Moist White Cake with Almond Buttercream

When my daughter turned 14 in October, she requested a white cake with almond frosting. My husband was super excited because he loves almond also. I, on the other hand, was wishing for some chocolate! But it wasn't about me, it was about her and I was all too happy to make her whatever her little old heart desired. So, may I present this little beauty:

Makes 12 Servings

Cake:

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 cups of sugar

4 egg whites

3 cups self-rising flour

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease three 9" round cake pans. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in sugar, one cup at a time and cream about 5 minutes. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each is added. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and butter flavoring, mixing only until combined. Pour batter equally into the three cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes. Remove and cool about 10 minutes, then cover completely with plastic wrap and let cool on wire racks until completely cooled. 

Frosting:

3 sticks of butter, softened

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1-2 tablespoons of whipping cream

Cream butter, vanilla and almond together until fluffy. Slowly add in sugar and beat well after each addition. Stir in whipping cream to thin out, if needed. Frost over cooled layers.

I think I ended up adding a couple teaspoons of almond extract and 1 tablespoon of whipping cream, but it's definitely personal preference. You may find you prefer your frosting not as sweet, so you can customize the amount of powdered sugar you add also. Pretty versatile, basic buttercream recipe. I also poked holes in the layers, using a chopstick, and sprayed a little simple syrup in the holes to give it more moisture. This recipe is adapted from Bakerella's yellow cake recipe. My girl was super happy with this cake and we didn't have any leftovers at all. The perfect size for each of our 12 people to get a thin slice, which is just enough when it's so rich and sweet like this one is. Delicious! Happy Valentines Day! 

Simple, Easy, Egg Salad Sandwiches

My kids pack a lunch four out of five school days a week. (Fridays they get out early.) So this can be a challenge to try to come up with enough variety that they don't get bored. They have access to microwaves so sometimes they pack leftovers or heat-up type things like frozen bagel bites, Chef Boyardee, etc. But one thing all four of my minions have in common is their love of sandwiches. They come by that honestly because one of my very favorite things is the sandwich. At breakfast, I'll be the one making my scrambled eggs and toast into a sandwich. At dinner, I'm over there using my garlic bread and barbecued chicken or my roast beef and dinner roll to make a sandwich. Anytime I have the chance, I eat sandwiches and/or create a sandwich out of what I'm eating. So one of my kids' and husband's absolute favorites is egg salad sandwiches. And since it's super easy to make, I often make some on a Sunday to put in a container for them to use throughout the week. 

Makes 6 Servings

12 eggs

1/2 - 1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dill weed

2 tablespoons minced onion

Directions:

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water to 1" above eggs. Bring to a boil and turn off the stove. Let eggs sit for 15-17 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Peel eggs and dice as big or as large as you prefer the cubes. Mix together diced boiled eggs and remaining ingredients, tasting and adding extra seasoning as desired. 

Use your judgment on how much mayo to add depending on how wet/dry you like your egg salad. I like mine not too watery but not too dry…in the middle. We like to put some sliced pickles, sliced Romaine lettuce or baby spinach leaves and extra pepper and a dash of paprika on ours. I also like my bread toasted, but the kids like theirs soft like in the photo above. You could also make egg salad melts by spreading the egg salad on a piece of bread or english muffin and topping with a slice of cheese (and tomato if you like that) and putting it under the broiler for a minute or two. Yummy!! Hope you have a great weekend, see y'all next week.

The MOST Incredible Chicken Ever. Ever.

So several months ago, I came across a simple recipe on my mayonnaise jar and decided to try it. That night, my husband and children declared me the Queen of Food Forever. They worshipped the ground I walked on, kissed my feet and anointed my head with oil. Okay…not really on the last three, but in all seriousness, they were ecstatic over this chicken. I must admit, I was pretty freaking in love too. And it's SO simple. Beyond simple. Like, takes 10 minutes to prepare simple. And, obviously, given the ingredients (heLLO mayonnaise!), it's not the healthiest of recipes, so you really don't want to eat this every day. But, I've experimented with substituting Greek yogurt for the mayo, or even half Greek yogurt and half mayo, and that's pretty good too. I do that most of the time, but sometimes you just want the real thing. So, behold….the real thing, baby. (My apologies that it's on the tray and not plated…this chicken doesn't last on the plate long enough to be photographed.)

Makes 6 Servings

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix together mayo and parmesan in a medium bowl. Spray cookie sheet and place chicken evenly. Spoon mayo/cheese mixture onto each piece of chicken and spread to cover. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

The easiest and most delicious chicken you've EVER made, guaranteed. The Best. Chicken. Ever! When my kids ask me if I'm making "The Chicken", I know this is what they're referring to. When my 7-year-old son asks me, "Are you making that really yummy chicken that you make!?!" this is what he means. My daughter loves it so much, she requested it for her 14th birthday dinner, above any catering options I gave her. So I made about 20 pounds of it for her birthday party. I always do half breasts and half thighs just because half of my family likes the dark meat and the other half likes the white meat, but you can certainly do just the one kind that you like if you have a preference. Also, I never measure it anymore. I just eyeball the mixture until it's the consistency I want and sprinkle bread crumbs on top with a spoon…I probably use more of those than what it calls for, but we like the extra crunch it gives them. I bet it'd be phenomenal with some seasoned Panko too. Mmmmm….I'm going to have to make this dish again soon, it's making me hungry typing all this! 

Steakhouse-Style Baked Potatoes

I adore potatoes. Every kind of potato, you name it, I love it. Au gratin, mashed potatoes, french fries, hash browns, tater tots, baked potatoes, roasted potatoes….every.single.kind. So, the other day when I made the meatloaf and the creamed spinach, since the meatloaf had to bake for an hour anyway, I knew I had time. And with the new double oven we got when we remodeled the kitchen last year, it was the perfect choice. 

Makes 8 Potatoes

8 medium-to-large potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Scrub potatoes clean and prick all over several times with the tines of a fork. Dry with a towel or set aside to air dry. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes 2 inches apart. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn over and repeat for the other side. Place in the preheated oven and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until skin is crispy and the body of the potato is soft.

Another simple dish, not really a recipe, but so delicious--I had to share. It's perfect when you have time to make them and it's so much better than just microwaving them, which, admittedly is my default preparation for them. Later this week I intend to do a "baked potato bar" for dinner and I'll use this same technique and serve them alongside butter, sour cream, chives, cheese sauce, broccoli, bacon and whatever else we can come up with. Can't wait!!!

Amazing, Delicious Creamed Spinach

This dish is beyond delicious. My hubs and three of my four kids are creamed spinach fanatics. Usually we get our fix from Boston Market--and theirs is amazing. But you can't get any better than homemade, from scratch. 

Makes 6 Servings

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup half & half

16 oz. cooked, chopped spinach (I used a combination of 6 oz fresh, sautéed in butter, and 10 oz frozen)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat, sprinkle flour evenly and whisk quickly until combined. Cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly. Add onion and garlic and sautee for another 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook another 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and parmesan. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Stir in spinach, folding gently until evenly mixed. Remove from heat and serve.

This comes together so quickly and is so yummy and makes a great side dish for any meal. We had ours with meatloaf, broccoli and baked potatoes, and there was just enough for one person to have leftovers, which my husband promptly devoured the next day with our turkey dinner. I like thinking the cream, butter and cheese fooled my kids into eating spinach, but honestly three out of my four kids love spinach anyway. Have a great day! 

Bev's Famous Meatloaf (Miranda Lambert's mom)

I've been feeling under the weather for a few days and for a person who likes to stay busy and be productive as much as possible, being forced to rest in bed or on the couch is NOT fun! When I'm in the mood for some chill time with a fantastic book or maybe some Pinterest, or some of my DVR'ed shows like (guilty pleasure) The Bachelor, The Walking Dead, Person of Interest or Glee…that's a whole other thing. But when I'm forced to rest, it's ridiculously challenging. I always think of so many more things I "should" be doing than I do when I'm imposing relaxation time upon myself just for the sake of vegging out. Um, anyway, rabbit trail much? My point is that yesterday I finally felt much more like my usual self and to celebrate, I decided to make some delish comfort food for dinner. So, what made it on the menu? Miranda Lambert's mom's famous meatloaf, steakhouse-style baked potatoes, fresh steamed broccoli and homemade creamed spinach. Can we say "Oh my yum!"? So on to the meatloaf.

Serves 6

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork sausage

18 saltines or Ritz, crushed into crumbs

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl using your hands until well mixed. Form into a loaf and turn into a greased casserole dish, shaping as needed. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and pour off grease. Stir together ketchup and brown sugar and spread evenly over meatloaf. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15-20 minutes. 

So to be honest, the original directions say to mix half of the brown sugar into the meatloaf, but I'm not a fan of the sweetness in the actual meat part of it, so I just mix it all into the ketchup for the glazed part. I'm weird, I know. To the rest of the world it probably tastes the same on top as it does mixed in, but to me, it tastes fine in the glaze on top, but not fine when mixed in. Also, if you're like me and your meatloaf tries to exit your pan while you're pouring off the grease, you can either a) remove the loaf to a dish temporarily, or b) do the more complicated route that I usually do and use a spatula to hold that sucker in place while you pour the grease out. Why keep things simple when you can over-complicate them? Reminds me of that meme of the person performing all sorts of acrobatics to reach the TV remote without leaving their chair/bed. Yep, that's me! I don't think I've made the same exact meatloaf more than 2-3 times each because I am constantly trying new meatloaf recipes, but I must admit this one is probably my new favorite. I loved the addition of the green peppers. I might try adding those to one of my other recipes too--so good! 

Hope you have a great Friday!

Sunshine's Hot Cocoa Mix

I loooove hot cocoa. I mean. It's so yummy. And warm. And chocolatey. And with my formerly-known-as-the-Sunshine state having SNOW days lately, I figured it's pretty appropriate to post this recipe now. But don't worry, we'll be back to beach weather in no time flat. This is Florida, after all, and she is one indecisive state. (Don't judge me for the rough looking marshmallows…)

Makes about 2 dozen cups of cocoa

2 cups dry milk

1/2 unsweetened regular cocoa

2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa

Scant 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered coffee creamer, any flavor

2 tablespoons chocolate milk powder (Nesquick, etc.)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 - 1/3 cup 60%+ cacao chocolate chips

Directions:

Place chocolate chips in food processor and process until they are a fine powder. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth and well combined. Store in airtight container. To make cocoa, stir 2-3 tablespoons of mix into a cup of warm milk, water or a combo of both. 

I like to keep a big container of this on hand at all times during the colder months, and I usually have a couple of different varieties going also. (This makes a GREAT gift. All six of our teachers as well as one of my besties received big jars of this for Christmas last year.) You can change the flavor based on what flavor powdered creamer you choose. My favorite of course, is hazelnut, because I am a total hazelnut addict. My "usual" at Starbucks is a grande hazelnut mocha. Soooo good. My kids like peppermint (I'm not a mint fan at ALL so when I make it peppermint flavor, I make sure I'm not making any more batches after that one since everything will taste like mint after that…) and the hubs likes French Vanilla. Really, you can't go wrong with any of the flavors. And if you don't have a food processor, a blender will work just fine. (And if you don't have that either, you can always leave out the chocolate chips and just mix it all by hand or shake it in a ziploc.) You can use regular chocolate chips if you want, just know you will have "floaty bits" (technical term there…) in your cocoa. You may have them with the higher cacao content chips also, but typically the higher quality the chocolate, the smoother it melts. I've made this hot cocoa with and without the chips and I like it both ways. I just love how much more decadent it feels to have "real" chocolate in my cocoa. Hope you enjoy. :) Stay warm, friends!