Chocolate-Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes

1cup milk chocolate pieces
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vinegar

Raspberry preserves (optional)

1. For filling, in small saucepan combine chocolate pieces, cream, and 1 Tbsp. butter. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Transfer to small bowl; cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and freeze about 1 hour, until fudgelike consistency. Divide filling into 12 portions. Working quickly with hands, roll each portion in a ball. Place in freezer.

Meanwhile, let 1/4 cup butter and egg stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a small bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt; set aside.

3. In medium mixing bowl beat the 1/4 cup softened butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar; beat on medium until combined. Beat on medium 2 minutes more, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, food coloring, and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on low after each addition just until combined. In small bowl combine baking soda and vanilla; stir into batter.

4. Divide half the batter among prepared cups. Place a ball of filling on batter in center of each cup. Spoon remaining batter into cups.

5. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm topped with raspberry preserves.

**My alternative method:

Bake cupcakes without filling. Prepare filling, cool, but don't freeze or roll into balls. When cupcakes are cool, put filling in a pastry bag with large tip; insert filling into center of cupcake. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

3 - 2 - 1 Cake

1pkg cake mix (any flavor -- your favorite)
1pkg angel food cake mix

Pour above ingredients into a large zip- lock bag. Seal bag and mush bag to mix mixes together.

In a microwavable dish (custard cup or similar), mix:

3 tablespoons cake mix
2 tablespoons water

Bake in microwave on high for 1 minute. (Bake only 1 cake at a time)

Serve warm with favorite topping.

Shamrock Pistachio Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1(4 oz) pkg instant pistachio pudding
3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In small bowl combine:

2 beaten eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Stir into flour mixture, just to blend.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1(8 oz pkg) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine above ingredients. Tint green if desired. Sprinkle with green colored sugar, etc.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

3-4 Tbs Lime juice
Skinless boneless chicken breast (however much you want)
1 Tbs Chili powder
Salsa (about 1 C)

Place chicken on bottom of crockpot.  Squeeze lemon juice over chicken.  Sprinkle chili powder over chicken.  Pour in as much salsa as desired.  Set crockpot on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hrs depending on when you want to eat.  (Chicken will cook thoroughly and not burn, even with the small amount of 'liquid' in the crockpot)
     *This chicken is best added to other recipes (tacos, taquitos, soup, etc)

Corn and Cheddar Chowder

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup dry white wine  (I omitted this and it was fine)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter and stir in the onion, potato, bay leaf, cumin, and sage. Saute about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender. Mix in the flour, coating the onion and potato. Pour in the chicken stock and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potato is tender.               
Mix the corn, parsley, chives, and wine into the saucepan, and cook about 5 minutes, until heated through. Remove the bay leaf, and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted and blended. Season with salt and pepper.               

*You can omit the cheese if you want plain corn chowder, it is plenty thick before adding the cheese.

Fast Muffins

Basic Recipe
1-3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 C milk
1/4 C cooking oil

1.  Grease twelve 2-1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  make a well in the center of dry mixtrue; set aside.
2.  In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture.  Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy).
3.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or till golden.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from muffin cups;  serve warm.  Makes 10-12 muffins.

For more exciting muffins...
Banana: use basic recipe, reduce milk to 1/2 C, addd 3/4 C mashed banana and 1/2 C chopped nuts. (Do not use paper baking cups)
Blueberry: add 3/4 C fresh or frozen blueberries and optional 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
Cheese: add 1/2 C shredded cheddar or Monderey Jack cheese.
Cranberry:  add 1 C chopped cranberries and 2 Tbs additional sugar
Oatmeal:  reduce flour to 1-1/3 C and add 3/4 C rolled oats.
Poppy Seed:  increase sugar to 1/2 C and add 1 Tbs poppy seed.

Texan Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbls canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 C cubed chooked chiken breast (Mom used leftover chicken from another dish)
1 can (10-3/4 oz) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 oz) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 Tbls chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch strips
2 C (8oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp-tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes, and chili powder.

Line the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of chicken mixture and 1 C cheese.  Repeat the layers.  Bake, uncovered, at 450 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield: 8 servings  (1 C = 329 calories)