German Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups peeled, diced apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9 x 13 cake pan.

Beat oil and eggs with mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Frost when cool.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tblsp. milk
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in the brown sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the milk, stirring the whole time.

Return to heat and bring just to a boil again. Remove from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm (about 20 minutes). Stir in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, and cool enough to spread. Add a few drops of milk if frosting gets too stiff.

This cake is unbelievable!! We couldn't get enough, which isn't exactly good for the waistline, but it is a must try!

Mudballs

Ever had No-Bake cookies? These are a healthier version I found on Heavenly Homemakers blog. They are really pretty good considering I'd never used wheat germ or sesame seeds:) I've heard that you can sub out the sesame seeds for sunflower or flax seed for the wheat germ. Maggie loved them and calls them her "meatballs". They keep great in the freezer too!

Ingredients

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Combine PB and honey is medium saucepan over medium heat until the two are smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together well. Once chocolate chips have melted and mixture is cool enough to handle, hand roll into small balls. Wax paper is handy but not necessary. I got about 2 dozen balls out of these equivalents and it wasn't nearly enough! I'd double for sure next time.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

3 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup oil (I use 1/2 cup oil an 1/2 cup applesauce to cut down on the fat)
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar (I use 2 cups white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar)
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. ground cinnamon (I add a dash of nutmeg too)
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 4 mini loaf pans, 2 large loaf pans, or a 9 x 13 pan (I usually use the 9 x 13 pan).
In a large bowl beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Put in pan.

Topping: Put on before baking
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick soft butter

Bake 50 minutes or until knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pan.

I tried this with the mini loaf pans and it exploded all over my oven. Next time I will not fill them as full and I will place a cookie sheet underneath to catch and drippings. This is yummy!

Orange-Chicken Rice Bowl

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips/pieces
1/4 cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
3 cups hot, cooked rice

Directions: Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes or until done. Stir in dressing and juice. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through, stirring occassionally. Serve over rice.

We loved this! Next time, I will probably add a little more orange juice and dressing to make more liquid to cover the rice. If you like stir-fry--you will love this!

Taco Dip

1 (8 oz.) carton of sour cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1/2 jar (16 oz. jar) of taco sauce

Cream all three ingredients together, then top with shredded cheddar cheese and desired toppings such as - lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, red pepper, etc.) Drizzle more taco sauce over top. Serve with chips (it's really good with Doritos or Tortilla chips).

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Blogger won't let me copy/paste so here is the link from Cooking Light. This was really easy to prepare and even though I didn't have all the ingredients on hand (didn't use the jalapeno jelly/water ) it still turned out great. I had plenty of leftovers so this would do 2 meals for a family of 4 probably. We served it with these Ranch Potato Wedges and they were yummy too! A pork tenderloin can be up to 14 dollars in Kroger but you can get 2 in a package at Costco for about 12 or 13 dollars. And since I break this meal into two, it makes it more affordable for us.

Grilled Marinated Chuck Steak

I got this out of my most recent Taste of Home Magazine. It was in a section about budget cuts of meat and such and while I didn't use the exact cut, it was still yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 lbs boneless chuck steak

In a medium bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients. Then place steaks into a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the steaks and let it sit in the fridge at least a8 hours or overnight.

Drain marinade from steaks and discard liquid. Grill steak, covered over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes per side or until meat reaches desired doneness. 145 for medium rare, 160 for medium, and 170 for well done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.