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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Mary's Chocolate Cake

This is not my recipe. I post this only for my own reference. This is Williams most favorite cake recipe and we love it more because we love the woman you made this for us for years! We miss you turner Fam!!

Chocolate Cake

Pre-heat oven 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a jelly roll pan.
 
Bring these ingredients to a boil, then add to flour and sugar mixture:
 
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
4 tablespoons of cocoa
 
Flour / Sugar mixture:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
 
Mix well, then add:
 
½ cup butter milk or sour milk (to make sour milk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to milk and let set for a few minutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
 
 
Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.  Cake will look moist on top.  Let cool and frost.

Monday, September 12, 2011

New Recommends

Company Chicken****

This was as good as I remember it being, but this recipe amped it up a bit. I follow this pretty close, excet I browned the bacon after cutting it in half so one piece of bacon topped one piece of chicken. Then I browned the breasts in the bacon drippings (just about tbsps worth). Then I put them in the baking dish. This is SUCH a yummy dinner or lunch, which is what we had. Must try, but remember its not very figure friendly.

Cheddar Beer Soup **

This was just pretty good. I did add a sauted group of celery, onion and carrots and also boiled some potatoes and added the potatoe water to thicken the soup, it just was very bland. I don't know if I will make this again, but maybe. Need a TON more salt and thats kinda not too cool to me when I cook, I don't want to add gallons of salt to a recipe! :D

Bangers and Mash ***

I Loved the Mash on this one and will continue to make it. The bangers were okay, but not like the real thing, although the gravy was tasty. I will tweak it again next time like I did this time. But I don't want to do the exact same thing again. But I want a more beefy sauce with the flavor of carmelized onions and such. For the mash I sauteed some slaw mix and then added it to the salted and peppered mash with a little butter and milk, just a touch, it was YUMMMY.. so the bangers get ** and the mash gets ****!

Mac and Cheese with Onions and Bacon****

This was straight up comfort bonanza! WOWIE! I carmelized the onions while the other things cooked and mixed them with the bacon and stired them into the finished pasta and then baked it all with panko sprinkled on top with some parm! Just fabulous! WOWOWOWOW!!!

Buffalo Chicken Bites ***

Yum! Good easy comfort food. I have either been in a comfort food zone lately or a light and tasty mood. So this had fit the bill well! Enjoy it!!!

Glazed Carrots ***

I made this for a friend a couple of months ago, and tried a bite, don't tell her I did. it was really good. I wanted to make it for my own fam, but didn't get around to it yet! :D

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Sweet and Savory Apple Pancake Bake

Here is the original recipe that inspired my version of this meal:

2 apples chopped into small bites
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 pound of bacon (frozen for a bit and then sliced into thin bits for browning)
1 1/2 c baking mix
1 1/2 c milk
1 c. liquid eggs
4 tbsp brown sugar (divided)
4 tbsp real maple sugar (divided)
2 c. shredded cheddar
2 apples peeled and then diced

Spray two pie pans with baking spray and preheat oven to 375. Place the diced apples into the pie plates, one apple per plate. add the brown sugar to the apples and mix until well coated. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, baking mix and milk until  together, may be a bit lumpy. pour the baking mixture over the apples adding an equal amout to each pie plate. meanwhile brown the bacon in a pan, rending as much fat as possible (this means you brown on a low setting). Drain the bacon on towels and add the red onion to the hot oil and slowly carmelize the onion in the bacon drippings. Then add two tbsps each of the maple syrup to the pie pans of apple mixture. When the onions are browned and tender sprinkle half into each pie plate. Do the same with the bacon. I stirred each pie plate at this point to make sure everything was evenly distributed and that the maple syrup didn't just sink to the bottom. Then add the cheddar (half in each pie plate) and press it until it sinks under the batter. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is golden and a tooth pick or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Slice into eight pieces each and serve warm with more real maple syrup.

This is like a big apple/bacon/cheddar pancake...We enjoyed it!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Pasta with Carmelized Onions, Parmesan and a Balsamic glaze

1/2 pkg angle hair pasta cooked to pkg directions
1-2 onions slices in half and then thinly slices into half moons
1-2 tbsps brown sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
butter
Parmesan cheese

In a skillet melt several tbsp butter and add the onions, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Allow to brown slowly on med/low heat, stirring often until they turn a carmel color and are sweet and gooey. Meanwhile in a small skillet add the balsamic vinegar and simmer until reduced by half and becoming a syrup like substance. When the onions are done add to the pasta (which you have added a little butter to stop from sticking to each other) with a generous amount of parm. Finish the balsamic sauce with a touch of butter and pour over all the pasta/onions. Serve immediately. YUMMMY!!!!!

Bake Marinated Chicken Fingers

equal parts of a vinegar and an oil (I usually use olive oil and have tried both cider and balsamic vinegar)
salt and pepper
1 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
Other dried spices as your tastes prefer (I have done celery seed, poultry seasoning, etc)
1-2 tbsp mustard (dijon, grainy, or other mustard you prefer)
1 pkg chicken breasts or tenderloins
ziplock or other pkg to marinate in

mix the first 6 ingreds until well blended. Add the chicken and turn to coat each piece. Place in fridge for 8 hours or over night. Preheat oven to 375 and place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until chix is golden and tender and cooked through. Eat and enjoy!