Bobo's Chocolate Cake

Bobo was my dear sweet grandmother.  There's  not a day that goes by, that I do not think of her.  She is the one who gave me my love for cooking.  I had my own special stool, well actually all her grandchildren used it to.  I would stir, mix and learn.  One of our family favorites was and still is her chocolate cake.

Let me tell you a little about Bobo, we had tea parties, famous ones.  We had made up funny names and told stories about our make believe family.  Her name was Queen Esther, my sister Dorthy Sue and me, I was Jeaunette.  She was also my Sunday School teacher.  We sang this song of the books of the bible and every time we got to Esther the Queen, I would look at her and giggle.  When I went off to college, I would write her Queen Esther letters.  I even continued writing them in my adult life.  It was a way to tell her what was going on in my life, without her knowing it was really what was going on in my life at the time.  I think she knew, but never said anything to me about it.  My husband's name was Fred, we ran the laundry mat and I had fourteen kids.  When she pasted away, my mother found the letters.  She had kept every one of them.  Wow it still brings tears to my eyes.  I miss her something terrible, but I'm so thankful for all the wonderful memories.  I'll be sharing a lot of recipes on here, it's a way I can share a little bit of my Bobo with all of you.

I have to admit, I add cinnamon to mine. 

Bobo's Chocolate Cake:

Cake:
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening
4 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together dry ingredients in large mixing bow.  In saucepan add butter, shortening, cocoa and water.  Bring to a rapid boil then pour over dry ingredients.  Stir well then add eggs and buttermilk.  Pour into a well greased 9x13 cake pan and bake  20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Icing:
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all together in saucepan, except powdered sugar, and bring to boil, stirring so it does not burn.  Remove from heat and pour powdered sugar in.  With mixer, mix together.  Pour over cake while its still warm.

I'm even using Bobo's cake pan that she use to always make this in.

Bobo would make a funny face to us, the pic is blurry and old, but its me with my Bobo.  Can't wait to see her in heaven one day.  She'll probably be at the gate waiting on me making her Bobo face at me.

Be Sweet and Stay Sweet.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

I have new hours at work, 6am to 2:30pm.  I hated it at first, I'm an early riser but 4am, not my cup of tea.  For the first two weeks, I came home and took naps.  I'm use to it now and my new favorite show is Dr. Oz.  I'm learning so much from him.  For instance "Sweet Potatoes", if you eat one cup a day can help prevent cancer.  A lot of people only eat sweet potato casseroles at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there are so many different ways to fix them.  I gave you one yesterday and here is another. 

1 sweet potato
1 1/2 cup pancake mix - mix as directed on the box
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Cook your sweet potato in microwave for 10 minutes and let cool.

Mix pancake mix as directed, scrap out sweet potato from the skin and add to mix.  Adding the brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix all together. Heat skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter and start cooking your pancakes. Serve with your favorite syrup.

One thing about this, is if you have leftover sweet potato casserole, you can use it in your pancake mix.

Talk about YUMMY!!!  

Stay sweet and be sweet.

Orange Pork with Sweet Potatoes

Hi, boy do I have something for you today.  Orange Pork with Sweet Potatoes.  I have to tell you a story first.  When I go to visit Natalie, in New Orleans, LA, I always have to stop in Lake Providence, LA, at "The Dock".  They have the best Cajun spices, a few I've picked up, "Punch Ya Daddy" and "Slap Ya Momma", they are both wonderful.  Don't you just love the names?  I also, pick up boudin.  I'll have some recipes for that later.

Now let me  tell you about Lake Providence.  Don't speed, because they will get you.  My friend Stephanie and I went to visit Natalie about three years ago and on our way home, Big Bubba got me.  Stephanie and I were chatting and laughing, didn't even realize I was over the speed limit. Heck, I saw the sign 45mph right ahead of me, when he pulled me over. I was shaking so hard and tears came to my eyes.  Didn't work for him.  He told me I was still in a 35mph zone.  So remember when you drive through there to always go the speed limit.

I cook for 2, but make 3, that way Steve can either  have it for lunch the next day or a late night snack. ha!

Orange Pork:
You can either cut the pork loin yourself into 1" slices or buy the thick 1" sliced boneless pork
3 tablespoons feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup flour
2 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning - I  used "Punch Ya Daddy"
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 juice of an orange
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large 16" skillet.  (I love the one my sister Kim gave me for Christmas, Food Network skillet from Kohl's.  You can  use it on top of the stove or in the oven.) Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and put on medium to high heat.

Take a sharp knife and insert a slit in the side of your pork, about 1" deep and make a pocket. Set aside.

In small mixing bowl, mix feta cheese, cilantro and orange zest.  Insert in the pocket of the pork.  Using a toothpick to keep it together.

Mix your flour and Cajun seasoning and coat each side of the pork.  Test your oil with a little bit of the flour mixture, if it sizzles you know its ready.  Brown each side of the pork for about 6 minutes.  Squeeze the juice of 1 orange.  Then cover and place in oven for 30 minutes.

Put the skillet back on the stove top, on  medium heat and add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cornstarch, stirring until thicken.  Then serve.

Don't you just love that skillet and look how scrumptious those chops look.  I bet your mouth is watering now.  Are you ready for the sweet potatoes?

2 Sweet potatoes sliced in 1/4" slices
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon of orange zest (use the one from the pork recipe)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, (you can actually cook these on the bottom rack, at the same time your cooking your pork).

Wash and slice your sweet potatoes and lay on cookie sheet. Brush on the olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic salt and orange zest.  Cook for 40 minutes or until tender.

Hey ya'll, I actually figured out the camera all by myself - check out this country girl.  You want to see the complete meal?  Sure you do.

Until next time Be Sweet and Stay Sweet!

Robin

Grocery List

Hi, I have to say I cheated last night and had Steve pick up KFC for supper.  Us cooks like to  have a break every once in awhile. 

I bought a new camera and still trying to figure it out, I need my Aunt Becky or one of my camera smart cousins Lori, Katy or Lee here to teach me.  But I'm hoping I can rely on Steve or talk Christopher (my friend Linda's son) to come help me out this weekend.  I decided to give you a menu and grocery list for the week.  Get ready, because we are going to be cooking up some scrumptious eats!

Menu
Orange Pork with Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Bobo's Chocolate cake
My Mac and Cheese
Cajun Eggplant
BLT with Egg and Avocado
Stuffed Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Staples in the Kitchen:
Shortening
Olive Oil
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
Cajun Seasoning
Garlic salt
Salt & Pepper
Mayo
Self rising flour
Cumin Seasoning

Grocery List:
1 Orange
3 Sweet Potatoes
Cilantro
Basil
Oregano
1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Red Pepper
2 Onions (yellow or white)
2 Garlic Bulbs
1 Eggplant - on sale at Kroger's for .99 cents  lb.
Lettuce - whatever kind you like
2 Tomatoes
1 Avocado - on sale at Kroger's 4 for $5.00
2 cans Chicken Broth
1 jar Salsa of your choice
1 can Black Beans
1 can Whole Corn
Elbow noodles
Spaghetti noodles - on sale at Kroger's RONCO $1.00
Rice
28  oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
Pecans
Pancake Mix
1 lb. Hamburger meat - on sale at Kroger's Private Selection Angus Ground Chuck (80% lean) $3.49 lb.
Pork Loin - on sale at Kroger's $1.97 lb.
Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast - on sale at Kroger's $1.77 lb
2 lbs. Ground Turkey
1 package Bacon
1 package Breakfast Sausage
1 dozen eggs
Milk 1/2 gallon on sale at Kroger's $1.67
Feta Cheese
Cheddar Cheese - on sale at Kroger's KRAFT 5 - 8 oz. - 2 for $5.00
Hot Pepper Jack Cheese  - (you have your 2 cheeses for $5.00 now)
Velveeta Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
Butter - sticks
Self Rising Flour
Cocoa Powder
Buttermilk - (small)
1 box Powdered Sugar

Until next time, Be Sweet and Stay Sweet

My block garden..................

I tried something new this year, planting my garden in blocks.  Its so cool!!  The herbs and peppers have done wonderful.  I did have one tomato, blooms but nothing else.  Oh I also have 2 eggplants and 2 figs.  I heard on talk radio if the temp is higher than 75 degrees at night, then they will not produce.  Still trying though.  The best thing about my block garden is no weeds and I do not have to bend over so much.

Nurse Killer Bar-B-Que Quesadillas

Here's a little peek at my cookbook "Blind Ingredients".  Right now its with the editor.  I'm crossing my fingers, toes, legs and whatever else, that it will go through to publishing.  Pray and hope with me, that it does.   I was single for a long time and went on about 100 blind dates, RESEARCH ok.  haha  Take a look and let me know what you think.  It's a spin of my blind dates and recipes.  I hope you enjoy. 

NURSE KILLER BAR-B-QUE QUESADILLAS

1 medium size pork loin

1 jar bar-b-que sauce

flour tortillas

¼ cup chopped green chilies

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Cook pork loin in a crock-pot with bar-b-que sauce for eight hours. Shred meat and add a little more bar-b-que sauce. Layer meat, mozzarella cheese and green chilies on a flour tortilla and add a top tortilla. If you do not have a quesadilla machine (I suggest you get one). Then place in a black iron skillet; sprayed with Pam cooking spray. Cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.

My second year after my divorce, my friend fixed me up on a blind date with a nurse she worked with. He picked me up and when I answered the door, I really didn’t want to open the door. There stood this little short man with John Lennon glasses, a yellow sweater that drowned out his color and a cherry red nose.  He took me to a local Mexican restaurant and it was like “When Harry Meet Sally”. Remember Megan Ryan’s character ordering everything to the side? My date ordered everything to the side and exchanged refried beans for black beans. After dinner we went to this cool piano bar, not like the ones they have now.  It was a small hole-in-the-wall place with a jazz singer and piano player.  We had to sit in the back corner and I kept noticing a man at the other table staring at us.  At first I thought he was looking at me, but come to find out it was my date he was looking at.  Needless to say, after about an hour I couldn’t take it anymore and said, “I need to get home to take the baby sitter home.”  In the car he wanted to show me his house.  I said, “I really don’t have the time, I was already running late.” He talked about how rich his family was all the houses they owned and all the trips they had taken in the U.S. and in Europe. That always turns me off, when someone brags about stuff. (BIG DOGGING). When we got to my house, I jumped out of the car and ran to the door before he could even get out of the car.  He told my friend I must have hated men.

A few years later, I saw him on the news.  An elderly woman was dying and on life support.  He gave her a shot to help her die faster. I’m not for sure if she actually died or not nor do I know his out-come from court.  I was just so thankful that at the time I must have hated men for a reason.

MORAL:  Trust your instincts. They are usually right.

I'm new at this, but so excited.  Pictures will be coming with recipes next time.

Be sweet and stay sweet! 

Friends, Fun & Fiesta Dinner

I love cooking for friends.  Saturday I had a tasting dinner and invited Pat, Linda & Christopher.  Christopher, actually helped me set up my blog and did a wonderful job with the pictures.    I love making up new recipes, good thing it turned out or we would of been ordering pizza. 

Menu:  Mexican burger with peppers and avocado dressing and pineapple crescents

Mexican burger:
3 lbs hamburger meat
10 - 1/3" slice of hot pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt & pepper

Mix all together, except cheese.  Grab a handful of the burger mixture - place the cheese in the middle and form a burger around it, covering it.  Grill to perfection.

Peppers: 
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/2 red onion
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Slice peppers and onion in to strips and saute in skillet until soften. 

Avocado Dressing:
1 avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 jalepeno pepper - seeded
1/2 lime juice
1 small roma tomato

Mix all together in blender until smooth.

After toasting your buns on the grill, spread the avocado dressing on each bun, place your burger topping w/the pepper onion mixture.

Pineapple crescent:
1 can crescent rolls
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter
8 oz mountian dew
1 fresh pineapple

Cut pineapple in 1/3" inch thick x 1.5" long.  Melt butter in casserole dish in microwave.  Roll out crescent roll placing 1 pineapple and roll, then roll in sugar cinnamon mixture.  Place in casserole dish, repeat until you have all 8 rolled, then pour Mountain Dew on top.  Bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Stay sweet and be sweet!!

Always the Bridesmaid Never The Bride Cookies

Always the bridesmaid never the bride.   I'll never forget I was in one of my friends from high school (Janelle's) wedding and  one of my dads friend's came up to me and was like always the bridesmaid never the bride.  When are you ever going to get married?  I was the last of the high school pack and not even dating anyone.  I hated that question.  I did eventually get married, didn't last long (3 years).  I do have a beautiful daughter Natalie and she is my pride and joy. 

I'll never forget a few years ago, I was at church with my parents, and this girl came up to me, reached for my hand and was like your still not married?  I told her God was still working on my Mr. Right.  What is it, just because your single - people think you have to be married?  I was just in my early 40's.  I was single for 17 years before I remarried.  I had this idea in my head, ever since after divorce, that I would not remarry until my daughter graduated from high school.  Low and behold I meet my Mr. Right, when she was a senior in  high school.  We'll get to that story later.  I have to say I probably had over 200 dates in 17 years - yes a lot of only one time.  What is that quote by Groucho Marx? - OH....  I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.  That's how a lot of my dates went.  Keep reading my blog and I'll be sharing a few of those stories also.

Are you ready for your recipe?  When your always the bridesmaid and not the bride -  Chocolate seems to always help.  I found this recipe in an old Southern living cookbook.

Always the Bridesmaid Never the Bride Cookies: aka Chocolate Frosted Toffee Bars

1- 8 oz bar semi-sweet chocolate or 8 oz. semi-sweet bits
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, measured before sifting
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Start melting chocolate over warm water when you start mixing cookies.  In large bowl of electric mixter cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolk, vanilla, then flour.  Mix well; spread in ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan.  (you may find the spreading easier with flour--dipped fingers.)  Bake @ 325 degrees for 20 to 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread melted chocolate over surface while still warm.  (A knife dipped repeatedly in very hot water keeps icing smooth while spreading.)  Sprinkle immediately with nuts, pressing down lightly.  Cut into 1x1 bars and remove from pan while slightly war.  Freezes well:  Servings - about 56 bars.

Stay tuned to the next time for The Brides Wedding Cookies.

Be sweet and Stay sweet, until next time.