Red Velvet Cake Balls

From Bakerella

A wonderful spin on the presentation of cake:









You can try with other cake types (I'm personally dying to try lemon cake with white chocolate)...

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.

Slow cooker lasangna

from Kraft recipes
Easy to make (compared to traditional lasagna) and every LOVED it.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce (the more "zesty" the sauce the better I think)
1 c water
1 container (15 oz) Ricotta cheese (part skim preferably)
1 pkg (7 oz) 2% Mozzarella cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg
2 T parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Make it!
Brown meat in large skillet, draining off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. In separate bowl mix Ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 c Mozzarella, 2 T Parmesan, egg and parsley.

Spoon 1 c meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit (I break it quite a bit so that the noodles don't burn on the sides of the pan), and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 c remaining meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit (or again as I state before), cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle on remaining cheeses, let stand 10 mins or til melted.

**Note for best results do not cook on high**

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

from Kraft recipes

Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 c chopped cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen vegetable blend
1/2 lb (8 oz) Velveeta (preferably the 2% kind), but into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup (if you look hard you can find the fat free kind)
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Make it!
Heat oven to 375 F.
Combine first 4 ingredients together in 13x9 baking dish.
Unroll dough, place it over chicken mixture.
Bake 20-25 mins or until crust is golden brown.

**This is an excellent opportunity to sneak in veggies you or your family don't usually eat into this dish because it just always pretty much tastes great. I would probably stay away from adding something like red peppers or something odd like that, but we tried it with a mix that had lima beans, ocra (which I've never had before), green beans (which I usually HATE), onions, corn, potatoes, carrots (which I hate cooked), and celery- it tasted great.**

Lovely Lisa's Waffle/ Pancake mix and maple syrup

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. She makes the world's BEST maple syrup (well unless maybe you like the freshly tapped stuff, but I don't like that stuff- too sweet and rich for my taste!) It makes A LOT- just a warning.

Pancake/Waffle mix:

10 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
8 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons salt

Mix all this together really well. Like with a wire whip or even your mixer.
When desired add some of this mix to some milk and egg. Like 2 eggs and 2 cups of milk with enough mix to the right consistency.

This makes lots of mix and stores really well in a container of some sort (like an old ice cream bucket). Or cut it down if you want less.
***NOTE - You can make the above with a variety of whole grain flours. Like about half whole wheat and then some soy, rye, buckwheat, rice, whatever flours. Then use raw sugar instead. It's wonderful. This kind needs to be stored in the freezer so it won't go bad. Add some blueberries for yumminess. But not to waffles they will ruin your waffle iron.

Syrup:
(again a huge recipe so adjust if desired)

14 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
7 cups water
stir this and bring to a gentle boil. reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer for 10 minutes.
remove from heat and add

3 Tablespoons of mapleliene flavoring
3 Tablespoons of vanilla (imitation is fine)

Store this in the fridge in an old plastic jug or a jar of some kind. This amount fills up a gallon jug.

White Chili

A different twist on chili. My second favorite chili (my favorite being Kera's sweet chili which is also on this blog). It has chicken instead of beef which makes me happy because generally I don't like beef (unless it's in a soup or other wise "hidden")

1 c chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 t ground cumin
1 t oregano
1/4 t ground red pepper
3-15 1/2 oz Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2-4 oz diced chile peppers
4 c chicken broth
2 c monterray jack cheese (optional
Sour cream (optional)

**skip on cheese and sour cream for casein free version**

1. In slow cooker, place onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper, beans, 2 cans of chile peppers, broth, and cooked chicken. Stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high 4 hours. Stir in the cheese until melted.
3. Serve, and if desired top with sour cream.

Easy Veggie-Beef Soup

from BH & G's Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 4-6

1 lb beef
1 14 oz can beef broth (1 2/3 c)
1 1/4 c water
10 oz frozen mixed veggies
14 1/2 oz canned, diced tomatoes
10 3/4 oz condensed tomato soup
1 T dried minced onion
1 t Italian seasoning
1/4 t garlic powder

1. In large skillet, brown beef and drain off fat.
2. Transfer meat to slow cooker, and add remaining ingredients to cooker.
3. Cover, cook on low for 7-8 hrs or high for 3 1/2- 4 hours.

Lemon Pepper Fish

serves 4

Ingredients

* 1 lb fish fillet, your choice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (or saffron or dry mustard)
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper, Ground
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed

Directions

1. Place fish fillets into a medium sized bowl and sprinkle with salt, turmeric, cumin, black pepper and garlic, tossing to coat well.
2. Cover and marinate for 50 - 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Coat the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with the vegetable oil.
5. Place the fish in a single layer inside the baking dish, and pour the marinade on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
7. The fish should be firm to the touch.
8. Fish is done when it easily flakes with a fork.
9. Sprinkle with lemon juice 5 minutes before serving.