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Crust
- 15 graham crackers, crushed (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake
- 2 (8 ounce) packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3.5 tablespoon green tea powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the green tea powder, eggs, and vanilla extract until lightly and creamy; pour into the prepared crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the center jiggles evenly when the cake is shaken lightly. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.



















Notes: Made this with val at Ren's house. The recipe called for too much green tea powder. Next time, I would use 1.5 or 2 table spoons. We creamed one package of cream cheese and had already put in the eggs when we realized our mistake. We added the second package right away, but it was hard to beat it smooth.

Adapted from: All Recipes Green Tea Cheesecake Read more...

Carrot Cake
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 8oz can of crushed pineapples
- 1 cup brown, 1 cups white sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Icing
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2.5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, and pineapples. Add white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla; continue beating. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake.




































Notes: Made at val's place. Next time, we'll puree the pineapple so it is not visible. The walnuts were also chopped too fine.

Adapted from: All Recipes Carrot Cake III Read more...

Crust
- 14 graham crackers, crushed (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake
- 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.




































Notes: The crust smelled amazing; will make it thicker and bake it first next time. The texture could be smoother and there were cracks in the cake, we probably over beat the mixture. We greased the side of the pan and placed a pan of water under the cake, but it still cracked.

Adapted from: All Recipes Chantal's New York Cheesecake Read more...

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 can sliced pineapple
- 1 package white cake mix

Directions:

1. Melt the butter over medium high heat in the iron skillet. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly to cover the butter.

2. Arrange pineapple rings around the bottom of the pan, one layer deep.

3. Prepare the cake mix as directed by the manufacturer, substitute some of the pineapple juice for some of the liquid in the directions.

4. Pour the batter over the pineapple layer. (You can place another layer of pineapples in between the batter if you have extra)

5. Bake as directed by the cake mix directions. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a plate. Do not let the cake cool too much or it will be stuck to the pan.

Notes: We didn't have an iron skillet. We just melted the butter and poured it into an oven safe pan. Next time, we will make with cherries for aesthetics.

Adapted from: All Recipes Pineapple Upside-Down Cake VII Read more...

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 5 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix first 5 ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt.

2. Make three 'wells' (dips) in the flour mixture. In one put the vanilla; in another the vinegar; in the third the oil.

3. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened.

4. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it spings back when touched lightly or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.



















Notes: Made with val at her place. We dusted lightly with icing sugar.

Adapted from: Emily's blog Read more...

Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tb vanilla
- 1 tb butter
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Separate the whites of the eggs and beat them good until stiff. While beating them add 1/4 cup sugar slowly until it's good and foamy.

2. Now get to the yellow of the 6 eggs. Also beat them until good and stiff and add 1/4 cup of sugar.

3. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt in medium bowl. Gently stir flour mixture into yolk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, just until flour mixture disappears.

4. Cut and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

5. Gently spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325°C for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using cookie cutters.

Notes: This was supposed to be Kev's valentine cake, but the cake failed to rise.

Adapted from: Recipes 4 Cakes Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe with Fruit
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Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tb vanilla
- 1 tb butter
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Separate the whites of the eggs and beat them good until stiff. While beating them add 1/4 cup sugar slowly until it's good and foamy.

2. Now get to the yellow of the 6 eggs. Also beat them until good and stiff and add 1/4 cup of sugar.

3. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt in medium bowl. Gently stir flour mixture into yolk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, just until flour mixture disappears.

4. Cut and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

5. Gently spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325°C for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using cookie cutters.



















Notes: Made this for my family's valentines dessert. The cake failed to rise.


Adapted from: Recipes 4 Cakes Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe with Fruit Read more...

Yield: 24-30 cupcakes

Cupcake
- any chocolate cupcake recipe (i used cake mix)

Mint Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/8 teaspoon mint extract
- green food colouring

Directions:

1. Make chocolate cupcakes.

2. Put all the ingredients into a bowl, and mix with a hand mixer for about 10 minutes, until light and fluffy.

3. Let cupcakes cool before putting on frosting.

Notes:
I tried to make for Annie's IVth annual winter reunion but the frosting recipe was unsuccessful (tried four times). I'm not sure why this batch didn't turn out right.

Adapted from: Melody Chook's frosting recipe
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Yield: 24-30 cupcakes

Cupcake
- any chocolate cupcake recipe (i used cake mix)

Orange Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- zest of 2 oranges

Directions:

1. Make chocolate cupcakes.

2. Put all the ingredients into a bowl, and mix with a hand mixer for about 10 minutes, until light and fluffy.

3. Let cupcakes cool before putting on frosting.

Notes: These cupcakes taste like Terry's Chocolate Oranges! I sprinkled red sparkles after frosting to make it more festive. I originally made the cupcakes for christmas family gathering at Auntie Yolanda's but I made too many, so I brought the extras to church the next day.

Adapted from: Melody Chook's frosting recipe
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- cupcakes
- white icing
- big marshmallows
- small marshmallows
- chocolate chips
- red twizzler
- red sprinkles





































Adapted from: My Family Loves It Easter Bunny Cupcakes
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Yield: 3 dozen mini cupcakes

Cupcakes
- marble cake mix

Notes: Josh and I made these for the Northen Karate Potluck. We used a toothpick to swirl a marble design.
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