Wacky Cake & Fluffy White Frosting

Wacky Cake
Recipe for 8”x8” pan – Double for 9”x12” pan (Doubled amts in parentheses)
1 ½ cups flour -sifted if possible-  (3 c. flour)
½ t salt (1 tsp. salt)
1 t baking soda (2 tsp. baking soda)
3 T cocoa (¼ c. + 1/8 c. cocoa)
1 cup sugar (2 c. sugar)
1 t vanilla (2 tsp. vanilla)
5 T veg oil (½ c. + 1/8 c. oil)
1 T vinegar (2 T vinegar)

Sift together dry ingredients. Make 3 holes/wells in dry ingredients, put in wet ingredients into holes/wells. Pour 1cup (2 c. for double recipe) water over whole thing. Mix well (DON’T OVERMIX – Consistency is touchy). Bake 25-30 minutes at 350° until toothpick or knife in center of pan comes out clean.


Fluffy White Frosting


2 egg whites (NO YOLK AT ALL!!) *
¼ t cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
3 T water
4 T corn syrup
Dash salt
1 t vanilla

Combine egg whites, salt, cream of tartar in mixing bowl. Beat until stiff. Put other ingredients in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil ~ 1 minute. Slowly add syrup to egg whites while beating. Beat until desired consistency.

* any yolk in the whites you beat will cause them to “not” stiffen up

Everything Bundt Cake

 3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups [2 1/2] unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the over to 350°F. Grease a 10 in tube or Bundt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whole milk until combined.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and salt and beat on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes.
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed until incorporated and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the canola oil and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 15 to 20 seconds.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to even out the top. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and gently run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan to finish cooling. The cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:                             x4

3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce            (3/4 c.)

2 Tbsp Soy sauce                (1/2c.)

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar    (1/2 c.)

1 Tbsp Sriracha (opt)          (4 T. which is too hot for me, Genene)

4 tsp. sesame oil                  (4 tsp)

1 Tbsp  olive oil                  (1/4 c.)

1 medium onion, diced        (4)

2+ cloves minced garlic      (8 but we use more)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated  (1/4 c.)

1 lb ground chicken/turkey (4 lbs.)

1/2 c. water chestnuts drain & slice  (4 cans)

2 green onions thin sliced   (8 )

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Large leafy lettuce (leaves separated for serving)

cooked rice of choice. We use Jasmine or Basmati

Make the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha and sesame oil

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook until soft, 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and ginger and cook until opaque and mostly cooked through, breaking up meat with wooden spoon (or whatever)

Pour in sauce and cook 1-2 minutes more, until sauce reduces slightly and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and stir in chestnuts and green onion. Season with salt & pepper. 

Spoon rice, if using, and a large scoop (about 1/4 c.) of chicken mix into center of each lettuce leaf. Serve immediately

Tay's awesome discovery!

Soup Mix for Canning

 

Put in the bottom of a quart jar: 

½ t. salt

Heaping tsp. soup base preferably beef

1 t. dry parsley flakes

Pepper to taste

1 heaping T. pearl Barley

 

Fill with the following:  

¼. Chopped Onion

1/3 c. chopped Celery

1 c. chopped Carrot

1 c. chopped Potato

I fill the jars more after the measured amounts because I want more vegetables when I open it. I add liquid if necessary when I "doctor up" the soup

 

Fill with hot water, pressure at 12 1/2 lbs. for 30 minutes

 

Make soup by adding hamburger, beef leftovers or whatever you have on hand

You can add tomato, or use chicken bouillon & use that variation

 

Wickedly good fish taco sauce/Tartar sauce

This is without a doubt the best fish taco sauce I've ever had or made. The herbs and spices are unique and create an incredible white sauce for fish tacos.

Servings8

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (Greek yogurt is delicious as a substitute if you're not a fan of sour cream)

• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (you can use full fat, but, the spices are so delicious, you won't miss that particular flavor contribution)

• 1 lime , cut in half

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon capers , minced

• 1 hot pepper of your choice , seeded and minced (jalapeno is delicious, as are the cherry bomb poppers). Genene doesn't use hot peppers.... Surprise!!

• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro , chopped

Instructions

1.  In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended.

2.  Squeeze the juice from one lime half into the fish taco sauce mixture, then whisk thoroughly. You'll want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing. If still too thick, add more lime juice from the other half. If too runny, add sour cream.

3.  Add all of the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the capers, minced pepper and cilantro, and whisk thoroughly

4.  Cover the bowl with wrap,refrigerate for at least one hour, the longer the better.

5.  Serve chilled. Spoon white sauce over fish tacos, or add into taco salads or rice bowls.

Momma's Vanilla Ice Cream

6 Qts

8-10 eggs

1 3/4 - 2 c. sugar

1 can Eagle Brand (sweetened condensed milk)

two pinches of salt

1 pint heavy whipping cream (use a little more if you want it rich)

1 1/2 - 2 tsp. vanilla

4-6 Tbsp flour

 

Blend it all together, pour it in ice cream tank. Fill to fill line with whole milk

Use crushed ice or cubed ice and plenty of salt to gt it to freeze

Pickled Beets

Clean and cook beets until done. Remove skins

Slice or dice into a canning jar.

Syrup:  1 1/3 c. vinegar
             1 c. sugar
             1/4 tsp pepper
             1 c. water
             1 Tbsp. salt
             a few whole cloves (the spice)

Let stand (?  not sure what that means either)

Process pints 10 min. in boiling water bath

Doubled: 2 2/3 c. vinegar

                2 c. sugar

                1/2 t. pepper'

                2 c. water

                2 T. salt

                1/2 t whole cloves  (I have a note that says "ground up"  I don't know what it means)

About 9 pounds of beets