Brownie Cheesecake

8 oz (1 Pk) Brownie Mix
16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted




Brownie Cheesecake Directions:

1. Grease bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

2. Prepare the brownie mix as directed on package. Pour batter into pan, bake for 15 minutes at 350F.

3. Combine cream cheese, whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture over brownie layer.

3. Spoon melted chocolate over the cream cheese mixture, then cut through with a knife for a marble effect.

4. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill.

Chicken Soup

Another recipe from Viv's site...I've made this and thought it was very good. Stephen didn't like for it all that much, but he ate it. He says he's not much of a soup person.

2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 package of chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
1 can of hominy, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can chicken broth
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro leaves
1 onion chopped
1 cup of water

Put your chicken breast (I used tenders) on a greased broiling pan and season with salt and pepper. Broil until chicken is golden brown. While the chicken is broiling, heat up a pot and some olive oil. Chop up your onion and throw it in the hot pan. Sautee the onion and the garlic together. After sauteeing the onion, stir in the chili powder, the crushed tomatoes, the chicken broth, and one cup water. Bring to boil and simmer 10 min. When your chicken is cooked, shred it by hand or using forks. Add the shredded chicken to the pot along with all of the cans and cilantro. Simmer for 10 min.

Chicken Spaghetti

We don't care for bell peppers, or alot of celery so I don't use them in this recipe...and we can't tell it's missing!

1 whole chicken - boiled, cooled, deboned and shredded
1 small onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced ( I omit)
3 ribs of celery diced (I omit)
1 12 oz. package of Spaghetti noodles
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 jar of diced pimentos (I omit)
1 pound velveeta, cubed
1 box of chicken stock.

Boil your chicken until it falls apart..SAVE THE CHICKEN BROTH! Using a small saucepot, cook the veggies in 1 cup of the reserved broth until tender. In a large pot bring the remaining broth and the box of chicken stock to a boil. Break the spaghetti in half and cook in the boiling broth. DO NOT DRAIN. To the cooked spaghetti add the shredded chicken, the vegetables, mushroom soup, pimentos, and cheese. Mix all of the above and transfer to a 9x13 baking dish, and ake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Lasagna Roll Ups

Anoher recipe from Viv's site...


1 package of lasagna noodles
1 package of Jimmy Dean Sausage
2 links of Italian Sausage
1 large container of ricotta
1 jar of La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup
1 bag of shredded Italian Cheese

Brown the package of Jimmy Dean Sausage together with the 2 links of Italian Sausage. Also, cook your lasagna noodles. When finished, drain the noodles, grab your browned meat and set up your rolling station. Take each noodle and spread the ricotta cheese across the length of the noodle. Then, spread a portion of the meat mixture on top of the cheese and roll it up, roll it up, throw it in the pan. Arrange them upright in a deep, baking dish and squeeze in as many of them babies as you can. Pour the sauce on top of the rolls and pop into a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 mintues. After 30 minutes, pull the rolls out of the oven and spread the shredded cheese on top. Pop back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Garnich with pamersan cheese

Chocolate Turtle Cake

This recipe came from my ptographer friend Viv's site. This cake is TO DIE FOR!! This is best served warm, but just as good cold. I think this is Stephens favorite cake!


1 box German Chocolate Cake mix
1 pkg (14 oz.) caramels
3/4 stick of margarine/butter
small can of evaporated milk
chopped pecans
chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. And start out by preparing the cake mix as directed on the box. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour half of the cake mix in it. Spread it out evenly and bake for 15 minutes. Next, unwrap your caramels and combine them with the butter and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Melt slowly. Pull the cake out of the oven and pour the caramel on top of the bottom layer of the cake. Top with the remaining cake batter, chips, and nuts. Bake an additional 25 minutes and you're done!

For step by step pictures, visit www.heartspunimagery.typepad.com

Soft Taco Casserole

I made this tonight for dinner, and Stephen put this in his top 5 favorite meals.

1 pound ground beef/turkey
Taco Seasoning
Refried Beans
Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 small container sour cream
1 can Rotel
Flour Tortillas
2 Cups cheese

Brown turkey/beef and add taco seasoning and refried beans. In a small bowl, mix together soup, sour cream and rotel. Spoon meat mixture into flour tortillas and roll up and place in a 13x9 inch pan. Spread soup/sour cream mixture evenly on top. Bake at 350 for 20-35 minutes. Take out of the oven, cover with cheese and put back in the over for an additional 10 minutes.