Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ok...this doesn't take much skill I know....but man are they good!!! Not to mention how pretty they are:-)

Ingredients:
About 10 large strawberries with long stem on them....or you can put a skewer in them.
Semi Sweet bakers chocolate (5 blocks)
Milk Chocolate semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup)
White Bakers Chocolate (3 blocks)

Directions:
Clean and dry strawberries
Mix the bakers chocolate and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave for a minute at a time...stirring in between until chocolate is melted. If the chocolate is a little too thick you can add just a tad bit of vegetable oil to the chocolate.
Melt the white chocolate the same way in a different bowl.
Dip strawberries in dark chocolate or white chocolate and drizzle with other chocolate...or sprinkles...nuts...coconut...whatever you like:-)

Let sit on wax paper for about 30 minutes in fridge until the chocolate hardens...then eat every one of them:-) YUM!!! These are sooooo good!

Crab Cakes

YUM! Crab Cakes are my favorite!! I have never cooked them until tonight. I decided to make them for Valentine's dinner for my two favorite men:-) They were absolutely delicious! One thing I hate about restaurant crab cakes is they are more cake them crab:-( NOT THESE....they are ALL CRAB!! It's not a cheap meal....but it was well worth it and made for a perfect Valentine's meal:-)

Ingredients:
1 pound lump crab meat (don't get the cheap stuff....should be at least 15-17 bucks per 8oz)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
3 tbls mayo
1 tbls worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 green onions sliced
1 tsp tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
oil
butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400
Mix the crab, bread crumbs, egg, mayo, worcestshire sauce, mustard, green onions, tobaso, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Form the crab mixture into patties. This about of crab should make 4-5 good size patties.
Heat oil and melt butter in a pan...about a tbls of each.
Fry in pan about med-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side. Then put in oven proof dish and bake on 400 for about 10 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

My sister made this DELICIOUS salad at her house and I just had to get the recipe from her. You must try this! It really is to die for:-) Thanks Britney for sharing the recipe. It's easy to make and is perfect to take to your next family/friend get together.

Ingredients:
4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
9 slices of bacon
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup green grapes
1 cup cheese
1/1 cup chopped red onion

Directions:
Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar in a bowl.

Mix remaining ingredients with dressing in large bowl and serve. YUMMY!!!! ENJOY!

Chicken, Potato and Corn Chowder

Tried this new soup recipe tonight and it was really yummy! Perfect for a cool rainy night like tonight. I served this with french bread and the bread dipped in the soup was sooooo good! Will make this one again for sure!

Ingredients:

• 3 slices Bacon
• 1 pound Chicken Breasts, Skinless & Boneless, Cut Into Bite-sized Pieces
• 1 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (4 Oz. Can) Diced Green Chiles
• 5-¼ cups Low-salt Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Peeled & Diced Russet Potatoes
• 1 cup Frozen Whole Corn Kernels
• 1 can (14 Oz. Can) Creamed Corn
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Skim Milk
• 1-½ cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Garnishing
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper
• Chopped Scallions For Garnish

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and let drain on a piece of paper towel. Set aside.

To the bacon drippings, add chicken, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add diced green chiles and cook for an additional minute. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add frozen whole-kernel corn and creamed corn, and stir well.

Pour flour into a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in skim milk. Add the milk mixture to the soup and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in grated sharp Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped scallions, grated Cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. If desired, break some tortilla chips over each portion of soup.

Mega Chocolate Cake

If you are a chocolate lover then you will LOVE this cake. It is all kinds of chocolaty!!!! It's really yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too:-)

Ingredients:

• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 box (3.4 Oz. Box) Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
• 3 Tablespoons Dutch-processed Cocoa
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1-¾ cup 2% Milk
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract (optional)
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except the chocolate chips and pecans. Mix on low until fully combined.

Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Grease a Bundt cake pan well and pour in the batter.

Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes. Check the cake with a toothpick at the 45-minute mark to see if done. If not, continue cooking for 5-minute intervals until the toothpick comes out clean. My oven took 50 minutes to bake this.

Once cake is done, allow the cake in the pan to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a cake plate and allow to cool completely. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar or serve with some vanilla ice cream.