Category: Holiday Fare

Just adding this new category and will be posting seasonal recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

CHEWY CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

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This recipe is taken from a Taste of Home Magazine in the Easter Edition. 

Sprinkle fresh raspberries around the cake platter and have a bowl of fresh whipping cream sitting beside this wonderful cake and oh my, the compliments you will receive!

3 Cups sugar

3/4 lb melted butter

4 eggs

1 tables vanilla

1 tables almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teas salt

1/4 cup raspberry jam

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 300.

Mix the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl on low.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the batter, mixing until smooth. Pour into greased and papered 9” cake pan, reserving about 1/3 of the batter.

Carefully smooth out a thin layer of the raspberry jam. Top with chocolate chips and half the sliced almonds. Carefully cover with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining sliced almonds.

Bake for 1 hour and almost 45  minutes or more to be sure cake is done when knife inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. 

Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Salads · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Fried Okra Salad

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Happiest of New Years! As we sit and wait for the traditional black eyed peas to finish cooking to take to friends for dinner, it dawned on me that I had not posted this new recipe. This morning I realized that for the first time in probably 10 years, I had forgot to buy black eyed peas. How could we begin 2020 without them? Everyone knows that if you don’t have a helping of them Jan 1st, your hopes of ever winning any lotto, well, just forget it. Also, “they” say that if you don’t have the peas, you will probably catch every flu that there is no vaccine for, and you will gain weight just looking at cake and DSW will never have the shoe you want in your size. So just to be sure you are covered for all these things, have a helping of the little gems. Why take chances?

Well, this morning when we realized that we didn’t have a black eyed pea in the house, Randy stopped at the grocery store across the street and I ran in to see if I could find either frozen peas or dried (just can’t do the canned ones, well, let me rephrase that, that would be my last choice if all other possibilities were exhausted) BE peas. Walking up to the frozen food aisle, there was a lady standing looking at the frozen veggies and she saw me looking and moved her cart out of the way, apologizing for being in the way. When I assured her she was certainly not in my way, as I was just looking for BEP, she stated that she was just trying to get some new ideas of foods to make. It was in that instant that I began an internal struggle. Do I just ignore her and assume she was just making a statement, or should I tell her that I have a cooking blog and hand her a card with the blog info on it. It took me about 30 seconds before I finally said, “do you like fried okra?” When she said yes I do, I handed her a card and told her that I would be posting this recipe later today for Fried Okra Salad. That lead to her reading my business card and she said, “oh I’m a believer also, what church to you go to?” And then she noticed my name and as we began to talk, she told me that she was in the title business, just like Randy. In fact she knew several people which we knew. It was just so great to visit. It always amazes me how God orchestrates these sweet little blessings that happen when we are just running into a store to pick up something.
January 2020….the beginning of a new decade. We have so much to be thankful for in this past decade. May we continue to always give thanks and always look for opportunities to share joy and kindness with others, all the while giving thanks for all the joy and kindness we have received from others. Here is the recipe which was given to me from a precious friend, Dena. Can’t wait to have it with a pot of cabbage and onions, potato casserole and ham….a perfect southern meal.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 pounds frozen breaded okra, thawed and fried according to directions
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

IN a small saucepan, cook oil, sugar and vinegar over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Set aside

In a large bowl, combine fried cooked okra and remaining 4 ingredients. Pour vinegar mixture over okra, tossing just to coat. Serve immediately.

*Taken from Paula Deen Magazine

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Giving Gingerbread Biscotti

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Merry Christmas to all of you out there in Blogville! What a busy time of year for everyone and I truly cannot believe that Christmas was yesterday. As we woke up this morning, it saddened me that each day now will become a little less bright, as far as Christmas lights go. Each day, more folks will begin taking down the tree and the outside lights. January arrives and along with it, more cold weather. BUT….that thought excites me because it means the possibility of some snow or icy days when the roads are closed and we have a reason to stay home and watch movies, without guilt. It is on those days that things like gingerbread just sound so good. If you are like me, you have probably began to collect some of the Santas or Snowmen that adorn your home to put away until next Christmas. Honestly it felt good to get in the kitchen this morning and begin to bring down the Christmas dishes to pack away and clean up before putting out the dishes that we use for Jan and February. (Yes I do have dishes that are simply for Jan and February) What can I say except that I love kitchen dishes). Getting back to my subject of Giving Gingerbread, as I was baking this morning between ridding the kitchen of Santas, I started to think about something. Why do we feel that just because Christmas is over, we don’t need to bake goodies to give away? Wouldn’t it be so wonderful to hear the doorbell ring as I am packing away Christmas; and there at the door is a friend handing me some gingerbread biscotti to enjoy as I sit and rest after a day of packing away all the Christmas decor? So I began to bake this amazing new recipe that I found last night. It is scrumptious and makes enough to give to someone that might come to your mind. It was so simple to make and the flavor is just so wonderful. AND…since Starbucks did away with their gingerbread flavored drinks this year, I have been missing gingerbread everything. So this is my answer to my gingerbread craving. Seriously, it is some of the best biscotti I have had. You are probably going too remind me that I say that about every biscotti I make, but this one is really my favorite (at least until I am craving chocolate and cherry flavored biscotti which will probably happen around Valentines Day).

*Taken from She Wears Many Hats

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1 1/2 teas cinnamon (I used 2 teas)
1 1/2 teas ginger
1 heaping teas of pumpkin pie spice (I use this in place of the following:
3/4 teas ground allspice, 1/2 teas cloves, 1/4 teas black pepper)
6 tables softened butter, unsalted
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar,
2 large eggs, room temp
2 teas vanilla
2 tables unsulfured molasses
1 cup finely choppe peans or walnuts
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries, or her recipe called for dried apricots, which I would have used had they been in my pantry, but I had cranberries today, so I used them.
1/2 table powdered sugar (I omitted this and used granulated sugar)

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a bowl. In another mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, molasses and beat until mixture is mixed completely. Add butter mixture with flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in nuts, cranberries and vanilla chips if desired.

Shape into two football shaped logs on parchment paper on baking sheet. Sprinkle either the powdered sugar or granulated sugar over the top of each log. Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Cool biscotti for 5 minutes before Slicing diagonally and then place each piece back on a baking sheet and bake biscotti for about 9 minutes in 300 oven. Turn the oven off.
***(The following instructions are my own, as I have now been successful doing all the biscotti this way instead of baking according to all other instructions.)
Remove from oven and turn each piece over and then place biscotti back in oven which has been turned off. As the oven cools, the biscotti will “dry” and become crispy. After about 30 min, remove from the oven and cool completely. Keep in airtight container and think about who you can share some. IT might be the beginning of a brand new friendship or bless someone who was just needing a little extra kindness.

Am including a picture of what the biscotti log should look like before baking.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Fresh Orange Apple Cake

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Today I had volunteered to bring an apple cake for a dear friends birthday celebration. This is one of her favorite cakes, especially the praline frosting. If she was at the house when I might be making the frosting, she would stand there with a spoon, eating the frosting right out of the bowl. So, as per her request, I made an apple cake with her favorite frosting. There is an apple cake that is already on the blog, but for some reason, this new recipe caught my eye, as it had a 1/2 cup of orange juice in the batter. Because it is so much fun to try new flavor combinations, this one intrigued me. All I can tell you is the women at the party all commented, saying they wanted the recipe. It really was, we thought a great flavored apple cake. Very moist, yet not mushy or soggy, as some apple cakes tend to get. Because it had a little less than the 3 cups of chopped apples that a lot of recipes call for, it had a little more cake texture to it. This will now be my “go to” recipe for apple cakes.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teas vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1 teas cinnamon
1 heaping teas pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teas salt
2 1/2 cup chopped apples, finely diced (Gala apples worked well in this recipe)
* If you add 1 cup of chopped pecans, add them when you add the apples

Combine melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs. Mix until well combined. Add orange juice and vanilla. Stir until completely mixed.

In another bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda, and spices.
Stir flour mixture and then add to sugar/oil mixture. Mix until no lumps remain. Then add the apples and nuts (if desired). Stir until well combined. Pour into a greased and floured large bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until cake test done.

When cool, turn out onto a cake plate. Pour praline frosting over entire cooled cake.

Praline Frosting

Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a small saucepan with 1 cup of light brown sugar. Stir consistently until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Pour over 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add chopped nuts if desired. If needed, add about 2-4 tables whipping cream to get frosting to spreading consistency. Add 1 teas vanilla and continue beating. When cake is cooled, pour over entire cake.

Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Super Bowl Recipes · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Veggie Dinner With Squash Dish (Calabacita)

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How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Hope that all of you had the blessing of gathering around the table with family and friends to make some wonderful new memories. We were blessed to have two of our kids and their families here. Isn’t it just so wonderful to be able to enjoy your adult children? I heard about a family gathering that escalated into yelling and screaming because some of the relatives began to argue about something. That is something I just cannot even begin to understand. Years ago, my oldest sone, Jason, was in college and some of his friends came over when Jason came home for the holidays. They began to tell me how Jason would just walk into a room that was full of college boys, arguing over sports, or girls or something and Jason would yell “why can’t we all just get along?” and everyone would then start laughing. It is with a heart full of thanksgiving that we do enjoy our kids and so appreciate the time which we spend with them. Well, all that said, last night, after a full 5 days of cornbread dressing, potatoes, turkey, ham, pies and cakes and wonderful rolls, we realized yesterday that even our very unhealthy bodies were tired of all the greasy, rich meats and dishes. So we put on a pot of beans, cut up a head of cabbage, onion, cut up a couple of potatoes and got the small iron skillet out for cornbread. As I was looking in the fridge to get more butter out, (do not even think about asking me how many pounds of butter I have used the last 2 weeks, because I am too embarrassed to ell you.Lets just say that there is now an empty corner in the fridge where all the butter was stored) there was the Mexican squash I had bought, thinking that I might use it in a dish for Thanksgiving. But, there it was just sitting there waiting to be cooked. So out it came and it was such a great addition to our veggie meal. So, (after all the above 1000 words that was probably more than you ever wanted to know about our Thanksgiving) here is the recipe I used and it was so good.

2 cups cut up Calabacita Squash (Mexican squash)
2 tables olive oil
1 tables unsalted butter
1 teas fresh oregano
1/2 teas garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a small skillet. Add the cut up squash and seasonings to skillet. Stir until squash begins to brown a little on the edges. It was at this point that I added about 1/4 cup water to the pan and put a lid on so the squash would get tender. As it cooks, stir every few min so squash does not burn. If you like the flavor of the oregano, and garlic, you might like to add a little more per your preference. This squash is also great in vegetable soups.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

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Having been assigned to bring a dessert to a luncheon today, I quickly started to explore cookbooks for something pumpkin, since it is officially Pumpkin Month here in Pumpkinville. As I leafed through The Cake Doctor, I came across a Pumpkin spice cake, which I used for the cupcake base (making a few adjustments) and then just added a little cream cheese surprise for the middle, topping it off with cream cheese frosting. The result received many compliments.

Preheat oven to 350.
1 Duncan Hines Yellow or Spice cake mix*See below
1 package (3.4 oz) french vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup pumpkin, canned puree of pumpkin, not pumpkin mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ground ginger
*because I didn’t have a spice cake mix, I used a yellow one and added an additional 1 teas of pumpkin pie seasoning to the mix, if you use spice cake mix, I would leave this out.

Cream cheese filling
1 8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teas vanilla

Frosting
1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar (equals about 3 1/2 cups)
8 oz (1 stick) softened butter
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (add a little at a time, as it might not need all of this, but might need a little more, depending on how thick you like the frosting.

Cake:
Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes on medium. Set aside

Cream cheese filling:
Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat until no more lumps appear.

Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Add enough batter to liner to cover bottom. Drop about a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into middle of the batter. Cover this mixture with more of the pumpkin batter until cupcake holder is about a little more than 1/2 full. Bake in preheated 350 oven until cupcakes test done. About 20 minutes, depending on your oven. I always take mine out when the tops look a little shiny but still feel done to the touch. Let cool and continue using batter and filling until all is used. (You will probably have some of the filling left over, but just keep covered in fridge for another use or you can actually add it to your frosting ingredients, as it is just cream cheese and powdered sugar.)

Frosting

Beat all ingredients until smooth and then frost cooled cupcakes. Keep covered in fridge. Remove from refrigerator about an hour before serving time.

Breads · Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

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This morning, I was looking for another recipe to take to a gathering this afternoon. Rodelle Brownies (they are already posted on the blog) was already in the oven to take, but I wanted something else and since we received a little rain and dark skies this morning, it seemed appropriate that something pumpkin should be made. I googled Pumpkin Biscotti and this recipe sounded just perfect. It turned out great and was so easy. Have enough pumpkin puree left to make another batch and place in the freezer for next weekend when I can take it to a tea.

4 tables softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teas pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teas ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips (when the stores begin to get in the cinnamon flavored chips, I will use those instead)
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or very lightly grease the baking sheet (about an 18″x13″ sheet)

In a medium size bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, spices, salt & baking powder until smooth.
Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree.
Putting the mixer on low speed, add the flour, incorporating until mixed well.
Add the finely crushed pistachios and chocolate chips to the batter and stir them in well.
Mixture will be sticky.

Divide dough into 2 halves and place on baking sheet. With a little flour on your hands, shape each half into a football shaped log. About 1/2 -2/3″ thick.
Sprinkle a little sugar over the top of each half and place in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 325. Let biscotti stand for about 5 minutes then using a serrated knife, cut biscotti into 1/2″ to 3/4″ slices diagonally and place each slice down flat on one side. Return to oven and leave in about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, turn over each slice and bake again for about 10 mins. Turn oven completely off, leaving the door ajar and leave the biscotti in to cool completely in oven.
Biscotti can be frozen after completely cooled or stored in airtight container for about 4-5 days.

*taken from King Author Flour recipes

Breads · Breakfast · Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Monte Cristo Casserole & Raspberry Sauce

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Years ago we use to have a restaurant in Texas that had the best Monte Cristo sandwiches. It is no surprise that this breakfast casserole caught my eye in the December Taste of Home. After reading the recipe and realizing that I could make it the night before, it became the breakfast of choice for Christmas morning this year. Cannot wait to serve it with a side dish of hash browns and a fruit compote.

1 loaf French bread, cut into 20 slices
2 tables Dijon mustard
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
1/2 lb sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 lb sliced deli turkey
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teas sugar
2 teas vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teas ground cinnamon

Raspberry Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tables cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Line a greased 13×9″ baking dish with half of the bread. Spread the mustard over bread. Layer with ham, cheese, then turkey and remaining bread. Dish will be full.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour over top. Place in fridge, covered overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Remove casserole from fridge while oven heats. IN a small bowl, mix topping ingredients, sprinkle topping her the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

While casserole is baking, using a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water, lemon juice and maple syrup until smooth.
Add raspberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Cool slightly.

Let casserole stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with sauce.

Serves about 10

Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Chocolate Pumpkin Magic Cake

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Last year when I posted this, it was after eating it at a gathering at church. It came across my FaceBook memory yesterday and am so glad it did. It is now in the oven and will be devoured within 24 hours. The kids are coming to dinner tomorrow evening so we will have to “test” it tonight just to be sure it is still as good as we remember. Would not want to serve them something that is not top notch. If you didn’t make this last year, do yourself a favor and make it this year. You will be so thankful you did. It is so so good. The combination of pumpkin and chocolate with French Vanilla pudding frosting is scrumptious.

Mix a Duncan Hines Devils Food chocolate cake mix according to directions and pour into a 9×13″ baking dish. Do not bake until pumpkin layer is on it.

Pumpking Layer
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 heaping teas pumpkin pie spice
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Mix and whisk until well combined. Pour slowly over chocolate cake mix. Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 50-55 min or until no longer jiggly in the middle and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely at room temperature.

Frosting

1 (4 oz) size box French Vanilla Instant pudding mix
1 cup cold milk
8 oz container Cool Whip
4-5 gingersnap cookies, crushed for sprinkling on top (opt)

Mix the milk and the pudding until thick. With mixer on low speed, mix in thawed Cool Whip. When thoroughly mixed, spread over top of the cooled cake and place, covered in fridge until ready to serve. Sprinkle the gingersnaps over the top, if desired.

*Recipe taken from Pinterest Wash You Dry

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Cake

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It was so much fun to make up a recipe today for our friends coming over tonight from church. I have always wanted to try this and I figured before my first heart attack or before all the butter and cream cheese went to my head and caused dementia, I needed to do this. Just finished putting the final touches on it and I can’t wait until we cut it tonight. Randy and I have set a new world record this week for us. Do not ask me why, but we have not had dessert in 4 nights. I do not count the Hershey with Almonds bar I ate last night as dessert. and..he doesn’t count scraping out the last of the Blue Bell Pumpkin Spice Ice cream out of the container as dessert. Those are just things that we eat to clean up the freezer and cabinets.
So tonight, we have real dessert. If we like it as much as i think we will, it will certainly go on our dessert buffet table for Christmas. Hum…after I just wrote that last sentence I started to remember all the desserts I have said that about over the years. It might be time to buy a larger buffet table. But here is the recipe for the cake which we will unveil tonight to our study group of 12…if there is any left over, Randy and I will finish it off tomorrow night until we make a real dessert….remember, leftovers do not count as real dessert….yes, I live in an fantasy world!

Duncan Hines Devils Food Chocolate cake mix, made according to directions on box for 2- 9″ round cake layers. (I added 1 teas almond extract to batter)
Bake as directed and cool.

For the cream cheese layer:
1 (9′) round cake pan sprayed with Pam

1 8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teas vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Pour cream cheese mixture into the prepared 9″ pan and bake at 350 until cheesecake is done…about 20-25 minutes or until knife comes out clean in the middle. Cool and then remove from pan onto a piece of waxed paper.

Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teas vanilla
enough whipping cream or milk to make mixture spreadable (about 1/3 cup, but add by tablespoons until it is of right consistency after doing the 1/3 cup)
5 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter with cocoa. Stir to combine and add powdered sugar and beat until smooth with the milk or whipping cream. Add the vanilla and mix until all is smooth and fluffy.

Place one layer of the chocolate cake on serving platter. Using 2/3 cup of the frosting, frost the top of this layer. Place cream cheese layer on top and frost it with another 1/3 of the frosting. Place 2ned layer of the chocolate cake on top of cheesecake layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting.

Decorate with Chocolate Covered Cherries and chocolate chips.