Chocolate Crazy Cake

This cake is so delicious and easy! I first found the recipe over on Sweet Little Bluebird. Make sure to check her out; she has a variety of different flavors to go with this cake! This cake has no eggs, no milk and no butter, plus it is so simple you don't even need a mixer. This is a cake that was created during the Depression, where eggs, butter and milk were not as easy to acquire. This is the 2nd time that I have made this cake this week.

The recipe is so basic and simple I decided to make up three bags of dry ingredients to speed up the next time that I make it. With as simple as this cake is to make I taped a little direction sheet to each bag, so no matter who makes it they can do it easily without having to go look for the recipe.

Chocolate Crazy Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp.  salt

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp.  pure vanilla extract

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil 

1 cup water 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 pan. Simply mix all of the dry ingredients together. Create 3 wells or holes in the dry ingredients; dump vinegar, vanilla, and oil into those holes. Dump the water all over the top of the cake. Mix everything together until smooth and put it in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until done.

Note:

I made these into cupcakes and one batch made 12 regular cupcakes.

I frosted them using my Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. I simply made a half batch of frosting (I only use 4 ounces Cream Cheese instead of 5). The white frosting is the same recipe minus the chocolate, and with a tsp more vanilla.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

I'm not a huge fan of mac and cheese but this stuff is really good. I have made it many times and the last few times I have been tweaking it.

This is the basic recipe:

Ingredients:  

2 cups dried pasta

2½ cups milk

1 cup shredded cheese

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn heat off, add cheese, salt and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard a little at a time to taste. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes, then stir again and serve. If not creamy enough, add milk a little at a time, and gently stir. If you would like to bake it at this point, place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until cheese has melted.

NOTE: I never bake it in the oven and I also don't turn off the heat when adding the cheese, I just turn it down.

Tweak 1: I added 6 oz of cream cheese instead of 4. Good but almost too creamy.

Tweak 2: I have started doing a heaping tsp of mustard. I do the regular amounts of everything but I have added two oz of Velveeta cheese. It gave a little more of a cheesy flavor and added nice texture.

Shake 'N Bake Steak Fries

We decided we wanted to try a new twist on steak fries, so this time we cut up the potatoes and tossed it in Ranch & Herb Shake 'N Bake. We then baked it at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until tender. They were really good.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This is meat is delicious! We've made this with chicken and pork, I prefered the chicken but both were really good. The recipe came from Chocolate Therapy and is very simple. Dump the meat, 1 oz taco seasoning, and 16 oz salsa in the crockpot then give it a stir. We cooked it for 6 to 8 hours on low. After it was done it go shredded and put back in the crockpot and stirred up. It made leftovers that were just as good the second or third day as it was the first.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I really like taco seasoning but it always seems to give me indigestion. I found this homemade taco seasoning on pinterest and decided to give it a try. Super easy to make and NO indigestion!

Ingredients

6 T. chili powder

9 tsp. ground cumin

6 tsp. fine sea salt

6 tsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

Directions

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until well-combined. Store in an air-tight container. Makes 5.2oz.

Kroger 10 Minute Skillet Meals

I got another BzzKit!! I really like receiving these kits, it open up new products for me to try. For those who don't know what BzzAgent is, you create an account and do a bunch of surveys. The results from the surveys are then used to pair you up with a Bzz Campaign, for some it takes a while to actually be paired up with a campaign.

For my campaign I received coupons for the Kroger 10 Minute Skillet Meal, a salad kit and a loaf of Kroger garlic bread. The skillet meal and the garlic bread are both located in the freezer section. There are many choices for the skillet meal, a lot had peppers in them, peppers fresh are fine but not so much frozen. With this being the case I chose the Chicken Florentine. You simply open the bag, dump it in a pan and cook it for 10 minutes. You don't have to add anything to it!

For the salad kit my Smith's had a few options and I chose the house salad with bacon. It comes with really crisp lettuce, ranch salad dressing, garlic croutons and bacon bits. I was afraid there wasn't going to be enough salad dressing but we found it to be the perfect amount.

The garlic bread I finally found at Fred Meyers, it is located in with the Texas Toast type breads. It was good but for us we wanted it to be more garlicky. It simply goes in the oven for 10 minutes.

All-in-all we were really impressed with this meal. The only drawback we found was the meal is 3.5 servings but costs $5.something almost $6 a bag it was a bit expensive for our taste but with the free coupon it was definitely fun to try something new.

All opinions written in this post are mine and I haven't been bribed to give a positive or negative feedback.

Crockpot Applesauce

I really like applesauce and I love to try new recipes; I saw this recipe for applesauce in the crockpot a few weeks ago on Thrift Decor Chick (TDC). We just picked the apples off our trees a few days ago and thought this was the perfect way to use some of them up.

I used 9 honey crisp apples; peeled, cored and sliced. They were then dumped into the crock-pot on top of the apples put the sugar and cinnamon. I used a 1/3 of a cup of sugar since TDC used a 1/2 cup but thought less would be better. As far as cinnamon goes I didn't measure I just dumped some in, I thought it was good but the rest of the family would like less cinnamon. It cooked on high for 4 hours. It was really good warm but we all preferred it after it had cooled in the fridge. I did take a potato masher to it to make it smaller pieces; I also added some more sugar.

This was a delicious way to use up some of our apples. Can't wait to try it again and mess around with the spices.

Bzz Agent: Free Friday Download

Free Friday Download is a neat system that allows you to go on every Friday and download a coupon to be used at a Kroger retailer. The coupon is loaded right on to your rewards card so you don't have to remember to grab your coupon. The only thing that I have ran into, I am always forgetting to go on and look at that week's coupon. It is definitely something that I am going to try and check more in the future.

All opinions written in this post are mine and I haven't been bribed to give a positive or negative feedback.

Luck of the Draw By: Rachael Renee Anderson

This is your usual romance; rocky beginning, a few tough trials but still they all live happily ever after. One of the main reasons I really liked this book was because I go to school in Rexburg and I am from Shelley (same as the roommate Kevin). The other reason is the huge resemblance to my FHE brothers this past semester. The 'Brighton' of them is also looking at UVU for medical school on his off track and would find huge joy in dating girls without others knowing. Overall it was a fun, quick book.

When Brighton's roommates bet him that he can't get three girls to go out with him at the same time, he has no doubt that he's up to the challenge. Besides, the prospect of an entire month of free laundry is just too enticing to resist. Of course, that's before he meets Dani--a girl who's never had a problem turning down a not-so-perfect guy. Soon Brighton realizes that winning the bet might mean losing what really matters most. This fast-paced modern romance is told with wit, sweetness, and a healthy dose of fun. It's a sure bet that Luck of the Draw will keep you laughing to the very last page.

DIY: Nail Stickers

I can't draw whatsoever but especially not with my left hand. I found this PIN on pinterest and couldn't help but try it out. While looking into it a bit more I ran into this POST that found parchment paper to work the best.

To give them all a fair chance, I used parchment paper, a ziplock bag and the tin foil from the backside of my parchment paper. I did two on each sheet, one had a top coat before the design and the second was only the design. In the end I found that the parchment paper definitely worked the best.

I let the top coat dry then painted the design on top; after the design dried I applied a top coat. I used the Nailene Top Coat; I tried Sally Hansen Hardener, Sinful Colors Clear and Sally Hansen Extreme Wear but didn't get very good results.

After letting the top coat dry the stickers peeled right off.

When it came to putting them on the nails, I applied a base coat of Sinful Colors clear and while it was still wet I put the sticker on. After allowing the sticker to dry into the base coat for a few minutes I used nail polish and cleaned up around the sides. After everything was cleaned up I applied another coat of Sinful Colors clear to lock it in. 

Now to see how long it lasts.

Chocolate Frostings

I absolutely love the chocolate cream cheese frosting that I use on my homemade brownies but a college roommate of mine gave me the recipe for her chocolate frosting and it is so delicious. 

NOTE: The cream cheese frosting is a rich frosting but makes about twice as much as needed for a 9x13 pan of brownies. The other frosting is on the thin side when it came to applying it. I put the leftover in the fridge and ate it the next day, it has a mousse consistency. 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

10 oz cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp butter, softened 
1 tsp vanilla 
4 cups powdered sugar 
3 Tbsp cocoa powder

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar, then sift in cocoa powder and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.

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Chocolate Frosting

¼ c melted butter
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
½ tsp vanilla
3 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Karo

Combine butter, cocoa and salt; gradually add milk and vanilla. Stir in sugar in 3 parts; add Karo.
 

Between Shades of Gray By: Ruta Sepetys

This was an amazing book, and I couldn't put it down. I have never read an personal accounts from during this time period and it was quite interesting to see it through the eyes of a 16 year old. I loved seeing the growth in Lina; she decided that she wasn't going to give the Russians her soul and she lived by that.

This is the story of Lina and her family during Stalin's reign of terror. Lina is a great artist and uses her skills to communicate with her father. Lina throughout the story learns that you can't judge a person by their actions or what they say; it is what truly lies in their heart that matters.

Fool Me Twice By: Stephanie Black

This was a really good book. I enjoyed the twists and turns that it took.

When it comes to pleasing her twin sister, Megan O'Connor is an easy touch. She'll do just about anything to gain Kristen's approval, including trading places with her. After all, Kristen's plan promises to get Megan out of a dead-end job and make them both rich. It will be a nice reward for a little genealogical investigation--something that couldn't have happened without the help of Kristen's new LDS acquaintances. And who could blame the twins for using a tiny bit of deceit to manipulate an inheritance out of someone as demanding as their estranged Aunt Evelyn?

All Megan has to do is pretend to be Kristen, move into Evelyn's house, and take care of the wealthy old woman until her failing health kills her. It shouldn't take too long. It shouldn't be too difficult. Megan's the nice one. Except for the lie, the task is a natural fit. Everything would be perfect if she could just ignore the guilt--a feeling that only grows stronger as she spends more time with the new friends Kristen arranged for her.

But soon Megan discovers that there is more to worry about. She's living in a house of illusions where she isn't the only one playing a part. Someone has developed a new plotline that ends with a death scene--and in this version, the victim won't die of natural causes.

Beneath the surface of the sleepy New England town of Britteridge, deceit weaves a deadly web where turnabout is anything but fair play.

After By: Amy Efaw

This was a good book but for me it had a tendency to drag on. I found it fascinating how traumatic events can be blocked from our mind. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in law, as it has quite a bit of information regarding the trial. I did find the ending to be a bit of a surprise; I wish it would have continued on a bit more.

This is the story of Devon as she faces life after giving birth to IT. The baby is found in a dumpster and Devon is charged with attempted murder. As Devon is preparing for her trial, one that will decide whether she is to be tried as a juvenile or an adult, she can't help but begin to relive THAT night. Everything that Devon's hears about her case allows her to see her life in a new light, a life that she is now prepared to handle.

American Born Chinese By: Gene Luen Yang

This book had a good message, you never know what impact something you do will have on someone else. For me there was a lot of stuff in the book that could have been left out and it still had a good message. You could see growth and change in the characters but at least for me there wasn't a lot to the plot. I don't think I could honestly recommended this book to anyone.

This is the story of Jin Wang, the Monkey King, Danny and Wei-Chen. As the book progresses each chapter is told from a different point of view. As the book comes to an end you find out how they are all interconnected. Throughout the book Jin Wang and Wei-Chen have to deal with the cultural differences found between Chinese and American culture.

Never Fall Down By: Patricia McCormick

Never Fall Down, is a true story about Arn Chorn-Pond and his survival through the Cambodian genocide. Arn tells of his life before the war got him, then his time as a prisoner, followed by his time as a soldier and ends with his life in America.

 

Throughout the book it is never sugar coated which I really appreciated. I watched a few interviews with Arn and Patricia McCormick, it really made the book coming alive actually hearing from him before I ever read the book. This genocide isn't usually taught in school so we don't realize what happened. This has a few graphic parts but nothing that teenagers and older kids couldn't handle.

Touching Spirit Bear By: Ben Mikaelsen

This is a really good book. The first time I read it was in seventh grade but I didn't really remember it much. Reading this book goes great with a class I'm taking about juvenile delinquents. I love to watch the change in Cole as he lives on the island and the change that we get to see come over Peter. I have seen a few people who have gone through a wilderness treatment to help them get over drug addictions and I would personally like to see it used more as a treatment. I would like to see them make it into a movie.

Touching Spirit Bear is the story of Cole Matthews as he tries to overcome his anger at the world. Cole is a juvenile delinquent who is at the point where he could be tried as an adult. His parole officer suggests he lives on a remote island in Alaska for a year so he can work out his anger and hatred in a place where he can't hurt anyone. After only a few days on the island Cole is mauled by the Spirit Bear; after he has healed enough and is allowed to return to the island Cole begins a huge transformation. He is joined by Peter, the kid he beat up, and he begins to help Peter heal.

BzzAgent and Dr Scholl's Inserts

So about a month ago I joined BzzAgent after reading about a friends experience with it. They send out products for free in order to generate consumer reviews. You fill out surveys and then they match you with a campaign that they are currently running. It took about three weeks before I got my first campaign offer.

The product that I received was Dr Scholl's Inserts. I've always wanted to try them but never wanted to pay the cost of them so this was a great way to try them. In the kit was a what you do with your kit paper, the pair of inserts, and a stack of coupons (got plenty if anybody is interested!!!).

To give them a fair chance I have worn them everyday this week and for me that means a lot of walking, uphill. I even wore them on a hike down to the river to go fishing. My tennis shoes were already pretty comfortable. I haven't really see a ton of difference with the inserts, but I'm definitely going to keep giving them a chance.

All opinions written in this post are mine and I haven't been bribed to give a positive or negative feedback.

Scotts No Bake Cookies

These cookies are delicious and really easy. Plus a major bonus they are no bake!!!

Ingredients: 

2 cups sugar

½ cup milk

1 cube butter

4 Tbsp. cocoa

¾ cup peanut butter

3 cups quick oats

1 tsp. vanilla 

Instructions:

In a large pan mix together the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Boil for 1 minute then add the peanut butter, quick oats and vanilla. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet; let set until hardened.

Tips:

- When adding the peanut butter, leave it on the heat; it melts quicker and smoother.

The Scorpio Races By: Maggie Stiefvater

I liked the end of the book but the beginning dragged on. There are different things that I think should have been left out while other things should have been included, though this happens with every book. With this specific book there are different things that are described towards the end of the book that would have made so much more sense at the beginning of the book. I also enjoyed that Puck and Sean have a romance but it is very mild and is more of a mutual attraction instead of a mushy love. All in all the book wasn't bad.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.