1+2+3+4 Cake

An easy basic cake recipe using Swan’s Down cake flour.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth. Baking: Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans, using about 2-1/3 cups batter in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

Sloppy Chicken Tacos

 

After living in Los Angeles for six years I became somewhat of a taco expert. After growing up eating the “Americanized” version of the Taco, I spent years trying out authentic Mexican tacos at restaurants, street carts and in friends’ kitchens.

I learned that well-seasoned meat and warmed flour tortillas were the basic building blocks for a sensational taco AND that your choice in garnish needs to be specific and the flavors should compliment each other well.

 

Turkey Bowl

 

I’m one of those people that do not accept ground turkey as a viable substitute for ground beef. While ground turkey can be healthier, it can also be dry and tasteless. The key to making flavorful dishes using ground turkey is by layering flavors and using fresh herbs.

Chocolate-Cream Cheese Cupcakes

A little while ago I was looking for a different cupcake recipe that would satisfy my family’s love of chocolate but also allow a little wiggle room to add some extras. I was flipping through an old Better Homes and Gardens magazine and found a recipe for chocolate-cream cheese cupcakes and decided to try it out. I adapted it a little so their statement that each cupcake is only 166 calories may NOT be true for these.

Curry Chicken-Rice Salad

Mmmmmmmm, curry.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients make you nervous; this curry salad is well worth it! Crunchy celery and sweet raisins add tremendous texture and you can substitute dicted turkey or ham for the chicken breast.

Cranberry/Raisin Oatmeal Bars

 

I love oatmeal. Like, a lot. I could seriously eat it every day for breakfast, even in the blistering summer heat. I’m slightly addicted to the taste of oats and have been know to eat them dry and uncooked. *shrugs*

Soft and chewy, these delicious oatmeal bars leave room for lots of creativity. You can experiment by substituting chocolate chips, cocunut or chopped nuts.

Lemon-herb Shrimp over Pasta

The combination of lemon, shrimp and fresh herbs is the perfect way to welcome spring (or beg for it to “arrive” if you’re anywhere but the South right now) and to begin bringing a little bit of outside in to your table.

Now that we live in the gulf, finding fresh seafood is incredibly easy. I have read all the reports and seen all the studies and I absolutely trust the seafood down here and plan to fully support the industry this summer. I can’t wait to fry, broil, grill and bake all the shrimp, crawfish, mussels andclams I can get my hands on!

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

Cookies are an important staple in my home. It doesn’t matter what kind they are (although Chocolate Chip reigns supreme!) they will be devoured quickly, mourned and longed for.

Sugar cookies are a super quick and easy way to satisfy your cookie craving with minimal ingredients you probably already have on hand. This recipe will also give you moist, soft cookies that will not harden after a few hours. Nothing is worse than a cookie that can break your teeth, right? And you can make a large batch and freeze or refrigerate the dough so you never run out and your family won’t hate you!

Sachertorte

Oohhhh, chocolate.

OK, so I know the traditional sachertorte is layered and served with whipped cream and all that but let’s just throw tradition out the window for a second. I made this cake for my mom’s birthday the other day because she is a choc-a-holic but she ended up bailing on us at the last minute (RUDE!) which left an entire cake in the hands of my husband and children. I think we know how this story ends.

Recipe for Sachertorte after the jump

Peach Jelly

Summer is right around the corner so that means lots of fresh fruit to make scrumptious jellies. I made this quick and easy batch pf peach jelly with just a few over-ripe peaches I had lying around. There are a lot of jam/jelly recipes out there that require mulitple ingredients and steps – this ain’t one of those. You can thank me later.

Recipe for Peach Jelly after the jump!