Texas Sheet Cake

This is my favorite cake at the moment. I keep making it over and over so now I must share it with you.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate mixture to dry mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting in a medium saucepan bring the 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk to boiling. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. **At this point I add 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Pour warm frosting over warm cake, spreading evenly.

Oatmeal Cookies

I don't have a photo of these cookies because after I made them I sat down and ate every single one of them. Really I have just become terrible at taking the pictures of food. Okay so this is Nikki's recipe. It is more like a chocolate chip cookie consistency but with oats instead of chips if that makes sense. This was the best oatmeal cookie I have ever eaten. I asked Jamon if he loved them as much as I did and he said "they were a little too sweet for me." I just stared at him for about five minutes while all the mean cruel things that came into my mind about this comment passed. Then I simply said, "in all my thirty years I have never ever tasted anything I thought was too sweet and I can't wait until I do so that I can eat so much of it that I want to puke and then I will fill the tub up with it and bathe in it". And that's what I have to say about that. Here is the recipe. I do hope you will try it.

OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 overflowing tsp salt
3 c oatmeal (i use quick oats)
1 tsp vanilla

cream shortening & sugars. mix in eggs & vanilla. sift flour, soda and salt together. fold flour mix into wet ingredients. stir in oats. bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Mac and Cheese

I fix mac and cheese a lot. I love it!!! I have a bunch of different recipes I use. I am posting this one because Jamon commented that this was the best one I had ever made. It came from the Pioneer Woman of course. It did have a really great flavor. If you like mac and cheese you should try this one. CLICK HERE to go to the recipe.

Breakfast Cookies

I know it has been a long time since I have posted. So sorry about that. I have been cooking a little more lately now that I have this whole pregnancy thing under control. I came across this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. These were good but more like a straight up cookie rather than a "breakfast" cookie. But don't think we didn't eat them for breakfast. I mean they are called a breakfast cookie right?

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins and/or milk chocolate pieces (of course I used the chocolate)
3 cups round toasted oat cereal (such as Cherrios)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in water, egg, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour until combined. Beat in as much of the rolled oats as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining rolled oats. Stir in raisins and oat cereal.

2. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store cookies in tightly covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 24 (2-cookie) servings.

Blueberry French Toast

Occasionally I serve breakfast for dinner. It is a cheap alternative to your regular dinner and it's fun to change it up. So I usually try to come up with one special treat to go along with it. I found this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. I did cut the recipe in half because it would have been way too much for us to eat. The syrup/ sauce is amazing. It would be a great substitute anytime you needed a can of blueberries in syrup. This was yummy, yummy.

Ingredients:
12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:

Cut bread into 1-in. cubes; place half in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-in. cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup; mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until golden brown and center is set.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve with French toast.

Texas Delight

1st Layer:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. chopped pecan
Mix all ingredients and press into a 9 X 13 dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2nd Layer:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 10 ounce size Cool Whip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Mix together and spread over cooled crust.

3rd Layer
2 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 1/2 c. milk
Mix pudding with milk until thick. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. Spread on remaining whipped topping and garnish with chopped pecans. Chill several hours. Cut into squares.

Mix first 3 ingredients together and put in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Fold in 1/2 of Cool Whip and spread batter over crust. Mix puddings and milk at low speed for 3 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Spread the rest of Cool Whip on top of pudding layer. Grate Hershey bar over top and refrigerate.

Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini

Wow. It has been over a week since I have put up any recipes. So sorry about that. This baby in my belly makes me tired so when I get a few minutes to myself I usually want to rest. Not that sitting at the computer is such hard work but you know what I mean. This dish was good. I found a recipe but didn't have everything it called for so I started making stuff up. Here is what I came up with

3 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked
1 (7 ounce) package spaghetti (just how ever much you want really)
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1 medium onion chopped
2 1/2 TBS flour
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chicken broth (I just use what I have cooked the chicken in, close enough)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
8 slices of American cheese
1 cup cheddar
Cook spaghetti. In a saucepan saute onion in butter until tender. add flour and stir well. Reduce heat and stir in next ingredients thru the American cheese. Cook slowly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to sauce and stir. Remove from heat. Drain spaghetti and combine with sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Spray a 9 X 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in casserole. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes.

Grocery Store Tips

Today's post isn't a recipe but I think you will find it interesting. I was talking with my friend Sara yesterday about saving money, coupons, grocery store trips with small kids, blah, blah. You know all the stuff us baby Mommas talk about. She is super frugal and there is always much to learn from the woman. She has three small boys so going to the grocery store is no small task for her. Here is what she does. She has a spreadsheet. On the top of each column is the isle number and under that are the items found on each isle. When she makes her grocery list she puts the items she needs on each isle under that column and puts an asterisk next to each item that she has a coupon for. Then she can easily compare if her coupon is good enough for her to purchase that or if she would save more money by purchasing the store brand. Brilliant! So if you really want to save money on your grocery bill you can do what I do and plan your weekly menu ahead of time by using the items you already have on hand and using Sara's spreadsheet to purchase only the items you need for that menu you will not be sidetracked into spending $200.00 at the grocery store and still have nothing to eat. Now my pantry is stocked full of items I have bought with coupons for next to nothing. I would incorporate bargain items. How do I know the bargains you ask? You can check out Simple Saving Savvy. She will give you the rundown on almost all metro stores. She does Homeland, Wal Mart, Buy for Less, Crest, Aldi, Walgreens and CVS.
ps. Sara shops at Wal Mart. If you too shop at Wal Mart and would like a copy of this spreadsheet emailed to you please feel free to contact me kimreid@cox.net.

Natalies Mexican Chicken Dish

My sister-in-law Natalie gave me this delightful little gem of a recipe. My brother said that he enjoyed this dish so I thought I must try it. The boy knows a thing or two about good food. The photo is of the leftovers the next day. My darling two year old had hidden my CIF card to the camera so I couldn't snap a photo of the original dish.

4 cups of cubed cooked chicken (she said she didn't use this much. I used three cooked breast)
1 can cream of chicken
1 can green chilis
1 16 ounce sour cream
pepper jack cheese shredded. ( I didn't have shredded but I did have some sliced which was fabulous!)
corn tortillas (I used flour)
paprika (1 tsp)
garlic salt (2 tsp)
chili powder

In a sauce pan mix cooked chicken, soup, green chilis, spices, and 8 ounces of sour cream. Mix well and heat until warm. Place torn up tortillas in a pan sprayed with cooking spay. I used a 8 1/2 X 11 pan. cover with chicken mix, then cheese, repeat layers. Top with sour cream and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.
This dish was wonderful. A little on the spicy side but not too much for my kids. It was a great variation of mexican chicken casserole. I love pepperjack cheese. Try this one. It's good.
Note: You can make this a quick dinner but cooking your chicken ahead of time. Just put your frozen chicken in the crock pot. Cover with water and cook on low all day. Your chicken will be ready to put in the mix and you have a quick and easy dinner.

Janice's (aka My Momma) Tortilla Soup

I was at my Mom's house and I saw some avacado's stashed away. I pulled them out and said what are these for? Thinking I might see some mexican food in my near future my mouth began to water. Those are for my Tortilla Soup she says. Gag, hiss, boo I say to myself as I roll my eyes. She is like it's good! I said well make it for lunch then and I will see for myself. As I stood watching, judging over her shoulder and she mixed her "soup" I must admit I did not think it would be good. Then she started adding all of these tasty little bits of goodness to the bowl. So in August in the 100 degree weather I sat and sweat as I ate three giant bowls of this amazing soup. Here is her version of the recipe below. I did not modify her comments in any way. Don't you love her?

2 cans chicken broth
1 diced cooked chicken breast (if you have)
1 can rotel (mild if you don't like it spicy)
place in saucepan and bring to simmer-cover

cut 6 - 8 flour tortillas into strips, coat with oil and brown slightly in oven on cookie sheet you have to watch them so they don''t burn

place soup in individual serving bowls
top with diced avacado
tortilla strips
grated cheese
diced green onion (if you have it)

If you use bullion cubes instead of canned broth it will be very salty and not quite as tasty- but last time I used 7 cups of water and 6 bullion cubes (no cans of broth)