White Chocolate Ribbon Pops

I got a chocolate ribbon pop mold on clearance at Hobby Lobby about a month ago. I think these pops will be perfect for fundraising for a cure. Chocolate molds, or sometimes called candy melts, are super easy and look like you spent a lot of time on them but really only take minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This dip has gotten great reviews on several websites I frequent. I was somewhat disappointed because I was expecting it to be much better. It wasn't bad but I had very high expectations. If I did something wrong please let me know because I think this flavor combination has potential. One of the issues I had with setting this out on a party buffet was that many people thought it was cheese dip. They weren't expecting the heat shock that followed. Note to self: use label cards on the buffet spread.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
modified from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped
  
• 1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®

Serve with:

• 1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
• baby carrots or carrot sticks
• butter crackers
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through.
3. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of an oven safe serving dish.
   
4. Add the chicken and hot sauce mixture over the cream cheese
5. Top with and ranch dressing.
   
6. Cook in the oven until warm and bubbling (about 15 minutes).
   
7. Stir to combine flavors.
   
8. Serve with celery sticks, carrots, and crackers.

Sweet & Spicy Meatballs

The combination of grape jelly and hot sauce sounds strange but it is actually very tasty. Several people asked me what was in the sauce and I think they were surprised too. These were a hit at the bunco party. I just need to remember to start these sooner or heat it in the oven first before putting in the crockpot to speed up the process.

Sweet & Spicy Meatballs

2 lb pkg pre-cooked meatballs
1 jar grape jelly
1/2 cup hot sauce

Heat in a crockpot on high for 2 hours or until meatballs are heated through. Reduce heat to low or warm until served.

White Chocolate Gorp

I made this snack mix for the bunco party and it turned out really well. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture but there is a pretty good one on allrecipes.com.

White Chocolate Gorp
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Gorp/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds white chocolate
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal squares, e.g., Rice Chex ™
• 3 cups toasted oat cereal
• 2 cups thin pretzel sticks
• 2 cups cashews
• 1 (12 ounce) package mini candy-coated chocolate pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat or in microwave until just until soft. Stir until melted. Combine all the other ingredients in big roaster pan or bowl. Stir chocolate into mixture. Turn out on waxed paper. Of course anything you like can be added or substituted-but this recipe is a great combination!
2. Combine the crispy rice cereal squares, toasted oat cereal, pretzels, cashews and candy in big roaster pan or bowl. Stir chocolate into mixture. Turn out on waxed paper and let cool.

Bunco Party

We had a bunco party last night at Erin's house to raise money for the 3 Day walk and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We had over 20 people come and raised at least $500 (some donations are still coming in).

Here is a sample of what was on the menu:
Sweet & Spicy Meatballs*
Chicken Empanadas
Hummus, Pita Bread, & Veggies
Cheese Dip & Chips
Deviled Eggs
Buffalo Chicken Dip*
Chex Mix*
Gorp or White Trash or whatever you want to call it Chex mix*
Brownies
Dirt Cake
Strawberry Mirror Pink Ribbon Cake*
Margaritas*
Strawberry Daiquiris
Soda & Water*

(and my pink ribbon chocolate pops that I forgot to bring)*

*Items I made or brought



I wanted to do something a little different than the pink ribbon cake I took to Martie's bunco party earlier this month. I got the idea for a strawberry mirror cake from Peabody's blog:
http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2007/07/30/mirror-mirroron-the-wall/
but I changed the method a little. My pink ribbon cake pan isn't as nifty for molding gelatin as a spring form cake pan. Here is how I did it.

1. Bake cake and turn out of cake pan. Let cake cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Frost cake with a thin but not transparent layer of icing.
3. Create a barrier around the area to be filled with gelatin with a large star tip (I used tip 133).
4. Make strawberry gelatin according to the quick set directions on the package (boil 1 cup water, add package of gelatin, stir for 3 minutes, add ice cubes and continue to stir until the gelatin is thick but not set).
5. Fill the area you bordered with a very thin layer of gelatin.
6. Put cake back in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until gelatin is set.
7. Finish the sides of the cake with the star tip #133. This should cover any gelatin that ran over the border.

Jell-o Chocolate Pudding Fudge

I've saved this recipe in my recipe box for a long time. It was one of the first recipes that I put in there. I thought it sounded interesting but I never made it before. I was craving some chocolate fudge the other day so I gave it a try. It was very easy to make. When eaten cold it is very similar to my See's fudge recipe. Unfortunately when it sat out for more than a few minutes it got gooey and had a slimy consistency (definitely not like my See's fudge). I'm glad I discovered that before I took it to a party where it would sit out. I probably wouldn't make this again unless I needed a quick fudge fix. It is worth it to spend the time and make the good stuff.

Jell-o Chocolate Pudding Fudge
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/jell-o-chocolate-pudding-fudge-60952.aspx

Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, divided

1/3 cup water

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

MICROWAVE 4 of the chocolate squares, 6 Tbsp. of the butter and water in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted; stir. Add dry pudding mix; stir until well blended.

ADD powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring until well blended after each addition. Press into foil-lined 8-inch square pan.

MICROWAVE remaining 4 chocolate squares and 2 Tbsp. butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over pudding mixture. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 48 (1-inch) squares.

Storage Know-How

Store cut-up fudge between sheets of wax paper in airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Breast Cancer Fundraiser Cake

Martie hosted a bunco party in early September to raise money for the 3 Day Walk and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I offered to make a cake since I found a ribbon cake pan on clearance and I really wanted to use it. This is a strawberry cake with strawberry icing.




The bunco party was so much fun and Martie was able to raise over $500 for for the 3 Day. Yeah! I decided to have bunco party too so I plan to get some more use out of this cake pan.

Flower Cake

I couldn't wait to use my new flower cake pan for Erin's birthday. I wanted to make a bright cake to brighten her day. This cake pan seems to be very versatile. You can use it to make different varieties of flowers depending on how you decorate it. You can also use it to make a "bread bowl" type presentation if you cook bread in it and scoop out the middle. You can put dips and other things in the center. I think it would make a nice presentation.

The most difficult part of decorating this cake was trying to get the bright pink color I wanted. When I added pink coloring to the frosting it kept turning a Peptobismal pink. I ended up adding some orange and the brightened it up a little. I still wasn't 100% pleased with the color but it wasn't too ugly.



This was a yellow cake with buttercream icing.

Slow Cooker Marmalade Curry Chicken

I had some left over chicken tenders and I wanted to find a creative way to use them. Chase and I really like Indian food but Phoenix is not known for its international cuisine. I found this recipe online and it sounded interesting and unique. It was very tasty. I wish I would have made more. I will definitely make this recipe again.




Slow Cooker Marmalade Curry Chicken
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Marmalade-Curry-Chicken/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 5 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) jar orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place into a slow cooker. Whisk together the marmalade, chicken stock, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and ground ginger in a bowl. Pour over chicken breasts.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 5 to 7 hours. Make sure to flip over the chicken breasts once during cooking.