
3 large eggs
1/3 cup crushed root beer-flavored candies 

Topping Ingredients:

Crushed root beer-flavored candies, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Use the amount of root beer (1 to 1 1/4 cups) as indicted for water on cake mix.
3. Combine root beer, 1/2 cup butter, cake mix and eggs in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium. Beat until well mixed. Stir in crushed candies by hand.
4. Spoon scant 1/4 cup batter into each paper-lined muffin cup. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 2 to 3 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.
5. Frost Cupcakes and garnish with additional crushed root beer-flavored candies, if desired.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

mmm... fall food

With fall comes the urge to bake, mostly sweets, but a lot of one dish meals. I love to make pot roast, chicken pot pie, Tony's favorite casserole (which I made up so I'll just name it Tony casserole), and to try out new recipes in my cookbooks. Last thursday in honor of the season premiere of The Office (fabulous) I tried out one that had the most boring name but was so delicious I had to share:

Layered Casserole

Total: 55 min

4 Servings

½ pound ground beef

1 (12-ounce) bottle chunky salsa

1 (2 ¼ -ounce) can ripe olive slices, drained

1 cup cream – style cottage cheese

1 (8 – ounce ) carton sour cream

5 cups tortilla chips, divided

2 cups shredded Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

½ cup chopped tomato

Brown meat; drain. Add corn and salsa; cook until thoroughly heated. Reserve 2 tablespoons olives; stir remaining olives into meat mixture. Combine the cottage cheese and sour cream. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer 2 cups chips, half of the meat mixture, ¾ cup Cheddar cheese and half of cottage cheese mixture. Repeat layers; cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Stand up remaining chips around the edge of the casserole. Top casserole with tomato, reserved olives, and remaining Cheddar cheese. Continue baking 10 minutes.

My casserole even came out way better looking than the picture in the book.

My casserole:

The cookbook casserole:

If there was a casserole oscar mine would like hands-down kick the other ones butt