Hot Fudge Spoon Cake

yum! Another recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book.

cake:
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sweet ground chocolate(or cocoa powder, but if it is unsweetened increase the sugar to 2/3 cup)
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

topping:
1/4 c. sweet cocoa powder
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 c boiling water

1. Coat the cooker with butter or butter-flavor nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients for the cake. Make a depression in the center and add milk, butter and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Pour into your ROUND crockpot(cakes tend to burn in oval ones) and spread evenly.

3. In same bowl, or another, depending on how many dishes you like to wash, combine the dry ingredients for the topping. Add the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Gently pour over batter in the cooker. DO NOT STIR! Put the lid on and cook on high for 2 - 2.25 hrs. Basically until the cake is puffed and set.

4. Enjoy with ice cream or by itself.

Ideas: I like to put vanilla in the topping, it tastes yummy too. I'm sure some other additions would work well as well in either one.

Rat Patootie

I can't spell it, it is French, I won't try. I've been craving something like this, and didn't realize it until we started watching the Pixar movie, because SOMEONE kept asking to see mice. This recipe seemed a bit small for a family size, but good enough for a mommy and a toddler. Here goes.

1 medium-largish zucchini sliced
1 small eggplant (I used 2 thin chinese eggplants, you be the judge on how much you like eggplant) sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes.
1 cube chicken bullion

1. Fry up the onion and garlic with a lot of olive oil until the onion is semi-transparent
2. Add in eggplant and zucchini, cook until somewhat transparent or at least changing color.
3. Add the can of tomatoes and bullion cube, once the cube is dissolved cover the pan and let the veggies simmer until the zucchini and eggplant are clear(you know what I mean...please say you do!).

Serve up. I added parmesan and pepper, but I hear fresh basil or oregano tastes good too. My 2 year old loved it, so next time you are watching a Pixar movie about rats, try this dish out, and see if you can all feel the ambiance.