Jul25

Cheesecake-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake

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Start with a package of devil’s food cake mix for this decadent layer cake that’s filled with chopped frozen cheesecake bites and chocolate candy bars. The over-the-top cream cheese frosting is drenched with dulce de leche caramel sauce and topped with chocolate cookies.

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Ingredients

Unsweetened cocoa
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract (optional)
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 (1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped (we tested with Hershey’s)
3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting
3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped (Sara Lee)
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce (Smucker’s)
Double chocolate rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (Pirouline)
Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (Pepperidge Farm)

Preparation

1. Grease 2 (9″) round cake pans, and dust with cocoa.

2. Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.)

4. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites.

5. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers, frosting, and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator.

Jul24

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

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With a candy-bar-inspired top and a crumbly cookie base, each of these rich squares packs a double dose of that perfect pairing: chocolate and peanut butter.

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

YIELD:Makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil cooking spray
9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

STEP 2
Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

STEP 3
Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.

STEP 4
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.

STEP 5
Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Jul24

Over The Hump Old School Sound Check – Gladys Knight and The Pips

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Happy Thursday! One more day to grind and shine!!

Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown’s “Soul” record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1967) and “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973). The longest-lived incarnation of the act featured Gladys Knight on lead vocals, with The Pips, who included her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight and their cousins Edward Patten and William Guest, as backup singers.

Gladys Knight & The Pips are multiple Grammy and American Music Award winners,and are inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1996 and 2001 respectively.

Credit: Wikipedia

Jul22

Rami Kadi F/W 2013-14 Haute Couture

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Gorgeous collection for Fall/Winter 2014!

Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-2Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-1Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-3Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-5Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-4Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-7Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-9Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-8Rami-Kadi-Haute-Couture-10

Credit: Style Pantry

Jul21

Ahhh, Karma!

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IMG_228357062865162

Jul21

Fudgy Fantasy Bars

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These chocolate Italian cream bars will surely melt in your mouth. They are delicious and well worth the effort.

Yields: 36 bars
Total Time: 25 min
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients

1 package(s) (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup(s) cocoa baking powder
1/2 cup(s) butter or margarine, melted
1 large egg
2/3 cup(s) toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup(s) sweetened flaked coconut
1 package(s) (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup(s) whipping (heavy) cream
1 block(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup(s) chocolate syrup
2 cup(s) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1 .Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil. Let some foil hang over the edges. Set aside.

2. Stir cookie mix and cocoa powder in large mixing bowl until well mixed. Add butter and egg, stirring until soft dough forms. Add pecans and coconut; knead to combine.

3. With wet fingers, press dough evenly over prepared baking pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or just until set. Cool completely.

4. Place chocolate chips and whipping cream in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread 1 cup evenly over cooled cookie base.

5. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and chocolate syrup at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add whipped topping and beat until light and fluffy. Spread cheese mixture evenly over ganache layer. Carefully spread remaining ganache evenly over cheese filling.

6. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Lift bars with foil handles. Run wet knife around edges of cookie to peel off foil. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

Jul20

Sunday Reflections

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Happy, amazing Sunday!!

Hebrews12-1-2

Jul18

Be The First!

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The First Is The Bravest

Jul17

Over The Hump Old School Sound Check – Curtis Mayfield

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Happy on this Thursday and listening to Curtis Mayfield! #MusicfriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!!

Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He achieved success and recognition with the Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the late 50’s and 1960s. Mayfield is also known for his efforts in writing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly which was considered unusual as a soundtrack for a blaxploitation film, as its songs contained themes focusing more on the social problems of impoverished African American urban areas during the time. Mayfield is regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music. Mayfield is a winner of both the Grammy Legend Award (in 1994) and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (in 1995), and he was a double inductee into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted as a member of the Impressions into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He is also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Credit: Wikipedia

Jul16

Ready to Lead?

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Ready to Lead