Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes  (This recipe came from alpineberry.blogspot.com)

This recipe is actually pretty easy and tastes divine!

Cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick/8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 7 ounces good quality* milk chocolate, melted and cooled

Glaze:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tsp light corn syrup

To make the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a 6-mold mini bundt pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat for 1 minute more, then beat in the vanilla.
• On low speed, add half the flour mixture and mix only until it is incorporated. Add in the milk and mix until just blended. Then add the remaining flour mixture and mix only until it is incorporated. Blend in the melted chocolate.
• Divide batter evenly among the 6 molds. Bake at 350F until cake tester comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.
• Cool for 5-10 minutes in pan. Then remove the mini bundt cakes from pan and cool to room temperature before glazing.

To make glaze:

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave on low. Stir in corn syrup. Spread glaze or drizzle over cakes. Allow glaze to set at room temperature, about 15 minutes.

You can skip the chocolate glaze and just dust the mini bundts with powdered sugar.

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Tuna is one of those necessary evils.  I have lots of it.  I know it is good for me and yet, I dread eating it.  Today I combined several different ideas and wahla!  tolerable tuna.

My new combination:  

• Mayonnaise/ ranch dressing  (2-3TB)
• Relish (2TB)
• Mustard (just a dab)
• 1/4 Sweet Onion – diced
• Cilantro – chopped, about 1/4 cup
• 1/4 apple – diced small

It tastes even better if you let it sit for about 2 hours before eating.  Enjoy

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So those that know me know that I can be cheap.  Not all the time.  For example, I am using disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers.  Probably only because I only have access to a washing machine once a week but I must admit that I like using disposable.  You only have to deal with the “yuck” once.  So I’ve been researching making my own baby food because I just can’t stomach the idea of buying those jars of preservative rich baby food.  I’ve also been to enough baby showers where you have to smell and taste to guess what the food is.  Gross!!!   I am also a control freak.  I want to know what I am really feeding my baby.  So yesterday was my first attempt to mass produce some baby food.  I steamed carrots in the new steamer bags (awesome by the way since to get the most nutrients don’t cook veggies in water).  Then I added a bit of water and blended it into a smooth texture.  Next I filled an ice cube tray with my carrot mush and froze them overnight.  This morning, they popped right out and I placed them in good freezer bags.  Now when I want Abby to have some carrots, I just take a carrot cube out and let it defrost.

My next goal is to start making my own rice cereal.  Something just makes me cringe about the packaged cereal that I buy.   Eventually, Paul and I would like to purchase the Nutrimill which would let us grind our own wheat and anything else such as rice to make nice rice flour.  We’ll have to save up for that or maybe we’ll get enough Christmas money for that

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So I have tons of beans that I need to use up.  If you have a good recipe, I would love to hear it.  Tonight I made white chili…yummy.

White Chili Recipe

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Butterscotch oatmeal bars…oh they are so delicious.  I confess that I could not stop eating them.  It went beyond chocolate (amazing huh?)!   Here is the recipe but I warn you that they are too good!

Fudge (Butterscotch) Oatmeal Bars

 

Preheat oven: 350˚

Uses 15 x 10 pan or several smaller ones.

 

Crust:

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

3 cups oats

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

 

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. 

Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mix. 

 

The mix needs to be easy to press into pan with hands (not sticky)

 

Filling:

1 12oz. package chocolate chips (or butterscotch)

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup nuts (optional)

 

Melt chips with butter and milk.  Add salt.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.

 

 

Spread 2/3 oat mix in a greased 15 x 10 x 1 pan.  Cover with chocolate mix and then dot or swirl with the rest of the oat mix.  Bake at 350˚ for 25 minutes.  Do not overbake.

 

Oat mix can be doubled but use only 1 batch of filling.

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