Green Chile Beef Tacos

I made this for Sunday lunch, except used pork roast. It was awesome and so tender!

5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) jar green salsa
1 Can Rotel tomatoes w/ lime and cilantro
2 cups beef broth, or more if needed

1. Lay the chuck roast into the bottom of a slow cooker with a tight-fitting lid. Sprinkle the taco seasoning mix over the beef. Pour the green salsa over the beef, followed by the beef broth.
2. Cook on Low for 4 hours. Add more beef broth if needed. Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker; mix with the liquid. Serve hot.

Oatmeal Carmelita Bars

Yield: 24 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 25 minutes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats
14 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Add the oats and mix on low briefly to just combine.
4. Transfer approximately half of the dough mixture to the baking dish. Spread and press the dough into the baking dish until you have an even layer with no cracks or crumbles. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
5. While the dough is baking, combine the evaporated milk and caramels in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until all the caramels are melted and you have a thick sauce. Allow to cool until cookie base comes out of the oven.
6. Once out of the oven, sprinkle the cookie base evenly with chocolate chips and pecans, and then carefully pour the caramel sauce over the cookie base, nuts, and chocolate. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel sauce into an even layer.
7. Sprinkle the remaining cookie dough over the top of the caramel-chocolate-nut mixture a handful at a time, making sure to get an even coating over the whole dish.
8. Return the dish to the oven, baking until the topping is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
9. Once out of the oven, cool the dish to room temperature and then refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Black Velvet Cake

Tired of Red Velvet? Maybe black is the new red...

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process!)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (substitute an equal amount of pure vanilla extract for the paste!)

3 tablespoons Pero
1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup half & half
1-2 tablespoons black food coloring (depends on how dark you'd like your cake to be!)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Chocolate marshmallow frosting
one 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme (also known as fluff!)

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, depending on how thick you'd like your frosting to be

2 T black food coloring
sprinkles or nonpareils, for decorating (optional)


Combine cake ingredients, place in pan(s) and cook, time depending on the size of your pans. Cool, then make the frosting. Enjoy.