Sunday, November 30, 2008

3 Hour Sunday Stew

Lisa sent me this recipe by email. The email said the recipe came from Erica Sellers and it was served at a Relief Society Enrichment. I don't know who that is but, it sounds good so I am saving it here so I don't loose it because I want to try it out. I sent it to all my recipe buddies maybe I will hear from them if it is good or not???
Happy Sunday!!!
Karla

3-Hour Sunday Stew
* Beef Stew Meat, cubed (cut up a cross-rib roast-no need to brown meat, just put in pan)
*Onion, chopped
*Carrots, chopped
*Celery, sliced
*Potatoes, small cubes (I used red potatoes; didn't peel)
*Optional: Can of corn and/or can of greeen beans (I used both)
Sauce: (Mix and pour over above ingredients)
*Family-size or equivalent Cream of Mushroom Soup
*Western Family Onion Gravy Packet
*1/2 cup milk

Bake at 275-300 for 3+ hours; This can be put in as you leave for Church and you'll come home to a hot meal!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Oven Smoked Turkey


Heather Hansen gave me this recipe when I went visiting teaching, she got it from Lauretta Vickery. I decided to give it a try. It turned out great!

Oven Smoked Turkey
8 T. liquid smoke
1/4 c. rock salt
1 c. Tender Quick Salt
1 gallon hot water
1 thawed turkey (10 to 20 pounds)
Mix together the first 4 ingredients. Soak turkey in brine for 15 hours in the refrigerator (or a cool place). Drain and bake in covered roaster or brown in bag for 15 hours at 200 degrees. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Yummy Yogurt Salad

Arlene brought this salad to our High Priest Picnic this summer, she got the recipe at girl's camp from Linda Savage. It was gone in no time. I have made it several times since. It is fast, easy and very yummy; thus the name I gave it!! You can double it if you want a large quantity. It is also good with Mandarin Oranges instead of berries....

32 oz. vanilla yogurt
8 oz. whipped topping
3 1/2 oz. box instant vanilla pudding
2 to 3 c. berries (Blueberries, raspberries, huckleberries, etc)
Stir together and chill until serving.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Bundt Cakes Galore.....


Bundt cakes have become the new thing to serve at weddings. Ida gave me several bundt cake recipes to make for her son, Kip's wedding reception. The first one I made was very dry so I have adjusted them to make them moist. I have found that any cake mix can be made into a bundt cake by adding a small box of instant pudding, 1/2 c. oil or melted butter, 1 c. water or other liquid, 4 eggs. You can add other ingredients as desired, such as; coconut, chips or nuts. Baking times will vary according to what is added. When glazing I usually do 2 or 3 layers of glaze. I drizzle with a thinner glaze first while still warm so it sinks into the cake (before freezing the bundt cake - for the lemon or blueberry - I don't usually put anything on the others before freezing). When I remove them from the freezer I then spread a layer of thick glaze on the top and then thin the glaze and drizzle a final layer of glaze over that. If you want to garnish them with anything else you need to do it before the glaze sets up. Everytime I make these I learn a few new things. So I update these every once in awhile. If you have any hints to add please email them to me and I will add them too.
This one is Raspberry!!
Blueberry Bundt Cake
1 Golden Vanilla Cake Mix
1 3 1/2 oz. box of Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can blueberries, drained (save the juice to be used in the cake and glaze)
Mix together at medium speed, cake mix, pudding, oil, eggs, cream cheese and 1/2 c. of blueberry juice. Beat for 2 minutes and fold in the blueberries. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Glaze while warm.
Blueberry Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
Remaining blueberry juice
Stir together using as much juice as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. If you want to freeze the cake I would add another layer of glaze at serving time. If you do not want to add the blueberries to this cake I would add 1 c. of water instead of the blueberry juice and blueberries. These are great cupcakes, bake for 20 minutes.
For Ben & Manda's wedding we used a can raspberries instead of blueberries. It was a pretty pink color and very yummy!!

Chocolate Bundt Cake
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 3 1/2 oz. box Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
3/4 c. water
8 oz. sour cream
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix together, cake mix, pudding, oil, eggs and water. Beat for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and chocolate chips, mix well. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before glazing.

Chocolate Frosting Glaze  (enough for 2 bundt cakes)
1 c. milk chocolate chips
3 T. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. hot water
chopped candy bar pieces, any kind you like
Melt together the chips and butter in microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted together. Beat in powdered sugar and water using more as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. If freezing for later use add the glaze at serving time. Before the glaze sets up sprinkle with chopped candy bar pieces. If you like mint you could also add 2 t. mint extract. I did not add the extract but I used packaged mint pieces sprinkled over the glaze and it had a definite mint flavor, the extract might make it kinda overpowering. This recipe also makes great cupcakes!!
Heath candy bits are one of my favorite toppings sprinkled over the glaze.

I like this glaze too......
CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
2 c. (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter, cubed
1 c. (8 ounces) sour cream
4-1/2 to 6 c. confectioners' sugar

In a small saucepan, melt chips and butter over low heat (or in microwave). Transfer to mixer bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Thin with water to make a glaze......

Red Velvet Pound Cake
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
3 c. sugar
5 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
1 oz. red food coloring
1 t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla
In a large mixing bowl beat together, butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl combine buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Mix well. Pour batter into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before adding glaze. If freezing add glaze when removed from freezer.
Cream Cheese Glaze
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
Beat cream cheese at low speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add milk and beat until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.
I like to top this cake with shaved chocolate OR drizzle with a little bit of the chocolate glaze used for the Chocolate Bundt Cake.
HINTS: Do NOT double this recipe!! It makes a big batch of batter just as it is. Also when filling pans be careful. If you overfill your pan it will overflow when baking and you have a BIG MESS!!! This batter rises more than the other ones so DO NOT FILL YOUR PANS AS FULL as you do on the other ones. I fill one regular sized bundt pan and 1 small sized bundt pan with this recipe and it works much better. (Or I think 2 batches would fill 3 regular sized pans nicely) I changed the cooking temperature from 325 to 350 and reduced the cooking time. It cooked much better and was more moist and the batter didn't seem to overflow from the pan after that.

Ultimate Carrot Bundt Cake
1 Carrot Cake Mix
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
8 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. raisins
Mix together cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 mintues and remove from pan. Glaze with the above Cream Cheese Glaze. If desired garnish with chopped nuts OR toasted coconut before the glaze sets up.

For the Lemon Bundt Cake I used my Lemon Pound Cake recipe on page 81 in the Atkinson Family Favorites Cookbook. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RECIPES from my MOM!!
Well, for those of you who don't have our family cookbook....here is the recipe.

Lemon Pound Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1 small box lemon instant pudding
1/2 c. oil
1 c. water
4 eggs
Beat together at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and dump out onto cake plate. Drizzle with glaze while still warm.
Sometimes I use loaf pans or muffin pans and don't bake them as long.
Sometimes I add 1 T. poppy seeds to batter & sometimes I sprinkle more poppy seeds over the glaze.
These are great made ahead and frozen. Sometimes I add more glaze after removing from freezer.
Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
2 to 3 T. lemon juice
Mix together until desired consistency. After removing from freezer, I like to do a coat of thick glaze on the top and then thin the glaze and drizzle a finished layer.


Ben & Manda - April 24, 2009

Bundt cakes are great...but they don't take the place of a wedding cake!!! But then...that's coming from a wedding cake maker!!!!
That's it for now.....Would love to hear what your favorites are?????

Silver White Cake

I used to make this cake years ago in 4-H. Ida recently asked me to make it for her daughter's wedding. It is a very good basic cake from scratch. Be sure and beat it well with the wire whip on your mixer. The more air in the batter the better. I doubled the recipe and made 3-9 inch layers. Stack them up with filling between the layers. I like to use cream cheese frosting, pudding or fruit fillings between the layers.
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. milk, divided 2/3 c. and 1/3 c.
1 t. vanilla
4 egg whites
Place the dry ingredients in mixer bowl and mix well. Then add shortening and 2/3 c. milk. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Then beat 2 more minutes on high. Add the rest of the milk, the vanilla and egg whites. Beat on high for 2 more minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often and be sure everything is well mixed. Pour batter into 2 - 8 inch cake pans that have been greased and lined with waxed paper. OR double the recipe and fill 3 - 9 inch pans, for an extra tall cake. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans. Layer with pudding, fruit filling or frosting.

Crock Pot Taco Casserole

I've made taco casseroles before but I don't have a set recipe and so every time I make it I have to invent it again. So here is my latest creation. We liked it but it was in the crock pot about 6 hours and the edges were over done. So next time I will only cook it about 4 hours.

1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 t. chili powder
2 T. taco seasoning
Doritoes, any flavor you like
1 c. frozen or canned corn, drained
2-16 oz. cans chili
2 to 3 c. grated cheese

Brown and drain the hamburger. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper, continue to cook until tender. Add tomato sauce, chili powder and taco seasoning, stir well and set aside. Grease or spray crock pot. Layer in 5 layers, beginning with the meat mixture. Then add a layer of Doritoes, a layer of corn, a layer of chili and a layer of cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Serve it with sour cream and salsa. Yummy!!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins


I found this new recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread in a brochure from our insurance agent. It sounded good and so I made it into muffins for our YW Friendship Party. They are the darkest colored ones on the bottom tier. They were a hit!!

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. white flour
1 1/4 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1 T. oil
1/4 c. chocolate chips (I added 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf or muffin tins. Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together in mixing bowl: pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and oil. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened (do not over mix). Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 1 hour for a large loaf. Since I made mini muffins I only baked them for about 18 minutes.

Lacey Making Teddy Bear Cookies