Devil's Food Cake With Oreo Crumbs-Frosting

Devil's Food Cake With Oreo Crumbs-Frosting

1 c. milk
3/4 c. cocoa
1/3 c. white sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Heat milk in a small saucepan until bubbles begin to appear around the edges. Remove from heat.

Mix cocoa and white sugar together in a small bowl and slowly beat in warm milk. Let cool.

Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add cocoa mixture.

Mix remaining dry ingredients together and gently blend into butter mixture. Do not overheat.

Turn into 2 well-greased and floured 9-in. layer cake pans, and bake for 25-30 mins. until cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan and springs back when touched gently in the center. Cool on a rack for a few minutes, then turn out of pans onto rack.

Wait until completely cool before frosting.

Seven-minute frosting

4 egg whites

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. water

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. Crushed oreos

Combine egg whites, sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt in top of double boiler. Set over simmering water and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until soft peaks are formed. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Keep beating until frosting is stiff enough to spread. Use immediately. This looks like a lot, but use it all; it is enough to fill and frost the cake.

Halve the frosting. With the frosting for the center, fold in half of the crushed oreos.

Use the plain frosting for the outside. When frosted, gently pat handfuls of oreo crumbs around the edges!

Winter Squash Two Ways

According to this blog, I was really into serving squash with roasted red peppers two years ago. Sounds yummy! This year, my big discovery is the addition of feta cheese. So. good. It is gluten free and delicious.

Stuffed Acorn Squash~ Simple!

-Slice into 6-7 pieces
-Spray the pan and the tops of the squash with olive oil (you can buy this with the Pam spray)
-Bake on 375 for 45 min. or until tender
-Add diced dried onion, salt, and pepper
-Add feta cheese
-Broil on hi for 5 minutes or until melted

Stuffed Butternut Squash~ with Cumin

-Slice in half
-Spray the pan and the top of the squash with olive oil
-Bake on 400 for 45-1 hr depending on the size of your squash
-Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, and dried onion
-Add feta cheese
-Broil on hi for 5 minutes

I hope you try this! ;-)

For more squash recipes on this blog, see:

Butternut Squash Casserole

Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti Squash

For the Shrimp:

-1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

-1 tbsp. pure olive oil

-2 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped

-1 1/2 c. dry white wine 

-scant 1/4 c. lemon juice

-1 tsp. italian seasoning

-1/2 c. softened butter

-1/2 c. parmesan cheese

instructions:

1. heat skillet and add olive oil

2. add shrimp and cook until tender and no longer translucent, reduce heat. Remove shrimp and set aside.

3. add garlic and cook 2-3 min. no more

4. add white wine and lemon juice

5.cook until wine is reduced by half. After reduced, add italian seasoning.

6. reduce heat to low, add butter.

7. add shrimp back to sauce and season with salt and pepper

8.sprinkle with parmesan cheese

to cook the spaghetti squash:

http://eatwithinyourmeans.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/

Baked Stuffed Green Peppers

via Jodeze Home and Garden

2 green peppers
1 c. brown rice
2 bratwursts, diced
1/2 onion
parmesan
salt and pepper
garlic powder, chili powder, or cumin, if desired

-Cook rice according to package instructions. 
-Cook bratwurst, according to package, and dice.
-Slice off the tops of the green pepper.
-Reserve 1/4 c. diced pepper for filling.
-Soften the onion and green pepper in olive oil.
-Add to rice and brat mixture.
-add seasonings
-Fill the rinsed-out green peppers with rice mixture.
-Dust with Parmesan cheese.
-Bake upright filled peppers on 350 for 25-30 min. or until green peppers are softened but not overcooked.

Serves 2

My Newish Favorite Food: Irish Nachos

photo via handmade & craft

Irish Nachos with Pulled Pork.

It is Southern, it is Irish, it is awesome.

Bake potatoes. Like, make Baked Potatoes

Cut into fourths and scoop out some of the potato, leaving the "skins."

Alternatively: thinly slice potatoes and bake like this recipe (below)

Top with pulled pork, sour cream*, melted cheese, salsa or tomatoes, and green onions (or chives... is that the same thing?). Here is a "real" recipe ;)

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
-In a large bowl combine potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until coated.
-Place potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. ... 
-Place cooked potatoes in a large oven safe skillet. Top with cheese and bacon or pulled pork (can use leftover pork shoulder from slow cooker). ...
-Sprinkle with green onions.


YUM-O!!!!!

* I have been using Greek yogurt, and I honestly can't tell the difference!!! In taste;)

The Perfect Iced Mocha.... When You Know You're Gonna

~1 tsp. sugar

~1 heaping tbsp. cocoa

~1 shot espresso

~1 1/2 c. milk, cold

~4 cubes ice

~handful crushed ice

~mason jar, with lid

1. Brew a shot of espresso

2. Meanwhile, stir together your cocoa powder and sugar

3. Add hot and steaming espresso to cocoa mixture and stir until dissolved

4. Add milk and ice

5. Put lid on mason jar and shake a few times

BONUS: The lid will keep flies and mosquitos out of your drink!

Spicy Salmon With Teriyaki Pan Sauce

ingredients:

-2 pieces of salmon

-1/2 c. soy sauce

-2 large cloves garlic, pressed

-1/4 c. brown sugar

-sugar (opt)

-fresh ginger root, chopped or diced

-dash red pepper flakes

-1-2 tsp. veg./ olive oil

-dash garlic salt

We ate this dish when our kids were with their grands. I made it spicy this time, because it just sounded so good. And it was! So delicious, you guys. ;)

First, take your salmon out of the freezer, and place into a glass dish with water. Let it thaw overnight or for a day in the fridge.

When it is thawed, take it out and pat dry with a paper towel.

Dice your ginger root and press your garlic.

Start your sauce by adding 1/2 c. soy sauce to a small saucepan.

Add garlic and let it cook for about 2 min. or so.

Add 1/3 c. water and then your 1/4 c. brown sugar, or alternatively 1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar and 1 tbsp. white sugar.

Cook down about 2-3 min., until sugar is completely dissolved in the water.

Strain chunks of ginger if there are any.

Set your sauce aside.

To cook the fish, add a bit of olive oil to a pan.

Put fish, skin side down, and without fully cooking it, let it get hot, 1-2 min. Meanwhile, coat the top side with soy sauce and a dash of garlic salt. Flip & cook 3-4 min.

Flip and cook again, 3-4 min. on the other side (the first side).

At the end, add your sauce, and heat until hot, but not bubbling.

If it boils in the pan, there is a risk that the sauce will burn. 

(That's why you should add it at the end.)

Serve with rice and steamed carrots.

Enjoy!