Chocolate Zucchini Bread

(from:  OurBestBites.com)

2 cups flour
2 teas. cinnamon
1 1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teas. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded zuccinin
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Topping:
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 teas. cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour or Pam spray 2 loaf pans (2 very full 8 inch pans or slightly less full 9 inch pans) and set aside. 
2.  Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3.  Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.
4.  With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
5.  Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.  Gently stir in the zucchini.  Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.)  If you only have regular chocolate chips or a chocolate bar, just chop them up so they're the size of mini chocolate chips.  Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined.  Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.
6.  Divide the batter between the two pans and sprinkle topping over each.
7.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Set your timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on the loaves for the remaining time.  When they are done, a toothpick should come out clean and the tops will be gorgeous and cracked with sugar.  Remove from oven and let them cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans.

April Fool's Food Ideas!

 'Corn on the cob' --Buttered popcorn flavored jelly beansplaced in rows on top of frosted cupcakes, slice of butter is a lemon starburst cut in half, sprinkled with white and black sugar coating.  Then stick the cob holders on each end!

'Peas and carrots' --green lime candies from runts, carrots are orange starbursts cut into 4 pieces all placed on top of frosted cupcake.
'Mashed potatoes' --frosted white cupcake with a small crater in the top with caramel sauce and a slice of lemon starburst (or laffy taffy) sliced thin

 'Popcorn' --mini marshmallows cut and placed together--(they stick together when cut) and then placed on top of frosted cupcake

 'Spaghetti and meatballs' --spaghetti is frosting squiggled on top of cupcake, sauce is strawberry sauce, and meatballs are Ferrero Rocher truffle candies dipped in the strawberry sauce and placed on top!

Glass Block Holiday Jello

I got this recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks!!  "Our Best Bites" Mormon Moms Cook!!

Anyway, this was so fun!  Picture making it for specific holidays: Valentines--with Red and pink jellos, Christmas--with red and green jellos, etc.

This kids loved it--what kids don't love jello--and ate it up!!

4- 3 oz. packages assorted jello --in colors you want to use
2 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

Spray 4 small food storage containers (like Tupperware/Gladware/Rubbermaid) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring 5+ cups of water to a boil. Combine 1 c. boiling water with 1 package of Jello, stirring until dissolved. Place the dissolved Jello in one of the prepared containers. Repeat with the remaining packages of Jello. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferable overnight.

When the Jello has set, bring another 1 1/2 c. of water to a boil. While the water is heating, sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 c. of cold water. Allow to stand for about 4 minutes. When the water is boiling, pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over the dissolved gelatin and stir to combine. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Allow to come to room temperature.

Lightly spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully cut the colored Jello into cubes and gently toss to combine in the 9×13 pan. Pour the cooled milk mixture over the colored Jello and, if necessary, rearrange some of the colored Jello to make sure it is evenly distributed and not sticking out of the white mixture too far.

Place the 9×13 pan in the refrigerator and chill overnight. Cut into squares, rectangles, or various shapes with cookie cutters and serve.