Okay, okay...it's confession time. What I have to say may shock you. First, I made a cake from a boxed cake mix this weekend! Yes, I really did. I was going to make the featured "Glorious Coconut Cake" of my last blog but I simply ran out of time and steam. It was 9:00 on Saturday night before Easter and I a ham to bake, a chicken pie to finish, 2 grits casseroles to make for church, and numerous other tasty delights to whip up. My back was hurting, my feet were aching, no, throbbing and my temper was short. NOT a good time to whip up a cake that takes an enormous amount of patience and even some skill...I could write a book on the perils of making the perfect "seven minute icing". So, as I purveyed my pantry, what did I spy? Oh YEAH... a box of lemon cake mix! Let me tell you, that box of cake mix was my new best friend. No, I won't use a cake mix very often but sometimes you just have improvise. Saturday night before Easter was just the time to improvise. So, in 5 minutes I whipped up the lemon box cake with a little added lemon flavoring, poured the batter into my trusty bundt pan and popped that little sucker into the oven. Next morning, I whipped up a very sweet and gooey frosting from confectioner's sugar, lemon flavoring and evaporated milk and VOILA...lemon pound cake. That simple little cake mix saved my back, legs, feet and temper! AND it was enjoyed by all.
Ok, if you're up off the floor with shock and dismay, here's confession number two. I am absolutely loving Anthony Bourdain's book, Kitchen Confidential. It rocks! Yes, it's full of vulgar and ugly words but the message of the book rocks. And if you're shocked by the "f" word, by all means, don't read it but if you can get over AB's rather crude and base use of the English language and if you love food, you must read it! As a hopeless, foodie, an aspiring chef, and a closet wanna be restaurant owner, I'm up to my elbows and head over heels in love with this man's take on all things related to the restaurant world. And yes, in spite of his honesty, and all the other garbage I've heard about the restaurant business, I still want to own one and I want to rule it like the cooking diva I am!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Recipe for Spring - Glorious Coconut Cake
Share the love with your family and friends this Easter with this delicious dessert.
This one is time consuming to make. So, set aside a few hours before you begin. It is well worth the effort. I promise!
Glorious Coconut Cake
For the cake:
2 sticks butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
3 c self rising flour
1 c milk
1 t vanilla
For the milk sauce:
1 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1 T butter
For the 7 Minute Icing:
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 T white Karo Syrup
1 t vanilla
3 egg whites
2 bags of frozen coconut
Cream softened butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add flour and milk alternately ending with flour and mix well. Add vanilla into the batter. Divide the batter into 3 9 inch cake pans sprayed with cooking oil. Spread batter evenly in cake pans. Gently drop pans on counter to level. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when the edges pull away from the pan. Set aside to cool.
Next make the milk sauce. Bring the sugar and milk to a high temperature but do not boil. Add the butter and stir. Remove from heat.
Now, for the icing: Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. Measure water, sugar, and syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Set timer for 7 minutes and stir and test the mixture continually until the mixture begins to spin a thread. Do this by letting the mxture run off the fork. When it starts to thicken it will be thread like or stringy. It will take 6 or 7 minutes to reach this state. Remove from heat and pour the hot syrup graudally into the egg whites and beat until frosting consistency.
You are now ready to assemble the cake. On a cake plate place your first layer (cooled). Prick holes with a fork over the cake layer and spoon a tablespoon or so of the sauce over the first layer. Then frost the layer. Next sprinkle coconut over the frosting and repeat with the other two layers. Using the remaining icing to frost the sides of the cake and sprinkle coconut on the top and the sides of the cake.
This is my mom's recipe and she named it Glorious Coconut Cake. It's a beautiful cake and if you like coconut, you're going to love it.
Enjoy!
This one is time consuming to make. So, set aside a few hours before you begin. It is well worth the effort. I promise!
Glorious Coconut Cake
For the cake:
2 sticks butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
3 c self rising flour
1 c milk
1 t vanilla
For the milk sauce:
1 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1 T butter
For the 7 Minute Icing:
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 T white Karo Syrup
1 t vanilla
3 egg whites
2 bags of frozen coconut
Cream softened butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add flour and milk alternately ending with flour and mix well. Add vanilla into the batter. Divide the batter into 3 9 inch cake pans sprayed with cooking oil. Spread batter evenly in cake pans. Gently drop pans on counter to level. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when the edges pull away from the pan. Set aside to cool.
Next make the milk sauce. Bring the sugar and milk to a high temperature but do not boil. Add the butter and stir. Remove from heat.
Now, for the icing: Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. Measure water, sugar, and syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Set timer for 7 minutes and stir and test the mixture continually until the mixture begins to spin a thread. Do this by letting the mxture run off the fork. When it starts to thicken it will be thread like or stringy. It will take 6 or 7 minutes to reach this state. Remove from heat and pour the hot syrup graudally into the egg whites and beat until frosting consistency.
You are now ready to assemble the cake. On a cake plate place your first layer (cooled). Prick holes with a fork over the cake layer and spoon a tablespoon or so of the sauce over the first layer. Then frost the layer. Next sprinkle coconut over the frosting and repeat with the other two layers. Using the remaining icing to frost the sides of the cake and sprinkle coconut on the top and the sides of the cake.
This is my mom's recipe and she named it Glorious Coconut Cake. It's a beautiful cake and if you like coconut, you're going to love it.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My Mom Taught Me a New Trick This Weekend!
I spent this weekend with my mother. Weekends with my Mom are so incredibly special especially now. You see, my Mom has AML which is an agressive type of leukemia. Every day, no, every moment with her is a blessing.
When we get together, there's no telling what we may do. It's enough just to sit with her and talk or not talk. This weekend was pretty usual. I went with her to her chemo appointment and watched with awe (yes, AWE) as she spoke to everyone in the office as if they were her best friends. Grace and love just flowed from her to the others in the office. I was so proud to be her daughter. The next day we took a little trip to my Aunt Betty's antique shop. And, then the next day we took a trip to the ER. That's just the way we roll these days.
Because of her illness, I hang on to everything she says. Her illness has taught me a lot about life, about how to live life. Because of her illness I find myself living more in the present. I find myself living as if each day is my last. So, the cooking tip she taught me this weekend is not nearly as important as the life lesson she teaches me everytime I'm with her.
Saturday morning we got up and my Mom looked at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "I'm thinking pancakes!" I eagerly answered, "Oh, yes, good idea...I'll make them." And she said, "I'LL MAKE THEM!" And even though I felt like she shouldn't make those pancakes for me, I should make them for her, I sat right there and watched her whip them up in no time flat teaching me a new trick as she mixed the batter. The trick was this, substitute a ripe banana for the oil in the batter. Those pancakes were divine! Of course, everything my Moma cooks is divine but the ripe banana made the batter light and gave the pancakes just a hint of that lovely banana flavor. Try it some time...it's really good and very healthy.
Also, let me encourage you to take life as the gift it is and just like you may savor a good banana pancake, take time to savor the gift!
Love you!
When we get together, there's no telling what we may do. It's enough just to sit with her and talk or not talk. This weekend was pretty usual. I went with her to her chemo appointment and watched with awe (yes, AWE) as she spoke to everyone in the office as if they were her best friends. Grace and love just flowed from her to the others in the office. I was so proud to be her daughter. The next day we took a little trip to my Aunt Betty's antique shop. And, then the next day we took a trip to the ER. That's just the way we roll these days.
Because of her illness, I hang on to everything she says. Her illness has taught me a lot about life, about how to live life. Because of her illness I find myself living more in the present. I find myself living as if each day is my last. So, the cooking tip she taught me this weekend is not nearly as important as the life lesson she teaches me everytime I'm with her.
Saturday morning we got up and my Mom looked at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "I'm thinking pancakes!" I eagerly answered, "Oh, yes, good idea...I'll make them." And she said, "I'LL MAKE THEM!" And even though I felt like she shouldn't make those pancakes for me, I should make them for her, I sat right there and watched her whip them up in no time flat teaching me a new trick as she mixed the batter. The trick was this, substitute a ripe banana for the oil in the batter. Those pancakes were divine! Of course, everything my Moma cooks is divine but the ripe banana made the batter light and gave the pancakes just a hint of that lovely banana flavor. Try it some time...it's really good and very healthy.
Also, let me encourage you to take life as the gift it is and just like you may savor a good banana pancake, take time to savor the gift!
Love you!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Using your talents for God's glory doesn't necessarily mean using them simply in a religious setting. For me, it means making everything I am and everything I do about God...
Often times, many times, this means thinking outside the religious box. Either God meant it or he didn't when he said, "I have come to give you abundant life." I see his words as permission to plunge head first into life, using the gifts he's given me. Glorifying him with every action and every breath!
When I live outside the box, I live out loud and make no apologies for my loudness. What I am, what I have, what I can be is his...
I realize I will be misunderstood by "Christians" and "Non Christians" alike. All I can say is,
I'm in good company!
I encourage you to find out more about the God who hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, fanatics,and even turned water in to good wine! When you do,
Every day will be a party!
Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I've prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." Proverbs 9:1 (The Message)
Often times, many times, this means thinking outside the religious box. Either God meant it or he didn't when he said, "I have come to give you abundant life." I see his words as permission to plunge head first into life, using the gifts he's given me. Glorifying him with every action and every breath!
When I live outside the box, I live out loud and make no apologies for my loudness. What I am, what I have, what I can be is his...
I realize I will be misunderstood by "Christians" and "Non Christians" alike. All I can say is,
I'm in good company!
I encourage you to find out more about the God who hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, fanatics,and even turned water in to good wine! When you do,
Every day will be a party!
Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I've prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." Proverbs 9:1 (The Message)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)