Last night, I got a sudden craving for the Snackin’ Cakes of my childhood. Do you remember those? They were a box mix that mixed in the pan with a fork, and you just had to add water. They were super moist and yummy.
I don’t do mix cakes anymore (I like to be able to pronounce what I put in my kids’ bodies), and I don’t think the Snackin’ Cakes are made anymore.
So I decided to experiment and come up with my own version.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Snackin’ Cake
 Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Snack Cake 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°.
In an ungreased 8×8″ square baking pan, mix the flours, baking powder, salt and brown sugar with a fork. Add the water, oil, and vinegar and mix well with the fork. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (well, clean of batter – it may get some melted chocolate chip on it!) Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
This doesn’t taste just like the cake I remember, and you obviously have to add more than water, but like the cakes I was remembering, it’s mixed right in the pan with a fork, and it’s super moist and delicious.This was a huge success.
 Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Snackin' Cake slice The snack cake was so good, it was almost addicting. My kids are already asking when I’m going to make it again. (And since the whole cake was made from pantry ingredients, it was super affordable and I’ll be able to make it again anytime.)
This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
Seven-layer dip is one of the classics, and it’s a great “potluck” item to bring to parties – it will definitely be one of the empty dishes at the end of a bash.
Seven-Layer Dip
 Seven-layer dip - so pretty and festive! 2 cans refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
1 15-oz. container of sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar, jack, and asiago)
1 small can sliced black olives
For pico de gallo:
2 tomatoes, diced
2 shallots, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, and diced
Juice of half a lemon or a lime
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
Empty the cans of refried beans into a 9×13″ pan and spread evenly. Add the salsa. and then the sour cream, spreading each evenly. Mix the pico de gallo ingredients together in a medium bowl (please use gloves when dicing the jalapeno). In another medium bowl, mash the avocado and add 1/3 of the pico de gallo to make guacamole. Spread the guacamole over the sour cream in the pan, and then the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining pico de gallo and the olives over the cheese. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Serve with corn tortilla chips.
Optional: You can also add a layer of seasoned ground beef, but I like to have at least one item at a party for vegetarians. (I usually have something for vegans, too, but I didn’t do that this time.)
I made this on Saturday for the party I was going to go to, so we ate some of it last night for dinner.
We still have more than half a pan in the fridge. I foresee a lot of dip eating going on around here in the next couple of days!
When I was shopping at our local Sunflower Market the other day, the cauliflower looked so lovely – and was on sale for cheapcheapcheap. So I bought a head to have with our tandoori chicken and naan that evening. I decided to make curried cauliflower, and it was delicious. Two of my kids declared it “the best cauliflower ever!”
Curried Cauliflower
 Curried Cauliflower 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch of cayenne
1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1 15-oz. can coconut milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (plus some sprigs for garnishing)
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and half the salt, and cook until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add the rest of the salt and the spices and stir for a minute, and then add the cauliflower, coconut milk, and broth. Cook uncovered until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat and reduce the sauce until it coats the cauliflower. Stir in the cilantro. Stir in the raisins and peas, if using, and let heat through. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro.
We skipped the raisins and peas because… well, because we really dislike raisins. And I forgot to buy peas.
This actually makes a good meatless dinner, as well as a side dish. And it’s yummy, and inexpensive – and wayyyy less expensive than eating out. I love that I can introduce my kids to a lot of different cuisines, especially since two of them want to be chefs.
This post is linked to:
Foodie Friday
Food on Fridays
Grocery Cart Challenge
Friday Favorites
Frugal Friday
With our Indian dinner the other night, I made naan to go with the chicken tandoori and the curried cauliflower. It’s my favorite part of dinners at Indian restaurants, and I didn’t know until I started making it and told a few friends that apparently, it’s difficult to find a good naan recipe. I took a little from here, a little from there to make it. I guess a combination of knowing my ingredients, remembering vividly what naan at the restaurant tastes like, and a good amount of luck was at play, because my naan was fantastic. And not so
[Continue reading Naan (Indian Flat Bread) Recipe]
Last night’s dinner: tandoori chicken, curried cauliflower, and naan. The dinner was fantastic, and we didn’t even need to pay restaurant prices.
Tonight, I’ll post the chicken, and post the other recipes over the next few days.
Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Tandoori Chicken
4 large chicken breasts
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
Make three deep cuts into the chicken breasts on one side, and turn them over and make three deep cuts on
[Continue reading Tandoori Chicken Recipe]
I was at a loss for a subject for “Works for Me Wednesday” today, so I asked my 15 year-old daughter. She had a quick answer: “A fruit bowl that can’t be a mixing bowl!”
Our Fruit Bowl
You see, every time I buy a nice fruit bowl to put out on our kitchen island, I end up snagging it for a mixing bowl. And then I end up with no place to put the fruit – which apparently really annoys my daughter!
Recently I was in a TJ Maxx store, and saw this
[Continue reading A fruit bowl that WON’T function as a mixing bowl!]
I’m on a weight loss diet, and my daughter can’t eat most raw fruits, and she really misses banana. I’m not sure I have nearly enough willpower to pass up banana bread or muffins once I smell them baking, so I mixed a few different recipes, made some adaptations, and came up with this recipe.
Low-Calorie, Low-Fat Banana Muffins Recipe
Low-Fat, Low-Cal Banana Muffins
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup banana, mashed
1/3
[Continue reading Low-Calorie, Low-Fat Banana Muffins Recipe]
One of our “go-to” dinners is “breakfast for dinner”, or “brinner”, as some of my friends call it. Frequently, that means eggs with sausage and hashbrowns. But sometimes, it means fried potatoes with tomatoes and cilantro with the eggs instead. This is my favorite way with “brinner”!
Sometimes, my fifteen-year old and I will have this for lunch, too (the boys aren’t very fond of potatoes). I will give the recipe for two large servings. It doubles just fine.
Fried Potatoes with Cilantro and Tomatoes
Fried Potatoes and Eggs with Tomatoes and Cilantro
2 russet
[Continue reading Potatoes with Tomatoes and Cilantro Recipe]
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March 9th, 2010 | 
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