Friday, July 31, 2009

Awesome Chocolate Sheet Cake

I was given this recipe and cake pan for a wedding gift. I didn't try it for a few years because it sounded really complicated. I wish I would have tried it earlier because this chocolate cake is moist, delicious, and turns out great every time!


The Cake:

First mix together the dry ingredients-

2 Cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

4 T of cocoa

Then mix the hot mixture on the stove- 1/2 C of butter

1/2 C of vegetable oil

1 C of water

Let the ingredients come to a boil

Add the hot mixture to the dry mixture

Stir together well

Add 1 C of buttermilk

1 t of soda

1 t vanilla

2 eggs, beaten, I just beat them with a fork

add the eggs

Mix together well

Pour into a well-greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

THE ICING:

Melt 1/2 c of butter, (I use the same pan as before, any way to cut down on dish consumption)

Add 4 T of cocoa

6 T of milk

Bring ingredients to a boil

Take off the heat and add 1 c at a time, 3-4 cups of powdered sugar

Use an electric mixer and mix well; you can also mix in nuts once you have the icing made, if you like.

Pour over the cake.
YUM! Serve with milk...delicious!
I have a printable recipe if you need one.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Crumb Chicken

You don't have to be able to cook to make this chicken...


You need: chicken breasts (fresh or frozen), crackers, some butter, and pepper.


First crush your crackers with a food chopper or food processor. I usually use Ritz crackers, they are my favorite because they crush very fine, but I didn't have any so I just used what I had on hand.


Melt the butter and coat chicken in butter


Dredge chicken in cracker crumbs, turning over each side onto the crackers.


Sprinkle with pepper and poppy seeds (optional).


Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes (or longer if frozen). Bake until chicken is cooked through.


Serve with the sides of your choice. Yum!!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Coq au vin

Coq au vin is French for "Rooster in Wine". This is a chicken dish that my mom made growing up that I always really liked. I called her and got the recipe, which didn't involve any exact measurements. I will have to work at it bit to get it just right.


You will need: chicken (chicken tenders work best), onion, 1 garlic clove, bacon, butter or olive oil, mushrooms, and white wine or apple juice


Cook the chicken in a pan in 4 oz of butter or some olive oil. Add garlic clove. When chicken is cooked remove from pan.


In the same pan cook chopped onions,


Add chopped bacon, and when bacon is cooked through and onions are soft add:


Chopped mushrooms, stirring around occasionally until soft.


Then add 1/4 c of flour


1 C of White wine or apple juice


Stir all together until heated through and flour and wine make a sauce.
Serve over rice with vegetables.
I forgot to take a final picture, but the meal turned out good. Not quite how I remember my Mom's tasting, but very tasty. Bon appetit!!

Quick Buttercream Frosting


You need: 1 C of butter (room temperature), 2 t vanilla extract, 4 C of powdered sugar, 2-4 T of milk.


Cream the butter with an electric mixer until soft.


Add the vanilla.


Gradually add in sugar until most has been incorporated.


Add milk as necessary, start with 2 T.


Mix until frosting becomes an "easy to work with" consistency. Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes.


I made these cupcakes for the 4th, by adding some blue food coloring to make the stars and cutting up twizzlers for the stripes.