Monday, March 24, 2025

Yellow Cake Mix to Chocolate cake mix

 

Confessions of a Baking Queen

1 - 15.25oz Box of Yellow Cake Mix (I didnt have chocolate)
1-3.9oz Box of Dry Vanilla Pudding Mix (I didnt have chocolate)
1/2 c Cocoa Powder
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
6oz (¾ Cup) Vegetable Oil
6oz (¾ Cup) Sour Cream (or mayo or plain yogurt)
4oz (½ Cup) Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
4oz (½ Cup) Hot Coffee (I didnt have it)
85 grams (½ Cups) Mini Chocolate Chips, optional


  1. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C and spray two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray, my preferences are Bakers Joy or Pam for Baking. Set the pans aside.
  2. In a large bowl mix together everything except the hot coffee and mini chocolate chips. Mix until fully combined, you want to make sure you mix well enough that there are no traces of egg left behind but you don't want to overmix the batter. Then mix in the hot coffee, it will thin the batter out then fold in the chocolate chips.
  3. Pour the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake. For 8-inch cakes I found they baked in the 25-30 minute mark as opposed to the longer times the cake box suggested.  Let the cake pans cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting the cake out directly onto a wire rack to cool completely. Then frost with your favorite frosting.

He wanted cherry icing served on it with maraschino cherries on top for decoration

Logan Birthday

 Cinnamon and Coconut

Copycat Arctic Circle Lime Rickey
2 liter bottle of Sprite or 7UP
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
ice cubes
grape snow cone syrup (see recipe below)

Grape Snow Cone Syrup
2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1 (0.14 oz.) package grape Kool-Aid flavored drink mix 
(one person said just go buy Frozen grape juice and its so much better)

If you make the Snow cone Syrup-
1. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the drink mix. Allow to cool completely and store in a container for pouring. 
2. Once the syrup has cooled, fill a glass with Sprite and add as much ice as desired. Pour 2-4 Tbsp. of grape syrup into the glass. Add more or less, depending on how much grape flavor you want. Squeeze a fresh lime wedge or two into the drink and throw the squeezed wedge into the drink for good measure. 



He wanted ribs and Hot Ones dipping sauces

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Meals and Dipping Sauces with Jessica

 Jessica Henshaw said eating more vegan or Ayruveda- its helpful to have many different flavors/textures on your plate which helps your  taste buds experience alot and fills all your senses. 

6 tasting senses- sweetm salty, sour,bitter,astringent,pungent

I went and tayed with Jessica in St george for a weekend.



When I arrived she made a veggie, chicken, quinoa dish-
1*Roast veggies in oven 400 degrees with oil and salt and pepper-
squash
zucchini
onion
chickpeas
broccoli or brussel sprouts/cauliflower/carrots (definitely could saute mushrooms)

2*Cook and season Chicken seperately.

3* Cook rice or quinoa

4* Serve with a dipping sauce- choose from options below

5* I liked sprinkling green pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries on top


Breakfast and Dessert

1* scrambled eggs, with sausage, a side of sauteed kale and side of quartered roast brussel sprouts or any other cruciferous veggie

2* dessert-oat chocolate ice cream, I added almond butter, banana, choco chips, cranberries



Dipping Sauces-


1- Pesto without Cheese (Vegan)
Clean Eating Kitchen
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
12 tablespoons of water (optional, for thinning out the sauce to the desired texture)

In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, pine nuts, salt, and fresh basil leaves.
Process on high for 30-45 seconds or until the ingredients have blended together. The pesto should have a smooth and creamy consistency. Feel free to add up to several tablespoons of water if you want the sauce to be thinner.
Serve immediately, or store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.



2- Adobo Sauce                          Must Love Home Makes 2 cups

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Add chili powder to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Bring water to a boil and pour over the chili powder. Stir and replace cover. Let steep while you gather the other ingredients.To the chili powder mixture, add tomatoes with juices, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon, black and cloves. Blend or pulse until smooth and the consistency of ketchup. Add water by the teaspoon and pulse if mixture is too thick.Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.. Carefully add adobo mixture. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool then transfer to an airtight container. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3- Best Cilantro Lime DressingUrban Farmie

½ cup fresh cilantrochopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic cloveminced
½ teaspoon saltadjust to taste
½ teaspoon black pepperadjust to taste
Instructions

Use a food processor or, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chopped cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and minced garlic until well combined. Don't overblend if using a food processor or blender.
Season the dressing with salt and black pepper and adjust to taste.



4- Basil and Parsley
a handful of fresh parsley including stems (28g)
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves (11g)
2 tablespoons tahini (37g)
the juice of half a lemon (2 tablespoons = 25g)
1/2 cup of coconut milk from a can = 100g (I use Trader Joe’s brand which is guar-gum free)
1/4 teaspoon of himalayan salt
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
Serve on top of your favorite summer bowls or entrees.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Veggie Beef Soup

Food 52

Ingredients-

1.5 lbs Beef 
1 pound Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
celery stalks, thickly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Creole (or all-purpose) seasoning
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 dried bay leaf
5 cups unsalted or low-sodium beef broth
3/4 cup frozen green beans
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
mushrooms- saute first, then add to soup

Cook the beef.

  • Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, and celery, and cook, still over medium, until the onions are translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    1. Add all the beef back to the pot, along with the canned tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and beef broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any dark bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer for about 75 minutes, until the beef is tender.
    1. Stir in the green beans, peas, and corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
    1. Remove the bay leaf, then taste the soup. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.