Apple Cake with Warm Butter Sauce

I got this recipe from my mom.  I took it to a dinner with friends tonight.  Everyone raved over it.  They said it was a dessert to be savored and I completely agree.  It is very similar to a coffee cake and very rich so one cake serves 12-16 people.  A very good choice for a cold January day.

3 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
4 C. Chopped Apples (4-5 apples)
2 Eggs
1 C. Oil
1/4 C. Buttermilk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Nuts (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until batter looks like cookie dough.  It will be much dryer than normal cake batter.  Fold in apples and nuts with a large spatula or wooden spoon.  Grease and flour a bundt pan then transfer batter evenly into pan.  Press batter down a little bit to make sure it is evenly distributed.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Let cake cool at least 30 minutes before serving so it won't crumble.  Serve with warm butter sauce drizzled over each slice.

Warm Butter Sauce
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Butter

Boil all ingredients together for 1 minute then let cool slightly before serving over cake. 

Buttermilk Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

I have been hearing about this syrup for years from friends and on the web.  I finally decided to give it a try and it is very good.  The waffles, likewise, were very good.  The perfect level of crispness for me.

2 C. Flour
2 C. Buttermilk
2 Eggs, separated
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 C. Butter, melted

Separate egg yolks and whites into two bowls.  Combine yolks and buttermilk and whisk together.  Add dry ingredients and blend well.  Add melted butter and mix with a spatula until combined.  Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold into batter.

Syrup
1/2 C. Butter, melted
1/2 C. Buttermilk
3/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine butter, buttermilk and sugar in a small sauce pan.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla.  It will foam up quite a bit.  Give it a stir every few minutes until the foam goes down a bit.  Serve over hot waffles, pancakes or french toast.

Sweet Dinner Rolls

So the other day I wanted rolls, but I wanted to try a new recipe (just so I could post one). I found this recipe and it sounded great. Plus it went into a bread machine which was even better! I decided to tie the rolls into knots like Andrea did with her Cinnamon knots (which by the way are fantastic) just so that they would look a little nicer then a normal roll. Anyway- they were great and now I am fat because I am pretty sure I ate 10 of them. So if you want to be fat like me or want some delicious rolls make these! :)


1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup flour
1 TBS yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine. Choose dough cycle. When cycle is finished flour flat surface and roll dough into a rectangle. Using a pizza cutter cut into 18 equal strips. Roll each strip into a rope and tie into a loose knot. Place into greased muffin tin. Bake @ 350 for 10-15 minutes. Butter tops while still hot.

Asian Lemon Chicken

I decided that I wanted to fire up the grill in the snow. Let me tell you how good it smelled outside! I am sure that my neighbors were loving me! This chicken was great!


4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup lemon juice (I squeezed a fresh lemon)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp dried onion
1/2 tsp ginger
3 garlic cloves (minced)


Place all ingredients in ziploc for at least 1 hour. Place on preheated grill and cook until juices are clear.

Blueberry muffins with lemon icing

I have been making these muffins for 7 years! This recipe is adapted from one in Martha Stewart Living June 2002.

8 T butter

1 3/4 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups blueberries (they can be frozen)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin tin. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a small pan melt butter on low and take off heat. Add vanilla, sugar, milk and egg, whisk to combine. Add wet mixture to the dry, along with the blueberries. Stir just until combined. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup. Bake for 12-15 min. Drizzle with icing and enjoy.

Lemon Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T. lemon juice

Mix until smooth.

Fried Halibut Fillets with Homemade Tartar Sauce

I really doubted I could make fish and chips that tasted restaurant quality but I had to give it a shot and I must say that this was pretty darn close.  The batter is very good.  It's an all purpose batter you can use with shrimp, chicken or any rock fish like halibut or cod.  Tonight I used the batter for halibut and for chicken strips.  My kids, of course, thought this was the best dinner ever.  

Halibut Fillets, cut into portion sized pieces
1 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C. Corn Starch
1 C. Water
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Oil + more for frying
1 1/2 tsp. Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and stir until there are no lumps in the batter.  It will be thick like pancake batter.  Heat oil in a skillet or a deep fryer until very hot.  Frying them at a high temperature makes them crispy but not greasy.  When the oil is rippled put each of piece of fish in one at a time so they don't stick together.  Fry until browned then flip them over and fry the other side until browned.  Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and place on a serving plate lined with paper towels.  If you are frying a lot of fish you can heat your oven to 200 degrees and place the fish you have already fried in the oven on a cookie sheet until you are done cooking all the fish.  Serve warm with tartar sauce. This recipe will be enough for quite a bit of fish, maybe 3 pounds or a combination of fish and chicken pieces. 

Tartar Sauce
 1/4 C. Mayo
2 T. Sweet Pickle Relish
1 t. Lemon Juice

Mix all ingredients together and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve with the fish.  

Raspberry Valentine Pancakes

I thought I would post this well before Valentine's Day to give you an idea for a special holiday breakfast.  We really enjoyed these this morning.  The buttermilk made the pancakes extra moist and delicious and I loved the taste of raspberries in every bite. 

1 C. Flour (I used whole wheat)
1 T. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Buttermilk
1 Egg
1 1/2 T. Butter, melted
1 C. Fresh or Frozen Raspberries (thawed)

Mix butter, buttermilk and egg together.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until batter is smooth without lumps.  Fold in berries with a spatula.  Cook on a hot griddle.  Makes 12 pancakes.

Oven Rice

I got this recipe from a friend when I first got married. I love it because it gives some variety to normal white rice without a lot of effort. I like to make this when we have company because makes a lot of rice.


1/4 cup butter
2 cups rice
2 tsp dried onion
2 TBS parsley
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water

Put butter in 9x13 dish place in oven while preheating. When butter is melted mix all other ingredients in dish, cover and bake @ 400 for 1 hour.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Andrea and I tried this a while back and decided it was not for us, but I think it was because the fish was too old so I decided to give it another try. It was really good. I have never tasted Tilapia before. It is a really mild fish. The topping really made it taste great. So if your like me and would like to try something new,that takes little preparation and time to cook, give this a shot.



1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter,softened
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion salt
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia filets

Preheat broiler. Grease broiling pan or line with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl mix together Parmesan,butter mayonnaise and lemon juice. Add the basil,pepper, onion and celery salts. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange filets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fish over and broil for a few more minutes. Remove the fillets from the ove and cover them with the parmesan mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Mom's hot cocoa

A tradition that will live on in my family for many years! I have and will always love this hot cocoa! My boys always get excited when the cocoa pot is steaming because it means that this tasty stuff is inside!


1 1/2 cups sugar
3 TBS cocoa powder
6 cups of water
1 can evaporated milk

Place sugar and cocoa in pot and stir together. Add water and bring to boil. Turn to low and pour in milk! Drink on a cold snowy day or a warm one if you live some where like San Diego.