First Outside The Box!!!

We started off with a bang!!  SOO much fun and SOO delish!!!  Well, I know you are sitting on pins and needles, so without further ado, here is the winning recipe, by Jean McCauley:

Caramel Apple Crisp Cake

*1 yellow cake mix
*1 cup water
*1/2 cup applesauce
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*3 eggs
*2 cups diced apples

Mix and pour into a 9x13 pan. 

Topping:
*1/2 cup flour
*1/2 cup oats
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup butter

Cut butter into dry ingredients and sprinkle over cake batter.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
*1/4 cup butter
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/4 cup cream
*1 Tablespoon vanilla
Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add in vanilla and drizzle over cake. 
DEVOUR!  :) 

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in our first night!  I can't wait for next month, which, as the winner chose, is SOUPS!  I will announce the date and rules as I come up with them.  For now, enjoy thinking outside the box!

Soup Du Jour

On this cold, rainy, September day, I opted for soup for dinner.  I have been dying to try my new idea, to take the enchiladas I sooo love but soo hate to make and turn them into a tasty soup.  Here goes!
Enchilada Soup
Ingredients:
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans
2 cans chicken broth
1 (costco size) can shredded chicken
8 oz velveeta
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups crushed chips
1 tablespoon chile powder
Directions:
Put enchilada sauce, broth, velveeta and cream cheese in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer until cheese is melted.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 30-60 minutes.  Serve hot with cheese, cilantro, sour cream and a warm tortilla- YUM! :)

Strawberry PIIIIIEEEE

I know, random time of year to make this, but hey, it sounded yummy and I had some strawberries I needed to use, so there you have it: strawberry pie on a rainy day!  Now, I will disclose that this is not my baked delicious strawberry pie- that one will have to wait until I have more time on my hands- but the freshly-glazed-more-time-friendly-strawberry-pie!  So, here it is:
Crust
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
5-8 tablespoons water
Directions:
Mix flour and salt together.  Cut in shortening a little at a time with a pastry cutter.  Continue mixing with the pastry cutter until mixture starts to ball up- sit tight, this may take a while if you're weak like me!  Slowly add water ONE TABLESPOON at a time.  (I know, lame, but because of the moisture in the air, it really differs each time, and this could make or break your crust!)  Mix until a ball forms.. you want it to be nice and soft- not too sticky, but able to stay together.  Chill for one hour.  Roll out and fit in pie pan.  Prick with fork and bake at 350 for 10-30 minutes.. you pretty much just have to check it every 10 minutes.  You want it browned, since you will not be baking it again.
Strawberry Filling
Ingredients:
3-5 cups hulled strawberries (not cut up and depending on how deep your dish is)
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 water
85g pouch of strawberry jello
Place strawberries in cooked pie crust. 
Boil together sugar, cornstarch and water.  Add the Jell-O powder.  Cook until thick and pour gently over sliced peaches.  Chill at least 2 hours, serve with whipped cream.
VOILA!  Enjoy!  Oh, and this is also good with peaches.. just use 5 cups sliced peaches and peach jello instead of strawberries!  Also, very yummy!

Fall Into Fall

Fall is finally here: I have officially baked my first PUMPKIN DUMPCAKE of the season!  If you're anything like me, you have spent year after year making, perfecting, and slaving over pumpkin pies.  Okay, maybe that is just me, I LOVE those things.  Well, the time has come and me, the queen of all that is not only decidant and delicious, but easy and effortless, have found the replacement!  I know, to true pumpkin pie lovers it sounds blasphemous, but, I assure you that you will agree.  Here were are to the oh-so-easy recipe:
Pumpkin Dump Cake
*1 Large Can Pumpkin
*1 1/2 cups Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Salt
*2 teaspoons Cinnamon
*1 teaspoon Ginger
*1/2 teaspoon Allspice
*4 Eggs
*1 can Evaporated Milk
*1 French Vanilla Cake Box
*1 cup Melted Butter

Directions:
Mix ingredients pumkin-evaporated milk in large bowl until well mixed.  Pour into 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle cake box on top of pumpkin, and drizzle with butter.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until lightly browned on top.  DEVOUR!  Then go take a nap and still have more time on your hands than if you had just made a pie crust! :)

CASA RIO

Last night, I did what any non-Utah-living Mormon would do and recreated a Rio fav!  If you are not familiar with Cafe Rio, you haven't lived in Utah, apparently!  It's a little Mexican chain with some amazing food, such as: chicken salad.  Now, in true Cindy form, I had to put my own twist on this dish.  So, instead of a lime chicken, I made a bbq chicken, while still staying true to the rice and dressing (let's be honest, it's the dressing that makes the salad, anyway!)  This is the EASIEST meal I have made in a while, and the combo of sweet/sour/spicy was D-lish!  So, here you have it:
Chicken:
*2-3 pounds of Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
*12 oz Root Beer
*1 (18 oz) bottle of your fav BBQ sauce- I used sweet baby rays (is there really any other?!)

Place chicken in Crock Pot and pour Root Beer over.  Cook on Low for 6-7 hours, or until tender. Drain and shred chicken. (I did this part the day before, pouring 1 cup of juices over the chicken and refrigerating)  Put shredded chicken back in Crock Pot and pour bottle of bbq sauce over, then cook again on low for another hour.  Serve.  (also would be good for pulled chicken sandwich, and totally works with pork, just use a 2-3 lb pork tenderloin instead of chicken)

Rice:
*4 cups water
*4 tsp chicken bouillon
*4 tsp garlic, minced
*1/2 bunch of cilantro
*1 can green chilis
*3/4 tsp salt
*1 T butter
*1/2 onion
*2 cups rice

Put water and bouillon in pot and bring to boil.  Blend the rest of the ingredients, except butter and rice in  food processor. Add with rice and butter to boiling water, cover. Simmer 30 mins, or until rice is tender.  Let sit a couple minutes to thicken.

Dressing:
*1 buttermilk ranch dressing pkt (prepared)
*2 tomatillos
*1/2 bunch cilantro
*1 clove garlic
*juice of 1 lime
*1 jalapeno

Blend with food processor. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

ASSEMBLY:
Tortilla (I used the cook-yourself ones from Costco), lettuce, chicken, black beans, rice, tomatoes, alvacado, cheese, and dressing.  Eat and enjoy! :)

UPGRADED Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Puff

Okay, so every now and again (well, let's be honest, I'm obsessed with improving recipes, even mine) I find a flaw in a recipe and set out to improve it.  This post is an improvement to the previous post on chocolate/banana cupcakes.
First off, leave out the hershey kisses.  Instead, but one can of chocolate frosting.  Once you've filled each liner 1/2 way with batter, spoon in about 1tsp frosting, then bake as directed.  This makes and explosion of gooey goodness in the center of the cupcake!  DELISH!  Top off with some Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, and you are ready to party!
Although in the previous post I suggested that it might be acceptable to use a can cream cheese frosting, I am resigning that statement, because it is not- here's the recipe.. so easy and SOO much tastier!
*2 8oz packages cream cheese
*1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
*3 cups powdered sugar
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/2 cup peanut butter
Combine all together and whip for a good 3-5 minutes until nice and fluffy.  Now, wasn't that worth it??  :)

Cindy's Award-Winning Chicken Tortilla Soup

Okay, so last year I entered the Templeton Ward Souper Bowl... and WON!  LOL!  Well, I can't totally take credit for this recipe, as it's an upgraded Pampered Chef recipe.. But, those of  you who know me know that I LOVE PC recipes- easy & delish- which are my two FAVORITE words when it comes to cooking!  So, here it goes:
Bag 1:
*1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies
*8 oz velveeta, cubed
*1 TBS Chipotle Rub (PC Spice, but you can use Taco Seasoning instead)

Bag 2:
*1lb chicken, grilled in 1TBS veg oil and cubed
*2 cups frozen corn
*3 cups crushed tortilla chips

So, the bags are referring to freezer bags, and you just put the stuff in and put it in the freezer. (bag 2 can be sealed and put in bag 1 to keep them together.) Once you're ready to make it, you put ingredients from bag 1 and 2 cans chicken broth and 1 can black beans, undrained, in a pot and boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Then add contents from bag 2 and let it come to a boil again, then cook for about 5 minutes, until hot. I always add fresh chopped cilantro at this point, about 2TBS, but it’s optional. Then serve. You can have tortillas, shredded cheese, diced avocado, crushed chips, diced tomatoes, sour cream, or whatever to serve along with.