Bobby's Goulash

My friend, Michele, from Alwayz Bakin' made this awhile back. I always wanted to make it but wasn't sure if my son would eat it. My daughter spotted the recipe in a stack in the kitchen and asked to make it. All I did was brown the meat; Kelly did the rest. It came out delicious!

Here is the recipe off of Paula Deen's website: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/222

German Chocolate Cake

My son for his 13th birthday wanted a homemade German Chocolate Cake. I googled German chocolate cake and thought this recipe sounded good. It was an easy recipe and came out delicious. It's triple layer. I should've made more frosting. I ended up putting white frosting in between the layers. I found the frosting hard to work with when not cold. I ended up using my hands to pat on the frosting on the sides!

Everyone agreed the cake was delcious!

Cake Ingredients
1 (4-oz.) package of Baker's Sweetened Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 eggs whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a knife, or a pen to mark a sheet of wax paper around the exterior of the pan. Then cut on the line you just drew. Coat the inside of the pan with shortening. Then put flour on the inside and shake it till the sides and bottom are covered with flour. Then put the cut wax paper in the bottom of the pan. Do this for each of the three cake pans.

Take one package of Baker's sweetened chocolate and mix it with 1/2 cup of boiling water. You are done mixing the chocolate once it is all dissolved (as seen in the lower left picture). Let this cool.

Mix 1 cup of butter with 2 cups of sugar until they are fluffy and rich.

Slowly add in your egg yolks while beating the mixture. Once no more streaks, or spots of yellow remain they have been mixed in well enough.

Add Chocolate liquid and 1 teaspoon vanilla after the egg yolk is completely mixed in to the batter.

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the flour.

Add the milk and flour to the mixture at the same time, but alternating between the two (milk, flour, milk, flour...) Don't stop mixing as you do this. Once you are done beating in the milk and flour, make sure that it is smooth.

Take your four egg whites and beat them at a high speed. When you lift the beater out of the bowl it should have a peak, or pointed tip at the end of it. This means they are done being whipped. This process should take about 5 minutes. Immediately fold in your egg whites SLOWLY. DO NOT STIR OR BEAT THEM IN!! This would ruin the cake!

Pour equal amounts of batter into each 8 inch cake pan. Put the cakes in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not open the oven until the cake has been in for the required time, if you do it will fall in the middle. Stick a tooth pick in your cake after baking. If it comes out clean your cake is done, if it comes out gooey then it needs another five to ten minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup Baker's Angel Flake Coconut
1 cup chopped pecans (roasted)

Mix the ingredients except for the coconut and roasted pecans on a stove set on medium heat for 12 minutes.

Once you are done stirring in the above ingredients add the coconut and pecans.

Cool the frosting until it is firm and easy to spread.

To frost the cake divide the frosting into three separate, but equal parts. If you made a double batch make sure you divide your frosting in half before doing this. Then pour one of the thirds onto the first layer, or as much as needed to frost the top so that the top is completely covered. Repeat with other layers and frost the side.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

Strawberry Soda Pop Cake

I found this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen's blog. She always has such awesome recipes. For my son's birthday, I made a homemade German Chocolate Cake (post to come) and this cake. I've had my eye on this cake, so I decided to make it. My son turned 13 on Saturday and had a cook out with family and friends.

You can use any strawberry cake mix; just sustitute the water for strawberry soda. For the oil and eggs, use what the cake mix calls for.

1 - package Strawberry Cake mix (any brand)

1 1/3 cups Strawberry Soda(strawberry soda is substituted for the amount of water on the cake mix)

2 - 3 Eggs (depending on what cake calls for)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 - 8 oz tubs Plain or Strawberry Flavored Cool Whip

1 – 2 lbs Fresh Strawberries (Sliced)

Add cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil and strawberry soda. Beat until smooth. Pour into two round cake pans that have been greased and floured.

Bake as directed on cake mix or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. When cake is done remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes. Then remove to a wire rack and completely cool.

Frost first layer with cool whip and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Add the second cake layer and frost top and sides with more cool whip and top with more sliced strawberries. Save one whole strawberry for the middle of the cake. Gently slice and fan the whole strawberry, Place on top in the middle of the cake.

Refrigerate frosted cake.

My New Award!

I received an award from Jennifer at Cooking For Comfort. She has always been one of my favorite bloggers. If I'm ever up her way, I'd love to meet her.








I would like to give this award to some of my favorite blogs:


Michele at Alwayz Bakin'


Sandy with I Love Sweet Treats

Ambrosia Salad

Tomorrow my son becomes a teenager! My baby - my 5'11" baby! He's having a cookout with friends and family. Today, Jimmy and his brother-in-law, Steve, have been cleaning the patio off (with the help of the grandkids!). Kelly and I have been in the kitchen.

My mom always makes this Ambrosia Salad at every holiday. It's one of Jimmy's favorites. It's simple and can be made up a day in advance.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can chunky pineapple

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

12-16 oz whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 small pkg instant pistacio pudding

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the 2 cans of pineapple and sprinkle the pudding on top. Let stand for 3 minutes.

Combine nuts and coconut; fold into the mixture.

Slowly blend in the Cool Whip and marshmallows.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.

"Helping!"

Marshmallow Brownies

I found this luscious recipe on Mommy's Kitchen. I looked sooooo yummy! I decided to make it without the frosting. It just seemed like it would be too sweet. I'm sure it's good with it, but we decided to do without. I added dark chocolate syrup to the top of the marshmallows.

My daughter and her family are here from Kansas for a 2 week visit. We were going to my parents' for dinner along with my sister, her son and his girlfriend. My sister made stuffed shells which were awesome. I, as ususal, was in charge of dessert.

My granddaughter, Samantha, helped me make the brownies. She did all the mixing by herself.

Brownie Recipe:

1 (9 x 13) boxed brownie mix

miniature marshmallows

frosting (recipe below)

Make the brownie mix according to package directions for CAKE LIKE brownies. Bake according to package directions.

When brownies are done, cover them with a layer of marshmallows and put back into the oven for a few minutes until marhmallows are nice and puffy.

Cool brownies and top with frosting recipe.

Frosting Recipe:

1/2 cup butter

4 T unsweetened cocoa powder

3 T milk

3 T water

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Bring butter, cocoa powder, milk and water to a boil. Remove from heat. While still hot, add confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat well. Pour frosting over brownies while frosting is still hot. Allow to cool before cutting.

Samantha mixing the batter.

Before baking

Sneaking marshmallows!

Austin swiping some!

My Girl, Paula: Fruit Bowl

Monday's My Girl, Paula recipe was the Fruit Bowl on page 42. This was my pick for July. Thanks Michele for chosing to make it.

I actually made this fruit bowl for our get together on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, half of it ended up spilled in the back of my van! But.......what was left, tasted really yummy. I think I will add one more can of fruit, without juice, since the recipe is pretty runny. But, I really loved the taste of it. I didn't get a picture of it with the bananas since I was at my boyfriend's and forgot my camera!

Ingredients:

3 T orange Tang Breakfast Drink mix

1 (15 oz) can pinepple chunks, drained, juice reserved

1 (3.4 oz) box instant lemon pudding mix

1 (16 oz) can chunky mixed fruit, drained

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (6 oz) jar maraschino cherries

3 large bananas

Directions:

Stir the Tang into the pineapple juice. Add the lemon pudding mix and stir well. Combine the pineapple, mixed fruit, oranges, and cherries, then mix into the pudding mixture. Toss well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, slice and add the bananas.

Yield: 12-18

Balsamic Peppered Sirloin

I actually made this Wednesday night; just never got around to posting it. I found this recipe in the June/July 2009 Cooking Pleasures Magazine. This was super easy and really good. It's made in a skillet which was good since sunny South Florida has had rain most day

My son wanted to make noodles with vodka sauce and I had to cook up this steak. So, we had steak with his noodles on the side!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb beef top sirloin steak (1 inch thick), cut into 4 pieces

1 T cracked black pepper

1 tsp coarse salt

1 1/2 T vegetable oil

1/2 cup lower sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 T unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Pat steaks dry; coat both sides with pepper, pressing to adhere. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil; heat until hot. Cook steaks 7-9 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steaks; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add broth and vinegar to skillet; boil 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Remove from heat; whisk in butter until melted. Serve over steaks.

Yield: 4 servings


Step 2 - the steaks browning


Step 3 - the broth and vinegar added to pan


My son making his noodles.