Tag: recipes

Star Spangled Cake

We remember and honor the service of the many men and women of our military who gave their lives serving their country and their families. It is our honor to celebrate their service and to honor their memory.

American-flag-display-front-house

This Star Spangled Cake recipe is from Family Circle and Recipe.com.

One of my antique dealer associates bakes this cake each year and graciously shares it with us.

It is holiday appropriate, serves a large number(35 servings), and is a delicious dessert to kick off the summer season.

star spangled sheet cake

Recipe.com

Star-Spangled Cake

Ingredients

3  cups  sifted cake flour

4  teaspoons  baking powder

½   teaspoon  salt

5 eggs

2  cups  sugar

Grated rind of 2 lemons

¼  cup  lemon juice (2 lemons)

1  tablespoon  vanilla

2  cups  heavy cream

½  cup  raspberry jam 

Butter Cream Frosting

2  cups  sugar

2/3  cup  water

6    egg whites

¼  teaspoon  cream of tartar

1/8  teaspoon  salt

2 ½  cups  (5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1  tablespoon  vanilla

2  cups  fresh raspberries

3/4  cup  fresh blueberries

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; grease and flour paper. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in bowl.  Beat eggs in large bowl with electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored.

Gradually beat in sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla.  Alternately stir in flour mixture and cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Divide mixture evenly into prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.

Place wire cooling rack over each cake.  Carefully invert cakes and racks. Remove pans from cakes; then carefully remove waxed paper.  Handle cakes very carefully since they are thin layers.  Cool to room temperature.

Spread jam in thin layer over top of one cake.  Place another layer on top; place entire cake on tray.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting:

Combine sugar and water in small heavy saucepan.  Bring to boiling without stirring.  Cover and boil for 2 minutes or until no sugar crystals remain.

Uncover pan; continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (syrup will form a rapidly flattening ball when dribbled into cold water; syrup will register 240 degrees F on candy thermometer.

While sugar syrup is cooking, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in medium-size bowl with mixer until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.  At moment syrup reaches 240 degrees F or soft-ball stage, pour syrup into egg whites in fine, thin stream, beating constantly with mixer.

When all the syrup has been added, continue to beat the egg whites at high speed until cool, for about 5 minutes.

In separate small bowl, beat butter with mixer until fluffy.  Beat butter into cooled egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is thick and creamy.  Beat in vanilla.

Use frosting immediately, or cover and store in cool place for 1 to 2 hours. (Do not refrigerate.)

If frosting is too soft and thin, stir briefly over bowl of ice water to stiffen.

Frost the top and sides of the cake, saving some frosting for decorating. Spoon the reserved frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip.

Pipe a design on the sides of the cake.  Pipe a fancy border around the top and bottom edges of the cake.

Makes 35 servings.

options-script

Flag Cake Memorial Day Dessert

Flag Cake Memorial Day dessert recipe (4th of July-sweet summer sweet, too) from Well Plated by Erin is another wonderful option for the holiday dessert table.

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake Recipe

Southern Living Magazine – Photography by Greg Dupree 

Hot holiday celebrations and cool desserts in red, white, and blue flavor files under it doesn’t get any sweeter than this.  Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake recipe from Southern Living Test Kitchen

enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

Another Paula Deen recipe favorite is up this week. Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf is an accidental Places In The Home house favorite.  A couple of years ago on an otherwise lazy Saturday morning with coffee in hand and the remote in the other,  I stumbled upon the Food Network channel and “Paula’s Best Dishes”.  This particular episode featuring her recipe for smokey apple cinnamon meatloaf really caught my attention.

At first glance this recipe didn’t sound too, no wait, it did sound too much. Culinary curiosity got the better of me, and off  to the kitchen I went. That was the first of many times I have prepared this recipe.  I don’t top the meatloaf with bacon or the additional Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce due to personal dietary and taste preferences.  I shared this recipe with my next door neighbor who does include the bacon, and her husband thinks she, and this meatloaf, is the best thing since sliced bacon!

Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb  lean ground beef
½ lb  ground pork
½  cup Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1  large egg
3/4  cup  applesauce
1  cup Plain bread crumbs
1  cup Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce, divided
1  teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon pepper
3  slices of uncooked bacon
additional Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf or casserole pan with foil. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, egg, applesauce, bread crumbs, 3 Tablespoons of Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Form the meat loaf mixture into a loaf shape and press into the prepared pan.

Brush the top of the meat loaf with half of the remaining Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce and top with 3 slices of bacon. Back for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

In the last 10 minutes of baking, brush the remaining Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce over the top of the bacon and return to the oven.

enjoy

Homemade Rose Water

Homemade Rose water is fast becoming one of my favorite DIY beauty routine indulgences.

Noticing I was running low on my favorite store brand, and with too long of a ship from store to me turnaround time, I decided to glance at the ingredients and perhaps give it a go with formulating my own homemade rose water concoction.

rose-bouquet-Paul

My skin is sensitive to everything, so it was important for me to try the toner before I posted the recipe.

On the first round of production I came up with a homemade rose water toner that I absolutely love!

This toner is non-drying and non-irritating to my sensitive skin – a very skin friendly toner and freshener.

rose-water-ingredients-1

Homemade Rose Water Toner For Sensitive Dry Skin

Ingredients

1 ½ cups rosewater(see recipe below)

¼ cup witch hazel

10 drops glycerin (add more for normal skin and less for oilier skin types)

Directions

Combine homemade rosewater, witch hazel and glycerin together in sterile container.  Shake well.

Keep rosewater toner refrigerated in sealed, sterilized jar.

Refrigerated rosewater toner will keep for up to ten to fourteen days.

Moisten a cotton ball with the rosewater toner, gently applying to cleansed skin and before applying moisturizer.

Toners aid oily skin in the absorption of excess oil, and in all skin types removes residue left behind from cleanser while nourishing your complexion.

deep-pink-roses

Homemade Rose Water

Ingredients

1 cup rose petals

2 cups distilled water

Directions

Rose petals must be freshly picked and be completely free of pesticides or chemicals.  Use only the petals, not the stems or leaves. Place petals in a colander, gently and quickly washing  petals to remove impurities and/or insects.

rinsed-rose-petals1

Place gently washed rose petals in a heavy pot with distilled water. Simmer on low heat for one hour.

rose-petal-simmer1

Remove pot from burner and allow water to completely cool.

Using a fine strainer, strain rosewater into a  sterile container.

enjoy-hydrangea

 

 

Easy Peasy Kahlua Cake With Vodka Glaze

Kahlua?

Check.

Vodka?

Check.

Recipe for an easy dessert cake made from a yellow cake mix? Double check!

Check out this recipe for Easy Peasy Kahlua Cake With Vodka Glaze.

sideboard-bar-2

Saturday night we decided on the spur of the moment to have a fish fry, and with company coming over I needed a company worthy cake.  I had fifteen irons in the culinary fire, little time and frankly no desire to whip up something from scratch.  Working off memory from a recipe a friend gave me I created, baked and impressed the crowd with this easy to prepare cake born from a box.

Kahlua cake with vodka glazeEasy Peasy Kahlua Cake with Vodka Glaze

Ingredients

1 yellow cake mix

1 3.4 oz. chocolate instant pudding

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa

½ cup Kahlua

¼ cup vodka

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, instant pudding, cocoa, eggs, oil, Kahlua and vodka. Mix on medium high speed until well blended. Pour into a well-greased and floured Bundt pan.  I use dry cake mix to “flour” the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Invert cake onto plate and glaze.

Vodka Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 ½ Tablespoon vodka

Combine sugar and vodka together in small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

enjoy

 

 

 

The Holiday For Carrots Easter Dinner Recipes Post

The holiday for carrots Easter dinner recipes post features what else-carrots.

Deyrolle

Holiday weeks can be so hectic, and who doesn’t appreciate a little convenience?

These two recipes are delicious, make a beautiful presentation, and are Easter dinner and dessert appropriate.

homemade carrot cake

Grandma Hiers’ Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for pans

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

3 cups grated carrots

1 ½ cups chopped pecans, optional

Frosting:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick salted butter, room temperature

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round pans; Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

shredded carrots

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, blend until combined. Add carrots and pecans, if using.  Pour batter into pans.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting

For the frosting:

Add all ingredients, except nuts, into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a hand mixer.

carrot-cake-layers

Stir in the nuts. Spread frosting on top of each cake layer.  Top with chopped pecans.

carrots

Glazed Carrots With Orange & Ginger

Side dishes, desserts and recipes for Easter Sunday dinner are becoming part of the discussion rotation here at Places In The Home.

Traditional holiday favorites take center stage on the menu, but I like to bring something new to the holiday feast.

I found an impressive glazed carrots recipe in one of the many magazines I subscribe to and was ready to go(or so I thought).

Wouldn’t you know it, when I am ready to further investigate the ingredients and prep directions I can’t find the magazine.

Who am I kidding?

I can’t even remember which magazine the recipe was in.

I’m learning to immediately write down the name of the magazine, site or book items of interest are found in.

That did not happen in the case of the missing glazed carrots recipe, so I winged it from part memory, part personal tastes.

Here’s what I came up with.

Glazed Carrots With Orange & Ginger

Ingredients

1 lb pkg. peeled baby carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons orange marmalade

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 cup  orange juice

zest of one lemon

zest of one orange

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and parsley in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate all ingredients together.

glazed-carrots

Reduce heat to medium low, add lemon juice and  cover.  Cook until carrots are tender.  Taste to determine if you want to adjust the seasonings.

fresh parsley1

I like to add the parsley and one additional squeeze of lemon to the pan to allow it to “soften” for approximately 1 minute.  Serves 4.

enjoy

Glazed Carrots With Orange And Ginger

Side dishes, desserts, and recipes for Easter Sunday dinner are becoming part of the discussion rotation here at Places In The Home.

Traditional holiday favorites take center stage on the menu, and this recipe for Glazed Carrots with Orange and Ginger bring something new to the holiday feast.

carrots-in-basket

I found an impressive glazed carrots recipe in one of the many magazines I subscribe to and was ready to go (or so I thought).

Wouldn’t you know it, when I am ready to further investigate the ingredients and prep directions I can’t find the magazine.

Who am I kidding?

I can’t even remember which magazine the recipe was in.

I’m learning to immediately write down the name of the magazine, site or book items of interest are found in.

That did not happen in the case of the missing glazed carrots recipe, so I winged it from part memory, part personal tastes.

Here’s the recipe I came up with for Glazed Carrots with Orange and Ginger.

carrots

Glazed Carrots With Orange & Ginger

Ingredients

1 lb. bag peeled baby carrots

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 cup orange juice

zest of one lemon

zest of one orange

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and parsley in saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate all ingredients together.

oranges

Reduce heat to medium low.   Add lemon juice and  cover.   Cook until carrots are tender.

lemon-orange-fresh-mint

Taste to determine if you want to adjust the seasonings.

I like to add the parsley and one additional squeeze of lemon to the pan to allow it to soften for approximately 1 minute.

orange-carrots-parsley

enjoy

Chocolate, Strawberries, Honey and Whipped Cream: Valentine’s Day Food Ideas

Valentine’s Day is a food lovers dream holiday, and these Valentine’s Day food ideas were developed with that in mind, appropriately revolving around the main ingredients found in Cupid’s recipe box of delicious delicacies.

Chocolate.

Russell Stover Assorted I Love You Milk and Dark Chocolates

Strawberries.

fresh-strawberries-farmers-market-pints

Honey.

goodbees-honey

♥♥♥!

Chocolate Strawberry Honey Nests and Spring Mix Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Creole Pecans and Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette top the Places In The Home Valentine’s Day food ideas list for a delicious celebration on the day of love.

Chocolate-Strawberry-Honey Nests

Chocolate Strawberry Honey Nests

Ingredients

12 sheets phyllo dough

½ cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup strawberries, cleaned and sliced

3 squares dark chocolate, shaved

½ cup milk chocolate chips

3 teaspoons honey  or to individual taste

whipped topping

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

For Phyllo Nests 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on cookie sheet or counter work surface.

Using soft brush, brush over sheet with melted butter. Lightly sprinkle entire sheet with sugar.  Top with another sheet.  Butter, sprinkle and repeat until  6 sheets thick.  Repeat to create another 6 sheets stack.

Using a pizza cutter or large knife, make ten vertical slices and one horizontal slice down the middle of each stack.  Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Line each muffin cup with 1 of the phyllo pieces at a time, covering sides and bottom to form a cup.  Repeat making 12 cups.

Using a microplane, shave dark chocolate over each cup to dust.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp.

Remove from oven and immediately place desired amount of chocolate chips in each cup allowing to melt.

Top melted chocolate chips with strawberry slices, drizzled honey and whipped topping.

cinnamon-sticks-bundled

Dust topping with cinnamon.

valentines-day-food-ideas

Up next is a delicious, light and easy salad perfect for  a Valentine’s Day lunch or a light supper starring none other than the official unofficial fruit of love, the strawberry.

strawberries-whole

Spring Mix Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Creole Pecans and Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

Ingredients

1  5.5 oz. container half & half salad mix~spring mix and baby spinach

1 ½ cups cleaned and sliced strawberries

1 cup toasted Creole pecan halves or pieces

½ medium red onion, peeled and sliced to desired thickness

Creole Pecans

1 cup pecan halves or pieces

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

½ teaspoon Creole seasoning

Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

2  tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2  tablespoons corn syrup

2  tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon honey mustard

generous squeeze fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon celery seed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread pecan halves or pieces on ungreased baking sheet.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium low heat or in microwave in microwave safe bowl on high at 5 second intervals, or until melted. Drizzle melted butter over pecans.

Sprinkle Creole seasoning mix over buttered pecans, gently tossing with a spoon to incorporate seasoning. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

For Vinaigrette

Directions

In mixing bowl or glass jar with lid, combine vegetable oil, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.

Whisk or shake, blending all together.  Add remaining ingredients, stirring or shaking well.

Place salad greens in mixing bowl.

Top with sliced strawberries, onion slices and pecans.

Drizzle vinaigrette over mix in small amounts until you reach the desired amount.

Toss all together and serve.

Delicious!

enjoy

 

 

Another Paula Deen Recipe For A Special Birthday Celebration: Grandma Hiers’ Carrot Cake

My mother’s birthday celebration calls for another Paula Deen recipe for a special birthday Grandma Hiers Carrot Cake to be prepared in the test kitchen here at Places In The Home.

another Paula Deen recipe for a special birthday Grandma Hiers Carrot Cake

Paula Deen

Mama loves, no, adores carrot cake except when she is all about a coconut cake.  We bounce back and forth between the two, but tradition and memories are hard to compete with.

mamaw-in-kitchen

Every birthday my maternal grandmother presented my mother with a carrot cake for her birthday.

Always.

carrot-cake-on-blue-cake-stand

As for her recipe for carrot cake?

grandmothers-pound-cake-with-nutmeg-recipe

Her pound cake recipe I’ve got, but only the good Lord and Lucille know her recipe for carrot cake.

Grandma-Hiers-Carrot-Cake (1)

Mamaw guarded that baby with her cake baking life.  She never shared the recipe with anyone (that we know of).  I always figured there are plenty of carrot cake recipes out there to be baked, so I did not give it a thought.

Fast forward to present carrot cake recipe times where I wish I had it her recipe, but find delicious solace in Paula Deen’s Grandma Hiers’ Carrot Cake recipe.

To simply say it is a mere substitution or simply just delicious does not do this carrot cake justice.

Grandma Hiers’ Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for pans

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

3 cups grated carrots

1 ½ cups chopped pecans, optional

Frosting:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick salted butter, room temperature

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round pans; Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

carrot-cake-batter

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, blend until combined. Add carrots and pecans, if using.  Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.  Remove from pans, place on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before frosting.

baked-carrot-cake

For the frosting:

Add all ingredients, except nuts, into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a hand mixer.  Stir in the nuts.

carrot-cake-layers

Spread frosting on top of each cake layer.  Stack the cakes on a serving plate and serve.

enjoy