10 posts tagged “recipe”

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 You know how its a good thing children are so cute at times because it keeps you from killing them in their developing years? Well, if you happen to have a teenager casting heated glances your way, perhaps you should make this cake as your own life insurance policy. :)
    This has always been my favorite cake, although I don't remember Mama actually making it any time other than our yearly family reunion. She would make it three days before, set it at eye level in the fridge (not sure if that was intentional or not), and keep it there, untouched, until the reunion day. It was pure torture.
    On the day of the reunion, her father would hook a huge flatbed trailer up to his tractor and pull it up alongside their farmhouse. The ladies would then appear with an assortment of tablecloths and sheets to cover the wagon before everyone started placing their dishes upon our makeshift table. I would watch for two things :my mom's Mandarin Orange Cake and whichever little old lady had deviled eggs with red stuff (paprika) sprinkled on top.
    My mother made this cake for our family reunion this year, which was actually canceled due to rain. She lives over half an hour from me, but knowing this was sitting in her fridge was just as torturous as it was when I lived at home.
    My mother did this entire tutorial for my blog, took all the pictures I mean. I'm impressed! Mama is.....like......ALMOST...a modern woman now! Look at you, Janie Gail, blogging! ~snickers~
   

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Grease and flour (Or just use Baker's Joy or Crisco with Flour spray) three eight inch cake pans. Preheat Oven to 350.

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Dice mandarin oranges, save the juice because all of that goes in with them.

Combine all ingredients and mix well, about two minutes.

Divide evenly among prepared pans. Bake for thirty minutes or until cakes test done.

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Turn out to cool completely.

TIME TO MAKE FROSTING! THE BEST BEST BEST BEST BEST PART!!!! (I really like this frosting!)

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Small box vanilla instant pudding, small can crushed pineapple, 13 Oz cool whip. You CAN use sugar free pudding and lite or fat free cool whip here! Don't drain your pineapple!

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Mix pudding mix and pineapple together until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip.

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Place first layer on plate, top with icing and then place other layer on top, repeat until you have all layers on (this is the easy part, I'm just humoring you here. Go ahead and eat some of the icing, we'll skimp later so you have enough).
Continue until your entire cake is iced!

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Put it in the fridge, at eye level of the smallest people in your house just to make the torture complete, and for the next three days remind them its in here with little statements like "Don't you mess with my cake! Thats for the reunion!" each and every time they open the fridge, just to make sure they don't forget its there. :) This is the best summer cake!

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

1 box yellow cake mix    1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges diced, undrained

4 eggs                                                

½ c. oil

Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Frosting

1 sm. Box instant vanilla pudding mix                   1 (13 oz) cool whip

1 sm. Can crushed pineapple,  undrained              

 

Mix pudding mix and pineapple together with spoon. Fold in cool whip until well blended. Frost cake. Keep refrigerated. Best if made 1 or 2 days ahead and refrigerated before serving.

 

*Be sure to check out my other tutorials on Homemade Banana Pudding, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Buttermilk BIscuits! Tutorials coming soon" Homemade Apple Pie, Southern Milk Gravy, Butter Roll (a dessert), Ho Cake, and more!

       I LOVE and adore banana pudding, real banana pudding. By real I mean the kind where you make the pudding from scratch and pour it warm over a bowl of yummy Nilla wafers and fresh cut bananas. That stuff with boxed pudding mix cannot even come close to how this tastes. If you think you've had banana pudding before and it involved a boxed pudding mix...THAT was not banana pudding! THIS is Banana Pudding!

Puddingingredients

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Put a layer of Nilla wafers in the bottom of a medium sized mixing bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat these layers until you've used up all your nilla wafers and bananas. It really is important that you put Nilla wafers first, by the way. These are going to soak up all the yummy pudding that settles at the bottom of your bowl. I use a mixing bowl because thats what my mother always used. She had this Corning green glass mixing bowl, it was enormous. She must have made at least two recipes of banana pudding each time she made it. Seeing that bowl on the counter was always a welcome sight!

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Crack your three eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Since we aren't making a meringue, we won't be using the whites. You can save them for another use or throw them away (which I did because....I just care about my banana pudding right now.)

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Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar (or splenda), and a dash of salt in a saucepan. You can use a double broiler for this and not have to fret over it so much, but I just like living on the edge. Muhahaha! My trick for substituting splenda for sugar in this is to always use just a wee bit less than the recipe calls for. If it calls for a cup of sugar, I might do a cup minus two tablespoons of splenda. To me, that keeps it from tasting artificial.

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Put this on the stovetop on medium low heat and stir it really well with a whisk. You can also just use a spoon for this.

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When you are done stirring it up well, it will look something like this.

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Now settle in and BE PATIENT. You need to stir the pot constantly, scraping the bottom so none of it gets a chance to stick and scorch. This will take about fifteen minutes so I usually get something to read while I stand there and stir because I don't think I've ever "just" done one thing for fifteen minutes straight.
    Today I read a few articles from the new issue of PopSci. I love that magazine. This one shows you how you can turn your iPod or even iPhone into a projector that will project movies onto your wall up to 5' x 7'! All you need are a small cosmetic mirror, a cardboard box, some tape, and a lense from an old slide projector. I actually want to do this. Anyone have an old slide projector? ~grins~
    Seriously, be patient, keep stirring, don't turn the heat up past four. This is going to take a long time and do nothing, but then ALL OF A SUDDEN it will be thicker.
Yes, I need to clean my stove. I started to photoshop that out but then decided....."eh".

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Now, your pudding isn't going to get super thick, but after about fifteen minutes of stirring, it will suddenly get thicker. The consistency will be about what that boxed pudding is right after you mix it before it sets well. TAKE IT OFF THE EYE! Quick! we don't want it to scorch or keep getting thicker. Now if you end up with scorched pudding or lumpy pudding, just use it anyway and pay attention to me when I tell you to slow down next time!

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Add a teaspoon of vanilla and stir.

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Immediately pour over your bananas and wafers.

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Okay, lets see what else I made, OOH! Homemade granola!!! That was REALLY good and it was something I'd never made before!

I used my FAVORITE Oats, Silver Palette brand. The recipe was on the back of the box!

Silver Palate Outrageous Granola

Mix together in a large bowl. Transfer onto a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick butter flavored spray. Bake at 325 degree F for 35-45 minutes stirring once in-between. Allow to cool completely on tray. Store in airtight jars or containers.

YUM! This was good! Be sure you seal it up good though or it gets tough.

~continued from previous post~

I also made her "Crash Hot Potatoes" and learned that...she wasn't kidding when she said to be generous with the salt! I was not to begin with but quickly found my error when they were done and just popped those puppies right back in. I'm using her pic again here because....well her pic was pretty so there was no sense in trying to trump it!

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For this recipe, you just need to go to her website. She has step by step instructions with accompanying pics. :) I used Basil for my herb. :) These were good and easy. Makes good "man food". Recipe here

This has been a great week for cooking and for it to only be Tuesday, thats really saying something. I have tried so many new recipes and a few oldie but goodies, every one coming out as perfect as it could be.

First of all, go to the Pioneer Woman's website. Stay there for at least an hour or two. READ HER LOVE STORY of how she met her husband (dubbed "Marlboro Man") and most of all, TRY HER RECIPES!!

Here is the carrot cake recipe I made this week. It is from her Aunt Sigrid. Wherever you are Sigrid, I LOVE YOU!

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This is her pic, no way mine could have been as pretty!
Sigrid’s Carrot Cake

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and combine. Add carrots and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured (or Baker’s Joyed) pan (Bundt, sheet cake, 9 x 13 Pyrex) and bake until done, 25 to 50 minutes, depending on the pan you use. Cool completely.

Icing:
1 stick (1/4 pound) regular butter, softened
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped finely
2 teaspoons vanilla

In large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla and blend, then mix in the nuts. Spread on cooled carrot cake.

I made this on Monday and did not realize it until I took my one allowed bite and heard "Jingle Bells" in my head that...this is typically a Christmas only dessert for us. Well, believe you me, I'm gonna remedy that! This is a good sturdy cake, perfect for traveling and even eating with your hands if need be!

I made this a few days ago and everyone always enjoys it when I do. Honestly, how could you go wrong with these ingredients? For a prettier presentation, you could put individual servings in miniature trifle bowls. When its just us, I simply layer it in a large mixing bowl :P

1- 9 x 13 size package of Brownie Mix, prepared and baked according to directions on box
20 peanut butter cups (can use less)
Large box vanilla instant pudding mix
2- 2/3 c cold milk
½ c creamy peanut butter
2 c frozen whipped topping, thawed

Cut cooled brownies into one inch squares, set aside. Coarsely chop the peanut butter cups and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pudding mix with milk and beat on low with an electric mixer for two minutes or
until thickened. Add peanut butter; beat until smooth. Gently fold in half of the whipped cream.

Place half of the brownies in the bottom of a 3 quart glass bowl or trifle dish. Top with half the pudding and half of
the chopped candy; Repeat. Top with remaining whipped cream.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

dishpan cookies

I had these cookies for the first time on a twelve hour bus ride with the Red Hat Society going to Dallas, Texas. This sweet little old lady made them. They taste as good now as they did then! I just love cookies

2 c lt brown sugar

2 c white sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 c vegetable oil

4 eggs

4 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 ½ c oats

4 c cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a very large bowl or dishpan, cream together the margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. You can’t use your kitchenaid for this unless you do it in batches, this is the one time I pull out my old stand mixer. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Then mix in the corn flakes cereal and rolled oats. Drop by ¼ measuring cup onto ungreased cookie sheets. This batter will be kinda dry and you may have to moosh it together with your hands to get it to be in a ball when you put it on the pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned. If you want them chewy, bake a little less. I ALWAYS double this recipe and do about half chewy and half crunchy. They keep really really well and are great for breakfast.

     My prediction of spring in the previous entry came to fruition today with daffodils bursting forth in my yard and the necessity to run the air conditioner for the first time this year! We had a gorgeous sunny day with a high of 73.

     I’ll try to remember how lovely it was during the smoldering southern days this summer.

    Anna and Lucy (see their blogs by looking into my neighborhood) have gotten me wanting to cook more with their blogs and I found myself at the grocery store today with the sole intent of gathering the ingredients for our family casserole just so I could bake it, take a pic, and put the recipe on my blog.

    They have such lovely pics…..lol. I definitely need to play with my food more!

     Even before I was a mom, I loved casseroles. All those wonderful things tossed into one dish and usually topped with cheese, how can you go wrong? I still say there is nothing more beautiful than the sight of an old lady with a casserole dish!

    This particular one was what won my husband over to casseroles after a lifetime of avoiding them. It became his favorite at first taste and I even found my finicky son watching the over timer earlier today while this was baking. I call it our family casserole because it is our standard fare for any occasion warranting a dish to be brought. If you have a death in the family, birth, particularly bad week, or a few other random events which we feel warrant it, myself or my mother will likely show up at your door with a recipe of this. The blend of cheese, pasta, chicken, vegetables, and seasonings are sure to make you feel better.

      Thankfully, its awfully easy to make and freezes exceptionally well.A hint on freezing: rather than taking up excess space with bulky containers, simply spoon this casserole into gallon ziplock bags and freeze flat. Once frozen, you can stack them like book ends and save tons of space in the freezer. If I want to take one of these to someone, I get the bag out the night before and thaw in the fridge overnight. I think pour it into a disposable aluminum pan (the last thing Aunt Martha wants to do after a death in the family is try to track down dish owners), cover with foil and tape the bags of cheese and French fried onions to the top. You can even write the baking directions directly onto the foil with a sharpie for more ease.

So here you go, Country Casserole. It may not be fancy, it may not be pretty, but it sure is good.

Country Casserole

Country Casserole

 
2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained

2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

One can French fried onions, divided

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use canned chicken)

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ cup milk

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the onions for topping later. Spoon into 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for twenty five minutes. Top with remaining onions and cheese, bake until cheese is melted, about five minutes more.

*I always make at LEAST a double recipe of this and freeze the other half. It is no more trouble to double it and it saves you a night of cooking later on!

I saw these on another blog and decided to make them, here is the original link:

http://lucyzhang.vox.com/library/post/cake-truffles.html

They are simply divine and really much easier to make than I expected!
I did mine a little differently from hers (coz I'm always in a hurry!) so I'm going to post what I did here :)

Cake Truffles!
Confetti cake (made from mix, cooked according to directions on box. Hers were so pretty so I wanted mine                       to look the same, lol!)
Homemade buttercream icing (ONLY Half of that recipe!)
White almond bark

Cool cake and crumple it with your hands into a dishpan or large bowl. There is no need to be delicate here, we're just going to moosh it up later. Pour buttercream icing into the bowl and mix it well with your hands. The consistency will resemble uncooked cornbread dressing. Place contents in a large ziplock bag and cut the tip off. Pip onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet in truffle shapes, approximately one to one and a half inch balls. Freeze until hard, several hours.

In microwave, melt almond bark according to package directions. Using two spoons, dip each truffle into the chocolate and coat well. Let dry on same wax lined cookie sheet. Store in freezer for longer term or on counter top to eat within the week.