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:)

Hello!! I hope everyone’s week is going well. It’s almost the weekend and I have to say, I am ready for it! The other night, when I made the Shepard’s Pie, I also made one of my Aunt Kathy’s recipes – Beef Stroganoff. She’s made this recipe for years and years. It’s actually the only stroganoff I’ve ever had/made. My brother, Bill, just emailed me asking me again how she makes it so that’s what I’m leaving here today for yall:) It’s easy and its GOOOOD STUFF!!:) Enjoy!!
OK, HERE’S What You’ll Need:

1 lb of ground beef (I like to use ground round)

1 small onion cut up (if you don’t have one, just use dried minced onion)

salt, pepper, garlic powder

1lb button mushrooms (or 1 small can, DRAINED sliced up mushrooms)

1 can Cream of Mushrooms (or Chicken) soup

8oz sour cream

Serve over white rice or egg noodles

HERE’S What You Do:

1 pound ground round

Season w/ salt, pepper,dried onions,garlic powder & brown

***Now, drain your meat and put it to the side to keep it warm. Do not wash out your skillet.  Add about 1 T. butter to your skillet**

Mushrooms (small can drained or you can use fresh - I like fresh:) Instead of slicing, I like to break them up into quarters with my hands - nice chunky pieces.

Saute' your mushrooms in the skillet with butter and little bit of drippings left over from the hamburger meat.

Meanwhile, start your noodles - or rice (I use my rice cooker when I make the rice) Here I just made egg noodles.

Once your mushrooms are all nice and goldeny (like that word?:) browny, add your beef back to your skillet

To your meat/mushrooms, add a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (or Cream of Chicken) and 8 oz of sour cream

Sour cream and Cream of Mushroom soup - mix into meat/mushrooms and simmer on low til warmed through.

***Remove noodles from heat and drain***

Serve stroganoff over noodles and ENJOY!:)