Heart Cake. . . . . VaLeNtInEs Is CoMinG

WOw!!!  I'm GOing TO TrY MAking this.....
YOu can TOO...
Click here for the instructions....

http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html

Meat Loaf

Vons delicious meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf: 1 cup Whole Milk 6 slices White Bread 2 pounds Ground Beef 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese ¼ teaspoons Seasoned Salt ¾ teaspoons Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper ⅓ cups Parsley 4 whole Eggs Beaten 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon Sauce: 1-½ cup Ketchup ⅓ cups Brown Sugar 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard Tabasco To Taste Preparation Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!) Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf. Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon. Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I had a teenage girls at my house this weekend.   It started snowing and they all shot out of the house to go get cold and wet.  I knew Hot Chocolate was expected when they returned.  I looked in my cabinets and there was not any of my "quick and easy"  Swiss Miss packets.  I found this Better Homes and Garden recipe and tried it and it was sooooo delicious,  almost like having a desert.

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/3 cup sugar
4 or 5 cups of milk
marshmallows

In a medium saucepan combine semisweet chocolate, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the milk.
Cook and stir over medium heat till mixture just comes to a boil.  Do not boil.
Remove from heat.  If desired beat milk mixture with a rotary beater till frothy. 
Serve with marshmallows  This makes about 4 cups so double the recipe for 8

(time cutting tip:)  be heating the remainder 4 cups of milk in microwave while waiting on  chocolate mixture to melt
      

"Fat Burning"......Peppers?

Studies show that capsaicin increases the body's metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry.  In a recent study, people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they sipped on tomato juice spiked with hot-pepper extract vs. plain tomato juice.

Von's Family favorite dip

A large platter or tray
Olive oil
3 or 4 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1block of feta cheese
Greek seasoning
1 baguette (long skinny French bread).

Cover platter with oil
Dice onions & tomatoes
Throw them on top
Crumble cheese on top of that.
Sprinkle about 2 tsp of seasoning on top or to taste.
Gentle mix together. Cut bread to bite size & dip! 

Deep-Dish Apple Pie

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples
(about 2 1/4 pounds)

In mixing bowl combine sugar, flour cinnamon, and allspice.  Add apples, toss to coat fruit. Transfer to pie crust.  Put pastry atop pie and cut slits in pastry.  Seal a flute to rim of pie edge.  Cover edges of pie with foil.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake 375 oven for 25 min.  Remove foil.  Bake for 30 more minutes or till crust is golden. 

Did you know?

 Did you know there is a Vanilla Bean Paste???

Use vanilla bean paste in place of vanilla extract anywhere you want the beans to shine.   I first heard about vanilla bean paste watching a morning tv program, where they used it in place of vanilla.  I wanted to try it and use it in recipes to jazz it up abit.  I love seeing and tasting those little black dots. I recently used my paste to make vanilla bean buttercream frosting.



 It tastes just like melted vanilla ice cream.
 
This frosting is so good over anything pumpkin.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting Recipe

• 1 1/2 c confectioners sugar (add more until it reaches your preferred consistency)
• 1/2 c  butter  or margarine (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (add more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon milk

Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy. Add vanilla bean paste and milk and continue to beat for another minute. If desired, add more vanilla bean paste to taste, or more confectioners sugar to make it stiffer

It is allittle pricey but worth it. 
Order here....    I Think it makes a good gift for neighbors or anyone for Christmas!

Basic Cornbread

Ingredients

• 2  cups  buttermilk self-rising white cornmeal mix
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  cup  butter or margarine, melted
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 2  cups  buttermilk

Preparation

Heat a well-greased 9-inch oven-proof skillet at 450° for 5 minutes.
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter into hot skillet.
Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 12  ounces  turkey breakfast sausage
• 2  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 2  cups  egg substitute
• 1  teaspoon  dry mustard
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 3  large eggs
• 16  (1-ounce) slices white bread
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat extrasharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4  teaspoon  paprika

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking sausage to crumble. Remove from heat; cool.

Grannys Millionare Pie

1 graham cracker crust
1 lg. pkg cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
1 small can of crushed pineapple (drained)
9 oz dream whip
1 cup of cherries (in a jar)
1 cup pecans (chopped)

Mix and pour in graham cracker crust
refrigerate