Hot fudge, anyone?

This hot fudge cake is fabulous. It's a great recipe to have on hand if you're craving chocolate. I got it from the Hershey's website. It is a pudding cake, so you pour hot water over the top before baking, and it soaks through and makes its own sauce. The result is chocolate cake floating in a sea of hot fudge sauce -- all in one pan. You might accidentally eat the whole thing. Oh, and by the way, it's a great dessert option when you're out of eggs, because the recipe doesn't call for any.

THE RECIPE:

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar, divided
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 c. hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking dish.

Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top. Do not stir.

Bake about 35 minutes. The top will look like the top of a cake, but it will seem wobbly and jiggly because it is floating in sauce. This is the way you want it. If you overcook it, the cake will absorb the sauce and be dry. Let stand 15 minutes before eating.

Fluff 'n stuff

This honey butter is so delicious, I kind of wanted to eat it with a spoon. I refrained, though, and instead spread it on corn bread. I can't get over how fluffy and creamy it is. The original recipe came from My Kitchen Cafe, but I adjusted the honey-to-butter ratio to suit my taste.

THE RECIPE:

3/4 c. butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. marshmallow cream

Beat ingredients until fluffy and creamy. Use as desired.

Award winner

I won third place at our church's chili cook-off with this cilantro-lime chili. Person after person told me how much they loved it, which made me feel so good! I also love that it is a vegetarian dish, but no one notices. It tastes best after it has been refrigerated and then reheated. I used bell peppers and tomatoes from my garden, which you may not have, so feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking.

THE RECIPE:

Splash of olive oil
1 large bell pepper, cleaned out and chopped
5 c. chopped fresh tomato*
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 packages taco seasoning
1 package dry Italian dressing
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 c. beef broth
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro (stems removed), finely chopped
Avocado, if desired
Chips, if desired

Over medium-high heat, cook peppers in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, beans, corn, seasonings, vinegar, broth and brown sugar. Mix well, then bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Cook 10 minutes more. Cool and refrigerate for a few hours. Reheat and serve with sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips.

*Note: I have made this twice. The first time, I added an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. The second time I did not, because my tomatoes were very ripe and meaty and juicy. So, basically, do whatever you want.

Fajita fiesta

We made some really yummy chicken fajitas the other night. One of the best parts was a big old helping of fresh fried bell peppers from our garden. They added a light crunch and a nice punch of flavor. The other tasty part was the creamy sauce for the chicken. We just mixed salsa with cream cheese, and it tasted great.

THE RECIPE:

Sliced bell peppers
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
2 chicken breasts, sliced into inch-wide strips
1/4 c. cream cheese, softened*
1 c. salsa*
Tortillas
Desired toppings (chopped tomato, avocado)

In frying pan, toss peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Fry over medium heat until crisp-tender. It takes about ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a different pan, cook chicken, then toss with cream cheese and salsa until well coated. Layer chicken and sauce, then peppers and additional toppings on a tortilla. Wrap it up, and enjoy!

*Note: I'm not sure about the amounts I used for my sauce, so this is just a guess. The consistency of your salsa will make a difference. It should be pink when it's ready.

Have a nice soak

If you need an easy and yummy marinade for chicken or turkey, here's one with a teriyaki taste. It's simple to throw together, and you can let it soak for as long as you want (at least an hour, though). You have the option of cooking your meat in the marinade or tossing the marinade and cooking the meat by itself.

THE RECIPE:

3/4 c. lemon-lime soda
1/3 c. oil (I used canola)
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix ingredients in sealable plastic bag or container, then add raw chicken or turkey and toss to coat. Refrigerate for desired amount of time before cooking.

Put the lime in the coconut

I had leftover coconut milk frosting after making coconut cake, so I got creative and paired it with these lime cookies. I sang that Harry Nilsson song as I worked: "She put the lime in the coconut; she drank 'em both up... ." I had some good shoulder-shaking going on. Everyone seemed to like the results (the cookies, not the dancing).

THE RECIPE:

3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 limes, zest and juice
1/2 c. sour cream
3 drops green food coloring, if desired
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Beat together butter, sugar and lime zest. Add sour cream, food coloring, then eggs yolks and lime juice (it amounted to 4 tablespoons of juice for me). Add dry ingredients, then refrigerate dough at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (this is not required, but the cookies stick otherwise). Shape dough into balls and place on baking sheets. The cookies took about 16 minutes in my oven.

You don't want them to turn golden or they'll be crunchy when they're cool. If you see a golden color creeping out around the edges, get them out right away. They still look puffed and doughy when you pull them out, but they flatten as they cool. This way, they will stay soft even after they've cooled.

Coconut frosting:

1 can coconut milk, well chilled
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Plan ahead, and put the coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight or for at least four hours. The cream separates from the oil and rises to the top. (Reserve oil for another use if desired.) Beat coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until thickened.

Creamy, dreamy coconut

Everyone commented on this coconut milk cake after tasting it a few nights ago at a family get-together. They all said they loved the taste and liked that it was "something different." I like the flavor of coconut -- fresh coconut, coconut milk -- but I despise dried, flaked coconut. I'm cringing at the thought of it. So I catered this cake to my taste. If you want to decorate yours with dried coconut, knock yourself out.

THE RECIPE:

1 white cake mix
1 package coconut pudding mix (I used Jell-O brand)
1 can coconut milk, refrigerated for several hours*
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. oil (I used canola)
4 eggs
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Open can of coconut milk and scoop out cream. Cream rises to the top during refrigeration. About half the can will be cream. Set cream aside. Measure remaining coconut liquid and add water to equal 3/4 cup. Add liquid to dry ingredients, along with sour cream, oil and eggs. Mix well, then pour into desired pan/pans (sprayed with cooking spray). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Don't overbake or cake will be dry. As soon as toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, take the cake out. Meanwhile, beat coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until thickened. Use icing as desired.