Sandee's (My Mom's) 17 Minute Cake AKA Brownies

This cake is really easy and good, it just has a lot of steps!
Step 1
 2 c. flour
 2 c. sugar
 1/2 tsp. salt
Sift together in a bowl

Step 2
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda
Let this mixture sit to sour

Step 3
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat together in a small bowl

Mix steps 1-3 together, set aside, and start step 4

Step 4
1/2 c. margarine
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. oil
1 c. cold water (after the above 3 ingredients are dissolved)
Dissolve together in a soup pot, then add 1 cup of cold water, and then bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat and combine it with the above mixture. Pour steps 1-4 into greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes (out here I only cook it for 10 minutes, so keep checking to know when your cake is done).

When the cake is done I usually poke a fork all around the cake, so the icing will seep down into the cake. Let it cool for about five minutes then pour on the icing.

Icing
1/2 c. margarine
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract (after it is boiled)
1 pkg. powdered sugar (I don't usually use the whole package)
Dissolve together in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Take off heat. Then add vanilla, and slowly mix-in powdered sugar until the icing is a milk chocolate color and can pour easily.

There is usually some left over icing, so my mom puts the excess between graham crackers. It is a quick and delicious snack!

Salsa Chip Dip

16 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
2 c. salsa
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 small can sliced olives (jalapeno olives if you want some spice)

Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips (or pizza rolls haha).

Salsa

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 lemon or lime (juice)
2 Arbol peppers (de-stemmed)- these are dried and packaged peppers, they are red and skinny
1-2 clove(s) garlic
1/4-1/2 onion
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper
1 can whole tomatoes
1 can tomatoes w/green chilies
1/2 bushel/bunch cilantro-rinse

Blend the salt, pepper, sugar, lemon/lime juice, Arbol peppers, garlic, onion, and jalapeno together in a food processor or blender. Make sure everything is finely diced. Then add the 2 cans of tomatoes and cilantro, and pulse to however thick you like your salsa. Refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips. If you don't like your salsa too spicy you can leave out the Arbol and jalapeno peppers.

Dirt Pudding

20 oz. pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed (I don't use the whole pack)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. instant chocolate pudding
3 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. Cool Whip

1 pkg. Gummy Worms

 

Cream together cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix instant pudding with milk. Mix creamed mixture and pudding mixture together. Fold in Cool Whip. Crush Oreo cookies on top of pudding mixture along with Gummy Worms to make the pudding look like dirt. You could even serve the pudding in a clean flower pot or a beach pail with the little shovel as the serving utensil to make it seem even more like dirt.

Grape Salad

4lbs of seedless grapes (green or purple)
1 tub Cool Whip (or 8oz package of cream cheese)
1 8 oz container sour cream
1/2 cup white sugar*
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces chopped walnuts (or pecans) 
4 tbsp brown sugar

Wash and dry grapes. In a large bowl, combine Cool Whip, sour cream, vanilla, and white sugar. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts, mix again and refrigerate until serving.

* I do a little less white sugar if using Cool Whip, and usually mix about half the topping (brown sugar and nuts) into the salad and sprinkle the rest on top.  I usually add more nuts into it too :)

Ham & Swiss Melt
24 rolls
12 thick slices deli ham(black forest)
12 slices Swiss cheese
mayo
1/2 cup melted butter (I use less, like half)
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Spread mayo inside rolls. Assemble rolls with 1/2 slice of ham & a 1/2 slice of cheese inside the roll. Place all rolls on a baking sheet or casserole dish or cooking stone.

Mix butter, mustard, worcestershire sauce & poppy seeds with a wisk.
Brush mixture over tops of the rolls & cover with tin foil.

Bake 350 for 15-20 minutes or unti heated through.

Honey Curry Chicken

Brandon's ALL TIME FAVORITE!  He would eat it for dinner every night if I would make it that often :) Ingredients:

4 - 5Chicken Breasts cut into nugget size pieces. 1/2 c flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper a little less than 1/2 c butter melted (divided) 1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c honey 1/4 c lemon juice 1 TB soy sauce  1 1/2 tsp curry powder (sometimes I do a little extra of all the ingredients to make it a little more saucy)

Directions:

Chop chicken into nugget size pieces. In a bowl place flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Pour half of butter over chicken and stir to coat.  Toss chicken into flour mixture. Put into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350* until barely cooked (about 20 mins) After 10 mins stir chicken. In a bowl mix brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and curry. Pour over chicken and let cook for another 20-40 min (you just have to watch it and when it is all caramelized and browned it's done) . Continue to toss the chicken about every 5 mins in the sauce until all sides are browned. Serve over rice.