Try it Tuesday.....Hockey Dessert Recipes!

You probably have forgotten all about my need for recipes when we were feeding the San Antonio Rampage back in March right? I was begging for dessert ideas because I thought I had to make the one and only dessert for the whole team and their coaches. Well, as it turns out, we had several desserts there..not just mine. Whew. What a load off my mind. I thought I was a goner when thinking they would only have MY desserts to choose from! Beep, beep, back up. In case you forgot, my nephew Michael, is the head athletic trainer for the Rampage and since they were coming to MI to play the Grand Rapids Griffins, he asked us to help with a meal for the whole team and coaches.

Anyway, I ended up making Neiman Marcus Cookies, Peanut Butter Fudge, Baby Food Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting and 2 Texas Sheet Cakes with Hot Fudge Icing. Besides that, there was also Cherry Crisp, Pistachio Salad, Snicker Salad (also called Caramel Apple Salad), German Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, Blueberry Pie as well as several other things. So do you think these big boys had a lot to choose from? Oh yeah they did. But do you think they actually ate much?! No! I was shocked. Perhaps it was because they had just lost a hard fought game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Or maybe it was because the season wasn't done and they didn't want to gorge themselves on sweets. I dunno. But one thing I DO know...it wasn't because the desserts SUCKED.....because they totally ROCKED!

I made enough cookies to feed the team about 10 times over, so I shipped the leftovers off with them (after I pried them from my nephew and brother in-laws hands first). I also gave the fudge to a player, only to see them left on the table. Ouch. Maybe those kind of did suck. I also walked out to their big 'ol bus with the steepest stairs imaginable, with 1 of the left over Texas Sheet Cakes. So I'm hoping that some of our hard work paid off when they ate them on the road.

Ok, so who DID eat a ton of desserts?? The tubby old coaches! Ok, they aren't tubby or old. But they could be by the way the enjoyed the desserts! The highlight of my night (besides seeing my much missed nephew) was when I over-heard one coach say how moist and delicious my Baby Food Bars were! Yesssss. Mission accomplished.

Oh, and are professional hockey players from outer space? One guy was really having a hard time opening a jug of milk! He was fumbling with the plastic ring around the cap. Leanne comes along and quickly twists the sucker open for him. There ya go dude. -Smirk-

Ok, I'm rambling aren't I? Sorry. Not only is this a Try It Tuesday post, but it's a journal entry about the meal we provided. My sister (my nephew Michael's Mother) outdid herself. She bought and cooked about 13 pot roasts! She also made the best yeast rolls (about 100 of them or MORE). She worked really hard and I'm proud of her. Her roasts were tender and perfect. With some friends and family help, she also had mashed potatoes and gravy plus veggies etc. It was all a lot of work (mostly for my sister), but I know it was worth it. We all had a good time and loved watching the game and being able to cheer for BOTH teams. I'm sure we will be hosting a dinner for them again next season.

Here are a few pictures of the day, but don't expect much. We took lots, but they accidently got deleted off the memory card. I had to snag these off Facebook. Here are a couple of hopefuls that were on a trial basis for the team. The girls were especially happy to get their pictures taken with them because the player on the right is Justin Kinnunen. He used to play for our local hockey team, The Muskegon Fury. Plus, he is from the upper penninsula of Michigan where my family lives. Surprisingly he had my older brother for his High School art teacher! Small world.

This is just a picture of the scoreboard (is that the right word?) showing the Rampage & the Griffins scores during a break.

This is NOT a Rampage player! We're traitors! lol. We still love the Griffins, but this player especially. This is Justin Abdelkader. He is Macie's science teacher's son. He learned to play in our town at the same rink that Brycen is learning to play in right now, so we are very proud of our local boy. Especially since right now he is playing for the Detroit Red Wings! He was called up to play during the play-offs. Go Red Wings!

Ok, that's all I have to show. Lucky you because it would have bored you to see more pictures.

So are you finally ready for a couple recipes to, "try"? I'll post some of mine (minus the pb fudge) and my nieces recipe for her Snicker salad. By the way, she HAS to make this for every family event or she gets a tongue lashing! It's the best. Not healthy, but nevertheless, the best dessert! She uses a huge bowl. Imagine the biggest bowl that Tupperware has to offer. Even with a bowl that big, there usually isn't too much left over at family events. For THIS event, however, I was able to take some home and savor the flavor the next day. Mmm.

Here is her recipe. (Thanks Michelle for posting this on Facebook for me to snag for my readers)

Snicker Salad/Caramel Apple Salad

5-6 apples (cut into bite sized chunks)
5-6 Snickers full-sized candy bars
1 lrg. pkg. dry vanilla pudding mix
1 lrg. tub Cool Whip, thawed

Chop up the 5-6 apples into bite size chunks. My sister likes to do red and green apples at Christmas. Cut up 5-6 Snickers full-size candy bars into bite sized chunks. The cutting will take longer than you think! Add the large package of dry vanilla pudding mix to a large tub of thawed Cool Whip topping. Don't make the pudding, just dump it in and stir it well. (...some people I've talked to make the pudding, but Christi's mom-in-law told me specifically not to!) Then you fold in the apples and chunks of Snickers. Chill and serve. Refrigerate any left overs - not likely there will be any though!
Note: this recipe will not make enough to fill the big Tupperware bowl, but it's still a lot of salad.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

(You know this recipe....it's from the urban legend story about the lady who was forced to pay $250 for the recipe at the store....this isn't the recipe for the cookies that the store actually DOES sell, but it's a darn good recipe regardless....read the silly fabricated story here.)

(Recipe may be halved):
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips ( I use Ghirardelli!)
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet..Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies

Leanne's Notes: I do not use the nuts because my hubby is slightly allergic. They are fine without them. DO NOT and I mean it...DO NOT forget to blend the oatmeal to a fine powder! This is the ingredient that makes this cookie fabulous! I tend to keep blended oatmeal in my pantry at all times to add to any chocolate chip cookie recipe. Also, you can do it without the Hershey bar if you want. Sometimes I use it, some times I leave it out. They are still delicious.

Baby Food Cake

I was given this recipe a billion years ago from my sister in-law. It's always moist and the cream cheese frosting makes it especially delish.



Grease and dust with flour, a jelly roll pan or use half of the following ingredients for 13x9 pan.

Combine & beat:
3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. oil

Sift & add:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Add 1 medium jar of strained carrots, applesauce & apricots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes using the toothpick method to check for doneness.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!



Texas Sheet Cake
This recipe is lightened up a bit. I found in the Cooking Light magazine, but don't let it fool you. It's still really fattening and high in WW points!

Grease and flour a jelly roll pan. You may also use a 13x9 pan instead. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preparation:

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add to flour mixture. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 22-27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.

Hot Fudge Icing

Combine 6 tablespoons butter, 1/3 c. fat-free milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in 3 c. powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Sprinkle cake with pecans. Cool completely on wire rack.


Leanne's Notes: The cake recipe also calls for 1 tsp. cinnamon, but I don't care for it that way, so I omit it. The pecans are optional for the icing also. I never use them because of my hubby's pesky allergic reaction. Plus, Brycen hates nuts!

Well, if you're still with me, you deserve a medal. This was a looooong post. Sorry! If you are interested in making any of these desserts, please let me know how well you liked them. I promise I will post a much shorter Try It Tuesday next time!

Try it Tuesday......Kelloggs Mini-Wheats Blueberry Muffin

Blue Mini-Wheats! Yum!

Actually, I was thinking I might not like this new cereal, but I do! Kelloggs didn't impress me with the strawberry version, but I DO like the blueberry. They don't taste like fake blueberries with an after taste or anything like that. They just taste like blueberry. I can't say that I taste any 'muffin', but that's ok. It's just blueberryish. Not much else that I can say about it. It's just yummy! Go out and try some.

Speaking of Mini-Wheats, did you know that they have an UNfrosted version? Check out the many flavors here. They don't have the blueberry muffin in there yet, but the original site does here.
At the Mini-Wheat site, kids can play "mind games". Remember how the commercial for Mini-Wheats says that the cereal helps kids concentrate better by about 20%? Well, kids can test themselves at the website playing the "mind games" here. If 20% better concentration is a true fact after eating Mini-Wheats, then Macie must be smarter than the average bear because she lives off of the stuff! Heck, after the shopping trip that my hubby made a several months ago, we ALL should be pretty darn alert in after eating Mini-Wheats!


And speaking of blueberries, it's blueberry season in Michigan! Quick fact...did you know that Michigan leads the nation in blueberry production? Michigan produces 32% of the nations blueberries each season. Weee!

Head out and pick some blueberries and then share a recipe with me. Not only does my family love to eat blueberries plain with milk, but I make a blueberry batter pudding with a cinnamon crust on top that is delish. Here is the recipe:




Leanne's Blueberry Batter Pudding:

2 cups blueberries (preferably fresh)

3 TB lemon juice

3 TB butter or margarine

Sugar (1/2 cup and 1/3 cup separately)

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder (not soda!)

1/4 tsp salt

1 TB cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp grated lemon rind (optional, I hardly ever use it)

2/3 cup boiling water

Pick over and wash blueberries. Put in shallow 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cream together butter, 1/2 cup sugar, egg and vanilla until well blended. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into mixture. Spread over berries. Mix 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon rind. Stir in boiling water. Pour over blueberry mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown and pick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm, plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.

Enjoy!

Try it Tuesday.....Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers

I saw these crackers on a commercial. My kids absolutely looooove Kraft Mac & Cheese, so I wondered if they were going to taste a bit like the actual stuff. I saw them at Wal-mart and picked up a box. I have to say I was quite skeptical, because I figured that there really hasn't been too many products out there that can mimic another enough to make it worth it. Can you say Oreo cereal?! Ew. They got that one way off.
Well...Kraft couldn't do it with these crackers either. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers are a let down in my opinion.
-Sigh-
On the website, Kraft says this:

We've taken that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese taste your kids love and baked it into a new crispy cracker they can crunch!

Why do they lie like that? They don't taste like mac & cheese to me, although they do have the shape right. Even some are stuck together like the noodles can get after you prepare them. They are baked, which appeals better to me than fried crackers. But, of course I feel they taste just like the run of the mill Cheese Nip or Cheez-Its. Heck, Cheese Nips are made by Nabisco and so are Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers. No wonder they taste so similar. My kids weren't so impressed, but they will eat them anyway, because they like most cheese flavored crackers.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers come in 3 flavors: Cheddar, Mild Cheddar and White Cheddar. We tried the Mild Cheddar. Could this be my problem? Do I dare try another flavor and hope that I was just wrong about the Mild? Nah. I doubt it. I don't feel like wasting my money. All and all, it's a pick your nose boring review for a pick your nose boring product. Let's take bets on how long until these crackers leave the shelves and become a thing of the past.


Now on to bigger and better things. I have a recipe to share! It's not one that I've tried recently, but it's a tried and true recipe that I loooove.

This icing tastes a lot like hot fudge to me. I love to ice a Texas sheet cake with it. I simply make the icing while the cake is baking and then pour the icing on top of the hot cake. It sets up nicely after it cools. You can also put it on a 13x9 cake, but I usually don't put it on until the icing has cooled a bit. If I put it on while it's hot, it tends to drip down the sides of the cake and settle on the bottom. My kids did like it that way though. There was still plenty on the top and then they had a chocolatey surprise waiting on the bottom. Also, I omit the nuts because my hubby isn't a fan, but I bet it would be just as fabulous if you add pecans or walnuts. Mmm.

The recipe was simply called, "icing" in a recipe book, but I renamed it to, "Hot Fudge Icing". I don't have the WW points for it, but you could run it through a recipe builder such as the one at the Nutrition Data website to figure it out.



Hot Fudge Icing

Ingredients:
6 TB butter or stick margarine
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

To prepare icing, combine 6 TB butter or margarine, milk and 1/4 c. cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in powdered sugar, nuts and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Spread over hot cake. Enjoy!!

Girl, am I hungry!

Mini Microwave Triple Chocolate Cake


PER SERVING (entire recipe): 123 calories, 1g fat, 201mg sodium, 28g carbs, 0.75g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Devil's Food
2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 tbsp. fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp. Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup, divided

Directions:
Stir together the whipped topping and half of the syrup, and then place mixture in the freezer to firm up while you prep the rest of your dessert. Next, in a very small microwave-safe dish (like a ramekin), combine cake mix and yogurt. (Don't worry if it seems like a small amount. Your cake will puff up -- we promise!) Stir until smooth and blended. Microwave for 1 minute, and then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cake has cooled, remove chocolate topping from freezer, and spoon it over your cake. Finally, drizzle the remaining chocolate syrup on top. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Sounds yummo huh?! This is from today's Hungry Girl newsletter. I love how Hungry Girl adds the WW points!
These little cakes remind me of making individual No Pudge brownies, but I can't stand No Pudge. Ack. The instructions were easy to make individual brownies, but they tasted fake. So this Hungry Girl recipe might be a nice replacement. It also can take the place of pricey Warm Delight Mini dessert bowls. Sounds good to me! I can't wait to try it. Mmmmm.


FREEBIE ALERT!


On Feb. 28 and 29, as part of a national sampling event, McDonald's customers will be offered a free McSkillet burrito with the purchase of a medium or large drink. This is only during breakfast hours. Guess we missed today, but there's always tomorrow right?

Another freebie found at Passwird.com:

Get a free 6-Month Professional Photographer Subscription. I'm not good enough at photography to enjoy this magazine, but there are some who are...*wink*wink*.

There seems to be no cc required which is always a plus in my book. Passwird says....For more than 100 years, Professional Photographer, the official magazine of Professional Photographers of America, has helped readers advance careers in the photographic industry. Here is the link to the free subscription information: PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

I live for freebies! If you ever run across some, please share with meeeeeee!

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

It's recipe time!
This recipe couldn't be any easier. They call them muffins, but I tend to think they are more like a cupcake. They are great for fall or any 'ol time!



Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins

1 box of cake mix, spice flavor
15 oz. can of pumpkin (100% pure, not pie mix)
1/2 cup water

Bake at 350 for 20 min.

If you would like to count Weight Watcher points: Bake 24 muffins at 2 pts. each.




This is a photo of another version using chocolate cake mix instead of spice. It's really more for those who would rather not taste the pumpkin (ie...Leanne!)These will in no way taste like pumpkin. Just substitute the spice cake mix for a chocolate one. Weight Watcher points are the same.



You can also make the same recipe using only 1 can of diet sprite or any other flavor pop in place of the pumpkin. The 1/2 c. water will NOT be needed. You can then play around with different cake mix flavors and pop flavors. Leanne likes Rootbeer with chocolate cake mix, but I bet orange pop with white cake mix would be a treat too. Mmm.