Calling All Chocolate Lovers

This is my favorite dessert to take to a potluck. It also makes a great gift when baked in mini loaf pans. I was originally given this recipe by my vet's wife when I was first married.

Chocoholic Cake
1/3 cup oil
1 pkg. devil's food cake mix (the type without pudding)
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips.
Blend first 6 ingredients well. Add chips and bake in a greased bundt pan coated with unsweetened cocoa powder (instead of flour). Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
If baking in mini loaf pans, bake for 20 -25 minutes.

Will The Real Gingerbread Please Stand Up

I went to a holiday gathering recently and one of the desserts was Gingerbread with whipped cream. I love gingerbread and was somewhat dismayed when I bit into it and found it rather bland. A little subtle detective work found the gingerbread came from a box. So to spare you all from cardboard-tasting gingerbread, I'm sharing my best recipe. Not sure where it originally came from, but I've been making it for 30 years.

Gingerbread
1 cup boiling water
1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. allspice

Pour the boiling water over the margarine, sugar and molasses. Stir until the margarine is melted. Cool slightly. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into a buttered 9"x13" pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Comfort Food

It is cold and rainy outside today. The perfect day for comfort food. One of my favorite recipes is Black and White Chicken Chili and Beer Bread. Both are very easy to make and feed the senses as well as the belly.


Black and White Chicken Chili

Saute
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves. pressed

Add:
4 cans black beans, drained (approx 12-14 ounces each)
1 can diced green chilis
Cumin and Chili Powder to taste.
Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to meld.
Serve with hot Beer Bread


Beer Bread

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tblsp. sugar
optional:
2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. dill weed
Add 1 can warm beer to dry ingredients (if beer is cold, warm it up in the microwave for 1 minute).
Mix well and pour onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Beer Bread makes a quick and easy gift as well. Mix the dry ingredients together and seal in a plastic bag. Tuck into a bread basket with a bottle of beer, baking instructions, a jar of jam, or the recipe for your favorite soup.