5 Minute Cake

Oh, this is a wonderful recipe! Thanks to the friend who forwarded it to me!! I'll send the extra weight I gain your way...LOL. The recipe is very quick and makes a moist, yummy snack with very little time involved...perfect for that 'morning coffee snack','after dinner snack' or late night 'tv snack'. Heck, I'm even considering making them for company now. Perfect for a single 'sugar binge' or can be shared with others.

First is the Original Recipe...

5 Minute Microwave Chocolate Cake....

Use Large Coffe Mug that can be Microwaved
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons Flour (self-rising flour)
4 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Cocoa
1 Egg (good use for Small or Medium Eggs)
3 tablespoons Milk
3 tablespoons Oil
small splash Vanilla
3 tablespoons Chocolate Chips (Optional) but really makes it Chocolatey

The original recipe says to put all the dry ingredients in the cup first and then mix well, add the egg, mix well, then the milk, oil, vanilla, mix well and add Chocolate Chips. It comes out real good that way, but I mix mine in the following order: Put egg, sugar and oil in cup, mix well...I use a fork...then add the cocoa and flour, mix well...add milk and vanilla, mix well, then add Chocolate Chips, if using and mix well.

Place cup in Microwave....cook for 3 minutes if using 1000 Watt Microwave...about 4 minutes if using a lower watt Microwave. Depending on the size of your coffee mug, the cake may rise above the top....this is ok. I have used a tooth pick to test for doneness in mine....REMEMBER...cooking with a Microwave is a little different...things need to set for at least 3 - 5 minutes after the microwave is off so the cooking can complete. Once the cup begins to cool, the cake will begin 'shrinking' inside the cup...this is fine.

You can eat it out of the cup, or using a thin bladed knife, like a slicing knife, loosen the cake from the cup and turn it out onto a plate for slicing, or icing. If the cake is too dry,Try 30 seconds less time, it means you cooked it a bit too long. Too gooey...add 30 seconds to cooking time.

5 Minute Lemon Cake

Use Large Microwavable Coffee Mug

Ingredients: 4 tablespoons Flour (self-rising)

4 tablespoons Sugar

1 Egg

3 tablespoons Milk

3 tablespoons Oil

*** Lemon Extract or Lemon Juice *** I like the taste of Lemon, so I used about

1/8 teaspoon of Lemon Extract...I'm thinking of using Lemon Juice the next round

Mix egg, oil and sugar in mug, add Lemon, mix well. Add Flour and mix well. Add Milk, mix til smooth. Put cup in microwave 3 -4 minutes depending on your microwave.

Cool for at least 5 minutes in cup...eat from cup or using a thin blade knife, loosen and turn onto plate for slicing or icing.

5 Minute Cinnamon Cake

Use Large Microwavable Coffee Mug

Ingredients: 4 tablespoons Flour (self-rising)

4 tablespoons Sugar

****Ground Cinnamon **** About a teaspoon or less depending on your taste...I like cinnamon

1 Egg

3 tablespoons Milk

3 tablespoons Oil

Topping...3 tablespoons brown sugar mixed with ground Cinnamon in separate small bowl Cinnamon to taste...mix well with brown sugar.

This one is mixed a bit different...in the bottom of your coffee mug, put half the brown sugar/cinnamon mix...

In a liquid measuring cup, mix egg, sugar, cinnamon, and oil...add flour, mix well...add milk, mix til smooth.

Pour into coffee mug over brown sugar/ cinnamon mix....add remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mix on top. Put cup in microwave 3 1/2 minutes to 4 1/2 minutes depending on your microwave.

Let cool five minutes in cup...BE CAREFUL...the brown sugar /cinnamon will be gooey and HOT. Turn out on plate to share or wait until completely cool to eat from cup.

Old Friends and dangerous cake recipe

Recently, we heard from a couple who used to live up the street from us when the boys were young. For the first ten years hubby and I were together, this couple were close friends and their kids and ours were more like siblings. A few years ago, they had moved to another town north of here, about an hour away. The friendship kinda got put on the back burner at that time and we gradually lost touch. Then they decided to move back in to our old neighborhood and our boys were still in that area, so they kept in touch through the kids at that time.

We haven't been to visit nor have they been here to visit for over two years....they came out right about the end of our first year here and we had went to their house before they moved back in town about the same time.

Last night we finally got a chance to go for a nice visit with them. It was really nice being around people who we have both known for almost twenty years now. Usually, it's people hubby has known for years, before we met, or people I have known for years, before we met.

We all get along really well and are looking forward to getting together again soon.

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Finally gave the 'world's most dangerous cake' recipe another go...this time though, I left out the cocoa and substituted Lemon extract for the vanilla and chocolate. It came out pretty tasty but I think maybe Lemon Juice would be better than the extract. Hubby really enjoyed this version and we wiped it out before we finished watching the news.....just what I need to be doing before I go to bed....snacking. LOL

As I was relaxing and trying to clear my mind as I lay in bed all I could think about was variations on the recipe for this cake. The next one I do, I think I'll see if I can give it the topping like my cinnamon coffee cake recipe. Way too many tempting things I'm wanting to try with this recipe now!! It's so quick and easy that I can already foresee me having to really watch myself or I will be gaining waaaayyy too much weight!! But it made such a tasty snack!

I'll be passing this recipe along to my sis and friends along with my own variations as I try them out.

Chili con wowie...to Spanish Rice

Last nights supper...Still craving the Spanish Rice, I went ahead and cooked up a small amount of rice....1/2 cup dry rice...1 1/2 cup water...salt...for only the two of us, this is enough rice....

After the rice was done, I poured the remaining chili over it, mixed well and re-heated on low....stirring frequently to keep it from sticking....I did have to add about a cup and a half more water while it was heating. Re-heated the remaining cornbread and supper was done.

MMMMM...yummmm, this came out exactly the way my tastebuds were craving!!! Now that's something that doesn't happen often! The last of the leftovers....about two more servings....I'm so glad my husband doesn't mind finishing things off. He's usually the one saying let's have it again...

Chili con wowie...

Started with the idea of making a Spanish rice type dish...just had a taste for good ol' TexMex. Once the idea began taking shape, I decided that adding chili beans would taste even better with the beef and rice mixture. The recipe for "chili con wowie" is born.

I've been making chili since I was a kid and depending on the er, um, subjects planning on eating it, depends on the variety I make. This chili of mine goes from what I call 'sweet' chili which is very mild, all the way to 'chili con wowie'...just depends where my taste buds are at when I make it.

For this batch, I started out with dry pinto beans...maybe one and a half cups (I hardly ever measure) and cooked them in a two quart sauce pan with the following seasonings: Garlic Salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper, regular Salt, med onion, Oregano, Chili powder and about four little hot peppers from a bottle of hot pepper sauce.
All of the seasonings were added to MY taste, which was dulled by the fact that I couldn't SMELL. I broke one of my own rules for cooking chili...if I can't smell, then don't make chili.
Reason being, I cook by smell when it comes to my chili and by the time I could/can smell the seasonings, it is so spicy barely anyone can eat it. Done this numerous times over the years and have made some pretty HOT and spicy chili.

I cooked the chili beans over low heat, covered, until they were done. Cooled them down and let them sit in the fridge over night. The next day, I began with the ground beef. Browned the beef in the stock pot I planned to use for the concoction with the following spices: Salt, pepper, Chili powder, Oregano, onion and again about four small hot peppers from the hot pepper sauce. Once browned, I normally would drain the meat and rinse the grease. This helps make it very low fat for anyone on a fat restricted diet. This night however, I was surprised to see that the ground meat was very lean and the resulting grease was less than two tablespoons, so I didn't drain it. If I have to drain the meat and rinse it after it has browned, then I re-season to taste.

Once the meat was done, I added the beans and then a large can of tomato sauce. Rinsed the can with about a half can of water and added to the mixture. Stir well to mix things and simmer for about an hour and a half. Add salt if needed to individual bowls.
Was about to add the rice, until I saw just what a perfect texture this chili was...ok, no rice....this is the perfect consistency for chili as is.

We serve our chili usually with chunks of Velveeta (because I like it) or Cheddar. I made a pan of Cornbread and supper was done. MMMMM, it sure tasted perfect that first night...had just a touch of hot behind the spice that kinda lingered...the cornbread helps with that...

The second night, after things had a chance to mix and mingle, we heated it up and chowed once more...the main difference...all the spices were intensified!!! It is now 'Chili con Wowie'....felt like I blistered my mouth as I continued shoveling it in...can't help myself, I was lookin for true TexMex and I believe I succeeded!! Couldn't tell if it was heat from the spice or the stove...had to take a break and let it cool off a bit before starting again...soooo tasty, but it was definitely the spice. Had a couple bites from the fridge earlier today....not bad even cold...the spice is much 'cooler' when its cold...haahahaha. Not even a speck of grease showing....my kind of chili, eat it straight from the fridge...now that we're down to the last couple of bowls, I'll be cooking up a bit of rice and we'll be having chili over the rice...hope that drops the temperature down a few degrees!!

Pineapple...hmmm, what to do?

During the storm our friend who needed the pump gave us a very nice size fresh pineapple. He grows them himself and this one was golden when he sent it to me. I'm allergic to citrus, but I do adore fresh pineapple and can hardly wait until my own produces. Its one I started earlier this year from one of his. But, I digress...

Once its peeled and cut, what to do with it before it goes bad? It was a bit tart, but very nice and sweet. Since I know if I eat it I will regret it, I limited myself to just one chunk...but still the question remains as to what to do with it? Hubby likes it, but not that much...hmmmm, I know I have a blender around here somewhere....I'll make it juice!! So after a few minutes rummaging around the bottom kitchen cabinet I find the old Oster blender...get it cleaned up....ewww, its been there since we moved in...washed it well and began chunking the pineapple into the blender...of course the lid is nowhere to be found...ok, here's another lid that will work...on she goes!! After several minutes, I have a beautiful frothy stuff in the blender...still a bit on the tart side, so I added a couple spoons of sugar....a few more minutes and yep! that's what I'm talking about...poured a glass and it was fairly tasty...a bit pulpy, like orange juice, but tasty nonetheless.

Now I have a two quart pitcher of this stuff about two thirds full...I decide to let it set and see how much juice I actually have. After two days, it doesn't look like it has de-foamed...so I pop the lid to check it out...holy shades of pineapplesauce !! Yep, all the 'foam' was actually a pulpy substance with the texture of applesauce....cool...ok, I know what I'm cooking now!! CAKE!
The cookbook has been open for the past two days to the cake recipes...just made one tonight...finally...lol.

Before the cake though, I was trying to think of something for supper...something besides leftovers. I made meatloaf last night and potato and broccoli soup the night before from potato soup I'd made on Saturday....we've eaten leftovers of some type since last week and I was looking for somethng different. As I'm thinking about this I envision chicken with a pineapple glaze...just got supper...chicken with brown sugar, pineapple, and sweet red peppers...I put the sugar, cinnamon, peppers and pineapplesauce in a sauce pan and began to heat it over low heat. After the mixture began to look smooth, I poured it over two salted chicken breasts in a baking dish and popped it in the oven. Cooked it at 350 for about an hour. It sure came out nice...the two of us didn't stop til it was gone.

Once the cake was done, I whipped up a butter cream type frosting, substituting Crisco for the butter...added cinnamon and then thought I was adding vanilla extract...oops, picked up the Lemon extract by mistake...didn't notice it until it was poured. Wasn't measuring, just eyeballing the amount...but it sure tastes good! The first piece was still warm...hmmm, tastes a bit doughy...might have needed a few more minutes, but the toothpick pulled clean. The frosting is yummy...will have to try another piece once its cooled...I dropped one cup of flour from the recipe, the original Applesauce cake recipe called for three cups flour and two cups thick applesauce. Since the pineapplesauce was not super thick, I went ahead and left out one cup of flour...the batter was really thick...light and fluffy, but thick. Its been awhile since I've made a cake from scratch...hmmm