Candy Bar Cake

 I made this darling cake for my daughter's 16th birthday. She loves chocolate AND candy so a Candy Bar Cake was the perfect choice. It was incredibly easy and since I made it in the middle of the night last night you are not getting any how to pics...sorry!

Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix, made according to directions and baked in 9 in pans

1 1/2 tubs of chocolate frosting or homemade stuff 
8 or 9 packages Kit Kat candy bars
4 packages Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
1 large bag M&M's
Ribbon


Directions
Bake cake according to directions in 9 inch pans, cool. Place frosting on the top of one of the cakes and add unwrapped Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, add second layer of cake. Liberally frost sides and top of cake. Take Kit Kat bars and break into 2 pieces increments. Gently stick them onto side of cake. (make sure cake isn't taller than kit kats, if so trim top of cake) Pour one bag of M&M's onto top of cake. Wrap ribbon around cake and tie a bow. Place in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 12

Inside of cake

Birthday girl!

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

My baby girl turned 16 today and so I made her a special breakfast, cinnamon roll waffles. They were super easy to make and Olivia and her girlfriends gobbled them up. You've got to give these a try! They taste just like the cinnamon rolls but take under 2 minutes to cook. I don't think I'll ever bake store bought rolls again, this is just way too simple!

Ingredients
Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls
1 tsp Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp Water
Waffle Iron

Heat waffle iron, place 4 cinnamon rolls in waffle machine. Close and cook until done. While cooking take the packaged frosting and add karo syrup and water, mix. Drizzle frosting over the top of cooked waffles.

Ingredients

Spray waffle pan and place rolls on iron

Mix frosting, water and karo syrup for drizzling purposes

Ready to take out

So yummy!!

Enjoy! 

Triple Layer Apple Cake

My favorite cookbook in the entire world is A Pinch of Salt Lake, it was published by the Junior League back in the '80's. Every single recipe in it is delicious, I love it so much I tracked down used copies off of Amazon and bought a copy for each of my children (it's since gone out of print...what a shame... I was able to buy the almost new books for approximately a $1 apiece!!) 

One of my favorite recipes in the book is for this delicious Apple Cake, it is so incredibly moist and tasty. My father in law requests that I make it on special occasions and since yesterday was Father's Day, it was on the menu. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. 

Ingredients for Cake

3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups, finely chopped tart apples ( I use my food processor)

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1 tsp grated lemon peel

2 c sugar

1 1/2 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

Directions

Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In a small bowl combine chopped apple, nuts and lemon peel. In a standing mixer combine oil, sugar and eggs, beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients mixing until smooth. INcorporate apple mixture, stir until well combined. Spread evenly into prepared bans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until surface springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then cool thoroughly on wire rack

Ingredients for Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 c butter, softened

16 ounces powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c finely chopped walnuts

Prepare frosting by creaming together all ingredients except nuts. Frost between layers and do a thin coat on sides and top. Refrigerate until chilled, then using remaining frosting frost a thicker layer on cake. (this helps keeps the crumbs in the frosting to a minimum) Press nuts around sides and top of cake. Refrigerate until serving time. 

Ingredients for cake

Chopping the apples

Apples, nuts and lemon peel

Adding dry ingredients to sugar, oil and eggs

Thick consistency

Adding in the apples

Ready for the oven

Frosting ingredients

Triple layers baby!

So pretty

It tastes so delicious

Enjoy! 

Restaurant Style Salsa

I don't know why it is every time I go into a Mexican restaurant I swear I'm going to eat healthy...but it never happens. As soon as I sit down and the warm chips and salsa appear I lose myself in the experience. Food just seems to taste better when there are sombreros hanging on the walls and margaritas are flowing. Don't you agree?

This recipe is for restaurant style salsa, you know the kind, pureed and spicy. I couldn't believe how quickly it came together, one minute the ingredients were on my counter, the next I was shoveling salsa down my throat.

My salsa came out super spicy and that's because I kept the jalapeno seeds in, so if you want a milder version make sure you remove the seeds.

Ingredients
14 oz can diced tomatoes
10 oz can Rotel tomatoes, original
1/2 small onion,
1 jalapeno, seeds removed if you want milder salsa
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 c cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime

Place all ingredients into either food processor or blender. Let blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency.

That's it! Super simple and delicious! Serve with chips or your favorite mexican meal.

Ingredients

Mix

Enjoy!!