What happens

In Vegas ... Stays in Vegas

Unless you trip consisted of walking a and seeing good friend, then you can tell whoever you want.

Mike and  I decided that it would be fun to go to Vegas.  When we found out our friends from Oklahoma were going to Vegas, we booked our ticket and a week later we were Vegas bound.

Mike had never been to Vegas and I have only been one, when I was in junior high. We did a little gambling, hung out with friends and walked A LOT.

Here are some of the sights at night.

 (our hotel: The Cosmo)

Mennonite Monday - Cocoa MIx

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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With the surprisingly cold weather that turned up this spring I thought it would be nice to make Cocoa Mix (pg 1W). To be honest, this was not may favorite recipe.  It wasn't sugary or chocolatey enough for me.  I'm guessing that our tastes are inclined to like more sweet flavors now then they were when this recipe was written.  If I were to make it again, I would cut the dry milk in half and keep the same amount of cocoa and powdered sugar.  Here is the recipe. 

Cocoa Mix

10 cups dry milk (powdered) 

5 Tbl cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

Mix and store in air-tight container.  For serving add 3 Tbl mix to one cup hot water; stir to dissolve.  

 Dry milk

 Cocoa (not Nestle Quick)

 Powder Sugar 

 Mix it all together. 

 All mixed together.  You can tell it is not as dark as the hot chocolate mix we are use to. 

All mixed up and ready to drink.  

You can give this recipe a try, but try it on a smaller scale with more cocoa and powdered sugar.  

Mennonite Monday - Frozen "Pink Champagne" Salad

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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Sorry for the delay and the late posting of Mennonite Monday, but I have a great recipe for you this week called Frozen "Pink Champagne" Salad (pg 187W).  This went together very easily and was a hit at a meal we went to last week.  One thing I noticed is that cans of pineapple and cartons of strawberries don't come in the same sizes as the recipe wants, so I just guessed here and there to make it come out close.  Also, I skipped the freezing part, since I didn't have time and it turned out just fine.  

Frozen "Pink Champagne" Salad

8 oz. pkg cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

15 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

10 oz. box frozen strawberries, partially thawed

12 oz. carton Cool Whip

2 bananas, sliced

Cream sugar and cheese.  Stir in rest of the ingredients.  Freeze until firm.  Take out 1 hour before serving.  

 Cream cheese and sugar mixed together. 

 Adding the fruit.  

All mixed together and ready to eat.  

Mennonite Monday - Fast Fixin' Chocolate Cake

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

~

This week I decided to make two recipes for Mennonite Monday since I have skipped  few weeks.  This week my sweet tooth won and I decided to make Fast Fixin' Chocolate Cake (pg 47W) and Fudge Frosting (pg 58W). This recipe is amazingly easy and is the perfect way to dress up a box cake mix.  

Fast Fixin' Chocolate Cake 

1 pkg Devil's Food Cake Deluxe

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup water

1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding

1 cup chocolate chips

Pour oil in bottom of 9x13 pan.  Tilt pan until oil covers bottom.  Add remaining ingredients in pan and stir with fork until blended.  Bake 35-45 minutes at 350*. 

Covering the pan with the oil.  There was a lot of extra oil in the pan but it mixed right into the batter. 

 Throw all of the ingredient into thee 9x13 pan.  

 Mix with a fork. 

 The batter was not completely smooth, but that didn't seem to matter. 

The final product.  While it looks good, I decided it would be good to add some frosting. 

Fudge Frosting

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1 sq chocolate or 3 Tbl cocoa

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together all ingredients except vanilla.  Bring to a boil, stirring, and start counting 1 minute after mixture comes to a boil.  Let stand a few minutes and eat with spoon until thick and cool.  Add vanilla and spread on cake, enough for a 9x13 pan.  Double the recipe for layer cake and count 2 minutes. 

 I used cocoa instead of a chocolate square. 

 Everything mixed together waiting to boil. 

 Starting to boil.  I started counting my 1 minute at this point, but I could have waited a little longer. 

 This is was when the entire pot was boiling. 

 After the vanilla is mixed in.  I stirred on and off for the net 10-15 minutes while the fudge cooled. 

 This was not overly thick, but it was easy to tell when it began to get thicker. 

 Pouring the fudge sauce on the cake.