This is the cake I made for my husband's birthday!! It is a vanilla buttermilk cake with layers of strawberry preserves, fresh bananas, and strawberry meringue buttercream. It was so yummy with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!
Buttermilk Vanilla Cake 2 1/4 c flour 1 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 10 T unsalted butter, softened 1 1/3 c sugar 2 t vanilla extract 2 egg whites plus 2 whole eggs 1 1/4 c buttermilk
Strawberry Meringue Buttercream 1 pkg frozen strawberries 1 1/2 c sugar 1⁄4 cup water 5 egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 t cream of tartar 1 c unsalted butter, softened
Filling 3 bananas, diced 3/4 c strawberry preserves
plus fresh whipped cream and fresh strawberries for garnish
Cake: Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 8 x 2-in. round cake pans with baking spray. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper rounds; spray parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl with mixer, beat butter, sugar and extract at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites and whole eggs until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk until incorporated. Continue to beat batter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen edge of cakes and invert onto rack. Cool completely.
Buttercream: Purée strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar in blender; scrape through a fine sieve into a small saucepan to remove seeds. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool completely. In saucepan, bring 1 cup of the sugar and the water to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour in boiling syrup in a thin stream. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until meringue is very thick and glossy, and completely cool, about 6 minutes. In a large bowl, combine butter, strawberry purée and food color, and vigorously beat with a rubber spatula until well combined and smooth. Fold in meringue, in two additions, until combined. Refrigerate buttercream 1 hour or until spreadable.
To assemble: Using a serrated knife, halve cake layers horizontally. Place 1 layer, cut-side up, on a serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup buttercream. Arrange 1/3 of the diced bananas in a layer over buttercream. Spread 2 T jam on a cut side of second layer and place, jam-side down, over strawberries. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Cover cake with buttercream. Serve with fresh whipped cream if desired.
My mom makes a pasta salad very similar to this and I LOVE it! My version is very similar except for a few changes...no red onions, additional oregano, and I use a mixture of pastas!! Everyone always wants the recipe it is so yummy!! Greek Pasta Salad
1 12 oz. bag "Wacky Mac" veggie shapes pasta (I buy mine at Walmart- it has purple wheels, green penne rigate, orange rotelli, and white shells! It brings a lot of color to the salad!) 16 oz pasta (in various shapes-radiatori, wheels, bowties, rotelli) 1 square feta cheese, crumbled 2 cans olives, cut in half 1 package grape tomatoes, cut in half 2 peeled cucumbers, diced 6 peeled carrots, sliced 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 2 bottles zesty Italian dressing 1 T dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta, drain and rinse with cold water. Add all ingredients and chill until serving! This recipe makes A LOT- one big HUGE bowl!! Perfect for parties!!
Sweet Potato & Russet Potato Oven Fries 2 sweet potatoes 6 russet potatoes EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) Spices (I used a combination of Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Garlic & Herb Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, and Onion Powder)
Preheat oven to 425*. Peel potatoes and cut into strips. Spray two large cookie sheets. In a bowl combine potatoes, EVOO, and spices. Mix until evenly distributed and place on sheets. Bake 35-40 minutes, turning potatoes half way. Potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!!
INGREDIENTS 2 cans stewed tomatoes ½ cup brown sugar 2 cloves chopped garlic 1 tsp salt (to taste) 1 package Zesty Spaghetti Mix from Shilling 1 shredded onion 1/8 tsp pepper 1 can tomato paste Meatballs: 1 lb hamburger salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS Blend both cans of stewed tomatoes in the blender. Add rest of ingredients and warm on stovetop. Form hamburger into balls, salt and pepper to taste and fry until brown on all sides. Transfer onto paper towel to drain then add to sauce mixture. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer. Cook 2 hours.
1 cube butter, melted 1 bag graham crackers, crushed 1 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 1 cup sliced almonds 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
Preheat Oven 350* Layer all ingredients into 13x9 pan. Bake for 25 minutes and let cool. E N J O Y !! (VERY Rich!!)
1 habanero, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons fennel seed 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons allspice 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground ginger 4 garlic cloves, chopped 4 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup orange juice 7 pounds chicken wings Directions In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.
This recie caught my eye! It looks so yummy that I'm making it for dinner tonight and decided to share it with you! (There is a coupon in the Sunday's newspaper for a Dollar off of any Marzetti Dressing) http://www.marzetti.com/
Marzetti Ingredients 3/4 cup Marzetti® The Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing - GLUTEN-FREE
Other Ingredients salt & black pepper 4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 tsp paprika 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 large Granny Smith Apple, cored & sliced 1 cup sliced celery 1/3 cup sliced shallots or red onion 8 oz clean baby spinach leaves 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Preparation: Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sear both sides of chicken. Continue to cook medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In same skillet, heat remaining oil and saute apples, celery and shallots until tender. Gently heat Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressings in a saucepan, do not bring to a boil. Arrange spinach on plates, top with hot vegetables, apples and chicken. Spoon warm Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing over all and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve.
INGREDIENTS 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts salt (to taste) 1 purple onion 3 cups purple and green grapes combined, cut in half 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped 2-3 cans of mandarin oranges 1 package slivered almonds 1 package oriental noodles 1 pint sour cream 1 pre-made 2 cup package buttermilk ranch dressing (meaning 2 cups mayo and 2 cups buttermilk) 1 package Costco croissants
INSTRUCTIONS Salt and boil chicken breast until well cooked. Refrigerate until cooled and break into pieces. Combine onion, grapes, celery, mandarin oranges, almonds, sour cream and ranch dressing in a large bowl. Just before serving add oriental noodles. Serve on croissants. Can also be served on lettuce, rolls, or cream puffs! This makes a lot of salad and it never goes to waste!!
The children and I made BROWNIES today!! I took a favorite recipe and did some experimenting...The brownies turned out splendidly...rich, chocolaty, gooey, spectacular!!
I made two versions, this one with chocolate chips!This is the one without chocolate chips.
Both were very tasty!!
Rich Cocoa Brownies Ala Mindy
1 c unsalted butter (room temp) 2 c granulated sugar 4 eggs (room temp) 2 t pure vanilla extract 1 t salt 1/3 c plus 2 T cocoa 1 1/2 c flour powder sugar for garnish 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all wet ingredients, then add cocoa and flour. Place batter in two 8x8 pans and bake for 30 minutes. Optional: remove one pan from oven after 20 minutes and sprinkle with chocolate chips, then bake additional 10 minutes. Remove Brownies and sprinkle with powder sugar. Serve warm!! They are rich and gooey inside, with a fantastic crisp crust!! D I V I N E
For the cake batter: 2 1/4 c flour 3/4 c brown sugar 3/4 c white sugar 3/8 c cocoa 1 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1 1/2 c boiling water 1/2 c canola oil 1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar 1/2 T pure vanilla extract
For the filling: 8 oz cream cheese softened 1/2 c powder sugar 1 egg 1 t pure vanilla extract pinch of salt 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the glaze: 2/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/3 c butter 1/8 cup corn syrup 1/2 t pure vanilla extract pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.
To make filling: cream everything together except chocolate until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips.
To make cupcakes: mix dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients together. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour liquid in and mix well. Fill each paper cupcake liner 1/4 full of batter and top with heaping T of filling. Divide evenly and use it all. Top filling with remaining batter. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes.
To make ganache: combine ingredients in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for one minute. Remove and stir until smooth. If needed, continue to microwave for 30 second intervals.
Remove cupcakes and let cool. Dip top of each cupcake in the chocolate ganache and let cool in fridge. These are also delicious with cream cheese/buttercream frosting. I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as me and my family do!
This recipe is one of our family favorites clear back from when I was at home in the 70's! At the time "Kung Fu" was a popular show and we watched it every week. So whenever we were hungry for this casserole we would ask our mom to make us "the Kung Fu casserole!" The name just stuck!
INGREDIENTS 4 cups water 1 envelope Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup ½ cup rice ½ cup salad macaroni ½ cup diced onion 1 cup diced celery ½ cup diced green pepper 3 tbsp butter ½ lb hamburger Or ( 1 lb Sausage and no hamburger which is what we prefer.) ½ lb sausage 1 heaping tbsp soy sauce 1 large can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 bag Chinese Chow Mein Noodles
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water, Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup, rice and macaroni for 15 minutes and set aside. Cook onion, celery and green pepper in butter on low heat until clear. (About 5-10 minutes). Cook hamburger and sausage until well done and drain. Add soy sauce, Cream of Mushroom Soup, vegetables, and chicken noodle soup mixture to hamburger and mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with Chinese noodles. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
You will need: * 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple * 1 can of cranberry jelly with berries * 1/4 cup of sugar * 2 green peppers * 1 jalapeno pepper * 1 bunch of green onions * 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
Chop green peppers, jalapenos, green onions, and cilantro very finely. In a serving bowl mix cranberry jelly, crushed pineapple, green peppers, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro and sugar. Once well mixed refrigerate for at least 1-3 hours before serving. Serve with chips or in a warm crockpot on top of "lil smokies"
1 package cream cheese, softened 1 bottle Cross and Blackwell cocktail sauce (tastes the best) 1-2 cans baby shrimp
INSTRUCTIONS Soften cream cheese and spread out onto plate or pie plate. Pour cocktail sauce over cream cheese and top with shrimp. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve. Tastes best with Ritz, Wheat Thins or Triscuits.
This recipe is DEADLY and DELICIOUS! It's a Paula Deen dish... so eaters beware! I've tried making this with 1/2 the eggs, milk, and half-n-half. It's good that way, too -- a little less bread pudding, a little more french toast. I also HIGHLY recommend adding a huge dollop of fresh whipped cream on top with maple syrup. Delicious!
Casserole:
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) 8 large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Dash salt Praline Topping, recipe follows
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the casserole and bake for 40-60 minutes (it turns out differently every time for me -- just watch it), until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Use entire mixture to cover french toast casserole.
I have to say this is my very favorite cookie ever! We only make it at Christmas time just to keep it "Special!" Enjoy ;)
Christmas Wafer Cookie
INGREDIENTS 1 cup butter ½ cup margarine ½ cup cream 2 cups flour Filling: ¼ cup butter, softened ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla red and green food coloring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS Mix well butter, margarine, cream and flour and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured board until thin. Cut out into circles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees. Take cookies out of oven and cool. Put two cookies together with filling in the middle. For filling, combine butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and a little food coloring (if desired) in a medium bowl and mix well. These are a perfect Christmas Time cookie!
20 ounces cranberry juice 10 ounces apple juice 3 3/4 ounces pineapple juice, frozen concentrate -- thawed 3 3/4 ounces lemonade, frozen concentrate -- thawed 3 cinnamon sticks
Directions: In a large saucepan combine juices, concentrates and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add water if desired. Serve hot or cold
BTW - SIERRA MIST HAS A FABULOUS DRINK - CRANBERRY SPLASH! GREAT FOR PARTIES!
10 c. peeled and sliced Jonathan apples (don't add any water) 5 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt
Mix all of the above and cook in crock pot on low for 10-12 hours. (Cook overnight and wake up to a wonderful smell!) Then uncover and cook an additional 2-4 hours on high until apple butter is thick. Pour into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space and seal or pour into jar and simply refrigerate. Yields about 4 1/2 pints.
Our entire family LOVES Cafe Rio so when we found this recipe we just had to try it out! ENJOY! Hmmmmmm
Cafe Rio Knock-Off Pork Burrito/Salad
Pork Burritos/Salad: 1 pork roast (shoulder approx 3-4lbs) or butt 2 cans coke 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 small cans of diced chilis 1 (14 OZ can of tomato sauce) 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin
Mix ingredients in crock pot. Add roast. Cook the night before on low for 6-7 hours. Shred pork the next morning, put back in crockpot and let marinade for 4-5 hours on warm.
Costco has a great uncooked tortillas. (pk of 40) 2-3 cans of black or pinto beans 2-3 cups of rice of your choice 1 can of green chili enchilada sauce 2-4 cups of mozzarella cheese (depends on if you like a lot of cheese inside and on top)
If you want to make a salad do not use the enchilada sauce and mozzarella cheese from above, instead add: 2 bags of greens
Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing: 1 cup mayo (full fat not light) 1 cup cilantro 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Recipe Dressing Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 cloves garlic (minced) 3 tomatillos (quartered)
Mix all ingredients in blender until well blended. Chill before serving.
Don't forget tortilla strips for the top of the salad!(you can buy the tortilla strips in a bag at SMITHS in front of their deli meats.)
My Favorite GOOSEBERRY PATCH Cookbook is Slow-Cooker Recipes! Check out page 128! My Mexicali Beef Soft Tacos Recipe made it into their recipe book! I've been buying Gooseberry Patch Recipe Books and items from their website forever! I love all the fun stories, pictures and crafts! Its just one of those "feel good" websites! Check them out! www.gooseberrypatch.com
My family will all be here this weekend and this Broccoli Cauliflower Soup recipe is my favorite "go to" for a crowd! The Spike seasoning makes this soup taste wonderfully new to your taste buds and helps to keep down the salt! Even children love this soup!
INGREDIENTS 1 chopped onion 1 bunch broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces 1 bunch cauliflower, cut up into bite sized pieces 1-2 tbsp all purpose SPIKE (original) 1 cup butter 1 cup flour ¼ tsp pepper 8 cups milk 2 cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS Cook onion, broccoli and cauliflower until tender and sprinkle with SPIKE (I use 2-3 TBSP). While vegetables are cooking make the soup part. In a large saucepan, melt butter and mix with flour and pepper (no salt because of the SPIKE). Add milk slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Add cheese. Empty water from broccoli and pour mixture into soup. You could also put the Spike in with the sauce as you make it rather than the veggies.
Ahhh I love fall and all the great foods that come with it! This recipe is our family favorite! I've made it for so many years now and we never get tired of it! ENJOY!
Chicken Pot Pie
INGREDIENTS 3-4 cut up carrots 5-6 cut up potatoes 1 onion, chopped 1 package frozen peas 1 package frozen corn 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp salt
2-4 pre-made pie crust sheets Or make your own pastry pie crust.
Filling: 1 cup butter, melted 6 tsp chicken bullion (with no MSG) ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 5 ¼ cups water 2 cups milk
INSTRUCTIONS Cook carrots, potatoes, and onion on stovetop until soft but not mushy. Add peas when vegetables are done. Boil chicken breasts and salt for 1-2 hours. Break up chicken into pieces when done and set aside. For filling: In a large sauce pan combine melted butter, flour, chicken bullion, salt and pepper. Let it cook for a little bit to warm up the flour and then add water and milk. Stir constantly with a wire whisk until thick. Add chicken and vegetables when thickened to a gravy. Pour mixture into pie crusts and fill pie full then top with another crust and cut a slit in the top. Bake pies in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Filled with gummy creatures and fish eggs made from tapioca pearls, this sweet, bubbly drink looks like something scooped up from a deep, dark bog. Try making a batch for a Halloween gathering or as a spooky after-dinner treat.
(I got this off of the Disney Family Fun Site!)
SWAMP JUICE
FOR 8 SERVINGS: 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores) Food coloring 4 tablespoons sugar 8 gummy fish Seltzer water Lemonade 8 gummy worms X Instructions MAKE THE EGGS: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.
COLOR THE EGGS: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (we used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.
ASSEMBLE THE DRINK: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon as shown.
This is the recipe my mom used my whole life! For me its the BEST I've tried! and...its very easy.
2 lbs Lean Hamburger or turkey burger 1 Onion chopped 2 Cloves of Garlic chopped Brown together in a skillet. Drain off excess fat and add:
2 Large cans of Stewed Tomatos 1 Small can of Tomato Paste 2 tsp. Salt 2 tsp Oregano 1/2 tsp pepper
Simmer for 2 Hours
Shred 3 Cups of Cheddar Cheese Wash off the cream of 1 tub of Cottage Cheese by putting into a strainer under running water. 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Cook One 16 oz package of Lasagna Noodles until tender.
Put a little sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish - layer of noodles, then meat sauce, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, parm cheese. Repeat and then top with Cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly. (I place casserole pan on a cookie sheet inside the oven in case the lasagna bubbles over.)
This is the time of year when Lasagna tastes sooooo good! HAPPY FALL!
It was so yummy with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!
It was so yummy with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!
