Sunday Lunch: Best Chocolate Sheet Cake EVER

2 C sugar
2 C flour
2 sticks butter
1/4 C cocoa
1 C water
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa and water, bring to a boil. Pour into flour and sugar mixture. Combine buttermilk, soda and salt. Add to mixture. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Pour into 9X13 pan. Bake 350 for 30 min.

ICING:
1 stick butter
3 1/2 TBS cocoa
6TBS whole milk (MUST BE WHOLE MILK)
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 C chopped nuts (optional)

Combine butter. cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil. Mix with powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts. Spread over warm cake.

May you have a peace-filled, restful and blessed Lord's Day.

Sunday Lunch: White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS:
4 cans of Great Northern white beans
2 cans golden sweet corn
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 stick butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 tsp Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
two 4-oz cans whole mild green chilies, drained and chopped
1 pre-cooked whole chicken deboned
2 c grated Monterey Jack
1 c sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. De-bone the pre-cooked whole chicken.
2. Cook the onion and garlic with 2 Tbs of butter until softened.
3. In a heavy pot, large enough to hold all the ingredients, melt remaining 6 Tbs of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, for three minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic and gradually add the broth and half and half, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened.
4. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add sour cream.
5. You can serve garnished with any or all of the following: cilantro, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, corn chips

Sunday Lunch: Splendid Poppy Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound spaghetti noodles or bow-tie pasta
* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
* 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
* 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 cucumber, chopped
* 1 red or sweet white onion, chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
* 2 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 head fresh broccoli, chopped
* 1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
*(optional) add cooked chicken or salmon to make it a full meal instead of a side-dish
*(optional) garnish with mint

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook noodles in a large pot with boiling salted water. Rinse with cool water, drain.
2. Place grated Parmesan cheese, sesame and poppy seeds, seasoning salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chopped cucumber, onion, red and yellow pepper, tomatoes, broccoli and optional chicken or salmon in a large bowl.
3. To large bowl add cooled pasta. Pour entire bottle of Italian dressing over pasta and vegetables. Mix well.
4. Refrigerate pasta salad for at least 2 hours. Serve.
5. (optional) garnish with sprigs of mint

Sunday Lunch: Crescent Roll Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups cubed cooked chicken* (we buy a pre-cooked whole chicken and de-bone it)
1 tablespoon minced green onion
1 celery rib, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons milk
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
2. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 tablespoon butter until smooth. Add the chicken, onion, celery, salt, pepper and milk. Mix well.
3. Separate crescent dough into four rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture and twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal.
4. Place sandwiches on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops of sandwiches with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 4 sandwiches. (we triple the recipe)

Sunday Lunch: Best-Ever Potato-Broccoli-Cheese Soup

4 cups chicken broth
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
2 TBS butter
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. all-spice (secret ingredient... shhhhh)
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (If you are on a diet, just indulge. Do not use half-and-half)
1/3 cup diced cooked ham (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese (I like the Mexican mix)

-sautee onion till slightly browned with one clove of minced garlic in 2Tbs butter, add flour to make a roux (My granny was Cajun). In a large saucepan, whisk together chicken broth, cream, roux, salt & pepper (add water if needed). Add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often, then reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are al dente.
-Add broccoli, ham and cheese and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until broccoli and potatoes are tender.

You can sprinkle on some parmesan and add croutons for garnish. YUM!!!

Sunday Lunch: Sloppy Mexican Lasagne

2 pounds hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 can black olives, chopped
1 can enchilada sauce
1 jar (16 oz size) Thick and Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz size) tomato sauce
16 ounces shredded Colby/jack cheese
1 can mushroom soup
18 corn tortillas

Directions:
Brown the ground beef with the onion, drain, add the olives, sauce, soup, and salsa, simmer over medium heat 45 minutes-1 hour to thicken. Spray 13x9" pan with cooking spray, layer 6 tortillas,1/3 meat mixture and 1/3 cheese, repeat two more times. Place in a 350 oven and bake 30-35 minutes till bubbly.

Serve with your favorite salad or side dish and sour cream and guacamole.

Sunday Lunch: Meatloaf Stuffed Braided Bread

Meatloaf Stuffed Braided Bread will look like a fancy loaf of bread, but when you cut it, it is filled with meatloaf. You can also do this with meatballs. Just add a little spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese to the top of the meatballs before braiding the bread on top of it and serve with additional sauce.

1 loaf frozen bread dough
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 ½ c. soft bread crumbs
1 8oz. jar Cheese Whiz
¾ c. chopped onion
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

1. Thaw bread dough in fridge overnight, covered. Bring to room temp.**
2. Reserve 1 Tbsp. egg for glaze.
3. Combine remaining ingredients. Put in loaf pan and bake at 350˚ for 45 min. Drain.
4. Press dough into bottom of greased cookie sheet. Place loaf in center of dough.
5. Cut 6 strips in each side of dough and criss-cross over top.
6. Brush dough with reserved egg.
7. Return to oven and bake 20 min.
8. If you want to, you can brush butter on top and sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley flakes

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men... --Col 3:23

Baked Poppy Seed Sandwiches and Coconut Bundt Cake

Below are 2 recipes that I got from a dear friend (next-door neighbor, prayer partner), that I am making for after church tomorrow. YUMMY!

Baked Poppy Seed Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. dinner rolls in aluminum pans
1 lb. shredded deli ham
2 large pkgs. Swiss cheese (thin sliced)
1 stick margarine (butter) melted
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. onion flakes


Slice the top off the rolls in one piece (if possible) and layer the meat and cheese then replace the top of the rolls. Mix all liquid together and pour over the top of the rolls. Let them sit for 5 minutes. Then cover with foil and bake them at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes. Take foil off for the last few minutes to be sure cheese is melted.

This is what the recipe says, but I can never find the rolls in the aluminum pans so I just buy whatever kind of rolls I want. The 24 pack of dinner rolls work great! (they are in the fresh bread section at Wal-Mart) The kind of meat and cheese can vary as well. (I think anything would taste good cooked in butter!! Ha!)



Coconut Pound cake (very moist and delicious)

ingredients:
1 box white Duncan Hines cake mix
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. of cream of coconut.(you can find a can of this in the drink section at Wal-Mart--this is usually used to make pina Coladas)

Mix all ingredients well. Bake for 30 -40 minutes at 350 in a greased and floured bundt pan. EASY!

Resurrection Day Cookies

(from my Pastor's wife's mother... :-)

These are to be made the evening before Resurrection Day.
Preheat oven to 300F.
(***preheating the oven is VERY IMPORTANT--- do not wait)
Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with wooden spoon to break into small pieces.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar.
Put 1 tsp vinegar in the mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar.
Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand.
Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitteness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27

Add 1 cup of sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves God and longs for us to know and belong to Him... and He willingly died for undeserving sinners even though He was the sinless Son of God... God the Son, because it was the only just and true way for sins to be forgiven.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts.
Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven.
Close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal teh oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20-22

On Resurrection Day morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!!! On the first Resurrection Day Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9

A Simple Gospel and a Simple Recipe

(Disclaimer: This is a post originally written with much accumulated sleep deprivation. It has been edited now that I have slept well and had coffee. Crazy me... I forgot to include the Gospel message.)

and now the recipe......
Let the little children help you, and hinder them not.
Deuteronomy 6:7 says "You shall teach them diligently [His Commands] to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." ...AND MIGHT I INCLUDE "WHEN THEY HELP YOU COOK!" (Deut 4:9, Deut 11:19, Eph. 6:4, Mark 10:13-14, Proverbs 22:6, Matthew 18:3 )

So here is a recipe my boys and I made up one day. I'm sure somebody has already done something like it. But we especially enjoy doing this with the little ones cause it has as many ingredients as can be counted on one hand. Perhaps you can call this the "keep it simple" jelly roll. in celebration of the above link.
(Don't expect exact measurements here as I am no chef.)
1. Crescent rolls
2. jelly
3. butter
4. graham cracker crumbs (did you know you can buy these as crumbs? Oh yeah... you people probably already know that)
5. sugar

REMEMBER to do this WITH small children. It is MUCH MORE FUN!!!

Unroll the crescent roll dough things. Put a dab or so of jelly at the top of the crescent roll. Roll them up and pinch the edges so the jelly can't spew out and cause you to curse me for having to scrub baked jelly off your pan... better yet it is best to flee from sinful temptations so put foil down on your pan first. Smear butter on them. Dip them in a mixture of sugar and graham cracker crumbs. And bake till done. I like it in a 350 degree oven. I take 'em out when they start causing this delectable aroma and are, you know, brownish... but not too brownish and definitely not blackish (at that point the aroma might be nasty).

Enjoy.