Poppy Seed Butter Rum Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding

1 T poppy seed

1 cup water with 1 T rum flavoring

½ cup veg oil

3 eggs

chopped pecans (optional)

glaze:

½ lb butter

¼ cup water

1 cup sugar

Grease bundt cake.  Line with pecans if you want them.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the cake mix, pudding, and poppy seed.  Add in water with rum flavoring and the veg oil and mix.  While the beaters are going, add the eggs, one at a time.  Beat well.  Bake in pan for 45 mins.  About 10 mins before the cake is due to come out of the oven, prepare the glaze.

Mix the butter, water, and sugar in a saucepan on the stove.  Boil the glaze and immediately use it.  Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and leave the cake in the pan.  Pour the boiling glaze over the hot cake.  Be sure the glaze runs around the inside and through the center of the cake.  Let sit in pan for 45 mins, than turn out. 

Sometimes I do half of the glaze, because it is very rich with the full amount.

Enjoy!  Stacie Orvin

Cheesecake Bites

Cheesecake Bites

2 8oz packages of cream cheese (weight watchers low fat or 1/3 neufchatel tastes just as good)
2 T lemon juice
3/4 c sugar
16 vanilla wafers
Your choice of pie filling
Paper or foil muffin cups

Warm up the cream cheeses in the microwave for 1 minute in a large bowl.  Add the sugar and lemon juice and mix together until mostly smooth (it's nearly impossible to get ALL the lumps out).  PLace the muffin cups in each muffin pan hole.  Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom middle of each muffin hole flat side DOWN.  Pour cheese mixture into each cup about 3/4 full.  For an electric oven-cook at 350 for 15 minutes.  Gas stove-cook at 325 for 20-25 mins constantly checking on them until they are a little golden brown on the top.  Let them cool.  Put your pie filling on top and pop in the fridge until chilled!  SOO good!

P.S.-you should have some extra batter left over to make maybe 4 more, so just don't keep them in as long, of course. :)

Crockpot Cranberry Roast

Our FAVORITE family recipe!

Crockpot Cranberry Roast

1 2-4lb roast
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 T soy sauce
1/2 onion sliced into rings
1/2 bottle of catalina style dressing

Place the onion rings on the bottom of the crockpot.  Then, place roast on top (mine is normally frozen).  Pour on soy sauce, catalina dressing, then the cranberry sauce.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  We like to mix it with rice which soaks up all the delicious juices.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Minnestrone

Cozy Crockpot Minestrone

4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups vegetable juice (like V8)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained or 3 medium tomatoes, diced

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes

1 can cannellini beans 

1 tsp dry parsley

salt and pepper

1/3 cup dry ditalini pasta or other small pasta noodle (I use more noodles)

Place everything in a crockpot minus the ditalini pasta and stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6.  Add ditalini and stir well.  Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes before serving.  

http://www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/ has some amazing recipes!!  We just made this yesterday, and it was DELICIOUS!

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

1 bunch broccoli
a bunch of carrots
1 head cauliflower
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1lb. Bacon, cut and fried (I just throw in a handful of crumbled bacon you buy for salads)
1 pkg. Snyders bbq or honey mustard pretzels (I think they've discontinued the BBQ ones)
Chop broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots into bite sized pieces. Add bacon and onions. Make dressing and add to vegetables.
Dressing
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I usually use only one cup)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sugar (I usually use 1/4 cup)
Blend it all together and pour on the veggies. Let it sit for a few hours. Just before serving, add the pretzels.

Strawberry Danish Dessert Cake

1 white cake mix
small package Strawberry Hello, prepared
1 box strawberry Danish Dessert ( or homemade if you feel like it)
1 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
sugar to taste
Package of  thinly sliced strawberries ( frozen is fine, just defrost them and drain completely before adding to mixture)

Bake the white cake mix, poking holes in the cake with a fork  as soon as you take it out. prepare small box jello. spoon jello all over cake, using about 2/3 of the mixture, discard the rest. let cake cook in fridge. Make Danish Dessert, allow to cool for about an hour. Beat whipping crean until it has peaks, adding sugar to taste. Fold in Danish Dessert with whipped topping. Add strawberries and spread over cake. Can be made the night before use.

One Hour Bread

5 1/4 C. Bread Flour
1/2 T. Salt
1/4 C. Sugar
1 1/2 T Yeast
1 1/2 Soy Lethicin Liquid ( or granules)
2C. Warm Water

Mix together the bread flour, salt, sugar,yeast and soy lethicin in a mixer. Pour in the water while mixing and then keep mixing for about five minutes.

Shape into balls, or if you want twists, roll out dough with your fingers into strands and then coil the dough around itself. DO NOT add ANY flour while shaping into balls. If you need to prevent sticking use coking spray or shortening, not flour. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Soy Lethicin Liquid is a bit hard to come by, I think you can get it online. My sister in law got mine for me at the Macy's in Orem. The granules are easier to find, and they work also. Sometime I need to add a little more than 2 C. of water, and let the dough rise a little longer, depending on how warm the kitchen is.