Pink Party Sherbet

Pineapple Sherbet* 
Frozen Raspberries in syrup* 
2 Bananas, small dice 

Let the Sherbet soften just enough to mix in raspberries and bananas. Freeze. 

*Available at Harmons.

My Tips for a Great Chocolate Double Layer Cake

- Betty Crocker Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake Mix* made according to package directions.
- Use real butter.
- Use extra large eggs, lightly beaten.
- Butter and flour the pans (Kristen tells me coconut oil is an excellent replacement for butter).
- Mix the batter by hand.  Do not over mix.
- Bang and spin the pans.**
- Cool baked cakes in pans on a cooling rack for exactly 10 minutes, then turn pans upside down onto rack to remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely.
- Frost with 2 entire cans of Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Chocolate Frosting.
- Put about a teaspoon of frosting on the serving platter to act as glue.
- Place the first layer of cake on the serving platter right side up.
- Put a thick layer of frosting on the top of the cake, not quite to the edge.  Put the cake in the fridge for awhile to let the frosting set.  This makes it so the frosting won't ooze out when you put the second layer on top.
- Put the second layer of cake on upside down (the curved top down and the flat bottom on top).
- Put a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake, making sure to fill in any space between the two layers.  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
- Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake.
- and most importantly ...  SERVE COLD!  Store the cake in the refrigerator until serving  (at least one hour).

*Sometimes I can't find this cake mix, so I just use any chocolate cake mix, but substitute the vegetable oil for fresh, extra-light olive oil.

**Lift the pans about an inch off the counter and drop.  You will see bubbles rise and pop.  Do this several times.  Spinning creates a hollow in the center of the cake.  These techniques give the cake a nicely rounded, rather than humped and sometimes cracked, top.

I also found Pilsbury's Secrets to Successful Cakes.  If you are still having troubles with your cakes, try browsing their ideas.

Cheese Fondue

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
8 oz Muenster cheese, coarsely grated
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a bowl or large plastic bag, combine the cheeses and and toss with the cornstarch to coat.

In a large, heavy skillet, bring the apple juice/cider and garlic to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Add the cheese a little at a time, stirring well (to prevent clumping) until melted.  Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Continue stirring until smooth (about 3-5 minutes).  Set the pot over a candle and serve with the following:

boiled potatoes (canned will do in a hurry)
steamed broccoli florets
steamed cauliflower florets
toasted sourdough bread
pepperoni


Update:
If you don't have apple cider, just use 1 cup of apple juice. Sometimes it's nice to get a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. Then you use 1/4 cup in the fondue and drink the rest at dinner.

Way better potatoes:
Roasted Lemon Pepper Potatoes
Syracuse Salt Potatoes

Rather than steam the broccoli and cauliflower, it is much easier to buy a bag of California Style Frozen Veggies and microwave them.  They are larger and hold up better dipped in cheese. And it's just easier.

Our favorite meat right now is Genoa Sausage.

Rice Pudding

1 cup boiling water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rice (pearl rice if possible)

Combine and cook 7 minutes.

2 cups milk

2 cups Half and Half

4 Tablespoons butter

Add to rice mixture and stir.  Simmer on low 1 hour, stirring frequently.

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

Slowly stir into simmering mixture.

(Might want to temper those eggs first.)

Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.  

Remove from heat, cool for two minutes.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 raisins

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or grated orange rind)

Slowly stir in vanilla, raisins, and nutmeg.

Rice Pudding is a Heritage Recipe from Grandma Carlene (Palmer).

Grandma's Easy Stuffing

For each 6 oz box of Stove Top Stuffing (Chicken or Turkey), saute 1/2 an onion and 1 rib of celery (both small dice) in 2 Tablespoons butter on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes.  While the onion and celery are cooking, boil 1 1/2 cups water.  When the onion and celery are done, pour the stuffing mix and boiling water into the onion/celery mixture.  Stir well.  Remove from heat.  Cover.  Let sit for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve!

Orange Chicken Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

2 green onions, thinly sliced

handful raisins

handful toasted pine nuts (or slivered almonds)

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

drizzle of extra-light olive oil

splash of apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper 

In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa under running water until water runs clear, not cloudy.  In a small saucepan, combine water and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is completely absorbed, about twenty-five minutes.  While quinoa is cooking, combine next five ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle with oil, splash with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork then add to ingredients in the large bowl and mix well.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note:  The recipe above serves 2.  Pictured is this recipe times 4.  :)

Chutch Chutch Chicken Salad

2 cups celery, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 cups red grapes, sliced in half

6 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 16 oz box of butterfly noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed in cold water

1 16 oz bottle Kraft Coleslaw dressing (or homemade)

1 cups mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)

1 8 oz can cashews

Mix everything but cashews and refrigerate.  Stir in cashews just before serving.

Note:  I whisked the Coleslaw dressing and mayonnaise separately and didn't add the entire amount.