ANITA'S COCONUT CAKE


CAKE


1  YELLOW/WHITE/OR FRENCH VANILLA CAKE MIX
1 PACKAGE INSTANT VANILLA PUDDING
1 & 1/3 CUP WATER
4 EGGS
1/4 CUP VEGETABLE OIL
1 & 1/3 CUPS COCONUT
1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS  ( PECANS OR WALNUTS )


COMBINE CAKE MIX, PUDDING MIX, WATER, EGGS AND OIL. BEAT ON MEDIUM SPEED FOR 4 MINUTES. STIR IN THE COCONUT AND NUTS.  POUR INTO A GREASED 10 INCH TUBE PAN. BAKE AT 325 FOR 60 MINUTES.  COOL.


FROSTING


1 -  8 - OUNCE PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE
1/2 CUP BUTTER
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA
1 POUND BOX POWDERED SUGAR


BEAT THE CREAM CHEESE, BUTTER, SUGAR, AND VANILLA TOGETHER UNTIL WELL BLENDED AND FLUFFY.  SPREAD ONTO THE CAKE AND TOP THE CAKE WITH SHREDDED COCONUT.

CAPPUCINO CUPCAKES Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 2 cups sugar 4 large eggs  1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour  1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream  Garnishes: instant espresso, ground cinnamon, and chocolate-covered coffee beans Preparation 1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 2. 2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until blended. Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into lightly greased miniature muffin pans. 3. 3. Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes). Pipe or spread Double Shot Latte Buttercream onto cupcakes. Garnish, if desired. 4. Note: To prepare regular-size cupcakes, spoon batter into 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 350º for 22 to 24 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool and decorate as desired. Makes 2 dozen. DOUBLE SHOT LATTE BUTTERCREAM Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar 3 to 4 Tbsp. milk  Preparation 1. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. 2. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. 3. If desired, beat in remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until desired consistency.

PEACHY-PECAN BREAD

PEACHY-PECAN BREAD

1/2 CUP BUTTER
1 CUP SUGAR
2 EGGS, SLIGHTLY BEATEN
SPLASH OF VANILLA
1 SMALL BOX JIFFY BUTTERMILK BISCUIT MIX
APPROX 1 & 1/2 CUPS PEELED DICED PEACHES
1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

COMBINE THE SUGAR AND BUTTER UNTIL WELL MIXED,
ADD THE BEATEN EGGS AND VANILLA. MIX IN THE JIFFY MIX,
PEACHES AND PECANS.
EVENLY DIVIDE THE BATTER INTO A GREASED ( I SPRAY MINE WITH PAM )
8 MINI LOAF BREAD PAN AND BAKE AT 350 FOR APPROX 25 MINUTES,
OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

SUE'S STUFFED MUSHROOMS
2 POUNDS FRESH MUSHROOMS
1 POUND JIMMY DEAN SAUSAGE
1 8- OUNCE PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE
1/2 CUP ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS
1/2 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE
1-2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR/MOZZARELLA CHEESE
REMOVE THE STEMS FROM THE MUSHROOMS AND SAVE FOR ANOTHER DISH.
BROWN THE SAUSAGE AND DRAIN FAT, CRUMBLE THE SAUSAGE INTO SMALL PIECES. I PUT THE DRAINED COOKED SAUSAGE IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR AND PULSE IT A FEW TIMES TO GET THE PIECES UNIFORM. COMBINE THE SAUSAGE WITH BREAD CRUMBS AND CHEESES AND MIX WELL.
MIXTURE CAN BE SEASONED AS DESIRED WITH GARLIC, ONION, OR IS GOOD WITHOUT IT.
STUFF THE MUSHROOMS WITH THE MIXTURE AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 30-45 MINUTES.
(THIS IS A NEW RECIPE I'M BEGINNING TO PLAY WITH-ADD AND REMOVE INGREDIENTS AS YOUR TASTE LEADS YOU. I'VE USED THE USUAL WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOMS AND THE BABY PORTOBELLOS AND BOTH ARE GOOD. I ALSO CHANGE OUT THE FLAVORS OF THE SAUSAGE FROM ITALIAN TO SAGE TO REGULAR OR HOT, ADD DIFFERENT SPICES/HERBS, PARSLEY, BASIL, OREGANO ETC TO TASTE)

BECKY'S LEMON RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

BECKY’S LEMON RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES


1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 . Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form.

Gather the dough together into a ball. Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Bill's Tortellini Soup

1 lb mild or sweet Italian suasage
1 diced onion
4 little small new red potatoes (peeled and diced) (optional)
1 diced red bell pepper
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 heaping tablespoon of garlic, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (optional)
1 cup fresh spinach, cut up in very small pieces
1 cup tortellini (I used dried cheese ones)
3 14 ounces cans of Chicken stock
1/2 cup wine (I used red this time but whatever)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons of dried herbs-I use Herbs de Provence
salt and pepper
olive oil as needed.

Cook the sausage in a big skillet. Remove once barely brown.
Cook all veggies but garlic and spinach in same pan using the leftover grease from the sausage. After the veggies have sweat for a bit about five minuets, then add the garlic, salt and pepper and swirl it around for a minute. Okay, you can add more garlic if you have know the girl for a while.... Add the flour to the mixture and cook it for a minute or two to brown up the flour on the veggies. Add the cooked meat back into the pan. Cook for another minute or two.

Add the tomato paste and then the wine and swirl thing around for a few minutes-make sure that you get the stuff up from the bottom! Add the spinach and the tortellini and all the stock and bring to a boil for about 20 minutes.

You can let it simmer for a longer amount of time-it is always better the second day.....

You can add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to the bowl as you serve it and a nice crusty whole grained bread to dip with. A squirt of some pesto sauce is a nice addition as well.

If you use a nice pan you can get away without adding any extra oil. This makes enough for 6 to 8 people or a number of meals for two people. Add your favorite veggies, subtract the ones you hate. I was going to add some cubed squash instead of the potatoes this time but Angela had already used up what squash we had in the fridge.

Take out the sausage and add some diced chicken and exchange the red wine for something white and you have a completely different soup.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

CARAMEL APPLE COFFEE CAKE

3 EGGS
2 CUPS SUGAR
1 1/2 CUPS OIL
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA
3 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON SALT
3 CUPS CHOPPED PEELED APPLES
1 CUP COARSELY CHOPPED PECANS

TOPPING
1/2 CUP BUTTER
1/4 CUP MILK
1 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR
DASH SALT

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Blend in oil and vanilla. combine the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the egg mixture. Stir in the apples and pecans. pour into a greased tube pan and bake at 350 for and hour or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes and turn onto a serving plate.

In a small saucepan, combine the topping ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly pour over the warm cake, some will drip down over the cake.