Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cake

To make CAKE
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter (add 1 stick if you're not afraid of the extra calories)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1 1/2 cups mini–chocolate chips

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat with cooking spray or butter, 9inch or 10inch round cake pan.  I separated the batter into two cake pans to create a "layered cake" (Yes, you can say I'm fancy lol :)
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 
• Whisk milk, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl.
• Slowly pour in the milk/water mixture in the flour mix. Whisk well. 
• Stir in chips.

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

This recipe is from the back of the box with minor changes.  It was too hectic with finding and making the ugly sweaters and our husbands joining us that I had to cheat.

Thaw: 40 mins Prep: 20 min Bake: 15 min  Makes: 20 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets in a package)
1 egg
1 tbsp water
½ cup shredded Muenster cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped (I sautéed in butter but you don’t have to)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 package (about 10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

Cannoli Cake

 {I borrowed this recipe from here. I made slight variations}

Ingredients

• 1 package French vanilla cake mix (regular size)

FILLING:

• 1 carton (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

FROSTING:

• 2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Pan fried Onion Dip

2 large onions

½ teaspoon of chili pepper (you can use cayenne too)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

4oz crème cheese

½ cup sour crème

½ cup of mayo

2 table spoon butter

 

Rudolph's Sunset

4 cups of Orange Juice

1 can of Sprite

1 ½ cup of orange flavored vodka

½ cup of maraschino cherry juice

¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, stir, and serve. This makes about 8 cups or so.   FYI- there is no such thing as a can/jar of maraschino cherry juice. You have to use the juice from the can of maraschino cherry. Yes, I learnt that the hard way.

Manicotti with Sausage

{ borrowed this recipe from here. I made slight variations}

Fonduta sauce:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• A few slices of American cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Filling:

·         2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

·         1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed

·         1 large onion, finely chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning (Giada would cringe if she knew I used a mix!)

·         salt

·         pepper

·         1/2 cup whole milk ricotta

·         12 manicotti shells

·         1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce

 

FOR VEGETARIAN: substitute spinach and mushrooms for sausage.

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets, red and golden
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 ounces mixed baby greens
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

16th Meeting - Ugly Sweater Exchange

How is it possible that we haven’t seen each other in almost three months. I hosted the Holiday Exchange this year right around the time of our 2^nd Anniversary. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. I feel like we were just talking about Shayni’s sweater and how we are all going to go get it. We were going to be The Sisterhood of the Super Cute and Trendy Sweater!  The group has lost a couple of members but gained a couple as well;  but for the most part we are stronger than ever. The reason why this works is because we are all dedicated to this. It’s that one time of month (no not that time) where we get to hang out with each other and just eat, dance, joke, play games, drink, bitch, learn some new yoga moves (Vaishali, I think we need another session!)and if nothing else we get to go away from real life for just a few hours.

 

This exchange was a little different than our usual exchange. First and foremost, Hetal and Vaishali couldn’t make it to this so felt their absence. Second, the husbands were invited. And third, it was an Ugly Holiday Sweater Exchange. I was so happy to see that everyone participated; even though a couple of outfits were a lot less ugly, might I even say something you can wear on a daily basis. You know who you are!