Honey Chocolate Cake

This is from a booklet called "My Favorite Honey Recipes" compiled by Mrs. Walter T. (Ida) Kelly.

2 c sifted cake flour
1 1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c shortening
1 1/4 c honey
2 eggs
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2/3  c water
1 t vanilla

Sift flour and measure, add soda and salt, and sift together three times. Cream shortening; gradually add honey, beating well after each addition to keep mixture thick. Add 1/4 of flour mixture and beat nutil smooth and well blended. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each. Stir in chocolate and blend. Add remaining flour alternately with water, beating very well after each addition. Add vanilla. Bake in two greased, 9'' layer pans at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until done.

Making the cake was interesting. Looking at the batter, I didn't think the cake was going to come out, but it did. I don't own a strainer, much less a sifter, so I just beat things well with the whisk attachment. I did the cornstarch thing with all-purpose flour to make cake flour, but again didn't sift it. I also made it in a 9x13 pan since that is Brian's preference so there is better frosting distribution. It tastes good. Eaten unfrosted, you can definitely taste the honey. It isn't very chocolate-y. The frosting both masks the honey flavor and helps the chocolate taste. What I found most interesting is that the texture is like a boxed cake mix.

Tomato Juice Bread

This is from the Fargo cookbook.  Mom starred it, which she told me meant she made it, but she couldn't remember how it was.  So I made it.  Yes, it sounds weird, which is one reason I made it.

Tomato Juice Bread

Yield: 2 loaves
1 package yeast
1/2 c warm water
3 T sugar
2 t salt
2 c tomato juice, scalded
2 T butter
7 1/2 c sifted flour

Temperature: 350 degrees

Scald tomato juice, add butter and cool to lukewarm.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in a 2 quart mixing bowl.  Add sugar, salt and cooled tomato juice mixture.  Add half of flour and beat well.  Continue adding flour until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl.  Turn out on floured surface and knead ten minutes.  Put in greased bowl Cover and let rise until double.  Punch down and let rise a second time.  Shape into loaves.  Place in well-greased loaf pans.  Let rise until not quite double in bulk.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

This was a bread we definitely had to get used to.  We kept eating little pieces trying to figure out if we liked it or not.  We decided we do.  It has a faint tomato taste to it and also a faint tomato-y appearance.  You can tell from the picture that the bread is a little dense, but I'm sure that's my fault. That seems to happen to every bread I make.  Oh well.

We will for sure make this again, but I can't guarantee that if you make it, you will like it.  But if you want to try something new, try this.

Farmhouse Monster Cookies

This recipe is written on the back of a picture of a grill.  I don't really get that one, but that's okay. 

Farmhouse Monster Cookies

Image from bakeorbreak.com

3 eggs
1 1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
12 oz jar peanut butter
1/2 c butter
1/2 c M&Ms
1/4 c raisins (I omitted)
1$ c pb chips
2 t baking soda
4 1/2 c old fashioned oats

Blend eggs and sugar until creamy.  Add salt, vanilla, peanut butter and butter; blend well.  Stir in baking soda and oats.  Add goodies-mix well.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on no stick baking sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

We were both disappointed by this cookie.  It was flat as can be and we both like chewy cookies.  It also had way too much going on for me.  The peanut butter was very strong; add in all the "goodies" and it was very overpowering to me. 

We won't make these again, but go ahead and try and let me know what you think.

Mom's Coffee Cake (not our Mom)

I made this the morning Janet, Jacob, and Brooke stayed with us before Jacob's brother's wedding. The recipe is written on a note card and glued on a sheet of notebook paper with other old recipes. It is from Cindy Lam, Provo, Utah. I suppose it's really from Cindy Lam's mom. I'm guessing that Cindy Lam was in the ward in Casselton since there have been a few other recipes from Casseltonians.

1 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 c flour
1 c sour cream

Cream sugar and butter, add eggs, add vanilla - (Mix flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda) Add sour cream and flour mixture - beat well. Grease 9x13 pan well. Put 1/2 cake mixture on bottom of pan, sprinkle 1/2 of topping on batter - repeat.

Topping
1 c pecans
1/2 c sugar
t cinnamon

This was a good basic coffee cake. We all liked it. I liked it especially because it took all normal pantry items that I had, except the pecans which I omitted. I'm sure it would be good with pecans, though. I'll probably make it again someday. And no, it doesn't have coffee in it.

Something

I have no idea what this recipe is called. It is kind of like Maque Choux.

2 Tbsp. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup Kraft Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia
1/2 cup Breakstone's or Knudsen sour cream
3 slices Oscar Meyer bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

MAKE IT

Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high  heat. Add vegetables; cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove from heat.

Stir in cheese and sour cream; cook on medium heat 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through, stirring frequently.

Top with bacon and cilantro.

Well, let me admit I did not use any name brand ingredients in this dish and left of the cilantro. I don't think it would have made any real difference to the dish anyway. We all liked it, except Little Chubb doesn't like to eat zucchini if he is aware that it is in the dish.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

I made these for Jacob when I was to be gone last week.  He doesn't ever seem to have time for breakfast when I'm not around, so I wanted something he could grab and eat quickly.  These were a good choice, as he told me two days after I left that they were all gone.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg

1/3 cup milk 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2.	Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3.	To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4.	Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Jacob really liked these.  They are by no means health muffins, but the streusel on top makes for one tasty blueberry muffin.  A 4.7 star rating by 2000 reviews is pretty good, I'd say.

One Skillet Corned Beef Hash

Who here likes corned beef? 
I do.  I never thought Jacob would, but apparently he does.  He really does. So I dug around and found five corned beef recipes in my cupboard pile.

Here's the first.

One Skillet Corned Beef Hash, from Allrecipes

Does corned beef ever photograph well?

2 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 (12 oz) cans corned beef
1 T ground black pepper
5 T cider vinegar

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Saute onions and potatoes until slightly browned, then stir in corned beef.  Season with pepper and add vinegar 1 T at a time, cooking for 3-5 minutes in between each addition.  Partially cover skillet, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occassionally, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

We really liked it!  It was very simple and easy to whip up.  I left the peels on the potatoes, because Jacob has been touting the health benefits of potato peels for weeks now.  I also only added one can of corned beef because a) I didn't read that it needed two, and b) corned beef is expensive!  I didn't miss the extra can, but Jacob said he would have liked it.
It has enough flavor, which I wondered about, and it was definitely filling.  We will make this again, especially if corned beef gets cheaper.