January 2006

1 (2 layer) yellow cake mix
1/2 stick margarine, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Take out 2/3 cup of the cake mix and set aside. Combine the rest of the mix with the melted margarine and 1 egg Mix until crumbly. Press in bottom of greased 13×9x2 inch pan. Bake until light brown, 15 - 20 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine the remaining cake mix with sugar, syrup, vanilla and 3 eggs. Beat until well blended. Remove crust from oven.

Pour filling over top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

These are what would happen if a pecan pie hooked up with a butteray yellow cake. I’m there!

Joi

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1/2 pound of ham or salt pork
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups water
1 cup rice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place dried peas in 8 cups of boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover; soak for 1 hour. (very important step!) Drain.

Cover beans with fresh water and return to heat. Add meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer for around 2 hours, until peas are tender. The liquid should be cooked down. Add 2 cups water, rice, and salt & pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 20 more minutes, until rice is done. Be sure to add a little more water if it all cooks out before the rice is through….but don’t add too much water - John’s not good when water-logged!

This southern classic makes a memorable and delicious meal - especially when served with fried buttermilk cornbread!

Have a great week!
Joi

Today I experimented with the icing on my husband’s birthday cake, and the outcome was so darned good I wanted to tell you about it.

The cake was one of his favorites - an orange cake. I normally make a Cream Cheese frosting for this cake, but since I’d be decorating this one, I wanted the texture of a Buttercream frosting. So I got out my favorite Buttercream Icing recipe. Then I got to wondering what would happen if I flavored it to match the cake. I substituted 2 TBS Orange Juice for the called for 2 TBS milk. I left out the vanilla extract and stirred in 1 TBS grated orange peel instead.

It perfectly complimented the cake without overwhelming or upstaging it. I’m anxious to try it with lemon juice and lemon peel.

2 pounds ground meat
2 to 3 medium onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
Pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons chilli powder
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto or kidney beans

Brown meat in large heavy pot, 5 quart size. Add onion, bell pepper and cook until limp. Add remaining ingredients except for beans. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add pinto or kidney beans and simmer for 30 minutes.

Printable Version

Cake:
1 Yellow Cake Mix - baked as directed, for a two layer cake

Frosting:
1 pint sour cream, divided
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 9 oz. carton frozen non-dairy topping
2 (6 oz) packages frozen coconut

Bake cake as directed. Cool. Slice layers in half, making 4 thin layers.

Combine 1 cup sour cream, sugar, vanilla and 1 package of coconut. Spread between the layers.

Combine 1 cup sour cream and thawed topping mix. Spread on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days (your leaving it to “rot”!).

For obvious reasons, plan ahead with this one. If it’s meant to be Thursday night’s dessert, get cracking on Monday! And, if it makes you feel better, you could call this a “Coconut Refrigerator Cake” instead…. But, Rotten Cake is just so darned cute…

Have a weekend full of great food and try something new!
Joi

Here’s another pretty fun Game Day appetizer or Super Bowl snack:

4 quarts popped corn
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs margarine
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, syrup, water, salt, and margarine in a small pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils.

Continue cooking, without stirring, until 250 degrees is reached on a candy thermometer (hard-ball stage). Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour slowly over popped corn in a large bowl and mix to coat every kernel. Work quickly to shape into 4 ” balls. As you’re working wiht part of the popcorn, you can keep the remainder in a 200 degree oven, so it’ll stay pliable.

Place each ball onto waxed paper to set.

You could get really cute and shape them more along the lines of footballs.

Joi

(Admittedly, this dip is delish whether or not you’re a Denver Broncos fan.)

1 pound crab meat , or imitation crab meat (frankly, I use the imitation crab all the time!)
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash or two of TABASCO

Melt margarine and saute’ onions just until limp and transparent.

Add cream cheese and mix well. Add peppers, salt and Tabasco. Stir in crab meat. Return to heat briefly - just to heat through.

Serve with crackers, celery, carrots, and/or melba toast.

This is one of the snacks I’ll be making for Denver’s game this weekend. I hope….really HOPE…I’ll be able to make it during the superbowl also. IF the Broncos are there. I’m not sure I’d waste such a good dip on other teams!

Joi

A California study showed that those who ate nuts regularly suffered 50% fewer heart attacks than those who didn’t.

It’s far too easy to add more nuts to our diets not to. Bowls sitting around the house - near tvs and computers, pecans or walnuts thrown into salads, yogurt, desserts, oatmeal and cereal…..

Granted, it’d be a far cry easier if the prices would come down some. I grabbed a bag of pecans a week ago, with thoughts of pecan pie in my head. Then I saw the price reading an outrageous $6.89…the pecan pie left my head and cupcakes came rolling in!

Joi

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup milk, scalded
6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 baked 9 inch pie crust
Extra, sweetened whipped cream (opitional but encouraged!)

In a small bowl, soften the gelatin with the 1/4 cup cold water. Scald the milk in a saucepan. Add cocoa, sugar and salt to the scalded milk and blend well. Slowly stir into the gelatin mixture until gelatin dissolves all the way.

Let stand until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in vanilla. Fold in whipped cream until all the white is gone.

Pour into baked piecrust. Chill until set and garnish each serving with extra whipped topping.

A lot of people top this off with about an inch of meringue, but meringue isn’t liked around our house nearly as much as homemade whipped cream!

Joi

The above
Acrylic Tea Bag Box
is just what I need! Frankly my boxes and tins of Green Tea, Chai Tea, White Tea, and regular tea don’t look nearly as good as the tea tastes. At times, my counter looks like a shelf from a grocery store.

This little organizer would loook oh so much nicer and neater! With my tea fetish, I think I’d need two - fortunately it’s under $14.00, so I’d still have plenty of money to spend on…you guessed it, more tea!

Joi