My Girl Paula--Milky Way Cake

MILKY WAY CAKE
For the group: My Girl Paula

I failed at this cake today. Completely and utterly.

This is why I usually don't bake. I'm just not good at it! Things stick to the pan, even with my awesome cake release that has never failed me!

It failed me today.

and I think I burnt the chocolate when I was cooking it. . . .

Feel free to give it a try yourself. . . .perhaps you'll have better luck? *sigh*

MILKY WAY CAKE

• 8 (1 3/4 ounce) Milky Way bars
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup marshmallow cream
• 1/2 cup butter (1 - stick)
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 325.Grease three 9-in. cake pans and dust them with confectioner's sugar. To make the cake, melt the Milky Way bars with 1 stick of butter. Remove from heat and let cool. Cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar. Add the beaten eggs and the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and the baking soda together. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the batter, blending well. Add the nuts and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minute or until the cake is firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans and place on cooling racks. While the cake cools prepare the icing. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat and add the marshmallow cream, butter and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the pecans. When the cake has cooled completely, frost each layer, sides and top of the Milky Way Cake.

Cinnamon Steak Rub

CINNAMON STEAK

Oftentimes, I get a craving for a big hunk of steak. I didn't use to be like that. I actually was a vegetarian for a while. Then I had a steak made my Captain Jax's family. I have never looked back. His family makes the juiciest steaks! so now, for family bbq, I marinade them, and they grill them. It's an awesome agreement.

I've never used a rub before, so this was my first experience. The cinnamon idea intrigued me. I found it in my local grocery store's ad.

• cayenne pepper
• cinnamon
• salt
• garlic
• brown sugar
• oregano
• paprika
• cumin powder
  
• steaks

Mix together all the seasonings in a small bowl.

When you use a fork, it helps break up those pesky brown sugar clumps better.

Rub the spice mixture evenly over the steaks.

Rub it in good, and let it sit for a little while.

Grill to your desired taste. Medium rare here please!

CINNAMON STEAK RUB

• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp oregano leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 2 lbs worth of steak

Combine all the spices. Rub the spice mixture evenly on both sides of the steak. Cover loosely and refrigerate for about 15-30 minutes. Broil, or grill over medium-high heatfor 6-8 minutes per side or until desired doneness.

Mango-Raspberry Jam

MANGO-RASPBERRY JAM

A while ago, berries were on sale for a REALLY good price. Raspberries are usually so darn expensive, I never buy them! But for a good price, when they're in season, I couldn't resist making this jam. So easy and tasty! If you've got a canner, this could be an awesome recipe to give away to your neighbors and friends this holiday season with a loaf of fresh baked bread.

My sister in law and I had a canning marathon one day this summer. We probably canned about 75 1/2pints. I'll share more pictures and recipes for you later this week!

Mango-Raspberry Jam

• 3 cups finely chopped, peeled, pitted mangos (about 3 lbs)
• 1 1/2 cups crushed red raspberries (about 1 1/2 pints)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pkg powdered pectin
• 5 1/2 cups sugar

combine mangos, raspberries, lemon juice and powdered pectin together in a large pot. Slowly bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil/ Boil hard 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4" head space. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Makes about 7 half pints.

Potato Pancakes

POTATO PANCAKES

Remember how I told you I had a use for the left over potato guts from the grilled potato skins? here it is! ( you did remember to keep the guts didn't you?)

Well, take those guts, some chopped cooked bacon, flour, onion, seasonings, and an egg.

Mix everything but the potatoes together in a bowl.

Add the potatoes and mix it up good. You can use your hands if you want, but it is one STICKY mess.
Make your patties and fry them up in the leftover bacon grease from cooking your bacon. I found it best to NOT premake the patties, as they tend to slightly fall apart until they get a crust around them from cooking. You could just put a spoonful in the pan and press it down to patty size.

Let them get crispy on each side.

Then serve them up! They're good with a little ketchup, and make a great breakfast.

POTATO PANCAKES

• 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• chopped, cooked bacon
• seasonings of choice (salt, pepper, italian)
• onion (only if a certain husband isn't home! lol)

Mix together the eggs, flour, seasonings, and bacon. Add the potatoes and mix well. Cook in a little bit of the bacon grease, or oil, until crisp on each side. Drain on a paper towel.

(linked up at: Ingredient Spotlight: Potatoes, )

Grilled Potato Skins

GRILLED POTATO SKINS

This is my new go-to summer appetizer. I took the recipe from a taste of home magazine, and (of course) made it how I wanted it.

• Potatoes
• sour cream
• bacon
• cheese
• garlic

Bake your potatoes, however you would like (oven, microwave). Slice them in half, and for appetizers you can slice in half again. Scoop out all the pulp (and save it for the recipe I'll share with you on friday). Make sure you leave a little bit of pulp on the inside, as that gives the skins a structure so they won't collapse on the grill.

Cook your bacon, and break it up into small bits. Save some grease (a few tablespoons) and mix it with some crushed garlic. Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture onto the skins.

Grill them on each side. It can help if you have one of those grill racks with the smaller holes. (I'm sure there is a technical term, I'm not a grill-master!) I had a few fall through when I was grilling smaller ones. Once they've been grilled on both sides, add your cheese (and bacon if you want) and put them back on just until the cheese is melted.

Add your sour cream, and perhaps some chopped chives or another seasoning, and enjoy!

GRILLED POTATO SKINS

• Potatoes
• bacon (about 1 slice per potato half)
• crushed garlic
• grated cheese
• sour cream
• chopped chives

Bake the potatoes. Slice in half, and then in half again (so you have bite size pieces). Scoop out the majority of the pulp. Leave a little bit, since you'll need some structure for the potatoes. Cook up all your bacon and break into small bits. set aside about 2-3 Tbsp of the bacon grease and mix it with some garlic. Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the skins. Grill on each side until they start getting crispy. Sprinkle the cheese on the skins, and place back on the grill for a few minutes for the cheese to melt. Add the bacon, the sour cream, and the chives. I served mine in an egg tray. :)

(Linked up at: Ingredient Spotlight: Potatoes, )

Navajo Tacos

NAVAJO TACOS (and cinnamon scones)

Navajo tacos are often called fry bread, or fried scones that you can pile on the toppings. And boy howdy, they're tasty! Even without the toppings, just fry them up and eat them with a little butter or jam.

I, however, prefer mine piled high and drizzled with ranch dressing.


The dough is simple enough, I bet you have all these ingredients in your house!

• Flour
• milk
• salt
• baking powder

Sift together all the dry ingredients. Add the milk and knead it into a ball.

Let it sit for a little while, so the gluten can form. Otherwise it won't stretch like it should.

You can either roll them out, of just tear a chunk of dough out, stretch it with your fingers until it's the size you want. You'll want it a little bit thinner in the middle so it doesn't puff too much.

Fry it in some melted shortening, that is nice and hot!

Drain it on papertowels.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings. With the leftover dough, you can fry up smaller pieces, and roll them in a sugar cinnamon mixture right when they come off the stove. A nice dessert!

NAVAJO TACOS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• oil/shortening for frying
• Taco toppings (lettuce, taco meat/beans, tomatoes, cheese)

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and mix until the dough comes together. add flour if needed. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, then let it rest for 5 minutes. Heat about 1/2 inch to 1 inch oil in a large skillet. Break off pieces of the dough and either roll out flat, or use your hands. Make a thinner spot in the middle. Fry until brown on each side. Let drain on paper towels. Top with taco toppings. Makes about 5-6.

For a dessert, use smaller pieces of dough and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture right when they come off the stove.

Fried Green Tomatoes (and zucchini)

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES (and zucchini)

When I first heard of fried green tomatoes, it was because of the movie. But I could never imagine actually eating one of them! The whole ick factor and everything. I gave it a try though, and I liked them!

I thought I would give them a try with zucchini too, because well, fried zucchini is good. Most things that are fried are good. (fried twinkies? although I've never had them, I'd say NOT good. I don't even like twinkies!)

• flour
• eggs
• salt/pepper
• bread crumbs
• oil to fry (I used my tub of bacon grease Mary got me to start keeping)
• green tomatoes, and zucchini

Create your assembly line with your eggs, sliced veggies, bread crumbs, and flour mixed with the seasonings.
Dip the veggies in this order: egg, flour, egg, bread crumbs.

Heat up a large chunk of your bacon fat and start frying these boys up! You could also use a deep fryer, but a skillet works just fine.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES (and zucchini)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 5 green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup bread crumbs
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
• bacon grease, or oil to fry

Create an assembly line by mixing together the flour, salt and pepper in one bowl, bread crumbs in another bowl, and the beaten eggs in a third bowl. Melt the bacon grease (or oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip each tomato slice in the egg to coat, then in the flour mixture. Dip the floured tomato slice back into the egg, and then into the bread crumbs. Place the coated tomato slices in the hot skillet, and fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add more grease to the pan, if necessary. Serve hot!

New England Pasta Bake

NEW ENGLAND PASTA BAKE
From: Rachael Ray

Normally I'm not one a Rachael Ray person. Some of her recipes are good, but she's not quite my style. She does healthier stuff, I do things covered in cheese. Paula Deen's more my style I think. :) But this recipe caught my eye when I was watching her talk show a while back. I love Clam Chowder, and the thought of a chowder made into a pasta bake was intriguing. I didn't know if it would still have all my favorite aspects of the chowder (mainly the creaminess) so I had to try it.

It included most of the ingredients needed to make a chowder, plus a few extra:

• potatoes
• onions
• carrots
• celery
• salt/pepper
• bread crumbs (I ground up flavored croutons)
• diced or minced clams
• cheese
• olive oil (or evoo, since this is a Rachael Ray recipe)

Start by dicing up all your veggies. The onions are there hiding under the celery, I promise. Place everything but the potato into the pot with some melted butter, or oil, add your seasonings and saute them until they just start getting soft. Don't caramelize them!

Add your potatoes next. Along with all the clam juice and some water. Bring it all to a small bubble and let it simmer and cook the potatoes.

meanwhile, in ANOTHER pot, cook your pasta to the al dente stage.

When the pasta is done, save about a cup of the pasta water, drain the rest and add the pasta to your veggies. Mix them up good and set them aside.

Grab that pot you cooked your pasta in--we're making a roux!

When I was uploading this picture I thought to myself, "I wonder how many picture I have of me whisking a white sauce. . . .probably a LOT"

Make your roux by melting some butter and whisking in some flour. Add your pasta water and some milk. Bring it to a bubble and let it thicken up. Then add your clams.

Pour your roux mixture into the pasta and veggies and mix it up good.

Then pour it into a casserole dish. yes, it filled this dish FULL.

Sprinkle your cheese over the top, then sprinkle the bread crumbs. I did it backwards. I was trying to keep it dairy free (which is why I used olive oil instead of butter to saute the veggies, and soy milk to make the roux) but instead just took a bowl full out for K-girl.

If you do the cheese first, I bet it will melt down into the pasta, and then the bread crumbs will get crunchy. Feel free to mix them up with a little bit of melted butter or oil.

Cook it for about 20 minutes, just until the top gets brown. Or you can turn the broiler on a cook it for a few minutes. Everything is already cooked anyway!

and enjoy! My nephew took one look at it and said "No WAY am I eating that" so he got a hot dog for dinner. :)

NEW ENGLAND PASTA BAKE
From: Rachael Ray

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 yellow onion, cut into medium dice
• 1 stalk celery, cut into medium dice
• 2 carrots, cut into medium dice
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons, about 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves, minced (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 3 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams and their juice, divided
• 1 pound of pasta shells
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat broiler. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil.

Place a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion, celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender but not caramelized, 5-6 minutes. Add the potatoes, thyme, juice of the clams and 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and bring the liquids up to a bubble. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.

While the veggies are simmering, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Just before the pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pan it was cooked in.

While the veggies and pasta are cooking, place a medium saucepot over medium heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Whisk the milk and 1 cup of starchy cooking water into the roux and bring up to a bubble. Add the clams to the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Reserve warm.

When everything is ready, toss the cooked veggies and prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and grated cheese over the surface of the casserole and brown under the broiler.

Thumbprint Biscuts

THUMBPRINT BISCUTS

One of the easiest breakfast treats I've had in a while! And on the cheap too.

• 1 can of biscuits
  
• butter
• cinnamon/sugar mixture
• jam of choice

Separate your biscuits and roll in melted butter, and then your cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them on your pan, spaced apart.

Use the handle of something large about quarter size (I used a spoon) and make an indentation into each biscuit. Or use your thumb. :) Spoon about a teaspoon of jam into each biscuit.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes (however long your biscuits normally cook for)

The jam gets piping hot!! watch your tongue when you bite into them!!

Thumbprint Biscuits

• 1 can biscuits
• melted butter
• cinnamon/sugar mixture
• jam

Separate biscuits and roll into melted butter and then cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on your baking sheet. Make an indentation into each biscuit with something about the size of a quarter and spoon about a teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake at 350degs for about 10-15 minutes. The jam gets really hot so let them cool before you take a bite!!