Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

I found this on Pinterest. It doesn't look quite like the picture of the one I found but is very good anyway. I think it is because she made her own dulce de leche. I found a can of it at Wal-Mart and just used it. My friend made her own as well just from sweet and condensed milk. I tried it and I am not talking about it. It was a big mess. So mine was darker but both very good.
Crust:
17 whole graham crackers finely ground
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 Tablespoons butter

Filling:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup dulce de leche
2 teaspoons vanilla

Glaze:
2/3 cup dulce de leche
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (if you buy the dulce de leche you will need a lot more)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each one. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Cool completely.
Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave in 10 seconds intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream it too thick to pour. Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled.
If you buy your dulche de leche you should only need 1 can. For the glaze I used quite about a bit more than 3 tablespoons. But I think it is thinner if you make your own.

Mandarin Salad and Dressing

Mandi sent me this salad recipe. I am for sure going to try it.

Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce, diced
1 (15 oz) can or 1 cup diced chicken or turkey
1 (6 oz) can mandarin orange segments rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chow mein noodles or wonton noodles
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp each: Rice vinegar, yellow mustard and Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame seeds

Combine, toss with salad ingredients and serve. You can keep the salad and dressing separate in fridge and put the dressing on when you want to eat some salad and it keeps longer.

Grandma Bonnie's Jello Popcorn Balls

Grandma Bonnie always made these for Halloween. She must have spent hours making them because she always had a ton of them for all the Trick-or-Treaters. And she always gave me more than just one in my bag. Then we would eat them every time we went up to her house for days. I always love to make one of Grandma's recipes, I talk to her while I am cooking and ask what I am supposed to do next, or tell her she needs to help me make it right. When I made these it was no different but what caught me off guard was the next morning when I was getting out the toaster and I caught a whiff of the popcorn and jello. I couldn't believe how fast it took me back to Grandma and Grandpa's kitchen.
A few years ago I asked if anyone had this recipe and Mandy sent it to me. I am so happy someone was smart enough to get it from Grandma because I'm sure it wasn't something she had written down. And most of the time when you say "I'm looking for a recipe for Jello Popcorn Balls because my Grandma made popcorn balls with jello and they are the best" people look at you like you are crazy. I decided to make them for JD's Valentine's Day Party.

1 big raspberry jello box (not sugar free)(I used strawberry because I didn't have raspberry)

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo

2 bags popcorn

Bring everything but popcorn to boil over medium heat, stirring often. By the time it comes to a boil it shouldn't be super grainy. Take off heat and pour over popped popcorn in a large bowl. Stir and stir until it is well coated.

Grandma must have started making balls very soon after she poured the mixture over the popcorn but it is very hot. We ate dinner and got it cleaned up before I made mine and it was kind of hard to make sick together. When I was making them I was thinking how Grandma did it when they were so hot. But then I remember her and Grandpa pulling taffy when it was super hot too. She must have just been used to it.

Gina's Rich, Yummy Chocolate Cake

Gina said this was her first ever real homemade from scratch nice cake. It looks great to me. Maybe Valentine's Day??
She said she got it off of all recipes.com.

Cake:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water

Frosting:
6 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

Ganache:
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Stir in boiling water (batter with be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, whip the butter for about 10 minutes until it is super fluffy, beat in egg yolk. Gradually blend in the confectioners' sugar, alternating with 2 Tablespoons vanilla and 2 Tablespoons cream, then blend in the melted chocolate. Beat in the softened cream cheese.
Make the Ganache: In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove form heat and set aside.
Assemble the cake: When the cake is completely cooled, cover the bottom cake layer with as much ganache as desired. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, or until ganache has set. Spread frosting over the ganache. Cover with top layer of cake. Frost top and sides with buttercream, and garnish with more ganache.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Mandi sent me this one too. I am always looking for something new for chicken. It sounds really good.

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained

Place all ingredients in the crockpot for 3-4 hours on high. Just before serving shred chicken and mix in 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. It with be runny. You can serve in tortillas, taco shells or you can fry up scones to make navajo tacos. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes onions, salsa, avocados or anything else that you like. Mandi served with the Whole Wheat Flax Tortillas.

Whole Wheat Flax Tortillas

These tortillas are from Mandi. She served them with the crock pot chicken recipe.

5 1/2 cups wheat flour plus 2 Tablespoons
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons seasoning (garlic, sage, chili powder, etc.)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients then add wet ingredients. Knead. Let rest 10 minutes. Make small balls, roll out, and cook on griddle.