Red Velvet Cake Balls (Amber Hansen)

I got the red velvet cake ball recipe off of www.bakerella.com. I cheated and mine weren't nearly as cute as the ones on that website! Check it out and you'll be hooked. I am. I got my melting chips from Hobby Lobby and/or Michael's. They have quite the selection & variety. Here's the recipe for those red velvet cake balls:

 

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.

cafe rio{ish} rice (Amber Hansen)

4 cups water

2 cups rice (not instant)

4 teaspoons chicken bouillon

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

1 can green chilis (or equivalent of fresh)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

juice of two limes

finely mince the cilantro, onion & green chilis. bring water to a boil & add all ingredients. simmer covered for 30 minutes. tip: i used my rice cooker. it rocks.

cafe rio{ish} creamy tomatillo dressing (Amber Hansen)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise (use real mayo or die!)

1 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1/2 bunch cilantro

1-2 cloves garlic (or about 1 teaspoon pre-minced)

juice of one lime

3 jalapenos

4 tomatillos

peel the husk from the tomatillos. wash & quarter the tomatillos. cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. {if you can't handle a little heat, go ahead & take out the seeds & veins which is where the spice comes from. i left everything in. yum.} spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. place tomatillos & jalapenos on it & bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until veggies are soft & slightly charred. set aside to cool. in a blender, mix buttermilk, mayonnaise, dressing mix, cilantro, garlic, & lime juice. remove most of the seeds & juice from the roasted tomatillo quarters, but add the flesh & skin, along with the jalapenos to the blender & puree. Chill for an hour. tip: if you don't squeeze most of the liquid from the tomatillos, your dressing will be too runny & too many of the crunchy seeds will ruin the texture. a few are fine, but you don't want them all.

Fully Loaded Potatoe Salad (Abby Reidhead)

5 russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbls. chives
1/2 c. shredded cheese
1/2 c. cooked bacon bits
Salt
Garlic Powder
Pepper


Boil potatoes, then cube them.  Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Broil them till golden brown, then let them cool.  Mix everything together.  I actually like to serve it right away.

Chicken & Black Bean Burrito's (Marisa Rasmussen)

3 Chicken Breast
1 can of black bean's (drained) 
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
3/4 cup sour cream
1 pkg. small tortillas
Cheddar Cheese
 
-Place chicken breast & black beans in crock pot. Add taco seasoning mix and picante sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours. About 20 min. before you are ready to eat, shred chicken and stir in sour cream. Fill tortillas with mixture and top with cheese before folding tortillas. Serves 4 

Cafe Rio Pork (Marisa Rasmussen)

1 pork roast
2 cans El Pato brand Mexican style tomato sauce
4 cans tomato sauce
2 cups brown sugar

-Cook roast in a crock-pot or even until very well done and meat falls apart easily. Shred and discard all drippings and add broth tomato sauces and brown sugar. (Sugar can be cut in half unless you really want it sweet) Cook all together on low in crock-pot or oven for several hours until flavors mesh.

Enrichment

Ok so I know it has been a while with all the holidays and such but I am going to try to get back into the swing of things. There have been requests for the recipe for the chicken that we had at enrichment and Amber Hansen has been so kind to share it with us. 

Chicken for burritos or salad like Cafe Rio

6-7 boneless chicken breasts

1 small bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1 T. cumin

1 T. chili powder

3 cloves garlic, or 1 ½ t. minced garlic

 

Cook in crock pot on low for 4 hours.  Shred chicken and cook for another hour.

It was very delish. Hope you all enjoy! Just a reminder if you have a really yummy recipe that you make for dinner or any other fun recipes that you enjoy please email them to me (lynnejadams@gmail.com)  and I will post them. We always are looking for new fun recipes. There is a recipe exchange tonight at Lauren Kirby's house the theme is Soups and Salads and if you need directions and didn't get the email don't hesitate to email someone for directions or a ride, it will be a lot of fun, as they always are.