Do Nothing Cake

So, a Do Nothing Cake….a cake where you do nothing for it. Sounds impossible, right? Well you’re right, there is work involved with this one. But I didn’t name it, I just tried it out to see what it was like. I found the recipe on Happy Cooking, and like I said I wanted to try it out and see what all this do-nothingness was about.

It wasn’t all that much work after all, and it did taste good. I did make a major change though; it called for 2 cups of sugar and I cut that right in half. I mean, seriously, the cake was sweet enough with a cup of sugar plus the sweet frosting on top. I can only imagine the toothache if I hadn’t reduced it!

So, let’s get cooking!

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and crushed pineapple. Yes, I made that monkey face because that’s what it looked like to me! Haha

Place the mixture into a greased 9 X 13” baking dish and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until tooth pick in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, chop the nuts. I used pecans for this and it was delicious.

For the icing, in a medium saucepan mix together the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk. Cook on medium heat to boiling and go for about 5 minutes or so until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and nuts.

Pour the icing over the cake (which can still be hot) and let cool. Serve and Enjoy! ~TMMF

Miss Megan chopping the nuts. 

Do Nothing Cake

1 c sugar

2 c flour

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

16 oz crushed pineapple, undrained

Icing

½ c butter

1 c sugar

¾ c evaporated milk

1 c coconut

1 c nuts

1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dessert Lasagna

This little recipe is one I found online and just had to try. I feel like I don’t do enough sweets here at TMMF, but I guess it’s because I’m not really into the sweet taste; I’m more of a savory, sharp, or spicy person. So I wanted to try this, especially since it’s got peanut butter and chocolate in it, and it’s frozen. What a tasty way to cool off in all this summer heat!

So, let’s get cooking, er…baking? Oh my, that’s not right either. Let’s get assembling! ;)

First spread one third of the Cool Whip on the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal evenly on top.

Heat up the Nutella in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it looser, and drizzle over the top of the cereal.

Now for the next layer. Spread another 1/3 of the Cool Whip on top.

Sprinkle the Cocoa Puffs or Reese’s Puffs evenly over the whipped topping.

Warm the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and drizzle on top of the cereal.

Use the last 1/3 of the Cool Whip to spread on top.

Put about ¾ c Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in a bag and crush with whatever your little heart desires. I used a huge wrench that was in the kitchen. ;)

Sprinkle over the top, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze.

When completely frozen, serve. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dessert Lasagna

1 16 oz container Cool Whip
1 1/2 c Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
1 1/2 c Cocoa Puffs or Reese's Puffs cereal
1/2 c Nutella
1/2 c peanut butter
more Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal for top

*Just a little note: I saved money by buying the store brand of Nutella, Cool Whip, peanut butter, and the bagged copycat of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. I didn't have Cocoa Puffs or Reese's Puffs, but I had the bagged Marshmallow Cocoa Mateys, so I picked the marshmallows out and used the puffs. Or "Mateys." ;)

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad

This is a recipe I found on the internet right before Memorial Day, and it seemed perfect for that celebration, so Megan and I went into the kitchen and got to work. It’s very easy and quick, and everyone loved it. Megan really wanted to do the work for this recipe, and since it was easy enough for her to basically do alone, with just my supervision and direction, I let her. When I told her she was going to be the “star” of the show for this recipe, she was so excited!  She had a lot of fun and I did too.

So, let’s get cooking!

Peel and cut the bananas into slices about ¼ inch thick.

Remove the leaves from the strawberries and slice into about ¼ inch thick slices.

Set aside while you work on the rest.

Mix together the yogurt and the cheesecake filling. It’s going to be somewhat thick.

Add the Cool Whip and mix well.

              Stir in the strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows.

Now you’re done! Very quick and easy. This is not something you want to make a day ahead, though, due to the bananas browning.

Serve and watch the smiles all around. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad

3-4 bananas
1 qt strawberries
16 oz vanilla yogurt
1 pkg chesecake pudding mix
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 bag mini marshmallows

*You can see how easy it would be to cut down on the fat and calories by using light non-fat yogurt and light Cool Whip.

Almond Joy Brownie Bites

Chocolate and coconut…bring it on! This is an easy recipe I found online and of course the kids wanted me to make it. Megan and Timothy helped with it, especially afterwards when tasters were needed! ;) We actually made these twice, Caitlin helping the 2nd time, because I sort of played with the recipe a little, as I am sometimes wont to do, and instead of melting the chocolate chips and drizzling that onto the bites at the end, I thought I’d just sprinkle the chips on top for the baking process. They were yummy, but Caity suggested using mini chocolate chips instead, which did turn out to be better.

First, mix together the brownie mix as directed on the package. Yes, I could have made homemade brownie mix for this, but no, I did not. I have been so busy lately, the ease of the packaged mix was a blessing. ‘Nuff said. ;)

Place cupcake papers into several muffin tins. Scoop brownie batter into the papers, only enough to fill halfway. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 12 minutes.

While they are baking, mix the flaked coconut in a bowl with the sweetened condensed milk.

Chop the almonds. I didn’t want to spend so much money on the almonds, so I managed to find a small bag of Fisher’s slivered almonds for…something like $1.50 or so, and it was plenty enough for this recipe with a little left over. If I had a few other recipes needing almonds, I would have bought the cans with more ounces, and of course more money, but I didn’t, so this would do.

When the brownie bites are done, remove from the oven and spoon about 1 Tbl of the coconut mixture on top of each. I used one of my smaller scoops that equaled about 1 Tbl. Make sure to tamp it down a little, to spread it over the whole of the top of the brownie.

Sprinkle the chopped almonds on top of the coconut mixture, then the chocolate chips.

Put the muffin tins back into the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

When cool enough, remove from the muffin tins. Serve and watch the smiles! Enjoy! ~TMMF


Almond Joy Brownie Bites

1 box fudge brownie mix
   (family size)
3 c flaked coconut
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
¼ c almonds
1 c mini chocolate chips

Reese's Peanut Butter Balls

So, Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and according to the Greeting Card Association, it’s the 2nd biggest holiday for cards. For candy sales, Valentine’s Day is the 4th leader. Not as impressive, but $950 million is a pretty hefty sum. When I was growing up, my mom used to make these Reese’s Peanut Butter Balls, and when I had a family of my own, they became a recipe that I made frequently at Valentine’s Day. When I had paper routes, when my daughters were young, I sometimes made them also for the staff at the newspaper office, and they were popular!

I have to admit, they really are so good, and even though I don’t eat a lot of sweets, I can’t help but scarfing a few when I make these! They rival their commercial counterpart in taste and quality. The only adjustment I’ve made to the recipe my mom used is using natural peanut butter, which I prefer for any peanut butter use anyway. Do not be fooled by some of the new “natural” peanut butters in the average grocery stores; read the labels and you’ll see that they have sugar and other ingredients that are not different than regular peanut butters. I use Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter almost exclusively; the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Because I have found that using a true natural peanut butter with only peanuts and salt as ingredients makes for the best flavor in these treats, that is what I list for the recipe and what I recommend. Take my experience in this matter and use it. If you can‘t trust the lady with the wand in a cooking matter, who can you trust? ;)

So, first measure out your peanut butter and place in a bowl with the softened butter.

Using a mixer, beat together well, making sure there are no lumps.

Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix well using a strong wooden spoon.

Using a 1 oz. scoop, measure out the mixture….

….and roll into balls, placing on a platter or sheet pan. Refrigerate for half an hour or so.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and the wax until smooth. If you don’t have a double boiler, do what I do: use a saucepan on top that is slightly smaller than the pot on the bottom. Fill the bottom pot with enough water to boil but not touch the bottom of the smaller top pot. When the water comes to a boil, lower heat so it keeps to a low boil. Keep stirring the wax and chocolate.



A little bit of information here: you’re using paraffin wax to make the chocolate coating of the candy shiny and able to be handled without just melting from the touch of  your hot little hands. ;) This is what some commercial chocolatiers do.The amount of wax you use can also be individual. When making this recipe, I’ve used as little as ¼ bar and as much as ½ bar (the original measure in the recipe). The amount I came to prefer for keeping melting at bay but keeping it from feeling like you’re chewing a wad of waxy chocolate is about a scant 1/3 bar.

So, using a toothpick poked into the middle of each peanut butter ball, dip them into the melted chocolate/wax mixture.

There will be a small area at the top with no chocolate on it; after they are all dipped, I simply dip a spoon into the melted chocolate/wax mixture and touch the tip of it to the “un-chocolated” spot to cover. You may have to reheat the chocolate/wax mixture as needed.

Serve to your family in whatever way you wish. They can be simply placed on a dish to enjoy, or put in a box or other container. Here is a special heart shaped box (that I made) that you might like to make to showcase them so sweetly: Do It Yourself Valentine's Box. Enjoy! ~TMMF

          Reese's Peanut Butter Balls

          2 c. natural peanut butter
             (Smuckers)
          1/2 c softened butter
          4 c confectioner's sugar (1 lb)
          1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
          1/3 bar parafin wax

O'Henry Bars

Oh my goodness, you are going to love this recipe. Not only are they easy to make and relatively quick, they’re also scrumpdiddlyumptious. (yes that’s a made up word) My mother made these bars when I was growing up and I made them for my own children. It’s like bringing another piece of my past with me to the future. I hope my kids will make them for their children, too.

So, let’s get cooking!

Using your mixer, cream the sugar and butter together.

Add the Karo syrup, vanilla, and oats. If you’d like to, you can use the mixer to blend in the Karo and vanilla, then use a wooden spoon to mix in the oats.

Grease a 9 X 13” baking dish and press the oat mixture into the pan. It’s going to be sticky, so here’s a little tip: spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and then use it to pat the oat mixture down into the pan.




Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes exactly, no more and no less. Cool for ten minutes.

While that is baking, you can make the topping. Simply put the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. I don’t use a double boiler; besides the fact that I don’t own one, it’s easier to just heat it and stay with it, stirring, for the few minutes it takes to melt and blend together. You can be a little heavy handed with the chocolate chips and peanut butter, but what would I know about that; I always follow a recipe to the letter of the law. Bwahahahahaha! ;)

When the oat mixture bottom has cooled for 10 minutes, pour the chocolate-peanut butter mixture on top and spread evenly. When completely cooled and set, cut into 24 pieces. You can help the process along by placing in the refrigerator for a while, but these bars don’t need to be stored in the fridge.


I gave my 9 year old two of these for dessert and he begged for a third. Yours will too! Enjoy! ~TMMF

                                                        O’Henry Bars

                                                        2/3 c. butter
                                                        1 c. brown sugar
                                                        ½ c. light Karo syrup
                                                        3 tsp. vanilla
                                                        4 c. quick cooking rolled oats
                                                        6 oz. (1 c.) chocolate chips
                                                        2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter

*Notes: Use real butter. Paula Deen has it right with the butter thing. ;) Margarine is like putting plastic into your veins, but butter is a “whole” food. Don’t pack the brown sugar down. I stopped doing that decades ago. You don’t need the extra sugar, and trust me on this, it’ll be sweet enough. Use natural sugars if you can. If you want it to be really awesome, use natural peanut butter (Teddy and Smuckers both make it with just peanuts and salt). Your recipe will have less sugar in it and taste better. These are just some things I have learned from decades of cooking, messing around with recipes, and creating my own recipes in both the home and professionally in restaurants and nursing homes. Just take these little nuggets and run with them. ;)

Almost Candy Bars

Almost Candy Bars are similar to Magic Cookie Bars, but with a few little twists. Definitely more chocolate involved here, so chocoholics can get their fix! This recipe is one that I first had at a family gathering with in-laws, and it was so good I had to ask for the recipe. These bars are a treat to make for your family, and also great for a party or gathering.

Easy, easy, easy: empty the devil’s food cake mix into a bowl. Add the butter. You don’t have to soften the butter; it can be room temperature or even refrigerator cold. Which in our house is basically the same thing. ;)

Using a pastry knife, cut the butter into the cake mix until crumbly.

Sprinkle the mixture evenly in an un-greased 9 X 13” baking dish and lightly press it down.

Chop the nuts smallish and measure out the other toppings.

Evenly sprinkle on the chocolate chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. I have made this with the butterscotch chips and it’s just as yummy, but this time I used peanut butter chips. I also used pecans this time, because they’re my favorite.

Next, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the whole thing.

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350°, until light golden brown on top. It may bubble up over the edges around the pan and that may look somewhat ugly, but those pieces will be the chewiest! Cool sufficiently and cut. Enjoy! ~TMMF

          Almost Candy Bars

          1 pkg. devil’s food cake mix
          ½ c. butter
          1 c. chocolate chips
          1 c. butterscotch or peanut butter chips
          1 c. coconut
          1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
          1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Oven French Toast

This is a recipe that one of my sisters first made to bring to a family brunch many years ago. It was an instant hit, and I started making it for my own family. What I love about this recipe is that, besides being to-die-for delicious, it’s easily adaptable for cutting down the fat and calories, and still downright tasty.

For the stale French bread, I always look at the day old rack and get a loaf of that. I’ve used Italian bread for this too, if that’s all I could get. If you can’t get any that’s stale enough, cut it and lay them out to get drier the day before you make them.

So, you want to cut the French bread into 1” slices, and place them in a  greased 13X15”  baking dish.

Mix together the eggs with a wire whisk, then add the milk, half-and-half , and vanilla. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace, mixing well. If you don’t have mace on hand, just add a little more nutmeg and cinnamon. I’ve made it with mace and without, and it’s good no matter what.

Pour the mixture over the bread slices in the pan. Cover and set aside overnight.

Before baking, you need to make the topping. Chop the nuts. You want them to be smallish. I’ve made this dish using walnuts and using pecans, but since I like the taste of pecans more, I tend to use them more.

Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, Karo syrup, and nuts.

Spread the topping on top of the soaked slices of French bread. You might need to use a rubber spatula.

Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes. You can tell it’s done by how brown and bubbly it will be, and also by inserting a knife in the middle. If it comes out without any egg mixture, it’s done. Keep in mind that the knife will have some of the topping on it, but that will be brown. If you don’t have any yellowish egg mixture, it’s done.

You can serve this with a little maple syrup on it if you‘d like, but believe me, it’s plenty sweet without it. My family doesn’t bother with the maple syrup. Enjoy! ~TMMF

                                          Oven French Toast                  Topping

              1 loaf  stale French bread                  ¾ c. butter, softened

                  8 large eggs                            1 1/3 c. brown    sugar

                                          2 c. milk                                 3 Tbl. Karo
                                          2 c. half and half                      1 1/3 c. walnuts or pecans
                                          2 tsp. vanilla
                                         ½ tsp. nutmeg
                                          1 tsp. cinnamon
                                         ½ tsp. mace