Gooey butter cake

It's ooey.  It's gooey.  It's addicting as all hell.

Gooey butter cake = my sweet comfort food.  I crave it.

If you like this cake and don't care about your health, read on...

If you have any doubts that you could handle the nutrition information, don't read this.  Just print out the recipe and hand it to someone else to make for you.  Don't you dare look at the ingredients list, or you will never enjoy this cake again.

For the crust:
1 box white cake mix
1 egg
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter

For the filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter
1 lb. (16 oz) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter.  Mix cake mix, egg, and butter.  Pat into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar.

Spread mixture over the cake batter.  Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Do not over bake (center needs to be gooey).

Remove from oven and let cool.  If desired, sprinkle additional powdered sugar over the cake.

Stovetop granola

There is no need to buy granola at the store.  Making your own granola is so much easier than one would expect.  It's fast, easy, and tasty...at least, if you can make it on the stovetop, it is.

Here's my basic recipe...which I then alter to my mood with spices, nuts, fruit...whatever sounds good and I have on hand.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup flaxseed
nuts
dried fruit

Mix oil, honey, cinnamon (and/or any other spices you would like) in a skilled.  Heat skillet to medium-high heat and wait until the honey begins to bubble.  Add oats and flaxseed.  The goal is to toast the oats, but cover them with the honey as well, so only occasionally stir them.  Add in dried fruit and nuts as you see fit, and let them toast.  (For this recipe I used walnut pieces, a few almonds, and raisins.) After the oats have browned and the granola is fragrant, remove from heat.

Theoretically, you should let the granola cool before you eat it...but I like it hot from the stove.

Afternoon goodness

The best dessert from P.F. Chang's:  Banana Spring Rolls with Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream.  I need to figure out how to make this ice cream!!!

Health at work?

Well, it's back to work for me....thus, I haven't spent the time to post recipes.  Maybe I'm just lazy.  Meh.  Instead of a new recipe today (which I have, mind you), I'm going to show you this:

You see, I'm trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle like I had a few years ago before...before everything went downhill.

Anyway, the point is, I get up, I go to the gym, I try to eat healthy, I overload on fruits and vegetables...ya' know, all the 'good' stuff.  I do honestly enjoy the gym, as well as fruits, vegetables, and 'healthy' food.

But we've had a meeting every morning.

Doughnuts are present every morning.

Something is going to happen.  (There's only so much I can take.)

This happens.

I don't have enough will power.  (Hey, at least I'm not trying to figure out how to make my own doughnuts...yet.)

White Chocolate Tart...finally!

My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  I'm so proud to have parents that can be partners and keep the love going strong for 50 years.  They are are real testament to what marriage is all about.

So, of course, we threw them a big party.  I, naturally, signed up to bring dessert...I mean, c'mon, it's me.  I brought Phyllo Cups with Chocolate Mousse and Fruit, and a White Chocolate Tart, at the request of my sister-in-law.

The phyllo cup recipe is already on my blog, so here's the tart recipe that many people have begged me for since I created it.

Ingredients for crust:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 oz chocolate chips*

Ingredients for filling:
10 oz vanilla/white chips
1/4 cup and heavy whipping cream
1 8-oz package neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)

Ingredients for whipping cream:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp sugar

Ingredients for topping:
Fresh fruit of your choice

Preheat oven to 300.

In a small mixing bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar.  Gradually mix in flour and lemon zest.  Press into 11 inch tart pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove crust from oven and place 2 oz chocolate chips on crust.  Return to oven for 2 minutes until chocolate has melted.  Spread chocolate over crust with spoon.  Allow crust to cool.

While waiting for crust to cool, melt white/vanilla chocolate.  Beat together melted chips and 1/4 heavy cream.  Add neufchatel cheese and continue beating until smooth.  Spread over cooled crust.

Place a medium mixing bowl and metal beaters in freezer for 5 minutes.  Remove bowl and beaters and beat 3/4 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add lemon juice and sugar and continue beating until you have stiff peaks.

Layer whipped cream over chocolate filling.  Cut up fresh fruit and place in a design on top of tart.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I'm guessing on the amount.  You want the chocolate to form a thin layer on the crust when melted.