Grandma's Gobs & Goodies

Cupcakes - from SCRATCH!

2012-01-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes are so delicious and easy to make, you'll never want to buy a box mix or can of frosting again! I've always wanted to make cupcakes from scratch, but every recipe I've found is so complicated. NOT this one. So, give it a try!

This recipe comes from Dave Ramsey's website. To see the original recipe, click here.

Cupcakes

Chocolate

3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Hersey's Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
3 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate square (found in baking section), grated

Allow eggs to stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners. I like to use the foil liners because they are both decorative and sturdy. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium to high 20 seconds more. Stir in finely grated chocolate. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. (If you have more batter than cupcake pans, cover and refrigerate remaining batter until ready to use.)
Bake cupcakes on middle rack of oven. Every cupcake pan, liner, and oven is different, so you should monitor your first batch of cupcakes closely. Check after 10 minutes of baking time to insure that your cupcakes are cooking evenly. You may need to turn the cupcake pans halfway through baking time to guarantee even baking if your oven cooks faster toward the rear of the oven. When done (inserted toothpick should come out clean), remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely before applying icing.

Vanilla

6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups buttermilk

Separate eggs. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (reserve yolks for another use). Meanwhile, line cupcake pans with cupcake liners. I like to use foil liners because they are both decorative and sturdy. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg whites all at once; beat on medium-high 3 minutes. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined (batter may look slightly lumpy). Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. (If you have extra batter, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.)
Bake cupcakes on middle rack of oven. Every cupcake pan, liner, and oven is different, so you should monitor your first batch of cupcakes closely. Check after 10 minutes of baking time to insure that your cupcakes are cooking evenly. You may need to turn the cupcake pans halfway through baking time to guarantee even baking if your oven cooks faster toward the rear of the oven. Mine were done at 17 minutes. When done (inserted toothpick should come out clean), remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely before applying icing. Yield: 3 dozen

Buttercream Icing

Chocolate I divided ingredients in half and had plenty for 3 dozen cupcakes

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of unsweetened Hersey's Cocoa Powder
2 (16-ounce) boxes of confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup of whole milk

Beat butter, vanilla and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
In separate bowl, whisk together unsweetened cocoa and powdered sugar.
Alternately add the cocoa/sugar mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beating on low after each addition until blended and smooth. Beat in an additional tablespoon of milk if needed for desired consistency.

Vanilla

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (16-ounce) boxes of confectioner's sugar
6–7 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, vanilla and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on low until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in an additional tablespoon of milk if needed for desired consistency.

Homemade Pizza

2012-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry I don't have pictures, I'm having some techincal difficulties.

We really enjoy making homemade pizza here on a fairly regular basis. I really like this dough recipe better than the recipe from my bread machine. To see the original recipe, click here.

Homemade Pizza Recipe

Prep time: 2 hours Cook time: 30 minutes Ingredients

Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)

3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)

I use 1-1/2 cup all-purpose and 2 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Pizza Ingredients

Olive oil

Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

Making the Pizza Dough

1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with a dry towel. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor). If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Preparing the Pizzas

1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2 Punch the dough down so it deflates a bit and divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

3 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese

4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

I typically let the crust bake by itself for 10 minutes so that it cooks thoroughly.

7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.

Yield: Makes 2 10-12-inch pizzas.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies

2012-01-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

This recipe quickly became a Stephens family favorite after my mother-in-law made these cookies for a family gathering. The recipe is from Hershey's.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1-2/3 cups (10oz pkg) Hershey's cinnamon chips

3/4 cup raisins (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips, and raisins (batter will be stiff).

3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

BAR VARIATION: Spread batter into lightly greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars. Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Pasta Carbonara

2011-12-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry I don't have any pictures of this recipe, we ate it before I thought to take any. This recipe comes from Pillsbury. To see the original recipe, click here.

Pasta Carbonara

INGREDIENTS:

6oz uncooked fettuccine or spaghetti

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (1/4 lb)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 egg

3/4cup milk

3/4cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4cups fresh baby spinach leaves - I used frozen spinach

3/4cup chopped plum (Roma) tomato (1 medium) - I used a can of diced tomatoes with onion

1/2cup thinly sliced green onions (8 medium)

1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Greek Fat Free plain yogurt

I added in some frozen peas.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon and garlic until crisp. Drain; remove from skillet, and set aside.

In small bowl, slightly beat egg. Beat in milk, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Place cooked fettuccine in skillet. Add milk mixture, spinach, tomato and green onions. Cover; cook about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender. Add peas if desired.

Stir in yogurt; cook over low heat just until heated through

Chocolate Chip (Pumpkin) Cupcakes

2011-09-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

These recipe comes from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. I enjoy a lot of her recipes and like that she makes her food a little healthier by adding fruit and vegetable purees.

These cupcakes were okay. They were a little dry but I think it's my fault because I added more pumpkin rather than using both purees. Otherwise, everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup yellow squash puree

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

Put the pumpkin and squash purees in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, water, oil, and vanilla and beat until well blended.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips, and mix until completely incorporated. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes are lightly browned and spring back to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 (8oz) package reduced fat cream cheese

1/3 cup pure maple syrup]

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the cream cheese with the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or wrap inidividually and freeze for up to 1 month.

Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways

2011-08-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Parents Magazine. You can visit their website at www.parents.com/cookie-jar

These cookies are a no-bake cookie form of a s'more. I tweaked the recipe a little and would like to see about changing it a little more. Next time I make them, I will probably omit the cinnamon and use a little less marshmallow cream. It might be a better idea to put the chocolate in the well of the cookie before the marshmallow so it doesn't overflow as easily and there's a nice chocolate surprise when you bite in.

Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I recommend omitting)

7 oz marshmallow cream

Chocolate syrup (I used melted chocolate chips)

In a large bowl (I mixed everything directly in the food processor) mix crumbs, peanut butter, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Shape into 24 1 1/4 inch balls and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or tray as you shape (I used wax paper). Use a fork to flatten and make a crisscross design on each ball. (I flattened them & made a little well instead.)

Before serving, spoon 1/2 teaspoon marshmallow on each cookie. Coat the spoon with nonstick spray to make it easier. Then drizzle cookies with chocolate syrup.

Nutrition per cookie: 82 calories, 2g protein, 3g fat, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 6mg calcium, 0 iron, 69mg sodium

I topped my cookies with melted chocolate rather than chocolate sauce. A bit messy but very delicious!

Sweet Pickle Relish

2011-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures for this post...at least not right now. This recipe comes from my Grandma Wray. This has always been my favorite pickle relish recipe.

Sweet Pickle Relish

8 cups ground cucumbers

2 cups ground onions (I use white)

Sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain well then add to the following mixture when it's ready to boil.

3 cups sugar

3 cups vinegar (any kind but I usually have white on hand)

1 teaspoon whole allspice

2 teaspoon celery seed

1 stick cinnamon (I use ground cinnamon if I don't have this on hand)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Put all spices in a cloth bag. Let boil and boil slow for 25 minutes.

Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process 10 minutes into a boiling-water canner.

Yield 4 1/2 pintes

Sweet Potato Fries

2011-04-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes! I've seen sweet potato fries cooked like regular fries and I've seen them served as a dessert type food with cinnamon and sugar. This is the way I prefer to cook them but experiment and see what you prefer.

1-2 sweet potatoes
seasonings (I prefer to use cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder)

Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into small fry-size pieces (about 3-inches long and 1/4 inch wide). Spread evenly over baking sheet (spraying baking sheet with nonstick spray tends to makes the fries soggy). Sprinkle with preferred seasonings. Cook about 15-20 minutes, turning fries half way through. Fries are done when they are soft.

Homemade Pepper Relish

2011-04-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my wonderful mother-in-law who always helps me can foods. This is a great recipe for using up some of the peppers in the garden and it's my favorite topping for brats!

Homemade Pepper Relish

4 cups ground onions 6 cups sugar

1 med head cabbage 2 Tbls mustard seed

10 green tomatoes 1 Tbls celery seed

12 green sweet peppers 1 1/2 tsp turmeric

6 red sweet peppers 4 cups clear vinegar

1/2 cup salt 2 cups water

1 Tbls Alum

Grind, with a coarse blade, onions, cabbage, tomatoes and peppers. Sprinkle with salt, let stand overnight. Rinse and drain. Add sugar, spices, vinegar and water. Heat to boiling. Simmer 3 minutes. Put into jars and seal. Water bath for 20 minutes. Makes approx. 11 pints.

To make "Hot Pepper" relish, substitute hot peppers for the green and red sweet peppers. Depending on how hot you want it, you can use a mixture of hot peppers and bell peppers.

Tamale Round-About

2011-03-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is another Pampered Chef recipe that I got from a friend, I'm not sure which cookbook it is featured in. This recipe is very versatile, I've used leftover sloppy joe meat before and you could easily use leftover chili.

Tamale Round-About

Filling

2 1/2 cups cooked ground beef

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 jar (16 ounces) thick and chunky medium salsa

1/4 cup red or green bell pepper or combination of both, chopped

Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use 1 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4-1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray fluted or bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. For filling, place ground beef in skillet. Sprinkle with seasonings. Stir in salsa. Cover over medium-low heat 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop bell pepper and sprinkle in bottom of pan.

3. For corn bread, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Add milk, eggs, and oil; stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in cheese.

4. Spread 1 1/2 cups batter evenly over peppers in pan. Top with filling and remaining batter, spreading evenly.

5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Loosen corn bread from edge and center of pan with knife. Invert onto serving plate. Slice into 16 wedges. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Individual Lemon Blueberry Cakes

2011-03-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

This recipe originally came from Parents Magazine. To see the original recipe, click here. I decided to tweak the recipe a little. If you like blueberries and corn muffins, I think that you'll like this recipe.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen and rolled them in 1/4 cup flour to prevent bleeding in the batter)
1 box (8.5 ounces) corn bread mix (such as Jiffy) and ingredients to make the mix or follow the directions on the canister of corn meal like I did
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup Confectioners sugar
1 lemon - zested and juiced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Generously coat 12 cups in a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium-size bowl, stir corn bread mix, egg (I used 1 per mix directions), granulated sugar, lemon zest, and milk until combined. Gently stir in blueberries.

3. Fill muffin cups should be about 3/4 full.

4. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Cool in muffin pan on rack for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around each cup and remove cakes to racks to cool completely.

5. To serve, combine lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over each muffin.

Fruit-Topped Triple Chocolate Pizza

2011-02-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share a perfect dessert recipe to make for your Valentine. This recipe comes from Pampered Chef's "All the Best" cookbook. It's a relatively easy dessert that you could prepare in stages to make it more convenient. Also, feel free to try different fruits with this recipe. The original recipe calls for strawberries and oranges but I've never been a fan of oranges and chocolate. I think you could easily substitute raspberries for the strawberries.

Fruit-Topped Triple Chocolate Pizza

1 package (18 ounce) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking

2 tablespoons milk

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping

12-16 strawberries, cut in half

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, well drained

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of a large round stone. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to a 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are set. (Cookie will be soft. Do not overbake.) Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using a serrated bread knife; cool completely on baking stone.

2. Place white chocolate and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; still until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary. Cool slightly. In another bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture; mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie.

3 Arrange fruit over cream cheese mixture. Place chocolate morsels and vegetable oil in small microwavable bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 16 servings

Caramel Apple Pie Crunch

2010-11-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe online when trying to find a good pie recipe for my church's pie contest last month. I didn't place but it gave me a good excuse to try making something I wouldn't normally do. I'm not a big fan of eating or making pies but this recipe was fairly easy and delicious.

Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

8 to 10 servings Bake: 50 minutes
Prep: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Piecrust (recipe follows)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 large, tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (6 cups)
2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

1. On the lightly floured surface, roll out about two thirds of the piecrust to a 13- to 14-inch circle and turn it into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour and cinnamon. Add the apples and toss together. Turn mixture into piecrust.

3. In a medium bowl, mix rolled oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the apple mixture.

4. Roll out remaining pastry and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Weave over the top of the pie to form a lattice crust. Press ends of strips into crust rim. Fold bottom pastry over strips. Seal and crimp edge.

5. Brush the lattice top and crust with a mixture of the egg yolk and the water. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with aluminum foil.

6. Bake the pie in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil . Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until filling is bubbly. Remove pie from oven and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Piecrust: Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea size. Using a total of 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water, sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of the mixture and gently toss the mixture with a fork. Push the moistened dough to one side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all of the dough is moistened. Divide into thirds.

All of the babies born within 6 weeks of each other at church.

Apple Upside-down Cake

2010-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen. It's a delicious twist from the traditional pineapple version.

Apple Upside-down Cake

Serves 8

You will need a 9-inch nonstick cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high for this cake. Alternatively, use a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet (don’t use cast iron) to both cook the apples and bake the cake, with the following modifications: Cook the apples in the skillet and set them aside while mixing the batter (it’s OK if the skillet is still warm when the batter is added) and increase the baking time by 7 to 9 minutes. If you don’t have either a 2-inch high cake pan or an ovenproof skillet, use an 8-inch square pan.

Ingredients

Topping:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces, plus extra for pan
4 Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious (about 2 pounds), peeled and cored
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces)
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

Cake:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch round, 2-inch-deep nonstick cake pan; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Halve apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. Cut remaining 2 apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add 1/2-inch-thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Add 1/4-inch-thick apple slices, brown sugar, and lemon juice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are coated, about 1 minute longer. Transfer apple mixture to prepared pan and lightly press into even layer. Set aside while preparing cake.

3. FOR THE CAKE: Whisk flour, cornmeal (if using), baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over fruit. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Cool pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place wire rack over cake pan. Holding rack tightly, invert cake pan and wire rack together; lift off cake pan. Place wire rack over baking sheet or large plate to catch any drips. If any fruit sticks to pan bottom, remove and position it on top of cake. Let cake cool 20 minutes (or longer to cool it completely), then transfer to serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.

Zucchini Pizza

2010-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

This interesting recipe comes from the South Bend Tribune. It is the most unique recipe I have found that helps use up some of our large zucchini crop.

Zucchini Summer Pizza

4 cups finely shredded zucchini or yellow summer squash

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

salt to taste

I added garlic powder and Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put shredded zucchini or squash in a strainer and lightly salt. Let stand 15-30 minutes to allow water to drip out. Press so all remaining liquid comes out of squash.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, cheeses, eggs, and seasonings. Mix well.

Spread the mixture into a greased and floured (or cornmeal-dusted) jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. (I used a parchment lined pan.)

Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven's temperaure to (low) broil. Brush the top of the crust with olive oil, then broil the crust for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Allow the crust to cool slightly and slide spatula underneath al edges and under the middle. Place a largebaking sheet over the top of the crust and gently flip the crust so that the bottom of the crust is now facing upwards.

Because it can be difficult to flip the evenly, it may be necessary to cut the crust. To omit the flipping is okay, but the crust won't be as crunchy.

Brush the top of the crust with oil and broil another 3 to 5 minutes until the top is browned. Cover with toppings as desired and Alfredo Sauce with Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach (recipe follows).

Alfredo Sauce with Sundried Tomato and Spinach

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons chicken base (I used a boullion cube)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

8 ounces ricotta cheese (I used the smallest container I could find)

20 ounces half and half (I chose to use the smaller 16 ouce container)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

white pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh spinach (I cut it into small strips)

Italian seasoning to taste

In a medium-sized saucepan, add garlic and butter on medium heat. When butter is melted, add flour and chicken base and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and ricotta cheese and whisk together while adding the half-ad-half. AddParmesan and whisk until smooth. Add pepper and seasonings to taste. Add spinach and simmer on low until heated through.

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

2010-09-11T15:58:00.001-07:00

My husband Dave is the creative cook in our family. This is his most recent creation.

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

Dave used the pizza dough I made and rolled it out to fit in the cast iron skillet. He baked it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. (I'll brush some olive oil all over the dough at this point but that's optional) Then, added pizza sauce and sausage (or your favorite pizza topping). He had some left over dough so he rolled that out and placed it on top of the sauce and sausage. Bake that for another 10 minutes to keep the dough from getting soggy. Next, add more sauce and toppings. Cover with cheese and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesean cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2010-09-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from one of my coworkers. I'm not sure where she found it but this is such a delicious cake! I did have a little problem with the bottom of the cake staying in the loaf pan after it was cooled but I did add more than half a cup of chocolate chips (a broken cake is worth the extra chocolate!!).

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups grated zucchini

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omited this since we don't really like nuts in our cake)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased 5x9-inch loaf pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and remove from pans.

Chef''s Special

2010-08-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well it's been quite awhile since my last posting for several reasons. One, it's been way to hot to think about baking or cooking. Two, I had a baby at the end of July!

Dave and I with our son, Benjamin.

Rhubarb Crisp

2010-05-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this time of year...all the flowers blooming, warmer weather, and gardens starting to produce delicious fruits and vegetables. This recipe reminds me of the dessert my grandmother used to make when I was growing up. I found this recipe online, to see the original recipe, click here.

Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:
In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb.
In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb.Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes.

Peanut Butter Gobs

2010-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

I love peanut butter. So, one of my favorite gob flavors? Chocolate gob with peanut butter filling. Mmmm.... I still prefer the chocolate gob recipe from when I made chocolate cherry gobs. However, you can omit the cinnamon if you want when making the peanut butter gobs. I found the recipe for the peanut butter filling at Martha Stewart's website.

Chocolate Gobs

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon(optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Peanut Butter Filling

2/3 cup creamy peanutbutter

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Lemon Gobs

2010-04-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to look for a good gob recipe for spring. I ended up making two different batches of lemon gobs. One of the cake recipes I made from scratch & found from the Sweet Charity Pie blog (for the original recipe, please click here.) The other recipe is a variation of my mother-in-law's gob recipe using a cake mix. On a side note, I highly recommend adding a little raspberry jam with this gob, it gives it a unique taste!

This is a picture of the cake mix lemon gob.

This is a picture of the made from scratch lemon gobs.

Lemon Whoopie Pies
adapted from the Bit Fat Cookie book via Joy the Baker
yields 6-8 giant whoopie pies

For the cookies:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated
1 egg
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1/2 c skim milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

For the filling:
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. (6 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature (I went ahead & used 8 oz)
1 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 3/4 c. confectioner's sugar

To make the cookies:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing. Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. The batter may look curdled, and that's okay. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture just until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth again.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10- 12 minutes- a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie should come out clean, and the tops will be firm but not brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar (in batches) and mix until smooth. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To assemble:
Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Scoop about 3 T. of filling onto each. If your filling is really firm, spread it to within a 1/4" of the edge of the cookies. Gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies onto the filling until it reaches the edges.
Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold. The wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Grandma's Gobs Lemon Cake Mix Recipe
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare according to cake mix directions adding flour and baking powder. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix. Cool. Place a tablespoon of filling between two cakes.

Strawberry Fudge Pie

2010-04-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Pillsbury to celebrate Pi Day (3/14/10). The original recipe calls for baking this desert in a pie shell but I thought it was unnecessary so I omitted it. To see the original recipe, click here.

Strawberry Fudge Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1	refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box (optional)
Brownie Layer
1	(10.25-oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix
Cheesecake Layer
1	(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	egg
Topping
3	cups fresh strawberries, halved
2	tablespoons hot fudge ice cream topping (I used chocolate chips & a small amount of shortening)

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on package for one-crust filled pie. (Optional)
2.	In large bowl, combine all brownie layer ingredients; beat 50 strokes with spoon. Spread in bottom of crust-lined pan (or greased pie pan).
3.	Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is shiny and center is set. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. (omit foil if not using crust)
4.	Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and 1 egg; beat until smooth. Working quickly, drop cream cheese mixture by small spoonfuls over partially baked brownies; carefully spread to cover brownie layer. Bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes or until cream cheese is set. Cool at least 1 hour.
5.	Arrange strawberry halves, cut side down, over top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 1 hour or until serving time. Immediately before serving, place ice cream topping in small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on DEFROST for 45 seconds. Spoon into small resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag; squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Store in refrigerator.

I hope you enjoy this fresh strawberry dessert as much as I did. Brownies and cheesecake are always a favorite of mine so combining all of these together were wonderful & easy.

Andes Creamy Mint Brownies

2010-03-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the internet when trying to find a fun dessert recipe for St Patrick's Day. To see the original recipe, click here. The pictures I took accidentally were deleted from my computer. The only difference from my compared to the one posted is that I tinted my frosting green for St Patrick's Day. These were very easy to make & a HUGE hit with everyone.

Andes Creamy Mint Brownies

Brownies:

1 package fudge brownie mix eggs, oil and water according to package
1/2 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Topping:

4 squares (1 oz. ea.) white baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (may use cool whip rather than 1 cup whipping cream)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Lightly grease baking pan.

Prepare brownie mix as directed; stir in Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. Add nuts if desired.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake according to package directions. (I used a 9 x 13 baking dish)

Cool in baking pan completely.

Topping:

In a saucepan, combine white chocolate and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Refrigerate 30-40 minutes or until chilled.

In a mixing bowl, beat heavy cream, gradually adding the 2 tbsp. of granulated sugar, until stiff peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. (May substitute this step with cool whip)

Fold in 1/4 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. (May tint frosting with a few drops of green food coloring if desired)

Spread over brownies. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup chips. Cover; refrigerate.

Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 9 - 16 Brownies

Mint Chocolate Chip Gobs

2010-03-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is a fun dessert to have for St Patrick's Day. I tinted the filling to a light green by adding a few drops of green and yellow food coloring when mixing the filling. No need to tint the filling, it just gives it a different look.

Mint Chocolate Chip Gobs

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped Andes mints

Follow cake mix directions adding flour and baking powder. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix. Cool. Place a tablespoon of filling (recipe below) between two cakes. Makes about 18 gobs.

Gob Filling

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

8 oz Marshmallow Creme

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 teaspoons milk

6 drops green food coloring (optional)

2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Cream ingredients together on medium. Continue beating on high for at least 5 minutes to make a very fluffy filling.

Coconut Cake

2010-03-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

This really isn't much of a recipe, I was just proud of myself for finally learning how to toast coconut! I wanted to find something interesting to put between the two layers but didn't have a lot of time and couldn't find anything that seemed appetizing.

Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 can white frosting

1 cup toasted coconut (directions below)

Make cake according to the box directions. I baked mine as two 9 inch cakes. After the cakes finished cooling, I frosted them by staking one on top of the other with some frosting in between.

Once I was finished frosting the cakes, I patted the toasted coconut all over before the frosting became too dry.

To toast coconut: make an even layer of coconut on a baking pan. Bake 7-12 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the coconut.

BBQ Meatballs

2010-02-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe that was a favorite at Clovia that I have modified slightly. For the sauce, I usually just use whatever bottled sauce I have on hand.

1 can (13 ounce) evaporated milk (can use regular milk)
3 pound hamburger
2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients and shape into balls (the size of a walnut). Place in a flat pan, only one layer to each pan. (I line my pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up.)Pour barbeque meatball sauce over meatballs and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Cherry Chocolate Gobs

2010-02-13T13:13:00.001-08:00

This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the February 2009 issue. I've been wanting to make this recipe & finally decided that it would be a great Valentine's Day treat. The magazine made it as a 4 layer cake or it could be made into cupcakes. With some added flour, it easily became my favorite chocolate gob recipe. The chocolate covered cherries also went over very well. I doubled the cherry juice for the icing but it still didn't taste cherry enough for me. Guess I will still have to work on that.

Chocolate-Cherry Stake Cake

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6x2 inch round cake pans or springform pans. Set pans aside.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

Bake 22 to 26 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with chocolate-dipped cherries. Serves 8.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Cherry Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. I beat the whipping cream separately on high for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50% power (medium) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare recipe for above cake batter. Line sixteen 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with cherry or chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

2010-02-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have modified this old favorite recipe that I first found in college when living at Clovia. This was a house favorite recipe that we would often have on Sunday lunch.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

2 pounds hash browns, defrosted
1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix above ingredients together except for corn flakes and put in a greased 9x13 pan. Place corn flakes on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Dirt Dessert

2010-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

I believe I got this recipe from foods class in high school. It's a dessert I've been making for years because of how delicious it is. I bet it's a dessert that will disappear just as quick in your house as it does in mine!

Dirt Cake

1 large package cream filled chocolate cookies (aka Oreos)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (9 ounce) container whipped topping

3 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla

Crush cookies and put half in 9x13 inch pan. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Mix pudding, milk, and vanilla. Fold these two mixtures together and pour over crumb crust. Top with remaining crumbs. Keep refrigerated.

Mustard Green Beans

2010-02-01T01:58:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the Wallace side of my family. At every holiday meal we always have mustard green beans. If you like mustard & green beans, I think this recipe will become a family favorite of yours too.

Mustard Green Beans

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Bring above sauce ingredients to a boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over 2 cans French style green beans that have been heated and drained.

Bistro Chicken Twist

2010-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from The Pampered Chef All the Best cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook since it has a nice variety of recipes & shows creative ways to "shape" your food. If you're familiar with Pampered Chef recipes, then you're probably already aware that they have recipes that shape your main dish into a ring, wreath, or braid. This cookbook shows all 3 shapes & a variety of ways to use them.

Bistro Chicken Twist

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (as always, I threw some frozen chicken breast in the crock pot the night before)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I had frozen leftover from the garden & used that rather than buying fresh in the middle of winter)

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat & it worked fine)

1 garlic clove, pressed (I use minced garlic in a jar, either works)

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough (I made 2 braids, the other I used dough made in my bread machine, it worked pretty well)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Combine chicken, bell pepper, basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic; mix well. I let mine sit covered over night in the refrigerator so that it wouldn't take as much time to make the next day, it worked very well doing this.

Place bread dough, seam sides up, on cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. Roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.

Spoon half of the mixture of the chicken down the center of each loaf. (see picture below) Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on baking sheet. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of baking sheet and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Variation: Pepperoni Pizza Twist

For filling, combine 1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained & chopped

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pressed garlic clove

Continue as recipe above directs starting with cutting the French bread. Sprinkle the loaf with 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese before baking.

Ham Chowder

2010-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on the internet when trying to come up with an idea to somehow use the leftover ham we had from a previous dinner. I also happened to have some leftover carrots, celery, & potatoes to use too. To see the original recipe, click here.

Ham Chowder

Ingredients

5 potatoes, cubed
2 onions, chopped
2 cups ham, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained (I had frozen on hand so that's what I used instead)
2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1/8 teaspoon pepper (adjust to taste)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups approx water (enough to cover)
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions

In slow cooker place the potatoes, onions, ham, celery, corn, butter or margarine and salt and pepper. Add water to cover and add two bouillon cubes.

Cook on low setting for 8 - 9 hours. Stir in the evaporated milk, and continue to cook for 30 more minutes.

White Chicken Chili

2010-01-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

I originally found this recipe on the back of a can of Bush's Great Northern Beans but have changed the recipe a little. To see Bush's recipe, click here. My version is a little thinner & has more broth to it, but since I make it totally in the crock pot, it's pretty easy to just through together quickly.

White Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can (4-ounces) chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans (16 ounces) Great Northern Beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 ½ cups finely chopped cooked chicken breast I usually put frozen chicken breast with as much water as I need for broth in the crock pot the night before. This way, the chicken's done & my broth is ready without having to buy some.

Cilantro (fresh or dried) to taste
Garlic to taste

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Place all the above ingredients (except for cheese) in a large crock pot & cook on high for at least 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve with cheese.

Andes Mint Cookies

2009-12-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Last year at a cookie exchange, someone brought these cookies & I thought they were just great! If you enjoy chocolate & mint I think you'll agree. They're something I'll be making for my family this Christmas but I wouldn't mind them any time of the year!

I found this recipe on the internet. To see the original recipe, please click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

12 ounces chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

24 Andes mints

Directions

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt together the butter, brown sugar, and water, stirring occasionally.
Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Let stand 10 minutes to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and combine to form a dough.
Chill the dough at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving ample space between the dough balls.
Bake at 350°F for 8 to 9 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven, and on top of each cookie, place half of an Andes mint. Allow the mint to melt and then swirl the mint over the cookie with the back of a spoon or a knife. I found that putting the cookies back in the oven for a minute to help the mints melt was easiest.

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

2009-12-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

I went looking for a recipe using craisins (dried cranberries) since I had some left over from making my cran-apple crisp & I needed to make some cookies for church. These were really easy to make but make sure not to cook them for too long to avoid them getting too crisp.

I found this recipe on the internet. To see the original recipe, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine, sugar, brown sugar and butter and mix well.

Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add in cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.

Fold in by hand the oatmeal, walnuts, and dried cranberries making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3-inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet.

Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-14T12:56:00.001-08:00

This recipe comes from Betty Crocker's Best of Baking cookbook. This is a soft gingerbread recipe that is quite delicious. You can leave them plain or ice them with the frosting recipe below.

Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups dark molasses

2/3 cup cold water

7 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours until firm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Roll 1/4th inch thick on floured surface. Cut with floured gingerbread cookie cutter or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center.

Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Prepare Creamy Frosting and spread on cookies.

Creamy Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons half-and-half (I just used the milk I use every day)

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring, if desired

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

2009-12-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my co-worker & good friend Shari. I was rebellious & made this for dessert rather than the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Everyone really liked it, including my husband that doesn't usually care for cranberries.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Topping:

2 1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together, set aside.

8 apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Roma) peeled and sliced (I keep the peels on for added fiber)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon orange zest (I used fresh zest from an orange & then squeezed it's juice over the apples)

1 can of whole cranberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix all apple ingredients together and place in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Add topping mixture to apples, moving apples aside so topping gets into apples as well as on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes that my grandma used to make every year. This time, it's my pleasure to make it for my family as I hosted Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (fresh or canned)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter (might want to consider cutting it down to 6 tablespoons max)

(May use 1/8 teaspoon allspice, nutmeg, and/or cloves)

Mix ingredients together & pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan. (It will look like the picture below.)

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons flour

(I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

Mix ingredients together with 2 forks until blended. Sprinkle topping over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2009-11-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe when looking for a quick & easy beef stroganoff recipe. For the origninal recipe, click here.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds cubed stew meat

2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup

1 larg onion diced

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire

1/2 water

8 oz of cream cheese

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients, except the meat AND the Cream Cheese. Once combined add the meat and mix together. Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

2009-11-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe at the Rachael Ray website and thought it looked intriguing. For the original recipe, click here. I ended up doubling the batter and using a small amount of cream cheese for the middle of each cupcake to make 3 dozen cupcakes. Also, I never have any luck with cooking egg whites so I ended up using a large can of cream cheese frosting rather than the recipe here.
Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes
12 Servings Prep 45 min Bake 25 min

Ingredients:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large eggs, plus 5 large egg whites
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon all spice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup light brown sugar (I omitted these next few ingredients and used cream cheese frosting instead)
Simmering water
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled

Directions:
Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture.
Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter. Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes. Let cool.

Frosting
Using the electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, remaining 4 egg whites and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fill a medium saucepan with enough simmering water to reach a depth of 1 inch; place the mixing bowl on top. Whisk the mixture until it registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer the bowl back to the mixer and beat at high speed until fluffy; lower the speed and beat to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag; pipe large rosettes on top of the cupcakes. (No pastry bag? Fill a resealable plastic bag with the frosting, snip off a corner and pipe away!)

Chicken Licken Casserole

2009-11-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one of my favorite comfort foods. My mom has been making it for me since I was little & now it's something I love to make, especially once the weather starts to get cooler. I'm not sure where the name came from but I think you'll agree that it's a great recipe no matter what you call it. I enjoy serving this with mustard green beans, I'll post that recipe later.

Chicken Licken Casserole

2 boxes chicken flavored stuffing mix

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shreded

1-2 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 stick of butter

1 cup cauliflower puree (optional, use 2nd can of soup if omitting)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

I usually put the chicken breasts in the crock pot the day before to cook & use the broth for the recipe.

Mix 1 box of stuffing with 1/2 stick of melted butter. Press into bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Mix chicken, soup, broth, puree, & seasonings together. Spread mixture on top of stuffing layer. Mix the second box of stuffing with 1/2 stick of melted butter & layer on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until casserole is heated through.

Pumpkin Gobs (Whoopie Pies)

2009-11-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have been neglecting to post any recipes about gobs! So here's my fix to that problem. This recipe comes from a website claiming to have the original recipe from Wicked Whoopie Pies. That's the company in Maine my husband & I found when on our honeymoon two years ago.

For the original recipe, click here.

Pumpkin Gobs

Cookie
1 (15 ounce) canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs

1 cup canola oil
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
3 cups all-purpose flour

Cream cheese filling
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons marshmallow cream
2 teaspoons water (I used vanilla instead)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat pumpkin, eggs, oil and brown sugar together until fluffy.
3. Combine dry ingredients together. Then add molasses and dry ingredients to your mix until well blended.
4. Scoop large rounded spoonfuls of batter onto a greased cookie sheet and space at least 2-inches apart.
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until done.
6. Filling: Add all ingredients in a bowl and beat until fluffy.
7. When whoopie shells are cooled, place a scoop of filling between two shells.
Serving Size: 1 Pies
Recipe makes 12 Pies)
Calories 616
Calories from Fat 253
Amount Per Serving:
Total Fat 28.2g
Saturated Fat 7.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 13.4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 61mg
Sodium 438mg
Potassium 271mg
Total Carbohydrate 87.6g
Dietary Fiber 1.4g
Sugars 59.5g
Protein 5.6g

Deceptively Delicious Yellow Cake

2009-11-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

This might seem like an odd post since it isn't a recipe that I've made from scratch & is fairly simple. I bought Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious" a while ago & have really enjoyed it. One of my husband's favorite recipes from the cookbook is the yellow cake.
Yellow Cake

1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

6 ounces nonfat lemon, banana, or vanilla yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray. (I usually divide mine into two 9 inch cake pans.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs, & yogurt. Beat until smooth.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. (I followed the cake mix directions which was closer to the actual time.)

Happy Birthday to my husband.

Pumpkin Cheesecake-2nd Place Winner

2009-10-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

Today at work we had a contest with something containing pumpkin. There were a lot of recipes out there to choose from but I decided to go with a classic pumpkin cheesecake. I was very fortunate and won 2nd place which was amazing since there were so many great choices in the contest.
This was actually a fairly easy recipe to make but if I made it again, I would add some more spice to it & extra sugar to the whipped cream. I did like the ginger snap crust that helped add to the flavor. For the original recipe, click here.

Olive Garden Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST

1 -1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts -optional

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

3-8 ounce pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I recommend doubling all spices & adding a teaspoon of vanilla)

3/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible

1-1/4 cup pumpkin puree

5 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (I would increase to 1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I recommend also increasing this to 1 teaspoon)

Garnish:1/4 cup gingersnap snap cookies, coarsely crushed for larger crumbs than used in crust.

Crust: Lightly butter a 10x2 inch round cake pan. Combine gingersnap crumbs, nut, and butter in a bowl, and mix well. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling: In a bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugars and spices, beat until light in texture. Add pumpkin puree and mix until just blended. Stir in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Stir in cream. . Pour batter into crust, and put cake pan in a roasting pan. (I used a spring form pan & double wrapped it in foil.) Add hot water to roasting pan halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake in center of oven until cheesecake is firm to touch and slightly puffed, about 50 minutes. (Mine took about 1 1/2 hours to finish baking.) Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack for about 45 minutes. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When cheesecake is completely chilled, lower pan into a hotwater bath for 2-3 min to loosen the crust. Invert a large, flat plate on top of cheesecake; invert pan, and remove. Put a second plate on bottom of cheesecake, and turn it right side up. I used a hair dryer to warm the sides of the spring form pan.

Caramel Sauce: Put all ingredients except vanilla in small saucepan with heavy bottom. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool approximately 5 minutes then stir in vanilla extract.

Sweetened Whipped Cream: Whip cream an high with an electric mixer. When cream begins to thicken and form soft peaks add sugar and vanilla. Mix until cream has firm peaks. Fill decorating bag fitter with #22 star tip with whipped cream and pipe rosettes onto cheesecake. If you don't have a decorating bag, just use a ziplock bag & snip off a corner.

Garnish: Pipe sweetened whipped cream on top of cheesecake. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Cheesecake will keep for 4-5 days in refrigerator and 2 weeks in the freezer.

Freezing Cheesecakes: To freeze cheesecakes remove from baking pan when chilled. Do not add any toppings or garnishings before freezing. You will just be freezing the cheesecake. Transfer to a cardboard cake circle or small round flatpan or freezer safe plate. Place in freeze until the cheesecake has frozen firm. Remove from freezer and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty foil. Be sure to seal completely. For the best quality do not freeze longer than 4-6 weeks. Lable and date your wrapped cheesecake. To thaw, place the wrapped cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve add toppings, whipped cream and or any garnishes.

Baked Potato Soup

2009-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my friends in Wichita. It's a very hearty, filling soup. I try to lighten it by serving it with broccoli. You can also add some cooked, pureed cauliflower to help boost the vegetables in each serving.

Baked Potato Soup

8 baked potatoes, diced

2 sticks butter (to lighten the recipe further, you could probably cut it to 1 or 1 1/2 sticks)

2 onions, diced

3-4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup flour

1 pound velveta

1 pint whipping cream

(I add about 1 teaspoon chopped parsley & 2 teaspoon minced garlic)

In a large pot, melt butter. Add onions, saute until soft. (I add some minced garlic at this point.)

Combine flour & enough chicken broth to onions. Cook stirring constantly until thickened.

Add potatoes, cheese, & whipping cream; heat to serving temperature. Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, or any favorite seasonings. Serve with broccoli, shredded cheddar cheese, & bacon crumbles.

Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce

2009-10-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

I needed something to use the last of our tomatoes from the garden. We enjoy making our own pizzas & this is a very easy sauce recipe.

Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cup finely chopped onions

8 cups peeled (I left skins on), seeded, coarsely chopped tomatoes (put through blender, if decided)

12 ounces canned tomato paste

2 tablespoons oregano, crumbled

2 teaspoons basil, crumbled

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

Heat oil in large stainless steel pan, 6-8 quarts. Add onions and cook over medium heat until transparent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in tomotatoes, paste, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, & pepper; bring to a boil. Then simmer, uncovered for an hour or until thick. Stir occasionally. Sauce should be thin and fairly smooth. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season. May be canned or frozen.

Peach Upside-Down Cake

2009-10-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe was a special request from my husband. His mother makes a twist on the old favorite, pineapple upside-down cake. If you're in a hurry, you could just use a yellow cake mix.
The recipe I used is from my cookbook, "Creative Cook's Kitchen". This book states that you could use any fruits that are in season, such as, apples, pears, or berries.

Peach Upside-Down Cake

For the topping:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 small ripe peaches

2 small ripe plums (I omitted & just used more peaches)

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons butter, softened & cut into pieces

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Making the Topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 9-inch round cake pan (I used a 9x9 square pan); heat in oven until butter melts. Using a pot holder, swirl pan so butter coats bottom. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

2. Cut peaches into 1/2-inch slices. (I left the skins on but the recipe says to blanch them off.) Arrange peach slices in a decorative pattern in a cake pan on top of the brown sugar.

Making the Cake

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder; mix well. Add butter, milk , egg, and vanilla to flour mixture. Using an electric mixer set on low speed, beat mixture until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Spoon batter over fruit, spreading to cover.

2. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around edge. Place serving platter over cake; using pot holders, invert onto platter. Remove pan; place stray fruit on cake. Serve warm.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

2009-10-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Taste of Home's website. To see the original recipe, click here. This moist & easy recipe got great reviews when I took it to share with our church youth group. It did take mine longer to bake than the recipe says. It was a great way to use the last of the zucchini we had in the garden.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

18 Servings
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Ingredients1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat & 1 1/2 cup white)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

DirectionsIn a large bowl, beat sugar and oil on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, applesauce and vanilla; beat 1 minute longer. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating just until blended. Stir in zucchini.
Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 18 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 286 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 152 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 2 fat.

Mom's Apple Banana Bread

2009-10-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is a new recipe I found that I really enjoy. This is a great recipe for this time of year since apples are in season. This is really a different spin on banana bread with a similar taste to my husband's favorite apple cake.

Mom’s Banana Apple Bread- makes one 1 1/2-quart loaf pan
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

For the apples:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the banana bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups very ripe mashed bananas (2 to 3)

Before you start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan.

To make the apples:
Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and sauté until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the banana bread:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the reserved apples.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool further.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The banana bread keeps well wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Defrost (still wrapped) at room temperature.

Pro Tip: If your bananas are black before you are ready to bake, peel them, puree them, and store them in an airtight plastic container in your freezer. You can add more to the container whenever you like; the bananas keep a very long time. When you are ready to bake, just defrost them and get on with it.

Pretty Slick: If after a few days, the banana bread starts to get dry, toast a slice and spread some soft butter on top. It’s great this way with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Joy’s Tips:
*For the apples: Instead of chopping both, I chop one (in very small chunks) and shred the other on a box grater. The chopped apple still gives you the interesting texture and bites of tender caramelized appley goodness, while the shredded apple sort of melts into the bread and adds to its incredible moisture. I still saute both in the butter and brown sugar, and add any accumulated juices from the shredded apple. Beware of stirring in apple chunks that are too large- their weight causes them to sink to the bottom of the batter, and you end up with an apple layer of sorts at the base of the loaf. Still delicious, but not ideal- to have it well distributed, make sure your apple chunks stay pretty dainty!

*For the bananas: I recommend using the measured amount rather than just 2 or 3. I always seem to need more bananas to make the required measurement than are recommended (and I don’t think my bananas are particularly small). You definitely don’t want to skimp on this central ingredient for the overall flavor of your finished loaf!

*My loaf usually requires an additional 3-5 minutes for a toothpick to come out clean. I test at the 1 hour mark, and if it’s not done, I cover with foil to prevent over-browning and return it to the oven. Just be aware that your time may vary depending on your oven.

Italian Sausage Egg Casserole

2009-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe that I took to our church potluck for Easter this year. It was pretty easy to make & made for a quick breakfast on weekday mornings.

Italian Sausage Egg Casserole

prep time:30 min

start to finish:10 hr

makes:12 servings

12	oz lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1	medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1	medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
2	cloves garlic, finely chopped
1	box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
4	cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (from 30-oz bag), thawed
2	cups reduced-fat Italian cheese blend (8 oz)
2	tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
12	eggs
3/4	cup fat-free (skim) milk
1	teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper

1.	Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2.	In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up sausage with spoon, until no longer pink; drain if necessary. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in spinach.
3.	In baking dish, mix cooked sausage mixture, potatoes and cheeses. In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, basil, salt and pepper until blended. Pour over mixture in baking dish. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight but no longer than 24 hours.
4.	Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered 1 hour. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until center is set. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Nutritional Information: 1 Serving: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol235mg; Sodium 630mg; Total Carbohydrate 24g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 4g); Protein 19g *% Daily Value: Vitamin A 45%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 25%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2Medium-Fat Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings:** 1/2 c Dairy, 1 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1/2 c Vegetables

Oatmeal, Raspberry, and Peach Snack Bars

2009-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the South Bend Tribune. Every Monday there's a recipe section. Since school's starting, the paper said "for about 50 cents eacy you can make these oatmeal, raspberry and peach snack bars, which kids (and adults, for that matter) would love to find tucked into their lunch bags. The soft, chewy bars are made with plenty of fruit so they aren't too sweet, so they even make a great on-the-go breakfast treat."
I decided this would be a good time to make them since peaches and raspberries are in season around here. The only change I made was adding at least 1 tsp of cinnamon (although if you really like cinnamon like I do, I'd add 2 tsp). Also, make sure your peaches are ripe or overripe. Mine were just barely ripe & cooking them extra still didn't soften them much. If you like some crunch then they'd be fine, I'd prefer mine a little softer.

Oatmeal, Raspberry and Peach Snack Bars

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespons, plus 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries

1 1/2 cups diced frozen or fresh peaches

1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1-2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the orange juice, cornstarch, and 2 tbsp of the brown sugar. Add the raspberries and peaches, then stir over medium-high until the mixture is simmering and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 7x11 or 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix together with a fork until the dough is crumbly but beginning to hold together. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture.

Mix the egg into the remaining dough in the bowl. Transfer the dough with the egg to the prepared baking dish and press it evenly over the bottom. Spread the reserved fruit filling on top, then sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over it.

Bake for 30 to 35 mintues, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Transfer the dish to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 bars.

Start to finish: 2 hours

Servings: 16 bars

Nutritional information per serving: 155 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 87 mg sodium.

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite summer treats is zucchini bread. We've had a pretty good crop of zucchini so this versitile recipe came in handy. I really enjoy making this recipe into a bundt cake with a little powdered sugar on top. You can also make it into about 2 dozen cupcakes, just decrease the cooking time to 30 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar*

1 cup oil*

Blend with mixer.

Add:

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla

2 cups raw grated zucchini, unpeeled

Blend with above mixture with mixer.

Add:

1 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

3 tsp cinnamon*

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix on medium speed until blended. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

*I substitued the sugar, oil, & cinnamon for 3/4 cup homemade applesauce, 1 cup sugar & 1/4 cup oil.

Mexi-rice

2009-08-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's another recipe I came up with using some of the vegetables from the garden.

Mexi-Rice

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cups instant rice

1 can rotel

1 can black beans, drained

chili powder, garlic, cilantro, cumin

Cook rice (seasoned to taste) according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute peppers & onions in olive oil until tender. Add rotel & beans, cook thouroughly. Add rice & again, season to taste.

*You can save time by using frozen vegetables already sliced. Also, to make this a little thicker, you could add refried beans.

Ratatouille Stoup

2009-07-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to come up with new recipes using the vegetable from our garden. This recipe was adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe.

Ratatouille Stoup

1 eggplant, peeled & sliced

1 zucchinni, sliced

1 summer squash, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 cup instant rice

3 cups chicken broth

garlic & Italian seasoning to taste

Brush vegetables with olive oil or pan spray, season, and broiled until tender but make sure to watch them because they can burn quickly! Meanwhile, cook rice in 1 cup of broth & some of the seasoning by following package directions.

In a stockpot add beans, tomatoes, & remaining broth. Boil on high for 10 minutes adding vegetables as they finish cooking. Add rice & season to taste, turn heat down to low & simmer another 10 minutes.

World Peace Cookies

2009-07-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs to read, Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats. To see the original recipe click here.

This is a slice & bake cookie recipe so it requires a little extra time since it needs to be refridgerated 3 hours prior to baking. However, you could freeze it & have it available for a quick treat.

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies

2009-07-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

After our campout this July 4th I had some leftover s'mores ingredients so I decided to try a recipe I found in the local newspaper.

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4-5 crackers)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 chocolate bars

3 cups mini-marshmellows*

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg and extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing until blended.

Equally divide the dough and press half into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Arrange chocolate bars over baked layer and sprinkle marshmellows evenly over the top. Sprinkle and lightly press remaining dough over the top and bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into bars. Makes about 12 bars.

Try adding 1/2 cup toasted , slivered almonds and 1/2 cup flaky coconut to the top crust before pressing it into the dessert. Substitute dark chocolate for an adult-appeal.

*I used jumbo marshmellows which required longer baking & made a fluffier marshmellow filling.

Ice Cream Sundae Dessert

2009-06-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

In honor of the June birthdays at work I decided to make an ice cream cake. My coworker gave me this recipe that she found in the Taste of Home Magazine. It seems like it would be a very versitile recipe by changing the cookies & ice cream flavors.

Ice Cream Sundae Dessert

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package (12 ounces) vanilla wafers, crushed

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 quarts vanilla ice cream or flavor of your choice, softened

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate chips with milk and salt; cook and stir until thickened, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine wafer crumbs and butter; set aside 1 cup. Press remaining crumbs into a greased 13x9 pan. Chill for 10-15 minutes. Pour chocolate over crumbs. Cover and freeze for 20-25 minutes or until firm.

Spread the ice cream over the chocolate. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Freeze at least 2 hourse before serving. Yield 12-16 servings.
I used strawberry ice cream to make it a little different. Don't be surprised to see this in different variations on the blog later since it was very easy to make & very delicious!!

Lemon Gelato

2009-06-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things at the farmer's market is the Italian deli. Dave & I will get one of their sandwiches for lunch then top it off with some gelato for dessert. I thought I'd try to make it for myself. It was a fairly easy recipe I found from the internet & went well with my Italian themed book club night.

Lemon Gelato

6 medium lemons
1 1/3 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grate the zest of 6 lemons and set aside in a bowl with the sugar.
Or, use a vegetable peeler to remove 3/4 cup zest from the lemons and process the lemon strips with the sugar in a food processor until zest is minced, about 30 seconds.
Set lemons aside.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cream and salt in a heatproof mixing bowl.
Put the half-and-half and lemon-sugar in a medium non-aluminum saucepan.
Bring liquid to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Remove pan from heat.
Slowly whisk the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture.
Then return the partially cooked custard to the saucepan.
Stir constantly over medium-low heat until mixture begins to thicken slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes (the approximate consistency of unwhipped heavy cream).
Pour hot custard into a bowl without straining.
Stir in the vanilla.
Put a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming.
Set custard aside at room temperature to cool.
(Can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours).
FREEZING: Squeeze 3/4 cup juice from the lemons and stir juice into cooled custard.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

2009-05-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe that comes from my Clovia cookbook. It's so delicious & refreshing, and it always brings back memories from my college days. I highly recommend this for your next summer outting.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups crushed pretzels, not too fine

3/4 cup melted margarine

Mix above ingredients in 9x13 inch pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees and then cool. (It will look like the picture above.)

Cream 8oz cream cheese with 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Fold in 1 small carton of Cool Whip. Spread over baked layer. (See picture above)

Dissolve 6 ounces strawberry jello in 2 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir in 10 ounces strawberries (I unthawed a bag of 16 ounce strawberries & it worked well. The frozen berries will make jello cool faster).

Chill jello mixture until slightly thickened. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill. This is best to make the day before.

Strawberry Shortcakes

2009-05-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a favorite Memorial Day's treat...

Another one of my favorite summer desserts is strawberry shortcakes. Instead of using angel food cake, I prefer Bisquick's recipe which can also be found at http://www.bisquick.com/.
Strawberry Shortcakes

2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, sugar, and the butter until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping.

For a variation, I grated a lemon & squeezed the juice into a double batch of dough. In another batch, I added about 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-05-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yet another birthday at work this week. This time I decided to bring this dip that I had seen in another blog. I'm not a big fan of buffalo chicken but my husband is so he enjoyed it.

My husband enjoys the dip.

For the original recipe that you bake, please click here. I followed the recipe for the most part but changed things a little. Instead of baking the dip, I decided to keep it in the crock pot so it would stay warm at work.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4 chicken breasts

16 oz cream cheese

3 cups cheddar cheese

8 oz buffalo sauce

8 oz ranch dressing*

I seasoned the chicken breasts with garlic seasoning & chili seasoning while they cooked in the crock pot. Once done, shred the chicken & add the buffalo sauce. Add in the cream cheese & stir while it melts in the crock pot on high. Once melted, add cheddar cheese & stir until melted. Add ranch dressing & turn crock pot down to low. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

*You may want to use bleu cheese dressing instead of ranch.

Rhubarb Bread

2009-05-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

I love the newness of spring. All the flowers are blooming, animals being born, & the weather is getting nicer. Currently, my husband & I have been enjoying our walks in the park, smelling the fresh air & watching the baby geese grow.

We also have been planting our garden & visiting the local farmers market. Last weekend I was excited to see that the local farmers had some rhubarb for sell. This fruit takes me back to my childhood when my grandparents grew it & made a variety of delicious desserts. So I decided to make one of my old favorites, rhubarb bread.

Rhubarb Bread

2 cups rhubarb, diced

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk*

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix ingredients together. Divide batter between 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You can also make 4 mini loaves or 2-3 dozen muffins.

*To make sour milk, add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup milk.

Make Ahead Manicotti

2009-04-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

This is a wonderful recipe I found for people on the go that still want a good meal fast. However, the fast part does come with a catch...as the title says, this is a make ahead recipe.

This recipe originally came from the Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats blog. You can find the original recipe by clicking here.

I will say that the shells weren't easy to fill with the cheap ziplock bags I had but I imagine that they're alot easier to fill dry rather than cooked. I don't have an answer for the best way to fill the shells that isn't very messy but I'll keep trying.

Apple Butter Bread

2009-04-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is a new recipe that I got from my mother-in-law that I tried out for Bible study this week. The bread was very moist & was a great way to use some of the apple butter we have.

I made 4 mini loaves because I couldn't find my regular sized bread pan. It worked well but there was just barely enough dough to make the 4 loaves.

APPLE BUTTER BREAD

2 cups flour

½ cup apple juice
1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup melted butter or margarine
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 egg, beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup raisins
½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)
¾ cup apple butter

¾ cup apple butter (it's used twice)

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add ¾ cup apple butter, apple juice, butter and egg, stirring until moistened. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Pour half the batter into greased and floured 5x9-inch loaf pan. Spread remaining apple butter over batter. Pour remaining batter over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until loaf tests done. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool completely. Store in refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. Yield 1 loaf.

Chocolate Decadence Cake

2009-04-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

This is the easiest cake you could possibly make but trust me, you'll have everyone talking about it if you make it! I even had doctors tracking me down for the recipe at work.

Chocolate Decadence Cake

1 chocolate cake mix

1 small can sweetened condensed milk

1 jar hot fudge or caramel

1 container whipped topping

1 package heath bits

Follow directions to your favorite chocolate mix. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over cake with a fork. Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the warm cake. Warm hot fudge according to the directions on the jar, spread warm fudge over cake. You don't have to use the entire jar of fudge, just spread enough to liberally cover the top of the cake (see picture below).

Let the cake cool prior to frosting with whipped cream. Top cake with heath bits & fudge, if desired.

I usually use a 9x13 pan, I haven't tried making it a layered cake but it may be possible. The only thing is that the sweetened condensed milk makes the cake very moist that may make the top layer not hold up.

Penne with Salmon and Roasted Vegetables

2009-04-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you husband comes home with about 4 fish that he just caught? I suggest making penne with salmon and roasted vegetables.

This is my husband showing off one of the Steelhead Trout that he caught. This is a very close relative to salmon so it can easily be substituted for the salmon in this recipe.

To view the original recipe from http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/, please click here.

A few things I did differently from the original recipe include using frozen onions & peppers in place of the leeks. To make a large batch of this recipe since it freezes well, I used an entire box of penne & instead of 1 summer squash, I used 2 summer squash & 2 zucchini. I used 2 of my trout filets instead of just 1 salmon filet & I seasoned them with Montreal steak seasoning. Also, I used an entire jar of pitted olives along with the juice. If you choose to omit them, there isn't as much juice & they add a little bit of saltiness.

Mocha Bundt Cake

2009-04-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Mmmm....cake. This cake was made as a special request for a coworker's 50th birthday. So a milestone birthday requires a milestone cake.

Although this is an increadibly easy and simple cake, it is very moist and filling.

To view the original recipe from Joy the Baker, click here.

Calzones

2009-04-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago my husband & I helped the youth at our church make pizzas for a fundraiser. We had some dough left over so that started my pizza making frenzy. I made a BBQ chicken pizza, a white or alfredo chicken pizza, & calzones with sausage & peppers.

I don't have the recipe for the yummy dough we used but I do have a pretty good recipe for the bread machine. This recipe came from my Oster bread machine book.

Pizza Dough

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cup bread flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (optional)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons regular active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in bread pan in the order listed. Select whole wheat dough cycle.

Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 12-inch circle on greased cookie sheet with floured fingers. Spread with favorite toppings. Bake 18-20 minutes or until crust is light brown.

To make BBQ Chicken Pizza: saute 1/2 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until transparent. Cook 1 chicken breast along with garlic, cumin, cilantro & chili powder (all season to taste). I used Sweet Baby Ray's sweet vidalia onion BBQ sauce, then added chicken & onions & topped with cheddar cheese.

To make White (Alfredo) Pizza: saute 1/2 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until transparent. Cook 1 chicken breast along with garlic & Italian seasoning (season to taste). After rolling out pizza dough, top with your favorite Alfredo sauce, then add chicken, then add mozzerella cheese.

Peanut Butter Torte

2009-04-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

This new recipe was a hit this week. The peanut butter torte was very rich & creamy.

This recipe is another one that I found on the Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats blog.
To view the original recipe, click here.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. There are several steps & it does take some planning to make, but the end result is wonderful!

Peanut Buttercups with Peanut-Penuche Icing

2009-03-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of parties happening this week so that means lots of baking for me. That's okay because I've been wanting to try out some new recipes I've found on other blogs I've been reading.

If you haven't already guessed it by reading this blog, I really like peanut butter and chocolate. So this recipe for peanut buttercups with peanut-penuche icing from the Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats blog caught my eye.

This was a fairly simple recipe that tastes like a peanut butter cookie. I did have some difficulties that were probably my own doing. The chocolate in the middle of the cupcakes didn't really melt so it was a hard center of chocolate to bite into. I used a chocolate bar I had but mini chocolate chips or something that melts quickly would probably be a better idea.
Also, my icing wasn't very spreadable. I followed the directions exactly. Next time I might decrease the powdered sugar in the icing from 2 cups to 1 or 1 1/2 cups. For the original recipe, please click here. The recipe made just over a baker's dozen regular sized cupcakes.

Double-Baked Brownies

2009-03-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

When walking down the grocery store isles the other day trying to think about what to take to church, this recipe I saw somewhere once came to mind. I don't remember where I found it but I thought, this is something I'll have to try some time. So, when my husband thought we should take brownies for our small group, I thought, why stop with just brownies, why not make something more? So here it is, my recipe for "something more".

Double-Baked Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 box cookie dough mix or tube of refridgerated cookie dough

Make brownies according to mix. Spread batter in a greased 9x13 pan. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on top of brownie mix. Bake according to brownie mix but I had to at least double my baking time.

On a side note, I ended up making to pans of brownies but used 2 brownie mixes & 1 tube of cookie dough. I'm not sure if this would be the same if you used the cookie mix or if you made the brownies & cookie dough both from scratch.

Secondly, I made one batch of brownies the recommended way & the other the low fat version. Both were moist & delicious. The applesauce I used had a lot of cinnamon & added a little hint of it to the brownies.

No Bake Cookies

2009-02-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

I love no bake cookies!! They are my favorite cookie to eat & make especially with my super easy recipe.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/4 cup oatmeal

In a large microwavable bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients & microwave for 5 minutes. Stir in butter & peanut butter until melted. Add vanilla & oatmeal until combined completely. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper to set up.

Bruschetta Pizza

2009-02-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday I try to bring something fun to share at our small group meeting. Last week I was trying to think of something I could bring & my husband suggested trying to make a pizza out of the extra bruschetta I had. This was very easy & everyone enjoyed it. Like any pizza, you could add any topping you want but keeping it simple worked well.

Bruschetta Pizza

Pizza dough (I use my bread machine & make my own)

Brushetta (I used a large can of diced tomatoes with their juice & added 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, & 1 tablespoon parmeasan cheese)

artichoke hearts, diced (optional)

mozzerella cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

I rolled the dough out & baked it in a 9x13 in baking dish so that it would be easier to travel with but you could easily bake it however you would normally bake a pizza. I baked the dough for 10 minutes at 350 degrees so that it wouldn't get soggy.

Next I added the tomatoes & artichokes (if using). Top with mozzerella cheese & sprinkle the garlic powder on top of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & golden brown.

Black Bean Soup

2009-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Since it has been freezing temperatures around here until lately, we've been eating a lot more soup. This recipe I originally found on a website (see below for link to original recipe) but I modified it so that it would be thicker & more of a meal. It's incredible quick & easy to make with a lot of flavor & is a healthier option.

If you know how I cook then you'll know that the ingredients below are my best guess at how much I really use when making this recipe. I usually just throw ingredients into the crockpot & not worry about it until supper time. I recommend playing with the recipe until you find a mix of ingredients that you enjoy.

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans

1 cup salsa

1 can rotel (chopped tomatoes with chilies)

1/2 cup corn

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 box chicken/vegetable stock

In a blender/ food processer, blend 1 can of black beans with salsa & some stock until smooth. In a crock pot or stock pot, mix the remaining ingredients with blended mixture & heat over medium heat until heated through. If using a crockpot, heat on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Want to see the original recipe? Click here.

Chicken Dip

2009-02-08T18:15:00.001-08:00

We love to eat at my office & come up with as many reasons as possible to bring food in. Last week we had a retirement party for one of my coworkers so I brought in the chicken salad or chicken dip as my family calls it. It's a very simple recipe that's best if you make it a day ahead so the flavor has time to develop.

We call it chicken dip because it's a lot creamier than most chicken salads. However, when I made it for work, I just added a lot more chicken so that it would make a better sandwich.

Chicken Dip

1 large (12 ounce) can white chunk chicken

1 small can water chestnuts (optional)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup miracle whip

1 small bunch scallions

1 box Knorrs dried vegetable soup mix

Mix ingredients together & let set over night. Best served with crackers.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan

2009-02-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Yet another attempt at eatting healthier coming from the http://www.eatbetteramerica.org/ website. I had my doubts about this recipe at first since I've made spaghetti squash in the past & didn't find that it was anywhere close to a replacement to pasta. This baked chicken parmesan adds a lot of flavor.

Speghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lb), cut in half
1/4 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish and pierce in several places with fork. Pour buttermilk over chicken, turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Place squash, cut sides up, in microwaveable dish. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on High 10-20 minutes or until fork-tender. Using a fork, scrape flesh from squash. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray.

In shallow dish, combine flour, 1/4 cup of cheese, and the garlic powder. Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving buttermilk. Coat both sides of chicken with the flour mixture; dip in reserved buttermilk. Coat chicken again with flour mixture. Place in sprayed baking dish. Spoon about 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce onto each chicken breast and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 160°F and the juices run clear.

Meanwhile, heat remaining spaghetti sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat. Serve with the chicken and spaghetti squash.

* I never keep buttermilk on hand because you never need very much for recipes. Instead, I add a tablespoon of lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk.

To view the original recipe, please click here.

Tamale Pie

2009-01-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Although the title of my blog mentions mainly sweets, I still love to cook different recipes for meals & thought other people might like access to the recipes too. This is another recipe from the eatbetteramerica.com website.

Tamale Pie

2 cans (15 oz each) salt-free pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 cup frozen organic sweet corn
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup medium salsa
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tube (16 to 18 oz) refrigerated plain polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray shallow 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
In 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, stir together beans, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, lima beans, salsa and chili powder. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Spoon into baking dish. Arrange polenta on top, overlapping slices slightly if necessary. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly at edges. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I didn't follow the directions exactly. Instead of the individual corn & lima beans I used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables with lima beans. I would recommend at least another cup of salsa if you like, otherwise it was a little dry. Also, I had a box of corn meal & the ingrediants for cornbread at home so I substitued that for the polenta. I added some cilantro & cumin to both the vegetables & cornbread for more flavor.

To view the original recipe, please click here.

Special K Cookies

2009-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe that comes from my college days living at the Alpha of Clovia 4-H Scholarship House. It's another very simple recipe that can be made into cookies or bars.

Special K Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

5 cups Special K cereal

Combine sugar & syrup in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil, but do not cook. (I turned the heat down from high to medium while adding in the peanut butter & cereal.) Drop by rounded teaspoons onto waxed paper to cool.

To make bars rather than cookies, put mixture in a 8 x 14 inch greased pan & cool. Topping (optional): Melt 1 cup chocolate chips & 1 cup peaut butter chips together. Spread over top of cookie mixture.

*A tip to help with measuring sticky liquids such as corn syrup is to spray your measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray first. Then when you pour your liquid out of the cup, you'll be able to get it all out without much mess!

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2009-01-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on the http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/ website. The website offers a variety of recipes for all occasions & has recipes that people have altered to make healthier. At first, this cookie looks like a "no bake" cookie but it has a mild flavor that isn't too sweet or rich. My husband really enjoyed them.

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup low fat creamy vanilla yogurt

1 egg or 1/4 cup fat-free egg product
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, mix sugar, butter, yogurt, egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

To view the original website & see the nutritional facts about this recipe, please click here.

Monster Cookies

2009-01-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the cookbook of the scholarship house I attended while in college. We made all our own food & most of the recipes were old fashioned, down-home-cooking. These cookies are so simple but soooo delicious!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

4 1/2 cup instant oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup M & M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix ingredients in order given. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Yields approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Want a printable copy of this recipe? Just click on the image below.

Peanut Butter Oreo Truffles

2009-01-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

So I tried experimenting with my Oreo Truffle recipe (see previous post). This time, instead of using original Oreos, I used the peanut butter flavored ones. To give it more flavor, I would recommend adding at least 1/4 cup peanut butter to the dough.

I also also used low fat cream cheese instead of original. It didn't change the flavor but the dough softened a lot quicker & made coating it with chocolate a little more difficult.

Finally, I took some advise from the Good Eats 'Sweet Treats blog & added some crumbs to the tops of some of the truffles.

Keep watching for more updates on this recipe since I've been receiving a lot of requests for it!

Sugar Cookies

2009-01-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

This recipe originally came from my home town bakery. I have so many memories of going to the bakery after school & just drowling over all the goodies there. My home economics teacher gave us this recipe & I have been so grateful ever since because the bakery went out of business before we made them.

The dough itself isn't very exciting but the almond extract in the glaze usually makes everyone wonder what you did differently when making these sugar cookies. I make these every year for my family & honestly wouldn't use a different recipe. You can leave them plain with the glaze or decorate with sprinkles, etc.

The baked cookies freeze very well. This year I made a double batch of the dough & froze the baked cookies for a few weeks. When I was ready, I let the cookies thaw then glazed them.

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 3/4 cup flour

Cut all ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine with the following ingredients with an electric mixer.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Roll dough out on a lightly floured counter top. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Glaze

2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix until smooth and drizzle consistency. Frost cookies with glaze & allow to dry on waxed paper.

Oreo Truffles

2008-12-31T13:32:00.000-08:00

1 package regular size Oreo cookies

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 package white almond bark

1 package chocolate almond bark

Using a food processer, blend Oreos into crumbs.

Add cream cheese to crumbs and blend together

in food processer until it forms a dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Chill for an hour.

Melt package of white almond bark in a double boiler. Stick a toothpick in a ball and dip it in the melted almond bark.

Allow to harden on wax paper, takes about 15 minutes.

While waiting melt 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate. Cut a tiny hole in one corner of a sandwich bag to drizzle the chocolate.

Makes 25-45 truffles

Warning: these truffles are addictive. They are extremely easy but taste absolutely sinful. I am interested in substituting the original Oreos for the mint or peanut butter flavor. I'll update the blog if I do.

Want a printable version of this recipe? Click on picture below.

Gingerbread Gobs

2008-12-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup milk
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Ginger cream filling
1/4 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
8 ounces marshellow fluff
2 tablespoons molasses

Directions
Cookie: Cream butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
Add molasses and milk and blend well.
Mix in sifted dry ingredients.
Chill for 2 hours in fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Drop by tablespoons onto lineed cookie sheet.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove and cool on racks.
Filling: Whip butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add fluff, molasses, and spice; beat well.
Use as filling between two cookies.

Makes 24.

If the ginger cream filling is too sweet, you can always try the original filling instead.

Want a printable copy of this recipe? Click on the image below.

Memories

2008-12-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Ever since I can remember, I've always loved to bake cookies & other goodies. My favorite teacher by far was my grandmother. She was such a great cook that it spurred me on to try new things. So I would like to use this blog as a memory to my favorite grandma & all the memories we made together, they are something I can always hold dear & share with others.In the kitchen with my father.

My grandmother & I canning.

The name of this blog, Grandma's Gobs & Goodies, comes from my husband's love of his grandmother's gobs. So what is a gob you might ask. In Indiana, Pennsylvania, a gob is made of 2 chocolate cookies with a cream filling holding them together. Other people, especially in the New England states call these "Whoopie Pies".

As a new bride, I wanted to make things that my husband enjoys so that's why I started making gobs & experimenting with other recipes. I always enjoy a challenge & like to try to make things better. So my first recipe to post, since it's Christmas time, is...

Gingerbread Gobs