Baked Burritos

As I sit here on my back porch wearing a sweater and watching the sun set (beautiful by the way!) I have to wonder where summer is. We are having very late spring-like weather. Lot's of thunderstorms, rain and cool, cloudy days. Summer, you can get here anytime! It is usually in the high 90's to low 100's around here this time of year. I actually had to cut back the water on my garden. The leaves were turning yellow! The good news is we are saving a ton on our a/c bill and I can still use the oven without worrying about how hot the house will be!

The girls and I had a fantastic day with some awesome friends. We were so exhausted by the time everyone went home I was dreading dinner. I thought about running through fast food but really hate to eat that junk (except for the french fries...mmmm...french fries...). So I scrounged around in my freezer and found some shredded pork that I had frozen a couple months ago. HOORAY! There was only one problem. My fridge and my cupboards are bare! My husband is working out of town and we were gone all weekend so I didn't meal plan or shop for the week. So....what to do with shredded pork? Luckily I did have tortillas and cheddar cheese (pre shredded of course!). Voila...baked burritos!

What you need:

Shredded pork, chicken or beef
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Tortillas
Butter, melted

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pork (or other meat of choice) onto a tortilla and top with cheese. Roll up burrito style and place on baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake in the oven 30 - 40 minutes until brown. Let cool! The filling gets VERY hot. I always cut my daughters in half and let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacomole.

Sweet Corn Cake

One of my favorites from a Mexican restaurant we used to frequent. Unfortunately the restaurant went downhill and so I had to figure out a way to recreate this. A great dessert to serve along side your favorite Mexican dish. Sweet, creamy and delicious.

In a mixing bowl cream:

1/4 cup butter, softened

Add and mix well:

1/3 cup masa harina (you can also use regular flour)
1/4 cup water

Stir into butter mixture:

1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Pour mixture into a 8 x 8 inch pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place into a larger pan and fill halfway with water. Bake in a 350 degree oven 1 hour or until it is set in the middle.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

My daughter and I made this cake today and it was fantastic. I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I will admit that I got it off the can of cocoa I had in the pantry. It is so moist and delicious. The frosting is to die for too!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

When I was pregnant with my 2nd I had major gall bladder issues throughout my entire pregnancy. It was beyond painful and I had to stick to a really low fat diet. I was able to get creative and came up with some good recipes. Here is a quick and easy side that can be seasoned anyway your heart desires. I also like to add cut up zucchini squash, mushrooms, bell pepper or whatever veggie I have on hand. Another tasty alternative is to substitute 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the spices listed below.

In a large resealable bag combine:

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil (*or you can generously spray the potatoes with butter flavored cooking spray)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Fresh ground black pepper

Seal and shake bag until potatoes are completely coated with oil and seasoning. Spread onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven 30 minutes or until tender.

Enjoy!