Girl's Night In

After spending a long day working, I was soon faced with a night alone as my boyfriend was out working on an investment property he had recently purchased. What's a girl to do. Well, I don't know about you, but I had a girl's night in and what goes with a girl's night in better than chocolate?

While I could have just tore open a chocolate bar, I decided to enjoy a piece of a cake I had baked in my slow cooker earlier that day. It was a hot fudge cake, a cake that is very dear to my heart since my mother used to make it quite often. While my mom baked the cake in the oven, I decided to go with a smaller recipe that was easier to prepare in the slow cooker. The following recipe is from the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine Cookbook by Rival.

Hot Fudge Cake

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup boiling water

Mix 1 cup brown sugar, the flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk, margarine, and vanilla. Spread over the bottom of the Crock-Pot.

In another bowl, mix together the 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over mixture in the Crock-Pot. Do not stir.

Then pour in the boiling water. Do not stir. Cover and cook on high or 2 to 3 hours until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping if desired.

(recipe for 3 1/2 quart Crock-Pot)

This cake was perfect for a girl's night in. I enjoyed a piece topped with vanilla ice cream while watching a Decorating Cents marathon. The next time you've got the evening alone, pop in a movie while this delicious cake bakes. I'm sure you'll be pleased.

Fall Foods Equal Great Memories

I'm not sure what it is about fall. But, there's just something in the air that makes me absolutely love this time of the year. It may be the cooler temperatures. After all, it stays quite hot and humid here in the summer. Or, it may be the upcoming holidays. Or........it may be the food :)

What's not to love about fall foods? Apple pie, pumpkin pie, apple cider, Halloween candy, beef stew, chili, turkey......I could go on and on. For someone that likes to cook and bake, this time of the year is pure heaven :) It also equals great memories.

I remember coming home to pumpkin pie, baking cookies with my mom, and enjoying big Thanksgiving dinners with my family. To this day, I still recreate these traditions with my boyfriend. I love cooking a big turkey dinner with him and of course making cookies together.

This leads me to wonder, what foods do other people love to eat during this wonderful time of the year? Leave a comment and let me know which fall foods you simply can't do without and some of your favorite food memories from this time of the year.

Getting Back In the Habit

Once again, I got off track updating this blog. So much has gone on with school and work, that I rarely have any time anymore. But, I plan to try and make a post at least once a week. Hope to see you all here :)

Eating Out Veruses Eating In

During times of economic stress, many people choose to stop eating out all together. Is this really necessary? Not necessarily. I've found that depending on where you eat, and what you would normally shop for, the prices can sometimes even out. Of course, it also depends on the size of family you have. I'm certainly not saying that you can eat at your favorite steakhouse every night. But, if you need quick options on busy nights, there are fast food and even sit down restaurant options that you can still afford. Take time to look over the menus of local restaurants, you may be surprised at what you can afford. Best of all, you'll be helping your community during times of financial stress. Not to mention that many restaurants are currently offering fantastic deals to entice customers.

My Deepest Apologies

When I started the Content for Foodies Blog I had hopes of creating a new entry every day. Unfortunately, due to health problems, that hasn't been possible. Things are getting back to normal now and I hope to create a new entry each week. Hopefully in the near future I will be able to go back to posting once a day.

Thanks for your continued support.

Amy

5 Minute Potato Salad

I love potato salad, but I must admit that I hate all the steps involved. Who wants to spend that much time on one side dish? There is a way around all that work though. In fact, you can prepare potato salad in as little as 5 minutes.

5 Minute Potato Salad
Serves 4 to 6

1 cup mayonnaise
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
1 large can of whole potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1. Mix the first three ingredient thoroughly.
2. Fold in the remaining ingredients and chill.

This potato salad is wonderful with barbecue. I also love to serve the leftovers with corn dogs for a quick lunch. What I love most though is being able to fix potato salad on a busy weeknight. I hope you all enjoy this recipe.

Chicken BLT Pasta Salad

Are you in need of quick and easy recipes that are also tasty? Then you're going to love this recipe. Best of all, this recipe is great if you've become tired of the same old winter recipes. Enjoy a taste of summer, in the middle of winter.

Chicken BLT Pasta Salad
Serves 4

4 ounces of dried pasta (use your favorite, mine is bow tie)
4 to 6 ounces of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (see tip below)
1/2 of a large bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup of green onions, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
Ranch dressing (enough to combine the ingredients)
Fresh cracked black pepper
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Combine the pasta, chicken, bell pepper, green onions, tomatoes, ranch dressing, and cracked black pepper in a large bowl.
4. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Top with bacon and serve with fresh baked bread.

Tip: I have used leftover roasted chicken from the grocery store with this recipe. I have also used cooked chicken strips found in the grocery store near the luncheon meat/smoked sausage. If you want to bake chicken from scratch, I suggest adding a punch of flavor, such as Cajun seasoning.