Chocolate Frosting for When You Can't Get the Good Stuff:<br /> 1/2 cup of hot coco mix<br /> 1/4 teaspoon of water<br /> 1 tablespoon white sugar<br /> 1/2 teaspoon corn starch<br /> <br /> Mix the hot coco mix and sugar in a small bowl, using a spoon(preferably made of metal). Taste and add sugar or hot coco to your liking. Add water and corn starch. Mix well. If it's too dry, mix in drops of water until all grains have been moistened. Crush the grains a bit with the spoon and microwave on high for 10 seconds at a time until the mix is either hot or pasty after stirring well. Make sure you taste it after adding any hot coco or sugar, to make sure it's what you want it to taste like. Just make sure you microwave it after adding any sugar or hot coco. If it's too watery, add more hot coco mix and sugar, making sure to microwave the mix again after allowing it to cool. If it's not watery, but not thick either, add a pinch of corn starch at a time, mixing it until it reaches a somewhat thick consistency. Continue to alternate between letting cool (refrigerators are good for this. c: ) and microwaving until the grains seem dissolved. When you have reached a thick, somewhat smooth consistency, refrigerate it until it becomes cool, but not cold. Then spread it on your cake/brownies/etc. It will be very thin compared to real frosting and the stuff does not spread very well, so prepare to use a lot more of this frosting than the real kind.<br />

I shall contribute what I cooked for lunch today. XD<br /> <br /> <br /> Bacon and Spinach side dish<br /> <br /> Ingredients:<br /> 8 slices of thick cut bacon<br /> 8 cups of spinach<br /> 3 tablespoons mustard<br /> 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam <br /> 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar<br /> Hint of black pepper<br /> <br /> Directions: <br /> <br /> Take 6-8 slices of thick cut bacon, slice them into bite-sized pieces, fry them in a pan.<br /> <br /> When the bacon pieces are are done, set aside. Pour off some of the bacon grease (leave enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and then add the following:<br /> <br /> mustard, and vinegar, and black pepper. Stir until well mixed. And then add the spinach leaves and sear until wilted. Pour spinach onto plate, and add bacon.<br />

Getto Iced Coffee<br /> <br /> First boil a 1/2 cup of water in a kettle. <br /> <br /> 1 Spoon instant coffee into a coffee cup.<br /> <br /> 2 Pour just enough boiled water into the cup to desolve the instant coffee. <br /> <br /> 3 Fill rest of cup with milk then at maple syrup until you are satisfies.

<b>Kitchen Sink Cookies</b><br /> <br /> These are so called because you can adjust to what you have on hand several ingredients. Just keep the base recipe in place. They're really nice and chewy cookies.<br /> <br /> Base recipe: (Base recipe will easily make 75-80 3-4" cookies. So if you're not planning on sharing with lots of people, halve this recipe.)<br /> <br /> 2 c Butter<br /> 2 c Sugar<br /> 2 c Brown Sugar<br /> 4 eggs (Large)<br /> 2 tsp Vanilla<br /> 4 c Flour<br /> 5 c Blended Oatmeal (Measure it out and then blend. Or if you like oatmeal texture cookies, blend half, leave the rest unblended.)<br /> 1 tsp Salt<br /> 2 tsp Baking Powder<br /> 2 tsp Baking Soda<br /> <br /> Add ins:<br /> This is where the kitchen sink part comes in. Throw in whatever you want here, like:<br /> <br /> This recipe:<br /> 1/2 bag Coconut<br /> 1/2 small bag walnuts<br /> 1/2 small bag pecans<br /> 1/2 bag Butterscotch Chips<br /> 1/3 bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips<br /> 1/2 bag Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips<br /> <br /> Other Recipes I've done with stuff left over around my place:<br /> <br /> Chocolate Nut:<br /> Chopped up Mini Hersheys Assorted Candy Bars<br /> Bag Chocolate Chips<br /> 3 c Pecans<br /> <br /> Tropical:<br /> 2 tsp Orange Extract<br /> 3/4 bag Coconut<br /> 1/2 bag Dried Pineapple<br /> 1/2 bag Cranberries<br /> 1/2 bag White Chocolate Chips<br /> <br /> Orange Chocolate:<br /> 1.3 bags Bittersweet Chocolate Chips<br /> 4 tsp Orange Extract<br /> 3/4 bag Coconut<br /> 1/2 bag milk chocolate chunks<br /> <br /> <br /> To make:<br /> <br /> Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add extracts. (Add coconut here if you're putting it in.) Mix together dry ingredients, blend in a little at a time. Add in your "add ins". Mix well.<br /> <br /> Bake at 375F for 10ish minutes. Will look wet in the center but edges will be brown, this leaves you with nicely chewy cookies.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4976/img0565s.jpg" width="266" height="200">

---

I knew better than to venture in. Too many good sounding sweet makes me really hungry for sweets. :o) I might even have to try my hand at some of them.

one more before i go to bed. i've made this once and the first bite is a bit odd, but by the third, your taste buds will dance! it was absolutely delicious!<br /> <br /> German Rouladen<br /> <br /> 1 1/2 pounds flank steak<br /> German stone ground mustard, to taste<br /> 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon<br /> 2 large onions, sliced<br /> 1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices<br /> 2 tablespoons butter<br /> 2 1/2 cups water<br /> 1 cube beef bouillon<br /> Cornstarch.. Or flour<br /> <br /> Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide.<br /> Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together.<br /> Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and saute until browned.<br /> Pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and add the bouillon cube; stirring to dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer the rolls for about an hour. Remove rouladen. To thicken gravy, combine about 1-2 tbsp. corn starch in a little cold water and stir gently into cooking liquid until slightly thickened. (or use flour)<br /> Season gravy to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. If you wish, add sour cream to the gravy.<br /> Remove skewers, picks, or thread to serve rouladen with their gravy.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://tinyurl.com/3u5tpsa">

hahaha! i LOVE your melted snowmen cookies! &lt;33 You are too awesome! Anyway, I found this recipe for SunDrop Pound Cake.. and a frosting to go with it. Let me know how it is<br /> <br /> <br /> SunDrop Pound Cake Recipe<br /> <br /> 2 sticks of butter (or margarine)<br /> ½ cup Crisco (or other solid vegetable fat)<br /> 3 cups sugar<br /> 5 eggs<br /> 1 tsp vanilla flavoring<br /> 1 tsp lemon flavoring<br /> 3 cups cake flour (or plain flour minus 3 TBS)<br /> ¾ cup SunDrop soft drink<br /> <br /> Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease and lightly flour a tube cake pan or bundt cake pan.<br /> Cream together sugar, Crisco, and butter (softened to room temperature before mixing).<br /> Add eggs one at a time and beat well so that the case will be light and rise high. Since the cake does not have a rising ingredient, using cake flour and beating well ensures a lighter texture.<br /> Add vanilla and lemon flavorings and beat well.<br /> Alternate adding the cake flour and Sun Drop soda and beating well after each addition.<br /> Pour cake mixture into tube pan. Wipe any drips away from the inside of the tube pan. A paper towel wrapped around the index finger works well for this.<br /> Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean at 325 degrees F.<br /> Frost cake with SunDrop Drizzle Icing over cake while still warm<br /> <br /> <br /> SunDrop Drizzle Frosting Recipe<br /> <br /> 2 cups confectioners sugar (also called 10 x powdered sugar etc)<br /> 2 TBS softened butter (or margarine)<br /> 4 TBS SunDrop (add tiny bits more if or as needed)<br /> <br /> Combine sugar, butter, and Sun Drop soft drink and mix well until light and creamy.<br /> Spoon icing over warm cake using a spoon. If frosting does not drip slowly from spoon onto warm cake, add just a tiny bit more SunDrop soda. The warm cake makes the icing run down the sides, so do not add too much SunDrop, or it will all end up puddled around the bottom of the SunDrop Pound Cake.<br />

hahaha! i LOVE your melted snowmen cookies! &lt;33 You are too awesome! Anyway, I found this recipe for SunDrop Pound Cake.. and a frosting to go with it. Let me know how it is<br /> <br /> <br /> SunDrop Pound Cake Recipe<br /> <br /> 2 sticks of butter (or margarine)<br /> ½ cup Crisco (or other solid vegetable fat)<br /> 3 cups sugar<br /> 5 eggs<br /> 1 tsp vanilla flavoring<br /> 1 tsp lemon flavoring<br /> 3 cups cake flour (or plain flour minus 3 TBS)<br /> ¾ cup SunDrop soft drink<br /> <br /> Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease and lightly flour a tube cake pan or bundt cake pan.<br /> Cream together sugar, Crisco, and butter (softened to room temperature before mixing).<br /> Add eggs one at a time and beat well so that the case will be light and rise high. Since the cake does not have a rising ingredient, using cake flour and beating well ensures a lighter texture.<br /> Add vanilla and lemon flavorings and beat well.<br /> Alternate adding the cake flour and Sun Drop soda and beating well after each addition.<br /> Pour cake mixture into tube pan. Wipe any drips away from the inside of the tube pan. A paper towel wrapped around the index finger works well for this.<br /> Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean at 325 degrees F.<br /> Frost cake with SunDrop Drizzle Icing over cake while still warm<br /> <br /> <br /> SunDrop Drizzle Frosting Recipe<br /> <br /> 2 cups confectioners sugar (also called 10 x powdered sugar etc)<br /> 2 TBS softened butter (or margarine)<br /> 4 TBS SunDrop (add tiny bits more if or as needed)<br /> <br /> Combine sugar, butter, and Sun Drop soft drink and mix well until light and creamy.<br /> Spoon icing over warm cake using a spoon. If frosting does not drip slowly from spoon onto warm cake, add just a tiny bit more SunDrop soda. The warm cake makes the icing run down the sides, so do not add too much SunDrop, or it will all end up puddled around the bottom of the SunDrop Pound Cake.<br />

Sharing my most recent baking project pictures<br /> <br /> <img src="http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/889/img0561wx.jpg" width="324" height="243"><br /> <img src="http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7741/img0562kw.jpg" width="324" height="243"><br /> <img src="http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/1636/img0558b.jpg" width="324" height="243"><br /> <img src="http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1593/img0560q.jpg" width="324" height="243"><br /> <img src="http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/6831/img0557yv.jpg" width="324" height="243"><br /> <br /> My cookie decorating was a bit rough, but it was the wee hours of the morning, so I'm gonna go with the idea that it's looking darn good. Melted snowmen ftw.

---

This is a recipe that I reallllly liked, but my oven isn't calibrated exactly right so some of it doesn't.. turn into "bread" in the middle. I have to mess around with my oven the next time I make it... ANYWAYS.<br><br><b><u>Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:</u></b><br><br>- 1 (15 ounce/~445ml) can pumpkin puree<br>- 4 eggs<br>- 1 cup vegetable oil<br>- 2/3 cup water<br>- 3 cups white sugar<br>- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br>- 2 teaspoons baking soda<br>- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br>- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br>- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br>- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br>- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<br><br><b><u>Directions:</u></b><br><br>- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).<br>- Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. <i>[I only filled two loaf pans]</i><br>- In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended.<br>- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.<br>- Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.<br>- Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven.<br>- Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

---