Jello Cake

This is a super easy light tasting cake, and it's one that you can keep the ingredients on hand for at all times. This cake can be made with any flavor you desire - lemon cake with raspberry jello, white cake with strawberry jello, you decide!

• 1 box cake mix, and any ingredients the box calls for such as eggs and oil
• 1 small box jello
• 1 container Cool Whip
• berries (optional)

Bake cake according to box directions. When it is done, use a small round utensil like a skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Mix jello according to box directions. Pour jello over the cake. Let cake cool, then top with cool whip and berries.

Rolo Pecan Candies

My mom brought a box of these candies to my house for Christmas when Noelle was born, and I thought they were so great. I've seen them around a lot since then, and have also discovered one of my favorite candy bars, Take 5, which tastes a lot like these candies.

• 1 bag mini pretzels - I use the waffle style square ones
• 1 bag Rolo candies
• 1 bag pecan halves

Line baking sheets with foil. Place pretzels on foil. Top each pretzel with a Rolo. Bake at 250 degrees for 4 minutes or until candies are soft. (Candies will retain their shape.) Immediately place a pecan half on each candy and press down so candy fills pretzel. Cool slightly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.

You can use other combinations of candy, as well. I've had these with Hershey's Hugs and a peanut m&m on top. Or if you are concerned about peanut allergy, putting another pretzel on top still tastes great.

Wonderballs

I found this recipe on the website of someone who went to the same college I did, Meal Planning Mommies. I was excited to make them with Noelle, but she does not like to get her hands messy. So, I made them by myself, but it was still totally worth it! Now Andy and I make them together and sometimes we don't even share with Noelle.

• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 3/4 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Cup Milled Flax Seed
• 1/4 Cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 Cup of dried fruit like raisins or craisins
• 1/2 Cup of chocolate chips
• 2 Cups of Uncooked Oatmeal

In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter and honey. Add in oatmeal and flax seed, stir. Finally, stir in chocolate, chopped nuts, and dried fruit. Using a spoon or your hands, make cookie dough sized balls out of the mixture. I find it works best to squish it a bit to help it stay together better. Place the wonderballs into tupperware, stack with wax paper in between. Place them in your freezer, and take one out whenever you'd like a snack! You can also keep them in the refrigerator if you prefer them softer, but they will also be a little stickier that way.

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

I made these this morning for my family, and they turned out so well! I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com - thanks Colleen, whoever you are! I only had a 6 muffin tin, so I put the rest of the batter in a little bread pan and that worked just as well. Makes 8 large muffins.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping (mix with fork, sprinkle over muffins before baking):

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400º. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture until it is just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

My mom brought this recipe when she came to visit this weekend, and we loved it so much that I made it to bring to Bible study this morning! It is a great cake to bring as a dessert item for a brunch, because it is not too sweet and hey, it has oatmeal! It's practically healthy.

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 pkg chocolate chips (12 oz)
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, pour water over oatmeal. Let stand 10 minutes. Add sugars and butter, stir until butter melts. Add eggs and mix well. In a smaller bowl, mix dry ingredients (set aside 1/2 of chocolate chips). Add to oatmeal mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips evenly on top of cake. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.