Friday, March 25, 2011

Recipe of the Day - Classic Red Chili

Courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/10/my-moms-classic-chili.html)

I am in the mood for something warm! It's cold and dreary outside - ugh! I know we are all tired of the rain and snow. Well, what a perfect day to try out a new chili recipe. This looks delish. Hope you have time to try it today:



*Makes 12-14 servings

2 medium onions, diced
2 teaspoons salt
2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained
46 oz. (one large can) tomato juice
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Brown the hamburger and onion in a large skillet. Drain grease. In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup water with the garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and brown sugar.

In a large pot, combine tomato juice, beans, tomato sauce, and ketchup. Stir in hamburger and onions and seasoning/water mixture. Mix well. Stir in bay leaves.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally (this can simmer for as long as 4-5 hours).

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Recipe of the Day - Lemon Trifle

Courtesy of Shannon Ray

Difficulty Level: Easy
Rating: 4 stars

I got this recipe from a neighbor in Saratoga Springs. It is SO good. Such a great spring dessert. Hope you like it:

1 angel food cake, torn into pieces
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz. carton lemon yogurt
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 cups whipped topping
2 cups fresh strawberries or raspberries (I always use strawberries)
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted (optional - I've never used this)
Fresh mint, optional

Combine sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Fold in to whipped topping. Place hand full of the cake cubes in bowl. Top with half of the lemon mixture. Repeat layers. Top with berries. Garnish with coconut and mint if desired.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Recipe of the Day - Devil Dogs

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/02/devil-dogs/)

So, I've been so busy the past few days I haven't been able to upload a new recipe. But, I have wanted to try these for weeks now! They look so good. Guess this is what we'll be making tonight while Dusty is at young mens. Enjoy:


Ingredients
■1 whole Chocolate Sheet Cake (see "Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever" On Tasty Kitchen)- recipe below
■1 whole Recipe For "That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had" On Tasty Kitchen (or You Can Use Frozen Whipped Topping)- recipe below
■Maraschino Cherries

Preparation Instructions
Bake cake according to recipe directions, thoroughly greasing and flouring the pan. Allow cake to cool completely, then turn out onto a flat surface.

Make frosting recipe, substituting half-and-half for milk for extra thickness/richness.

Cut cooled cake into rectangles.

Place frosting into a frosting bag. Squeeze frosting onto one rectangle of cake. Press second rectangle on top. Squeeze a dollop of frosting on the top piece of cake. Place a cherry on top.

Chill until ready to serve!

Cake Recipe

Ingredients
■2 cups Flour
■2 cups Sugar
■¼ teaspoons Salt
■4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
■2 sticks Butter
■1 cup Boiling Water
■½ cups Buttermilk
■2 whole Beaten Eggs
■1 teaspoon Baking Soda
■1 teaspoon Vanilla
Preparation Instructions
Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Frosting Recipe

Ingredients
■5 Tablespoons Flour
■1 cup Milk
■1 teaspoon Vanilla
■1 cup Butter
■1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)
Preparation Instructions
Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange — it has flour in it — but it’s sublime. Try it, you’ll see. You’ll love it so much you won’t go back.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Recipe of the Day - St. Patrick's Day Marble Cookies

Courtesy of Red Couch Recipes
(http://redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/)

I've found some great St. Patrick's Day recipes on this site - hopefully I'll have time to try them all, lol.

1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon peppermint or almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon to add to chocolate dough, if needed
1/3 cup chocolate chips -- I used milk chocolate.
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
Sugar for rolling dough in
Green coloring

Put butter and sugar in medium mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Then add baking soda and flour little by little. Divide dough in half; color one half with green coloring. For the other half, melt chocolate chips in microwave, being very careful that they don't burn. Cool chocolate and add melted chocolate and cocoa powder to the other half of the dough and mix until chocolates are incorporated. If the chocolate dough doesn't seem stiff enough, add 1 tablespoon of flour.

Take green dough and, using a little less than 2 teaspoons of dough, roll into small balls. Take chocolate dough and so the same and add to gether to make cookie ball as pictured below.


Roll the green and chocolate dough together and roll into sugar.

Place chocolate/green cookie ball on baking sheet. Press bottom of glass on cookie and smash until about 1/4 inch thick.


Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 -10 minutes, making sure you don't overcook.

Remove from baking sheet and cool on rack.

Recipe of the Day - St. Patrick's Day Marble Cookies

Courtesy of Red Couch Recipes
(http://redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/)

I've found some great St. Patrick's Day recipes on this site - hopefully I'll have time to try them all, lol.

1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon peppermint or almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon to add to chocolate dough, if needed
1/3 cup chocolate chips -- I used milk chocolate.
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
Sugar for rolling dough in
Green coloring

Put butter and sugar in medium mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Then add baking soda and flour little by little. Divide dough in half; color one half with green coloring. For the other half, melt chocolate chips in microwave, being very careful that they don't burn. Cool chocolate and add melted chocolate and cocoa powder to the other half of the dough and mix until chocolates are incorporated. If the chocolate dough doesn't seem stiff enough, add 1 tablespoon of flour.

Take green dough and, using a little less than 2 teaspoons of dough, roll into small balls. Take chocolate dough and so the same and add to gether to make cookie ball as pictured below.


Roll the green and chocolate dough together and roll into sugar.

Place chocolate/green cookie ball on baking sheet. Press bottom of glass on cookie and smash until about 1/4 inch thick.


Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 -10 minutes, making sure you don't overcook.

Remove from baking sheet and cool on rack.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Recipe of the Day - Green Jello Cookies

Courtesy of Red Couch Recipes
(http://redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/)


So, I am sorry I have been MIA the past few days. I hosted a winter guard competition this weekend, and it was a little busy for me to say the least. But, I have found some great St. Patricks Day recipes that I wanted to share. Here are some Green Jello Cookies and I'll post another cookie recipe tomorrow.

3/4 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (3 ounce) package of Lime Jell-o
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients. If you desire, I didn't today, add a dab of green food coloring to dough. Roll dough into small balls. Put them on a greased cookie sheet, then dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and press dough until flat. If you like mounded cookies, chill the dough for an hour, then roll in sugar and don't flatten the cookies. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Yield: About 32 cookies -- I used the Pampered Chef cookie scoop.

Recipe of the Day - Green Jello Cookies

Courtesy of Red Couch Recipes
(http://redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/)


So, I am sorry I have been MIA the past few days. I hosted a winter guard competition this weekend, and it was a little busy for me to say the least. But, I have found some great St. Patricks Day recipes that I wanted to share. Here are some Green Jello Cookies and I'll post another cookie recipe tomorrow.

3/4 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (3 ounce) package of Lime Jell-o
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients. If you desire, I didn't today, add a dab of green food coloring to dough. Roll dough into small balls. Put them on a greased cookie sheet, then dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and press dough until flat. If you like mounded cookies, chill the dough for an hour, then roll in sugar and don't flatten the cookies. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Yield: About 32 cookies -- I used the Pampered Chef cookie scoop.