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Ok it's not really a we thing it's just my blog. You can now find us at

http://crazydeliciousfood.wordpress.com/

Beer Bread

Classic Beer Bread
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz. beer

Combine all ingredients.
Pour into greased loaf pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
** Add 2 tablespoons of desired seasonings for extra flavor!

Dorrito Chicken

Realistic Eats

1 Egg + 1 T water

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup crushed baked Doritos - I put them in the mini chopper

Spray a baking pan with pam

Preheat oven to 350

Dip chicken in Egg wash and coat in Doritos

Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Happy National Chocolate Cupcake day!!!

Now this is a food holiday I can appreciate! mmmm.

Every once in awhile I read about national food holidays and in honor of national chocolate cupcake day I decided to look a little harder. You would not believe how many national food holidays there are. Did you know that October 14th is National Chocolate Covered Insects Day? Whew, glad I waited until the 18th to check out food holidays. Maybe I'll celebrate it next year or ... maybe not (I wish you could see my little kid yuck face right now). I feel like I dodged a bullet by not investigating food holidays four days earlier. I also lucked out and missed Moldy Cheese day October 9th, or did I? I had some moldy cheddar in my fridge right around that time ... damn you cheese you knew it was moldy cheese day, that's why you ruined my plans for dinner last week

Actually, this whole food holiday thing is very interesting especially in how October has directly related to things in my cooking life. Lets look at the following examples.

*October is National Chili Month - no wonder I've been craving chili all month (I made it last Friday)

*October is National Cookie Month (Oct 1st was also homemade cookie day) - I bought a cookie cookbook and have made quite a few batches of cookies this month

*National Dessert Month - I'm over flowing with desserts ... Chocolate cake, donuts (you'll see that post later today), Purple Rain Cupcakes and that's what I've made in the last week ie still fresh

*I already told you about the moldy cheese right around moldy cheese day

*Last week was American Beer week - G bought some Sam's Octoberfest (ok ok that's not a HUGE coincidence)

*It's National Apple Month - I went apple picking yum! (It's also Caramel month ... no wonder they put that crap on the apples ... I luv my candy apples and am at war with caramel apples)

Ok ok you get the picture, they plan these holidays around the right time. My question is why isn't October National PUMPKIN month?!?!?! Granted there are a few pumpkin days, but come on, there is nothing better in October than pumpkin everything ... bread, cookies, pie, ravioli, you name it pumpkin tastes good in it this time of year.

National Holiday Forcast (ie upcoming days to look forward to)

October 23 - National Boston Creme Pie Day
October 24 - Good n' Plenty Day
October 25 - National Greasy Foods Day
October 26 - Pumpkin Day AND Pretzel Day (anyone have a recipe for pumpkin pretzels?)
October 27 - National Potato day and American Beer Day
October 28 - National Chocolate Day
October 30 - Buy a Donut Day
October 31 - National Candy Apple Day (w00t w00t screw those caramel apple wannabes)

As you can see, next week is looking like a damn good week full of my favorite foods! I believe November has some good things in store for us as well. National Clean out your Fridge day is Nov 15th ... def something to look forward to. Maybe I'll have a fridge cleaning fast until then ... no cleaning for a month. Can you see my eyes lighting up?

So you want to know about MORE food holidays? The most comprehensive list I found quickly is here

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

OMG so yummy and beyond easy. I was home sick and didn't pick this for dinner until 3:30, clearly too late to cook for 8 hours and actually eat at a reasonable time so I made it half crock pot half stove. To start I boiled the chicken in salt and pepper, then shredded it right away. Then I tossed it in the crock pot with a big 'ole can of salsa and taco seasoning then let it cook on low for an hour and a half or so. Then I threw everything else in, turned it up to high for about 30 mins until Greg got home. Then I tossed some in a bowl for each of us, we ate some in tortillias, some with chips and some straight from the bowl. Yummy yummy yummy!!



Stolen from sparkpeople.com

4 chicken breasts - put in frozen if you're worried about overcooking
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 16 oz jar salsa
1 can corn
1 can rinsed and drained black beans
1 cup reduced fat sour cream

Mix soup, salsa, and taco seasoning together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken, add corn, beans, and sour cream. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips or in a tortilla.

Hershey's Prefectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake (and frosting)

Picture note: Of course my fav pic is when I wasn't paying attention and took a pic of the side of the cake that I mangled the bottom of, but come on how cute is the cat peeking over the cake ready to pounce?

I liked this cake, but I still like chocolate cake from a box better. The What's Cooking? board raves about it, but it just wasn't my fav. I guess it's one of those things where if you grow up on cake from a box sometimes you'll always love cake from a box. Mmmm Betty Crocker

Stolen from Hershey's (of course)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Purple Rain Cupcakes (aka Teal velvet cupcakes with purple frosting)

Shout out to Rach for naming these super cool cupcakes

Who said Red Velvet Cupcakes have to be red? Certainly not me. I wouldn't try changing the color with regular old food coloring, but if you have cake frosting colors go for it. Those things pack a color punch like no other and were able to cover the light brown color with ease.

I'm still up in the air on ______ Velvet Cupcakes. I had never tried Velvet cake before our wedding cake tasting and lets just say their Red Velvet left a lot to be desired. It was soggy, runny and it felt like someone had used it as a sponge to sop up a water spill yuck yuck yuck But I figured that with how much people rave about them, they had to be better than that, and my cake place just sucked (ok they did a good job with my wedding cake but if it hadn't been free I would have gone elsewhere). These were pretty good, but the buttermilk in them is something I'm not used to and was semi confusing to my taste buds, but I liked them quite a bit and I would bet good money that they'll be gone in no time. Now, I'm off to frost them (of course I had to try them before they were cool enough to frost)

NOTE: The pic makes them look much more green and much darker than they actually are

Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2.5 c plain flour
1 c buttermilk
1.5 c sugar
2c oil
1 t baking soda
1 t vinegar
1 t salt
2 t cocoa
1 t vanilla
1 T red food coloring
2 eggs


Cooking instructions:

Cream sugar and oil
Sift flour, salt and baking soda and mix with cocoa, vinegar, and eggs.
Add flour mixture to the creamed sugar alternately with buttermilk.
Stir in vanilla and food coloring.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Ice with homemade cream cheese frosting. (see below for recipe)

I was supposed to frost one of them with a Prince logo in honor of Rach's name for the cupcakes. I even made teal frosting, BUT Puddles decided she wanted some and she got into the bowl before I could frost the Rachcake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Cooking instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.
Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated.
Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.