Almond Joy Layer Cake

I got this recipe from "EveryDay with Rachael Ray" magazine. I have a few family members that absolutely LOVE Almond Joys, it turned out to be an amazing cake :D

Man this cake is really photogenic!

It looks even better on display!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus a big pinch
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 bag (14 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut (4 packed cups)
• 2 cups sliced almonds
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees . Butter two 8-inch-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment and butter the parchment.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2/3 cup water to a boil. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Whisk in the butter and chocolate over low heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Pour in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in 1 packed cup coconut. Divide the batter between the pans and bake in the lower third of the oven for 35 minutes or until firm in the center. Let cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
4. While the cake cools, spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 12 minutes; let cool.
5. In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup cream, the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and pinch salt and simmer, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla and 3 packed cups coconut. When cool, fold in 1 1/2 cups almonds.
6. Split the cake layers to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer cut side up on a cake stand and spread with 1 cup of the coconut-almond mixture. Top with the second layer cut side down and spread with 1 cup more of the mixture. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers and filling, spreading the filling on the top. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours to firm up.
7. Whip the remaining 2 1/4 cups cream with the confectioners sugar until stiff. Spread over the cake. Sprinkle the top with the remaining almonds.

Smoky Potato Rounds

What you need:

2 potatoes

BBQ sauce*

Shredded Cheese

Bacon

Toppings:

Sour Cream

Green Onions

*you can use Ranch instead

1. Scrub and pierce potatoes. Bake them at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

2. When potatoes cool, cut each potato width-wise into circles. Place them on a greased (or lined) baking sheet.

3. Brush the potatoes with BBQ Sauce; sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is melted.
5. Top with sour cream and green onions.

Garlic Asparagus Pasta Bake

*Just a note to everyone out there that when I make up my own recipe as I go, I dont like to measure anything while I make it, so bare with me* :D

I made this the other night on a whim and my dad really enjoyed it....he said it coulda used more asparagus, but honestly I just added it because I know it is healthy, not because i wanted to taste it :P

Ingredients:

Bacon
Asparagus
Rotini Pasta
Pepperoni
Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
Parmaesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp. Celery Flakes
2 tbsp. Garlic Powder
Shredded Cheese

Mix Sauce with parmaesan cheese and a small amount of garlic powder. Cook noodles and add to sauce mixture. Cut asparagus into tiny pieces, add. cut/break up bacon and pepperoni, add them too :D ...Mix well. Cover with shredded cheese. Mix bread crumbs with a small amount of garlic and celery flakes. Cover the top. Bake it at 400 degress until the crumbs are brown and the top is bubbly :D

Mexicana Dip

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite dips. We would get it anually on our way to Grand Rapids, MI. and we just COULDN'T GET ENOUGH :D so we decided to make our own.

Yep, there is only 2 ingredients! All you need is 8 ounces of your favorite salsa* for each 8 ounces of cream cheese that you add.

Mix well (if the cream cheese is softened a bit before hand, it mixes together a LOT smoother) :D

*thick and chunky works best, otherwise it may become runny!

Serve with Tortilla chips :D

BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

So you see, I have this problem. I love pizza, in all its forms. BUT I have two favorites that I can NEVER choose between.....BBQ Chicken Pizza, and Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza....well today at work, I got this B-R-I-L-L-A-N-T idea to combine the two! THIS is my new favorite pizza :D

So you will need:

Pizza crust-I used Pilsbury as I was in SUCH a hurry :D
Ranch
BBQ Sauce
Cheese
Chicken (cooked)
Bacon (fried)
1 Red Onion
Parmaesan Cheese.

Prepare your dough according to package directions. Mix approximately 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup ranch and a tablespoon of parmaesan cheese in a bowl. Spread this sauce mixture onto the dough, add cheese, onion, bacon and chicken.

Bake according to package instructions and enjoy!

*my chicken was frozen, so I heated it up in the leftover bacon grease.....heart attack on a platter.....but it was worth it!

Good Morning Biscuits

What an amazing way to start off your morning, or even better yet BREAKFAST FOR DINNER!

You will need:

Refrigerated Biscuits (or your own home-made)

Mozzerella Cheese

Salad Dressing (about 2 tablespoons)

Toppings: Sausage or Bacon, or if you want to be epic, USE BOTH!

Spread the biscuit dough in greased muffin tins. Mix salad dressing, cheese and toppings (You just need enough dressing to make it creamy). Make a depression in the dough, and place mixture inside. Bake biscuits according package instructions. Enjoy!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

or at least, that is what my cousin affectionately called it. We wanted to make a chicken parmaesan with more of a "chicken alfredo feel" ......

Sauce:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

pinch of basil

1 cup of milk

parmaesan cheese (the sprinkle kind)

shredded cheese (as desired)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together over heat until you get a sauce-like consistency.

Place the Sauce atop your favorite noodles (cooked of course) top with chicken, I chose to use popcorn chicken due to lack of time finally top with more cheese, you can never have too much of that, unless you are lactose intolerant, in which case i feel for you......Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is one of the first things I have ever made without a recipe, which would mean that it is my own recipe....wow what a thought, all the AMAZINGNESS that is Chicken Cordon Bleu in a CASSEROLE. What could be better than that???????? nothing!....

I used:

26 oz. can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 box of lasagna noodles broken into pieces
shredded cheese, i used colby jack
3 individually wrapped string cheese things
thin sliced turkey/ham/or both cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
popcorn chicken to cover the top

Start by covering the bottom with approximately 1/3 can of soup, and layer the rest of the ingredients to your liking. Cover the top with popcorn chicken, sprinkle with MORE cheese. Because who doesn't love cheese? Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes....Enjoy!