Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

This cake goes against everything I believe in when it comes to baking. I believe that baked goods are best when they are made completely from scratch.

No, I don't look down my nose at others that use box mixes or prepared icing. I'm not a cake-snob. But when it comes to me, I will do everything in my power to make baked goods completely from scratch for several reasons. I think they taste better, I know exactly what is going into them and I can pour some extra love into them straight from my heart.

For a cake that goes against everything I believe in, this is a pretty darn good cake :o) Rich, moist and super chocolatey!

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

1 box Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup water
1 box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

2. Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Pour into prepared pan evenly.

3. Bake 50-60 minutes. The knife test does not work for this cake because the chocolate chips will be gooey. To determine if the cake is done, you want to see the sides of the cake pulling away from the pan.

4. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or use your choice of frosting.



Most people that I make this cake for love it with cream cheese frosting. I also like to keep this cake in the refrigerator. It keeps it really moist and easier to cut.

Ginger Snow Peas and Peppers

This is a fast and easy recipe that I got from Everyday Food. If you like crunchy veggies with a vinegary "dressing" then this recipe is for you! You can use any color of bell peppers to make this side dish as vibrant and colorful as your heart desires!

Ginger Snow Peas and Peppers

8 ounces snow peas, stems removed
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Place a steamer basket in a saucepan filled with one inch water. Bring to a gentle boil. Add snow peas and bell peppers. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Rinse under cold water; drain well.

2. In a serving bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Add snow peas and peppers; toss.

Yields 4 servings.




I didn't have rice vinegar when I made this dish the first time, so I used apple cider vinegar instead. It was still good... but it's better with the rice vinegar.

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

I have always been a fan of seafood when eating out, but I've never really been "brave" enough to cook it at home. It is easily overcooked and kind of gross to handle - especially if the skin is left on.

I can say, however, that the salmon is better cooked with the skin on. It comes off so much easier after cooking. The lemon and dill in this recipe are a perfect complement to the salmon.

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

1 pound salmon fillets
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried dill week
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

2. Place salmon in the baking dish. Drizzle the lemon juice over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.

3. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.



Tip: To take the "fishy taste" out of fish, soak your fish in milk (any fat percentage is fine) for up to 24 hours before using in a recipe. (Thanks to my friend Lauren for that tip!)

Pull Apart Bacon Bread

What's better than bread or bacon? BACON BREAD!

Of course, anything with bacon in it has got to be delicious, right? Try adding cheese, fresh bread and ranch flavorings and it turns into something splendid!

Pull-apart Bacon Bread

12 slices bacon, diced

1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels. Roll out dough to ½-inch thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1-inch pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil. Toss to coat.

Arrange pieces in a 9-inch x 5-inch oval on a greased baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled.




Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cover with foil ; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

I do want to note that the bread was best when it was hot and fresh from the oven. However, it was still good after it chilled off.

Mmmmm. Bacon.
:o)

Lemon Meringue Pie

This is *the best* lemon meringue pie I have *ever* had. And it was the first one I've ever made myself. It's just the right mix of sweetness and tartness. Lemony perfection! And it's so easy to make! You can make your own crust or use a pre-made crust like I do from Pillsbury. (Shh... that's our little secret!)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten

To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat.

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

4 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar

To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

ENJOY!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

This recipe has become a favorite of mine. It is a great way to get in lots of yummy veggies. And it's healthy! I have made the recipe as it is described but I have also added different vegetables, depending on what is in season or what I have available to me. Eggplant, mushrooms, vidalia onions, asparagus, green peppers... the list goes on. I say, add what you like!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini

1 medium summer squash
1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium yellow bell pepper

1 lb fresh asparagus
1 red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut zucchini, summer squash, red pepper, yellow pepper and asparagus into bite-size pieces.
3. Put all vegetables in a large roasting pan, and toss with the oil, salt and black pepper.
4. Spread in a single layer.
5. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

This is the "before roasting" picture from the last time I made these vegetables. My favorite part of the dish is the way the red onions taste after roasting. Instead of the super-strong flavor they have when raw, the oven roasting makes them quite sweet.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

I've had several requests for chocolate cake over the past few months and I always go back to the same recipe. It's the one located on the back of Hershey's baking cocoa. And it truly is "perfectly chocolate". If you like chocolate, you will LOVE this cake.

My twist on the cake, though, is that I make it with 3 layers, so this recipe contains those modifications. If you are looking to make either a one layer cake, a bundt cake or a three layer cake with 8" pans, see the original recipe (http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=184)

**WARNING** This cake is extremely rich. The three-layered cake can serve many people because a small slice goes a long way. Make sure to have milk to enjoy with your cake. You'll need it!

HERSHEY'S PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
2-1/4 + 3/8 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 + 3/8 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1-1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with icing.

PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 stick) butter or margarine

1-1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

6 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

I make sure to put ample amounts of icing between each of the layers.
I also make sure that the initial layer of frosting that covers the cake is a thin layer. This is so the crumbs (if there are any) stick in that first layer and don't mess with the final presentation of the cake.

The pink and brown cake was the request of 2 young ladies at work for their birthday. I think the pink sprinkles go great with the color of the chocolate buttercream frosting.

This cake was requested by the Aunt of my friend Allison. Her favorite color is green and she asked that I label her piece so that no one else would take it. This was the best that I could do with the tools that I had available to me.

My 2009 Book List

So i've recently taken up the hobby of reading. My mother thinks something is wrong with me because I have never really read for pleasure. I don't know what has drawn me to reading lately. Perhaps it's because I like to use my own imagination to "see" the book instead of watching a movie. I'm not really sure.

Anyways, I have made up a list of books that I would like to read this year. It seems to be a hefty list for a first-time reader, but I think I can manage. I've already finished one of the books (the first one on the list) and I have the next four on the list already started. So maybe I will be able to get through them all. I wonder if I can read and walk on the treadmill at a 15% incline at the same time? Hmm... perhaps this will be a good lesson in coordination for me!

In no particular order (except the first 5), here is my list:

1. The Hollow (Nora Roberts)
2. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
3. The Pagan Stone (Nora Roberts)
4. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
5. The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch)
6. Carolina Moon (Nora Roberts)
7. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
9. Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer)
10. The Horse Whisperer (Nicholas Evans)
11. At0nement (Ian McEwan)
12. The Secret History (Donna Tartt)
13. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
14. She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
15. The Princess Bride (William Goldman)
16. Can You Keep a Secret? (Sophie Kinsella)
17. Bridget Jone's Diary (Helen Fielding)
18. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkein)
19. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
20. The Nanny Diaries (Emma McLaughlin and Nicole Kraus)
21. The Rule of Four (Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason)
22. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

** I must thank Allison for suggesting some of these books. She gave me a list almost a year ago because I wanted to start reading... but it took awhile for me to warm up to the idea of having my nose buried in a book :o)**