A Long Winter's Nap?

Wow--where have the months gone?  Some of you might think I had hibernated for the fall and winter, but it is much the opposite.  We launched a new children's program in November requiring much time and effort.  I'm happy to report that "Creekside Kids For Christ" has completed its second full month and I am so thankful for God's goodness.  He has blessed with a complete staff of faithful leaders and we have had two wonderful months.  I can only anticipate what God has in store for the future of this ministry. 


Although I haven't posted any recipes, I have continued to be very busy in the kitchen.  My husband and I began "Celebrating You!" which is a monthly birthday celebration for members of our congregation.  We invite those who have had a birthday during the current month to our home, along with their families.  I serve a special dessert and we enjoy some sweet fellowship while celebrating the birthday people.  I have served warm chocolate molten cakes, yellow cupcakes with buttercream icing, apple cake with caramel sauce, homemade apple turnovers and a pumpkin ice cream dessert.  (Those of you with December birthdays are invited to the January celebration!) 


Now that we are back in the pastorate, Jeff and I were happy to be able to host the board of elders' and their wives once again for a special Christmas dinner.  I love to have the opportunity to set a pretty table complete with crystal and silver and pretty holiday decorations.  I always labor over the menu and my husband labors over my labor--always concerned that I will try yet another new recipe, which I always do!  This year was no different.  Two of the items on the menu were new to me, the others tried and true.  Our menu was:

Fig and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (new)

Green Bean Bundles (new)

Wild Rice

Baked Apricots

Asian Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing

French Bread

Chocolate Cheesecake

Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal and Jeff breathed a sigh of relief! 

Newcomer's Dinner

Last Sunday my husband and I, along with one of the members of the board of elders and his wife, hosted a dinner after church for those who are new to our church within the past year.  While not everyone was able to join us, we had a nice gathering and a great time of fellowship.

Time spent around the table sharing a meal provides a relaxed atmosphere and a great opportunity to get to know others on a deeper level.  Every time I host guests, I realize it is so worth the effort and something I want to do very often.  I encourage you to host others around your table.  The meal doesn't have to be elaborate and the setting doesn't have to be formal; just share what you have and be relaxed.  Planning ahead and getting as much done prior to guests arrive helps me to be able to focus on my guests once they arrive.  I am notorious for trying a new recipe or two when I have company--probably not the best thing to do!  Stick with a tried and true favorite of your family's so you set yourself up for success.

The menu for last Sunday's meal was made up of some of my favorites--some very old recipes, others relatively new--but all tried and true!  I was blessed to have several ladies from church volunteer to bring dishes to contribute to the meal so I didn't have the responsibility for the entire meal.  My meal consisted of:

Chicken Bake

Fresh Green Beans

Shoepeg Corn

Frozen Fruit Salad

Homemade Crescent Rolls

(along with two delicious desserts--one chocolate peanut butter and the other a yellow cake with mandarin oranges)

Several at the newcomer's dinner asked for the recipe for the chicken casserole and the frozen fruit salad. When others ask for the recipes of the dishes you have served, you can be pretty certain they enjoyed the meal--just be sure to follow through and actually give them the recipe! 

So how about hosting someone this weekend?

Click on chicken bake and frozen fruit salad for a printable version of the recipe.

A Labor of Love

A labor of love--that's what this cake is all about for me.  It's one of those recipes that isn't necessarily difficult, just time consuming--but I must say worth every minute!  If you (or the one you love) is a chocolate fan, this is the cake for you.  While it does have three separate layers of chocolate, the stabilized cream in the middle keeps it from being over the top with chocolate.  It is decadant to say the least. 

The first time my husband and I had this cake, it was a gift from a dear lady in our church in Murfreesboro, TN.  She had a friend make this cake for my husband's birthday.  Picture this two-layer devil's food cake with a buttercream icing and a covering of chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate roses and served on a white chocolate platter!  Now THAT is over the top!  It was beautiful.  The friend of our friend was kind enough to share the recipe and it has been the birthday cake of choice for my husband ever since.

I have found that it works best to make this cake in stages:  First make the cake and either let it cool completely or even freeze the layers.  Next, make the stabilized cream and let it set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow it to set up.  Finally, make the chocolate buttercream icing and the ganache.

Be sure to cut a piece of cardboard the size of the cake to put the cake on it before you begin layering.  Without the cardboard, it will be almost impossible to move to a platter.  (Trust me--I speak from experience!!)

This week when I made this for my husband's birthday, I made the layers in square cake pans so I could make a half of a cake since it was just the 2 of us celebrating.  I knew a whole cake would be way too much to eat (or too much temptation TO eat!) so I cut one layer in half and stacked the half cake.  The other layer is in the refrigerator for the next time I need a dessert along with the other half of the icing.  I only made a half recipe of the stabilized cream.

Here is the finished product.  It's looks like a HUGE oreo.  Make sure you get a bit of the cream, the icing and the ganache with each bite of cake.  It is like a fork full of love!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Summer Days

Summer seems like a blur!  Every year when summer arrives, my husband and I always  comment about how quickly it will fly by--and it always does.  This summer was a great one filled with several trips and many good times.  Here's a short list of how we spent our summer (and my excuse for not posting!):

• We started the summer off by spending a week at Myrtle Beach with our oldest son and his wife.   Love the beach!!
• We were blessed to be able to attend the international youth convention for the Church of God in Orlando, Florida, with our youth.  On the way home we got spend the afternoon at Daytona  Beach.
• We hosted my brother and sister-in-law for a few days and took them to see Cinderella at Jenny Wiley Theatre (which was great), we spent one afternoon out on beautiful Paintsville Lake, and did some siteseeing.
• We attended a reunion in our hometown of my youth group's sharing group.  It was a little bit of heaven!
• I was able to visit my parents a couple times during the summer months as well.  An added bonus.
• We spent our anniversary in Columbus, Ohio, to see Wicked which was absolutely fabulous.  I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.  We had dinner with some dear friends.  Wonderful food and fellowship.
• We went to Tennessee for a very quick (but great) visit to see our sons and their wives.
• I attended a Beth Moore conference with the ladies from our church and one of my sisters in Lexington. Spiritually refreshing!

As I reflect on these special days, I am recalling some special meals and treats as well . . .  penne carbonara, homemade peach ice cream, salty caramel ice cream, and fresh catch Pontchartrain at Landry's in Myrtle Beach. Often when I enjoy a special dish at a restaurant, I come home and do some searching on line in hopes of recreating it.  Sometimes I am successful at creating a similar taste, other times, not so successful. Another dish I had this summer that I loved was grilled tilapia with a mango salsa which I had at Cheddars.  Here is the recipe I found and loved.  The only change I made was omitting the jalapeno pepper.  I put it in at first but ended up taking it out.
 
I hope your summer was enjoyable, whether you spent some days away on vacation or found some fun and relaxing things to do at home.  The important thing is making the most of each day that the Lord blesses us with.  Why not make some homemade ice cream, grill some burgers, or spend the evening outside enjoying the sounds of summer before September rolls in?  It will be here before you know it!

By the way, here is the recipe for the strawberry cake I promised in a previous post.  It is Delicious!!

Berry Good!

This is the wonderful season for great summer fruit.  I like apples, tangerines, bananas, and grapefruit, but I love watermelon, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe and honeydew.  I am willing to pay higher prices during the off season to get these fruits if they are shipped in and tasteful.  But, while the season is here and they are easily available in the grocery store, I try to keep my refrigerator stocked with fresh finds.

I also take advantage of the availability of these great berries and fruit to make fresh cobblers.  Our grocery store recently had blackberries for $1 for 6 oz. so I made my husband so happy and made a cobbler with them.  With just two of us here at home, I decided to make a small cobbler.  I should have made it full size because it was eaten very quickly and I must say, it was very good. 

I encourage you to buy what you find fresh and sweet in the produce section or at your local farmer's market.  Your family will love you for it!

Juicy Blackberry Cobbler

4 c. fresh blackberries

2 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

Pastry (recipe follows)

2 T. melted butter

2 T. sugar, divided

Combine blackberries, sugar, and water in saucepan.  Cook over medium heat 10 minutes; stir gently. 

Pour half of berry mixture into a greased 12  2 x 2" baking dish.  Roll pastry to 1/8" thickness on a lightly-floured surface.  cut into 1" strips, and arrange half of strips in a lattice design over berry mixture.  Brush with 1 T. melted butter, and sprinkle with 1 T. sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned. 

Pour remaining berry mixture over baked pastry.  Arrange remaining pastry strips in lattice design over berries.  Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. 

(I used coarse sugar crystals.  You can find these at Wal-Mart on the baking aisle or with Wilton cake decorating items.)

Pastry

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. plus 1 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt; cut in shorteningwith a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle water 1 T. at a time evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball. Chill.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Comfort Foods--Even in the Summer!

I came across one of my favorite comfort foods on Everyday Food on PBS--pot pie.  I love pot pie and have tried many recipes.  This recipe has a very good flavor to it.  The "gravy" has a nice rich flavor although I did thicken it a bit more than the recipe called for.  These were made in invidivdual 12 oz. baking dishes.  I realized when I was assembling them that the gravy was still a bit thin, but after they were baked, we added cooked macaroni to them as we ate them (which we always do), and that really helped to soak up the gravy.  The puff pastry is delicious on top of the pot pies. 

Another recipe from PBS was a comfort food to serve alongside hamburgers--onion rings.  This recipe caught my attention because they are not fried but baked in the oven.  They have a unique batter of egg, buttermilk, flour, and cayenne pepper then they are dredged in a mixture of ground corn flakes and bread crumbs.  I used Panko crumbs.  The next time I make them, I plan to put half of the corn flake/bread crumb mixture on the plate at a time as it seemed to clump easily when the onion rings were dredged.  They were very good though and baked up nice and crisp.  They were a great addition to our meal of grilled hamburgers and cole slaw.

So if you need a little comfort--even in the summer, give one of these a try.

A Nice Surprise!

I came across this recipe recently from Cooking Light and was delighted that it was as delicious as it was easy.  Canned salmon is such a great buy and a staple you can always keep in on hand.  Be sure to make the sauce to serve with the patties.  It really takes them over the top.  So, if you forgot to thaw something out for dinner, pull out a can of salmon and the can opener and give this a try. I think you'll be in for a nice surprise.

Serving suggestion:  Salad:  Fresh spinach with red onion slices, almonds, cucumber and strawberry quarters with a red wine vinegarette; Vegetable:  Green beans cooked with diced onion and bacon; Rice pilaf.

A Twist on a Strawberry Favorite

I found this recipe a couple months ago when I wanted the taste of angel food cake and strawberries but I wanted to make it ahead of time and not have the last-minute preparations.  It was a big hit and made a classic dessert more special.  I made it again this weekend when my sons and one of my daughters in law surprised me and came home for Mother's Day.  It's easy to put together and can be put in the refrigerator for later or can be eaten right away.

Since strawberrys are in season and they are delicious and plentiful, it would be a great time to give this twist on a classic dessert a try!

 

1 (10 inch) angel food cake

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

1 (18 ounce) jar strawberry glaze (or a can of strawberry pie filling)

1. Crumble the cake into a 9x13 inch dish.  
2. In a medium bowl, cream cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Mash the cake down with your hands and spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake.
3. In a bowl, combine strawberries and glaze until strawberries are evenly coated. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill until serving.

(I layered the ingredients and made more of a trifle out of it. I put some of the strawberry mixture on the bottom, angel food cake, the creamed mixture, more of the strawberry mixture, angel food cake then I topped it with Cool Whip.)


Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Spring Flavors in Beverage

At our Bible study salad luncheon today, I decjded to serve fruit tea as one of the beverages.  I thought it would be refreshing.  The days have been unusually warm and tea is such a great thirst quencher.  The recipe I used is one a pastor's wife passed along to me and I am happy to share it. 

As tea refreshes us, may we refresh others by speaking the truth of God's word to them.  Perhaps they will be so refreshed by it they will ask us for the recipe, and we will have the privelege of sharing Christ with them.  What a joy that would be!  Be refreshed then refresh.

Fruit Tea

2 family-size tea bags

1 c. sugar

1 can frozen orange-pineapple juice

Brew tea for 3 minutes.  Stir in sugar until dissolved.  Add juice and water to make a gallon.  Garnish with lemon or orange slices.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Spring Flavors

When I think about spring, images of daffodils, pansies, phlox, redbud trees, and Forsythia bushes are vivid. I see yellow, smell grass, and hear the chirping of birds. Refreshing, isn't it? How the Lord refreshes me each spring. As creation wakes from winter and bursts with new life, it reminds me of what God does in the heart of each of us who realize we are in darkness without Him, invite the Light of the World into our lives and accept His love and mercy. I say it every year, but spring is my favorite season!

Some of my favorite flavors for spring are citrus desserts. For Easter, I fixed a double citrus tart. It has a delicious gingersnap crust and uses frozen orange juice concentrate and lemon juice. Try it for a light yet rich dessert. One of my all-time favorite lemon cakes is a recipe I have had for many years. This recipe was given to me by a co-worker at Tenneco Oil in Houston, Texas, some thirty years ago. (I don't feel as old as I sound!). I love the fact though that recipes have stories and memories. They connect us to our past. I plan to make this cake for a salad luncheon this week after our ladies' Bible study. Who knows--thirty years from now, someone may say they got this recipe from their pastor's wife at First Church of God, Little Paint. Enjoy spring--in your life and flavors.

Lemon Jell-O Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box lemon Jell-O

4 eggs

1 t. lemon extract

3/4 c. oil

*******

4 T. melted margarine

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

In large mixing bowl, dissolve lemon Jell-O in 3/4 cup of boiling water. Set aside and allow to cool. When cool, add cake mix and then one egg at a time, beating after each egg. Mix in lemon extract and oil. Pour into greased Bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then invert onto large plate.

In a small bowl, combine melted margarine, powdered sugar, and the juice of one lemon (approximately 3 T.). Mix well. (You may need to add more powdered sugar.  It needs to be a thick but not pasty.)  Pour over warm lemon cake. (Glaze will run off sides of cake some. I take a spoon and scoop up what comes off the sides and place it back over the cake to create a nice thick layer of the glaze.) Allow to cool.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

A Two-Hour Bread

In trying to be a good steward of my time, I decided not to post recipes just for the sake of posting.  I plan to use my blog if someone asks me for a recipe or if I try a new recipe I think others might enjoy.  Thus the reason I haven't posted anything in March!

Recently my sister wrote about a homemade French bread she tried that is actually ready from start to finish in two hours! Bread hasn't really been my forte' in the past but I have tried this recipe and am happy to report I had good success with it--the second time anyway!  The first time I made it, everything was going along nicely and the loaves (it makes 2) were just about ready to go into the oven when the power went off and stayed off for about three hours!  The bread deflated some but I decided to go ahead and bake it when the power came back on.  The loaves were a little flat, but the flavor was still very good.  This week I made homemade spaghetti sauce and decided to try the bread again.  It worked perfectly.  It's so nice to have two loaves--one to keep and one to share. 

I am planning to try a new recipe for Easter dinner (surprise, surprise!) and I'll post it--if the power doesn't go out while I'm in the process! 

French Bread

2 T. active dry yeast

2 c. warm water (110-115 degrees)

2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

4-1/2 to 5 c. bread flour

1 t. cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into two 12 inch long loaves. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

A Winner--Hands Down!

If you have never had chocolate eclair dessert, you don't know what you have missed! It is a super easy dessert to make but it is always a favorite of my guests. It is very creamy and the chocolate icing on top makes it a melt-in-your mouth favorite. Just be sure you make this 6-8 hours before you want to serve it to allow time for the graham crackers to soften. If you haven't chosen a dessert for your special Valentine yet, you're in luck! Assemble today and enjoy tomorrow!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 (3 oz.) pkgs. instant French vanilla pudding
3 c. milk
1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip
1 pkg. graham crackers

Mix pudding and milk; fold in Cool Whip. Line a 9x13 pan with graham crackers. Spread 1/2 of pudding mixture over graham crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Spread rest of pudding mixture. Top with one more layer of graham crackers.

FROSTING:

6 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. corn syrup
3 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Melt cocoa and butter together. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Spread frosting over graham crackers. Refrigerate overnight.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Great Combination!

Some things just seem to go together. Let's see how you would fill in these blanks:

Desi & ____________
Black & ___________
Abbott & ___________
Bacon & ___________
Salt & ____________

(compare your answers with mine below)

Great combinations just work. One compliments the other and makes it better. One of my favorite combinations is chocolate and raspberries, which is why this chocolate raspberry cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. Florence, a dear friend from one of our congregations, made this for us several years ago and was kind enough to share the recipe with me. I have made this many times and it's always a big hit.

The recipe calls for a chocolate graham cracker crust. I often opt to buy a Keebler's chocolate crust but this weekend when I made this, I wanted to make my own crust because they are so much better. I had regular graham cracker crumbs. I searched online for a recipe for a chocolate graham cracker crust but all the recipes I found called for chocolate graham crackers which I didn't have. I had regular graham cracker crumbs so I decided to try adding two tablespoons of cocoa to my regular graham cracker crust recipe and it worked out perfectly. I loved the taste of it better than any other chocolate crust I have had. So I now have a keeper!

For the filling, you can either use fresh or frozen raspberries. I prefer to use fresh because they don't make the crust soggy like frozen raspberries will after a day or so in the refrigerator. If I do use frozen, I put them on the cooled crust frozen. They do have a tendency to float when you add the filling but this actually helps because it lifts them off the crust and into the filling.

This is a fun pie to garnish. I put a little chocolate syrup on the plate, place a slice of cheesecake on that, top it with the chocolate whipping cream, a raspberry and a white chocolate heart.

So let's try one more combination: Chocolate and ______________. I have a feeling after you try this recipe, you'll fill that blank in with "raspberries!"

(My answers: Lucy, White, Costello, Eggs, Pepper)

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3 T. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1 chocolate cookie crust

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg. lemon juice and vanilla and mix well. Place raspberries in prepared crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool thoroughly. Top with chocolate ganache (recipe follows). Chill. Garnish as desired.

Chocolate Ganache
In small saucepan over low heat, melt 2 1-oz. squares semi-sweet chocolate with 1/4 c. whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Top cheesecake with ganache. Chill.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

You Can Always Count on the Contessa

Three years ago on Valentine's Day while we were living in Indiana, we experienced a huge snow storm. Now, in the south (say Tennessee and Kentucky), 3" of snow could be defined as a huge snow storm, but by Indiana's standards, conditions have to be much more severe. We had received at least 10" of snow and then to make matters worse, the wind caused drifts which created some huge problems across roads making them impassable. Most businesses were closed for at least two days. My husband's office was closed which made Valentine's Day memorable and special. Since we were snowed in, I set a beautiful table in front of the fireplace with candles and my china and crystal. I made Jeff's favorite meal (chicken Marsala) and for dessert, I served the Barefoot Contessa's brownie tart. The atmosphere was wonderful, the meal delicious and the dessert absolutely decadent!

I will say that this brownie is not for the chocolate faint of heart. Because it is very rich, a little goes a long way. I like to serve something with intense chocolate flavor with a little sweetened whipped cream. I think it helps balance the sweetness.

So, if you happen to be snowed in, are looking for a great dessert for Valentine's Day or just want to make today special, look no further!

(Note: The recipe says to put the batter in a tart pan, but since I don't have one, I simply used a springform pan which worked just fine.)

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

If I had to guess, I would say chocolate chip cookies are probably most people's favorite cookie. The best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had was from Paradise Bakery. Their cookies are thick, gooey and almost impossible to put down. I have tried many chocolate chip cookie recipes in search of that perfect recipe. This one comes pretty close.

Since this makes such a large batch, I normally bake about 24 then use a cookie scoop and scoop the remaining dough onto a large cookie sheet, cover them with foil and freeze them. After they are frozen, I place the dough balls in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Then the next time I'm ready for a delicious warm, gooey, and chewy chocolate chip cookie, all I have to do is let them set out for a little bit to thaw and bake as many as I need.

This is my favorite recipe--maybe it will be yours too!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter
2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
6 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. soda
4 c. chocolate chips
2 c. chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugars well. Add eggs and beat 3-4 minutes. Sift flour, salt and soda. Add to creamed mixture, beating by hand. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cookies won't look done. Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

A Special (and Easy!) Cake for a Special Day

We are preparing to host a Valentine's dinner at our church in a couple weeks. Having volunteered to coordinate this fundraiser for the youth, I have been thinking about what to serve for dessert. A recipe that almost immediately came to mind was another recipe from Denise, my twin sister. It has a four things going for it:

1. It's chocolate.
2. It has cherries in it.
3. It only has three ingredients.
4. It's delicious!

The icing for the cake is very unusual too. It calls for granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar and it is cooked on top of the stove.

This is the dessert I have chosen and I think it will be a sweet ending to a good meal. If you're looking for a dessert for your sweetheart for Valentine's day, I think even cupid would be impressed!

Quick Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 Devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1 can of cherry pie filling

Mix all ingredients well with wooden spoon. Mixture will be very thick. Pour in greased 9 x 13" baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour warm frosting (recipe follows) over cake while cake is warm. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Frosting
1/3 c. milk
1 c. sugar
5 T. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Combine milk, sugar and butter. Bring to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chocolate chips and stir well. Let set for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Good Enough to Eat!

I have mentioned in the past that marrying into my husband's family has allowed me to try some new dishes and recipes. One dessert new to me was jam cake. I'm not sure if this cake is particular to the south or not, but it seems to be popular in this area. My husband's aunt used to make a jam cake every year for Christmas, and his mom would give us half of it. Honestly, neither one of us never really cared for it because it was very dense like a fruit cake--but we ate it simply for the frosting which is typically caramel.

In recent years, my mother found a strawberry jam cake recipe that she makes and it is delicious--and I'm not just saying that because my mom reads my blog (really)! The strawberry preserves and the coconut and raisins make the cake very moist. Mom's caramel icing is so good I think I could just eat the whole bowl if given the opportunity!

This weekend Jeff and I visited my parents and Mom blessed us by making her strawberry jam cake--and sent half of it home with us. I assure you we will eat every bite-- frosting and cake!

Strawberry Jam Cake
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
3/4 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. allspice
1/4 t. cloves
1 t. vanilla
1 10-oz. jar of strawberry preserves
1/2 c. shortening
2/3 c. buttermilk
3 eggs
1 c. flaked coconut
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 - 3/4 c. raisins

Grease a 10" bundt pan. Combine all ingredients except coconut, nuts and raisins. Blend at medium speed for three minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes. Cool 30 minutes and remove from pan. Frost with caramel frosting. (Recipe follows)

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Quick Caramel Frosting
2/3 c. margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. milk
3 c. confectionery sugar

Melt margarine in a saucepan. Add brown sugar. Cook over low heat about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Gradually add confectionery sugar, beating well after each addition until it is the right spreading consistency.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Great Side Dish

Sometimes the hardest part of a meal for me is deciding what to fix with the main course. I tire quickly of the standbys of green beans and corn and their varieties. I have recently found some great frozen vegetables, just the right size for two. Last night I fixed Green Giant's Simply Steam® Garden Vegetable Medley. It has roasted red potatoes, red peppers, and peas. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was and will definitely try other varieties.

However, I do have some delicious sides that I love to fix that are a little different. One that I think is a great side for pork and chicken is called scalloped pineapple. It could double for a dessert but I really love it as a side dish. I got this recipe from a friend about 25 years ago. I have seen other versions of this recipe online but my recipe has marshmallows which I didn't see in any other recipe. If you're looking for a sweet side for ham, pork chops, or chicken, look no further!

Scalloped Pineapple
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1 20-oz. can crushed or chunk pineapple, undrained
3 c. bread cubes, packed
1 c. miniature marshmallows

Mix sugar, butter and eggs. Add pineapple, bread cubes and marshmallows. Stir together and spoon into greased 7 x 10 x 2 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Soup's On - Part II

With the additional accumulation of snow today, it seems appropriate to submit another soup recipe. This one for chicken tortilla soup is much like the chicken tortilla soup at McAllister's Deli if you have one near you. I have had many different recipes of this soup, but I prefer this one and those like it as they are spicy but creamy too. This also makes a good amount of soup so it's great for company. I have made this in the past when I catered lunch in for an office meeting and tripled the recipe and it worked out great. Serve this with a green salad, additional tortilla chips, and a nice light dessert and you have a great meal--lunch or dinner.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
8 oz. Velveeta process cheese food - cubed
10 oz. can Ro*Tel® tomatoes and chilies
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper – to taste
flour tortillas – as needed, about 4 - 6
shredded Colby Jack cheese OR Mexican blend cheese – as needed

• In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta cubes; stir until melted.
• Stir in Ro*Tel, chicken, and spices.
• Once soup is heated through, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are made. Stir the soup occasionally.
• For tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep-fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks.*
• Spoon a ladle full of soup into a bowl, add a handful of shredded cheese, then spoon another ladle full of soup over cheese. Sprinkle tortilla strips over top. Add a dollop of sour cream if desired.

  *I use crumbled tortilla chips instead of tortilla strips. As a substitute for RoTel, you can use 1 1/2 cups of salsa. Spiciness can be easily adjusted by using spicy RoTel or salsa and/or adding cayenne pepper to the soup.

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Soup's On!

As I have watched the national weather forecast, it seems just about everyone in our country is experiencing cold weather. Even those who have fled to Florida for the winter are complaining about some dipping temperatures. On a cold wintry day, there is just something within me and my husband that calls for comfort foods. We had pizza for lunch, loading up on plenty of carbs with not only the pizza dough, but breadsticks and of course the dessert pizza.

One of my go-to comfort foods for winter is soup. I think I have mentioned before that I love soup, especially soup that is full of something--vegetables, meat, pasta, etc.

For dinner tonight I made a creamy potato soup that is my all-time favorite potato soup recipe. This one is creamy, just the right consistency and very satisfying. It seems like almost every time I make it, I forget to pre-cook the potatoes. I finally got smart tonight and cubed the potatoes and placed them in my large micro cooker (Pampered Chef) and cooked them for about 5 minutes until they were fork tender. Much easier!

I serve each bowl of soup with crumbled bacon and a little more grated cheese. Stay tuned for more favorite soup recipes.

Creamy Potato Soup
1 medium onion chopped
1 stalk of celery chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 c. butter or margarine
2 T. flour
4 c. milk
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 c. cubed process American cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 large potatoes, peeled, diced, and cooked
1 t. seasoned salt

In a Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and carrot in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add soup, cheese, potatoes and seasoned salt; mix well. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Yield: 10-12 servings (3 quarts)

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