Chocolate Fondue

½ cup butter
½ cocoa powder
¾ cup white sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Over low heat, melt butter in small saucepan. Remove from burner & immediately stir in cocoa. Stir in sugar and evaporated milk
Return to burner, cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth (not gritty). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm with your favorite dippers.

Some ideas for dippers are bananas, strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, and cheesecake

Thanks Sarah

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box of chocolate cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or Valentine’s M&M’s if you want to be festive!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Stir together cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth in a medium sized bowl. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before moving to wire racks.

Variations:

Yellow or Devil’s Food cake mixes; hershey’s bar pieces, pecans, M&M’s

Kool Aid Key Lime Pie

1 store bought graham cracker crust
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 (.14 oz) envelope unsweetened lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 8oz tub whipped topping

Pour milk into a small metal or glass mixing bowl. Add beaters to the bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Beat milk until soft peaks form. Add sugar and drink mix; beat until thoroughly mixed. Spoon into prepared pie pan.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.Spread whipped topping on top of pie and garnish with fresh lime slices.

Thanks, Kitty

Banana Nut Muffins

1 banana or spice cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 medium banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners. Mix together cake mix, eggs, water, oil and banana in a large bowl until well blended.

*You can also add 1/3 cup chopped walnuts for Banana Nut muffins. Just fold nuts in gently.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.
Bake 20-25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 bag of the bite size Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil in a bowl until all the cake powder is absorbed. Using a spoon, roll into 1 1/2" balls. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each ball. Make sure the cup is completely covered with dough.Bake cookies 8-10 min, or until done. Remove from pan to cool.

Thanks, Lisa

Quick & Frugal Baked Ziti

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 jar water
1 lb pasta (rotini, penne, ziti, elbows, shells)
8 oz shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, mexican, mont. jack)





Mix sauce, water, and uncooked pasta in 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes (depends upon type of pasta used). Remove cover, stir, top with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted.Serve with garlic toast and a salad.





Variations: add mushrooms, eggplant, zuccini, or any other vegetable you need to sneak in on your kids. It doesnt take much. Meat can also be added. 1 lb of ground beef, italian sweet pork sausage, ground turkey or 2 cups cooked chicken.





Thanks, Lisa