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.

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!

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!

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)

Bell Peppers (stuffed) ALA Aunt Ellena

*Nana says if Aunt Ellena recommends it, it's gotta be good*

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
(from Houston Junior League Cookbook. 1968, p. 113)

½ cup uncooked rice ½ to ¾ can Rotel tomatoes
6 large green peppers salt and pepper
1 pound ground beef 1 can condensed tomato soup
1 medium onion (chopped) 1 ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup finely diced celery 1 soup-can water, or a little more
2 tablespoons bacon drippings 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 ½ teaspoons celery seed




Cook rice until tender. Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds, and boil pepper cases for 5 minutes. Drain. Saute beef, onion and celery in bacon drippings. Add rice, 1 cup grated cheese, celery seed and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper;. Stuff pepper cases with mixture and place in greased, or foil-lined baking dish. Make a sauce by mixing soup, water, tomato sauce and remaining ½ cup grated cheese; pour over peppers. Bake uncovered, in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Baste several times during cooking. The stuffed peppers can be frozen before cooking. Freeze separately in plastic bags with a generous amount of sauce over each pepper.

Serves 6

Post-production thoughts:

We used domestic basmati rice. Variety probably is unimportant.

We used “chunky style” Rotel tomatoes. A whole can (10 oz. probably would work.

Smaller bell peppers (about the size of a medium orange) give a more satisfactory pepper to filling ratio. This recipe would probably fill 8 or 9 peppers this size.

For future reference . . . we’ll soften (boil) a head of cabbage and try this filling, sauce and cooking time and temperature on lemon-sized stuffed cabbage rolls

Mimi's Gingerbread

Mimi's Gingerbread

(could anything be more of a comfort food for a time of chaos that is pressing and depressing our financial markets and the political scene?.... let's just make a pan and eat it warm with butter.. let's just remember a simpler time and know that the ONE WHO created us is the One WHO makes the plans!) A MEMORIE FROM MIM'S KITCHEN. THE BEST GINGER BREAD YOU EVER TASTED!! NANA Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008

HI! (from Aunt Linda... Nana's youngest sister, Eric's mom) Well, we have signs of fall here (Huntsville, AL) so I made gingerbread. (Eric's favorite). I've used Mimmie's recipe all of my life, and I wondered if you have it. It's really wonderful.

 She noted on my recipe card that it came from a White House Cookbook. Anyway, here it is....enjoy;

 Cream together 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar. 

Add 1 cup molasses, 

1 tbs. ginger, & 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

Beat in 2 1/2 cup flour then

 2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 cup boiling water. 

Add 2 well-beaten eggs. 

Bake in greased pan for 40-60 min at 350. .

Tahtee's V8 Texas Chili

Early Spring and we never know what kind of weather we are gonna have! This March 2008 is no different. Last night we had typical Texas Hailstone bombard our house for about 15 minutes and leave the skies clear and starry for a beautiful night. So what's for dinner...

Chili Tahtee style (a bit healthier than from the can) and a whole lot more adaptable to different tastes.

* 1/4 lb per person (for the purpose of this recipe we will figure 2 lbs)

Lean natural (or organic) beef (or you can use free range ground turkey)

*4 T good fresh chili powder (you can season more or less according to your taste for heat)

*1 large onion (chopped)

*T butter

*garlic (to taste... I use lots!!!!) minced

*2 pkgs of Taco seasoning

*1 medium size bottle of V8 juice (not the lemon kind... you can use low sodium)

optional: beans, corn, sour cream, avocado, and cheese

-in cast iron pot put 1-2T of butter to melt

-saute onion and garlic in butter till transparent

-add meat

-cook until browned

-add spices and seasonings (Salt and pepper to taste) Stir to mix

-add V8 until it covers mixture and let it simmer for at least an hour to mingle seasonings

*you can add any of the optionals for a fancier bowl of chili (its pretty to layer the chili, cheese, avocado, and then a dollop of sour cream)

*you can also do the good ole standby Frito pie with this great chili... wonderful and better than the can stuff!!!!

*good on a baked potato too

enjoy any time of the year, but especially a great Tornado season dish!

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry cake
(this cake is ALWAYS present at birthdays and special events for our family. Usually it is made in 9X13 sheet cake, but a pretty way is layered with the fresh strawberries on top) Moosey and Wibbie usually have a prerequisite of homemade vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment)

Strawberry cake made with a mix, along with strawberry gelatin and fresh or frozen strawberries.
INGREDIENTS:
1 box white or yellow cake mix (approx. 18 to 21 ounces)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 package (3 oz) strawberry flavored gelatin
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mashed fresh or frozen strawberries (if using frozen, drain some of the juice off and reserve)
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick margarine (2 ounces), room temperature ***you can use butter :)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup strawberries, mashed (drain and reserve juice)
5 to 6 cups sifted powdered sugar (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
PREPARATION:
Mix cake mix with strawberry flavored gelatin. Add oil, eggs, coconut, gelatin, and milk; and beat until well blended. Stir in 1 cup mashed strawberries and 1 cup pecans. Bake in 3 generously greased and floured 8- or 9-inch round layer pans at 350° for 35 minutes, or until cake tests done*.
Note:
To make the frosting, cream together cream cheese and butter; mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until firm but spreadable. Stir in drained strawberries. Drizzle cooled layers with reserved juice then spread with a layer of icing; ice sides and top. Store cake in an airtight container or wrapping; refrigerate.*Lightly touch cake in the center with a finger; if it springs back, the cake is done.

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

heat oven to 350
using a pyrex pan (NEVER USE FOIL OR ALUMINUM COOKWARE!!)
use 1 small potato per person (do NOT peel) and place in pyrex pan
cut up onion and place around potatoes
use whole peeled garlic (or not, to taste) place in pan with onions and potatoes
Bake at 350 until potatoes are soft (about 2 hours for a full pan of vegetables)
(check doneness with fork)
cool vegetables
***********
in a blender
put cooled vegetables 1/2 to top and cover with skim (or whole) milk
blend until smooth, then pour into pot to heat through
**keep doing this until you use all the vegetables you've cooked for servings planned**
add (to preference)
low fat sour cream
crumbled bacon
chives
** when warmed through, put grated cheese on top to serve
best with a country bread and real butter as a side.......... perfect for a Winter Day in Texas
I'm cooking this right now with extra garlic because the FLU has hit our family hard and it is a really wet/icy/coooooollllld day! May we all kick this flu soon! AMEN