Bonus Recipe #4 Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

I made this cake in a (PC) rice cooker in the microwave! I mixed it up in the rice cooker. Dropped store bought frosting in and cooked for 9-12 minutes. I didn't cook mine long enough, but it is so oooey gooey good! YUM!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 c sugar

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 c Hershey's cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 c milk

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9in. round baking pans. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium 2 mins. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) Bake 30-35 mins or until wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 mins; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter or margarine

2/3 c Hershey's cocoa

3 c powdered sugar

1/3 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powder sugar and milk, beating on med. speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups.

recipe #3 Taco-Filled Pasta Shells

Ok...this next recipe I tried but not totally....sometimes I don't have all the ingredients, so you have to improvise. So mix it up some! It was delicious! Also this is for 2 batches...one to eat now and one to eat within 3 months! I have started doing something called Power Cooking and love it. It is also called OAMC- Once a month cooking. I don't cook for a whole month, but I cook for a whole week in a day. You just make large quantities of food in one day and put in ziploc bags. You pull the ziplocs out in the am and presto...you have a good meal quickly. If you have more questions about power cooking, let me know. I love it. I will have to start cooking prior to having the baby, so I won't have to cook every night! Sleep is more important! LOL Also...to those who have tried to make a comment and had difficulties...you should be able to know. Please do! I love to hear what you guys have to say!

Taco-Filled Pasta Shells

2 lbs ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1/4 c butter or margarine, melted

Additional Ingredients (for each casserole)

1 c salsa

1 c taco sauce

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 c shredded Monterrey jack or mozzarella

1-1 1/2 c crushed tortilla chips

1 c sour cream

3 green onions chopped

In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning; prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese; cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until melted. Transfer to a bowl; chill for 1 hour. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons meat mixture.

Place 12 shells in a greased 9 inch square baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To prepare remaining shells, spoon salsa into greased 9 inch square baking dish. Top with stuff shells and taco sauce. Cover and bake 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover sprinkle with cheese and chips. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions.

** to use frozen shells; Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours ( shells will be partially frozen) Remove from dish. Add salsa to dish; top with shells and taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover; continue as above. (6 servings)

Bonus Recipe #2 Best ever brownies

Yesterday I had a a slight problem. I wanted (I mean the baby wanted) Brownies and I didn't have a box mix. So I started looking online for a recipe for homemade brownies and found one that was soooo yummy and easy! I will never make them from a box again! Here is the recipe...you gotta try it! Enjoy!

Best ever brownies
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Recipe 1# Hashbrown Casserole

I have decided to do "recipe of the week" or at least try to do a recipe a week! Here is the first entry. This is a recipe I learned from somebody at my old work World Travel. It is yummy for breakfast or as a side dish with dinner. I haven't made it for a while, but I think I might soon! It is super easy and delicious!

Hash brown Casserole
1- 32oz bag frozen hash browns

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c butter

1/4 c chopped onion

8 oz cheddar cheese

8 oz sour cream

salt and pepper

dried parsley

you can add crumbled bacon, cooked sausage, ham, or green peppers.
Brown onion in butter. Add all ingredients except potatoes to sauce pan. Mix. Place hash browns in a 9 x 13 pan.Pour sauce over top.
Sprinkle with parsley. Bake 350 for 45 mins.

Oh My!

Can you say YUMMMMMM!? I saw this Play & Freeze Icecream Maker and thought this would be fun camping. Well tried it out today and it was yummmmmy! Made vanilla icecream and the whole family enjoyed it. There was a little left over and I mixed hot chocolate mix in it and added creamy peanut butter! OH MY! It was very yummy! I plan on perfecting it and trying many different kinds! Good thing I am getting my Calcium! Can't wait to try it camping!

Oh I forgot!

I forgot to add....The Number One Strange thing you do in pregnancy is.........

YOU FORGET EVERYTHING! The baby sucks your brain!

Some strange things that happen during pregnancy

Here are a few things that make me go hmmmm......


1. Some women produce excess saliva- up to 3 or 4 quarts a day! What the heck for?!?!

2. My balance is totally off. I am stumbling around all the time. I swear people think I am drunk!

3. You still can bleed even though you are pregnant! Some people think this is one of the bonuses of being pregnant! NOT Bleeding!

4. I have no clue how I can go to the bathroom before I go to bed and still wake at 12:00am, 2:00am, 4:00am and again when I get up at 6:00am!

5. Weird things happen like your gums bleed ....Why??

6. I have started to dry heave in the shower. Its not morning sickness....it happens whenever I take a shower.

7. I can gag on my own bodily function...like Phlegm.....yumm huh!

8. I dream some very vivid and strange dreams! Usually someone is chasing, shooting or trying to kill me in some way! I had a dream that the kids were hiding infant twins in the garage and only feeding them once a day! LOL It is bizarre. I used to never remember my dreams!

9. I am not sure this is a pregnant thing or something I just started doing......grinding my teeth

10.Pica is a disorder that makes you crave coal, soap, dirt, paint and many other things when you are pregnant. Very strange. Glad I haven't had the urge to make mud pies!

I haven't experienced all of these. Some of them are just things I have heard of. After experiencing some of these strange things. I wonder if other Women don't tell you, so they can laugh behind your back! LOL Pregnancy is a very bizarre, fun, absolutely amazing experience. Please if you remember any strange things that happened to you during pregnancy......leave a comment! I would love to hear them! Also I plan on writing more...since I am still early in my pregnancy. I am sure there is more to come!