Category: TWD TUESDAYS with DORIE

Pepper Steak Soup, Basic White Cake & Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

PEPPER STEAK SOUP
1-2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 pound round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 green pepper
1 cup long grain rice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic (jar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
6 cups hot water

  • In a large skillet heat olive oil
  • When hot, brown the beef chunks, drain and transfer to the slow cooker.
  • Add rice.
  • In the same pan saute the onions until tender.
  • Add the tomatoes with juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and soy sauce.
  • Bring to a slow boil.
  • Pour over beef.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook 3-4 hours until beef is tender.
  • Add pepper slices.
  • Cook 1 more hour.

BASIC WHITE CAKE
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 JUMBO eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour a 9×9 inch BUNDT pan.
  • In a medium bowl, cream the butter.
  • Add sugar and cream again.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended.
  • Add in the vanilla and maple extracts.
  • Sift together the flour and baking powder.
  • Add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
  • Blend in the milk until batter is smooth.
  • Pour into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

BLACKBERRY BUTTER CREAM ICING
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon blackberry extract
1/8 cup blackberry jam
2 cups powdered sugar
1 +/- tablespoons milk

  • With a hand mixer beat jam until VERY smooth, set aside
  • The beat the softened butter until smooth
  • Add the blackberry extract and beat smooth
  • Gradually add the sugar, adding the 1st tablespoon of milk midway
  • After adding all sugar beat until creamy adding a dash more milk if necessary


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Homemaking Tip I’m Sharing:
  1. After you fold your load of laundry use the dryer sheet to clean the dust off your TV screen.
  2. Mount a hook on the wall above your enclosure to hang the caddy from. Do not use shower caddies directly on the shower head bar. They really won’t hold the weight and might break off in the wall, which is what had happened here and then they ‘repaired’ it with a piece of clothing and left it to mold.

I participate in the memes: Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding new recipes!

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Floating Islands: Tuesdays with Dorie

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

This week Shari of Whisk: a food blog chose Floating Islands, page 401-402. Unfortunately I just don’t have the time or the kitchen (it’s a HUGE staging area) this week to do this in. So, I”l be back next week with Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater who chose Devils Food White Out Cake, page 247-249.

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Secret Ham glaze, Southwestern Chicken Enchilada Corn Chowder & Sparkling Pink Cake and a tip for Tuesday

From the Kitchen & New Recipes I’m sharing:

SPECIAL SECRET HAM GLAZE
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 bottle root beer
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
7-10 pound ham, spiral cut.

  • Blend together all ingredients (except ham).
  • Place ham in a shallow roasting pan.
  • Coat ham with glaze.
  • Cover and allow to sit 48 hours in refrigerator.
  • Bring to room temperature before baking.
  • Wrap tightly with foil.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 6-7 hours until done.
  • Unwrap and baste once an hour making sure to get glaze between the layers.
  • Unwrap, increase heat to 450 degrees and bake another 15 minutes for a crisp skin.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN ENCHILADA CORN CHOWDER
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cups shredded chicken*
3 cups Green Giant frozen shoepeg corn
4 cups water
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
10 ounce can Old El Paso Red Enchilada sauce
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups heavy cream

  • In slow cooker whisk together the water, enchilada sauce, bouillon, salt and pepper.
  • Melt butter and saute onion until translucent. Transfer to slow cooker.
  • Add chicken pieces and corn.
  • Cook on low 3 hours.
  • Add rice and cook 3 more hours.
  • Add cream and heat through.

*On Tuesdays, my local grocer offers rotisserie chickens 2 for the price of 1. This is when I buy them. I tear off all the meat and boil the carcasses, skin and fat to make my own broth. I store the chicken in 3 cups measures – perfect for just about everything, and then freeze them for soups and casseroles.

SPARKLING PINK CAKE

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter. softened
6 large egg whites
1 cup sparkling apple cider
FILLING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 large marshmallows
1/2 cup raspberry jam
FROSTING
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sparkling apple cider
1/4 teaspoon red food color
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour 2-9 inch round pans.
  • Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy (about 1 minute).
  • Add the egg whites and mix on high until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
  • Gradually add half of the dry ingredients until well blended.
  • Add sparkling apple juice and mix until well blended.
  • Add remaining dry ingredients until well blended.
  • Pour into prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean from center.
  • Cool in pans, on wire rack for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from pans and continue cooling on wire rack.
  • While cakes cool prepare filling. In a double boiler melt butter.
  • Add marshmallows and stir until mixture is consistent.
  • Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • While filling is cooling, prepare the frosting.
  • Beat sugar until fluffy.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually.
  • Add the sparkling cider, food color and salt. Mix on high until creamy and fluffy.
  • Place 1st cake on a cake plate. If you want to be really creative you can slice each of these cakes in half to create a total of 4 layers.
  • Stir raspberry jam into marshmallow cream and layer on top of first cake.
  • Place second cake on top of filling.
  • Ice.
  • Enjoy
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Homemaking Tip I’m Sharing:
Using mineral oil on your wooden kitchen utensils will extend their life.

hosted by Misty at Camera Critters

Now many of you have suggested that I need to throw those 2 lazy bones above a bone or a ball. Well I thought this week I would show you just how spoiled these 2 are. These are their “INDOOR” toys. They have 1/2 again as many “OUTSIDE” toys. So it really is their choice to be lazy.



Mellow Yellow Monday is hosted by Drowsey Monkey
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Psalm 23 explained
The Lord is my Shepherd = That’s Relationship!
I shall not want = That’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That’s Guidance!
For His name sake = That’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of t he shadow of death = That’s Testing!
I will fear no evil = That’s Protection!
For Thou art with me = That’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil = That’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over = That’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That’s Blessing !
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That’s Security!
Forever = That’s Eternity!

What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives!
‘ Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to move your Feet’

I participate in the memes: Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Slow Cooking Thursday, Homemaker MOnday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding new recipes! Camera Critters is hosted by Misty and Mellow Yellow Monday is hosted by Drowsey Monkey.

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Tuesdays With Dorie ~ Fresh Ginger & Chocolate Gingerbread

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

This week Heather of Sherry Trifle chose Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread on page 212. I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. Chocolate and gingerbread are both favorites around here. We are a bit limited on gourmet as well as a few other things ingredients wise around here, especially mid winter so I did make a few substitutions using what I had on hand and hubby still gave it 2 thumbs up!

I didn’t have any bittersweet chocolate so I used semi-sweet instead. I also used chips instead of shaved and that was a great bonus on the bites of chocolate surprise. I couldn’t get ahold of any of the chopped ginger in syrup either so opted out of it.

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TWD ~ Berry Surprise Cake

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. TWD recently celebrated it’s 1 year anniversary and is still going strong!

This week Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen chose Berry Surprise Cake on pages 273-275. Unfortunately I’m over extended this week and have to bow out. I’ll see you next week for Chocolate Gingerbread cake with Heather of Sherry Trifle . But be sure and go visit Mary Ann.

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Tuesdays with Dorie ~ Buttery Jam Cookies


Heather of Randomosity and the Girl chose Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80 for today.

I thought these were going to be too biscuity for my tastes, but hubby loved them. After the sugar cookies last week, this week’s dough tasted so similar even with the apricot jam, but also bland, so I did make a small addition for flavor this week. I added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and it helped a lot.

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
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Tuesdays with Dorie ~ Linzer Sables ~ OOPS ~ Swearing In instead

I was supposed to post Linzer cookies for TWD last Tuesday and I completely forgot! We received a call from my youngest stepson and he asked that we be present along with his mother and girlfriend for his swearing in as a full time fire fighter/paramedic at 830AM and we live over 4 hours away so we got up really early!! We were so proud and excited for him! I completely forgot about the cookies though!! I’ll have to make 2 different recipes next week.

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Tuesday's with Dorie ~ Chocolate Peach Blackberry Apricot Rugelach

Piggy of Piggy’s Cooking Journal has chosen, Rugelach from page 150 for today. I needed to work with what I had so I did make a few substitutions that hubby, my taste tester, said made a wonderful difference from the traditional. I didn’t have any currants so I substituted dried apricots that I soaked in Rum. We’re not bittersweet chocolate fans either so I substituted semi-sweet chocolate and coarse ground my own. I didn’t have either of the suggested jams as I make my own and didn’t want to buy a jar that would go to waste so used home made Peach Blackberry jam. The recipe called for cutting the cream cheese and butter into four pieces. I think in the future I will cut into eighths for easier handling. Using the fourths was too cumbersome with my older food processor and I eventually finished coarsing it by hand. I also didn’t need all the chocolate or nuts ~ could have gone with half as much as the recipe calls for.

All in all they tasted great and ultimately that is the true test. They weren’t as pretty as they should be, but I didn’t have time to make a second batch of dough! They are all gone though so I guess flavor won over pretty!


Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I already love it and hubby isn’t complaining about being my taste taster. In fact he loves to throw in his own suggestions.

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