Snickers Cake

Cake and Snickers.  Dessert doesn't get much better than that.  I was looking for something really good to fix for our Father's Day meal.  Grandpa and Grandma both like snickers bars so that made the choice easier.

Look at all those great ingredients.

Start with a devil's food cake mix.  Add the ingredients listed on the box.  In this case it was 1 cup water.

1/2 cup oil.

3 eggs

Beat well.

Spread out into a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.  Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for about 35 minutes.  Or whatever is listed on your box.

Fresh from the oven.

While the cake is still hot, make holes all over the top.  I used a skewer.  I didn't want the large holes left by a wooden spoon.  Use whatever you have that will make holes.

Have holes all over the cake.

Then pour caramel sauce all over the cake, making sure all the holes are filled.

The caramel sauce is in place.  Let cake completely cool before the next step.

While the cake is cooling, get the topping ready.  Start by chopping 3 regular sized snickers bars into small pieces.

Put the pieces into a bowl.

Fold in one 8 oz container of cool whip.

When the cake is cool, spread the cool whip on top.

Completely iced.

Drizzle the top with chocolate sauce.

The chocolate drizzle.

Drizzle the top with caramel sauce.

The finished cake.  Cover and keep in the fridge.

Snickers Cake Recipe

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
3 snickers bars
1 8 oz container cool whip
chocolate and caramel syrup for drizzling.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

I found this recipe the other day and could not wait to try it.  I have found some really good strawberry recipes this year, so I am glad they have been really good this year.

If you do not have graham cracker crumbs you can make your own with the whole crackers and crush them in the food processor.

Start with 3/4 cup butter softened.

Add 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

Beat well.

Add 2 eggs.  Beat after each one.

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add one 3 oz box of cheesecake pudding

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups plain flour.  Add a little at a time and beat well.

A heaping 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries.  You don't want the pieces too big. Fold the strawberries in so as not to crush them.

Fold until just mixed.

Pour some graham cracker crumbs in a bowl.

Roll dough into 2 Tablespoon sized balls and then roll in the graham cracker crumbs.

Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Place in a preheated 350 oven.  Bake for about 12 minutes.

Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes.

The finished cookies.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe

3/4 cup butter softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 pkg instant cheesecake pudding mix

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

graham cracker crumbs

Mango Quinoa Salad

Okay I had to see what the big deal was with quinoa.  I have read a little bit about this grain.  It is pronounced KEEN-wah.  It has been cultivated in the Andes for 5,000 years.  This grain can be substituted for rice in dishes.  It is also high in protein.  Give it a try.

This is a bright colorful salad.

Start by cooking the quinoa in either broth or water.  The quinoa doesn't really have a flavor so it is better to cook in a broth either chicken or vegetable.  I had some left over chicken broth in the fridge so I used that.  The ratio is 2 cups broth to 1 cup quinoa.

Measure out the grain.

Qunioa either has to be soaked for a few minutes or rinsed very well.  I chose to rinse it well in a small strainer.

I used a spoon to help "rough" it up a little bit.  there is a shell on the grain and soaking or rinsing it helps to soften it before cooking.

While the quinoa is cooking, start chopping the fruits and veggies.  Peel and chop one mango.  The mango is a hard fruit to chop well.  You have to be careful of the pit in the middle.

Chop it into small pieces.

Drain and rinse a can of black beans.

Chop a red bell pepper.

Chop 6 green onions.

Add them all to a bowl. Look at all those colors.

Mix the dressing. 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

The juice of one lime.

Whisk that all together.

The quinoa is cooked.  The broth has been absorbed.

After it has cooled, add to the other ingredients.

Toss well to mix.

Add the dressing.

Cover and put in the fridge to let it get cold.

Mango Quinoa Salad Recipe

2 cups cooked quinoa chilled
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper diced
6 green onions thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lime
salt and pepper