Tangerine Lemon Cupcakes *

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz) pkg instant lemon pudding mix
3/4 cup tangerine juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

For Glaze:
3 Tbsp tangerine juice
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325.  Line muffin tins with paper liners (about 20 muffin cups).  Mix together cake and pudding mixes in bowl.  Stir in tangerine juice, oil, and eggs until well blended.  Fill each prepared muffin cup about 2/3 full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For Glaze:  Stir together tangerine juice, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar in bowl until well blended.  Drizzle over cooled cupcakes.

**This can also be made in a bundt pan.  Grease and flour bundt pan prior to pouring in mix.  Bake about 35-40 minutes.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to complete cooling.  Place cake on serving platter and drizzle with glaze.

I made this as cupcakes, but I think I would have preferred the bundt cake because more of the glaze would stay on the cake.

Makes 20 cupcakes

Shrimp Chowder (aka Seafood Crack) *

1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup butter
4 stalks celery, chopped
3/4 large yellow onion, finely diced
16 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 pound frozen cooked medium shrimp, thawed and tails removed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
6 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper


Boil potatoes in salted water.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In 5 quart pot over medium heat, melt butter.  Add celery and onion; cooking and stirring frequently until softened.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning until cream cheese is completely smooth.  Stir in potatoes, shrimp, broth, salt, pepper and bacon.

Serves 8

Roast with Tomato Broth *

4 cups beef broth

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 (2 3/4 pound) sirloin tip roast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4 slices bacon, diced
2 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp butter

Bring beef broth to boil in saucepan.  Simmer until it is reduced by half, about 25-30 minutes.  Whisk in tomato paste.  Place meat and onion in crock pot.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Pour reduced broth over top.  Cook on low for 6-10 hours (the longer the better).  About 30 minutes to 1 hour before you are ready to eat, cook bacon in skillet.  Drain on paper towel lined plate and place bacon in crock pot.  Place 1 1/2 Tbsp butter on top of roast.  Melt last 1 1/2 Tbsp butter and mix with flour to form a smooth thick liquid.  Pour this liquid in the crock pot and lightly stir into juices.  Replace lid and continue cooking for remainder of time.  Before serving, shred meat.  It should be tender enough to even shred with a spoon!

Serves 6

Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies *

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pkg (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 pkg (12 oz) milk chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375.  Mix both sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg in large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in 1 cup walnuts and semisweet chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown with soft center.  Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet.  Transfer to wire rack and cool for 1 hour.

Melt milk chocolate chips in a wide shallow microwave safe bowl for one minute.  Stir.  Continue heating the chocolate at 10 second intervals, stirring between each one, until it is almost melted.  Remove from microwave and stir until chunks remain.

Dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate and then into chopped walnuts.  Continue cooling and allowing chocolate to harden on platter.