7-Up Pound Cake

For a long time now, this blog has had a real shortage of cake recipes--Honestly cakes are not my thing, I'm not the worst baker, but I'm certainly not the best.  There are still plenty of things for me to learn when it comes to baking.  Michael is the resident baker around here, at least when it comes to cakes.  So Michael made this 7-Up Pound Cake this weekend.  I just observed:D

7-Up Pound Cake

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 & 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

7 oz 7-up soda (any lemon-lime flavored soda will do)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the lemon and vanilla extracts, mixing well to combine.  Add the flour to the butter mixture in three batches, alternately with lemon-lime soda.  Mix well after each addition.  Spoon the batter into the prepared tube pan.  Bake until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely.

Pound cake is always best topped with fresh summer berries!

I've gotten a little behind on posting and a have a quite a few recipes I need to get posted, it just seems like this time of year there are so many other things I want to do instead of sitting in front of the computer--like this weekend a trip to Oak Mountain, and hiking to Peavine Falls.  Even though the falls were not nearly as impressive as I had hoped--they were nearly dry, only a trickle of water, it was still good to be out in nature.  I'm hoping to get caught up on my posting this coming week.

Hummingbird Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

This is one good cake!  Moist, sweet, nutty--Just the perfect cake.  I wish I could claim that I made this beauty, but I didn't.  Michael did, I just ate a few big hunks of it only a tiny sliver of it, since I'm on a diet.  OK, you know I'm joking.

I can remember my mom making hummingbird cakes for different occasions--A big giant four layer cake, covered in cream cheese frosting.  Well this is the "no special occasion needed" version of that cake.

Hummingbird Bundt Cake
adapted from Southern Living

For the cake:
1 &1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 & 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (4 large)
1- 8 oz can crushed pineapple (don't drain)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbs milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Grease and flour a 14-cup bundt pan; set aside.  In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Next stir in the eggs, mashed bananas, pineapple, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Sprinkle 1 cup toasted pecans into the bottom of the bundt pan, spoon the batter over the pecans.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.  For the glaze, in a bowl combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tbs milk; mix with a hand mixer until smooth, adding an additional tbs of milk if needed.  Immediately pour the glaze over the cooled cake, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted pecans over the top.

I love these old fashioned bundt cakes, cause you have a choice--big slice or little slice?

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Slaw

I'm not a gourmet food snob by any means--All the time I use cake mixes, jars of store bought pasta sauce, cans of crescent rolls, but ramen noodles are a different story.  I mean how can those little packs of noodles that cost maybe fifty cents taste good--Well they really don't, at least not when you prepare them like the package says.

Then there is this slaw.  First let me say, I only like coleslaw made with mayo.  To me that is just what coleslaw is--If it's made with a vinaigrette it's a salad.  Michael is always in charge of making the coleslaw when we have cookouts.  This is what he always makes.  He loves it.  Honestly I had never even tried it, just figured anything made with uncooked ramen noodles can't taste good.

But I figured Michael likes it, so I'll make it for him--after all I'm just grilling a hot dog for dinner, at least this will make it seem like really cooked, even though it extremely simple.

Come to find out--I love this slaw(salad) too.  It's my new favorite.

Michael always makes it in a 9x13-inch Pyrex dish, I'm not sure why, maybe because it's easy to fit in the fridge?  So that's what I'm making it in too, but you can use a bowl.

First you crumble the ramen noodles in the bottom of the dish, just like that.

Then it's really just a layering thing--almonds, sunflower seeds, green onions, then slaw.

Then the dressing--the seasoning packets from the noodles, cider vinegar, sugar, oil.  Then let it marinate for at least 8 hours, but overnight is better.

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Slaw

2- 3 oz packages beef ramen noodles
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2- 10 oz angel hair slaw
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil

In large bowl, crush the ramen noodles in the bottom.  Next layer almonds, sunflower seeds, green onion, and the slaw.  In a bowl whisk together the vinegar, sugar, oil, and the seasoning packets from the noodles.  Pour over the slaw; cover and allow to marinate overnight.  Toss before serving.

Perfect Pot Roast

Talk about comfort food--Oh man, this roast was so good!  Tender, almost falling apart--You definitely will not need a knife.  And the gravy, thick and creamy, just the way gravy should be.

Now I do know a Crock Pot cooks a good roast and I use mine quite a bit, but I like more hands on cooking when I've got the time.  And any way if you use a Crock Pot, you made Crock Pot roast--Not pot roast.  This is POT ROAST--made in a real pot.

So what cut of meat to buy?  Chuck is my first choice for pot roast.  It loves a good, long , slow cooking.  Look for one about 3 to 4 lbs.  Seems like you can always find one on sale too, so shop around for a bargain.  Season your roast all over with salt and pepper.

Next slice up a couple onions and a few cloves of garlic--any tips to stop the tears?

Next mix together a can of cream of mushroom soup with a little Worcestershire sauce and red wine--Those little minis of wine are a lifesaver, I do drink wine, but I don't drink red wine very often--cause I always end up with a headache.  So I keep these little minis on hand for cooking.  They're the perfect size for most recipes and the perfect size for the drunks to keep in their purse:D

Now in a POT, with a little oil, sear the chuck  really good on all sides.  Take your time here, lots of good flavor is being made.  When it's well browned, take it out of the pot.

Next add the onions and garlic, saute for a couple minutes.  Be sure to scrape up all those little brown bits on the bottom of the pot as the onions cook.

Return the roast back to the pan and try burying it under the onions.

Pour the mushroom soup, Worcestershire, and red wine you mixed up on top.



Then add a little beef broth.  Cover, bake, and wait, dinner is only few hours away.

Perfect Pot Roast

adapted from Paula Deen

1- 3 to 4 lb boneless chuck roast
2 onions ,thinly sliced
1- 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cups beef broth
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season the roast all over with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven heat about 2 tbs vegetable oil; sear the roast on all sides.  As the roast sears, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, red wine, and Worcestershire in a bowl.  When the roast is well browned, remove from the pot; set aside.  Add the onions and garlic, saute for a couple minutes.  Return the roast to the pot piling the onions on top of the roast.  Pour the mushroom soup mixture over the top, then the beef broth.  Cover and bake for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Four Layer Chocolate Delight

Four layers of goodness!

Shortbread Crust + Sweetened Cream Cheese + Chocolate Pudding + Whipped Cream =

Chocolate Delight

This was my favorite dessert as a kid--so I called my mom and got the recipe. 

 Know what?  I still love it, just as much as I did when I was a kid.

First make the shortbread crust--butter, flour, pecans.

Next layer--cream cheese, powdered sugar, Cool Whip.

Layer number 3, chocolate pudding--Yep, instant.

Finish it off with a layer of Cool Whip.

Four Layer Chocolate Delight

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2- 3.9 oz packages instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

1- 12 oz container whipped topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl mix together the butter, flour, and pecans.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Allow to cool completely.  In a bowl mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 cup Cool Whip.  Spread over top the cooled crust.  In another bowl mix together the pudding mix and milk, mix until thickened;  spread over top the cream cheese layer.  Top with the remaining whipped topping; refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.

Linda's One-Dish Baked Pasta with Meatballs

Every month I have to work one week of night shift, as in all night!  It's all good until about 3:00 AM, that's when I turn into a walking zombie--Good thing I don't really have to interact with people.  So last week on night shift--It was about 4:00 AM, I was reading blogs(My Kind of Cooking), I saw this recipe--wait.  Linda forgot to say cook the pasta, HA I found a typo--wait, I can't even find my own typos.  So I read it again, and sure enough--you don't cook the pasta first.

I love any kind of baked pasta, but after I make it the kitchen is a mess.  Pasta pot, sauce pot, and baking dish in the sink waiting to be washed--Not to mention salad bowls, plates--so the idea of a one dish baked pasta, sounds genius.  But does it work?

Last week I tried it--my mom was the guinea pig.  We were sitting at the kitchen table, I told her I was afraid the recipe I had in the oven was not going to work, she agreed.  To both of our surprise--It worked!  The pasta was cooked!  Linda, I'm sorry for doubting your recipe.

Now this is not a gourmet meal, certainly I wouldn't serve it if Mario Batali was coming for dinner(no, I don't really know Mario Batali)--but if your looking for something you can throw together, that's easy with hardly any clean up, it's perfect.

Last night I was feeling lazy, and wanted to make something easy, so I made it again.

Pay close attention!

Dump uncooked pasta in a baking dish and pour sauce on top.

Pour 1 and 1/2 cup water over the sauce. 

 I pour it  into the pasta jars first to get the last bit of sauce out.

Top with the meatballs; cover and bake about 1 hour.

Top with the cheese, bake for 15 more minutes.

So if you liked this recipe--Head over to where I found it, My Kind of Cooking!

One-Dish Baked Pasta with Meatballs

adapted from My Kind of Cooking

1- 1lb box rigatoni
2- 24 oz jars pasta sauce
1 & 1/2 cups water
1- 12 oz package fully cooked meatballs, thawed
1- 8 oz package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the uncooked pasta in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Pour both jars of pasta sauce over the pasta, making sure to cover all the pasta.  Then pour the water over the pasta sauce.  Top with the meatballs; cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven, top with the cheese; bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Note: The original recipe was baked for 45 minutes, the top with the cheese and bake for 15 more minutes.  I prefer my pasta to have a softer texture so I increased the first baking time to 1 hour.

Southern BBQ Baked Beans

Grilling season is here and what's a barbecue without baked beans--I mean I could make a meal off of them alone, especially if they are this good.

Go grab your cast iron skillet and lets get cooking!
You do have a cast iron skillet, right?

OK, if you don't, you really need one, it will be the best twenty dollars you ever spent.  It cooks on the stove top, oven, grill, campfire--you can even turn it over and use it like a pizza stone, and everything tastes baked beans taste better cooked in cast iron.

The best baked beans start with canned pork and beans, then bacon.  Some people just lay raw strip of bacon of bacon over top the beans, it ends up just being a gummy greasy mess on top of the beans.  Still tastes good, but cooking the bacon first fixes the gumminess.

 

Then onion and bell pepper, sauteed in bacon drippings.  I didn't, but you could add a clove of garlic or two if you like.

Then a little sweet and heat--BBQ sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, and Tabasco. 

Mix it all up and and pour it back into the skillet and bake until thick and beany-HA



Southern BBQ Baked Beans

2- 15 oz cans pork and beans

5 bacon slices

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 large green bell pepper diced

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

a few dashes hot sauce, to taste

In a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet cook the bacon, the bacon should not be limp or cooked crisp.  Remove bacon from the skillet and place on paper towel lined plate; set aside.  Pour the bacon drippings from the skillet, leaving about a tablespoon.  Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper; saute until soft.  In a bowl combine the pork and beans, sauteed onion and bell pepper, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, and hot sauce.  Pour back into the cast iron skillet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they thicken.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris - Hiking at Ruffner Mountain

There is just something about hiking that makes me boozy, and these frozen strawberry daiquiris really hit the spot!  They are made with fresh strawberries--so they are healthy--Right? HA

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

3 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup white rum

3 tbs fresh lime juice

1- 12.oz can limeade concentrate, thawed

2 cups ice cubes

In a blender combine the sliced strawberries, rum, lime juice, and limeade concentrate; blend until smooth.  Add in the ice and blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and garnish with a slice of lime.

Makes 5 drinks.

Another weekend of hiking, this time at Ruffner Mountain, a five mile hike on Saturday, and another 5 mile hike on Sunday.  Ruffner Mountain is a real gem, it's close by, and I try to hit the trails there a couple times a week.  Usually we skip the nature center, actually we have never gone in, so this time we did, there were way too many screaming kids inside.

So we walked right through and out the back door.  Outside the backdoor we found the owls.  They all have been hurt and can't be released back into the wild.   I don't ever think I've been so close to an owl before.

 

Then off to the trails--

Lots of wildflowers!

And I love the trails out here, fairly technical, lot of roots, rocks, but not too tough.

The mountain was mined until the 1950's, here it the view from the top of the quarry.

Another remain from the mining days, this stone crusher.

And the best view is from Hawk's View, that's downtown Birmingham in the distance.