Steeler cake

Go Steelers!

I was craving chocolate cake with mocha icing (see recipe for icing here) so I made this for the game today!  Haven't done too much with icing recently, so I had fun.  I used this template, flipped it to be backwards, printed it, traced it and put it on my cake so that I would have nice looking diamonds and circles.  

Easiest Mac n Cheese

Not just easy - probably the easiest mac n cheese ever.  Maybe even easier than Kraft Mac n Cheese.  No boiling water, testing your noodles, draining pasta.  It's just a dump and go.  And also...  it's excellent!

We had this at one of Nick's family reunions and I enjoyed it so much I asked one of Nick's aunts if she could get us the recipe.  She e-mailed it to me and we made it for a Steelers game a few weeks ago.  I was excited that not only was it simple, but it was a hit!  Here's the easy peasey mac n cheesey recipe!

Wait til you see the directions for this one!

Mac n Cheese 

•1 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni

• 4 c. milk

• 1/2 c. melted butter

• 1 1/2 c. cheese (velveeta and/or whatever else you have)

• 1 tsp. salt

• dash pepper

Mix everything in a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 3 hours @ 235°F.

I stirred whenever I passed in the kitchen, probably 2 times.  It was runny when I took it out but it will congeal a lot as it cools.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are very cakey - and very good!  I made them with wheat flour and they were excellent - and I could pretend they were a little healthier.  :)  It's less noticeable if you use half and half wheat and regular flour.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour  (or substitute with wheat and they'll still be awesome!)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't add)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.  In a bowl attached to your mixer, combine sugar, oil, and pumpkin.  Add egg.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir in.  Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2.  Add vanilla, chocolate chips, and nuts.

3.  Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.  Move to a wire rack to cool.

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Source:  allrecipes.com  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies III