Pop's B'day cake: Coconut with cherries on top!

Nana has made this cake for Pop's birthday for as long as I can remember!!
The seven minute frosting is a bit tricky, but you can bet the cake is absolutely the best white cake recipe you'll EVER find! Below, in Nana's own words,
THE RECIPE!

Pop's birthday cake is from a Betty Crocker cook book I (Nana) received as a wedding gift I think from Aunt Betty but I could be wrong about that . Anyway it has to be over 57 years old.
(PS... Aunt Bette gave me the revised version of the same cookbook as her wedding gift to me and Troy... why change a good thing?)

Rich Silver Cake

2 9" layers 350 degrees ( I bake at 325 because my ovens are convection ovens) 30 to 35 minutes I grease and flour and line the pans with wax paper.

cream together until fluffy: 1 cup soft shortening

2 cups sugar

sift together : 3 cups sifted SOFTASILK flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

stir in alternately with : 1 1/3 "thin" milk ( now that we

have low fat milk I use 2%

2 tsp almond flavoring ( the recipe

calls for vanilla but we prefer

almond

fold in : 6 egg whites stiffly beaten

I chill these layers in the refrigerator over night and they will be easier to work with! This is a very tender cake. This will make a 9" cake , when I want to do a 12" I half again the recipe.

Nectarine, Corn and Black Bean Salsa

NECTARINE, CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

We fixed this yesterday, May 8, 2009 after the BG track meet and the day of 105 degree heat!!! such a cooling and pretty end to a day of 3 blue ribbons and 2 red! Way to smoke the track KGC!!! We're proud of you... let's celebrate!
Ingredients
juice of two limes
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

4 ripe nectarines (or you can use mango.. Emily likes the refrigerated jarred ones)
1 -11oz. can of whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1-15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, cored, seeded and finely diced (OPTIONAL in our family!)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (OPTIONAL!)
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (I like to use RED)
2 bunches of green onions
freshly ground sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
Thin lime slices and sprigs of fresh mint for garnish.
Directions
Whisk together the lime juice, cumin and hot sauce in a bowl, and set aside.
Mix all remaining ingredients (except for the salt and pepper) together in another bowl.
Pour the juice mixture over the other ingredients and gently mix with a spoon.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill for at least one hour.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and lime slices.
Serve with organic, blue corn chips as an appetizer.

We love Julio chips even if they are a bit salty... but the blue corn is pretty with the colors of the dish...

It looks like a celebration.....Troy loves the bit of spice from the Tabasco and would add more to his individual serving!

Nana's Brownie Cake

Nana's Brownie Cake

*this is my mother's favorite cake... VERY chocolate, very moist, and, for us, none better!

we will do this for Nana's birthday every year!!! as long as I can remember!

melt and boil (I use the microwave these days :)

1 stk butter

1/2 c shortening

4 T cocoa

1 C water

pour into: 2 C flour

2 C sugar

pinch of salt

mix and add: 2 eggs

1/2 C buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk on hand... today I didn't... use 1/2 c milk and add 1 T lemon juice... let it sit for 5 minute and use as buttermilk... works great!)
1 t soda

Mix and pour into Pyrex sheet cake pan (I use the med. size one)
cook 30 minutes at 350 degrees (until toothpick comes out clean)
Icing:
melt: 1 stick butter
4T cocoa
6 T milk
mix into above liquid: 1 box powdered sugar
1 T vanilla
1 C chopped nuts (notice hint at bottom of recipe)

pour over warm (NOT HOT) cake....

hint: 1/2 our family likes nuts, 1/2 don't!

hence.... we pour 1/2 icing over cake and then mix nuts into the other 1/2 and pour over remainder of cake.... gotta please the crowd!

*** this is even better if you can make it a day ahead... only gets better as it sits a while!

Canadian Cheese Soup

Helen Corbitt's Canadian Cheese Soup

*this is one of Nana's best!!!

(I think she got the recipe from a cafeteria we frequented EVERY Sunday after church)

(recipe for 8 servings... so we usually doubled the recipe)

1/4 C butter

1/2 C finely diced onion

1/2 C finely diced carrots

1/2 C finely diced celery

1/4 C flour

1 1/2 T cornstarch

1 QT chicken stock (use organic free range best!.. )

1 QT milk

1/8 t soda

1 C shredded cheddar cheese (I use a bit more)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T parsley (chopped fine)

Melt butter in the pot in which you will cook soup.
(to chop veggies, I pour 1/2 stock in blender and then veggies... pulse on chop... then scoop the veggies out of stock from blender into the melted butter in pan, reserve the stock in blender)

Saute veggies in butter over low heat until soft.

Add flour and cornstarch and cook until bubbly.

Add stock and milk to make a smooth sauce.

Add soda and the grated cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add parsley a few minutes before you serve.

hint: if you cook this at too high a temp, it will separate instead of being smooth.

After you've added the soda and cheese.... just let it melt into a smooth hearty soup.

*we like to serve with Sister Shubert rolls and a fruit salad.... Enjoy one of our family favorites!

Chicken and Dumplings X 2 + suggestions

Chicken and Dumplings

*tonight was probably the last cold cold night of 2009 so we took the opportunity for one of the

ultimate Texas comfort food!

Pressure Cooker method...

*fill pot with cut up chicken (I prefer to use some with skin, but most unskinned pieces)

*add 2 handfuls of baby carrots

*2-4 stalks celery cut into pieces

*1 cut up onion

*garlic (I use 7-10 cloves)

*salt/pepper/curry powder to taste

*fill with water to 1-2inches below top of cooker

*put lid on cooker and turn heat to medium

*after the cooker begins to steam from top, cook for 15-20 minutes

(do not let cooker steam dry!! pay attention!)

*remove from heat... DO NOT TAKE OFF LID!!!

*let pressure die down until you can wiggle little top and no steam comes out

*remove lid and let the stew cool
*after cooled... put into refrigerator to let fat harden to be removed before you add dumplings
(thanks Kyle for reminding me!! GREAT easy way to remove fat from broth!!)

Dumplings:
*canned biscuits (organic store have these now) I used Pillsbury dinner rolls to make the dumplings for this batch

*after you skim fat,

*remove bones from chicken (be sure to get the little ones!!)
*put back onto stove and bring to boil
*divide rolls into thirds and roll into balls for dumplings

*drop balls into the boiling broth... they will swell up, but just keep adding (I used 2 cans)

*use spoon to push the new dumplings under the broth

*after you add all dumplings... let it simmer on low for another 20-30 minutes.. stir down a couple of times...make sure all dumplings get cooked through

ENJOY on a cold day with lots of family!!!

makes great leftovers!

below the pictureof our last cold 2009 day,

is Cindy Solomon's grannies recipe... Thanks Cindy for another version

Sue Bradley's Chicken and Dumplings

*cut up a whole chicken and cook till it falls off the bone

*debone and add 1 stick of butter

dumplings

2cups flour

1/2 c salt

1/4 c butter

water to make a stiff dough

Mix all ingredients adding water last

when dough forms a ball, dust counter with flour

pour dough onto flour and dust with flour to work dough

roll out like working a pie crust

cut into strips (you don't want your dough too thin)

have broth of chicken boiling

drop dumplings into broth

after all dumplings are in broth boil for 20 minutes low heat

when done, salt and pepper to taste

yields 4 servings

(Sue always tripled the recipe)

Cheese Egg and Green Chili Cassarole

Cheese and Green Chili casserole

(made by Louise Lockhart for my wedding shower, April of 1975)

**understand that this is one of our MOST used family recipes, and as yet, I've not found one to compete with it's flavor and versatility**

Begin with FRESH EGGS!!! (recipe at end of pictures)

Use a blender or hand held beater to mix flour, eggs and milk
I make several recipes at once as it freezes beautifully...

we even freeze individual servings to heat later or send on trips.

**this was the recipe I would take on every ski (water or snow) trip we ever took with groups!\

DO NOT USE FOIL PANS!!!!

To designate hot chilies, bacon, or ground beef areas, I use peppers on the end of the casserole with the difference. That way children can be sure not to get a hot bite!

Recipe:

*line large glass casserole pan with soft corn tortillas (usually 6 med. sized)

*top with med can of chopped green chilies

(here you can add crumbled bacon, ground beef, sausage, or jalapenos if you want)

*spread 6+ cups of grated cheese (mild cheddar or longhorn) on top of chilies

*beat 6 fresh eggs + 1/2 cup flour + 2 cups milk

*pour over cheese

*bake 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees

*top servings with sour cream and picante

ENJOY~~~~ with fun family and friends!

we have for so many years!

Almond Syrup (my wedding punch)

Almond Syrup

golden and sparkly in a crystal punch bowl

(this was my wedding punch May 17, 1975)

recipe provided then by Mary Mathieson

5 C sugar

2 C water

1/2 teaspoon fruit fresh

1 oz bottle of vanilla extract

1 oz bottle of almond extract

mix all ingredients in a quart saucepan

boil till all is dissolved

*this will keep a LONG time in the refrigerator to use as needed*

recipe will serve 70 people

1 C syrup to 1 quart of ginger ale

Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls

before
after

Cindy's Cinnamon Roll Recipe

** Cindy was a great friend from my Jr. High... even elementary school days in Abilene, at Mann Jr. High, and then Abilene High School..... Thanks so much for the contribution! can't wait to try them!

This is exactly a recipe for Refrigerator Dinner Rolls.........

But, my Mom used the dough for Cinnamon Rolls...

I would just scan the recipe, but I am not sure how it would turn out.

1 pkg. dry yeast

2c. lukewarm water

1 egg

1/3c. sugar

1T. salt

5c. flour

3 heaping T. of liquid oil (you can't really heap oil, so I just let it over flow a little)

Dissolve yeast in 1c. water.

Beat together the egg, sugar, yeast mixture and 2 1/2c. of flour.

Add salt and oil.

Add the last cup of water and the rest of the flour.

Beat well.

Put dough in a very large bowl and cover with damp cloth.

Let stand in refigerator at least 2 hrs. but preferably overnight.

For Cinnamon rolls:

Flour working surface.

No need to kneed this dough.

Just work a little bit with flour so that you can rolll it out on counter top.......

Spread dough with softened maragine,

sprinkle with however much sugar and cinnamon you want.

(We added chopped pecans this year).

Roll as tightly as possible... I cut the rolls with dental floss......

Place rolls in a lightly greased pan and let rise.

**** Here's a trick, my sister shared...

After rolls are in the pan.

Boil some water and place in a shallow pan on the bottom rack of a COLD oven.

Place cinnamon rolls on the rack just above and cover with cloth.

Let rise 30 to 45 minutes!

THIS WORKS PERFECTLY

...Bake at 375 just until lightly golden.

While baking rolls, make the icing.

I use powder sugar, 1t. vanilla and enough milk to make a faily thick icing.

Drizzle on HOT ROLLS!

1 batch = 1 xtra large pan

1 double batch = 3 large and 2 samll pans

1 double batch = 5 small pans and

1 large pan1 double batch = 8 small pans (9 rolls each)

If making dinner rolls:

Make into rolls . Let rise, same as above.

Bake for about 10 min at 400 degrees

Mimi's Apricot Nectar Cake

Mimi's Apricot Nectar cake

(everyone in the family loves it... TR just told his mommy yesterday

"just use your 'tasters' to taste it mom... it's what I call YUMMY!")

easy, gone in a flash if the family is around!

preheat oven 350.... cooking time about 45 minutes

ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

1 small box apricot jello (not sugar free)

2/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup apricot nectar (usually one of the little cans is exactly right... if you don't have apricot

I've substituted pineapple juice)

1 t lemon extract

4 eggs

*mix as listed pour into greased bundt pan

*bake at 350 for 45 minute

DRIZZLE: (be sure to make extra to pour on individual pieces for those who LOVE it!)

1 cup powdered sugar

juice of one lemon

*spoon glaze over warm cake

(seriously.... we make about triple this because Jeff, Troy and the kids love the tart/sweet of the glaze on the cake)