CHOCOLATE ROCKY ROAD CAKE

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

1 (18.25 oz.) package Chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz.) box chocolate instant pudding
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 - 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 (3.4 oz.) box chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 - 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Beat cake mix with the chocolate instant pudding, eggs, sour cream, butter, vanilla and 1 - 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly butter 4 quart slow cooker.

Cook remaining 2 cups of milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil) remove from heat. Sprinkle the chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 - 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.

Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with marshmallows, chocolate chips and pecans. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted, Spoon into dessert dishes and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

NOTES: This cake will look like it needs to cook just a little longer, but by the time the topping is set, it's ready to serve.

THANKS!!! Annalisa for the HAPPINESS!!! AWARD and Don't Forget to ENTER My GREAT!!! Giveaway

My friend Annalisa @ Cooking Easy! just gave me the HAPPINESS!!! award. Thanks Annalisa! Just like the name of her blog she's always posting NEW RECIPES that the whole family will love, but BEST!!! of all they are EASY!!! That's one of my favorite words when it comes to cooking.

Now, here's award rules: Copy the award image in your post. Then, list 10 things that make you happy and tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you must link back to my blog. Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award and notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

10 things that make me happy!!!

1. One of my favorite places in the whole world is the kitchen.

2. Reading cookbooks and learning NEW!!! recipes that my family and friends ENJOY!!!

3. I'm a native of New Mexico.

4. I love to garden! Can't wait for the weather to warm up.

5. Creating NEW!!! and YUMMY!!! recipes.

6. The smiles of my grand-daughters.

One smile from them on a rainy day takes all the clouds away. They're are my sunshine on a rainy day.

7. I really hate making breakfast, so my husband usually helps me on Sundays. I love cooking with him.

8. Hate washing dishes, thank God for dishwasher.

9. Beading: making rosaries and jewelry.

10. Laughing and having fun with family and friends. These are memories that will last a lifetime.

I am sharing this AWESOME!!! award with the following blogging friends:

Go visit:

Arlene @ The Food Of Love!

Christina @ Dinner at Christina's!

Justina @ Stupid Is As Sister Does!

Julie @ Three Against One!

Chelsey @ Scrap Happy Chelsey!

Ashley @ The Happy Little Home!

Patti @ Patti's Pantry!

Katie @ Katie's Kitchen!

Marsha @ Taste and See God's Goodness!

Jessica @ This Blessed Life!

The BEST!!! part of blogging is all the WONDERFUL!!! people that love sharing recipes and ideas. I just want to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of you.

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

COLD WINTER'S DAY CLAM CHOWDER and WAFFLE MAKER GIVEAWAY

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

CLAM CHOWDER

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 strips bacon, chopped

1/4 cup flour

3 cups low fat milk

1 - 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes, cut into 1 - inch chucks

4 cans (6.5 oz. each) chopped clams, drained

2 bottles (8 oz. each) clam juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup half-and-half

Heat oil in a 5 to 6 quart pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrot and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl.

Cook bacon in pan, stirring until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, discard all but 1 tablespoon dripping.

Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly and letting mixture bubbles between additions. Add potatoes, clams, juice, salt, pepper and reserved vegetables.

Simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 25 minutes. Add thyme and half-and-half. Sprinkle with bacon.

Yields: Serves 6 to 8

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES and GIVEAWAY

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate. chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt bittersweet chocolate and butter. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Take off heat. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add flour, cocoa and salt, mixing until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into an 8-inch square pan. Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs sticking to it, 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes: Double boilers are great for gently melting chocolate, but if you don't have a double boiler there is another method that uses common kitchen equipment. Put chopped chocolate in a small metal bowl along with any other ingredient you need to melt, such as butter. In a large frying pan over high heat, bring about one inch of water to a low boil. Take pan off the heat and set the bowl in the water. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted, 5 to 10 minutes.

BEEF STEW with BUTTERMILK DUMPLINGS and GIVEAWAY!

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

BEEF STEW with BUTTERMILK DUMPLINGS

4 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 - 1/2 inch pieces
6 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 bottles (12 oz. each) ale
2 large onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 - inch lengths
2 cups flour
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion (green part only)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 - 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
about 3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

In a large bowl, toss beef with 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add enough beef to pot to form a single layer (about 1/3 of beef), being careful not to overcrowd pot. Brown meat on all sides, about 7 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a large bowl and brown remaining 2 batches. If meat or pan juices start to scorch, reduce heat.

Add 1 bottle ale to pot, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Pour ale over reserved beef and return empty pot to medium-high heat.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot. Add onion and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring often, 2 minuted. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have a hint of gold color, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, raise heat to medium-high, stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Add mushroom, reserved beef and ale, remaining bottle of ale and carrots. Bring to a boil. cover and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 3 hours.

About 40 minutes before serving, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, green onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work cold butter into flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal with pea-size pieces. In another bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, mixing until a very shaggy dough forms. If more liquid is needed, add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently form dough into 12 equal balls and drop into stew. Cover pot and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through. Let sit 15 minutes before serving; stew will thicken as it cools.

YIELDS 6 to 8 servings

GIVEAWAY

All you have to do to qualify for a chance to win is to go visit: CSN Stores website @ Cookware.com! and tell me which is your favorite BAR STOOLS, they have just added several NEW!!! and GREAT!!! lines of bar stools to their site. (mandatory before any extras)Extra Entries:

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Have chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!!

• Become a follower of my blog. Current followers count too!
• Blog about giveaway on your GREAT!!! blog.
• Tell me your favorite waffle topping.

Please leave a separate comment for each item that you have completed stating that you have done so. That will give you 4 AWESOME!!! chances.

Winners will be chosen via Random Drawing. Winners who I am unable to contact and who don't claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notifications and me posting the winner of the prize will forfeit their prize. Please follow directions. This is open to all bloggers and nonbloggers alike. You have from now until February 14th, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Alaska time) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. I will randomly pick one winner and announce it here on my blog shortly after February 15th! Open to USA only!

THREE FABULOUS!!! SANDWICHES

PRESSED ITALIAN SANDWICHES

1 ciabatta loaf (8 by 14 by 2 inch)

1/2 cup store bought black or green olive tapenade

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

1/4 pound thinly sliced spicy Italian cold cuts, such as coppa, capocolla or hot salami

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

6 leaves fresh basil, torn into bite-sized pieces

black pepper

Cut ciabatta in half lengthwise. Spread bottom half with tapennade. Drizzle cut side of top half with vinegar and oil.

Arrange salami on top of tapenade, followed by cold cuts, prosciutto, mozzarella, red pepper and basil. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and place top half of loaf on filling.

Wrap sandwich throughly with plastic wrap. Place a heavy cutting board or other flat object on top of sandwich and weight it down with a 2 to 4 lb. weight (such as a large pot or six-pack of soda) Let sit 30 minutes to 2 hours. Unwrap, cut into eighths and serve.

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

TUNA with PICO de GALLO

1 can (6 oz) solid white tuna packed in water

1 Roma tomato, rinsed, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/3 cup minced red onion

2 fresh serrano chiles or other small chiles, rinsed, stemmed, seeded and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 leaves of lettuce, rinsed and patted dry

2 sandwich rolls, split in half

Drain tuna well, flake into a bowl with a fork. Stir in tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onion, chiles and salt.

Place lettuce leaf on sandwich roll bottom, mound tuna equally on lettuce and set tops in place.

YIELDS: 2 sandwiches

BBT (BACON BASIL TOMATO) SANDWICH

ciabatta bread or crusty roll

mayonnaise

4 to 6 large fresh basil leaves

4 to 6 slices firm ripe tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

2 slices crisp-cooked bacon

Split a piece ( 3 - 1/2 by 5 - inch) of ciabatta bread or a crusty roll in half lengthwise. Toast lightly. Spread cut sides generously with mayonnaise. Cover bottom half with basil leaves and a thick layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with bacon. Cap with top half of ciabatta or crusty roll.

YIELDS: one sandwich

CHOCOLATE MIDNIGHT CAKE with WHIPPED FROSTING

1/4 cup oil

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 - 1/3 cups al-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 - 1/4 cups sugar

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup water

Oil a 8 - inch square or round cake pan, or a 9 - inch heart shaped pan. Line pan bottom with waxed paper cut to fit; oil paper; dust pan with cocoa. shaking out excess.

In a bowl, mix 2/3 cup cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl with a mixer, beat to blend sugar, oil, egg whites, vanilla and water. Add flour mixture, stir to mix, then beat until batter is smooth, Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 F oven until cake begins to pull from pan sides and springs back when lightly pressed in center, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife between cake and pan rim, invert cake onto a rack, lift off pan and gently pull off and discard waxed paper. Let cool about 1 hour. Invert a flat plate onto cake; hold rack and plate together, turn cake over onto plate. Spread cake with whipped frosting, swirling with small spatula. Lightly dust with more cocoa.

WHIPPED FROSTING

1 large egg white

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Use a double boiler, or snugly nest a 2 to 3 quart metal bowl in a 2 to 3 quart pan. Add 1 - inch water to base of double boiler or pan. Bring to boiling over high heat.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler top or bowl, combine egg white, sugar, water and cream of tarter. Beat with a portable mixer until blended. Nest over boiling water, immediately reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. With mixer on medium speed, beat icing until it holds peaks that curve slightly, 5 to 7 minutes (overcooked icing gets grainy).

At once, remove icing from water. Mix in vanilla. Set pan or bowl in cool water to stop cooking and cover airtight.

Notes; Can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time.

ARROZ con POLLO (CHICKEN with RICE)

6 chicken thighs( about 6 oz. each)

1 tablespoon chili powder

about 1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 fresh jalapeno chiles, rinsed, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 -1/2 cups long-grain white rice

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes

1 - 3/4 cups frozen corn kennels

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Remove skin from chicken. Trim off and discard excess fat. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub chili powder all over pieces.

Set a 12 - inch frying pan with 2 - inch tall sides or a 5 to 6 quart pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and tilt pan to coat bottom. Add chicken in a single layer and turn as needed to brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes total, ( if necessary, brown in two batches, adding 1 more tablespoon oil if needed). Transfer to a plate.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeno chiles to pan; stir often until onion is limp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add rice; stir often until rice is opaque, about 3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (including juices) and corn. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Lay chicken pieces slightly apart in pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender to bite and chicken is longer pink at the bone (cut to test), 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and salt to taste.

YIELDS: Makes 4 servings

BAKED SALSA CHICKEN TORTILLAS

1 cup salsa, divided
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 - 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine 1/2 cup salsa and sour cream in a small bowl and spread evenly over each tortilla. Divide chicken, tomato. bell pepper and onion evenly down center of each tortilla and roll up. Place rolls seam down, in a 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. top with remaining 1/2 cup of salsa. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

MY NEWEST AWARD!!!

Sugar @ Vanillastrawberryspringfields

My sweetheart of a friend Sugar over at Vanillastrawberryspringfields just gave me this Fabulous Award! THANKS SUGAR!!! She celebrates the gift of life with joy and laughter today and ever after! Loves good food that is delicious and rich!!!

The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award—Rules

1. Post the AWARD.

2. Don't forget to mention the person who gave you the AWARD.

3. Tag and distribute the AWARD to 10 Fabulous Sugar Dolls.

4. Write 10 fabulous things about yourself that you want to share with other Fabulous Sugar Dolls.

5. Don’t forget to notify the your Fabulous Sugar Dolls about their AWARD and post a link to their blog.

Here are my 10 things I want to share about myself.

1. I started my blog eight months ago and never really thought it would be this much fun or that anyone would be interested in it. I believe that what you do with all your Heart n' Soul is done with Lots of Love and should be shared with others.

2. Sharing recipes that my family loves with all my blog friends to share with their family is fun and exciting.

3. Getting WONDERFUL!!! recipes from all my blog friends that they have made for their family and friends, so I can share with my family and friends.

4. I love and enjoy cooking.

5. Having my family together for Sunday meals after going to Church together.

6. Watching football and cheering for my favorite team the Indianapolis Colts.

7. Being a Rosary Maker at my Church and send the rosaries we make to other countries.

8. Making jewelry for myself and my family.

9. Creating new recipes.

10. Most important of all is Loving Jesus with all my Heart N Soul, because without him I am nothing and could do nothing.

I am sharing this award with the following Fabulous Sugar Dolls:

Go visit:

Megan @ Delicious Dishings!

Sue @ I Need Mom!

Annalisa @ Cooking Easy!

Teresa Lee @ Dreaming in Pink with Roses!

Mary Ellen @ The Working Home Keeper!

Candy @ The Little Round Table!

Steph @ Saving Money Is My Job!

Janelle @ At Home with My Monkey!

Carolyn @ The Mawmaw!

Kayren @ Everything's Coming up Daisies!

I have made so many FABULOUS!!! friends in the pass eight months and would really like to give each one of them this FABULOUS AWARD!!! I just want to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!! to all of you for each of your WONDERFUL!!! comments and following my blog.

Geri