Moist Chocolate Cake

Moist Chocolate Cake
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cocoa
approx. 3/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
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Cream sugar with shortening. Add eggs yolks, slightly beaten. (Save the egg whites for later.)

In a small bowl, add cocoa and then enough water to make it one cup. I added about half a cup, but after stirring the cocoa powder, I needed more water. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix cocoa mixture into sugar mixture.

In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Then alternating with the milk, mix the dry ingredients into the cocoa mixture.

Beat egg yolks until stiff peaks form. Fold into cocoa mixture.

Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35 mins.

Heather's Yogurt Dip

Heather swears by this recipe. So much so, that she actually follows the recipe, which is pretty rare for her to do. I can't wait to try it.

Heather's Yogurt Dip
4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup (6 oz.) vanilla yogurt
4-1/2 tsp. honey (or sugar)
1/2 tps. ground cinnamon
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Mix well and enjoy.

Meatloaf

 A few weeks ago, it was my turn to host book club. We had read my grandma Dianne Blaine Hardy's book, "For Cryin' Out Loud." To honor her, I asked for a few ideas for dinner.  One of them was meatloaf. During dinner, my mom mentioned that when she married my dad, his one rule was no meatloaf. She obliged him for a few years, until one night she was craving meatloaf. She put it on the table and told him it sounded good to her, so that is what they were having. He ended up loving it and she had to rush to the cupboard to remember what all she had put in it. I've tried a few recipes over the years, but this one has been my favorite. It also happens to be a family recipe. Jessica gave it to me and told me it was my aunt Calleen's (my dad's sister) recipe. I only made one slight change. Where I use vinegar, the recipe originally called for mustard. 

Meat Loaf
1 1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 c quick oats, uncooked
1/4 c chopped onion (or 1 T dry minced onion)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c milk
Sauce:
1/3 c ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
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Heat oven to 350°. Combine all meat loaf ingredients, mix thoroughly and pack firmly into loaf pan. Combine all sauce ingredients and spread over meat loaf. Bake about 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.  

Bulgogi

Bulgogi
1 lb cube steak, cut in strips
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 carrot, grated
2 green onions, chopped
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Mix marinade ingredients together. Then add meat and marinate in fridge for 24 hours. After 24 hours, stir-fry until meat is cooked through, but not dry.

Ham Cheese Rollups

Growing up, these seemed to be a family dinner staple when we got together with my dad's family. I haven't had these in years, but was craving them last night, so I rolled some up for my lunch. The problem was, I would eat 2 for every one I set aside.

Ham Cheese Rollups
Thinly sliced deli ham
Whole pickles, sliced into spears
 Cream cheese, softened
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Cut slices of ham in half. Add a small portion of cream cheese (about 1/2 tsp.). Top with pickle spear. Roll up all together.

Swedish Meatballs

I got this recipe from Grandma Vonne.

Swedish Meatballs
2 lbs. hamburger
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 slices bread, as dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp. nutmeg
Mushroom soup
Soup can full of milk
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Lightly beat eggs. Mix in with hamburger. Add milk, onion, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix well. Form meatballs.

Fry in a skillet until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Drain grease and put meatballs in a casserole dish. In the grease pan, combine the mushroom soup and a then fill the can with milk and add the milk. Cook until combined. Pour over the meatballs.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Homemade Bread (and scones)

I LOVE this recipe! It's my mother in-laws bread recipe. I also use it when I make scones.

Bread

4 cups scalded milk (lukewarm)

3 Tablespoons dry yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water and 3 teaspoons sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

6 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup oil

12-15 cups bread flour

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Mix milk and yeast mixture. Add sugar, eggs, salt and half the flour until the batter is smooth. Add oil and rest of flour. Mix well until forms a smooth ball. Let rest in bowl for 1 hour or until doubles in size. Divide into 4 loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Let rise until double its size. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

To make scones just divide out into little pieces and fry the scones. When I make scones I use the recipe for 2 loaves of bread and then the rest for scones. And actually, usually when I just make bread, I cut the recipe in half and just make two loaves.

Corn Bread Casserole

A recipe from Grandma Vonne.

Corn Bread Casserole
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 stick butter- melted
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn - reserve 1/2 juice
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
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Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a well greased pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set.