For Sunday's Menu...

I'm still trying to get the recipes posted that I can for this week's menu plan, as several readers have asked for them. This Sunday we'll have a potluck at church after the morning service, as we do the first Sunday of each month. We then have an afternoon service -- usually at 2 p.m. -- rather than an evening one. This Sunday's afternoon service will be at 1:30 instead, as our annual church business meeting will follow it.

For this Sunday, I'm trying a new crockpot recipe. If I've done the link correctly, you can find it here: Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

I'll also bring this salad:

REFRIGERATOR CARROT SALAD

2 lbs. carrots, sliced crosswise
1 10-oz. can tomato soup
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 Tblsp. dried minced onion
1 green pepper, sliced in strips

In a large saucepan, cover carrots with boiling salted water. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, until tender-crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Blend together soup, sugar, oil, vinegar, and seasonings; stir into carrots along with onion and green pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Salad will keep in refrigerator up to 5 days. Makes 2 quarts.

This salad is a combination of a recipe from our pastor's wife and one I found in a wonderful older cookbook, Farm Journal's Homemade Snacks. I've adjusted the quantities to make this salad lower in fat and sugar that either of the originals. This is a great salad for winter because it uses vegetables that are readily available. It adds wonderful color and flavor to a plate or a buffet table!

For dessert, I'm planning to take this, which I made for last Sunday. The leftover cake has been residing in the freezer, and the sauce is in a plastic container in the fridge. This is one decadent dessert!

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH FUDGE SAUCE

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) cook & serve chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 pkg. (18 1/4 oz.) chocolate cake mix

FUDGE SAUCE:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine pudding mix with milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes at 70% power, stirring at 2-minute intervals. (If you prefer, you may cook the pudding in a saucepan on the stovetop, but cooking it in a bowl in the microwave saves a step and a saucepan.)

Add the dry cake mix to the pudding and beat until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched and edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack.

For sauce, in a heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat. Stir in evaporated milk and sugar until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 8 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

Cut cake in squares; serve on dessert plates with warm sauce over cake. Ice cream or whipped cream are completely optional.

This came from a Country Woman magazine -- it was a prize-winner in one of their contests. This recipe is chocolate to the nth degree and is incredibly easy and delicious.