Our Valentine's Day

I forgot to take pictures of everything we made for Valentine's Day! Sorry... But out menu was:


Breakfast we had Belgium Waffles- I made regular batter- could have added some red food coloring, but ran out and forgot to buy more- I used red frosting to pipe a heart and filled it in with whipped topping and valentine sprinkles. We had Strawberry Milk with our breakfast.


Lunch was fun, we ate BLT (Because Love is Today) sandwiches. I cut out parchment paper hearts and stuck them to the bread (with butter) before grilling. But they grilled through the parchment. Just not as much. So you could see a faint sign of a heart on the bread. And we had chocolate fondue. We dipped Graham Crackers, Pretzels, Banana Chunks, and Orange Wedges. We drank LOVE POTION.



After Dinner I remembered to take photos. We had a "nice" dinner. We had cheese fondue: I used 8 oz. Brie (no rind) and 8 oz. swiss. I added 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 Tbsp. flour. This was an okay consistency, but it didn't stick to all the food we dipped. We dipped Lemon Pepper Chicken, Lemon butter Crab, Pretzels, and Broccoli. We have fun with Fondue. But we don't do it very often. I think we like the Cheddar Fondues better. I enjoy brie, but I like it better baked. We drank Sparkling Cider and had a candle lit dinner. For dessert we savored a Chocolate Velvet Cake with Strawberries.



Chocolate Velvet Cake with Strawberries

Cake
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 pkg (18.25 oz) devil's food cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam, divided


Glaze & Garnish
1/3 cup melted vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 qt. fresh strawberries, divided
Additional ice cream (optional)


Brush Stoneware Fluted Pan with 1 tbsp of the oil. For cake, combine chocolate morsels and remaining 1/4 cup oil in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-60 seconds or until melted and smooth, whisking after 30 seconds. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, 1/2 cup of the jam and chocolate mixture; whisk until well blended. Pour batter into pan.
Microwave cake on HIGH 9-12 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove cake from microwave. Center Simple Additions® Large Round Platter over pan and carefully invert. Without removing pan, cool 10 minutes. Remove pan.
For glaze, combine ice cream and chocolate morsels in Small Micro-Cooker®. Microwave on HIGH 20-60 seconds or until melted and smooth, stirring after each 20-second interval.
Place remaining jam into Prep Bowl and microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted; brush evenly over cake, using Silicone Basting Brush. Dip 16 of the strawberries into glaze; arrange around bottom edge of cake. Drizzle top of cake with remaining glaze. Slice remaining strawberries using Egg Slicer Plus®; place into center well of cake. Serve with additional ice cream, if desired.
Yield: 16 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 360, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 57 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 290 mg, Fiber 1 g


Cook's Tip: For best results, bake this cake in a 1000-watt microwave with a built-in turntable. This cake can be baked in a conventional oven, if desired. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.



We REALLY enjoyed our food filled Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Recipe

Chocolate recipes are GREAT! You can make the Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies and Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Trifle.

Chocolate-raspberry ganache, white chocolate mousse filling and vanilla wafers taste delicious and create a festive look that makes this trifle great for any occasion.

1 cup milk
1 package (3.3 ounces) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 box (12 ounces) vanilla wafers, divided
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 jar (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen sweetened raspberries (not in syrup), thawed

For filling, in Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; whisk until pudding mixture begins to thicken. Reserve ½ cup of the whipped topping in Measure-All® Cup. Gently fold remaining whipped topping into pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

For ganache, combine chocolate morsels, reserved whipped topping and half of the jam in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 40-60 seconds or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Stir until smooth. Reserve ¼ cup in Prep Bowl for garnish.

Place remaining jam into another Prep Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-60 seconds or until melted. Place berries into Classic Batter Bowl. Pour jam over berries; stir gently. Set aside 16 cookies for garnish; break remaining cookies in half.

To assemble trifle, place one-third of the broken cookies into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Layer one-third of the raspberry mixture evenly over cookies. Top with one-third of the pudding mixture and one-third of the ganache. (See Cook’s Tip.) Repeat layers two more times, finishing with a smooth layer of ganache. Dip reserved whole cookies halfway into reserved ganache; place into top of trifle.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 330, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 52 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 180 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

Cook’s Tip: To easily top cream layers with ganache, place large resealable plastic bag into (2-cup) Easy Read Measuring Cup. Pour ganache into corner of bag. Twist top of bag; secure with Twixit! Clip. Cut tip off corner of bag to allow ganache to flow through.

Torte

Again, I have been cooking, but not posting. Terrible! I haven't been taking pictures of any of my creations either! I can't believe me! There are three things that were exciting for me... The Ward Christmas Party Salad, Cherry Chocolate Christmas Torte, and Pumpkin Spice Torte. All were VERY easy!!!

Somehow I was included in the group that planned the meal for the ward Christmas party. It was not on purpose! And then I was put in charge of the salad (along with a few other things). But we wanted a sophisticated salad. Not just greens and ranch dressing. Well, I figured it would be fancy to add fruit and nuts. So I did! And I LOVE poppy seed dressing! And there were the makings of a salad. I had the recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad and improvised for a winter/ budget friendly/ large crowd version.

Romaine Greens
Red Onions
Canned Mandarin oranges
Raw cashews
Brianna's Poppy seed Dressing (not so budget friendly, but easier for a large crowd and REALLY yummy! I bought it at WinCo, but I've seen it at Albertson's and Wal-Mart too.)
The Homemade Poppy seed Dressing Recipe is Here.

I made the Cherry Chocolate Torte for Christmas dinner at my in-laws. Again an improvisation of another Pampered Chef recipe. I am LOVING The Pampered Chef Torte Pans. You can make a cake mix, add a filling and a frosting and you have an amazing dessert! I LOVE IT! Anyway... The Cherry Chocolate Torte was:
chocolate cake mix
Cherry pie filling
and I melted some white chocolate chips and drizzled it over the top.

The Pumpkin Spice Torte was for a potluck dinner hosted by Jeff's work. Yah, his work party was potluck. Sign of the economy. But I dazzled with a GREAT dessert.
Spice Cake mix
I mixed Cream Cheese, Cool Whip, and pureed pumpkin together for the filling.
Topped it with Cream Cheese Frosting (from a tub). And put some dollops of the leftover filling on top with my Easy Accent Decorator. Fun!
It was yummy. EVERYONE loved it! I would change the filling for next time. I think I would mix the pumpkin with either vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix. It would be a little sweeter.

So... there you go. I wish I had taken photos. The Torte's looked professional. I am sorry I am bragging. But I love it when I make something that looks amazing, and I get a lot of compliments, and I didn't have to slave for too long. I love not making ordinary things.

CHOCOLATE!!!

OMG!!!! We just made one of the BEST desserts I've ever tasted!! It is the Peanut Butter Cup Torte. I always enjoy trying the new recipes. My family enjoys it too!



IF you are a chocolate and Peanut Butter Lover or Chocolate and Caramel, you will definitely LOVE these recipes. If not, you will like it after trying these!


Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte
The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate comes together for a decadent, over-the-top torte.


Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1 pkg (18-21 oz) traditional or chewy brownie mix
3 eggs
½ cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
¼ cup water
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
6 pkg (1.5 oz each) peanut butter cup candies
1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter morsels (12/3 cups)
2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Torte Pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 8-in. circles of Parchment Paper over centers of pans; set aside. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, ½ cup of the oil, water and peanut butter; mix well. Divide batter between pans, spreading to edges. Bake 10-12 minutes or until centers feel firm to the touch.

2. Meanwhile, using Utility Knife, dice peanut butter cups; set aside. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine peanut butter morsels and remaining 1 tbsp oil; microwave on HIGH 1-2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each 30-second interval. Spoon ¼ cup of the peanut butter mixture into resealable plastic bag; set aside. Fold marshmallows into remaining peanut butter mixture.

3. Remove pans from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; let brownies stand in pans 4 minutes. To assemble torte, invert one brownie well-side up onto Simple Additions® Large Round Platter. Using Classic Scraper, spread marshmallow filling into brownie well. Invert remaining brownie well-side up onto cooling rack; slide onto bottom layer. Evenly distribute diced peanut butter cups into brownie well. Trim corner of filled bag with Utility Knife to allow peanut butter mixture to flow through; drizzle over torte. Serve immediately.
Yield: 16 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 470, Total Fat 24 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Carbohydrate 53 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 250 mg, Fiber 2 g
©The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2008


Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

All nut topping, chocolate caramel candies and a chocolate drizzle top these decadent brownies with a hidden candy surprise.

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
1 package (18-21 ounces) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
¾ cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup salted mixed nuts, divided
5 rolls (1.7 ounces each) milk chocolate-covered chewy caramels, divided (40 pieces total)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. Chop 1½ cups of the chocolate morsels using Food Chopper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs and ¼ cup of the brown sugar; mix well. Fold in chopped chocolate; pour batter into bar pan, spreading evenly using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®.

2. Chop nuts using Food Chopper. Combine half of the nuts and remaining ½ cup brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, using Utility Knife, cut 16 caramels into quarters. Place remaining ½ cup chocolate morsels in Prep Bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into resealable plastic bag; set aside.

4. Remove bar pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Immediately press remaining 24 caramels evenly into brownie in four rows of six caramels each. Sprinkle quartered caramels and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate-filled bag with Utility Knife; drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Cut into squares; serve warm using Mini-Serving Spatula. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
Yield: 24 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 310, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 135 mg, Fiber less than 1 g
©The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2007

Please excuse my terrible photography. This is how ours turned out. I loved that my son was able to help! This recipe was SO simple! I love it when my boys cook with me! We all have fun.

Homemade For The Holidays

Once a month I get together with some other consultants to discuss business. We do some training from the home office, practice recipes, and give each other business tips. We enjoyed our meeting this week! I wanted to share with you what we practiced making. It was so fun, and will make a GREAT holiday show! These are fun things to do with kids, or hand out to neighbors, or have for a holiday party!

The first recipe we practiced was Candy Cane Brownie Lollipops. Here is picture of what mine looked like... be nice, the problem is more my lack of photography skills.

Here are some tips for Candy Cane Brownie Lollipops
• To keep the lollipops secure on their sticks, dip all of the brownie and
about ¼ inch of the candy cane into the melted bark.
• If desired, lollipop sticks or stick candies can be substituted for the
candy canes. For appearance sake, they look better if all the sticks are the same length.
• White almond bark can be substituted for the chocolate bark.
• From The Pampered Chef® Festive Holiday Desserts Recipe Collection.

The next recipe we tried was the Raspberry Mousse Cookie Nepoleans. I didn't get a picture of these.

Tips for Raspberry Mousse Cookie Napoleons
• The cookies will absorb moisture from the mousse, making
them soft and cakelike. These are three layers, so they are large. We had to eat them in sections. • You could use other flavors like strawberry, mint, or tangerines/ orange.

One of the consultants pre-made Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches for all of us to see and try. Sandwiching a creamy peppermint patty between warm brownie cookies creates an irresistible sweet treat.

I definitely had a fill of chocolate (and peppermint) that night! Boy was it delish!

I am so excited to do these recipes at a class or show!