Hello:) What a  gorgeous day it has turned out to be!  The kids are on fall break so they are outside playing, soaking up the sunshine while it’s still around.  Paul and I are sitting here listening to the Glee soundtrack:) We are only on Season 1 but we have gotten so hooked on it.  I had Accounting this morning.  45 minutes into it, all I wanted to do was get out of there and come home and cook or make something. So I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and picked up some beef bones to make beef stock. It’s simmering away on the stove atm, smelling ohhh sooo good:)  I also bought more round steak and chuck roast so we could grind up some more hamburger meat.  My food sanitation class is really making me think twice about what we are really eating.

I made this coffee cake about a month ago and have made it a few more times in different variations. One was the Traditional English Sponge Cake.  I just didn’t use the streusel topping. I ended up with an 8 x 8 and then I made a loaf pan that I added walnuts too.  This is a very adaptable recipe. A good basic I guess you could say:)  Give it a try and enjoy!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel:

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cups pecans ( I actually didn’t use this much because I only made a small loaf pan with these)

HERE’S What You Do:

Cream your room temp butter really well.

Add your eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Blend well.

Mix together your dry ingredients in another bowl.

Add dry mix to your wet mixture. Don't mix in all at once. Add it a bit at a time on low speed so you don't sling it all over the place:)

Mix for about 2 minutes on medium.

Pour into prepared baking dishes. I use empty butter wrappers to butter my dishes. Really works great and it keeps you from getting your hands all greasy:)

Now, in another bowl, you are going to make your topping:) Mix together your streusel ingredients.

Sprinkle generously over your cake(s). I added the crumbled up walnuts to my topping in the loaf pan because the kids won't touch them -- so that pan was ALLLL MIIINNNEEEE;)

Bake about 45 minutes (til a toothpick comes out clean) at 350 F. Super delicious in the afternoon with a cup of coffee and a good friend to visit with:)

Well, Momma came and went. I hated to see her go. We had such a good time.  The kids really enjoyed having their GoGo here;)  Trying to talk her into coming back up here for Christmas… we’ll see. It’s a beautiful day out. The kids are out and about playing.  They are off this whole next week for Fall Break:)  I wish my school was off this week as well. I sure could use a Florida trip about now.

Aunt Kathy and Martha came over for supper again the other night and I made ham with pineapple. I love this ham so much. It makes terrific sandwiches for several days after and the ham bone is perfect for soup and beans:)  My neighbor, Amy, sends over her ham bones when she makes a ham and I stick them into the freezer until I am ready to use it.  I make my ham the way Momma always made it. I never use the glaze packet that comes with the spiral cut.  I always stick plenty of pineapple rings in with the ham because the kids LOVE pineapple and they are super yummy on a sandwich the next day;)   LSU is playing McNeese at 6 tonight so I need to get this out to yall and get my chicken going:) Yall have a great weekend:) Enjoy!:)

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 Spiral Cut Ham

1 Can Coke (not diet)

1 cup (more if you like) brown sugar

2 cans Pineapple rings + juice

Crushed pineapple

Maraschino Cherries

HERE’S What You Do:

I use my Le Creuset Braiser for ham.  I line it with foil. Place your ham in your baking dish. Pack the crushed pineapple on your ham then  pineapple rings on the ham. Pack on your brown sugar. Gently pour your coke over and any of the juice if you want. Cover tightly with foil. Bake on 275 (15 minutes per pound – your center temp should come to 140 F when heated through – this is for the already Precooked spiral cut ham only. NOT a fresh ham).  To serve, slice it up, place your pineapples on top and cherries in the center;)

Hello!

Hope everyone had a great weekend:) Our’s has been fun. I love having Momma here.  Yesterday, for her birthday, we took Momma out to lunch then we went to the Painted Penguin:) We lovelovelove the Painted Penguin. When Paul’s parents were here, we took them there as well:)  If you aren’t familiar with it, you go and pick out a piece of ceramic and paint it:)  While our pieces dried, we did a little shopping.  Yesterday, we took Momma to Ikea for her very first Ikea experience:) Can I say how much I love that place?  We even ate lunch at their little cafe and was impressed – good and cheap.  Afterwards was ballet with Sarah and swim with MyMatthew;)  I’m sure Momma is worn out but still have a full week ahead!

The other night, I made fettuccine. Sarah and I about made ourselves sick. It’s not a light dish by any means.  I hope yall will give it a try Enjoy!!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

12 oz fettuccine

3/4 cups butter (1  1/2 sticks)

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups Parmesan (Don’t use the green shake stuff – use as fresh as possible:)

1 tsp cornstarch

2 T. parsley and chives (chopped into small pieces – I use my kitchen shears)

HERE’S What You Do:

Boil your fettuccine noodles in salted water.

For the sauce – melt your butter in a medium sauce pan.  Whisk in your whipping cream and pepper. Stir often until the mixture becomes thickened. It doesn’t take long.  Gradually stir in your parmesan and cook until it’s melted.  Whisk in the cornstarch and stir until slightly thickened – about 3ish minutes.

Drain the pasta and  add it to the cheese sauce. Serve it up with more Parmesan and sprinkle with chives and parsley:)

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Momma;)

I’m so happy to have her up here for her birthday again this year:)  Aunt Kathy, Martha and Bob came over tonight for pizza, salad and birthday cake.  Afterwards, Paul and I snuck off into the family room to watch the LSU vs Florida game and let the ‘grown ups’ talk;)  What a game! Edge of your eat once more:)  Tomorrow (Sunday) is actually Momma’s birthday. Hopefully it’ll be a nice day for her:)  Everyone really enjoyed this cake. The fresh whipped cream really makes it.  I didn’t have long toothpicks for the cake. Definitely need them so make sure you grab some at the store if you don’t have them. The top is all “slidey”.  Enjoy!!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whipped Cream:

2 cups Heavy whipping cream

2/3 C. sugar

1/2 T. vanilla

Red Raspberry Jam – stirred up really well

powdered sugar

HERE’S What You Do:

Bring your butter to room temp and cream it really well.

Add your egg, sour cream and vanilla - beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, powder, sugar and salt. Mix well and add a bit at a time to your butter/sour cream.

Mix well

Grease your cake pans and pour batter evenly into each of them. Drop on the counter a couple of times to get the air bubbles out. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.

Once your cake is out of the oven and completely cooled - whip your cream, sugar and vanilla.

Generously, spread your whipping cream on the bottom cake layer.

Next, slather on the Raspberry Jam.

Place top layer on. Insert your long toothpicks into the cake to keep the top from sliding. Cover with a heavy sprinkling of powder sugar:) SOOoooOOoo YuM!!

Good morning:)  Off to take an accounting test this morning so this is a fast one.  I made Chicken Kiev last night and it was SO good!! Sarah got to try a bit of it and she said she it’s the best thing she’s ever eaten:) Well, I don’t know if it is really true but it was good:) I even got the Paul seal of approval:)  It did take me a while but I think it was worth it.  The pictures are a bit on the dark side, horrible lighting in my kitchen. Oh and one last thing, these were huge, so I think next time, Paul and I will split one!   Enjoy!!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

4 chicken breasts (flattened)

4  T. butter (softened)

1 T. chopped parsley

1 T. chopped chives

1 clove garlic (pressed)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

flour (for dusting)

1 egg (beaten) + a splash of water

Italian breadcrumbs

HERE’S What You Do:

In a bowl mix your soft butter, parsley, chives, garlic, salt & pepper.

Divide into 4 and place in the refrigerator until it's chilled (No, not very pretty is it?:)

***Meanwhile, flatten your chicken out. I put mine in a freezer bag and pounded it out to 1/4 inch thick.

In the center of each chicken breast, place one of the dollops of butter. Enclose completely and secure with toothpicks.

Dush lightly with flour.

Dip in egg and roll in Italian bread crumbs.

Place in a oven safe dish that has been Pam'd:) Bake, covered, at 350 F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

I made mashed potatoes to go along with it:) Yum!