Birthday Dessert

Giant Cookie Cake
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.

Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread in throw away foil lasagna pan (13 X 9 rectangle shallow baking pan). I use two and spread the left over in the second pan, sometimes it’s enough for to complete cakes.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Check to see if it’s a light golden color. Cool cookie in pan on a cooling rack. Once cake is completely cooled decorate as desired. (I typically purchase the confetti icing with the sprinkles and make that into two colors).

Five Minute Chocolate Cake

My friend Hailey sent this to me in an email. Yum!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Flower Pictures

Farmers Market Meal

Appetizer
English Cheddar (Jisa, Omaha Farmers Market) and Meritage wine.

Farmers Market Spinach Sausage Pasta
1/2 lb. Pappardelle's Lemon Pepper Pasta or Spinach Pasta (Overland Park, KS, Farmers Market)
1 Italian sausage package (Omaha, NE, Farmers Market)
1 tsp. of minced garlic
2 large green onions
1 package of Flavorino tomatoes (Omaha, NE, Farmers Market)
Large bunch of spinach
Fresh basil

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add garlic and half of saugage ring--ground up, until completely cooked. Add sliced green onions. Add dice tomatoes and spinach leaves, cover and simmer until spinach is cooked down. In a separate pot cook pasta according to directions. Serve sauce over pasta and add italian cheese.