I Love Chocolate Icing!

*This is wiltons.com Chocolate buttercream icing*
Ingredients:
•1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
•3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
•1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
•4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
•3-4 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing


instructions
Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Chocolate Mocha Icing: Substitute cold brewed strong coffee for milk in Chocolate Buttercream recipe.

Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Buttercream Icing.

For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk

Baked Ziti With Sausage!

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
2 (24 ounce) jars of your favorite Tomato sauce ( I used my own homemade sauce which made this taste 10x's better)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
12 ounces ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 dash salt and pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat pasta sauce with 1 teaspoon basil until bubbling. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
3.Spread bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with sauce. Layer 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2, the sausage, 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1/2 the mozzarella. Spoon half of the sauce over top. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 teaspoons basil and Italian seasoning.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake!

Ingredients:
•2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
•3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
•1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
•3 eggs
•2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 1/2 cups water

instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray pan with vegetable pan spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and butter together either in microwave oven or on top of range over low heat. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into electric mixer bowl. Add sugar; beat until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at time. Add vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add remaining flour and water; mix until smooth. Put remaining chocolate chips into batter & stir. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Place pan on cooling rack.

Peppercorn Chicken!

Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 packet peppercorn gravy mix
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white or red wine

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2.Place cleaned chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish or casserole dish. Arrange the sliced onion pieces evenly on top of the chicken pieces. Scoop the mushroom soup onto the chicken and onions. Mix the peppercorn gravy with water & Wine pour it over the soup, onions and chicken.
3.Cover the dish and bake for 1 hour, stirring the chicken and mixture after 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Bars!

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.


To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Elegant Pork Roast with Cherries & Apricots!

1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin roast
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple juice, divided
1 cup Dried cherries
1 cup dried apricots
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan. Mix together the mustard and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; spread over the roast.
3.Roast for 3 hours in the preheated oven, basting with 1/4 cup of apple juice every 30 minutes. Roast is done when the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
4.During the last half hour the roast is cooking, combine the cherries, apricots, red wine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup of the juices from the roasting pan, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5.When the roast is done, Slice & serve the cherries/apricot sauce on the side.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup!

3 large red onions, sliced thin
3 large sweet white onions, sliced thin
1 stick of butter
1 tbsp salt
2/3 c. dry white wine (or sherry)
4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
7 c. homemade beef stock
*I cut up some Italian bread, toasted it & stuck it into the soup before putting the cheese on top.*
salt to taste

What you do:

Put the onions in the crock pot with the 1 tbsp salt and 1 stick of butter. Set on high for 6 hours. Stir occasionally.
Once the onions are totally caramelized, you can either: a) add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot on high and cook for another 2-4 hours or if you’re strapped for time b) put the caramelized onions in a large soup pot, put in rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
Put some in an oven-safe soup crock and cover with 1-2 slices of provolone.
Stick in a broiler for a couple minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown on the edges

*Thank you so Sarah for sharing the recipe with me, soooo good*