A Touch of Coffee Chocolate Frosting

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 5 cups of confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

1. With a mixer on low speed, cream butter and cocoa powder together.
2. Add confectioner's sugar a bit at a time and mix.
3. Add vanilla extract, coffee crystals and salt to warm water and stir.
4. Add liquid mixture a little at a time to the butter-sugar-cocoa mixture a little at a time and mix until creamy. Add a little more water to make it spreadable at room temperature if necessary.
5. Frost a completely cooled cake.

Note: Cake was a Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake baked according to package directions for a Bundt pan. Then cooled and sliced in half into layers. Then frosted with the above frosting.

Sausage, Green Beans, and Potatoes Slow Cooker Dinner

• 1 smoked sausage ring or 2 links of smoked sausage
• 2 15 ounce cans of cut green beans
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or smaller
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder or 2 cubes
• 2 cups water
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Cut sausage in quarters long ways. Then cut it crosswise in smaller pieces across.
2. Put in crockpot.
3. Add green beans. Do not drain them.
4. Add potatoes.
5. Add onions.
6. Add bouillon powder.
7. Add water.
8. Add pepper.
9. Cover and cook in slow cooker for 6 hours on high.
10. Serve and enjoy.

Salted Caramel Bars

For the crust:

• 1 pound salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 4 cups all purpose flour

For the filling:

• 1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 caramels), unwrapped
• 1/3 cup milk or cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon course sea salt

Addition to the top crust:

• 1/3 cup sugar

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugars by using a mixer until creamy. Add the vanilla, and beat a little bit longer.
3. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat until a soft dough forms, but don't overbeat.
4. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.
5. Press a third of the dough to cover the pan and try to make the layer as even as possible.
6. Bake the crust until the edges are a pale brown. This takes approximately 25 minutes.
7. Store the rest of the dough in the refrigerator.

To make the filling layer:

1. Using a microwavable bowl, place the caramels and cream in it.
2. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
3. Remove from the microwave and stir.
4. If the caramels are not completely melted, repeat the stirring and heating for 30 seconds at time.
5. When smooth, add the ½ teaspoon of vanilla and stir.
6. Pour over the bottom crust, spreading until it is evenly covered.
7. Sprinkle the teaspoon of sea salt over the top of the filling.

To make the top layer:

1. Crumble the remaining dough over the filling layer.
2. Sprinkle the dough with 1/3 cup of sugar.
3. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filing is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven.
5. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Enjoy.