Fixes and Shortcuts for your Wednesday

Here are some quick fixes for cooking "uh-ohs" and those nights you just don't want to take the time to make a fancy meal:

Burned your brownies?

Other items needed:
2 flavors of pudding
Cool Whip (optional)

Cube the brownies. Make a thin layer in the bottom of a bowl and press the brownies down to form a "crust". Add a layer of pudding. On top of the pudding, put another layer of brownies, then add another layer of the other flavor pudding. Repeat until all the brownies are gone. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Top with cool whip just before serving.
Note: THIS WILL NOT WORK IF THE BROWNIES ARE NOT BURNT! IT WILL TURN INTO A BIG BOWL OF MUSH!


Love Chicken Parmesan but don't have the time?

Ingredients:
Pasta (angel hair, rotini, whatever you have around)
Chicken Patties
Spaghetti Sauce
Mozzarella (or your favorite) cheese

Turn the oven to 350 and put chicken patties in (don't wait for the oven to preheat. You want the chicken patties to be warm but not fully heated). Boil the pasta and drain. Lightly butter a glass baking dish and pour the pasta in the bottom. Put the chicken patties on top of the pasta, pour spaghetti sauce over chicken and pasta, and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown.

Want Breadsticks with the Chicken Parmesan?

Split hot dog buns in half, then cut lengthwise. Butter each piece and sprinkle with garlic salt. Broil until toasted.


Pancakes a bit too boring?

Add cinnamon/sugar and vanilla to the batter; about a teaspoon of each for every 10 pancakes. It's just enough to give them a "pop" of unexpected flavor!


Ready to make a (box mix) cake but don't have eggs?

Normally, I don't believe in box mixes, but this is a great "cheat"!

Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
1 can cola

Mix the cake mix and one can soda (coke, pepsi, whatever you have). Bake as directed on the box. Yes, you read that right. Just the mix and one can soda! I think Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke work the best, but that's just my opinion!

Chocolate Lava Cake

Super yum! I made the mistake of making this for Shannon, then had to make it several more times. The best part about this is you can make it start to finish in 15 minutes!



Preheat oven to 450











Ingredients
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 c dark chocolate baking chips
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
pinch of salt





In small saucepan over low heat, melt together butter and chocolate, stirring intermittently. In small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. When butter and chocolate are all melted, stir into bowl of egg/sugar/flour/salt.
Pour into two small ramekins and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cake will be done when edges are set. The middle of the cake will not be set! Let cool a few minutes and enjoy!

Optional: Try different toppings like strawberries or raspberries rolled in sugar.

chocolate chip banana bread

this is one of those things i make quite a bit. i usually end up bringing it into work because we don't need two loaves of banana bread at home!

2 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 c oil (substitute applesauce)
3 T milk
2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
3 large bananas, mashed
chocolate chips

mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, well. stir in chocolate chips and pour evenly into two pregreased loaf pans. bake at 350 for 55 minutes. when bread is done, let cool in pan on wire cooking rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.

Huckleberry Fool

Ok, so the step son brings home this recipe...oh yeah, and his project which is due MONDAY that he hasn't bothered to start on. He has to do a diorama showcasing the State of Montana. I don't really know a lot about Montana, but after all the research "we've" done, I've learned that Montana ranks 47th in population density, has the largest herd of roaming elk, and many people grow huckleberries, hence his great idea to try this recipe he found. I've never had huckleberries, and Meijer doesn't sell them, so we decided to do this with blueberries. While this certainly is not my favorite dish I've ever made, it is very simple!

Huckleberry Fool


2 c huckleberries
1 1/2 c whipping cream
1/2 t vanilla
3 tablespoons powdered sugar








Wash berries and set 12 berries to the side. Crush the remaining berries in a bowl until they're a chunky liquid. In bowl, mix the whipping cream until it thickens. Add the powdered sugar and mix until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and stir in berries with a rubber spatula. Spoon into small bowls and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Before serving, place 2 berries on top of each dish.


In case you're curious, the diorama was completed today too...

carrot raisin cookies

here we go with my "one new food a week". i appologize for any spelling issues, but this post had been tediously thumbed on my android!

1 c oats
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter softened
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1 c flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
1 c carrots
1/2 c raisins

using a food processor, grind oats until a flour consistency. add carrots to food processor a let run for about 2 minutes until carrots are completely absorbed into oats. set aside. in seperate bowl, mix all other ingredients except raisins. add oats and carrots, mix well. stir in raisins. drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.