Brownie Pizza and Oreo Cake

Kaylee just turned 11 (I can't believe she is that old). We had the funnest desserts for her party....Brownie Pizza and Oreo Cake....GREAT right?

The Brownie Pizza is a brownie baked on a pizza pan for the crust with frosting, shredded white chocolate, and candies for the toppings....and you thought pizza couldn't get any better! I let the kids make their own pizza...I had the brownie frosted and gave each kid a slice to decorate.
This would also be a fun and festive Valentine's / Easter / Christmas/ Halloween dessert. Just correlate the color of frosting with the holiday and get a variety of holiday candies and sprinkles to go on top.

Here's the brownie recipe that I used from six sisters stuff:

Brownie Pizza

Brownie Pizza Crust Ingredients:

8 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

pinch of salt

Directions:

Grease 2 pizza pans (12 or 13 inch pans).  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Melt butter . Stir in cocoa.  Mix sugar and eggs in mixing bowl.  Stir in butter and cocoa.  Add vanilla, flour, and salt. Spoon half of the batter into  the greased pizza pan.  This recipe makes 2 brownie pizzas.  Bake 17 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons milk

Red food coloring

Directions:

Combine frosting ingredients and mix well until smooth. Add enough food coloring to get your frosting as dark as you want it for your pizza sauce. Frost cooled pizza. Don't go all the way to the edge so that the brownie will show for your pizza crust. This will frost both pizzas. 

Decorations:

Decorate pizza with shredded white chocolate, small cookies, chocolate chips, and candies that go with your party theme.

The Oreo cake is two chocolate round cakes with a creamy Oreo middle and chocolate top. I found the recipe at kraftrecipes:

Oreo Cookie Cake

• 1 devil's food cake mix
• 4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 package cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 12 Oreo cookies crushed...and more to decorate the top if wanted (I used the pink berry Oreos)

Make 2 (9 inch) round cakes according to directions on cake mix. Cool cakes completely.
Middle -  Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Gently stir in whipped topping and crushed Oreos. Spread on top of one cake, then put the remaining cake on top. Spread top of that cake with chocolate glaze, decorate, and refrigerate.
Chocolate Glaze - Microwave chocolate and butter for about 2 minutes (stirring after every minute). stir until chocolate is melted. Cool for 5 minutes, then spread on top of cake.

Enjoy!

Let It Go

 

I just read an incredible book about a man's true story of tragedy and forgiveness. Let It Go by Chris Williams is how Chris was able to move on, forgive, and be happy after a drunk driver hit his family's car; killing his pregnant wife and two children and seriously injuring another child. It is so inspiring how Chris' faith and trust in Christ gets him through this tragedy.

"Since the crash, I've had many conversations with people searching for peace and forgiveness in their lives, earnestly desiring to know how I was able to let it go and rely wholly on the Savior's grace in my life...We have an advocate who has been given the power and authority to carry all of our burdens, and yet I have met so many people looking and praying for the strength to carry their own burdens. Mine is yet another story of the enabling, healing, and enlightening power of Jesus Christ. He is everything, and I am nothing, and yet "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). "

Here is Chris' story in his own words:

Pomegranate Almond Salad

This salad is a refreshing and festive dish. The pomegranates with the green lettuce make a great Christmas side...and it is SO GOOD!!! (Don't judge it by this picture, I had Eric hurry and take a picture of it during Thanksgiving after it was half eaten.) It is one of my favorite salads, especially during the holidays when I am sick of all the heavy and rich foods.

Pomegranate Almond Salad

• 3 heads of Romain lettuce, chopped
• 1 large can of mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry to get most of the liquid off
• 1/2 cup thin sliced celery
• 3-4 green onions chopped ( I leave these out)
• 1 cup candied almonds - put 3 Tbsp sugar and almonds in pan. Cook on high, constantly stirring. The sugar will liquify, coat the almonds, and the almonds will get toasty. Spread on wax paper and let dry.
• 2 pomegranates - an easy way to get the fruit out is to cut the pomegranate in half and soak in water...it loosens the membranes so that the fruit pops right out.

***add all ingredients and top with dressing right before you eat the salad. If I am taking it somewhere I will just put everything in baggies/containers and toss it all together before we eat. Otherwise it will get soggy and gross...you have to eat it when it is fresh!

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Make this dressing the day before. Heat all ingredients on stove until sugar dissolves then store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Paper Bag Apple Pie

Mmmmmm, Thanksgiving was delicious. What was your favorite thing to eat? Mine was this apple pie. It is super easy because you don't have to deal with rolling pastry crusts and it turned out SO GOOD!!! I don't know what the paper bag does - but some kind of magic happened in that bag that I loved!

Paper Bag Apple Pie

Recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp cold milk

Filling:

• 5-6 peeled and sliced apples 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (cold)

Mix crust ingredients with a fork until well blended. Press into the bottom and sides of a greased 10 inch pie plate. Toss apples with sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mound filling on top of crust. Combine topping with a fork until it is crummy. Sprinkle over apples. Put the pie in a brown paper bag and fold over edges. Oven must be completely preheated to avoid burning the bag. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open oven during cooking.

Enjoy!!! 

Rejoice and Be Glad

Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 - And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

"Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it." - President Uchtdorf

I am truly grateful for so many things...yet sometimes I don't appreciate the little things that each day brings.

Today I a grateful for the unique personalities of my little pumpkins.

Seseme Street Halloween

Sunny Day

Cavities are on their way

So excited to go Trick or Treat

 

 

 

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Seseme Street

 

Ghost pancakes started off our day

Halloween was A-OK

Friendly Neighbors there

As we Trick or Treat

 

 

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Seseme Street

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love Chinese food...especially the sweet and sour chicken with rice. This recipe tastes just like it - but it is baked, not deep fried. Yay! It is so good...you need to try this one!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil

 Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse chicken in water, pat dry and cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with cornstarch, then dip into the eggs. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place chicken in 9x13 greased pan. Mix all of the sauce ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Enjoy!