on the menu this week...

chicken curry
fish taco salad
french dip sandwiches with zucchini squash
ragu pasta
bones and blood

on the menu this week...

this week we're going a little vegetarian (by that I mean some different veggies and chicken or fish)

lemon chicken and artichoke pasta
fish, potatoes and peas
creamy carrot soup
honey ginger chicken, beets and spinach
spaghetti squash with tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan cheese

Red Velvet Cake

[aka] blood cake was my favorite cake growing up and I have yet to perfect my mom's recipe, but here's how she makes it...

ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar

cream together shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla
in a small bowl mix cocoa powder and red food coloring and add 1 oz. water (i usually refill the food coloring bottle with water and add it in)
add the cocoa/food coloring mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix
sift together the flour and salt
alternate in the flour and the buttermilk
in another bowl mix the baking soda with the vinegar (it will bubble)
stir in vinegar/soda mixture

bake in greased and floured 8 inch round cake pans at 350 for 30 minutes (do not over-bake or the cake will be dry)

frosting:
(this is the tricky part, for me anyway)

in a small saucepan cook 5 tablespoons flour with 1 cup milk, stirring often
after it thickens, cover with a cloth (to prevent a crust from forming) and cool (not in refrigerator to prevent condensation)
once it is room temperature or cooler, cream together 1 cup butter (not margarine) 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla
add cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until fluffy (at least 5 minutes)

Nutter Butter Truffles

made for baby shower favors

ingredients:

1 package Nutter Butter cookies
4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
16 oz. chocolate chips

in a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies until they are small crumbs
mix in crumbs, cream cheese and peanut butter
form into 1 or 2 inch balls
melt chocolate chips in saucepan on medium-low heat, stirring often
remove chocolate from heat
using a fork, dip the balls into chocolate until coated
place on cookie sheet lined with foil
refrigerate until chocolate is hard

on the menu this week...

lasagna
orange chicken
beef stew
bbq chicken pizza
breakfast: french toast, sausage, hash browns

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 oz. chocolate chips

cream together butter, pumpkin, egg, vanilla
add in dry ingredients and mix
stir in chocolate chips
spoon 2 inch balls on greased cookie sheet
bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, depending on how soft you like them