German Chocolate Cake

Cake:
1 c. flour
1 c. + 2 Tbsp sugar
7 Tbsp cocoa (dark)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
whisk and make a well in center
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
whisk 30-40 times or until smooth
add 1 stick melted butter + 1/2 tsp vanilla
Bake 350 for 30 minutes (makes 1- 9" cake)

Frosting:
1 c. milk
1 c. sugar
3 egg yolks
2 sticks butter
1 tsp vanilla.

Melt butter in large saucepan and then add all other ingredients. Cook on medium heat 10-12 minutes or until mixture thickens . . . stir constantly.

Add 1 c. chopped pecans and 3 c. coconut or enough to make it the right consistency.

Stir until cool and spreadable.

Ceasar Salad

1 Head Romaine Lettuce - washed and rough chopped
5 hard boiled eggs
1/2 box whole wheat seasoned croutons (or homemade)
shredded Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
2 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
4 cloves garlic - minced fine
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Whisk all together. Drizzle oil over lettuce and toss, drizzle dressing over lettuce and toss, add croutons and eggs and toss . . . sprinkle with parmesan, black pepper and salt and serve.

Fiesta Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

1 head romaine lettuce, rough chopped or torn
1/4 c. pine nuts or sunflower seeds
2 large red bell peppers, diced
1 can corn (or 3 cobs, cooked and cut)
1/2 lb tomatoes, diced

Dressing:
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp mustard (Dijon is best)
1/4 c. mayo
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 dash garlic salt
5 dash curry
2 dash cayenne
2 dash paprika
3 dash black pepper

Fresh parsley garnish

Corn, Bean & Cucumber Salad

1 can beans (I used kidney, but black would be good too)
1 can corn (or 3 cobs worth cooked and cut)
1 large cucumber diced small
1 large tomato seeded and diced
2 large avocados
sour cream
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. cilantro (or more)
2 Tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt


Toss all in a large bowl. Serve in a taco bowl with avocados and sour cream.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

2 large heads broccoli - cut or torn to bite sized pieces
1/4 c. red onion (this is ample, they are strong)
6 Tbsp raisins
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 package bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Mix mayo, sour cream, garlic, vinegar and sugar until smooth. Toss onion, raisins, broccoli and bacon in dressing and serve cold.

Game On!

Use an old monopoly board covered in plastic wrap and line up town house or club crackers (the rectangles) on each space. Top with a fruit or vegetable of the right color. Use a bowl of dip for the chance squares or more veggies.
Checkerboard chicken salad sandwiches are made with white or wheat bread . . . the filling on these was all the same although you could alternate it also. After making the sandwich just lay them on your board (this was a marble board so I wasn't worried about cutting it) and cut with a sharp knife on the lines. Lay them out alternating and then use olives and grape tomatoes for the checkers (on toothpicks).
Obviously you could do better on a dice cake than I did (I was out of time) but it was a cute idea if had been executed a little better. I also taped monopoly money to the cups with a few of them labeled on the back for door prizes.

Use yatzhee cups and other board game accessories for candy holders and decorate with game boards, twister mats, etc.

April Fools!

This is a meatloaf cake with mashed potato frosting and ketchup decorations. It can also be done in cupcakes. Make sure you peel the potatoes well and beat them until they're very smooth before frosting.

Some Beach, Somewhere

Pina Colada's with cherries and reddi whip. I used the Bicardi mixers and water.

This little scene was created with bell peppers, carrots, pineapple and a lot of toothpicks.

Cucumber boats for the dip, watermelon wave-cut boat and deli platter.

I decorated with a big beach umbrella, beach towels, with chips and ice in sandbuckets.