Texas Sheet Cake

So if you've never had Texas Sheet Cake before it is to die for!  It is a cross between chocolate cake and brownies to me.  I like both, but Texas Sheet Cake, I love.  They appear on the plate like any normal frosted brownie.  In fact, you may even think it looks (should I saw the words) store bought.  But once you put one of these delectable babies in your mouth, you'll just fall into a deep chocolate coma of delight.  You will want to invite people over because this recipe makes a whole cookie sheet full and trust me, you will be tempted to eat one, and then another, and before you know it, you wonder who snuck into your house and ate your delicious dessert.  I also posted this recipe at Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies.  (There are so many delicious looking desserts on there.)

Texas Sheet Cake

3/4 pound butter or margarine (3 cubes)   Can you already tell why these are so delicious?  ; )
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa

Put the above in pan and bring to a boil.

Add:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

Mix them together first, and then add to above.

Add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. soda

Mix well and bake in a 17 1/4 x 11 1/2 x 1 inch cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Near the end of the baking time, make the icing and put on brownies as soon as they come out of the oven. 

Icing:
1/4 pound (1 cube) butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa

Bring barely to a boil.  Take off the stove.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Add:
1 pound bag of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Frost brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.  Put the brownies in the refrigerator to cool.

Recipe Source:  My Momma!

Clam Chowder

My hubs has declared this to be his favorite clam chowder.  My dear friend Shauna invited us over for some soup on a chilly night.  She made this clam chowder for us, and it was delicious!  So she graciously shared  the recipe.  I generally don't like many seafood things because they always end up tasting "fishy" to me, but this little soupy was definitely an exception.  It was creamy and delicious!  Thanks Shauna for the fantastic recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cans minced clams (reserve liquid)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups potatoes
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3-4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 can cream of mushroom
Dash of allspice
bacon bits (optional)
parsley (optional)

Directions:
Open can of clams and drain juice into a separate bowl.  In a sauce pan, place clams, onions, celery and potatoes in enough water to just cover them.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until soft.  Drain the water. 

In a large sauce pan or soup pot, melt butter and add flour to create a roux.  Add reserved clam juice, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and seasonings.  Mix until creamy over medium heat.  Add the drained veggies and clams.  Top with bacon bits and parsley if desired.  (If the soup is too thick for you or as it sits on the stove thickens more than you like, just add some milk.)

Blondies

The hubs just announced that these blondies are one of his favorite sweet treats.  These are quite scrumptialicious and super easy to make.  Brown sugar, butter, white chocolate chips, mmmmm... This recipe comes from one of my good friends Krista.  She is an excellent dessert maker!  Thanks for sharing the goodness with us Krista. The question is:  Do blondies have more fun?  I'll let you decide...

Blondies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 package white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix melted butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla -- mix well.  Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix to combine.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes. Voila!  They're done and delicious!

Sweet Cream Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

Oh my, was this chicken was fantastic with the cream sauce.  The cream sauce is smooth, sweet, and perfect.  We really enjoyed it!  You definitely need to make this with cream, don't try to lower the calories and use half and half.  The cream makes the sauce and the whole dish.  It really is super yummy!  You can also use the sweet cream mustard sauce on the roasted veggies. 

Sweet Cream Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
12 sage leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
4 Tbsp. honey
3/4 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 dashes cayenne pepper

Directions:
Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add garlic and sage.  Saute for about two minutes.  Add mustard, honey and whipping cream and stir.  Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.  Let simmer and infuse for fifteen to twenty minutes.  (Don't boil the sauce.)

Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Directions:
Pound each breast until approximately 1-1.5 inches thick.  Dip chicken in whipping cream, sprinkle with salt and pepper and coat well with bread crumbs.  Let sit for 15 minutes so the crumbs can stick to the chicken.  On the stove top, on medium to medium high heat, sear chicken for about 3 minutes per side.  Remove from heat once cooked through. 

Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
2 handfuls French green beans
2 parsnips chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 zucchini sliced
1/2 butternut squash cubed
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Rinse and cut vegetables, assort on baking sheet or dish.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with garlic, salt and pepper.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Layered Ice Cream Cake

So my baby girl turned 3 yesterday!   I can't believe it!  She's 3 already.  I remember puking my guts up with her all 9 months.  Yes, that's right, all nine.  She was worth it though and now she's 3!  So we definitely had to have a special cake this year.  Last year, we did a Barbie cake and caterpillar cake.  The year before was a rubber ducky cake.  This year was an ice cream cake with hamburger cupcakes and fries.  The ice cream cake turned out sooooo good.  Three different flavors of ice cream with ice cream sandwiches around the edges on top of an Oreo crust...HELLO...how can it not be good.  We also made these hamburger cupcakes and fries which are probably one of the cutest things I have ever laid my eyes on.  It's so cute, you almost can't eat it...ALMOST...

Here's the little cutie with her ice cream cake. Isn't she a doll?

Layered Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:
15 Oreo cookies
1 tablespoon milk
8-9 ice cream sandwiches
1 pint chocolate chunk ice cream
1 pint cookies and cream ice cream
1 pint strawberry ice cream
1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip

Directions:
1.  Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line side with waxed paper, using spray to help adhere to pan.  Trim paper to height of pan.

2. Finely crush 12 of the Oreos in a food processor.  Add milk; pulse just until mixture holds together.  Set aside.

3.  Unwrap the ice cream sandwiches.

Cut the ice cream sandwiches in half lengthwise.

Then cut sandwiches in half crosswise (these will be the cake's edge).

Working quickly, stack cut strips on end against side of prepared pan to form the stand up edge of the cake. FYI - these little babies melt fast...really fast. 

Spoon cookie crumbs into center of pan; press firmly over bottom.  Freeze 1 hour. 

4.  Remove all 3 flavors of ice cream from freezer; let soften for 15 minutes at room temperature.  Remove the pan with the edges and crumb bottom.  Transfer the chocolate chunk ice cream into the pan and press down ice cream until level and smooth.  Repeat with the cookies and cream ice cream and the strawberry ice cream.  Make sure all layers are level.  Add thawed Cool Whip, swirling decoratively.  Break up remaining 3 sandwich cookies and use to decorate cake.  Return to freezer; freeze overnight.

5.  To serve, remove side of pan, then waxed paper.  Let cake stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes for easier cutting.  Slice into wedges and serve.

Recipe Source:  adapted from Family Circle Magazine September 2009

Here's the hamburger cupcakes and fries we made. Oh my cuteness! Go to Bakerella to make these. She has the best directions on how to do it!  She even gives you a templates for the fry holder, tissue paper, and the little boxes you put them in. 

Chicken Tetrazinni

If you have not tried this chicken tetrazinni, you should. It is one of our all time tried and true family favorites. I posted it a while back, but it was in serious need of a better picture. This is a delicious, comforting family food that is great for just the family or for company. It is excellent! A warm taste of home. It's what homemade is all about.

Chicken Tetrazinni

Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
4-6 skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 can chicken broth (14 ½ ounces)
1 cup skim milk
¾ cup parmesan cheese
paprika, to sprinkle

Directions:
Cook and drain spaghetti according to directions on the box. Stir fry the mushrooms and the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice until chicken is done, about 15-20 minutes. Toss with the cooked spaghetti. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Melt the 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in the flour/spice mixture. Add broth and stir until the sauce thickens, then add the milk. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and chicken. Mix. Place mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.