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

Peanut Butter & Jam Cake

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IMG_4611.JPGAre you like me and the minute you see a recipe which you are dying to try, but instantly decide that you will change up a few things? It was no different when I saw the picture of this amazing looking cake. Today, I decided that it will be our Easter Dessert, but since kids are involved in eating it, I am going to make it a chocolate cake, instead of vanilla. But…what better flavor combinations than chocolate, raspberry and peanut butter? So go wild with different flavors. Don’t be afraid to substitute flavor combinations. After all, don’t you think that was how sushi was probably discovered? They took  a dead raw fish and combined it with rice and bean sprouts and they had a food everyone went goo goo over. So you never know if you might be the next baker or cook which invents a new winning food.

*This recipe was taken from Cooks Country Magazine

For the cake:

Using A Duncan Hines Cake Mix, chocolate or French Vanilla, bake cake according to directions on box using the 2 8″ square (or round) cake pans.

Frosting

16 tables (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tables heavy cream

1 teas vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups seedless raspberry jam

1 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Generously grease 2 8″ square (or round) baking pans and cover pan bottoms with squares of parchment paper. (I do not do this, because, well, I’m either lazy or a rebel, depending on the mood of the day, I just grease the pans with Pam or Butter.) Grease and flour parchment. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until cake tops are light golden and cakes tests done when you insert toothpick in center and it comes out clean.  About 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Run knife around pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto large plates, peel off parchment paper and place on a lightly  greased rack. Cool completely.

Frosting

Using mixer, whip the butter, peanut butter, cream and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Mix until no lumps are left. Whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

To Assemble:

Slice each cake layer in to two equal layers, giving you 4 layers. Spread 1/2 cup jam over each bottom half and replace top half. Place 1 reassembled half on cake plate, then spread 1 cup frosting over the top of that layer. Place second reassembled cake layer on top. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Press peanuts onto sides of cake. Heat remaining 1/4 cup jam in bowl in microwave until melted and smooth. about 20 seconds. Transfer to piping bag or small plastic sandwich bag with 1 corner cut off. Pipe jam in straight lines over top of cake and then drag paring knife through lines to create marbled appearance. Serve.

Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Mrs. Fondren’s Brownies

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Back in the 70’s I use to attend a church which had a great music program. There were 4 men who sang in a quartet which would have given the Blackwood Brothers some serious competition. For those of you who did not grow up with Gospel music, this was a serious type of music that made you feel like dancing in the pews, but also that you were almost at Heaven’s Door. One of the men in the quartet at church was named Herb Fondran. (Yes, I’m getting to the point) and his wife was famous for her brownies which were requested at every gathering at the church. I don’t remember ever going to a fellowship or event hosted for the youth at their house that these brownies were not the main attraction. There is no way to count how many times I have made these through the years. They are a very simple brownie that just has the best chocolate flavor. Because I’m sure I don’t get enough sugar during the day from my M&M’s and pieces of cake or pie which is eaten every time I walk through the kitchen, I always sprinkle sugar on top of these brownies, just in case, I’m short on my sugar quota for the day.  I just found a few left over ones in the freezer from a couple of months ago that I thought I would freeze and use to make ice cream sandwiches, but Randy and I have eaten most of them while unloading groceries. I’m so thankful I bought a new 10 lb sack of sugar when we were at the store, now I can make more. Last night a friend texted me to ask if I would bake her 2 dz brownies for her tomorrow so guess I’ll have to bake a double batch.  After all, what would we do if there were none for us to snack on while watching Kevin Can Wait? IF you have not watched that sit com yet on Monday nights, do yourself a favor. It feels so good to sit and laugh for 30 minutes instead of hiding your eyes trying to watch CSI. Seriously! These brownies freeze very well.  I wrap them in Press and Seal and then put them in a baggie to freeze.

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 teas vanilla

4 eggs

8 Tablespoons cocoa

1 cup flour

1 cup nuts, chopped (if desired)

About 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to sprinkle over the top. OR if you prefer, dust with powdered sugar.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs, add cocoa. Stir in flour and nuts. Pour into a 9″ square pan or a 9×13 if you like them a little thinner. Bake in preheated 325 oven until they are still a little fudge. They will finish baking as they cool. You don’t want to bake them until they are completely done, as they will be a little dry. As soon as you take them out of the oven, sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the top.

 

Uncategorized

Grandkids, Grandparents & Guns

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This weekend our 10 year old grandson, Sevy stayed with us for 4 days. Both Randy and I thought about  when our kids were young, how we would take a sack filled with Matchbox cars, or Barbi’s to grandmas house to entertain the little darlings for the weekend. The grandparents felt fortunate if there was a new Disney movie just coming out that they could take the kids to which would then take up a couple of hours.

We want to be sure that other grandparents out there learn a few new guidelines of how to spend 4 days with a 10 year old, without getting stressed out enough to double up on Geritol (or something stronger) or just “accidentally” leave the kid at Dave & Buster’s.

1. Forget the Barbi’s and Matchbox cars. Just be sure you have enough power strips in the house that will handle all the sweet childs “toys’, so you don’t…

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Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Bonding With Brussels Sprouts?

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The morning began like most others with me sitting with a cup of Earl Gray hot tea and talking to one of our daughters as she drives to school. Most mornings, she uses me to take up her time driving. She had shared with me before, that she calls me to get the “guilt” of talking to her mom out of the way so that is one less thing she has to do as the day goes on. Actually she calls me since she knows that all she has to do is dial my number, set the phone down and she can drink her coffee, eat her bagel and get the “required” phone call out of the way without having to really say too much. So I guess you could say that I “talk” her to school. s (hum….I’m remembering that as I just typed that that Cameron use to tell me the same thing).

Isn’t it so sweet that she feels she can just be totally honest with her mom. Well, this morning was no different. Half way through the conversation, right after she tells me how great the pasta salad was that I had dropped off to her yesterday, she interrupts my “oh honey, I just knew you would love it and that’s why we brought it to you” with….the following:

“Mom, this reminds me of what I wanted to share with you. You know that I want a really close relationship with you, and I know that you show your love with food. BUT….I want a relationship with you that doesn’t make me fat!” What? what did she just say? She went on to tell me, “you know that I love to eat the food you bring over, but maybe we could change the kind of food you bring over. Instead of bringing a huge bowl of pasta salad that, yes, I ended up eating all of, maybe you could bring over a cucumber or cherry tomatoes or maybe a stalk of broccoli” (will be back to finish posting in a min, I have to go take out 4 Kentucky Butter cakes out of the over, oh maybe you know who would like one of these this evening…nope forgot, now she only wants the moldy cucumber that is half eaten in the fridge) OK, I’m back.

So the conversation continued. She began to tell me that she just doesn’t have any will power when I bring over the cakes or cookies, or left over roast and mashed potatoes. Most of you who know us well, know that Randy, aka Mr. MUST HAVE NEW FOOD EACH MEAL, doesn’t eat left overs, so our scraps, oops, I mean left overs, usually go to the kids house. who we nicknamed The Mikey Household, because they truly will eat anything (because they didn’t have to cook it) Anyhow, said daughter goes on to tell me that she knows I usually don’t keep a lot of fresh veggies or fruits in the house because the pounds of butter and cream cheese in the fridge just don’t leave a lot of room for those kinds of foods. It is at this point that she tells me that maybe I could just stop at a local produce market and buy a orange or stalk of celery if I feel like I just have to bring food over to get that warm loving feeling that I get when I take food to people.

Maybe she just doesn’t realize that when I sit and watch her eat the pound of chicken fried steak with left over mashed potatoes and gravy, its not the warm fuzzie feeling from just giving food to her. As I sit there and watch her eat all these great left overs, my mind wanders to “oh yeah, sweetie, just keep eating like that and you will be in stretch pants before your 45. and that loose skin under my arms that you kid me about, well, missy, keep eating like that and we can have contest in a couple of years to see which one of us can wave the longest with that loose skin.” So, I admit  maybe just maybe I have had an ulterior motive in my sharing of food. What she doesn’t realize yet is that there is a method to my madness of sharing all the fattening food. “Oh honey, you gained a pound or 5 having the left over stroganoff I brought over the other, night and you need to borrow my stretch pants? Well of course, I’ll bring them right over, oh and I’ll stop and get us a chocolate frappachino in case you need a little something to cheer you up. ”

Now the conversation will be a little different I guess, “sure, I’ll stop and get you a bag of brussels sprouts and we can sit and have a giant glass of water” Man does that sound like fun; I can hardly wait for our next visit. In the meantime, I think I’ll go have a piece of the Kentucky Butter cake I just took out of the oven and smile just thinking about the fact that as long as I have a chubby little face, my wrinkles will stay filled out and won’t show near as quickly as Ms. Brussels Sprouts skinny little face. Oops did I just type that out loud?

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

Easter Breakfast Green Chile Casserole

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Needing to take a breakfast casserole Tuesday morning for about 20 ladies, I began to scroll through the internet and came across this one. I had never made one with canned biscuits before so decided that it sounded really good and different. It was really really good. I did a little modifying but basically kept the basic ingredients. A neighbor came over and took home the leftover 4 squares to reheat for their breakfast this morning and she texted and said it was still delicious. So if you are wanting a very easy breakfast casserole that can be made the night before to pop in the oven the next morning, this is your recipe.

1 large can of biscuits (I used Grand Brand, see what I did there>)

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage (the store was out of all the original so I bought the sage, it was great) (of course, you could use chopped up ham, or crumbled bacon instead or go for it and use a little of each, your physical isn’t until summer)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or mild if that is your preference)

1 or 2 small cans of mild green chiles (I used one and it had enough green chile flavor for us)

8 eggs (I used 9 because I didn’t want just one egg left over in the carton)

1/2 teas dry mustard

1/2 cup milk

salt, pepper and about 1/2 teas garlic powder (to taste)

1 packet of McCormick Cream gravy mix

1 1/2 cups water

Fry sausage until no longer pink and crumble into small pieces. Set aside.

Grease a deep 9×13″ baking dish (if you have the large Paula Deen casserole dish, it worked perfect).  Using a pizza cuter, cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Spread them onto the bottom of the baking dish.  Sprinkle cooled sausage over the biscuits. Cover the sausage with the cheese.

Mix the eggs with the dry mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk with the milk until milk and eggs are blended well. Pour over the cheese. If you are going to bake it in the morning, this is where you cover it and place in fridge. If you are baking now, mix the gravy mix with the 1 1/2 cups water. Pour over the egg mixture and bake, covered for about 45 to 6s0 minutes. Check for doneness and be sure biscuits are completely baked.

The directions on the recipe which I was making said that you might need to uncover it the last 10 min of baking  to get that pretty golden color. I did not need to do that, it browned very nicely still covered.

If you bake it in the morning, it will need a little more baking time, as it will be cold. Before baking, mix the water and gravy mix and pour over the top. Cover and bake as directed above, and remember to  add a little more time to allow for it being cold. Serve with picante sauce, and fruit compote (which there is a great one on the blog). A perfect easy and quick way to serve for brunch.

Serves about 12 depending on size of portions you need per person.

 

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Wilted Hearts

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Last evening when I walked into the den, I looked over to see a cast iron plant with leaves that were drooped over the flower pot. I took the plant into the kitchen and ran the hose over the leaves being sure the dirt was soaked before returning it to the den. This morning, walking into the den, I glanced over and saw that the water had indeed restored the plant and the leaves were now beautifully standing tall and soaking in the sun. As I walked over to my chair, it dawned on me that just like this plant, sometimes I feel wilted and need refreshment. It was at this moment I began to think about writing about the similarities of wilted hearts and wilted plants, when Randy walks in and says, “isn’t it amazing how just watering a plant can transform it?” Now normally you wouldn’t think anything about that, but just the fact that Randy had noticed the difference and then commented on it was, well, to say the least, odd. He just doesn’t comment about things like that. In fact, I never knew he even noticed when a plant needed water or attention of any kind.  Immediately, I couldn’t wait to sit down and write about the refreshment of our souls.

Isn’t it wonderful that when our lives feel wilted, as they do from time to time, from circumstances, or trials which have begun to take their toll on us, we can go to the source from which all our hope, our strength and our refreshment is given….Jesus Christ. His Word tells us that, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,they can walk and not grow weary, we shall run and not faint,  they shall mount up wings as eagles!”

Isa 40:31

 

That is His promise to us. He meets us at our points of need. His love is truly a “fountain of living water” that nourishes our lives, allowing us to walk through our trials; that the brokenness which we might be feeling, can be transformed into knowing  that there is someone who is capable of giving us a life of spiritual abundance.  We can live with a joy knowing that God loves us and cares for us so much that He gave us His Son to pay for our sin. He took our place on Calvary so that we do not have to live a life of defeat. That is what we will be celebrating April 16th. A risen Savior who gave His life for us. Who loves us unconditionally. All He ask is that we give Him our love and admit that each of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

As we celebrate Easter in 12 days, may we recognize the need to love the Lord for who He is and not just for what He can do for us. My prayer is going to be that I may decrease that He may increase. That just like the plant which was wilted and needed water, I pray that I will recognize my need of the Lord to refresh my spirit, not looking to the world or others to give me what I need. May my eyes and my heart become so focused on the Lord that my life will point others to Him, by my love and actions to those who I come in contact.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

 

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Vanilla-Brownie Ripple Pound Cake

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Just finished taking this out of the oven and have had 3 pieces. Delicious! Simple flavors which come together with a great taste of vanilla and the chocolate brownie ripple in each bite just makes a great dessert (Randy is already planning tonight to have a slice with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and hot fudge poured over the top). Perfect for that 10 a.m. snack with coffee. Taken from Southern Living March 2017.

Brownie Ripple Batter

6 tables unsalted butter

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 large egg

1/4 teas vanilla extract

Pound Cake batter

2 cups flour

1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas kosher salt

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 tables vanilla bean paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325.

Brownie Batter:

Lightly coat 9x5x3″ loaf pan with cooking spray or grease with butter. Combine butter and chocolate and melt in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar, flour, egg and vanilla and whisk until completely blended. Set aside.

Vanilla Cake Batter:

In a bowl, sift (or stir) together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla paste or extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream just until smooth.

Add flour mixture one-third at a time, mixing on low speed just until blended with the sugar mixture.

Spoon half of the pound cake batter into prepared loaf pan. Spoon the brownie batter over cake batter, covering the brownie layer with the remaining cake batter. Using the back of a spoon, smooth batter carefully until it covers the brownie batter.

Bake cake in middle of preheated oven until cake tests done when knife is inserted into middle of cake. About 1 hr and 30 minutes. (instructions said about an hour and 45 min, but mine did not take that long) If cake begins to brown to quickly before testing done, cover the top loosely with foil.

Cool cake in pan for about 30 minutes before removing to a platter. Slice and serve.

Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Pies · Uncategorized

Spring & Summer Peach Pie

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IMG_4568A new friend who is my neighbor brought me this recipe. Her grandmother use to make it and she said it is just delicious and perfect for those spring and summer luncheons or just dessert when you are sitting out on the front porch enjoying the summer breeze. As soon as I read the recipe, I ran (well, actually I drove) to the store and bought peaches and orange jello and it is now sitting in my fridge, just waiting to be sliced onto a plate for our enjoyment. Seeing it sit there this afternoon, I couldn’t stand it, so I took a spoon and went in for the taste. It is so refreshing and so light, it is just a great recipe to cool you down after a barbecue or heavy dinner. Thanks so much Patti for sharing it. Think Dreamcicle! in a pie!

Crust:

Combine 1 cup flour

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine the ingredients, except the pecans and cut with pastry cutter until butter is like small peas and well incorporated in with the flour and brown sugar. Then add the pecans.

Pat into a 9×13 baking dish and bake in a preheated 400 oven for about 12-15 minutes or until crust is a light golden color. Remove from oven and crumble with fork. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumbs and pat remaining crumbled mixture into a 9″ pie pan. Place in fridge to cool while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

2 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup hot water

3 oz box of orange jello (or you could use peach jello if you can find it in your area)

1 pint vanilla ice cream (Randy was so excited that we found Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla to use)

Add hot water (almost boiling) to jello. Stir until jello is dissolved. Add the ice cream and peaches. Stir and pour into chilled pie crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until it is set. Serve alone or topped with whipped cream.

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Soups · Uncategorized

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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Last week a dear sweet new friend of mine, Marilyn, from church knew that I was struggling with bronchitis and brought this great soup over for our dinner. To say it was great is really an understatement. It was so good, I kept standing at the counter eating it out of the container it was in even before dinnertime. She said I could post it after telling me that she combined about 3 recipes to get this result. Of course with whipping cream in it, what did I expect except a most wonderful soup.

1 box (6 oz) long-grain and wild rice mix, prepared according to directions on box.

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 table oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 teas dried tarragon

1/4 teas dried thyme

1/4 teas pepper

1/2 teas salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tables cornstarch

2 tables white wine

Saute mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Add rice, broth, chicken, tarragon, thyme, pepper and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and small amount of heavy cream tomato a smooth paste. Stir into vegetable mixture along with rest of heavy cream and wine.Cook 3 to 5 min until soup is thickened.

Serves 4 to 6 depending on size of bowls you use

Breads · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

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If you know me you know that I’m not a very healthy baker or eater. But I figure that if I can run around with a couple of healthy people, some of their good cholesterol and vibes just might rub off on me. Cecilia is probably one of my most healthy friends. She walks and pushes her Fitbit to the limit. Her recipes are ones in which the folks on the biggest loser would be proud to serve. She and I are complete opposite in our cooking but she puts up with and indulges me when they come to see us. This recipe is one she sent when she read that I was going to post at least 2 healthy recipes this month. I have been so busy baking strawberry pies,chocolate almond pies, lemon and orange cakes that I almost forgot that I said I would post a healthy recipe. So before I go to the kitchen to make cream cheese frosting, here for you crazy, healthy size 4 people is my second healthy recipe. Cecilia assures me that they are delicious. I have to admit, everything I have eaten that she made has been wonderful. She got this recipe from her niece Rebecca. Thank you Rebecca for allowing me to share this.

Makes 12 muffins

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree (canned)

1 heaping cup oat flour (directions on this below)

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teas salt

1 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

3 tables unsweetened almond milk

a Splash of Apple cider vinegar

Handful or 2 of mini chocolate chips (she used Enjoy Life brand which is dairy, soy, and gluten free)

You can also add a handful or walnuts or pecans.

Preheat oven to 350. She said that she just lightly greased the muffin pans because the muffins will stick to muffin liners.

First, you need to make your oat flour if you don’t have any on hand.

She just took gluten free rolled oats and pulsed them in the blender until they turned into a powder (very easy and quick)

In a small bowl, mix the almond milk and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix coconut oil and apple sauce together well. Add honey. Then add the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Mx until all are combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: oat flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Then slowly mix your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients.

Gently fold in your almond milk mixture until well mixed.

Last, throw in the chips and gently fold into mixture.

Fill the cupcake pan about 2/3 of the way. Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes or until muffins tests done. Remove from oven and let sit about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a baking rack to cool completely. It is at this point I would probably take one of the warm muffins and cut it in half to poke a big slice of butter on it. Of course, that would ruin the “healthy” part but it sure would taste good.

Thank you Cecilia and Rebecca. These do sound really good and I do plan to make them. I even have Trader Joes Gluten free oats on hand because I use them in our favorite oatmeal cookie recipe that isn’t healthy, but the oats make amazing cookies.