Crock-pot Chocolate Cake

Hot Fudge Cake (from tasteofhome - 4 stars)
8 servings
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 4 hours

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons baking cocoa, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1-3/4 cups boiling water
Vanilla ice cream (optional but you'll want it, this is a rich cake!)

Directions
-In a small bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Spread evenly into a 3-qt slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
-In another small bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar and cocoa; stir in boiling water. Pour over batter (do not stir). Cover and cook on high for 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream.

This picture is so you can know the approx size to use when cutting the recipe in half (the only way we've ever actually made it. Four servings is just right for our family of 3... especially since only 2 of us eat it :P)

Baby G enjoying one of his momma's favorite treats - peanut butter with chocolate chips. I had no idea he liked semi-sweet (or chocolate chips in general) so much until we made this cake together. The boy went to town eating them right out of the big bag while I mixed things together. He loved getting to dump them into the crock-pot too. He is such a good little helper. Anyway, pb and cocoa really is one of my favorite treats. I made it for myself all the time from elementary school on. Giving my little boy some protein on a stick made me feel slightly better too. I was worried he was going to have a tummy ache from so much chocolate.

Cutting the recipe in half: 

1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons, packed brown sugar, divided (aka 1/4C + 3 T in each bowl)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking cocoa, divided (aka 1 -1/2 tsp cocoa in each bowl)

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons cups boiling water

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FYI
Nutrition Facts (as posted on tasteofhome): 1 serving equals 435 calories  13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 306 mg sodium, 82 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein

Bread Bowls & Cauliflower Soup

 Baby G had a grand time helping me make bread dough.

 He  knew it was going to be yummy and couldn't wait for it to be baked. 

Going for seconds

Cauliflower soup

½ head cauliflower

½ head broccoli

Break into small pieces

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 C grated carrots

1 chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. basil

½ tsp pepper

2 cans chicken broth

Mix in pan; cook until tender. Do not drain off water.

In a separate pan, mix:

1qt. half-and-half

1 (8oz) cream cheese OR 8 oz of sour cream

¾ C flour

1 cube butter

Melt butter, add flour and stir. Add half-and-half and stir until thick. Add cream cheese. Stir until smooth. Mix both pans together and heat.

Side note: I didn’t have broccoli the first time I made this soup, but Lance loved it all cauliflower. The green just adds more variety and color. I also use purple onion(s) just to add another color. If not it’s a pretty white soup w/orange specks. However it tastes great just about any way you choose to make it.

Also, if you ever get in a hurry and forget to follow the steps on the cream/milk part = just keep stirring (I use a whisk) and it will all work out okay and still get thick. Just FYI….since I’ve done that a few times. Oops!

We just really love this soup and everyone we’ve shared it with does too. It’s full of veggies, which is good since it’s got a lot of yummy milk fats in it too.

*Story: When I first started making this soup I had a typo in the recipe (I got it from my Sister-in-law Merrie). I was putting in 8 oz cream cheese + 8 oz sour cream. Hahaha - oh my fatting. No wonder I gained 8-10lbs the first 6 months of our marriage.  I even made it that way for my in-laws my first Christmas/holiday break at their house. So embarrassing! Extra calories and extra money on the hips :P

When I want to give Lance a special surprise dinner I make this to go inside homemade bread bowls. Either make his day, but together = S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Italian Bread Bowls

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups, I think I used 6 1/2 cups).
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

PS on the bread bowls - we got 4 large, 1 medium, and two small/tiny/kid size bread bowls out of the full batch. *Maybe I don’t let it rise the right way?? See my sisters comment below. Or maybe we eat a lot more than her. :D

The first time I made them I cut the recipe in half and still got four nice size bread bowls out of it. It all depends on the sizes you're going for I guess. Lance likes the large ones but that's just way to much bread for me so I go more for the medium size.

My sister said = These are pretty big bread bowls. A HUGE serving. I will make them into 12-16 bowls next time. 

Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is a FAMILY FAVORITE. 

Lance loves these so much, that even after the 5th or so time, he told me:

  "You could make these once a week!"

Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Recipe slightly adapted from Closet Cooking
Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
  2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 dash of cinnamon
2 apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1/2 cup shredded good cheddar cheese
4 slices of good bread (I used cheddar bread)
2 tablespoon butter
Directions:
Get four slices of bread ready by buttering one side of each slice. Shred your cheese.
Peel and core your apples. Slice them into relatively thin slices.
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly. Add the apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
Assemble sandwich by adding (to the non-buttered side of two slices of bread) cheese, apples, and a bit more cheese. Put the plain buttered bread on top of each cheese and apple mixture (buttered side out).
Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.

From http://warmvanillasugar.com/2012/01/29/caramelized-apple-grilled-cheese/

March 8^th 2012 we had them for the 2^nd time. This time we put them in the sandwhich makers. It didn't turn out as well as the classic way. 

Pic is of a time in NY when we made it on "viking bread" from Reinwalds bakery. We liked the bread but don't prefer our sandwiches this way - we like them on normal size so the filing is not as spread out. 

Caramel Apple Sundae

Crazy but true - trying to make breakfast for Lance is what lead to this creation. Raw apples with a buttermilk syrup. It turned out more like caramel so that's how we used it :) Pecans were a delicious addition.