Picture Perfect Cooking

I always try to get photos of new recipes, but I didn’t on this one.  Since this is a slow-cooker recipe, I prepared it before I left for work and did not take the time to photograph it, but I still want to share it with you. 

7 bone-in pork chops

1 large can pineapple slices in syrup

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

non-stick spray

Sprinkle the pork chops with the salt and pepper.  Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and heat it to medium-high.  Brown the chops on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. 

Pour a little of the syrup in the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Layer the chops with the pineapple slices in the cooker and pour the rest of the syrup over the top.  Cook on low all day and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.  I served these with roasted potatoes, but they would be really good with rice as well.

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Are you looking for a quick, no-bake cookie bar for a bake sale or just for a treat?  Try this one!  It is quick, easy, and delicious!  I made it in about ten minutes with very little muss or fuss.

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Firmly press mixture into an ungreased 13×9” baking pan.  Spread melted chocolate evenly over peanut butter layer.  Let stand at room temperature 2 hours or until chocolate is set.  Cut into squares. 

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Oh MY GOODNESS!!  I have found the recipe for a chocoholic’s dream cake!  This recipe is off of the Hershey’s website and is listed on there as Hershey’s Hugs & Kisses Candies Chocolate Cake.  I didn’t have any of the kisses to top it with so I just used the basic name of the cake and frosting recipes, but it doesn’t matter.  The end result is still the same and it is chocolate heaven. The cake is just a good basic chocolate cake but the frosting…oh, the frosting is amazing!  It is thick and fudgy and I could eat it out of the bowl with a spoon by itself.  If you are a chocolate lover, you MUST try this.

Here is the photo tutorial and I listed the complete recipe below the photos:      

For the cake:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13×9” baking pan.  Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat 1 minute on medium speed of mixer.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the water until well blended.  Pour into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa

3 2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk, heated

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in cocoa.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly.  This won’t take long, about 5 minutes at most.  Remove from heat; pour into a small mixer bowl.  Add powdered sugar alternately with the warm milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Stir in vanilla.  Spread frosting while warm and then allow to cool (if you can) before eating.

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Around here, you can’t go wrong with a recipe that uses canned crescent rolls.  Everybody loves them!  This is a quick and easy recipe for a busy week night supper.  It is also great for potluck…just slice it into smaller pieces!

2 cans crescent rolls

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup taco sauce (I used mild.)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend.)

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.  When there is no pink left in the meat, pour in the taco sauce and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, open the crescent rolls and unroll into 16 triangles.  Arrange the triangles in a circle with them slightly overlapping on a round pizza stone.  (You can use a baking sheet if you do not have a stone.)

Scoop the taco filling onto the crescent roll circle and top with the cheese.  Bring the points of the triangles up over the filling and tuck under at the center to form the ring.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

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You can probably tell from this blog that I love to bake from scratch if I have time, but sometimes going the “semi-homemade” route results in some delicious goodies as well.  This is one of those times.  I was trying to decide what to fix for dessert one weekend and looked through the pantry to see what was available.  I had a white cake mix, some oreo cookies, and white or chocolate canned frosting.  I planned on making the white cake with chocolate frosting but found a neat variation on the back of the cake mix box. 

1 white cake mix

3 egg whites

oil

water

1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

1 can white frosting (Chocolate is shown in the photo below. I picked up the wrong one.  Oops!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the cake mix according to package directions.  Stir in the crushed Oreos.  Pour into a greased 13×9” cake pan.  You can also make this in two 9” cake pans or as cupcakes.  Bake according to package directions.

See all of the cookie pieces in there.  Yum!  Allow the cake to cool completely and then top the cake with the white frosting.  I served mine with Watergate salad on the side.

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There used to be a restaurant in a town about 30 minutes from where we live that was owned and operated by a man from our hometown.  The food there was delicious and the chef was known for his rolls and house salad dressing.  His mother published the salad dressing recipe in a cookbook published by the local homemaker’s club.  It is so good over mixed greens!  It is tangy and sweet all at the same time and is one of my favorite all-time dressings.  I hope you enjoy.

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp salad oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl with an whip.

Enjoy over your favorite salad.  That is all there is to it…easy & delicious!  I am sorry I do not have great pictures of the salad with the dressing, but I was traveling with this.  I did get a little taste test though.

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