Moist Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Delicious Moist Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting

 Ingredients

3/4 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c, sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp. baking powder
3c. flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar together.  Beat until light and fluffy on high speed.

Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well on high speed until thoroughly mixed. .  Scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.

Pour in the sour milk, beating well to thoroughly combine.

Add the salt, baking powder and the flour into the cake batter. Mix well.  

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan or pans.  Bake a 9 x 13-inch cake pan bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake tests done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool and then frost with Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
3 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 to 2 Tbs. milk
Food coloring, optional

Directions

In a mixing bowl, mix butter, and powdered sugar together. Use low speed on the mixer, so you don't get powdered sugar everywhere.

Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, add the other tablespoon of milk. Beat in thoroughly. This can take about 3 minutes.

Add drops of food coloring if desired until you reach the color you want your frosting.

Frost cooled cake.  

 Creamed Chicken

If you have left over chicken, this is the perfect dish to make and serve for supper or even lunch. Add a salad and some fruit on the side, you have a complete meal. Or  you can serve it over mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. shortening or oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. milk or cream
1 1/2  c. cooked chicken, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat shortening or oil until hot.   Cook celery,onion, and green pepper until tender.  

Blend in flour in the skillet with oil and vegetables.  Stirring constantly, pour in the chicken broth and milk.  Cook and stir until smooth.  

Add chicken to the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Heat mixture thoroughly and serve on toast.

Gold Nugget Meat Pie

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare that your family is sure to love. You can also put some instant potatoes over the top to make it look more like a pie. It is a complete meal all by itself. You can use less onion if you want.  We like a lot of onion, and the onions we buy are not all that big.  If you have a huge onion, then cut it in half and use one half for the meat mixture and the other half for the filling.

Crust Ingredients

1 c. soft bread crumbs
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. ketchup
3/4 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped

Filling Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 (12 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil

Directions

In a large bowl, soften bread crumbs in milk for about 5 minutes. 

Mix in the egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, ketchup, ground beef, garlic, and onion.

Press the meat mixture on the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan or a casserole dish.  

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Drain grease if desired. 

As the crust is baking, begin making the filling.

Filling

Sauté onion in the butter.  

Add the whole kernel corn, tomatoes, salt and basil.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.  

Pour hot corn and tomato mixture into the baked meat crust. 

Return to the oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the meat is completely done.

 Brownies

Brownies. These are quick and easy to make and such a good treat. You can serve these brownies with frosting on them, or leave the frosting off.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
10 Tbs. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, margarine, or shortening, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. Karo syrup
1 c. nuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350­°

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt together. 

Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, and Karo syrup. Beat for 3 minutes.

Stir in nuts if desired. 

Pour into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Frost if desired. Recipe below.

Frosting

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Ingredients 

6 Tbs.  butter margarine
2 2/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 c. milk

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  It can take about 5 to 7 minutes.  

Turn the mixer to low and gradually add cocoa.  Add vanilla and beat well.  

Pour in milk, beating as you pour.  Continue to add the milk until you have it at the right consistency to spread over the brownies.

Spread over cooled brownies. Cut into bars.

 Spaghetti and Meatballs

 Ingredients

Sauce

1 onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 Tbs. oil
1 large can plus 1 medium can tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 can mushrooms, drained
2 hot peppers
1 tsp. basil
salt and pepper
1 pkg. spaghetti, cooked

Meatballs

1 sweet pepper, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tsp. basil
2 eggs
salt and pepper
8 crackers, crumbled
1 hot pepper, chopped fine
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. ground beef

Directions

Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté the onion and green pepper in the oil until tender.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, hot pepper, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste..
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning on the bottom.
As the sauce is simmering, begin making the meatballs and put the water on the stove to boil to make the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain the spaghetti when it is done.

Preheat oven to 400° Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the bottom, so the meatballs do not stick.

In a bowl, combine sweet pepper, onion, basil, eggs, crackers, hot pepper, and garlic cloves.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  

Mix in the ground beef until combined.  It is important to not overwork the meatballs, or they will be tough.  

Roll into 1-inch meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet or cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned and cooked through.   Pour sauce and place meatballs over hot spaghetti.  You can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top and serve with toasted garlic bread.    

Chili Con Carne and Rice

 

This Chili Con Carne and Rice dish is our version of the Hamburger Helper Chili. Instead of using macaroni, we use quick cooking rice.  This recipe is just as easy as using the box mix, but it tastes so much better.  And we know what is going into our food, vs. what else did they put in those little packets.  

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 c. water
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. cumin
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. chili powder
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. paprika
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Dash red pepper
2  beef bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp. Tony Cacheries Original Creole (optional)
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cold water
2/3 c. Minute rice

Directions

Brown the ground beef and onion together in a heavy cast iron skillet. Drain excess grease.

Add garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper, beef bouillon cubes and Tony Cacheries Creole seasoning. Stir to coat the meat. 

Pour in the water, stir to combine.   Bring to a boil.

In a small cup or dish, mix flour and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth.  Pour into the hamburger mixture stirring constantly to keep it from clumping.

Add minute rice. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is tender and cooked, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary.

Serve with cheese over the top, or melted cheese sauce if you have that.

 Oatmeal Crispies

Oatmeal Crispies are one of my family's favorite cookies to bake and eat.  They are quick and easy to mix up and the dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or more.  That way you can have delicious, fresh baked cookies right out of the oven whenever you want. The recipe calls for shortening, but you can use equal amounts of butter and shortening for a delicious butter flavor.  

Ingredients

1 c. shortening
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 c. flour
3 c. quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (Optional)
1/2 c. raisins (Optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cream shortening, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon and mix well.

Gradually add the flour.   Stir in the quick-cooking oatmeal and the nuts.

Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2-inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten lightly with a fork like you do with peanut butter cookies. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool a couple of minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.