Moist Chocolate Cake

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour (or 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1/2 cup flour times three)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp butter (no substitutes)
1 cup buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp lemon juice + milk to fill up 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
FROSTING:
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 square unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (I didn't see those words when I made this recipe - "coarsely chopped". It made no difference)
1/2 cup hot coffee or water
4 1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir; cook 30 seconds longer or until melted. In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until combined.

Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, in a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and chocolate; stir in the coffee (or water) until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Spread warm frosting over cake.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing. Oh, unless you count the fact that I misread the ingredients and put 4 1/2 TABLESPOONS of butter in the frosting instead of 4 1/2 TEASPOONS. Don't worry, it didn't change the flavor one bit. I just laughed so hard when I realized I did that.

What I'll do differently next time:
Put the correct amount of ingredients in the recipe.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! When Stephen tasted this he said, "This is so moist!" I then pointed out the recipe name to him. It was definitely easy and good. He was very impressed that the cake and frosting were both homemade but if I can do it, anyone can do it. This is great to make anytime you just need some cake to snack on! And who doesn't need that?

$$:
The only thing I had to buy for this recipe was the unsweetened chocolate, only because I only had a couple of ounces left from a previous box. I would have had to buy some more soon anyway. So this recipe cost me less than $3.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour (or 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1/2 cup flour times three)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp butter (no substitutes)
1 cup buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp lemon juice + milk to fill up 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
FROSTING:
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 square unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (I didn't see those words when I made this recipe - "coarsely chopped". It made no difference)
1/2 cup hot coffee or water
4 1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir; cook 30 seconds longer or until melted. In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until combined. Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, in a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and chocolate; stir in the coffee (or water) until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Spread warm frosting over cake.

Italian Bread Wedges

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees), divided
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough flat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Press into a greased 14-inch pizza pan. Spread with salad dressing. Combine the garlic powder, oregano, thyme and pepper; sprinkle over dough. Top with cheeses.

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used a bit less Italian dressing and thyme than what the recipe called for because I know these flavors can be quite strong.

What I'll do differently next time:
I'll use less dressing again. I'd probably use closer to 1/4 cup or maybe a smidge less than that even. I'd use probably 1/8 tsp of thyme because it was still quite strong. I'd use a bit more garlic powder just because we love garlic and I couldn't taste it a lot. And I'll probably add more cheese because - yum!

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! This is just one of those recipes that will take a little tweaking. We paired it with pasta and it was great. I also dipped it in pasta sauce and it was very good. This is definitely going to be used again very soon!! (You could very easily make a pizza from this recipe too.)

$$:
This recipe cost me less than $2. All I paid for really was the cheese, which we use all the time anyway and we needed. Everything else that would usually cost a bit extra (salad dressing, yeast, etc. I had gotten for free from coupon events. This was a VERY cheap meal for us!)

Printable version:

Ingredients:
3 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees), divided
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough flat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Press into a greased 14-inch pizza pan. Spread with salad dressing. Combine the garlic powder, oregano, thyme and pepper; sprinkle over dough. Top with cheeses. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pasta Primavera

From: An email recipe list.

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 package frozen vegetable combination (16 oz; broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti

Mix soup, water, cheese, lemon juice, basil, garlic, pepper and vegetables in skillet. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot spaghetti.

What I did different from the recipe:
Nothing. Although I did use whole wheat spaghetti and regular spaghetti mixed together. Stephen didn't even notice. I'm so 007.

What I'll do different next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! You can't get any easier than this recipe. It was so good too! Stephen said it would probably be good with chicken added too, which is true, but would take a bit more time to cook the chicken. I would definitely think that would taste good. A new regular in our house!

$$:
I was able to make this recipe for under $3. It only made enough for one night (i.e. we didn't have any leftovers!) but you still can't go wrong for meals that cost $1.50 per person.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 package frozen vegetable combination (16 oz; broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti

Mix soup, water, cheese, lemon juice, basil, garlic, pepper and vegetables in skillet. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Baked Bean Soup

From: Crockery Cooking cookbook

Ingredients:
1 (1 lb 12 oz) can baked beans
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp bacon drippings
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 (1 lb) can stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp seasoned salt

Combine all ingredients in slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used a little less bacon - 4 slices and a little less stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz can). Also, I didn't have any seasoned salt on hand so I mixed up my own recipe. Very easy. I'll throw that recipe in down at the bottom for you in case you want it.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing, except probably won't use 6 bacon slices the next time either.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! You can't get ANY easier than this, huh?? It is tangy and delicious. I'm not a huge fan of the bacon but it doesn't make it taste bad. This is a recipe I would not normally have tried but I marked it in this cookbook sometime in the past so I thought I may as well try it. Yum! Also, this recipe cost me under $3 to make because I just so happened to get bacon and stewed tomatoes on sale in the past couple of weeks. If I had paid full price I still think it would be under $5-6 which is still great. It will come up with about six servings if I quit eating it out of the slow cooker...

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 (1 lb 12 oz) can baked beans
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp bacon drippings
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 (1 lb) can stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp seasoned salt

Combine all ingredients in slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Seasoned Salt recipe: (unfortunately I don't measure anything but I would say unless I say otherwise it would probably be around a teaspoon I used)
salt (put more salt than everything else; maybe about 4 Tbsp)
paprika (put more paprika in than any other ingredient but salt; maybe around 2 tsp)
thyme
marjoram
garlic salt
dry mustard
onion powder
dill weed
celery salt

I put them all in my mortar and pestle and ground them together. You could blend it in a mini blender or food processor as well. Easy!!

Hashbrown Soup

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 green onions, chopped
2 tsp cooking oil
1 package (28 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups milk
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
6 bacon strips, diced and cooked
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In small skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. In a slow cooker, combine the potatoes, milk, soup and onion mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until heated through. Top each serving with bacon and cheese.

(Please note - no picture - it was eaten too fast!)

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used a regular onion instead of green onions because I had one in the pantry already. Also, I believe I only used around 14-16 oz hash browns - they were leftover from another recipe.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same stuff probably.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was super easy, as most crockpot recipes are, and it was REALLY good. I have done many, many potato soup recipes in my day but there was something in this that made it just a little bit better than others.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 green onions, chopped
2 tsp cooking oil
1 package (28 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups milk
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
6 bacon strips, diced and cooked
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In small skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. In a slow cooker, combine the potatoes, milk, soup and onion mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until heated through. Top each serving with bacon and cheese.