Recipe: Chocolate Chiffon cake with Cannoli filling

I had extra ricotta hanging around and wanted to use it up...

after deep thought I decided to make a Chocolate Chiffon cake with a Cannoli filling. 

I made something similar once before with a yellow sponge cake, but I didn't post a recipe. 

I can't find the blog post now that I am looking for it. 

I got the Chocolate Chiffon Cake recipe from Taste of Home, HERE

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Chocolate Chiffon Cake recipe

7 eggs, separated

1/2 cup baking cocoa

3/4 cup boiling water

1 3/4 cup cake flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a bowl, combine cocoa and water until smooth; cool for 20 minutes. (1*) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. (2*) In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, oil and vanilla; (3*) add to dry ingredients along with the cocoa mixture. Beat until well blended. (4*) In another large bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. (5*) Gradually fold into egg yolk mixture.**
2. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest rack at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely. Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate.

**When adding the egg whites in, add them in thirds. Don't worry about the first 1/3 of egg whites, they will deflate as you are adding them in, but the next 2/3 will fold in easier after that. 

Cannoli FIlling:

8 oz Ricotta

1 Cup powdered Sugar (start with 1/2 cup and taste) 

1 tsp Vanilla

sprinkle of cinnamon

Chocolate chips (optional) 

Mix all together, add more or less sugar to taste. I keep mixture in a bowl and add to the top as we ate the cake. 

Recipe: Mini Cheesecakes

I got this recipe from a book series I read by Joanne Fluke

This book is called the Cherry Cheesecake Murder

There are always recipes in her Hanna Swensen Murder series

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

By Joanne Fluke

24 Cupcake liners

24 Vanilla Wafers

2- Eight oz pkgs of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Vanilla

1- 21oz  can of Cherry Pie filling

**I had 24 ounces of cream cheese on hand so I added 1/2 more of each ingredient**

Line two muffin pans and put one vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom, flat side down. 

Chill unopened can of Cherry Pie filling in the refrigerator as you are making your cheesecakes.

You can mix up the filling by hand, but it's easier with an electric mixer on medium speed.

Mix the softened Cream Cheese with the sugar until thoroughly blended. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. 

Then mix in Lemon Juice and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

Spoon Cheesecake batter into the muffin tins as equally as you can. 

They should be about 1/2 to 2/3 full. 

Do not overfill. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the top has set and has a satin finish. 

The center might sink a bit but that's ok because you will be topping them with cherries. 

Cool on a wire rack.

When they are cooled, open the cherry pie filling and put 3 cherries 

on each mini cheesecake in addition to some of the cherry juice from the can. 

I left some plan in case folks didn't like cherries. 

Let refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. 

Unless you are Q then you will eat them straight out of the oven.

If you don't like cherries, any other fruit filling, or fresh fruit is good too! =) 

I want to make more right now as I am trying this up...MMMMMM

Christmas Measuring Cat

Hubby got me this for Christmas,

 but I am just not getting around to it's photo shoot. ;)

Everyone know's I am partial to gray cat's and one of the 

Kitchen Supply Web Sites had these cute measuring cups!

Complete with Yarn Ball!!!! LOVE!!!!

Garlic Lime Chicken, with Recipe

Another recipe coming at ya from the

Fix it and Forget it Christmas Cookbook

Recipe One from this book was a smash hit

Recipe Two was hit and miss

This recipe was another hit!!

Garlic Lime Chicken recipe

5 skinless chicken breast halves **

1/2 cup Soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice, or to your taste preference

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Garlic Cloves (minced) or 1 tsp garlic powder ***

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1. Place Chicken in slow cooker

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over chicken.

3. Cover. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours,

until Chicken is tender-but not dry. 

**I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2.5 lbs.

*** I used the minced garlic AND garlic powder

Hubby turned the left overs into a tasty chicken salad!

Finished Object Friday: Girl on Fire scarf

I hate selfies, of myself. 

Other people can pose for their own selfies just fine. 

Plus, I feel like I look like a dork in dressy scarfs.

Here is the FIRST attempt of this kind of scarf.

Details

Started & Finished Feb 20 2014

Hook: I

Yarn: Red Heart Starbella (will make 2 scarfs) in Salsa

Measured: 70 inches

Pattern: Grand Picots Scarf

Notes:  I liked working with the Shashay yarn for the Purple scarf more than this. 

The loops on this brand were smaller and more awkward. 

But I do enjoy the colorway on this. 

FO: Gingerbread Girl Magnets

Merry Christmas!!! heeheehee

Yeah I just went there..

I had this on the to do list before Christmas...

didn't happen...

The pattern says make French Knots for eyes....RIIIIIGHT

I had such a hard time. Corrine was sending me links and I just could Knot get it, haha.

So I just sewed them on. I could have used googly eyes but I wasn't feeling it. 

Details

Started: Feb 17 2014

Finished: Feb 18 2014

Hook: I

Measures: 3 inches

Yarn: Cotton Scraps

Pattern: Gingerbread Girl Magnet

Notes: I embroidered the mouth and eyes. 

There is a .75 magnet on the back.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Credit-Google images

I wish I could say I made this!!

Check out all of the fun cookies

Here

My Valentine's Day Gits from Hubby =)

I guess there was a brawl for this particular gift bag hahaha

Hubby and Q went to get wrapping accessories together and both wanted this bag. 

Hubby won LOL

I love it- it is so cute!!!

Hubby got me some big Reese Heart candy and new beady bracelets! =-) 

WIP: Tree Skirt update

It is growing!!!

19 rows so far...half way done with the pattern!

See my supervisor checking things out?

Finished Object Friday: Shamrock

Just in time for St Patrick's day!!

Here is a super quick and easy shamrock.

Details

Started and Finished: Feb 16 2014

Hook: I 

Yarn: Scrap Cotton

Measures: about 5 inches

Pattern: Shamrock Potholder

Notes: I stopped at round 4. I started round 5 and it was getting all wonky. 

I will try again using stitch markers for the indentations on the leaves. 

WIP: Scrapgahan, almost complete!

Well I started picking up steam on this project that has been hanging around FOREVER.

Mainly because I just want it done...

I don't know what will happen to it, but it almost fit's the bed so it might hang out there.

Post One

Post Two

Post Three

Here you see all of the squares sewn together...

Corrine suggested a border, since I wasn't really feeling the blanket-

and it improved my feeling dramatically! 

Here you can see how big it is, we have a Queen sized bed.

Chicken and dumplings, McCormick recipe card

I had this recipe card hanging around for a bit so I decided to get to using it =)

Recipe Inspirations: Country Herb Chicken and Dumplings

They give you all of the spices you will need and a recipe:

Garlic, Black Pepper, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, And Parsley.

It is very simple to follow.

I used a minced onion that I have from Penzy's that I re-hydrated.

I don't always keep onions on hand. I also used canned veg instead of frozen.

1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with flour. Stir with whisk until mixture is well blended. Add broth, 1 cup of the milk and all of the Spices except Parsley; whisk until mixture is smooth.

1. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium. 
2. Mix baking mix and Parsley in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/3 cup of milk; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto chicken mixture. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Cover. Cook 10 minutes longer.

I think since I am not a fan of some of the spices it wasn't my favorite, but my guys enjoyed it =) 

 If you don't have bunch of spices laying around, or don't want to have a bunch laying around, 

 this card is perfect! 

FO: Bunny Magnets

Just in time for the Easter Bunny to arrive!!!

My trusty supervisor...

An Army of Cuteness

Details:

Started: Feb 16, 2014

Finished: Feb 16, 2014 

(eyes and magnet added 2/18/14)

Yarn: Cotton Scrap Yarn

Hook: I

Pattern: One Round Bunnies

.75 inch magnets

googly eyes