Delectable Chocolate Bundt Cake

I love cake.  It's my favorite.  I'm not picky about cake...I like it all!  White cake, chocolate cake, cake with frosting, lemon cake, cheese cake, peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting...I could go on and on.  Cake, mmmm.  I love it!

I found a poem about chocolate cake by Michael Rosen. 

you know how the icing on top
is all shiny and it cracks as you
bite into it,
and there's that other kind of icing in
the middle
and it sticks to your hands and you
can lick your fingers
and lick your lips
oh it's lovely.
yeah.

The rest of the poem is pretty funny.  You should check it out!


Anyways...I've been playing with a chocolate bundt recipe that I found on allrecipes.com Too Much Chocolate Cake  I've been trying to lighten it up and make it a little healthier, and I think I've perfected it!  I made my version of the cake last week for my students to celebrate the end of the semester.  I meant to take a picture of the cake before I brought it to class...  I guess the one picture I got tells you how much my students liked it!  Nothing but crumbs are left!

Delectable Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package fat free, sugar free chocolate instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. plain, fat-free yogurt
1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream
1 c. applesauce (I use no sugar added applesauce)
1 egg white
2 eggs
1/4 c. fat free milk
1/3 c. water
1 T. oil
1-3/4 c. chocolate chunks (If you can't find chocolate chunks, use chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350*.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix.  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, sour cream, applesauce, eggs, milk, water and oil.  Mix well.  Pour into dry mix and stir until combined.  Add the chocolate chunks.

Pour/spoon (it will be thick!) the batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.  Bake 55-60 minutes, or until the top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan until completely cool to the touch.  Invert cake onto a plate and serve!  Enjoy~

Here is my favorite bundt cake video clip...from one of my favorite movies, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  

For more information about bundt pans, check this out!

Cookie Challenge

We've had a long, busy, germy couple of weeks in the Miller household.  We've just been super busy with our normal, everyday life:  work, school, Boy Scouts, swimming, bowling, school activities...and throw in some colder weather (this has become our anthem for the winter!)  Add to that mix the dreaded flu.  Two of us have had the flu...hopefully only 2/3rds of our family will get the flu this year! 

This week, Jeff did something unexpected...  he challenged me to a cookie bake off!  To tell the truth, I don't really like baking cookies.  They take a long time.  I'd rather mix something up, pop it into the oven and a few minutes later... voila!  it's done!  With cookies, you keep baking, and baking, and baking.  Twenty minutes stretches into 30, which stretches into 40 and pretty soon it's an hour and you're still baking.  Brownies and bars are my answer to the cookie baking, but those don't count in a cookie challenge. 

So it got me thinking...what kind of cookie can I make that doesn't take a long time to bake, and one that tastes great?  No Bake Cookies!   Allrecipes.com had a recipe that looked yummy.  So I whipped up a double batch.  You may be wondering why I'd make a double recipe when there are only 3 of us...well, I just happen to have a test scheduled for my students.  I figured I'd sweeten the test and hand out cookies at the same time.  The only complaint that I got from my cookies was the lack of a glass of milk!

Here are my awesome students taking a test and snacking on No Bake Cookies!

Back to the cookie challenge.  Jeff called his mother, Helen, to get her Chocolate Chip recipe.  This afternoon, Jeff whipped up a tasty batch with his faithful helper, JP.  I must admit, the boys did a good job.  The three of us sampled the warm cookies.

And the results?  I say I won, Jeff says he won and JP says we tied.  I guess we need a non partial cookie tester!

No Bake Cookies

2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk ( I used skim)
1 pinch salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and salt to a rapid boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add oats, peanut butter and vanilla.  Mix well.  Using a medium sized cookie scoop (or tablespoon), drop cookies onto waxed paper. Let cool and enjoy~ 


Helen's Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups chocolate chips


Cream the butter and sugars together.  Beat in the eggs.  Add flour, soda, salt and vanilla.  Mix well.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Using a medium cookie scoop, place the dough on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 6-10 minutes.  Enjoy~

Super Bowl Fondue

http://www.sportsnewscaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Super-Bowl-2011-Official-Logo.png

Last night was the Super Bowl...I'm sure most of you readers knew that...but for those who live under a rock, yes, last night was the Super Bowl.  In the Miller household we usually watch the game and snack on...well, snackies.  (That's what we like to call hors d'oeuvres.  I know, we're just not the cultured family you thought us to be!)  So for the past week, I've been trying to come up with some yummy snackies, and not just the usual things like smokies, smokies with bacon, veggies/dip, bean dip, etc.  But something different.  And I thought... and thought... and thought...  and thought...  and thought...  You get the picture.  And then I had a great idea!  Fondue!  Something different, something yummy, something fun!  I mean, come one...fondue is FUN!  My menu consisted of cheese fondue, homemade bread and meatballs, chocolate fondue and fresh fruit and then French onion dip and chips and assorted veggies.  Yummy, right?

http://www.tonydu.com/wp-images/images/fondue.gif

http://only-cookware.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/rival-fondue-set.jpg

I don't know if I've mentioned this or not...Jeff is kind of...well...picky.  The cat's out of the bag.  Jeff is a picky eater!  I knew I needed a fondue recipe that didn't include wine or beer, which most cheese fondues include.  So I scoured allrecipes.com and found a few yummy looking cheese fondues that didn't include wine or beer as an ingredient.  I combined some ideas and created my own cheese fondue.  I thought it was good, so did JP.  However, it earned a TLS rating from Jeff.  It was thick, cheesy, but not stringy.  Great flavor, I thought.  But anywho... a TLS (Tastes Like Sh**)  But that's not the point of this post.  The point is, I made an awesome chocolate fondue!

Diane

A little over a year ago, a friend and I went over to a coworker's house for an evening of KState football and dinner.  My coworker, Diane, made fondue and it was fabulous!  And fun!  The chocolate fondue was to die for!  So I asked her for the recipe...which I followed, but then modified (there are very few things that I made that I follow the recipe exactly!)  The chocolate fondue was FANTASTIC and it didn't earn a TLS rating.  It was thick, creamy and chocolaty without being overly sweet.

 Chocolate Fondue
2 cups Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 c. sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 t. vanilla

Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, melt together.  Stir often to combine.  Keep warm and serve with fresh fruit, marshmallows, angel food cake, etc.  (I just used fruit...fresh pineapple, oranges, apples, grapes and bananas.  I didn't use fresh strawberries, although they would have been great had they not been half moldy and $3.99 for a small box!  The pineapples and oranges were the best!)  Enjoy~

And so it was a great evening (even if the cheese fondue flopped!)  The Packers won and the Chocolate Fondue was a hit!  :)

http://www.packers.com/media-center/photo-gallery/Super-Bowl-XLV

Hot Chocolate for Cold Nights

It is cold here in Kansas!  We've had 2 snowstorms 2 weeks in a row, which is unusual for our area.  Plus, we're supposed to get more snow tonight!  I have this theory that when Jeff is deployed, we have a horrible winter with lots of cold and snow....like the winter we had the ice storm and were without power for a WEEK!  And then on the flip side, when he's home, the winter is mild.  However, this year is looking to break that theory....which, don't get me wrong, is OK!  I'm glad he's home to help with the snow, cold and all the added stuff that goes with it!

Last night it was cold...a perfect night for hot chocolate!  It was also my turn to host Bunco.  The hostess supplies the drinks for the night, so I thought hot chocolate (and wine punch) would be an awesome addition to our night...and it was!  Thanks ladies for such a great time!  :)

Jen's Hot Chocolate 

1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. half & half (I use fat free half & half)
2 c. milk (I use skim)
1 c. mini marshmallows
dash of salt
1/4 t. vanilla


Whisk the cocoa powder and sugar together.  Pour the milk and half and half into a saucepan and whisk in the cocoa mixture.  Warm over medium heat, but do not boil.  Stir in the marshmallows, salt and vanilla.  The marshmallows will melt and will add a frothy, creaminess to the drink.  When the hot chocolate begins to steam, it is done!  Serve with mini marshmallows or whipped cream (or both!)  Enjoy~