Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for an early September week

Again, trying to remember what we had from last weekend.

All I remember from Saturday was cole slaw, because I remember the bowl on the table.

Sunday -- lentil and cheese quesadillas, with carrot sticks
Monday -- pasta, meatball, marinara, spinach, mozzarella layered casserole, with steamed cauliflower core juliennes, and a tossed green salad (with lettuce cores, too)
Tuesday -- leftover pasta casserole (I made a lot), nectarine slices, frozen green beans
Wednesday -- pumpkin soup, French bread pizza sandwiches (using hoagie rolls)
Thursday -- family dinner: roasted chicken, stuffing, cranberry sauce, frozen peas, pumpkin snack cake (this cake, with the pumpkin variation) with butterscotch chip icing

The cake from last night was so tasty. I was in a hurry to get it finished and chose to use a butterscotch chip topping, by dumping a cup of butterscotch chips on top of the hot cake out of the oven. Only, butterscotch chips don't melt like chocolate chips do (see the sad photo of unmelted chips on the cake).

So I scooped them off the cake, and into a custard cup, and along with some Crisco shortening, melted them in the microwave in short 15 second bursts, for a total of about 30 seconds. Then stirred like mad until it was a nice melty mess.

I quickly spread the melty mess on the cake, and it set up very quickly. It was a little extra work, but it smelled and tasted autumnal.

What was on your menu this past week? The weather is definitely cooler, here. How fast it all changed! I'll be volunteering all day tomorrow. I hope you have nice plans for the weekend!

Mug cake to the rescue

Rough days call for drastic measures, or at least a dose of mug cake. In case you don't know a mug cake is a single serve cake, baked in the microwave, with or without eggs, and ready to eat in just a couple of minutes.

Here's what I'm eating right now:

individual chocolate cake topped with plum jam

Chocolate Mug Cake with Fruit Jam Topping

The cake:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons butter
• scant 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING (choose one)

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, or
• 1 tablespoon jam, or
• 1 tablespoon nutella

In a microwaveable mug or individual-serving baking dish, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces as you add to the dry ingredients. Microwave for 10 seconds, so the butter can me stirred into the dry ingredients.  Stir in oil, milk, and vanilla.  Microwave for 1 minute on HI. Immediately top with chocolate chips, nutella, or fruit jam. Share with someone you love (or hog for yourself, whichever).

Okay, I feel fortified enough to get back to work. Onward and upward!