Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Red Velvet Cake is a great Christmas Cake...I don't like making it homemade. I like using a cake mix.it turn out the same to me.When you uses the homemade icing it really make it taste wonderful without the fuss in the kitchen. I like using Duncan Hines.

When it ask for a 1 cup water,,I add half buttermilk and half water to the mix.

I like a tall cake this will serve more people so I get two boxes that mean everything is double.

I fill up three 9 inch cake pans

some overage make cupcakes

 Sometime I just use two cake mix to make a big cake in Two 10 inch pans

Cream Cheese Icing

2 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2cup  butter

2 tsp.  vanilla

2 pkg.  (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 cups), sifted

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended.

Coconut Cream Cheese And Roasted Pecan Frosting
Prepare as directed. Stir in 1/2 cup flake Coconut and 1/2 cup roasted pecan

Now If you like to make it look candy stripe for the Holiday Just cut the cake in half.

How to Cut a Cake Layer in Half

Edited by Horses4Ever, Nicole Willson, Sondra C, Andy Zhang and 11 others

If you need to cut cake layers in half, there is a simple and accurate method that does not involve messing with knives or having your cake roll across the countertop. With floss and some toothpicks, you can slice the cake in half with ease.

 Steps

1. 
   Place toothpicks at the halfway point around the edges of the cake layer, as shown in the image.
2. 
   Align unflavored dental floss around the row of toothpicks. If you're making a spongy cake, it helps to make a few cuts with a serrated knife along the toothpick row, to give the floss something to bite into.
3. 
   When the floss is fully wrapped around the cake, cross the ends of the floss and hold each end in each hand. Pull each end out and away from the cake, so the floss cuts through the cake as the circle of floss tightens. Move the floss slightly from side to side to help the cutting movement.
4. 
   Now you have two layers of cake.
5. 
   Slide a piece of cardboard or a baking sheet (with no sides) between the two layers and lift off the top layer.
6. 
   Finished.You make need more icing to icing all your layers if you like a lot of icing like I do.at least 1 inch tall in between layers.
   

Cheesy Broccoli And Ham Casserole Recipe

I love to eat broccoli many ways....this veggie you will never get tired of eating." broccoli" you can serve it many way and plus it's good for you too. remember cooked it right plays a good part in perpard it.when you cook it to long it come a part and looks like a mess. just steam it until tender and let it be dark green.broccoli goes with a lot fancy meals and the very simple one as well.you can serve it as a side or mix it in something that will be wonderful. "All cooks knows" you never can go wrong when you serve broccoli. This recipe I am sharing  is just a plain simple dish you can try in the place of mesh potatoes.


Cheesy Broccoli And Ham Casserole

14-16 fresh cut florets broccoli ( steam tender)

 2 tablespoon melted butter

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 pieces smoke ham fried until crisp not hard and not to brown.

Steam the broccoli 4-5 minutes or until tender pour melted but on top. put in a greased 2-quart casserole. mix in the cream cheese, cheddar, green onion, salt, pepper and ham. bake at 350 until bubbly.
(You can add more cheese if you like on top and if you like a little heat add hot green peppers with the green onions" ).

Sweet Potato Souffle

Sweet Potatoes and Roasted pecan topping. what can you ask for next in a soulffle? never will fall and never will fell at your dinner table, easy and never hard to perpare this classic dish is a treasure. You know sweet potatoes is a vegetable your kids will have no problem eating this dish up!

3 cups sweet potatoes cooked and mashed
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
1/2 cup real sweet butter
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

Mix potatoes and the ingredients together until will blended...no lumps
pour in a baking dish.

Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans chopped
1/3 butter

Mix well. ingredients will be stiff and crumbly. crumble on top of potatoes mixture bake at 350 for 30  mins

The Cornbread Dressing

The Dressing is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving Dinner. Folks just love that good favor chicken or turkey broth mixture of bread turn into a delightful cooked and season stuffing prepared just right with that touch of sage.

My Grandmother Sweetie make the world best Cornbread Dressing for us and we just love that rich taste she put in to it...When she pass away. my mother all most got it just right...and when she pass away in 1992 that was the end of that era...

I came up with a dressing almost like my mother and my grandmother and I will like to share with you. It;s kountry and have that taste we loved as growing up in the south. Back then my folk just went in the kitchen and came up with some might good eats with a dash of this and a pitch of that.

So that what I did and came out just fine for the recipe of Thanksgiving Dressing...my mother and my grandmother would be so proud.And plus I remember watching them when it was time to prepared for the dressing....and that made it a plus for me!

Always use good tasting cornbread my mother will always say and my grandmother uses day old bread nice and cold and the broth had to be cold too... this will keep the dressing from being sticky and packy.

Let's Start

4 or 6 chicken leg quater trim fat but not all use about 4 chicken back to make the broth richer and you can add 6 pieces raw clean chicken livers make sure that green skin off ( leg quaters are rich with broth when cooked).

1 cup celery chopped

2 cups white onion chopped

 Salt and Pepper and 2 cup water place in a roasting pot

Cook in an oven at 350 until done and brothy

Take the chicken out save the broth and spoon out 1/4 cup of fat.

Gather Bread like

4 cups Cornbread cubes

2 cups dry France bread in cubes ( hold up better than white sandwich bread)

Mix them together 2 cups onions 2 cups celery and 1/4 cup fat from the broth at to a pan.

Saute until lightly tender pour over bread add your season at your choice like we love lots of black pepper and a little sage to our taste. you may like saute mushrooms or roasted pecans.

 Pour in about 3 cup or 4 cold broth and two beaten eggs too much broth made it to thin too less make it too thick).

Pour into a cooking dish and bake at 350 until golden brown

Roasted Turkey Recipe

Thanksgiving Dinner is finally coming! The shopping is done, the relatives are on their way, and the table is set. Time to focus on the dinner centerpiece (The Thanksgiving Turkey). Home Folks have tried lots of variations on cooking the Thanksgiving Turkey smoking, deep frying but most of us still put it in the oven to bake.I have two kinds of recipes for your Holiday Turkey. One is the oven way and the other is the grilled.

Don't let cooking a Turkey be a problem...because he is a Turkey and you are in control in getting it beat. I remember very well messing up the Turkey for the holidays, it was dry as a bone and tasteless and it put the U in ugly... I said I will never do it again! But you see I did not let that happen.

One thing I learn about food if not cook right.... you can make it right the next time." much love in cooking"


What You Need to Roast a Perfect Turkey

A Buy A Great Roasting Pan

Those disposable aluminum pan you buy in the store pass them by...That is the worst thing to cook your Turkey..And plus they can’t be used to make gravy on the stove top. A large sturdy roasting pan is very well needed (look for one that’s at least 3 inches deep) with a roasting rack, so the turkey can sit just above the drippings and helps it cook evenly all over.

You should always thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. Normally, it takes 5 pounds per day to thaw. 15 pound turkey will take 3 days to thaw in the refrigerator.

Make some season butter for your Turkey and what you want to stuff inside.This is your Bird and you can put what every you want inside like veggies or cornbread stuff.

Season Butter Recipe

2 stick butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry basil

1 teaspoon dry parsley

2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 teaspoon dry rosemary

Blend all together

Loose the skin under the Turkey and adding the season butter under the skin and tuck wings under Turkey

Oil the Turkey all over with cooking oil 1.salt and black pepper to taste 2. Dry herbs your choosing and 3. paprika this make it brown very nicely.

Tie Turkey legs together

Top with foil

 And place in Roasted Pan Remember to add Turkey Parts like the neck,liver and heart

How long to Roast Your Turkey???? You Wonder????

Depending on the size of your bird and whether it’s stuffed, it should take anywhere from 3-6 hours to roast.
at 175 in the oven I like to cook my Turkey slow it will brown more evenly and juicy.and won't over cook.

Always use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature has reached a minimum of 165 °F.  Many like their bird at 180 °F.

The Roasting Times for Stuffed Turkey

Turkey Weight
   

Hours
6 to 8 pounds     3 to 3-1/2 hours
8 to 12 pounds     3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours
12 to 16 pounds     4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours
16 to 20 pounds     5-1/2 to 6 hours
20 to 24 pounds     6 to 6-1/2 hours

Approximate Roasting Times for Unstuff Turkey

Turkey Weight
   

Hours
6 to 8 pounds     2-1/2 to 3 hours
8 to 12 pounds     3 to 4 hours
12 to 16 pounds     4 to 5 hours
16 to 20 pounds     5 to 5-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds     5-1/2 to 6 hours

A Prefect Roasted Turkey

 Not A Prefect Roasted Turkey

Uses the dripping for the gravy remove extra fat. pour dripping in a pan or leave in roasted pan cut up cooked turkey parts add to pan 2 or 3 cup of water with 3 tablespoon plain flour stir until thick and smooth on low heat.

The Second Recipe

Grilling: Cajun Smoked Turkey

My Old New Orleans Friend Give Me This Recipe

    For the injection

    1 12-ounce CHEAP bottle beer, at room temperature

    1/2 cup butter, melted

    6 large garlic cloves

    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

    2 tablespoon Creole seasoning

    1 tablespoons liquid crab boil

    1 tablespoon hot sauce

    1 tablespoon  salt

    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
1 10-14lb Turkey 

For the rub

1 tablespoon vegetable oil to rub the Turkey all over 

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
 
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
 
1/4 teaspoon cumin
 
1/4 teaspoon  salt
 
1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Prepared your smoker with hickory wood  and let your Turkey smoke until done at
minimum of 165 °F.

Hot Water Corn Bread

This hot water cornbread is shaped into cakes and fried in hot oil in a skillet.I will make this bread when everyone is ready to eat and don't have time to wait.Make sure you fry it golden brown on both sides.always use the best corn meal it make them taste real good.sometime we just eat them just by them self.

Ingredients:

1 cup corn oil

1/4 cup melted shortening

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

 Preparation:

In a heavy iron skillet add oil. Place cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Pour boiling water over meal and salt. Add melted shortening; stir well. When mixture is cool enough to handle, divide into four portions. Shape each into a cornbread cake about 3/4 inch thick. Place corn cakes in skillet fry until golden brown. Hot water cornbread recipe makes 4 cakes, serves 4.

Green Beans Casserole

I become to like this dish after I make some changes. I did like it at first because the green beans had no good taste and it took away from the dish and the sauce was not flavorful. If you feel the same way about this dish...try this recipe for the Holidays and tell your family and friends you are being the Green Beans Casserole.

For the Topping:

3 cups canned fried onions (about 6 ounces)

4 slices white bread, each slices torn into quarters

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon parmase cheese

Pulse bread, butter, salt and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.

Green Beans cooking...

In a frying pan add three teaspoon bacon dripping

Add a cup of chopped onion

Add 1 1/2 lb fresh Green Beans

Add 2 cups chicken broth salt and pepper to taste

Cover and cook for 20 mins

 Mushroom Sauce

 4 T. olive oil

2-3 c. sliced mushrooms baby bellas

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, Pepper and Thyme to taste

2 T olive oil

2 T. flour

¾ c. half and half milk

½ c. vegetable broth

¼ c. white wine or cooking wine

1 pinch salt

Pepper to taste
Sauté the mushrooms and garlic in a large sauté pan in olive oil until soft.  Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Remove to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat the butter and/or olive oil on medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux.

Continue whisking for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the liquids while continuing to whisk, making sure there are no lumps. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat when the sauce is thick and stir in mushrooms.

Combine Green Beans and Mushroom Sauce together

Pour in a baking dish and add Topping Mixture

Bake in oven 250 until bubbly

You can do this recipe the old other way (But Why???).

Sweet Potatoe Pie Recipe

Sweet Potato Pie has to be my all time favorite dessert. I can make it any day of the week and absolutely love it. I like the regular  pie crust not the graham cracker crust. Sometimes it’s hard to find a good sweet potato pie.

But guess what??? I am going to share with you my simple recipe. This sweet potatoe recipe with make you a star in the kitchen. WOW!


Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes or yams (I like yams better)

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup evaporated milk (use less if you what your pie thick)

1  stick of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon  nutmeg

dash salt 

1 cup sugar

1 deep dish pie crusts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°

Boil potatoes with skin on in water until fork tender.

 Place sweet potatoes into large bowl. Sprinkle salt and butter. Mash with a potato masher until  smooth. Mix nutmeg and add sugar. Mix well. (you may use a  mixer, on low speed this will help make the pie smooth) Add the whole eggs first and mix, now add the egg yolks and mix well. Slowly add evaporated milk, vanilla, lemon extract.Mix until a smooth .cut the oven to 375° F. Place pie shells on a baking sheet. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie shells evenly making some peaks. Bake on center rack for 45 minutes or until peaks are dark brown. Allow to completely cool.