Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lemon Bars


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These Lemon Bars were made by Cally.  She was wanting to make something for Bill and I gave her the idea that I was wanting some Lemon Bars.

Cally took 2nd place in the Lemon Bar competition at the fair a few years ago.  I could not find the recipe she used but we did find this one on Lick the Bowl Good.  I really like them but Billy thinks they are a little sour.  I think they might be a little tart.  But I like tart lemon flavor.  The strong lemon taste comes for using the juice from 6 fresh lemons.


Cally used my antique juicer that was given to me by my Mom, it was originally my Grandma Sweeney's.  When the kids were little they would have fun making their own orange juice.  They loved getting oranges from their grandparent's from Florida so they could make juice.

This senior year of Cally's is flying by.  We are taking pictures, having dress fittings for prom and trying to get things ready and done for graduation.  She also got some exciting news yesterday .....  Cally was voted onto Prom Court.  This is the first time she has been voted onto any of the dance courts.  Cally is walking on cloud 9.  I am so proud of her.  Stay tuned as you know I will be posting pictures as Prom gets closer.

Lemon Bars
adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

for the crust:

3/4 lb butter, at room temperature
3/4 C granulated sugar
3 C flour
1/4 t salt

for the filling:

6 large eggs
3 C granulated sugar
1 C fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 C flour
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Butter a 9 X 13 baking pan, then line the baking pan with parchment paper.  This is optional but will allow the bars to come out of the pan easier.

for the crust:

cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in an electric mixer.  Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter mixture just until mixed.

Press the dough into the bottom of the baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

for the filling:

whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and flour.  Pour over the baked crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is set.  Let cool to room temperature.  Cut into squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.






Thursday, April 19, 2012

Cookies for the Fire Fighters after a long Day fighting a fire


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Clark County - Photo: WBNS-TV

It has been a busy day around my neck of the woods.  Around 11 am today an Oil company caught fire.  Our fire departments are volunteer fire departments and this was a huge fire.  They called for help and help they received,  it has been reported by WHIO TV that more than 50 agencies responded to battle the blaze.


This is what I saw from my front porch

I started hearing sirens and had no idea what was going on, a lady I work with had sent me a message  and wanted to know if the fire was close to my house.  I asked her where the fire was and then went outside, I did not see it before because it was at the side of the house but oh man did i see it now.

I heard sirens up until around 6:00pm tonight.  Because we are a rural community there are not fire hydrants except in our small villages and the school.  The sirens I was hearing all day were the fire tankers running back and forth between the fire and the hydrants filling up to fight the fire.  School dismissed early upon advice of the Sheriff's department.

Still now after 10:00pm there are still fire departments up at the scene.  When Cally got off work she went to the firehouse to see if there was anything she could do.  She stayed and helped clean up the fire trucks as the returned from the fire.  She said they sure would have liked peanut butter cake, I did not have time to do a peanut butter cake and get the icing to set up in time so I made them peanut butter cookies and took them down to the fire house.

It is believed that the fire was accidental.  If you would like to see more pictures and coverage of the fire you can check out WHIOTV.com


These are my favorite peanut butter cookies.  The original recipe is over the top peanut butter cookies, I have made them the loaded way before also, but they are really rich.  The over the top peanut butter cookies are the peanut butter cookie and then you add chocolate chips and part way though baking you put reese cups on them.



Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Mix the ingredients down to the vanilla.  Add soda, salt, and flour. Scoop Tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets covered with parchment paper.  Flatten cookies with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.  Using a fork make criss-cross patterns on top of each cookie.  Sprinkle sugar on top of each cookie.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet then move to a cooling rack.




Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Cream Cheese and Fruit Danish Swirls


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This is a twist on a recipe I have made before.  I made the Almond Danish Swirls  and blogged about them last year.  I made them the same except before rolling them up I put a layer of strawberry jam or apple butter on top of the cream cheese mixture.  They were a little harder to roll as they were a little slimy from the jelly layer.  They also did not roll up as tight as the regular cream cheese ones did, you can tell in the picture, the cream cheese danish is the one in the top of the picture.  The strawberry is the one that is a little pink and the brown one that looks like a cinnamon roll is the apple butter.

I liked the apple butter danish but truly prefer the regular danish.  Bill like them all, especially the strawberry danish.  It was nice to have a little change in flavor.  The almond and strawberry made a good combination.  And of course that yummy almond glaze on top was awesome.

Cream Cheese and Fruit Danish
adapted from Paula Deen

8oz cream cheese
1 t almond extract
1/2 c powdered sugar
8 T fruit jam
2 cans crescent rolls

Glaze:
3/4 c powdered sugar
4 t milk
1/2 almond extract


In small bowl beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 t almond extract until fluffy.  Separate 1 can of dough into 4 rectangles.  Spread each with about 2T of cream cheese mixture and then spread 1 T of fruit jam on top of cream cheese layer, starting at the shorter end roll each rectangle into a cylinder, repeat with the other can of dough and remaining filling and fruit jam.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  cut each cylinder into 4 rolls. I use dental floss to cut mine, it is much easier than using a knife.  Place each slice  1/2 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. 

In a small bowl mix together the glaze.  Pour glaze over each roll using a small spoon. 
Sunday, April 15, 2012

Iced Orange Pound Cake


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This Iced Orange Pound Cake was inspired by my friend Victoria.  When I made the Iced Lemon Pound Cake she had asked if I had ever made an Iced Orange Pound Cake so that is how this recipe came to be.  It is pretty much the same as the Iced Lemon Pound Cake except I used orange cake mix and orange juice.

It is not real orangy tasting but it has an orange taste to it.  The glaze is really sweet and good.


Iced Orange Pound Cake

1 box Orange cake mix
4.3 oz instant French vanilla pudding mix
1/2 C oil
4 large eggs
1/2 C milk
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 tsp orange extract

Glaze
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 Tbsp Orange Juice
2 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Place all cake ingredients in no particular order in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with mixer until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Divide cake batter between 2 prepared loaf pans, spreading evenly.  Bake 45-55 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans.

Prepare glaze, place all ingredients in bowl and mix until a good drizzling consistency.  Drizzle glaze over cakes and let stand for 20 minutes to firm the glaze.



This week my niece Jenna turns 13 years old Happy Birthday Jenna 
Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Picture Wednesday


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Wanted to share a picture of my Cadet.  We took some more senior pictures tonight



Sunday, April 8, 2012

Cinnamon Roll Cake


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Yum
Happy Easter !!  This morning we went to the early service at church then I came home and made this wonderful cake.  I was told by my friend Cyndi B that this cake was really good.  This recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything. 

The texture of this cake actually seems like a cinnamon roll texture to me.  If you love cinnamon rolls you will love this cake.  It was super easy to make and oh so yummy warm with the icing still gooey and the smell is awesome baking in your oven!

Cinnamon Roll Cake
from the blog The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cake:
3 C flour
1/4 t salt
1 C sugar
4 t baking powder
1 1/2 C milk
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C real butter, melted

Topping:
1 C real butter, softened
1 C brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon
1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Glaze:
2 C powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 t vanilla

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In an electric or stand mixer. mix the flour, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla.  Once combined well, slowly stir in the 1/2 C melted butter.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan.

2. In a large  bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, four, cinnamon, and pecans until well blended.  Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoons and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

3. Bake at 350 degrees fro 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from the center.  You want to make sure it is done. 

4. Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl.  Whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over warm cake.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
Thursday, April 5, 2012

Lemon Lush


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Yum
This is one of my all time favorite deserts.  Lemon and cool whip, you can not go wrong with that!!  This desert is a nice one for a hot summer day.



It is official, Cally will be attending Shawnee State in the fall and Billy will be attending Ohio State.  So I am going to be an empty nester.  I am not wanting August to get here anytime soon.  But to help fill my time I am planning on helping more and serving in the soup kitchen so having time to volunteer will be nice.

The last 2 weeks Bill and I have started a training program.  Bill is doing really well with his running and I am starting to do better with my walking.  We are having a lot of fun training with a Sunday school group from church.  I am having a blast walking and getting to catch up with my friend Sherry.  When Bill passes us by he yells...... a little more walking and less talking girls.....he thinks he is funny.

Well back to the desert, you can make this with chocolate pudding or any flavor pudding of your choice.  Oh I just thought of one, I should make my homemade peanut butter pudding and put it in this desert.  I think that would be heavenly.

The recipe calls for 1 C of whipped cream but I substituted cool whip in it's place.  I would think if you wanted to you could use whipped cream in place of the cool whip in this recipe too.

Yum
Lemon Lush
Country Cooking with United Methodist Women
recipe submitted by: Rita Botkin

1 C flour
1/2 C butter or margarine
1/2 C pecans
1 C powdered sugar
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 C whipped cream ( I used cool whip )
2 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding
2 C milk
1 (12oz) cool whip

Crust: mix together 1 C flour, 1/2 C butter or margarine, and 1/2 C pecans and press in bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes

Filling: Beat 1 C powdered sugar and 1 (8 oz ) cream cheese until fluffy.  Fold in 1 C whipped cream (or cool whip) .  Spread filling on cooled baked crust.

Beat 2 C milk and 2 pkgs instant lemon pudding.  Spread pudding mixture on top of first layer of filing.  Top layers with 1 (12oz ) cool whip.  Makes 12 servings