Noodles

I remember coming home from school and seeing home-made noodles hanging from yarn attached to the kitchen cupboards. We'd snap a bit of the bottom off and eat, and be scolded for doing so. The anticipation of that night's dinner was huge: Chicken Noodle Soup and Mom's rolls! To this day I only ever use home-made noodles in my soup.

Noodles
(from Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, the red checkered one)

2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 beaten egg
1/3 c water
1 tsp oil

Combine dry ingredients, and make a well in the center. beat together eggs, water and oil, and pour in to the well. Mix with spoon then use hands to mix completely together. Knead in more flour a little at a time until smooth and no longer sticky. Divide into 4 sections, this makes it a bit easier to roll and cut. Let the sections sit for a few minutes covered. Roll out to desired section, not to thin or they will break off easily on the yarn. Cut into 1/4 inch wide noodles, then hang on a thick string (best) or yarn (ok). I make this in the night then let them dry over night and can be used as soon as a noon-day meal. Just make sure they aren't soft. You can boil them with your favorite soup recipe, or eat them with pasta sauce or butter and parmesan cheese.

Birthday Cake for a 3 Year-old!

I saw this cake in the Better Homes & Gardens magazine and fell in love! Isn't is so cute and look tasty? Well, I gave it a go it didn't look the same, but tasted delicious!



Well it looked more like this.....



Here's the recipe!

Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake
(Better Homes and Gardens Magazine)

3/4 cup plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Recipe Cherry or Chocolate Frosting, recipe below
1 Recipe Chocolate-Dipped Cherries, recipe below (optional)
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6x2-inch round cake pans or springform pans. Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside.

2. In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

3. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

5. Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries. Serves 8.

6. Cherry Frosting: In chilled large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream. 1 cup whipping cream, 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat with chilled beaters on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

I just made my own chocolate cake from a box. But my frosting didn't whip up!? But it didn't stop us from eating it!

Best Sugar Cookies & Frosting

These are the never fail kind of sugar cookie. They hold together really well, taste great, and really easy! Thanks to my mother-in-law Stephanie for handing down the best recipes!!

The Best Sugar Cookies

3/4 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder

Mix eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Blend in flour and baking powder. Cover and chill about 1 hour. Roll out dough on a floured and sugared board. Keep about 1/4 inch thick. Cut and bake until bottom edges are lightly golden. at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, less or more depending on the size. Let rest on hot pan a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 4 dozen 3 inch cookies. Top with the Best Frosting Recipe!


The Best Frosting

1 c butter
1 tsp almond extract
approx. 4 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk

Cream butter until fluffy. Add almond extract. Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add milk and beat at high until fluffy.


This is the recipe from the Valentines Day cookie decorating play-group post!

Snobby Joes

I got this from my dear friend April. It is delicious and so much cheaper than buying ground beef. It is a great recipe to have with your food storage too! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (start small and add more if you'd like)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns

Directions
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait. I like to serve these open faced, with a scoop of snobby joe on each slice of the bun.