Easy Homemade Apple Cider

Did you know you can make your own apple cider using your food processor?  It's so easy, you'll never pay the big-bucks for apple cider again.   Here in Florida we don't have many apple orchards. In fact, if you know of any, please tell me.    But every October, there is an apple festival in north Georgia.  My sister went and gifted me with a bushel of apples.   These were Gala apples.  I thought they would be too mild for applesauce (another easy-peasy thing to make at home) so I tried this.  (I prefer apple cider over apple juice, but that's me)

There's no recipe per se.  But all you I-Need-A-Recipe folks, don't fret.  You don't need one.  You do, however, need a food processor and cheesecloth. Well, you don't even need cheesecloth.   I used what's called bar cloth. Walmart sells these in packs of five in the kitchen towel area.  Get those.  You'll get tons of use from that five-pack.

Here goes,

Wash the apples really well, because you're going to leave the peels on. You know those nifty little apple slicer/corer things?  Using that will help the process along quite nicely, but if you don't have one don't worry.   Just slice it the way our grandmothers, or great-grandmothers, did it.  You don't want the core and seeds, mind you.

Toss those slices into the food processor.   Don't fill it full of slices, half full is fine, otherwise you will be there a while.   I know, it seems counter-intuitive, but doing multiple half-full bowls is really quicker.  Process it until you have "mush", or as mushy as you can.

Have a large bowl, with a collander inside and the barcloth, or cheesecloth, inside the collander. Dump that mush into that.  (such technical terms)

Next, gather up the edges and give it a good squeeze to make a ball.

Quite a bit of juice is already draining.

At this point, I ladled out a taste.  Ooooh.  Heaven!

To make sure you get all the goodness (juice) extracted, place a heavy object on top of the bag of mush (those technical terms again).  I used the heaviest pot I could find.  Let that sit a few hours, or overnight if you don't have "critters".

and there you have it.  You apple cider maker, you.

Note:  This is not pasturized, so it won't keep as long as commercial stuff.  A week is fine in the frige.  But if you want to do bulk batches, you can freeze it.    Enjoy.  

How do you enjoy fall's bounty of apples?  I'd love to hear.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

What could be better than (A) a dish you can toss in the crock pot and (B) freezes well too ? I know! This dish fits the bill. And, seriously folks, is so easy. I call it Creamy Mushroom Chicken. When I make this (as I do with a number of dishes) I just do a double batch. One for now, and one for the freezer. I know, I'm bright aren't I?

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package of dry Italian Dressing Mix

1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can (small) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

Sprinkle dressing packets on chicken breasts in crock pot. Do not add water. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. I serve mine with noodles. Usually the flat ones, but I didn't feel like running to the grocery store, and had Rotini. :)

Enjoy!

Potato Crusted Chicken breasts

I tried a new dish last week. I'm just now getting to post it for you because I came down with a nasty cold. Just when I thought I had this thing licked, it turned on me. I'm finally better. Better, but not 100% yet. But I'm closer than I was!

Anyway, back to the chicken! This dish uses those cartons of dry hashbrown potatoes (it looks like a milk carton) and some other "packaged" ingredients, so if you're a purist you probably won't like this dish but it sure does help using those convenience foods once in a while to try out something new for the table.

Potato Crusted Chicken Breasts and Tomato Gravy

1 carton dry hashbrown potatoes - 4-5 oz)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly pounded

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup canola oil

1 jar/can chicken gravy (12-14.5 oz)

1 (8 oz) can milk tomato sauce with green Chiles (I used Rotelle)

Follow directions on the hashbrown carton

Place flour in a shallow bowl, and eggs in a second shallow bowl (whisk the eggs)

Remove any excess water from the potatoes and place in a third shallow bowl.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each breast into the flour, coating both sides, then into eggs. Finally, coat both sides of the chicken with the potatoes; press with fingertips to coat evenly.

Preheat oil in large saute pan on medium about 3-4 minutes. Add two chicken breasts, cook on each side until juices run clear and potatoes are golden and crisp. Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining breasts, adding a little more oil if necessary.

Combine gravy and tomato sauce in saucepan on medium heat, bring to a simmer and serve over the chicken breasts.

and there you have it! Enjoy

Fake-It Snickers Cake

Like Snickers? My husband does. So when I found this recipe for a faux Snickers Cake I knew it was a must try!

Trouble is, I didn't make it as soon as I saw the recipe. I know it had to have come from a magazine because it was in my notebook for recipes to try. You know, the notebooks I mentioned in the post about organizing recipes here...

So I'm not exactly what magazine I got it from. LOL It's really a great dessert to make in the summer time because you use a frozen pound cake loaf, so no baking! There are, however, several steps because you want to chill each step so if you plan that ahead, you're good to go!

Fake Snickers Cake

Frozen pound cake loaf (the recipe said 12 oz. I found a SaraLee that was 16 so that's what I used)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3-4 Tablespoons milk

One 1 lb box confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts

2 cans dulce de leche (I found mine in with the evaporated milk cans)

For the Coating:

10 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick cold, butter, cut into pieces

1. Trim 1/2 inch off the short ends of the pound cake, then trim the dome off the top is there is one, to make it flat. Stand the cake on it's side and slide in half horizontally to make two equal sized rectangles.

2. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring until melted. Beat the butter, 3 TBSP milk and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add more milk IF NEEDED, to make the frosting spreadable.

3. If you want one long cake, they lay the rectangles *on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread a little of the frosting on one short end of each cake (to act as "glue") and press together to form a long rectangle.

OR, do like I did and make two separate cakes! :-)

* 4. Spread the remaining frosting on the cake in a 1 inch thick layer, making the edges slightly higher than the center. Smooth the top and sides with an offset spatula. Freeze until firm (about 30 minutes)

5. Mix the peanuts and dulce de leche in a bowl.

6. Remove the came from freezer and spread the peanut mixture on the frosting in a flat, even layer. Freeze until the dulce de leche is firm (about 30 minutes)

7. Meanwhile, make the chocolate coating: Microwave the chocolate and butter in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth.

8 Spread the chocolate on the cake evenly over top and sides with an offset spatula. Freeze until chocolate cools slightly (6-8 minutes)

9. Now, with the chocolate slightly cooled, you can do little doo-dads on top to make it look like a snickers bar: Dip the edge of an offset spatula into the chocolate at an angle and gently pull up, repeating along the top of the cake to create a wave pattern. Chill 10 minutes before serving.

*Note: In step 4, I mentioned putting the cake onto a rack. This is to catch the chocolate that drips off. But then you have to transfer to a platter so I opted not to do that step and just put it on the platter from the start. You might need to take a little more time in pouring the chocolate to make sure you don't have a big puddle at the base, but it worked fine for me, and I didn't have more things to wash at the end! I'm just sayin'....

Well, there you go. That's it folks. I hope you'll try this and then come back and let me know how people adored you after eating it!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Crisp

Do you like zucchini?

I must admit,  I don't. Well, let me clarify that... I like zucchini bread.   I've even been heard to say, zucchini bread is the only way to eat zucchini.  (don't judge).  It really doesn't have any taste of its own really.  Or, maybe I should say, the taste is so mild that's it's non-existent.
But man cannot live by (zucchini) bread alone so when I found this recipe I thought I'd give it a try, skeptical as I might be, and see if I could find another way to use up this stuff.   I was so surprised!  It actually tasted like apple crisp!  WooHoo!!!

The "acid test" would be to see if passed the approval of the man of the house.  He was very impressed and, in fact, thought he was eating apple crisp.  So we have a keeper here!    So, in case you'd like to try it, here ya go...

Zucchini Crisp

8 cups peeled, cubed zucchini

2/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 to 2/3 cup raw sugar  (I used Splenda)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

2/3 cup cold butter

Combine the first five ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Combine the brown sugar, oats and flour in a bowl;, cut in butter until crumbly.

Sprinkle over the zucchini mixture.Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until bubbly and zucchini is tender.

NOTE:  About the butter:  I just opted for cutting about 1/3 of the the butter into the mixture, and then dotting the top of the crisp with the rest.  That was just my own personal preference, do it how you like.

and, just in case you're wondering what to fix for a main dish to go along with this, today I've posted a pot roast recipe for the crockpot on Real Women Eat.  Head on over there and check that one out too!

Easiest Ever Strawberry Cookies...From a Cake Mix

I promised to post this recipe Saturday, and totally forgot. Sorry, but I'm here now to share.
I have made these for years, and don't know why it never occurred to me to share this with you. I think this recipe originally started out as a lemon cookie, but since there are strawberry farmers in my family, why not strawberry?!

I made these one year for my aunt's annual "Sisters Tea" (they're some of the strawberry farmers I mentioned). They couldn't believe how simple they were to make. I gave the recipe to one of my cousins (really, there's no reason for a written recipe as long as you can remember the 4 ingredients. LOL) and she made them for her children's teachers for Christmas. She had offers to pay her for more. I'm pretty sure, her fame preceeded her to her kids' next grade! Here's all you need to know...

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

One box of Strawberry Cake Mix (I've used 'em all, so pick your favorite)

1 egg, slightly beaten

One 8 oz tub of CoolWhip, or any generic frozen whipped topping

Red food coloring (optional)

* 2 cups confectioner's sugar (for powdering the cookies after baked)

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer. Now here's where you have a choice: Either drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet first, or you can drop tablespoonfuls into powdered (confectioner's) sugar before baking. I tend to go back and forth. Up to you.

Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes. Check cookies, at about 8 minutes. You don't want them to be crisp, just chewy. Lightly browned around the edges.

Let cool, but when still slightly warm (slightly!) drop into powdered sugar to coat and then place back on cooling rack.

Notes: About food coloring. This is up to you. If you don't use the coloring, no biggie, your cookies will just be pink. But if you'd like a stronger color, more like strawberries, then I say go for it. Just a drop at a time though, until you like what you see. :-)

These cookies can get a bit aggravating because they'll be sticky before baking. I just coat my hands/spoon/scoop (whatever you're using to drop the cookies) with some powdered sugar to try to help.

Use the powdered sugar to coat your cookies

Tah-Dah! You're done. Enjoy!

My quest for Macaroni and Cheese

Who taught you to cook? That's assuming you do cook, of course. A lot of people say their mother did. Mine didn't. When I got married, I had no idea how. I could heat up a can of La Choy Chow Mein. And heat it up I did...regularly. My husband recently reminisced about those dinners we had during the first months of our marriage. He said it was good, but I'm telling you now, we haven't had a can of that in 31 years! LOL Do they even still make that stuff?


My mom, and grandma were both wonderful cooks but they didn't own many written recipes. It was all in their heads. And when I'd ask, my mom would start out helping me, but then take over. She said it was easier. I'd end up losing interest and leave the kitchen. Fast forward to married life. Now I had to cook. Um.... uh oh. My very first job was in medical records at a local hospital, and every day I'd ask all the other ladies in the office what they had for dinner the night before. If I liked the sound of it, I'd ask them how they made it. So I began to build my own library. I'd pour over magazines, and cookbooks (I'm still a cookbook junkie!) and I found I really loved to cook...bake mostly.

I love to cook for people, and bake gifts. There are two dishes I really want to learn to make "like mama", and that's her cornbread dressing (out of this world!!!), and her macaroni and cheese. So my quest for the perfect macaroni and cheese continues. I've had this recipe tucked in my notebook for years (probably back when I was building my library - yeah, that long ago).
Do you have a favorite mac - n- cheese recipe? I'd love to hear how yours differs from this one. Do you put bread crumbs on top? I don't, because, well, mama never did it. LOL This one comes pretty close but I'm always looking for "the one"!

Macaroni and Cheese

1 (1 lb) box elbow macaroni

1 pound mild Cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup margarine, melted

6 eggs

2 (13 oz) cans evaporated milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain well and dump into a big bowl. Add grated cheese, reserving 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top. Stir in cheese until melted.

Stir in margarine and eggs - no need to beat first, just stir well to distribute evenly. Add milk.
Mixture will be fairly liquid. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top and bake in a 350 degrees oven for 30-45 minutes - or until set.

Care to help me on my quest for the perfect macaroni and cheese? I'm all ears.

Mock Devonshire cream for scones

My cousin’s wife (and a member of my other blog, Real Women Eat) is having a baby.  So the family threw her a baby shower tea a couple weeks ago.  I was asked to bring the cream for the scones.  Perfect!  I have just the recipe!
I can be a snob when it comes to sweets.  Ask anyone that knows me well.  I didn’t even eat my own wedding cake because I don’t do “store bought” cakes.  Sad, I know. 
But I’m not a mean-girl snob.  I just don’t want to waste caloric intake on something I don’t love.  I know.   I know.
Back to the cream.  You probably already know this, but real Devonshire cream only comes from the milk of cows in Devon, England.  Hence, the name of this recipe… Mock Devonshire Cream.   Some recipes I’ve seen call for adding sour cream, which I don’t like the taste of in my cream (see above reference to snobbery).  This doesn’t call for that.

Mock Devonshire Cream
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6-8 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Add whipping cream and beat on medium speed until combined, then beat on high until stiff peaks form
Refrigerate until serving.    This yields about 6.5 cups.  If that’s too much, you can half this recipe.
It’s really easy to make your own.  Never, ever use Cool Whip type topping.  That’s just wrong. (Again, see reference to snobbery above. )  Because making your own whipped cream is as simple as beating heavy cream, or whipping cream, with a hint of confectioners’ sugar until it becomes stiff.  No other chemicals, and the satisfaction of being able to say “I make it myself”.

I didn't make these scones.  Who knew, but Publix actually makes scones!  LOL.  However, if you'd like to try something that this cream would be great  on, how about these Strawberry Scones, or this would be heavenly on Fresh Peach Muffins  (just click on the recipe names)

Caramel Apple Muffins

Because it was a dreary day, I decided to go through my recipe notebooks for something new to try.

and decided on Caramel Apple Muffins. I like apples, and I like....make that love... caramel so it was a no-brainer. I think they're best served warm while the caramel is still gooey. I saved two for hubby, and of course I had to try one, er... two. And then I boxed up the rest for hubby to take to work with him to share.

Since I couldn't share them with you to taste, I'll share the recipe and you can make 'em yourself. How's that?

Fresh Caramel Apple Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk (I used evaporated, but I think buttermilk would be fantastic)

1/4 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped, peeled tart apples (granny smith)

12 caramels, chopped

TOPPING

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk the egg, milk, butter and vanilla and stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in the apples and caramels.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.

Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Best served warm

Note: You should watch the time when baking these. Either my oven is wonky, or something, but mine were done before the suggested time. I would check at 15 minutes, and then gauge it from there.

Also, while still kind of warm, I'd remove that paper lining. Those melted caramels will make it stick and when it cools you'll either never get that paper off, or you'll mutilate your poor muffin... unless of course you like added fiber (i.e., paper!!) in your diet. LOL

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ever get the hankerin' for a good, but not good for you, soup? This ought to fit the bill. It's hearty and tastes oh so good. But if one of your New Years resolutions was to eat healthy, you might want to hold off on trying this until you're ready to break that resolution.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

7 cups milk

4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups worth)

5 green onions, sliced

about 12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter, gradually stir in the flour until smooth. Add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil (keep stirring!) Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy! (and you've been warned!)

Super Easy Creamy Chicken and noodles

Ya know how you have life all planned out... got your lists ready to cross off the chores and start the new year clean and organized? Yeah, that's how I planned my start on 2012. But only two days into this glorious "New" year, my mom goes into the hospital. Funny how everything (and I mean everything) gets put on the back burner. Life doesn't always go according to our lists. So we learn to use pencils with erasers, and hopefully grow in the process.

I learned some things during all this, as the dirty clothes piles grew, and the dishes sat: life isn't in the things and how well we manage them... or let them manage us. It's in relationships. We need each other and when you're given a special opportunity to be there for someone, it's OK if "chores" come to a screeching halt for a little while.

I'm happy to report that my mother is home now and spending a few days at my sister's house for recuperation. So, to lighten her load tonight, I made this super quick and easy dish to take to her house while I visit with mom.

I thought this would be better for her since she's still not eating full meals and taking it easy on her tummy.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Boiled chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from Publix)

Bag of large flat noodles ( I used Mueller's, but any brand will do)

garlic powder

Chicken broth

Poultry seasoning 1-2 TBSP

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

Chicken Broth (I used 3 cans - 15 oz each)

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

salt and pepper to taste

To save time I bought the rotisserie chicken, but you can certainly boil your own and use that broth - then you won't have to use the canned broth.

Boil your noodles in the chicken broth. (You need only enough broth to just cover the noodles...unless you want to make soup instead)

Add all the other ingredients and cook another 5-8 minutes.

Note: You can also add sliced carrots, celery and onion to make it a heartier meal (but mom wasn't up for that)

Enjoy!

Three-Bean and Sausage Stew

Christmas is almost upon us .. (did I really say that?!?) and if you’ve got way too many last minute errands to do then this dish is a life saver. Ok, maybe not a lifesaver, but it takes a load off of whats-for-dinner problems. Just throw this little jewel in the crockpot, go attack the day, and then 4-5 hours later boil some rice and open a bag-o-salad and you’re set. I usually end up with left-overs so I freeze the rest. Which, I might add, does freeze well.

3-Beans and Sausage Stew

1 1/2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

15 1/2 oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup water

8 oz. tomato sauce

2/3 cup chopped celery

1 tsp chicken bouillon granules

1 tsp minced garlic (you can use garlic powder in a pinch)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano, optional

1/4 tsp dried thyme, optional

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice. Makes about 8 servings.

Enjoy and relax!

Pecan Pie Cake

Ok people, you've been warned! This cake will make a grown man drop to his knees, birds will sing, and your children will ask you to let them wash the dishes. I'm tellin' you, this cake is good enough to make you sass your grandma (and we all know you won't get away with that without some serious discipline from your mama, right?)  I found this in an older Southern Living, and so glad I did!

Pecan Pie Cake

It's best to make the filling the night before, because you want this to chill really well. So I'll start with that first...

Pecan Pie Filling

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup cornstarch

4 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/8 tsp salt

3 TBSP butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the real stuff)

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil for 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming, and chill at least 4 hours.

Now for the cake....

Pecan Pie Cake

3 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted and divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs, separated

1 TBSP vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

Sprinkle 2 cups pecans evenly into 3 generously buttered 9-inch round cake pans; shake to coat bottoms and sides of pans.

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, and gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in remaining 1 cup pecans.

Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form, and fold one third egg whites into batter. Fold in remaining egg whites. (Do NOT over mix). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. I always set timer to go off 5 minutes before to be safe. Silly oven!

Check for doneness with the old toothpick inserted into center test.

Cool in pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes, then invert onto the wire racks. Put some wax paper down under the wire racks... Trust me! You'll be glad you did!

Brush the tops and sides of layers with corn syrup, and cool completely. (See, aren't you glad you listened?)

Spread half of pecan pie filling on one layer, pecan side up. Place second layer, pecan side up, on filling, and spread with remaining filling. Top with remaining layer, pecan side up.

Now, every Southern cook knows you don't make a pecan pie when it's raining, right? Guess what it was doing the day I made the filling? Yep, that's right.

So it wasn't picture-perfect but that didn't bother anyone who had seconds on Thanksgiving!

I hope you'll try this. I know it's a two step (or day) process, but it is so worth it.

And hopefully, it won't be raining when you do. Enjoy!

Hint:  Please read the comments.  In them, there are some really good questions and tips and if I haven't answered them, then some wonderful readers have helped.  You might find an answer you have in them. 

Be Sweet!

I'm linking up to:

                   

Post Thanksgiving –and a Red Velvet Recipe

It’s official. The Christmas season has begun. But I’m taking a step back for reflection of “Turkey Day”. And sharing one of the two desserts I made for Thanksgiving. Don’t worry, I’ll share the second one later this week because….well, it is totally awesome! But later.
My twitter feed had picture after picture of Thanksgiving meals…everything from full blown traditional meals to totally no-carb, gluten free meals.

Our “traditional” meal always consists of well, a turkey. And sometimes a ham too, but never not a turkey. Since the new craze to deep fry a turkey came about a few years ago, that has got to be my favorite way to eat one now. This year we had a turkey, a ham and roast. I know, I know…overkill.
There are “sides” that are tradition too…
Mom’s macaroni and cheese
oh yeah, and candied sweet potatoes. No, not yams…sweet potatoes.
My sister’s deviled eggs

Seriously, her deviled eggs are the best!
Now, in the south we don’t do stuffing. We do dressing. Cornbread dressing at that.

…and nobody does dressing like my mama.
And greens! My favorite? mustard greens. My sister’s favorite? Collard greens. She fixed the greens. Guess what we had. Of course, collards.
I already judged myself so you don’t have to.
and then there’s dessert… (sigh)

which brings me to the recipe I’m sharing with you… Six Layer Red Velvet Cake

Though I can’t remember, I’m pretty sure I got this from Paula Deen’s magazine a couple year ago….or Southern Living. I cut it out and put it in my notebook of recipes to try and finally tried it this year! LOL
It was originally a 7-layer Red Velvet Cake, but I never got 7 layers out of it…only six (and I didn’t even eat any cake batter) So, the name has changed.
7-Layer Red Velvet Cake…or 6 depending on your measuring cup.
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup whole buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 (1 oz) bbottle red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Beat in oil, buttermilk, and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour 3/4 cup cake batter into each cake pan, turning to distribute batter evenly. Bake 8-9 minutes. Let cool in pans approx. 5 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
Wash and dry pans; repeat procedure with remaining batter until all layers are baked. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting evenly between layers and on top and sides of cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 cups confectioners’ sugar
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth
Enjoy!
What are some of your traditional Thanksgiving foods? Who is in charge of what?