Ugly Duckling Pudding Cake

 This is a delicious, moist, old-fashioned cake.  I got the recipe from my sister-in-law, Ada.  I have seen similar recipes called fruit cocktail cake.  Whatever it is called, it is delicious.  

Ugly Duckling Pudding Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 small package instant lemon pudding mix ( vanilla also works)

1 16 oz can fruit cocktail

1 cup coconut

4 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 chopped pecans

Blend all together except the brown sugar and nuts.  I blend the fruit cocktail in my little bullet blender, but you don't have to do that.

Beat for four minutes in your stand mixer at medium speed.  Pour into a greased  9x13 pan.  Sprinkle the brown sugar and nuts over the top.  Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.  Cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Then combine 1/2 cup each of butter, sugar, and evaporated milk.  After the butter is melted and it is boiling, boil for two minutes.  Stir in 1 1/3 cup coconut.  Spread it over the cake.  Let cool.

Favorites: Bars

 Some of our very favorite desserts fall in the category of bar cookies.  All five of these recipes are winners.  Actually, there are seven really good recipes.  I think I will put them all on here.  I just can't decide which two to cut.

1. Magic Cookie Bars:  If I named my children what food I craved when I was pregnant with them, Kristen's name would be Magic Cookie Bar.  I have loved these that long!  They are easy and delicious.

Hungry Hintons: Magic Cookie Bars

2. Banana Bread Bars:  Of late, these are by far our favorite bar cookies/ cake.  The frosting is to die for.

Hungry Hintons: Banana Bread Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

3. Sugar Cookie Bars:  All the joy of a frosted sugar cookie, but SO much easier.

Hungry Hintons: Sugar Cookie Bars with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

4.  Butterscotch Cookie Bars:  When I first tasted these, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  They are unlike anything you have had before.

Hungry Hintons: Butterscotch Cookie Bars

5.  Three-Layer Mint Brownies:  One of  my best all-time recipes for which I am known are these three-layer mint brownies.  I got the recipe from a college roommate years ago and have made them many, many times since.  Color the frosting green for Christmas or pink for Valentine's Day.  I even made them for Michelle's reception.

Hungry Hintons: Three Layer Mint Brownies

Honorable Mentions:

 6.  Blueberry Dance Bars:  I got this recipe from my sister, Joan years ago.  They were actually Cherry Dance Bars, but we prefer the blueberry.  The only thing is they are a bit tricky to bake the right amount of time.  They can be too gooey if you don't bake them long enough, and dry if you bake them too long.  But, if you get it just right, they are delicious!

Hungry Hintons: Blueberry Dance Bars

6.  Lemon Bars:  Everyone's favorite bars!

Hungry Hintons: Patty's Lemon Bars

Favorites: Breads

 Here are five of our favorite bread recipes.  I may tack on an honorable mention or two as well.

1.  Relief Society Buttermilk Bread:  Easily my favorite bread recipe.  I make it all the time.  It makes two loaves.  I put the second one in the freezer or share it.

Hungry Hintons: Relief Society Buttermilk Bread

2. Peasant Bread:  This recipe is fairly new to my repetoire.  Michelle made it for us, and I've been making it ever since.  It is so easy and is the perfect bread for dipping oil and vinegar and serving with soups.

Hungry Hintons: Peasant Bread

3. Dinner Rolls:  Ever since I discovered this recipe, I am not afraid of making rolls any more.  These are so delicious!

Hungry Hintons: Dinner Rolls

4. Whole Wheat Bread:  This is the best whole wheat bread recipe in the world.  So, so good!

Hungry Hintons: Perfect Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

5.  Whole Wheat Muffins:  Kristen put this recipe on the blog years ago.  These muffins are crazy good.  Her kids used to call them fuffins, so that's what we call them. 

Hungry Hintons: Whole Wheat Muffins

Honorable Mentions:  I have to add two recipes that are part of our family traditions:

Pumpkin Bread:  We have this every Halloween.

Hungry Hintons: Pumpkin Bread

Christmas Morning Rolls:  Our Christmas morning tradition has us eating this.  There are three different versions on here.  This is the one I usually make, but the others might be better?

Hungry Hintons: Christmas Morning Rolls- a Crown for a King

Favorites: Appetizers

 We don't make appetizers very often, but when we do, here are five of our favorite recipes:

1. Guacamole:  Ken is our guacamole maker.  Actually, he varies the recipe most every time he makes it, but it is always good.  I said we don't eat appetizers often, but we eat this very often.  He makes it as a side at least once a week.  

Hungry Hintons: Guacamole

2.  Cheeseballs

 Michelle's Cheeseball:  Michelle has made this delicious cheeseball for us on several special occasions.  It's a good one!

Hungry Hintons: Michelle's Cheese Ball

 Sherrie's Cheeseball:  My sister-in-law, Sherrie serves another delicious cheeseball:

Hungry Hintons: Sherrie's Cheeseball

3. Jalapeno Popper Spread:  Kristen introduced us to this delicious spread.  Wow!  It is good.

Hungry Hintons: Jalapeno Popper Spread

4. Party Salsa:  We have been making this appetizer for years.  We eat it every New Year's eve and lots of other times besides.  It is really good.  It requires a certain kind of salsa that is not found in every grocery store.  It looks like this:

Hungry Hintons: Party Salsa

5. Chicken Lettuce Wraps:  These are a great appetizer or can be a main course, too.  

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Brown Pudding

Kristen's husband is from South Africa, of English descent.  This pudding is an old English tradition and is absolutely delicious. He grew up eating it and now makes it for his family. Kristen made it for us when we visited recently.  They say the ice cream on top is absolutely essential.  I can live with that!

Lissi saw mom cooking and pulled up a stool to help.  Two-year-olds are so much help.  Kristen is so patient.

Brown Pudding

Mixture 1

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. apricot jam

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking soda

Dry ingredients:

3 cups flour 

1 T. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Melt the butter and add the sugar and jam.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately into the hot butter/sugar mixture.  

Mixture 2

In a large saucepan, boil

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 cups water

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

When boiling, add Mixture 1 to the boiling syrup.

Put a lid on the pan and cook slowly, simmering, for 1 hour.  

It takes a long time, but it is worth it!  It is delicious.

Favorites: Pies

 Our five favorite pie recipes.  Pie is Ken's favorite dessert.  Here are five our favorites.

Apple Pie:  Ken's all-time favorite.  Always serve it with vanilla ice cream.  You can also add my caramel sauce.

Hungry Hintons: Perfect Apple Pie

2. Pecan Pie:  I actually have two recipes for pecan pie.  We have never been able to decide which is the best.  One Thanksgiving, I made both.  We all tasted both and voted.  It was a tie.  

Hungry Hintons: Southern Pecan Pie

Hungry Hintons: Dear Abby's Pecan Pie

3.  German Chocolate Pie:  I love this recipe that I came up with myself.  It is my favorite kind of pie.  Man, I wish I had a piece right now.  

Hungry Hintons: German Chocolate Pie- Oh my!

4.  Key  Lime Pie:  For many, many years this pie has been part of our Thanksgiving.  From the time they were young, all of the girls could make it.  It is a no-bake pie.

Hungry Hintons: Key Lime Pie

5. Lemon Meringue:  Ken has always loved lemon meringue pie.

Hungry Hintons: Lemon Meringue Pie

Honorable mention:  I'm sneaky like that.  Blueberry Pie:  It is actually one our very favorites, but I haven't got the balance just right yet.  Sometimes it turns out a little too runny.  That's what bumped it out of top five.  But I will keep trying until I get it perfect and adjust the recipe on here.

Hungry Hintons: Blueberry Pie

Favorites: Casseroles

 Casseroles are delicious.  We have a lot of really good recipes on here.  Here are five of my favorites:

1. Chicken Divan.  This was my mom's favorite, and I learned to make it from her.  It is definitely one of my favorites.

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Divan

2. Chicken Enchiladas.  I got this recipe shortly after we were married from a friend who served them when they had us over for dinner.  I have tried several other recipes, but always come back to this one.

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Enchiladas

3. Ham, Swiss, Broccoli Roll-ups  For a time, when someone would ask me my favorite dinner food, I would say this.  I just love the flavor combinations in this recipe.

Hungry Hintons: Ham, Swiss and Broccoli Roll ups in Basil Cream Sauce

4. Enchilada Casserole  I got this recipe from a roommate clear back in college and have been making it ever since.  Simple and delicious!

Hungry Hintons: Enchilada Casserole

5. Baked Italian Pasta  I recently created this recipe.  We both really like it.

Hungry Hintons: Baked Italian Pasta