Ice Cream Cake

I made two ice cream cakes for Joseph and Heather's birthday party. I haven't made this type of cake in a few years, so I had to remember what I was doing. However, I also forgot that this cake is a hit in any group because without the frosting it isn't as sweet and I think I got more complements on these cakes than a cake usually inspires. The cake is very easy to make. Bake a cake mix in two square or circle pans, slice each cake in half so that you have 4 layers. Layer ice cream between each layer and top with powdered sugar or drizzle chocolate syrup on top. Some things that make this easier to make are 1) don't add oil to the cake mix- it makes it easier to slice. 2)buy a box of ice cream not a round container - this way you can just open the box and slice the ice cream which is easier than trying to spread ice cream. My letters were done by placing paper letters on the cake, sprinkling with powdered sugar and then removing the paper letters.

Autumn Pie Crust

Using my smallest cookie cutters, I put leaves and acorns along the edge of my apple pie. I just used the extra pie dough that I cut off from the edge. This is a very easy thing to do for an impressive look. You can use shapes for whatever your occasion, or use letter shapes to spell out a name or happy birthday. Since this was also for someone's birthday, I put their initial in the middle of the pie with a small heart on each side. I recommend using foil or other means to keep the edges from getting too dark, and pulling off the edge cover the last bit of cooking time so they still get a nice color.

Cream Cheese Frosting :(

I made pumpkin bars last night for an office birthday today. I didn't want to have to frost them until this morning when I got to work so they were easier to transport, so I had bought some frosting at the store. I bought Betty Crocker Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. It looks very pretty on there but it does not TASTE like it is cream cheese frosting at all. I was very disappointed. This is the first time I had tried to buy cream cheese frosting, so I don't know if there are other brands that actually taste like they have cream cheese in them or if it is because it is "whipped". Next time I will just make my own, even if I have to put it in a separate container and frost it later.

Yummy Apple Dip

I created this apple dip in order to get my children to finish off the apples that I had sitting around. (I hate it when they get too old!) I don't have specific measurements since I just mixed stuff together. However, the kids loved it and we will make it again.
Apple Dip
Mix peanut butter and chocolate syrup together. Spread in a dish (the size depends upon how much you make. Just a cereal bowl would be fine) Drizzle caramel syrup on top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Dip your apples and enjoy!!

The Ultimate Chili Dog!

This is a picture of one of Kent's favorite meals. This is a multi-layer chili dog. I love the look of it with the cheese dripping off the sides.

Pumpkin Seeds

Every year we cook our pumpkin seeds and then enjoy eating them. This year it seems that we seem to be running into more and more people that have never even had a pumpkin seed so I thought I would share our method of cooking the pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Seeds
First, clean the seeds extremely well. A few in a colander under running water works really well but you will still need to pull out anything that doesn't go through the strainer.
Second, boil the seeds in very salty water. The seeds need to boil for about 1/2 an hour to get the salt into the shell. They will be a gray green color when they have boiled long enough. We don't measure the salt, we just dump a lot in.
Last, spread the seeds on a cookie sheet. They do not have to be completely separated. They will dry even if on top of each other. Bake them at 350 degrees stirring them every 15-20 minutes. They are done when they are dry. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Spaghetti Squash Skillet

1 spaghetti squash
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbl pesto or (chopped garlic and basil)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
mushrooms, sliced
onion, chopped
garlic, minced
1/2 c broth (chicken or veggie)
chicken cut up into small pieces (optional)

Cut squash in half lengthwise, discard seeds. Cook in the microwave for 14-16 minutes, or in the oven on 350 for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
Use blender to combine tomatoes, pesto, garlic, powder, Italian seasoning.
In skillet, cook chicken, if you remembered to unthaw it, in a little olive oil . Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute until tender. Add the tomato blend and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes or until you are done forking out the strands of spaghetti squash. Stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add squash. Mix it all up and serve. I like to sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese on top of each serving and have it with some bread and salad. Makes 5 good servings, or dinner and lunch for two people.

Got Basil?

I love FRESH basil, and if I remembered to water things, I would grow it in my kitchen. But I don't remember, so we buy it sometimes when we know we can use an entire pack. Of course we use it in sauces and pizza and curries, but one of my new favorite things to do with extra fresh basil, especially with the weather getting cold, is to put it in homemade chicken and noodles. It adds lots of flavor and color! I like to chop it up and sprinkle it in right after I dish it up so it looks nice.

My Jam Turned Out

For years and years I have been making freezer jam with MCP pectin. Everyone in our family loves the jam I make. So, while I was trying to finish up my peaches I stopped at the store to buy some pectin to make some jam. At the store they had raspberries on sale for an amazing price so I bought some and came home to make peach/raspberry jam. I was in the process of making the jam which requires stirring every 5 minutes for half an hour when I discovered that I did not have the corn syrup that I needed to go in it. I also did not have time to run to the store by the time I discovered this so I decided to see what happened if I did not add the corn syrup, I still added all the other sugar required. The instructions with the pectin tell you that the corn syrup is to prevent the sugar from crystalizing when it is frozen. I just made sure that I stirred the sugar in very well. Not only did the jam turn out but it is great. I think it sets up a little better and has a better fruit flavor without the corn syrup so from now on I will never add the corn syrup to my freezer jam.

Cakes for Decorating

When you are making a cake to decorate if you don't add the oil to the cake mix the cake will be a little more solid. I actually like the texture of a cake without the oil - it is more like a sponge cake and not quite as crumbly. Having it hold together makes it easier to frost. Also, freezing the cake helps to cut down on the crumbliness and makes it easier to cut if you are changing the shape of your cake after you have already cooked it.

Altitude Adjustments

Just some comments on altitude adjustments. While I don't usually follow the recommendations a box of brownies or a cake mix, I have found that adding up to a fourth of a cup of flour to cookie dough does make your cookies not quite so flat. I actually prefer the texture of them with the extra flour.

From Paula's Kitchen

This decorator takes the cake! Great piping on the base gives the illusion of a paper cupcake liner, while giant sprinkles are used to create whimsical flowers. What little birthday girl would not adore this fun treat.

Cupcake Cakes

Cupcake Cakes: frosted with giant sprinkles. If you run out of time, just don't frost the base and they will still look great. It took me about 45 minutes to frost each one since I was trying to maintain the swirl design of the cake. If you are just trying to cover the cake with frosting it goes much much faster.

Ultimate Pie Dough "Cookies"

My husband likes a little pie with his pie crust, so I usually make enough pie dough for two pies but only use about 3/4 of it to make a single crust. The remaining pie dough can be used for the following Ultimate Pie Dough "Cookies":

Roll out dough to normal pie thickness. Use a really big soup mug or other object to cut out big circles. Place a circle of dough in each space of a cupcake pan until you run out of dough. Put a tiny bit of butter (approx. 1/6 of a tablespoon), about 1 teaspons of brown sugar, and as much cinnamon as you like (a good sprinkle) in the center of each circle.

Then take that leftover-leftover pie dough, you know, the stuff that wouldn't roll out to make another circle, and smash it in the bottom of one of the cupcake spots. Sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar for a nice little biscuit. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown at about 375. Cool and enjoy or put in an airtight container to snack on later.

I've only done this once so there's lots of room for improvement on the specifics. You could probably put a little jam in each one instead butter and make some sort of mini tart.

Drying Fruit

I figured for the first post I would start with what it occupying my week in the kitchen - drying peaches. Drying fruit is actually very easy. You can purchase a fruit dryer for about $40 dollars at Walmart and then you are on your way. To keep the color of your fruit you need to soak it in asorbic acid so I just make some frozen lemonade (lemon juice contains the ascorbic acid) and then as I peel, pit, and slice my fruit I dump it in the lemonade and let it sit until I have enough peaches sliced and prepared to place on the racks of my dryer. Another tip that makes this easier is to use an egg slicer to slice your fruit - I know it works well with peaches and in a couple weeks I will test it out on apples. Apples may be to solid to do very well but we shall see.