Chocolate Cubed Cake

Today is a special day around these parts.  My beautiful daughter is officially a teenager.  Yup.  It’s her 13th birthday.  I don’t know where time goes; it feels like she was itty bitty only a week ago!

We celebrated this past Saturday with a trip to the beach (a post about this will be up on Pa-Blam later this evening if you’re interested) and eating way too much junk.  Included in this junk was a birthday cake, of course.  The kiddo is a HUGE chocolate fan, and she requested the same Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake from Katie’s Kitchen Blog that I made her last year.  It went a lot better this time around, probably thanks to familiarity with the recipe, a bit of tweaking, and the awesome new bakeware I won from Kelli.

Today is also my Goddaughter’s birthday as well.  She’s 2!  Although her party is this coming weekend, the kiddo let her jump in to help blow out the candles on Saturday.

Chocolate^3 Cake

For Cake:

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (I Used 1/2 Cup Dutch Processed and 1/4 Cup Black Cocoa)
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 1/2 Cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
3 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

For Frosting:

180 Grams Dark Chocolate (I Used Special Dark Kisses)
180 Grams Milk Chocolate (I Used Milk Chocolate Kisses)
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 1/2 (3 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened and Cubed

For Glaze:

180 Grams Chocolate (I Used 90 Milk and 90 Dark)
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter

Preheat oven to 325F.  Butter and flour two 9 inch or three 8 inch cake pans.  I used 9 inch this year, but it worked fine with my 8 inchers last year.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder (last year I used all dutch processed, and it was delicious, too), baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

Beat the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy.  Slowly add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until completely incorporated.  The batter will be thick!!

Divide batter between cake pans and use a offset spatula to level the batter.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, start on the frosting.  Heat the cream and corn syrup to a boil.

Put the chocolate into a large bowl and pour the hot cream/syrup mixture on top.  Let sit for a few minutes and whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixed in.

Cool the mixture to room temperature.  Add the butter a little at a time, and beat until creamy.  Chill completely before use.

For the glaze, melt the butter and chocolate together.  Last year, I used all dark chocolate.  I thought it was delicious, but the kiddo wasn’t a fan.  She loved it with the milk chocolate added.  Do whatever you like depending on who will be eating it.

Let the chocolate/butter mixture cool so it’s still pourable but is cool to the touch.

Assemble the cake by putting one layer down, spreading some frosting on top, adding the second layer, and completely covering it with the chocolate frosting.

Pour the glaze over top.

If you’re not serving it right away, refrigerate it.  The frosting melts VERY easily.

This is very delicious but very rich.  A small slice was more than enough for us!

Enjoy!!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here!!

Old Fashion Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter is one of my all time favorite foods, and every year at Christmas I have to make these cookies. This is a recipe I got from my Mom, who got it from my Grandmother years before.

Fun facts: Did you know that Peanut Butter Cookies generally originated in the United States? Its development dating back to the 1910′s!! I’m sure over the years there have been improvements and alterations on the recipe, but You really can’t go wrong with Peanut butter.

You will need:
~1 cup unsalted butter
~1 cup crunchy peanut butter
~1 cup white sugar
~1 cup packed brown sugar
~2 eggs
~2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~1 teaspoon baking powder
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
First; Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.

Second; In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Third; Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Sprinkle with a little sugar (keeps it from sticking to fork) Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.

Last; Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

These are some of my favorite cookies to eat with a glass of milk!

Good Eats!

Hey everyone,

Long time no type.. I’m sorry it has taken me this long to get back here. As most of you know, my Mom passed away last December and things have just been hectic since. I have moved from my tiny apartment to a friends house, and now I’ve moved three hours away from everything and one I’ve known all my life (except for one of my Best friends Mom, who I am renting a room from now). Basically my world has been turned upside down and down side up, and every which way it can he turned. I’m starting to put the pieces back together though, and have even been cooking again -I didn’t cook for months after my Mom died. I’m working part time at a sub shop and basically live in paradise, a little town right on the Gulf of Mexico. I now rent a room in a condo, have a pool right outside, and a pond with lots of ducks to feed. Basically I am trying to find out who I am without my Mom.. She had been my everything for so very long.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you guys for all the kind words and for sticking around. I plan on posting recipes soon and more regularly now that I have a little time too and things are starting to settle down. I hope this finds all of you well.

Crock Pot Pork Roast

Sorry I’ve been so absent on this blog lately.  Well, I’ve been pretty absent on my personal blog as well.  Life has been busy… not bad, just busy.  I’ve had a lot going on, and I’m thankful for this bit of downtime today.

With my crazy schedule, I’m always on the lookout for awesome recipes that are either super quick or just thrown in the crock pot.  I saw a recipe for Tangy Slow Cooked Pork Roast on Muffy Martini and knew I had to try it.

It came out perfectly.  I had a hard time slicing it because it just wanted to fall apart.  This is definitely something I’ll be making again!

Crock Pot Pork Roast

1 Large Onion
1 Pork Loin, About 2-3 Pounds
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Ketchup
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper, To Taste

Slice the onion and arrange it at the bottom of your crock pot.

Put the pork roast on top of the onion.

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the pork roast.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.

Serve and enjoy!

I made sure to put a few onion slices on each plate and drizzled with some leftover sauce. If you wanted, you could mix some cornstarch into the sauce to thicken it up a bit.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here!!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

Last year, I decided to start a new cooking challenge.  I was going to make one meatless meal a week.  The benefits of having one meatless meal are numerous.  Meatless meals are generally lower in calories, less expensive, and healthier.  Those aren’t the reasons I chose to do this, though.  I just really wanted to branch out with my recipes; I wanted to be challenged.

So far this year, I’ve made a meatless meal every week except one, Spring Break.  Not to toot my own horn, but I think that’s pretty impressive to a meatless newby.

This challenge lead me to the Meatless Monday website.  They have A TON of information if you’re thinking of joining the once a week meatless trend.  One of the resources available is an extensive recipe index.  This is where I found one of my favorites, Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili, and here is my version:

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

1 lb Frozen Cubed Butternut Squash (Or 1/2 a Fresh Squash)
1 Onion, Diced
2 Bell Peppers, Diced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Tbsp Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, Minced or Pureed (Adjust To Taste)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
2 Cans Black Beans, Drained
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp Coriander
1 Tbsp Dried Cilantro
Salt and Pepper, To Taste
Cheese, Sour Cream, or Other Toppings

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4.  The longer it cooks, the more the squash will turn into a thick sauce.

 

Top with desired toppings and enjoy!

 

The last time I made this, I ended up with 5 normal sized bowlfuls.  Each had about 200 calories without toppings.  That’s pretty awesome!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here!!

Ranch Enchilasagna Rolls

The Vampire Diet posted a recipe for Ranch Enchilasagna the other week.  It sounded ahhhh-mazing.  I’ve made a lasagna-like enchilada using tortillas instead of noodles, but an actual enchilada-lasagna hybrid sounded like the best thing to ever happen to food.

I had plans to make the dish exactly as she posted it, but somehow her recipe fell in love with my Spinach lasagna Rolls recipe.  The resulting love-child was this delicious monstrosity   OM NOM NOM NOM forever, guys.  I cannot wait to make it again!

Ranch Enchilasagna Rolls

9 Lasagna Noodles
1 Pound Ground Beef or Turkey
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper, To Taste
15oz Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1 Packet Ranch Dressing Mix
10-16oz Frozen Spinach, Thawed and Drained
1.5 Cups Mexican Blend Cheese
1 Large Can (Or 2 Small Cans) Red Enchilada Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles until very al dente.  Drain well, and rinse with cold water so they’re cool enough for you to handle.

Meanwhile, season the ground meat with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  You could also just use a packet of taco seasoning if you’d like.  Brown the meat.

Mix the Ricotta with the ranch mix, well- drained spinach, 1 cup of the Mexican blend cheese, and the browned meat.

Put enough enchilada sauce in a sprayed baking dish to cover the bottom.  I used medium enchilada sauce.  You can use whatever you prefer.  I’d love to make these with hot, but my kid wouldn’t eat it that way. S he complained enough about medium.

Spread the noodles out, and divide the cheese mixture between them.

Roll the noodles up and place them in the baking dish.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolls and top them with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Nom the crap out of them.

Yuuuuuuuum.

My whole family loved these!  I bet yours would, too.  You could leave the ground beef out for a vegetarian option.  Maybe just put a bit of cumin and chili powder in with the ricotta mix.  You could also use chicken breasts, as long as you cut them in small pieces.  I love a versatile recipe.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here!!

Grandma Kern’s Sugar Cookies

As I promised, I’ve returned with another recipe.  A cookie recipe.  A delicious cookie recipe.

These are the fluffiest sugar cookies I have ever had.  They are soft, moist, and just all around amazing.  I had them the first time when my cousin Wendy made them.  I was hooked from that point on.

She got the recipe from her husband, who got the recipe from his grandma.  That’s where the name comes from.  Grandma Kern knew how to bake!

Grandma Kern’s Sugar Cookies

2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Butter
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
4 1/3 Cups Flour
Colored Sugar, Optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream together the sugar and butter.  Once fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and beat well for about 5 minutes.

Add the sour cream and dry ingredients, and beat until well mixed.  The batter will get thick, so you may need to do the last bit by hand.  Daniel broke my old, cheap mixer by trying to mix this batter.  It burnt out the motor.

Once mixed, drop the batter by the Tablespoon onto a sprayed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with colored sugar if you want.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden brown, and they spring back when touched.

Let cool on a wire wrack and try not to eat all of them!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here!!