Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of shredded hashbrowns
• 18 eggs
• 1 C. milk
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• about 16 oz of shredded cheese
• 1 or so packages of cubed ham

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper
2. Grease crockpot
3. Layer Hashbrowns, ham, cheese- repeat until hashbrowns are gone
4. pour eggs over top of everything
5. cover with lid and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours

Notes:

This feeds about 12 to 14 people.  So great to make the night before, cook over night.  Especially if you are going to feed a lot of people and won't have a ton of time in the morning!

Source: Activity day companion

Cinnamon Pull Aparts

Ingredients:

• 3 Pillsbury pop and fresh cinnamon rolls
• 1 C. butter
• 1 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1 C. sugar
• 4 t. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Grease pans
2. Cut cinnamon rolls into 6 pieces each and spread in pan
3. Combine rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on med-low heat until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved
4. Pour over cinnamon rolls
5. Cover with foil
6. Cook on 350 for about 30 to 40 minutes (the more layers of cinnamon rolls the longer it takes) or until slightly brown.
7. Let stand about 5 minutes and carefully pour out
8. Heat up icing that comes in the package and drizzle over rolls

Notes:

2 packages fit into 9x11 pan, or 2 bunt pans.
This is what I made at J's baby blessing, and for a mother daughter activity.  Everyone really liked it, and I've been asked to make it several times since for other occasions.  Enjoy!!
Warning... not very healthy :)

Source: My activity day partner

Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. raisins (chopped ultra fine in processor or blender)
• 2 c. oats
• 1 c. smooth peanut butter mix
• 3 T. chia seeds
• 4 T. flax ground
• 4 scoops vanilla whey (or 1/2 c. powdered milk if you don't have whey)
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips crushed
• honey or light corn syrup

Directions:

Grind raisins in food processor or blendor.  This will be the sweetener.  Then put chocolate chips in a plastic baggy and roll them into small chunks with a rolling pin.  Then add all the ingredients into an electric mixer for quite a long time. Once there are no chunks drizzle honey or light corn syrup while mixer is on low until you can ball it in your hand.  Compress it in small logs in your hand and store in refrigerator.

Notes:

These are so good. Kind of taste like a healthy version of no-bake cookies.  I will make these for Jeff to go on the road.

Source: my sister Evelyn

Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 finely cut onion
• 1/4 c chili powder
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t allspice
• 1/4 t clove
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 oz Mexican hot chocolate squares
• 2 cans broth
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 3 T. vinegar plain or apple cider
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/2 t. oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put everything in huge pot and stir while simmering. Do not brown meat, when meat is cooked turn to low and simmer.  To make it into the traditional "Mile High Cincinnati Chili" boil noodles, to put the chili on, then add toppings such as raw onions, lots of cheese, coconut, green onions, pineapple, craisens, peas, olives, etc.

Notes:

This is the best chili I have ever tasted.  I don't like beans in mine like the pictures, but the spices andMexican  chocolate make it so sweet and good. The cinnamon and clove especially.  It sounds really weird to serve it on top of noodles with all those toppings I listed in the directions, but believe me it is really good!

Source:
Recipe from my sister Evelyn
Picture

Unbelievable Carrot Cake

 
Cake:
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
Frosting (I double the recipe below to frost a 9-inch layered cake):
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 5 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
5. When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat!
6. (I think it would be even better if you put it in the fridge for a little while until you're ready.)

I made this for Easter....Amazing.  I'm making every year!

Tres de Leches

Ingredients 

Yellow Cake Mix

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 C heavy whipping cream

1 t vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream

1 C sugar

1 t vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Make Yellow Cake Mix
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
4. Combine the whipping cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
5. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

Decadent Chocolate Cake (secret ingredient!)

Decadent Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Cake:
• 2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (see note above)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Frosting:
• 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I use ghiradelli milk)

DIRECTIONS

1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Process just until combined. Add the cooked quinoa and the butter. Blend well until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the contents from the blender and mix with a wooden spoon or whisk until combined.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake on a rack in the middle position for 28-30 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto cooling racks (remove the parchment paper stuck to the bottom of the cakes).
5. For the frosting, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan until it gently simmers. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let the mixture sit for five minutes. Whisk to combine until it is glossy and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled and cold (2-3 hours). You can speed up this process by placing the bottom of the bowl in an ice water bath and stirring until cool. When fully chilled, use an electric mixer (stand mixer or handheld) to whip the mixture to soft peaks.
6. Place one cake layer upside down on a serving platter or plate. Top with a generous portion (about half) of the whipped frosting, spreading to within 1/2-inch of the edge of the cake (it will press to the edge when the top cake layer is put on).
7. Gently put the other cake layer upside down on top of the frosted layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake. You could definitely frost the sides, too, but I like the more rustic look for this cake - frosting just the middle and top.
8. Chill the frosted cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving to let the frosting set up a bit.

Notes: I have nothing against flour at all but we had a sister missionary recently with Celiacs so she could not have gluten. I tried this one night when we were having them for dinner. Oh my. I don't even love cake that much, but THIS cake I can eat and eat. It is rich and super choclatey. Even though it's gluten free, we have made it several times since because it's our favorite chocolate cake! It does take some preparation though so I usually reserve it for special occasions (last debuted on Easter and next for Jeffrey's 8th birthday!). The frosting was a revelation for me and I love it. Use as high quality chocolate chips as you can. Also, it says use semi-sweet chocolate chips but I use milk:) Also, I love frosting it the way she describes - rustic and easy! The secret ingredient is seriously undetectable! Ask your family to guess the secret ingredient while enjoying the cake before you tell them:)

Credit: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/decadent-chocolate-cake/