Chocolate Tote Cake

This is a family favorite made for every birthday celebration. I have one in the oven as we speak to celebrate my dad's 62nd birthday tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour milk (sour with 1t vinegar or lemon juice)
1 cup salad oil
1t vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1 cup boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix together eggs, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla. When it is well mixed add flour, cocoa, baking soda. When thoroughly mixed add the boiling water and blend well. The batter will be rather thin.

Grease your baking pan or pans then bake for 40 minutes at 350. Makes two 9" layers or one 9x13 pan.

I usually frost this with chocolate fudge frosting between the layers and on the side. I then put butter cream on the top and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips for the most decadent cake around. My sister has also been known to put a layer of chocolate brownies in the middle just to make it insanely rich and delicious.

Holiday Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 lb breakfast sausage or sweet italian sausage browned
2 small apples cored and chopped into small pieces
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts chopped
16 oz Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing

INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt 1 stick of butter into boiling water, add drained and rinsed sausage into water, mix in apples, raisins and walnuts. Stir in the stuffing mix. Add more water if necessary.

To make this lighter - use 3 cups of chicken broth to replace water and butter.

This is enough to stuff a 20lb turkey.

Orange Cranberry Jello Mold

INGREDIENTS

1 can whole cranberries
1 can mandarin oranges
2 boxes orange jello
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained very well
ginger ale
walnuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt cranberries in small pot over low/med heat until wet. Stir in orange jello, one box at a time. Pour into mold. Cool some, add fruit and nuts. Add ginger ale, maybe half a cup, let set in fridge overnight.

Cornbread Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1 pan day old buttermilk cornbread (9x13)
2 T butter
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 c. chicken broth
2 T (or more) sage
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble cornbread into greased 9x13" pan. Saute onions and celery in butter till soft. (I sometimes use extra butter.) Mix all and bake 30 minutes.