Chocolate Frosting

Making chocolate frosting has always been an issue for me. It seems nomatter how hard I try it never came out as good as the store bought kind. That it until today. I was making brownies and my daughter asked if I could frost them. I was hesitant to make from scratch but decided to randomly choose a recipe from my collection and go for it. The recipe turned out awesome and the consistency was exactly like what you'd get from a store. The only thing I did different from the recipe was instead of using just softened butter I used warm almost to the point of melted butter.

Chocolate Frosting
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3 Tbsp Soft/Warmed Butter
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Start by warming up the butter but not letting it melt. Add it into a bowl with the cocoa powder, honey and vanilla. Then add in the powdered sugar and stir until incorporated and the frosting is smooth without lumps. Frosts an 8 inch pan worth of Cake or Brownies.

Been Awhile

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything New. I have a few recipes I should be uploading in the near feature just have been busy in real life and haven't gotten a chance to sit down and do some much needed recipe blogging. Thank Your for Your understanding.

Bess Eaton is Back

I don't know why I am so excited about a coffee shop reopening especially since I'm over 1000 miles from the nearest location but I am. I loved Bess Eaton growing up. I remember stopping with my mom anytime we went for a walk downtown, buying an XL Iced Coffee before Choir Practice or just even grabbing a cup with friends on whatever adventure awaited us. When I learned today that it was coming back I squealed with joy and told my husband that once I tracked down a number I'd be ordering a case full of coffee and no I'm not joking lol. The Day Bess Eaton closed was a sad time indeed. It had been a staple so long many of us were heartbroken to see it go. I've traveled many places and had many cups of coffee but through it all Bess Eaton remained my favorite.

If your curious or want to know more you can read about Bess Eaton here and if you live in RI or Southern Connecticut stop by for a cup. You won't be sorry I promise.

Egg Replacements

I found myself out of eggs and in need of a substitution for one. So of course I went to my trusty source the internet looking for something that would work. I knew of a few my mother always used and could have easily substituted with one of those but found myself finding more and more until I had a nice little list of viable options for substituting an egg in a recipe. It should be noted that you shouldn't replace more then 2 eggs in a recipe. I'm not sure why but it seem the general consensus from everything I've read about egg replacement.

1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp baking powder + 1 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water or milk + 2 Tbsp flour + 1/2 Tbsp shortening + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water for each missing egg
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
2 Tbsp potato starch
1 Tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water (mix well & allow to solidify a bit before using)
1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 of a medium mashed banana + 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp applesauce
3 Tbsp mayonnaise

I hope this helps the next time you find yourself missing an egg.

Leftover Creations

Sometimes I don't know what to make for dinner. I know it's a shock but even I get in a rut where I can't think of something to make. Last night was one of those times with the kids having already been fed I only had to make something for the hubby and I. I spent the better half on an hour trying to decide what I could make when I came across some leftover boneless pork spareribs in the freezer that only had 4 in the freezer bag. I took them out and began working on what to do with them. I could of bbq'ed them but was looking for something else since I just didn't have the time to properly bbq the meat to my standards. All I knew was it was 6 pm and I was hungry. After rummaging through the pantry I came up with something to make finally and I'm glad I did. The recipe was super simple and the taste was great. It took 30 minutes total from prep to the table. Not bad all in all for a thrown together leftover creation.

Pork Spareribs in Mushroom sauce
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4 Boneless Pork Spareribs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 slices mozarella cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 mushroom sliced thinly of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

*I served over white rice but if you prefer something else by all means make that.

Start by parboiling the spareribs. I cooked them 10 minutes at a rolling boil while my oven pre-heated @ 350F degrees. Once done boiling remove carefully from pan and slice into chunks. *I rinsed the pan and started rice which takes 20 minutes to cook.
Put meat into a small pan and top with cream of mushroom soup,milk and mushrooms. Stir together until everything is coated and cover the pan with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Mozarella slices and pop back into oven while plating rice. The cheese should melt in just a minute or two. Serve mixture over rice and that it's your done. A simple easy dinner from freezer to table in 30 minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

While surfing around online I found a fabulous recipe for Chocolate Pie from Chef Jason Hill. His mimics a Chocolate pie sold on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii but is of course made at home. I thought the recipe was super simple and fabulous because it combines two of my favorite things Coconut and Chocolate! I have always had pie crust issues no matter how hard I try it's never as good as moms. So I used pre-made pie crusts. Feel free to make one if you want. Oh and did I mention this is a no oven bake pie. The original recipe has been tweaked slightly to suit my tastes.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie
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1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
14 oz Coconut Milk
7 oz Semi-Sweet baking Chocolate
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Pre-Baked Flaky Pie Crust 10-inch
1 Cup Toasted Coconut *optional


In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup cornstarch into 1 cup of water and let it dissolve. This is your cornstarch slurry, which will thicken the coconut milk.

Over medium heat, bring 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup of sugar and 14 ounces of coconut milk to a boil. Reduce the heat on the milk to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Now, stir continuously until it thickens up.

In a saucepan, melt 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate over low heat. I prefer doing this using a double boiler method rather then just melting in the pan itself. Remove from heat and stir in half of the coconut mixture.

Top baked crust with the chocolate pie filling, then top with the reserved coconut custard. Refrigerate this for one hour.

Now it's time to make the whipped topping. Beat together 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, with 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Now, just layer the whipped cream on the chocolate pie, top it with fresh shaved chocolate shavings, toasted coconut that's it and your done!

Rainbow Dash Ice Cream

My Daughter Loves My little Ponys. In one of her books it had a recipe for something called Rainbow Dash Ice Cream which of course meant mom is destined to make it . I thought it was to simple and cute not to share. I plan on having some fun with this and making it more rainbow colored as the name suggest but my experimentation will have to wait since I have a freezer full of ice cream that I stocked up on when Braums had a sale. Makes a 9x5 loaf pan full of ice cream.

Rainbow Dash Ice Cream
------------------------
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 cups heavy cream
rainbow colored sprinkles

Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup until combined and color is even. In a separate bowl,whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into chocolate mixture and pour into prepared pan. Cover and Freeze 6 hours until firm. Serve with sprinkles. That's it and your done.

Pashka

This is my Father's Recipe. I finally got my mother to send me a copy of the recipe after failing many of times to find a copy online that was close to what I remember as being the Pashka my father makes. This is traditionally made at Easter in my parents household and I thought this year I'd try it for myself. So here in it's unedited glory is my Father's Pashka recipe.

4 pks (8 ounces) cream cheese

1/2cup(1 stick) butter

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar ---NOT regular

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup chopped fruit----we use a small jar maraschinio cherries chopped and drained and a small amount of dried pineapple chopped up (snack pk. amt.)

grated lemon rind---we use 2 tablespoons lemon juice..or you can use some dried lemon powder

1 small bag (or more if you like) slivered almonds

Allow cheese and butter to stand at room temp. for 2 hours . Place cheese in lg. bowl and beat.Add softened butter and continue beating til thoroughly combined. Add the sugar gradually.When mixed in well, add egg yolks one at a time,beating them in well. Fold in vanilla,fruits,lemon rind and nuts.
Line colander with cheesecloth wrung out in COLD water, leaving generous fringe. Spoon mix into colander cover over tightly with cheesecloth...place in pan to catch moisture and place weight on the top of the cheesecloth covered mixture.....the weight will press the moisture from the cheese mixture.
Refrigerate overnight. To un-mold-pull cheesecloth very gently all around to loosen.Invert quickly.Pull off cheesecloth.

That's it and your done. I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as I do.

Banana coconut Pancakes Oh yeah!

I love the taste of Banana and Coconut together so it only seems logical that I'd experiment with those flavors in a variety of ways. One day while making banana pancakes I noticed a small can of Coconut milk in my fridge door needing to be used up and so normal milk went back in the fridge and out came the coconut milk. The flavor was fantastic and certainly well worth the small price of the can since it doesn't use it all and can keep in the fridge a few days. My husband isn't as big a coconut fan as I am and he even liked them. The coconut wasn't overly powerful but you definitely noticed it in every bite as a subtle background flavor to the bananas. Next time I might even add in some shredded coconut to kick it up a notch or do something completely crazy like adding in some crushed pineapple and making a tropical pancake. Now that I think about it that does sound good.

Spaghetti and Meatballs......... on a bun?

This is something I came up with one day after watching a show about Texas state fair foods. They were of course eating the meatball deep fried but it got me thinking how good a meatball wrapped around spaghetti would be if you served it on a bun. This takes some time but it's a fun alternative to your basic meatball sub.

I started by making my Meatball recipe once done I put it in a saran wrap lined shallow pan and pressed it flat. Important reserve about 1/4 of the meat mixture for later. Cut your meatball mixture into squares about the size of a wonton. A pizza cutter works great to do this. Place in Freezer to firm up a little before forming into a ball.

While your meatball mixture is firming up boil a small amount of spaghetti and drain thoroughly once done. Toss spaghetti with some freshly grated parmesan. Your meat mixture should be firm enough by the time your spaghetti is done.

Remove from Freezer and lift up one of your squares of meat. Place a small amount of spaghetti in the center of your squares and then fold up the edges like a pouch. Take a small amount of the reserved mixture and press down over the top and then roll in hands much like you would while making a normal meatball. Place on baking sheet and repeat til all balls have been formed. Cook like you normally would and once done let sit soaking in the sauce that's warming while your getting your rolls ready. Place your balls in your sub, top with cheese if you want and a little extra sauce. That's it your done.

Note: You can also chop up the cooked spaghetti and add into your meatball mixture before forming if pressed for time. If you have the time biting into a meatball with a cheesy spaghetti center it's not only fun but it tastes oh so good.

It is Super Bowl Sunday you know what that means!

It's that time of the year again and so in honor of Superbowl Sunday I've decided to share my favorite drunken finger foods. Nothing really crazy is made for Superbowl. Simplicity is the key when organizing food for Football watching. You want something you can grab with one hand while holding your beverage of choice in the other. Nothing to messy that will stain the carpet if it flies out of your hand due to a bad call or during a celebratory touchdown from your favorite team. So whether your rooting for Packers *Go Pack GO!* or the Steelers *clap*......I hope you all stay safe, Enjoy the game and oh yeah please don't riot if your team loses it's so unclassy.

1.Mini Steak and cheese subs.

2.Boneless Buffalo wings dipped in ranch.

3.Cold Cut Platter

4.Chips and Dip

5.Burger Sliders

6.Hot dogs

7.Boneless riblets

8.Pretzels dipped in mustard

9.Mini sausages

10. Cheese tray

Which leads me to saying one last thing. Please, please don't drink and drive. If you feel you've had to many after the game. Call a cab or stay put if possible.

Go Pack GO!!!!

Rustic Bread

It's been awhile since I have made a good loaf of rustic bread. Today was just one of those days where I was running around doing a million things and didn't want to be bothered making a more complicated loaf. I blew off the cobwebs from my recipe and got to making it. I love how this bread comes out each and every time. In 3 hours time you have a gorgeous hunk of crusty rustic bread with minimal ease.

Rustic Bread
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3 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tsps Fast Rising Yeast
2 1/2 Tsps Salt
6 1/2 Cups White Bread Flour

Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to the water and then the salt, mix well.

Add all the flour and mix thoroughly with a spoon or by hand until ingredients are mixed. Don't over knead. Leave the bread dough in the mixing bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or tea towel. Allow to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Cut dough in half or tear and knead it for about 1 minute with floured hands and on floured work surface before placing it in a greased and floured loaf tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow to rise for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Bake at 450F degrees for 30 minutes or until well-risen and browned. A done loaf sounds hollow when it is tapped on the underside. Remove the bread and cool on a cooling rack. That's it your done. In 3 hours and with minimal work you have two lovely loaves of bread.

Meatballs

Tonight I decided to make my meatball patties but hubby was not in the mood at all so I decided why not make meatballs instead. I love a good meatball something about them brings me straight back to my youth forming patties side by side with my dad. The smell of the Italian herbs and spices wafting through the kitchen and the anticipation of that glorious burst of flavor once popped in your mouth. It's been awhile since I made up proper meatballs. I don't mean the quick ones I do when I'm half-assing preparing dinner mixing turkey and hamburger together for a no frills meatball. We've all had those type of days don't judge me lol. No I mean the good kind of meatball made with Pork, hamburger and Italian Sausage. The way my father and grandmother before him would make them.

Meatballs
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1 Pound Hamburger 80/20
1 Pound Italian Sausage
1/2 Pound Pork
1 egg
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Cup Parmesan
1 Package chopped leaf Spinach drained
1 Tbsp Italian Seasonings
1 Tsp Salt and Pepper
Garlic to taste
1/2-1 Cup Breadcrumbs,Panko or Oatmeal

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. No using a spoon get in their with your hands and mash the mix together. Grab a small chunk of meat and roll into a ball whichever size you prefer. Once all balls are formed and placed on baking sheet pop into Pre-heated oven @350F for 20 minutes.

Once done in oven remove while warm and place in sauce warming on low while making pasta. Serve and Enjoy.

These taste great on Pasta on a sub or even toasted between two slices of bread.

Hot Cocoa Mix

This recipe is slightly adapted from Homestead-Acres recipe on Youtube. I have a daughter who loves her hot chocolate but buying pre-made powders all the time was costing me an arm and a leg. I came across this recipe a few weeks back when my daughter was bugging me for hot chocolate but I was out of everything to make some. This is perfect for those of you who love this tasty drink. You can make it with Milk or water it's entirely up to you.

Hot Cocoa Mix
===================
5 cups Powdered Milk
1 cup Powdered coffee creamer *Try the flavored varieties to spice up your mix*
3 cups Sugar
1 cup Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Chili Powder *can be omitted just a personal preference*

Note-If using unsweetened Cocoa Powder you may need to adjust sugar to taste

Mix Ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to Plastic Container and store in Pantry. I use the cereal containers from wal-mart with the handle and pour spot to store my stuff in which works perfect.

To Serve Mix 3 Tablespoons in Hot Milk or Water and top with Marshmallows. That's It your done. I hope you enjoy.

Coffee, Coffee everywhere and not enough to drink

While sitting here sipping a cup of warm tea I thought why not share some of my favorite ways to make coffee. Coffee is so versatile served warm or hot both result in complete deliciousness. I've been drinking coffee a very long time and have tried many varieties over the years from gourmet to your run of a mill generic brand. While sometimes I have had a few misses I don't think I've ever had one that I'd completely write off from ever trying again. My favorite coffee is Kona. I became addicted when I lived in Hawaii but finding a decent Kona on the mainland isn't easy. Most Konas in the stores are shells of what the actual version is So I usually settle on just buying Folgers. Folgers is great found basically everywhere and can be drank hot or cold. So using Folgers as my base here are a few simple ways to mix up your coffee in the morning.

*Brew a Pot of coffee per instructions. Mix in a heaping spoonful of Sweetened condensed milk and stir til incorporated.

*After brewing let pot cool and transfer liquid to any sort of pitcher you like. Reserve some of the coffee and make ice cubes with them. Let the rest of the liquid cool even further in fridge for around an hour. Once Ice has set pop a few in a glass. Add Coffee to glass filling about 3/4 of the way. Add some coconut milk and a little liquid sugar to taste. Stir together and enjoy. You can also just use regular milk and make normal iced coffee this way to.

*Start off with a hot cup of coffee. Stir in A packet of hot chocolate mix and around a tbsp of milk. Stir til incorporated and top with whip cream dusted with cinnamon.

*Use my simple sugar mix in flavor of choice and add to either hot or cold coffee.

*Make up a cup of coffee as you normally would. Drop in two Andes Mints and stir until melted. Top with whip cream and a few pieces of broken candy cane or shaved andes mints and you have yourself the perfect peppermint treat.

I hope your inspired to try out more ways to drink Coffee.

Nutella and Fresh Strawberries a Perfect combo

I love simple desserts. While I don't eat them often sometimes when the mood strikes I want something I can make eat and be done with. A real no muss no fuss treat. While talking to someone this evening she mentioned she had a jar of nutella which made me remember this little recipe. I make mine with strawberries but she only had Bananas on hand so used them. I've never tried it with Bananas but if her happy chatter was an indication then I bet it tasted fabulous.

Nutella and Fresh Strawberries
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1-2 pieces bread of your choice
Nutella
3 strawberries sliced lengthwise
1 tsp sugar

*Whip cream is optional but does taste fantastic on the hot Dessert

While assembling turn on oven to broil. Spread a semi thick layer of nutella on your bread slices. Top with strawberries overlapping. Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler until the sugar starts to caramelize. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and serve sprinkled with powder sugar or a dollop of fresh cream. That's it your done. I hope you enjoy this simple dessert.

Apple,Onion and Sage Pork Chops Yes Please

This is actually adapted from a McCormicks spice recipe I bought on a whim last summer. I know, I know spending money on pre-portioned spices is a waste but the recipe looked so good and it never dawned on me to look it up on their website which would of been free. This recipe is super tasty and can be made with chicken or pork. I've used both and they equally tasted good.

Apple,Onion and Sage Pork Chops
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Spices
2 tsp sage
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme

Other Ingredients
1 tbsp Flour
4 Boneless Pork Chops
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 medium red or white onion sliced thinly
2 red apples thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dijonn mustard *you can omit this I like it though*

Mix Flour and all spices and salt in small bowl. Coat pork chops in mixture and set aside. Warm oil in large skillet then cook chops on both sides until browned. Remove and add onion to skillet. Cook until tender. Add apples and cook a few minutes stirring as they do. Stir in cider,sugar and remaining flour to pan and combine until mixed well. Return the pork chops and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce eat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes more or until desired doneness.

Note: If using chicken cook thoroughly adjust cooking time as necessary.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Tonight I was going to make hot dogs with homemade chips but realized I needed rolls. While I bake the majority of my bread hot dog rolls and hamburger buns are usually something I still pick up at the store. I went looking online for a simple recipe and realized the majority of bread recipes had been adapted with just a few extra ingredients to make the buns or rolls. After settling on one for cooking times and shaping I set out to make my own buns. I admit a few came out on the skinny side and one even burned a little but the majority came out just like I'd envisioned a normal bakery looking hot dog bun. I also made up two buns to see how they'd work and they came out just fine. I will definitely be making these up again in the future. No more store bought rolls for me. I have been converted.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns
======================
1 1/2 cups warm milk *You can use water if you prefer*
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
1 egg
1/3 cup oil

In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast, salt, sugar, egg, and oil. Let sit 5 minutes while the yeast does it's thing. Add 1 cup flour and start to incorporate adding more flour until it begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Dust countertop or work surface with flour and begin to knead. You should Knead the dough about 8-10 minutes until the surface becomes smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.

Oil a bowl and place Kneaded dough inside. Turn to coat, then cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once risen uncover bowl and turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times more. Take about a handful of dough and roll out into desired shape. You can make buns by rolling into a ball and then pressing down lightly. Hoagies by making a thick cigar type roll or Hot dog buns by rolling out a thinner cigar type roll. The Choice is up to you. Now also is the time you can top your buns with seasonings or sesame seeds if you desire.

Once made place on baking sheets and cover lightly with wrap and let rise for 30 minutes more. Once done bake in pre-heated 350F degree oven for 20-25 minutes. That's it and your done. These can be cooled and frozen or used right away if needed.

Fried Chicken

My local grocery store was having a sale on Chicken this week so of course I stocked up. I bought one package of Chicken drumsticks with the intention of grilling them up but it was to cold and icy outside so that didn't quite work out. It's been ages it seems since I've made fried chicken so I thought why not. Now Fried Chicken isn't the healthiest thing for me to eat I know. Which is why I like to only partially fry it and then bake the remaining time in the oven. I still get a crispy crust and it's certainly less fat then frying the whole way. Anyway here is my take on fried chicken. I hope you enjoy.

Fried Chicken
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2 cups flour divided
Package of Chicken whichever you prefer
1 egg
1/4 water
3 tbs Honey mustard
4 tbs Cajun seasoning divided
2 tbs Paprika divide
Salt and Pepper to taste
Roughly a 1/2 cup of Vegetable oil add as needed

Pre-Heat oven to 350F degrees
Start by rubbing chicken pieces down with Honey Mustard. Wash Hands then Cover and return to fridge while setting up your dipping station. Divide all dry ingredients between two bowls. In a 3rd bowl mix egg and water and whisk til incorporated well.

Warm up your pan with a thin layer of oil. You want it on a medium to medium high heat but no higher or it's likely to burn your chicken. Remove pieces from fridge. Start by dipping in one bowl of flour. Then move to dipping in egg and finally in your other bowl of flour. When oil is warm cook on both sides about 5 mins or until light brown. Once you've done all your pieces transfer to a lightly greased pan or sided baking sheet and bake in oven 45 minutes. Turning once midway through. That's it your done.

*Cooking times will vary if you use boneless pieces. For this recipe I used drumsticks hence the longer cook time. If using boneless thighs or breasts your oven cook time will be about 30 minutes instead depending on thickness.

Depression Era No Butter,Milk or Egg Cake

While searching around online for a muffin recipe for Breakfast I stumbled across a website with old Depression era recipes on it. One in particular jumped out at me because it was a chocolate cake which used no eggs,milk or butter. I switched up a few ingredients but decided to try it. The cake came out super moist, springy and oh so flavorful. Needless to say my unexpected find turned out to be a big hit.

Depression Era No butter,milk or egg chocolate Cake
====================================================
3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
6 tbs unsweetened dutch cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Water

Before Beginning Pre-heat oven to 350F Degrees.
In a large bowl stir together all dry ingredients. In another bowl combine all wet ingredients. Pour the Wet Ingredients into the dry and stir together until smooth. Pour Batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in Oven until toothpick inserted comes out clean. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.