Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing

Last Sunday my family made a wonderful homemade chocolate cake with wonderful mocha icing! It was divine and I wanted to share the recipe! 

You can use any desired chocolate cake recipe. Here is the one my family used:

Chocolate Cake:

 2c all purpose flour               

1 1/2 cup sugar                   

3/4 c cocoa powder            

1 t baking soda                

1/2 t baking powder          

1/4 t salt                   

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened        

3 large eggs  

1 cup water               

1 1/2 t. vanilla 

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2, 8 inch round cake pans. I like to cut partchment paper to fit the bottom of my pans and lay that down before I grease and flour.

2. For the cake:  Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  When smooth add dry ingredients and water.  Beat for 3 minutes and divide batter evenly between the 2 pans.

Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes and let them cool for about an hour before frosting! 

Butter Cream Frosting:

2-stick butter, softened

1T vanilla extract

1/8 t salt

2 pounds powdered sugar

1/2 c strong brewed coffee

1/2 c cocoa powder

Garnish with cocoa powder and powdered sugar

*** Note to readers, this is not a original recipe.*** 

Fried Sweet Potatoes

You will need:

2 Sweet potatoes

Salt

Peanut oil

Cut your sweet potatoes about 1/8 inch think or thinner if you want crispier chips.
Just palace in fryer or frying pan with peanut oil and fry for about 5 min.
Place on paper towel Bd sprinkle with sea salt. Simple!

Hawaiian Chicken Wings

You will need:

Already cut chicken wings

Peanut oil

Dry ingredients:

flour

Salt

Pepper

Sauce:

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of soy sauce

1 bulb green onion ( to included some of the green) minced well.

3 Tbs minced garlic

You cover your chicken wings in dry ingredients. Fry in a fryer or frying pan until done ( about 8 to 10 minutes)

Once done immediately place into sauce mixture. Stir them around so they are fully coated in sauce. Leave in sauce for 5 minutes. Then remove wings and serve! Simple!

Turkey Breast and Red Onion Salad

Eating healthy has become a priority for me and my guys! I have been trying to make simple meals! 

So tonight I came up with this! 

What you will need:

• 4 boneless turkey breast
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic salt
• Spinach
• Red onion

Preheat the oven to 375. 

I placed olive oil in the bottom of the pan and then placed the turkey breast in the pan. 

Added olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic salt to the top of the turkey breast. 

Placed in the oven for 45-50 min. 

For the Salad:

Cut red onion and add to spinach in a bowl. Add olive oil. Then salt and pepper to taste! 

Simple! 

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a fun day with my son, I thought cookies would be a fun way to bring our day to an end!

Chocolate chip cookies have always been my favorite!

Here is my recipe:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks soft butter
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cups powder sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
Add as many chocolate chips as you want!

I mix it all together. In no specific order!

Preheat oven to 375
Cook for 10 min

HELPFUL TIPS: 

•  Make sure your butter is room temperature. Do not microwave the butter your cookies will come out flat. If you didn't get a chance to leave the butter out for a while, simply cut up your butter into thin slices and blend well!

• My cookies always turn out because I use a silt pad! It's my favorite thing to use when baking!

My son was extremely eager to help! 

Herb-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad

With the new year among us, I decided I was going to eat healthy! I am tired of the fast food and junk! 

So I found THIS yummy recipe from Martha Stewart! 

This is for those fish eaters out there! I LOVE salmon. All of the flavors in this recipe tie together perfectly! 

• 3 slices white sandwich bread
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, combine bread, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
2. Place salmon on prepared sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread top of fillets with Dijon; top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 11 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine lemon juice and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and onion; toss to combine. Serve salmon with spinach salad. 

This recipe was very delicious and healthy! 

I hope you give it a try!! It is very simple to make and so yummy! 

~Simplicity

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year! 

A Little late I know! But after a LONG holiday, many blessings, and not enough time to do everything, I took a break! 

But I am now ready and in full swing to get my house out of the holiday funk it is in! 

I am getting all of my Christmas decorations put away (again late! I know!) and am noticing a lot of empty space in my house! This makes my head start spinning and it has inspired me to get my butt in to high gear and start crafting yet again!

I have also decided I am going to buy some sort of real (yet small) tree to put in my house! When I figure out what tree I will let you know! 

So stay tuned and let me get to a craft store and I will be posting a lot of fun family friendly crafts for Valentines, Easter and Spring! 

~Simplicity