Recipe: My Favorite Chocolate Cake

I have a hard time calling this my favorite, because I've met very few chocolate cakes that I don't like. This is my go to recipe for any time I need chocolate cake. We had it last night for dd's birthday. It was delish. Now I have a fridge filled with leftover cake and cupcakes. Who's coming over?? Anyone?? {of course none of you, since all of you live so far away, and I wouldn't recommend driving on these snowy roads (we got 6+ inches of snow yesterday and our county doesn't know how to use a snowplow - unless the school bus is coming - which means we will have snow covered roads for the next couple of weeks or so . . . . . but that's another story for another day . . . . . .} Enough already, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz melted unsweetened chocolate (OR 2/3 cup cocoa)

Grease and flour your cake pan(s) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes for layer pans, and 40-45 minutes for oblong pan. It was shorter for the cupcakes, but I can't remember how long - I just watched them (sorry).

Top it off with your favorite frosting, or whipped cream, and voila - you've got a tasty birthday (or any occasion) cake.

**I used this cream cheese frosting recipe.

Recipe: Rice Pudding

I had a hard time getting a decent picture of my bowl of rice pudding, so use your imagination - and trust me - it's good! And I think it's best eaten warm. Anyway, enough talk, here's the recipe:

RICE PUDDING

8 cups Milk
1 cup Rice (white, not cooked, not instant)
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
Sprinkle with cinnamon & nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together and stir constantly on top os stove until it comes to a boil. Cover and put in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

This recipe can easily be doubled or cut in half depending on the size of your group. It comes from my sister-in-law's sister, Kasie.

Recipe: Finger Steaks

Well, it's sort of a recipe, but not really. I crave mashed potatoes and gravy constantly when I am pregnant. I also crave fried chicken and finger steaks. Yeah, I'm eating real healthy over here. I finally made me some finger steaks a few days ago, and they hit the spot. Here's how I do it:

FINGER STEAKS

Cube Steak, cut into strips
Milk
Eggs
Flour
Salt
Pepper
canola oil

In a shallow dish, mix some milk and a few eggs and some salt and pepper. In a gallon size ziploc bag, put some flour, salt, and pepper. Dip your strips of steak in the egg/milk mixture, then toss them around in the ziploc bag until coated. Heat some canola oil in a frying pan. Fry up those steaks. Turning as needed.

Gravy: Once you are done cooking all of your steaks, you may need to drain a little of the oil off, depending on how much you used. Sprinkle some flour over the oil and whisk it good. Then add your milk and more salt and pepper.

There you have it. Like I said, it's not really a recipe. Who measures things anyway??
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Recipe: Coffeecake Muffins

I'm always trying to make coffeecake muffins, and they are usually o.k. Today I tried a new recipe I found here. They were so good. I'm keeping this one in my folder. The only alteration I made was that I used vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream - only because I didn't have any. Oh, and I omitted the pecans. DH isn't a fan. They are a great breakfast or brunch treat.

Recipe: Butter Dips

It's been a bit rainy in these parts, so you know that means soup weather. Also, my neighbor had surgery last week, so I got to take dinner in to her last night - what better after surgery than yummy homemade soup - with BUTTER DIPS!! Butter Dips make everything better. After all, anything with Butter in the title has to be good, right?? Here is the recipe:

BUTTER DIPS
1/4 cup Butter
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2/3 cup Milk

Turn oven to 450. Place butter in square baking dish and melt in oven. Mix rest of ingredients together. Roll out on floured surface to 1/2" thick. Cut into strips about 1 1/2" wide and 5" long (I use a pizza cutter). Dip each into the melted butter, on both sides and lay in pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake @ 450 for 10-15 minutes.

Serve warm!!

I should have taken a picture, but they were gone before I thought of it. These are a quick and easy bread stick to go with just about anything. They're a hit with our family - see what they do for yours!!

Oh, and the soup I make was a corn chowder (we have oodles of fresh corn around here right now) from Tyler Florence on Food Network. Click here if you want that recipe. I added bacon to mine - because I like bacon. I'm sure it would be good without it though. Enjoy!!

Recipe: PW's Enchilada's

I love enchiladas. I've made them several different ways - using straight enchilada sauce, mixing it with tomato soup, and even making my own sauce from scratch. All are good, by the way. But Monday I tried PW's recipe, and I must say that it is my favorite. For real. Click here for the play by play/photo by photo on how to make them. I didn't have olives, so they were omitted, but I think they might be good. So go on, give them a try. You might be surprised!

Yummy crepes!!!

posted by Amelia

My kids absolutely love these. They are a little time consuming but they are worth it - especially if you have a good jam (raspberry is my favorite).

Crepes (makes about 24 crepes)

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup water
6 Tbs melted butter
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp salt

Mix all in blender for about 1 minute. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat. Spray well with Pam between each crepe. Pour just enough to cover bottom of pan, tipping and tilting pan.

Spread jam or chocolate syrup or any topping you like over the crepe when it is finished cooking.

Recipe: Creamed Potatoes and Peas

More garden goodness. Red potatoes. Is there anything better? One of our favorite ways to eat the fresh red potatoes is with peas and sauce. The recipe I make is basically like this one. Try it out - you'll be pleasantly surprised. Goes great with any kind of meat, or go vegetarian with a salad and some other fun veggies. Enjoy!

Eggplant - have you tried it?

It's in season, and it's delicious!! I picked 5 from the garden this week, and we downed every one of them. The easiest way to fix them is to peel & slice it, dip in flour, egg/milk, flour concoction and fry it up. My favorite way is to dip in flour, then egg/milk, then dry bread crumbs. All of these things seasoned up, of course. Then fried in a little oil. It makes a tasty side dish for whatever the main course. Today we had it with my favorite pesto and some chicken. Delish. Last year I did Eggplant Parmesan - so good. I'll have to do it again with my next picking.

Recipe Time: Red Potatoes

Ever since PW posted this recipe for red potatoes, I've been dying to get mine harvested. Well, last night I couldn't wait any longer. I had to dig some up and see how they were coming. They could definitely use some more time in the dirt, but baby reds are still good!! Anyway, they were so tasty - definitely going on my list of favorite ways to eat a red potato!!

I know I've raved about Pioneer Woman before, and her lovely recipes. Perhaps I'm a bit of a stalker - mostly just to her cooking blog. I don't take the time to read all of her confessions - I just browse her amazing pictures. But back to the cooking. This morning I had Egg in a Hole
It was delicious. Such a fun way to have eggs and toast. And right now, my mouth is watering for this Blueberry Pie. I'm definitely making that very soon!! I'll be sure and let you know how it turns out! Oh, and while your wandering around her site, be sure to check out this contest. I'm currently pondering what recipe I will attempt to enter. Not that it will stand a chance to the rest of the fabulous things people make, but it's worth a shot, right?? Have a happy Monday ladies!! And go make something yummy to tell us about. I love food right now - I can't get enough of it!!

Recipe Time: Tres Leche Cake

Here's a cake I made last week. The recipe is from one of my favorite Food Network shows, Good Eats. You can find Alton's recipe here. I like fruit on mine, so that's an addition - just sliced strawberries with a little sugar. Happy Eating!!

Recipe Time: Basil Pesto

I love Pesto. Have you tried it? If not, you should - it's super easy and super good. Just serve it up with your favorite pasta, add a salad, and you've got dinner. I've always used my sister's recipe (she served a mission in Italy so she makes the best Italian food), and I found this recipe that is almost exact to hers, so rather than typing one up, here's the link. I have an abundance of basil in my garden just crying to be harvested. You know what we'll be having for dinner tonight!! Also, PW posted a recipe using pesto on pizza - it looks delicious. I think I'll use my leftovers for that. Enjoy!!

Recipe Time; It's A Panini!!

That's right girls - I got a panini press, and I LOVE it!! . I've always heard of them, and thought they would be cool, but figured it was another kitchen appliance I really didn't need. All that changed on mother's day when dh got me a set of pots and pans. I know, sounds lame, but I LOVE THEM!! Seriously. They are awesome. Anyway, this stove top panini press came for free with the set. So far we've only made two different sandwiches. One - plain old grilled cheese on black bread (which was quite good), then this tasty treat - sliced turkey breast, bacon, and cheese on sour dough bread. We buttered the outside of the bread with, well, butter, duh, and garlic. The end result was so good. I think avacado would have made it even better - next time. I also found this website that shows all sorts of options we have with this little dandy. Let me know if you have any panini recipes we should try!!

And here is the rest of it.

Recipe Time: French Toast

I found this french toast recipe somewhere on-line a long time ago. I feel bad that I can't remember where to give credit to wherever it came from. Sorry about that. Here it goes anyway:

FRENCH TOAST
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
3 large eggs
2 TBSP Honey (warmed)
1/4 tsp salt
8 slices of french bread (day old)
butter

Whisk together everything (but the bread and butter, obviously), poor it in a large pan (pie plate works great) and put in the fridge overnight (not totally necessary, but makes it nice in the morning).

Preheat the oven to 375. Dip bread in mixture - 30 seconds on each side. Let sit on cooling rack for a couple of minutes.

Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in pan. Cook 2 slices at a time until golden brown (2-3 minutes on each side).

Place on rack in oven and bake for about 5 minutes.

Top with your favorite toppings. I like strawberries and powdered sugar. My family likes maple syrup.

Enjoy your breakfast!!

Recipe Time: PW Cooks

I know I've raved about Pioneer Woman's recipes before (along with Torrie), but last night was different. I went all out, PW style, sort of.

I saw her recipe for onion strings, and had to have them. But what to make with them?? That was where it all began. While I was in Utah a couple of weeks ago, my sister and I ate lunch up on the Mountain at Park City. We got a Chipotle Steak Sandwich. It was so good. It was a hogie bun with a tasty piece of meat with chipotle sauce, piled with onion strings. I've been craving it ever since. So, when I saw this simple recipe for the onion strings - I thought I'd give it a try, sort of. I've made Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich a couple of times and it was delish (if you haven't made it, you really should!), and figured I would start there. Anyway, I know this is getting to be a long post, so here's the basics of what I did:

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich - minus the onions, plus a few extras
Onion Strings - exactly as said

We put mozzarella cheese on the sandwich with the onion strings and even a little lettuce. I was so stinkin full, but I kept eating, because here's the kicker - I made that dessert. You know, the one Torrie was raving about. Holy crap, that was good - I had myself another helping of it tonight.

While I was dreaming up the plans of this fabulous meal, I knew my little family wouldn't be able to eat it all (nor would the kids appreciate it) so we had my high school bff, Anna, and her troops come over and eat some grub with us. The meal was a success.

So . . . . any of you wanting to try it, have some friends over and make a night of it. I promise, you won't be sorry. You'll just need to go run a few miles when your finished stuffing yourself!!

Pot Roast

So I made PW's Pot Roast yesterday. Can we say "tasty?" I'll admit. Mine wasn't as flaky and tender looking as hers, but it was very good. You might want to give it a try next Sunday!

Apple Dumplings

After reading a post by my sister-in-law about an Apple Dumplings recipe. I just had to try it. It is over at Pioneer Woman cooks blog. Check it out, it is soooo easy that it should not taste as good as it did. Yummo! I hope you all have checked out Confessions of a Pioneer Woman's Blog. It is awesome along with her Pioneer Woman Cooks blog, it has awesome recipes as many of you know.

I also had left over pot roast that I shredded put in a casserole dish with a splash of water and some BBQ sauce. I put it in the oven on 250 for like 20 minutes. We had BBQ Beef sandwiches with apple dumplings.......I think there was soemthing healthy in all that. What an easy dinner and so good. Seriously you have to try the apple dumplings.

Recipe Time: Chocolate Muffins

These aren't your ordinary chocolate muffins - these are actually good for you!! Yeah, for real. I was very hesitant about trying these, but they were so good - a perfect after school snack.

Chocolate Muffins
1 cup Applesauce
1/2 cup Raw Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 cup Oat Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Cocoa
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Carab Chips (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 dash Cinnamon
1 tsp Oil

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350. Bake in Mini-Muffin tins for 20-25 minutes, Reg. Muffin tins for 45-60 minutes.

(regular sugar can be used instead of raw sugar)

Recipe Time: Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

As previously stated, here and here and here and here and here, I LOVE breakfast. It is by far my most favorite meal of the day. Sadly though, my mornings are getting crazier and crazier and I have less and less time to enjoy it. I do try though. Not only do I love breakfast, I also feel that it is the most important meal of the day - especially for my kidlet before he heads off to school. So, if you are on the lookout for a healthy, yet quick pancake for those early mornings, this might be a recipe to try..

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
Wheat Quick:
8 Cups whole-wheat flour (fresh ground)
1/3 cup Baking Powder
4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Dry Milk

Combine and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Pancakes:
2 Cups Wheat Quick
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Oil
1 1/2 - 2 Cups Water or Milk

Cook on Hot Griddle. Extra good with huckleberries or blueberries!!

Recipe Time: Eggs Benedict

Yeah, I stole the recipe from Pioneer Woman, but what can I say, they were pretty darn good. You see, we have an over abundance of eggs around here {my parent's hens are laying upwards of 2 dozen eggs a day, and they are out of town . . . . . eggs, anyone??}. So, if you are in the mood for a really good way to eat eggs - give them a shot. They seriously were much better than I was imagining. That sauce, what can I say about the sauce. Delicious. I think I want more now. Maybe tomorrow, since we already had pancakes this morning . . . . .Oh, here's the link to them. Happy eating!