I could've just opened up a box of....

..but I wouldn't have gotten a chuckle out of what Grace said!

Last night for dinner I made homemade Beef Stroganoff, why I don't make it more often is a question to me because I LOVE it!! 6 out of 7 Summers monkeys gave it two thumbs up(I don't think Emma could get past the mushrooms, "dats gusting mom", enough said). Surprisingly easy to make, full of flavor, full of noodles, mushrooms and of course what makes it stroganoff, sour cream. What is there not to love about it?! After all plates were cleaned, minus a few 'gusting mushrooms, tummy's pleasantly full, Grace turned to me and said "Mom, that was great Hamburger Helper!" Curses Betty Crocker for creating a box mix that tastes similar to the genuine thing! It was funny and confusing all rolled up in one. I guess I'll take it as a compliment, especially since I discovered a while back that they liked Hamburger Helper over some of my creations(just wrong on so many levels, my curried pumpkin soup is killer!).

So if your children are like my monkeys and actually prefer HH over your cooking but you'd like the satisfaction of creating it from scratch here's the recipe of..

It's not Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs beef stew meat

4 T butter

31/2 c beef broth

4 T ketchup

2 t salt

1 t pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 onion, thinly sliced

5 T flour

1 c or more sour cream

Brown stew meat in melted butter, stirring occasionally. Reserving 1/2 of broth, stir in remaining broth, ketchup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onions. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until beef is tender. You may need to add additional water while it is cooking. After the beef is tender add mushrooms and cook an additional 10 minutes. While that is simmering blend into reserved broth the 5 T of flour, making sure to get lumps out. Gradually stir into stroganoff and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add sour cream and serve over hot noodles. YUM!

Hope you enjoy Kelly and Lisa ;)!

Chocoholics Anonymous-I know I've said this before.....

But, I think I may have found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.(at least for this week)

It's soft yet crispy, loaded with chocolate chips, and has a surprising twist.

I got the recipe from a mom at ballet. She's quite the chocolate chip cookie lover I found out, they bake these babies every Sunday! I was shocked that they made them every Sunday, but after downing a few this morning for breakfast, I now understand why. I could make them a weekly ritual myself.

It's funny how very small the world really is. My sister's aunt in-law Lori goes to church with cookie Lori (yes, two Lori's) and cookie Lori also lives next door to Duane's oncologist(whom we loved). Aunt in-law Lori was talking about cookie Lori at Easter dinner and these fabulous cookies made their way into our conversation, so when I was at ballet last week cookie Lori(who has the recipe perfectly memorized), jotted it down and the rest is history. *Did you just follow that or did I just sound like an airhead?*

Lori's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c softened butter

3/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 small package vanilla instant pudding

2 1/4 c flour

1 t soda

1 t salt

12 oz chocolate chips ( I used a bag and a half)

Cream your butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then add vanilla extract and vanilla pudding. Lastly add in flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Spoon onto baking sheets and bake at 375 for 9-11 min.

No fancy steps, sifting, nothing really difficult. Lori says no matter how you make them they turn out the same delicious cookie every time. I love them, I'm sold. But I'm sure next week I will have cheated on them and found a new love. Just call me a cookie floozy.

Chocoholics Anonymous-A Tale of Two Turtles

Today is my 16th wedding anniversary and I am in a serious need of really good chocolate. Honestly, today kinda stinks, big rotten egg stinks. I guess my rose colored glasses are broken, every time I think of the fabulous, happy memories about our wedding day I get all teary eyed. Even blogging about chocolate is trying my patients(I've been typing this post all day!).

I decided to make 2 kinds of turtle desserts, the first one is the pictured scrumdiddliumptious one above, a Paula Deen delight, the second one was this tried and true favorite. Both are equally rich, gooey and definitely filled that need to devour chocolate goodness. Why did I make two you ask? Today being my anniversary I was afraid that if I made the cake and it was disappointing I would be left wanting the other turtle bars, so better be safe than really sorry and grouchy(thanks for the life's lesson Brenda). *Warning about the Turtle Cake, my top cake layer didn't cook exactly how I thought it should, it was gooier than I would have liked it*

Turtle Cake

Cake:

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1 14 oz package of caramel candies

1 stick butter

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 c chocolate chips

1 c chopped nuts

Frosting:

3 T cocoa

1/2 stick butter

1/3 c milk

1 T light corn syrup

1/8 t salt

2 c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake according to directions on box. Pour half of batter into prepared 9x 13 pan, reserve other half. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Don't turn off oven. Meanwhile, melt caramel candies with butter in a pan. When completely melted, remove from heat an stir in condensed milk until smooth. Let mixture cool completely. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Spread mix over cooled cake. Pour remaining batter over mixture and return to oven for another 25 to 30 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare frosting. Mix together cocoa, butter, milk, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using a handheld mixer, beat powdered sugar and vanilla into cocoa mixture: beat until smooth. Pour icing over warm cake.

Duane and I were the best of friends, completely madly in love. I miss him dearly and wish he were by my side this day, like he was those 16 short years ago. Really I do know that he has never left me, I am not alone, but sometimes that faith that you cling to slips and sadness sweeps over you. Right now I feel that sadness, just a longing to hold him, share with him some of my yummy creations, laugh with him about some of the children's antics, use him as a sounding board for my frustrations. I miss him.

We were two peas in a pod!

Chocoholics Anonymous-French Silk Double Chocolate Oreo Cake

Let me start by saying today was a "chocolate emergency kit" day, or in other words my 12 year old son, who shall remain nameless, but the letters B-E-and N are in his name, was driving me absolutely BONKERS! From sun up to sun down, 100% BONKERS! So when I started to type this post about this extremely yummy, chocolaty, rich French Silk Double Chocolate Oreo Cake, that I made LAST WEEK it almost put me over the top. Hence the reason my "chocolate emergency kit" is almost gone!!

Oh this cake really is just delicious, but I do warn you, the French Silk portion does contain raw eggs. I did a little research, technically I guess your not supposed to eat raw eggs, but my family has been making this for years, and athletes have been downing raw eggs for breakfast for ages and none of us have been struck with the avian flu or salmonella poisoning. It's up to your own personal comfort, and if you know of a good pasteurized egg product, be my guest. But here's the recipe as we make it. Also the cake part is basically a box mix all jazzed up, easy cheesy! Enjoy!

French Silk Double Chocolate Oreo Cake

Double chocolate cake:

1 box any flavor chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 box chocolate pudding

1 c mini chocolate chips

1 1/2 c evaporated milk

1/2 oil

Mix cake according to directions but add pudding and bake according to box directions and pan size. Cool, wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for an hour. Freezing the cake only helps with frosting the cake with French Silk, so if you don't want to do this you really don't have to. When the hour is almost done make the French Silk.

French Silk:

1 1/2 sticks butter(only butter)

3/4 c cocoa

1/2 c sugar

2 t. vanilla

3 eggs

Cream together butter, sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Add cocoa and mix on high speed for 6 minutes. Add the last egg and beat an additional 5 minutes on high.

To assemble cake:

1 package Oreo's

Double Chocolate Cake

French Silk

Coarsely crush around 10 Oreo's and cut in half about 5-10 Oreo's. When you frost the cake sprinkle the crushed Oreo's in the middle layer on top of a layer of French Silk. Frost the cake as normal and arrange the halved Oreo's in a circle around the cake. If you want crush an additional amount and cover the top of cake in the center of the Oreo circle. It really makes a pretty cake, let alone yummy.

Chocoholics Anonymous-Sipping Chocolate

Mr. Mustache seems overflowing with enthusiasm for this over the top chocolate concoction. Guess who didn't get a big mug full? Hannah on the other hand, ah, a girl after my own heart. She loved the chocit-a-milk, as she calls it.

It was a tad bit nippy this morning, my family would say it was down right freezing. Is 66 in the house cold? I don't know, nothing beats bundling up, cozy warm with a blanket, breathing in that cold morning air and hearing everyone go "brrrr, brrr, mom it's cold!" That's a debate we have every fall/winter, guess who wins! Darn tootin' I win. Especially when I offer a truce with a mug of yummy hot chocolate. Over the next few Chocoholic Fridays I will offer up some different variations on Hot Chocolate and maybe a few cookie companions to dunk.

Today's version I just recently came across, thanks to Chemo Wednesday. I needed to distract my woe's so I scooted down to the closest store and found Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies edition magazine. So many delights, so many calories. And this lovely Sipping Chocolate which they paired with a peanutty biscotti, I prefer pumpkin biscotti myself.

I hope you try this, dunk something in this, or use this as a truce, but mostly I hope you enjoy a great big mug of...

Sipping Chocolate

4 c half and half or whole milk

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 T dark-color corn syrup

whipped cream, optional

In a heavy saucepan, combine half and half, semisweet chocolate, and the chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir in corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Serve in warm mugs with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Makes 4 one cup servings.

Chocoholics Anonymous: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

I actually took this Bakerella-esque picture, Yeah Me!
Hannah enjoyed the brownie batter, can you tell, she transformed into Little Orphan Annie

Just today I was blog stalking and came across a kindred spirit with a sweet tooth, Satisfying My Sweet Tooth is a yummy site full of lots of sweet treats! This week alone she dedicated each day to a different brownie, that's what I call a true Chocoholic! I knew at first glance that this was going to be this weeks Chocoholics Anonymous recipe. Maybe I should rename Friday Peanut Butter and Chocoholics Anonymous, I'm setting a trend here huh? Thank you Grandpa for my deep love of Peanut Butter(especially in oatmeal!).

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BARS

1 box Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix

1/2 C peanut butter chips

1/2 C dry roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Peanut Butter Filling

3/4 C creamy peanut butter

1 C marshmallow cream

6 T butter, softened

3/4 powdered sugar

Chocolate Glaze

6 oz bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

5 T butter

1 T light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 inch square pan with foil, letting foil extend above pan on opposite sides. Coat foil with nonstick spray.Prepare brownie mix as package directs for fudgy brownies. Stir in peanut butter chips and peanuts. Spread evenly in prepared pan.Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

FILLING: beat peanut butter, marshmallow cream and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Beat until blended. Spread evenly over brownie.

GLAZE: microwave chocolate and butter, stirring at 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Cool slightly before stirring in corn syrup. Spread evenly over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour until filling is firm and glaze sets.Lift foil by ends onto a cutting board and cut 6 rows lengthwise and across. Store in fridge to keep firm.

*I posted this recipe before I made them, risky I know! They are hands down to die for delicious! You have to make these fellow chocolate lovers, they are worth the effort.

Chocoholics Anonymous-This one's for my Grandma

My mom loves German Chocolate Cake! My Grandma every year would make a killer german chocolate birthday cake, but much to my mom's chagrin, not for her birthday. My Grandpa also loves german chocolate cake, so he was the lucky recipient of the delicious, made from scratch cake my mom always envied. Grandma to this day tells of the love and sweat put into the makings of the homemade cake and frosting, no Betty Crocker mixes then my friends. So I thought for this weeks Chocoholics Anonymous I would submit for your baking pleasure.......

Brown Sugar Fudge

the cake my mom always got instead

Did I get your taste buds salivating for German Chocolate Cake? Sorry Charlie, why make it from scratch anymore when Betty does it so well.

2 1/4 c cake flour

1 t soda

3/4 t salt

2 c brown sugar

1/2 c shortening

1 c buttermilk

1 t vanilla

3 eggs

2 squares chocolate, melted

Sift flour, soda, salt into a bowl. Add sugar, shortening, 2/3 of the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes then add rest of the buttermilk, eggs and chocolate. Beat additional 2 minutes more. Pour into properly greased and floured 8 or 9 inch pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 -35 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven cool on baking racks, and frost with your favorite frosting I like this recipe.

Feeling ambitious? Here's the original Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Cake and Frosting Recipe my Grandma used.

Chocoholics Anonymous-Ann's not Theresa's chocolate comfort cake

Also known as Texas Sheet Cake, today's Chocoholics Anonymous was inspired by an act of kindness and a sister in the deep love of all things chocolate. *Ann notTheresa from ballet sent home this moist, chocolaty, delicious, chocolaty, yummy, did I mention chocolaty sheet cake that I will share with everyone today. You can also visit The Pioneer Woman for a step by step and some great pictures of this yummy cake.

*Blogging 101- check your sources. A 13 teen year old is not always reliable. Sorry about the mix-up Ann, you truely are a dear friend.

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cake
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/4 t salt
2 sticks butter
4 heaping T cocoa
1 c boiling water
1/2 c buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla

Combine in a mixing bowl, flour, sugar and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter and add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water and bring mixture to a boil, cook for an additional 30 seconds. Turn off heat and pour over flour mixture, stir lightly. In separate bowl stir together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Add to flour/chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Icing
1/2 c pecans, finely chopped
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping T cocoa
6 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 c powdered sugar

In a saucepan melt butter and add cocoa to combine. Turn off heat an add milk, vanilla, and sugar. Stir together add pecans, stir and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and enjoy your chocolate fix for the day.

Chocoholics Anonymous: Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

How is your relationship with your weather man? Mine is a love/hate relationship. Of course nothing he does personally to me just the forecasts he delivers. Today I love him! The temp has drastically dropped since last week, still hot, but not Africa hot. So today's Chocoholics Anonymous we will have a yummy, gooey and just delightful recipe I got from Pampered Chef.

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

12 oz pkg chocolate chips

18-21 oz brownie mix, plus all ingredients to make cake-like brownies

3/4 c brown sugar, divided

1 c salted mixed nuts, divided

40 Rollos

1. Preheat oven to 375. Chop 1 1/2 c of chocolate chips. In large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, and 1/4 cup brown sugar; mix well. Fold in chopped chocolate; pour batter into jelly roll pan, spreading evenly.

2. Chop nuts. Combine half of the nuts and remaining 1/2 c brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut 16 Rollos into quarters. Melt 1/2 cu chocolate chips; spoon melted chocolate into ziploc bag; set aside.

4. After removing brownies from the oven, immediately press remaining 24 Rollos evenly into brownies. Sprinkle quartered Rollos and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate filled bag; drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Cut into squares; serve warm and with ice cream. Yum!

A funny thing happened while I was in the car the other day. I was listening to the radio and heard an ad for CA. org. Knowing there really couldn't be a real chocoholics anonymous I listened on in anticipation to what CA really stood for. Well long story short I will no longer abbreviate my post for Chocoholics Anonymous, CA stands for cocaine anonymous. Yikes!!! We are a clean and sober house, except for the occasional Mountain Dew.

C.A. Meeting- Double Fudge Brownies

This is my skinny little sister Meg. She makes the most amazingly rich double fudge brownies, EVER!

She makes 'em, I eats 'em, it's a great partnership, yum yum yum!!!

This week I'll share with you the yummy chocolaty goodness that is:

Meg's Double Fudge Brownies

1 c butter

1/2 c Ghiradelli cocoa

1/2 c Hershey's cocoa

2 c sugar

4 eggs

2 1/2 t vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 c walnuts

1 bag chocolate chunk chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the 2 types of cocoa(this is what Meg uses, 2 different types, your choice, I usually only have 1 type on hand). Remove from heat and add sugar and eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add vanilla and flour and mix until combined. Last but not least the nuts and chocolate chunk chips, hence the "Double" part of our recipe. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for about 30 minutes.

Now if you want an extreme Chocolate Overload frost the brownies with this recipe from Nestles for the best chocolate icing ever.

Now promise me before you indulge in these beyond this planet brownies, you call a loved one, set up a safety net just in case you fall into a chocolate coma. Enjoy!

Friday night meeting of Chocoholics Anonymous

Just in time for Sunday dinners, I've decided to dedicate Friday nights to my chocoholics anonymous meeting. But unlike other addict meetings mine is to help maintain a healthy addiction of the first food group, chocolate. These recipes are tried and true Sunday dinner approved.

The first recipe comes from my best friend Jessie and recalled into memory by one of my own little chocoholics in training, who left a sure sign of early addiction on the breakfast table. I've never thought to drink the syrup straight from the bottle, brilliant just brilliant! I hope you enjoy our first recipe, it's just so yummy, moist, and the right amount of chocolate richness.

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Cake

Cake:

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

4 eggs

1 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 16-oz can Hershey's chocolate syrup

Frosting:

1/2 c butter

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c sugar

1/3 c evaporated milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl. Add to creamed mixture, continuing to beat. Add vanilla and chocolate syrup to batter and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Just before cake is done, prepare frosting. Put butter, chocolate chips, sugar, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stirring ingredients together, boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour over warm cake. Delicious!

Chocoholics anonymous

Hi, my name is Becky and I'm a chocoholic. Father's Day dinner I fell off the wagon and brought my entire family with me. Shazam that cake was rich! Very few members of our family could finish their piece of cake. It's a definate keeper. Bakerella again friends, I'm lovin' this blog! I will change the recipe slightley for next time. I like the chocolate frosting recipe on the Nestle Toll House Cocoa can, Chocolate Lover's Frosting. Oh I'm drooling just typing this entry, I need more cake. Just a little bowl of salad...lol Molly.