Danelle's Best Biscuits Ever

Danelle, I agree with you, these are the best ever. :) I've never been a fan of biscuits, but these are worth making and gobbling up. I found the picture at myrecipes.com, just click on the title and it will take you there. The recipe is from Danelle Grossnickle, thanks for letting me post this!

Danelle's Best Biscuits Ever

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:
In food processor incorporate all dry ingredients with butter. Transfer into a bowl, add buttermilk and mix by hand, gently fold out onto floured surgace. Cut into squares and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Danelle says, "I promise if you don't over mix these they are the BEST Biscuits", and I completely agree.

(Mild)Taco Seasoning Mix

 

Not only is it cheaper to make, there is no salt added. If your recipe needs some salt you can add it easily, or if you like it more spicy, you can add some red pepper flakes or some more cayenne pepper. I use this for chicken burritos, taco soup, and anywhere you would use the prepackaged Taco Seasoning.

Mild Taco Seasoning Mix

4 Tablespoons chili powder
3 Tablespoons paprika
3 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix and keep in a small jar or an airtight container to keep fresh.

Limeade

Summer is coming, and cold drinks are a huge part of our summer at home. I usually have a pitcher of water in the fridge, but occasionally, for a treat, we make this. The recipe I got from Paula's "Jamaican Cooking" book by Lucinda Scala Quinn. The picture is from Martha Stewart's site. Just click on the title. This is great for a BBQ or any meal really, just adjust the recipe to how many servings you need.

Limeade (Serves 6)

Ingredients:
5-7 medium sized limes
5 cups water(40 ounces)
1/2 cup honey or sugar

Directions:
For maximum juice, roll room-temperature limes over counter back and forth with palm of your hand. Cut limes in half and juice by hand or with a juicer. Reserve the rinds. You should have about 1/4 cup of juice. Place the rinds and juice in a large heat resistant pitcher.
Place 1 cup of the water in a saucepan over high heat. When it boils, add the honey and stir till dissolved.
Pour this mixture into the pitcher along with the remaining water. Blend well and taste for sweetness.
Refrigerate for one hour, remove rinds and discard them. Serves 6

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

I was on a search for a quick Family Home Evening Treat for last night, and came across these. They remind me of the Grandmother's Cookies, but way better. Homemade cookies are always BETTER, right? I pressed the cookies down like she mentioned, and they spread out beautifully, and I didn't use as much icing on them as she did, and I thought it was just perfect. These are so good, I'm glad that I only made 6 cookies and stuck the rest of the dough in the freezer. Too much temptation! The recipe and photos are from smitten kitchen. I've got one more recipe I'm dying to try from there, hopefully I can get to that soon. Just click on the title and it will take you there. I had to delete the original pictures I had up, since I browsed her blog and realized her photos were copyrighted. Bummer. But, you get the idea.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Good to the Grain

Unlike most cookies, where spreading is a cause for concern, here, it is encouraged as it leads to a thinner, lacier cookie.

Yield: 30 3-inch cookies (with a 2 tablespoon or #40 scoop), larger if your spread more

Ingredients:
Butter for baking sheets
2 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon old fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs

Icing:
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Rub two baking sheets with butter. In a food processor, grind 1/2 cup of oats to a fine powder, then add remaining oats and grind them all together until it resembles coarse meal, with only a few large flakes remaining.

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back any bits of grains or other ingredients that remain in the sifter. In a small bowl, whisk butter and eggs until combined. Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Scoop balls of dough about 2 to 3 tablespoons in size (I used a #40 cookie scoop, which scooped 2 tablespoon-sized balls) onto cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. When tops are evenly brown, take them out and transfer them to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Let cookies cool completely before icing.

In a bowl, whisk icing ingredients together until smooth. It should have a honey-like consistency. Drizzle the frosting over the cookies. Let the frosting set for 30 minutes (or more; it took longer at my place but by the next day, was fully firmed up) before eating. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

* The original recipe replaced this volume with a multigrain flour mix that worked out to 1/2 cup barley flour + 1/4 cup millet flour + 1/4 cup rye flour. If you have any of these flours, swap them in and reduce the volume of all-purpose.

Beef (or Italian Sausage) and Cheese Manicotti

Here is a keeper for my family. Pasta dishes usually get served in my home, around once or twice a month since Brandon and Kaleb don't care much for it. But, since this isn't really much pasta for a single serving, it was just the perfect amount. I knew Manicotti would be messy, but I didn't realize how easy it was to make. The recipe is from foodnetwork.com by Giada De Laurentiis. It had some good ratings(466) so I thought I'd go ahead and give it a try. I used Hot Italian Sausage, but if you like Beef, go for it. The picture, as you can see, is from See Jane Cook, just click on the title and you can see. I was browsing through some of her recipes and they look delicious.

Beef(or Italian Sausage) and Cheese Manicotti

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions
Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Banana Crunch Whole-Wheat Muffins

There's a new blog that I follow called Apronappeal.com. Gwen is a fabulous cook, and I love that she's blogging her finds. I'm wishing we lived closer, she's just a really amazing person and I just love her family. So glad she married my cousin Ryan! Click on the title and you'll see her new blog, it's where the picture and the recipe comes from. This recipe made almost 2 dozen muffins, so I had to stick most of them in the freezer, but they are so filling, we ate a muffin for breakfast and were filled till lunch time-Bonus!


Banana Crunch Whole-Wheat Muffins

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour (I used fresh milled red winter wheat)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
¾ cup whole milk (I used nonfat)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced bananas (1 banana)
1 ¾ cup granola (divided)
1 ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut (divided)(I used about 3/4 cup in mine, it was plenty)
½ cup banana chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the flat surface of the cupcake pan with oil to prevent muffin spillage from sticking to the pan. Line 30 regular muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and all into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend well but do not over mix or you’ll end up with tough muffins. Then add in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Scrape the bowl. If you are making the day before the muffins will be served, cover the batter and put it in the fridge. When you are ready to finish the recipe add the mashed bananas to the batter. Again be careful not to over mix.
Fold in the diced bananas, 1 ½ cups granola and 1 ½ cups coconut into the batter. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking tins, filling each to the very top. Top each muffin the remaining granola, coconut and dried bananas (if desired). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan and serve warm.
Gwen's Notes:
I used Back to Nature 100% Natural Chocolate Delight Granola. It is very crunchy and contains no refined sugar (other than what is included in the dark chocolate chunks).

My notes:
I used my homemade granola, and I think that next time I make these, I'll try replacing half the butter with applesauce, or with Canola oil. I love that there is about half whole wheat and half white wheat combination here. It gives the whole wheat goodness, with the light fluffiness of the white. :)

Pesto Bread

I've been wanting to try this bread now for quite some time, but whenever I make Pesto it gets devoured before I can even think about making it. But, this time I was quick enough, and I'm so glad I was! It has such a powerful flavor already, but when baked into this bread, it's just perfect. Click on the title and it will take you to thekneadforbread.com, where the picture and recipe come from. Below the pictures on that site, there is a tutorial link you can click on, which I recommend taking a look at, where it shows great step by step directions. It's a really simple bread to make. I hope y'all give this one a try.

Pesto Bread:

Ingredients
Dough
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup skim milk powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
5 -5 1/2 cups bread flour
Filling:
2/3 cup pesto
1 cup grated Parmesan

Method
In a large bowl combine the water, olive oil, sugar, skim milk powder, salt and instant yeast. Mix till well blended. Add in a cup of flour and beat with a wooden spoon till smooth. Add in another cup of flour and do the same. Now, sprinkle a half cup of flour onto a flat surface and pour out the dough on top. Begin to knead and slowly add in more flour till the dough no longer sticks to the table. Knead for about 8 - 10 minutes. Add a little olive oil into a large bowl ( about a tablespoon ). Place dough into the bowl and turn over a few times to lightly coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till double in bulk. Pour out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Using your fingers flatten out one of the pieces. Roll out to a 9 x 14 rectangle. Spread half the pesto and 1/4 of a cup Parmesan on top. Bring in the side by a half inch and then roll the dough like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam closed. Take a sharp knife and cut down the center length wise. Open the jelly roll exposing the inside of the roll.Take the two cut pieces and braid them together with the cut side always facing up. Place the bread into a greased 4 1/2 X 8 inch loaf pan. Now, repeat this whole process with the second piece of dough. Then cover both loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till double in bulk. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining Parmesan cheese and place into a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Check the bread about 10 minutes before they are finished to see if you need to cover with tin foil if they are getting to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Pasta E Fagioli(Pasta and Beans)

 

I got a request for some more soups. Here's a good one for ya Kaylene! I've made this plenty of times, and it gets gobbled up EVERY TIME. I'm not even sure why I didn't think to add this one to the blog before now. This past week has been full of fun: My brother got married, I have a new, AWESOME sister-in-law, my sister and her daughter flew in from California, and we've been driving back and forth so we can be together as much as possible. Let's just say that my food blog has taken a back seat to all this wonderful madness. And while it's not quite over yet, I have a few minutes to put up a post. I brought this soup over to my parents home the day we were setting up the wedding. The only one who couldn't have this was my Dad, who has a gluten allergy. I used gluten free beef stock, but the pasta wasn't gluten free. Bummer, maybe next time Dad!

Pasta E Fagioli(Pasta and Beans)
Serves/Makes: 9 qts

INGREDIENTS:
3 teaspoons Oil
2 pounds Ground beef
1 large Onion; chopped
1 cup chopped Carrots
1 cup Celery, thinly sliced
48 ounces Tomatoes; canned, diced
2 cups cooked Red Kidney beans
2 cups cooked White kidney beans
88 ounces Beef stock
3 teaspoons Oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons Pepper
1 Tablespoon dried Parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
48 ounces Spaghetti sauce(I used Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic)
8 ounces dry pasta Shell macaroni; or other pasta(1 1/2 cup dry pasta)
1 Tablespoon basil, dried

PREPARATIONN:
Saute beef in oil in large 10-qt. pot until beef turns brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.

Overnight Oatmeal

 

Greek Yogurt can be used in so many ways. I'm not a fan of yogurt, but the Greek Yogurt, I like. What a great healthy breakfast that is VERY filling. Just the thing we need in the morning. No cooking or baking, just mix it and refrigerate!

Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
½ cup milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
¾ tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP honey

Extras
Optional toppings:
Chopped nuts or seeds
chopped dried fruit(apricots, dates, raisins, cranberries, blueberries,etc.),
pureed pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, sliced apples, bananas, applesauce, fresh grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries or other berries.

Directions:
Combine and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve warm or cold. If you are adding chopped nuts or seeds, you can add them in the mix, or sprinkle them on in the morning. However you like it. This makes 3 large servings.

Smokey Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This was a quick, easy, simple ingredient, tasty meal. I've done something similar with chicken before, but I hadn't used the liquid smoke before. So, I was interested in what this would taste like. We love it over here! This is lean, good tasting meat. I found the picture and recipe, again from ourbestbites.com, just click on the title. I hope you give this one a try.

Smoky Honey Mustard Pork Chops

4 4-6 oz. pork loin or sirloin chops
Kosher salt and pepper
Liquid Smoke
3 Tbsp. Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
2 cloves minced garlic

Sprinkle pork chops with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Give them a liberal dousing of liquid smoke (you can usually find this either near the seasonings or the BBQ sauce/condiments in the grocery store). Set aside.
Heat oven broiler to high or preheat grill. Combine honey, garlic, and mustard. Place pork chops on broiler pan/grill and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook another 4-5 minutes. You want the internal temperature to be at least 165 (that’s a little pink inside), but you also don’t want to overcook them because they’ll become tough. So you may need to adjust your cooking times a little, bearing in mind that they have two minutes to cook after the initial 8-10 minutes.
Baste with honey mustard mixture and cook an additional minute. Turn and baste other side; cook for one additional minute. Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes to seal in the juices.

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

It's not really common for me to serve Bacon, but I gave this recipe a try, and I was pleasantly surprised at how GOOD it was. It's a super simple recipe, simple ingredients, and a fabulous taste. This served our family of four, two adults, two children, perfectly. The recipe and picture I found at ourbestbites.com, just click on the title. I used a Homemade Teriyaki Sauce(previous post)or you could just use the kind that you have or know you already like.


Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)
1 large can pineapple chunks (you won’t use all of them)
Homemade Teriyaki sauce (the best!) or Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
Kebab skewers or toothpicks
Now…the easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it’s still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you’re using center-cut bacon (and the “slab” is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it’s easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don’t want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.
Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you’ll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won’t use all the bacon, but you’ll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.
Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9×13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers. When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill**; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.


*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.
**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

Teriyaki Sauce

This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is Very Good. I never thought of making this at home! Last time I bought some, it took me a while to decide on what to buy, because I was trying to choose one with the ingredients that I COULD recognize. With this version of Teriyaki Sauce you'll recognize every single ingredient. I used this with the Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, in the next post. This recipe and picture came from ourbestbites.com, just click on the title.

Teriyaki Sauce

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water
½ c. white sugar
½ c. soy sauce
¼ c. cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. You can use either ground ginger as directed or about 1 1/4 tsp. of fresh ginger. Believe it or not, in this recipe, I actually prefer ground ginger; it has a slightly different flavor that I think infuses better in the sauce than fresh ginger.

Combine your ingredients in the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While sauce is heating, combine cornstarch and cold water. When sauce comes to a full boil, add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and use any way you darn well please. You can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks

Baked Onion Rings

 

These are quite simple to make, and I love that they are baked instead of fried. One large onion is the perfect amount for our family.

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings

1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
1 cup flour
2 cups low fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black peper
1 cup Italian Seasoned bread crumbs(Whole wheat bread crumbs work great here too)
1/2 cup crushed Crispy Rice cereal
olive oil baking spray


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking sheet with olive oil baking spray.

Place onion slices in a large Ziploc bag with the flour, shake to coat well.

In a shallow dish, add buttermilk, salt and pepper, and mix well.

In another shallow dish, add bread crumbs and Crispy Rice cereal.

Working with one onion ring at a time, shake off excess flour from one ring, and place in buttermilk, then into the crumb mixture and cover well, carefully pressing the mixture on with your hand. Gently place on prepared baking pan. Continue with the rest of the onion rings. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes till golden and crispy. Serve immediately.
Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Baked Seasoned Fries

Kaleb requested Chicken Nuggets for dinner tonight, so I decided to try these to go with it. I love home baked oven fries and these are super good. Mine were starting to get crispy, but since the chicken was already done, I didn't wait till they were totally crispy. No matter, they were still good, and probably even BETTER when they are totally crispy. I found this recipe and the picture at skinnytaste, just click on the title. She has the recipe for the dip in the picture, but since I forgot all about the dip, I decided it wouldn't be good for me to post. I will try it the next time I make these. Believe it or not, there is no salt on these. WOW! I didn't even miss it.

Skinny Baked Seasoned Fries with Garlic Aioli

2 medium potatoes, russet or yukon gold, washed and dried
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp herbs de provence (or use a combo of dried rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
fresh lime zest

Preheat oven to 400°. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Lightly coat with cooking spray.

Cut each potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices; cut each slice into 1/4 inch fries.
In a large bowl, combine cut potatoes and oil; toss well. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic and seasoning. Toss to coat.

Place in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until tender crisp, turning once half way through. Remove from oven. (I had mine in for 30 minutes and could have been in there longer if I had the patience.)

Our Best Banana Whipped Cream Cake(Banana Bavarian Cake from Kienow's Bohemian Bakery -copycat)

When I was in 7th or 8th Grade, I took a Home Economics class, where my first love of baking started. I can't even remember what we baked, just that I really enjoyed myself. Again, when I was in High School, I took another foods class and got more into baking. On weekends, my cousin Kim and I would get together and attempted to make up dances, be silly, and you guessed it, bake! I don't think there was one time, ever, that we actually got the recipe totally correct. There was always something we missed, or accidentally put in something else in instead. Despite our imperfections, it ALWAYS turned out great. Well, except that one time. :) Today, I am attempting to recreate Brandon's and I's wedding cake. This cake is so popular amongst Portlander's, that a food engineer was able to replicate the cake and published a recipe for all to enjoy. It was from Kienow's market, the now out-of-business Bohemian Bakery. Brandon got this recipe printed from a friend at work, but I found it online because I wanted to know for sure where it came from. Click on the title and it will take you to Oregon Live, and you can read about and see the recipe for yourselves. The pictures are actually from my camera this time. We'll survive. Well, I've got the music playing, Kaleb helping, and my "Friday Brain" in the kitchen. So, guess what? I have forgotten to put in the salt, and both the pure vanilla extract and the imitation vanilla extract. This would happen. Since I had already spent some time in the kitchen putting the cake mix together, there's no way I wanted to start that over again. I went and bought some cake strips (Wilton brand from Michaels, called Bake Even Strips), and when I pulled the cake out of the oven I had a cake that was evenly baked! Wow! No dome in the center of the cake, I love it. The cake was a success, and I'm sure it will be our new tradition to make for our Anniversary yearly, how exciting is that?!! I wish y'all could come over and have a slice, you've GOT to try this cake!


Banana cake still a cut above the rest 12/04/01BARBARA DURBIN Q: Over a year ago FOODday printed the recipe for the banana cake made by the out-of-business Bohemian Bakery, the one they used to make for Kienow's Markets. Well, if you could find it, I would love to have it. -- Dan Dorr, Gresham

A: Yes, we ran that recipe in response to the dozens of requests over the years. Our Best Banana Whipped Cream Cake Makes one 4-layer, 9-inch cake. This cake was developed by food engineer Lynda Nestelle and comes close to the original Bohemian Bakery cake. It calls for xanthan gum to give a finer crumb in the cake and to make the filling and frosting more stable, but you can make the cake without it.

We found this cake (like the bakery banana cakes) had even more banana flavor the second day. This cake must be kept refrigerated because of the whipped cream filling and frosting.

Our Best Banana Whipped Cream Cake
Cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not all-purpose flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional; see note)
1/2 cup corn oil (corn oil produces a better texture)
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 large or 3 medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon artificial vanilla (see note)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 egg yolks
Meringue:
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Whipped cream filling and frosting:
2 cups regular whipping cream if using a stabilizer (otherwise use heavy whipping cream)
1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or all-purpose stabilizer (optional), such as instant Clear Gel (see note) or gelatin formula for frosting (see accompanying recipe),
1 teaspoon vanilla (either kind)
2 medium bananas or 1 large, sliced thin

Cake crumbs for decoration (optional; see note)

1 maraschino cherry with stem, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

To make cake: In a large bowl, sift together sifted cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum, if using.

Add corn oil, mashed bananas and both kinds of vanilla. Beat 1 minute with electric mixer.

Add buttermilk and egg yolks and beat another minute.

To make meringue: In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites lightly. Add cream of tartar and, while continuing to beat, add sugar gradually. Beat until a stiff meringue forms. Fold the meringue gently into cake batter. (Underfolding will leave white streaks; overfolding will make the cake tough.)

Pour into prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (See note about cake strips.)

Cool on cake racks. Split each layer horizontally to make a total of four layers.

To make whipped cream filling and frosting: In a large chilled bowl, whip cream with electric mixer, gradually adding powdered sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or stabilizer powder, if using, and vanilla.

Place 1 split layer on a plate, cut side down (the bottom, browner side up, is easier to frost than the cut side). Place wax paper strips under the edge of the cake so the plate will stay neat.

Using a round-tipped steel spatula, spread with a layer of whipped cream filling; top with second cake layer (the baked, brown top facing up). Frost second layer. Top with sliced bananas. Add third layer (second bottom, browner side up) and add more filling, then top with fourth layer (again, the baked, brown top facing up). Frost sides with remaining whipped cream. Add whipped cream rosettes piped with pastry tube, if desired. Or add dollops of whipped cream dropped from a teaspoon.

Garnish rosette in middle with maraschino cherry. Remove wax paper strips. Refrigerate until serving. Note about stabilizers: Xanthan gum and instant Clear Gel stabilizer are available at the Decorette Shop in Tigard and at the Foster Road location, at some health food stores or grocery departments, or at some craft store cooking/hobby departments. Note about vanilla: Using a combination of real and artificial vanilla gives a better texture. Note about cake crumbs: The Bohemian Bakery apparently used dried, ground cake crumbs -- not necessarily banana cake -- pressed onto the outside of the frosted layers. You can skip this step or, Lynda Nestelle suggests, you could buy a couple of muffins, toast broken-up pieces in a toaster oven and process them to crumbs in a food processor. Note about cake strips: Commercial cake strips that go around cake pans help cakes bake perfectly level on the top and prevent overbrowning. Nestelle has found that strips made from old bedsheets, folded 4 layers thick and thoroughly dampened with cold water, work as well. Folded, they should not rise above the edge of the pan. Wrap them around pans, under the pans' rims, to prevent overbrowning on the outside rim. Whipped

Crepes

It's been years since I've attempted to make Crepes. Kelli went to a Mutual activity where they made crepes, topped them, and then ate them. When I went to pick her up I got to try one of them. Mine had Nutella and Strawberries and it was SOOO good! So, rather randomly this afternoon, I decided to make some for a snack. I popped the ingredients into my blender, and whisked the dry ingredients into a small bowl, then slowly, with the blender on, added the dry mixture. Then I poured it right from the blender- EASY. This recipe is from Bonnie Weeeks' blog, the recipe Kelli helped make at the activity. If you click on the title it will take you to her post, she even has a video with pictures to go along with it. I liked the quick video, since I really didn't know what I was doing when I made these. She's got some other great looking recipes I need to try, as well as Crafty things I may take a stab at trying. I found the picture from www.skinnytaste.com(another fabulous food blog, which I will be trying and hopefully posting some recipes from soon).

Crepes
About 5 servings (if you are really serving 5 adults, I would double it to have leftovers)

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 eggs (if you only have 2-3 on hand, still doable)
1/4 cup oil
1-2 tsp vanilla (almond also tastes good)

Mix all ingredients together with electric beaters. Spray frying pans with non-stick spray. Ladle into pans and cook on 1st side just until the top looks dry and the pancake won't break when flipped. Cook on the 2nd side for 1/2 the time on the first. Eat and enjoy.

(Baked) Chipotle Beef Taquitos

These are GREAT. Next time I make them, I will stuff them as full as I can. I made way more than the 20 it called for. These are full of flavor and I just loved the cheese! They can be made with the corn tortillas or flour tortillas as well. Can't wait for lunch tomorrow. This recipe is from ourbestbites, but if you click on the title it will take you right to the post with pictures.

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast
4oz green chilies, undrained
1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I do 1/4 for mild spiciness)
3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers (see below for note)
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)(Love this cheese!)
6″ white corn tortillas (about 20) I decied I like white corn torillas WAY better than yellow.
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Note: If you don’t want to work with the chipotle peppers, or can’t find them, try adding some Chipotle Chili Powder. You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase to taste.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take your shredded beef and slice any larger pieces across the grain so you have pieces about 1/2-1″ long. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: We’ve talked about chipotle peppers before. They’re little red beauties that come canned in a smoky sauce. (They’re the same peppers used in this salad) Most of my recipes only use a small portion of the can you need to buy. So as not to waste the rest, I take the left overs and after de-seeding the peppers, I blend it all together with the sauce and then freeze it in 1t portions. Then it’s easy to pull out for recipes like this.

To prepare the peppers for the taquitos: pull out a pepper, trying to leave as much of the sauce as you can in the can. You’ll want to slit the pepper open to remove the seeds. You can just scrape them out with a small knife. Or, what I often do is just take care of it over the sink. Open it up and run it under a slow stream of water to wash the seeds out. You’ll want to be careful as the flesh is tender and can wash off too!


Mince it up as needed. And be careful, they’re spicy! Don’t touch your nostrils or your eyes, or pretty much anything else before washing your hands very well.

Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)

Now bust out the queso fresco. You can find it at just about any grocery store now days. It’s generally in the refridgerated cheese section.

You can always substitute monterey jack or pepperjack, but I like queso fresco because I feel cool using foreign foods. Plus, it’s a traditional Mexican cheese and it tastes good.

Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture and roll that baby up.


I use 6″ tortillas and I usually get about 20 taquitos. I fill them on the full side, so you could definitely stretch this and easily get more out of the recipe.


Place seam-side down on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Use cooking spray or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each one. (I use olive oil in a mister and it works perfect.) Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on the top of each one.


Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and your house smells like a Mexican restaurant. A Mexican restaurant in a good way, not in a nasty, greasy, stinky way.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Eat ‘em hot!


These should absolutely, positively be served with a healthy smothering of fresh guacamole. And some sour cream if you wish.

Lavosh(Wheat Thins)

I have the last batch of these in the oven right now. These are so fun and easy to make. You do them a batch at a time, like making cookies. I found the picture at castsugar.blogspot.com(just click on the title), but the recipe I found is from http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=764 Just copy and past this to see for yourself. Of course it's here below as well. The first two batches I did turned out too soft(I didn't roll them thin enough), but after that they were PERFECT(I rolled them paper thin). I was surprised at how thin I had to roll them, but it is the key to these crackers. I found this recipe about a year ago and I finally got around to making them. I'm so glad I did.

Lavosh(Wheat Thins)

Ingredients
•1-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
•1-1/2 cups White Flour, Unbleached
•1/2 tsp Sea Salt
•1/2 tsp Baking Soda
•1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed (can be less if desired)
•4-5 Tb Sesame Seeds (White Hulled)
•1 stick Butter, melted
•1 cup Buttermilk

Directions
Mix together the first 6 ingredients (whole wheat flour through sesame seeds). Add the melted butter and buttermilk; mix well. Form batter into several balls the size of a tennis ball. Roll each out as thinly as possible on the back of an ungreased cookie sheet(use extra flower to roll them out, like a super mini-pizza). Score into 2" x 2" squares. Do not separate.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Options: Seasonings such as garlic salt, onion salt, poppy seeds or cracked black pepper can be used.

Makes about 3 dozen crackers.

Sweet Tea

This recipe comes from my awesome Sister-in-Law, Mindy. It was passed down from her mother, who got the recipe from a fellow church member. The title will take you to myrecipes.com where I found the picture. Brandon likes to make up a pitcher of this tea during the hot summer months because it's so refreshing. I'm posting this up now because I'm looking forward to the Summer again. Only about 3 more months, right? Now this recipe is fun because you can change up the tea to whatever kind you like(our favorite is the Stash brand, Mint Herbal Tea, and my favorite is the Stash brand, Raspberry Herbal Tea), but we pretty much like it all.

Sweet Tea
4 Bags Celestial Seasonings Caffeine Free Tea(we use 6-7 bags because we like it stronger, and switch it up with different flavors)
1 cup sugar(I start with 1/2 cup and go from there, depending on how sweet we want it)

In a 1-quart pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. Then place 4 bags into the pot and pull the pot away from the heat, placing the lid on and simmering for at
least 15 min. Remove bags. Pour tea water into a one gallon pitcher.
Add sugar to make it sweet. Then fill the pot with water
and fill pitcher until its full. Stir, and Refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice.

Hasselback Potatoes

These were really fun to make. I've seen these before and finally got around to trying them. When I was preparing these I thought they weren't going to turn out like the picture, but they did. It looks so fancy, and it's really easy to do. I hope you give this a try. Click on the title it will take you to sophistimom.com where I found the picture as well as the recipe.

For the last few minutes of baking, she sprinkled them with some of the Weight Watchers’ 4 Cheese Mexican Blend. When they were ready to serve, she topped them with sour cream, but you can add anything you’d like.


Hasselback Potatoes
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
olive oil
melted butter (optional)
kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
4 ounces shredded Weight Watchers Cheese(whatever you like)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay a potato on its flattest side in the bowl of a large cooking spoon. Take a sharp knife, and very carefully cut thin slices all along the tops of the potatoes, about two thirds to three quarters of the way down—the edges of the spoon should prevent you from cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

2. Brush the tops of the potatoes liberally with olive oil and melted butter, trying to work the oil in between the leaves of the potato. Slip slices of garlic in between a few of the slices, and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Roast for one hour, or until golden and tender.

3. Just as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with cheese, and place in the oven again for 5 minutes more. Serve with fat free sour cream, green onion or chives, and whatever you can imagine.