Aunt Betty's Better Than Anything Cake, an Indiana Recipe

Butter Toffee and Caramel, My Oh My!

My husband's Aunt Betty has sent me another winning recipe.  This one combines a box cake with caramel ice cream topping, sweetened condensed milk, whipped topping, and Heath candy bars. Sounds absolutely sinful doesn't it?  It has a lot going for it, quick, easy, delicious!  You do need to make it ahead and let it remain covered in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving.  I view anything you make ahead as a big plus!  It gets better as it sits!

Ingredients for Better Than Anything Cake:

1 cake mix. yellow or chocolate (I use Duncan Hinds Yellow Butter Cake Mix.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 small container whipped topping
1 t. vanilla
2 large Heath candy bars crushed

Bake the cake as directed on the package in a 9" x 13" pan.  Allow to cool completely.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake.
Pour the condensed milk over the cake. Pour the caramel topping over the cake.  Add the vanilla to the whipped topping and stir well. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the caramel. Sprinkle the crushed candy bars over the whipped topping. Cover well with wrap or a tightly fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

You may want to hide this in the back to keep your family and friends out of it until you are ready to serve!

Over One Million "Hits" Milestone Passed Last Weekend.

It doesn't really mean anything special to anyone but me.....but I have to tell you I am just tickled to death to think that over a million of you have stopped by to visit this little blog!

Wow!  I am just plain "got"! So as I am also suffering from a obviously early case of spring fever I thought I would combine some spring favorite pictures and the top posts to date.  Then I will get back to the "spring" cleaning at hand!

The number 1 post to date is Aunt Betty's 1-2-3 Cake in a mug.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/aunt-bettys-1-2-3-cake.html 

Number 2 is Buttermilk Pie.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/11/buttermilk-pie-my-oh-my.html

Number 3 is Easiest Stove Cleaning.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/p/easiest-cleaning-for-enamel-tops-and.html

Number 4 is Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/chocolate-chocolate-pudding-cake.html

Number 5 is Helpful Hints for Scrubbing Bathrooms.     http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/p/helpful-hints-for-scrubbing-bathtub-and.html

Number 6 is Making Egg Noodles.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/make-egg-noodles-for-now-or-store-in.html

Number 7 is Our First Snow.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-first-snow-accumulation-of-season.html

Number 8 is Fruit Cream.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/fruit-cream-lovely-fruit-salad.html

Number 9 is Home Cured Bacon.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/home-cured-bacon-quick-easy-and-no.html

Number 10 is Cleaning Dingy Sheet Pans.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/p/cleaning-dingy-sheet-pans-and-cookie.html

Number 11 is Casserole of Pork Chops.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-pan-pork-chop-dinner-for-four.html

And, number 12 is Pecan Pie in Mason Jars.   http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/pecan-pie-in-mason-jars.html

Thank you all and do come again.

Top Posts ( I really got a kick out of this and hope you do too!)

Fruit Cream, a lovely salad.

It is so very interesting to me what takes off and gets the most attention from those of you who are so kind as to follow this little blog.  I go into the statistics and marvel at the things I never dreamed would be of interest.

One lesson I have learned is that I do not have a clue as to what to expect in the way of reaction.  Therefore I am very interested when readers, friends, and others ask for or make suggestions, and comments about things they would like to see explored or shared.  I welcome you to do so.

I decided to share this with you so I searched out this morning the top read posts ranging all over 900 and up to the hundreds of thousands of hits as it is such a diverse list of titles.  Some are regular blog posts (listed under Topics) and some are pages (found at the the top right on the first page of this blog).  In all there are 7 pages and posts that meet the criteria.

Chocolate Scratch Cake in a mug.

#1 Post is Aunt Betty's 1-2-3 Cake in a Mug

#2 Page is Helpful Hints for Scrubbing Bathtub and other.....

#3 Post is Fruit Cream, a lovely fruit salad

#4 Post is Chocolate Scratch Cake for One in a Mug

#5 Page is Easiest Stove Cleaning for Enamel Tops and.....

#6 Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake

#7 Page is Produce Codes Explained

This is not to say there are not tons more posts and pages of interest.   More interesting numbers are that there are 490 published posts, 488 published comments, and 234 followers.  The blog was first published on 4/19/10 so we are a little over 2 years old.

Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake.

So thank you all.  If you would like to look at any of these topics you can click directly onto the "PAGES" section in the top few inches at the top of the right hand column.  Or type the "BLOG" subject into the finder box in the lower portion of the right column.

Thank you my friends for making my days such fun with this.  I leave you now to go give Molly, our dog, her bath this fine sunny day.  Hummm.....sounds like an interesting if not comical upcoming post.

Diane

Keep Fresh Strawberries Longer Without Mold! Works for all Berries and Grapes.

Yesterday as I drove back from Indianapolis I stopped in Washington, Indiana and visited with Uncle Gene and Aunt Betty.  My husband had called and asked me to stop and pick up something for him from Gene.  They were both great and we enjoyed sitting on the back porch and sipping sweet tea on a lovely and very warm spring day. (Aunt Betty gave me the now famous Aunt Betty's 1-2-3 Cake)

Today when I got to my computer Aunt Betty had sent me this wonderful tip about preserving the life of your fresh berries.  Very timely as the season for fresh strawberries is fast approaching!  I can't tell you how may times I have paid $4.00 or $5.00 for a little carton of berries only to have them at least be partially molded when I pulled them out to use.  This tip makes perfect sense too.

When you arrive home from the grocery mix together 1 part distilled white or cider vinegar to 10 parts clean fresh water and swish about in a large bowl or basin.  Empty your fresh berries into the solution and gently agitate them about.  Drain well and store in the refrigerator as you normally would.

The berries do not pick up the vinegar flavor but just the little bit of vinegar will KILL the MOLD SPORES!! Happy days.  Betty said the berries should keep a week without mold which is a marked improvement as I have seen them mold in a day before.

So enjoy your fresh berries longer this year, you can bet I will.