And the Winner is.....

Thank you so much to all the many people who entered their Scary Strange Recipes! The contest was truly a success, and you'll see more great recipes that were entered throughout the next few months. But there was one recipe that outshone them all, submitted by Susan T. She will be receiving her $50 gift card from Amazon later this week. Thanks Susan! And happy, but strange, baking to everyone. Like I always say - Go surprise the hell out of someone today!

Beet Pancakes

3 cups flour, sifted twice
1 cup wheat germ
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups organic skim milk
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1 15 1/2 oz can whole beets

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time, oil 1/4 cup at a time, and eggs 2 at a time. Mix just until moistened after each addition. Drain beets. Mash in can with back of spoon. Add beets gradually while stirring. Mix until ingredients are swirly pink, not completely red. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto hot, sizzling griddle. Turn after 45 seconds. Serve with blueberry or raspberry syrup. (Maple syrup would work too, wouldn't it Susan T.?)

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Blog Biz

I'm tearfully removing my undecaplets widget over on the right at midnight tonight, giving up the ghost of hope. But before I do, I have just one thing to say to the creepy turtle who laid dud eggs in our sandbox, forcing us to dig them up and move them to a safe haven for 55 days while anxiously and eagerly awaiting the arrival of our "undecaplets": Its been quite a disappointment to my 5 kids that your "eggs" never hatched. Thanks a lot!

To my 6.5 readers - only 1 more day to enter your super spiffy strange recipe for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. So little work with so much potential reward. Do it! Now!

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Buffalo Tuna Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips, any kind
1 small can tuna, drained
1/3 c Buffalo wing sauce
1/4 c finely crumbled blue cheese
2 green onions, minced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 c grated cheddar cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled.

Preheat oven to 350. Place tortilla chips in 9x13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle tuna evenly over chips. Top with buffalo wing sauce. Layer on crumbled blue cheese, onions, and celery. Evenly sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and garnish with crumbled bacon. Bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

taken from 'Scary Strange Recipes' by Stephanie M.

Zucchini Brownies

1 c margarine
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk, (or milk with 1 t lemon juice)
2 1/2 c flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
2 c shredded zucchini
2/3 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, cream margarine, oil, and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk - beat until well blended. In separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and zucchini. Add these ingredients to the egg mixture, and stir until well blended. Spread batter into a greased and floured 13x9 pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M. (87)

Minnesota Freshwater Crawdad Cakes

¼ c. bread crumbs
1 t baking powder
1 t dried parsley
1 t mustard powder
pinch black pepper
2 t seafood seasoning (Old Bay)
1 T mayo
1 T melted butter
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 pound crawdad meat, cooked (approximately 150 crawdads, boiled rigorously, shelled, and eviscerated.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Combine bread crumbs, baking powder, parsley, mustard powder, pepper, and seafood seasoning; set aside. Stir together mayonnaise, butter, Worcestershire, and egg until smooth. Fold in crawdad meat, then fold in bread crumb mixture until well blended. Shape mixture into 12 delicious crawdad cakes, about 3/4 inch thick, and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes over, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.

Taken from "Scary Strange Recipes" by Stephanie M.

Jam Good Chicken

1 c mayo
1 jar jam - any flavor
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Mix soup mix, mayo, and jar of jam together, and spread over chicken breasts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until juices run clear.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Velveeta Fudge

1 pound butter
1 pound Velveeta Cheese
4 pounds powdered sugar
1 cup dry cocoa
1 T vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Melt butter and cheese together on medium heat. Add sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Mix well and stir in nuts. Place in buttered 9x13 inch pan, cool, and cut.

taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Can't-Beet-It Cake

1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. butter
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate
2 c pureed cooked beets
1 t vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream 1/2 c butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Melt chocolate squares with 1/4 c butter over low heat, stir until smooth, cool slightly. Blend chocolate and beets into creamed mixture. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Pour into greased and floured 10 inch fluted tube pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before removing bread from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

Taken from "Scary Strange Recipes" by Stephanie M

Peanut Butter Pesto

1/2 c natural peanut butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t salt (only if pb doesn't have salt)
2 c fresh basil
5 T grated parmesan cheese

Place ingredients into food processor and blend into paste. Add olive oil to taste.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Pork-n-Beans Cake

1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (15-oz) can baked beans with pork
2 c all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and beans until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and soda. Add to bean mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Divide batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before removing bread from pans.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Mayo-Have-Some-More-of-That Cake

1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
4 T dry cocoa
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t ginger
1/4 t salt
1 c mayo
1 c cold water
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together and add mayo, water, and vanilla; blend until smooth. Beat 45 seconds with electric mixer at medium speed or 2 minutes by hand. Pour mixture into greased 9 x 13 or two round cake pans with greased/floured wax paper on bottoms. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake starts to pull away from sides and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. cool cake in pans 5 minutes before turning onto cooling rack. Frost.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Chocolate Chicken Chili

6 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves minced garlic
2 red peppers, diced
4 jalapeño peppers, minced
3 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t ground coriander
pinch cinnamon
6 whole chicken breasts, cubed
32 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
8 oz. can chopped black olives (optional)
1 cup beer
1/4 c unsweetened chocolate (I prefer 1 lb milk chocolate, but that's just me)
salt to taste

Saute garlic and onion in 3 T olive oil for 5 minutes. Add peppers and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Brown chicken in remaining olive oil. Add chicken, tomatoes, olives, and beer. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chocolate, and season to taste. Garnish with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, and avocados.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake

3/4 c sauerkraut, drained and chopped
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c water
1/2 c dry cocoa

Preheat oven to 350. Sift all dry ingredients together. Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla. Beat eggs in one at a time. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with water. Add sauerkraut, mix thoroughly. Pour into greased bunt pan. Bake 30-40 minutes until cake tests done. Frost.

Taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.

Mashed Potato Candy

3/4 c. mashed potatoes
1 c. chopped nuts
1 pound powdered sugar
1 pkg 14 oz. shredded coconut
8 oz. melted chocolate almond bark

Combine first four ingredients, and chill mixture in refrigerator for 1 hour. Spoon out and roll into small balls. Dip balls into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to dry. Makes about 36.

taken from 'SCARY STRANGE RECIPES' by Stephanie M.