Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Sift sugar and set aside.

Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.

Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.

Recipe found HERE at bakerella.com

Frog Eyed Salad

1 1/3 c. Acini di Pepe noodles (small round noodles)

1 can chunk pineapple (save juice)

1 3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

Small box vanilla pudding 

1 can crushed pineapple

2 cans mandarin oranges

2 c. whipping topping

3 c. mini marshmallows 

1/2 c. coconut

Cook noodles, rinse and cool. Blend pudding, milk, pineapple juice and sugar until set (2-5 mins.) Add noodles and rest of ingredients. Place in 13x9 dish and refrigerate.

French Bread Soup Bowls

2 1/2 c. warm water

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 pkg yeast

1 Tbsp. salt

5 Tbsp. oil

6 c. flour

In large bowl combine water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top and allow to soften. Add salt, oil and half of flour. Stir well. Add remaining flour and stir. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Stir down and allow to rest 10 more minutes. Repeat 5 times.

Turn into flour, knead 2-3 times. Divide into 8 parts and place in small loaf pans. Allow to rise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Recipe shared by Ann. M

Macaroni & Cheese

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Broccoli
• Cubed Ham
•  Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs.

Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni, broccoli and ham. Stir to combine

Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Recipe discovered HERE by Ann M. at thepioneerwoman.com

Wheat Bread

• 2 1/2 tsp Yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• dash of sugar
• 1/2 c evaporated milk (can use regular milk if needed)
• 1/4 c melted butter
• 1 TB salt
• 1/4 c raw honey
• 3 cups wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour
• 1/4 cup flax seed*
• 1/2 cup oatmeal*
• 1 1/2 TB dough enhancer*
• 1-2 TB vital wheat gluten (your preference)*
• 1 TB coconut oil for greasing bowl and pans
• 2 TB for butter to slather after bread is done

*Not required for delicious bread.

Start your yeast (warm water, yeast, and sugar) and let it bubble for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk your melted butter, evaporated milk, salt, and honey. Do it by hand so it is nice and mixed before adding the flour and yeast.

Add about 3 cups of wheat flour, along with the yeast mixture and mix well.

Add flax seed, oatmeal, and dough helpers.

Add about 1-2 cups of this white flour, add this carefully because you want your dough to pull away from the sides but not be too dry. You will know your dough is really done when it doesn't totally stick to your fingers. Have some sticky-ness so that when it's risen, you can knead it with a little more white flour. 

While it is mixing grease bowl and plastic wrap with coconut oil. Put dough in bowl and let rise 90 minutes.

Punch down dough to get rid of air bubbles. Divide into two and knead into flour until smooth. Roll out into oblong rectangle then roll and put into greased pan. ***Its delicious to mix cinnamon, sugar and butter and rollup into it before baking.

Cover with towel and set on over while it preheats to 375 degrees and let rise another 20-25 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 25 minute. Cover generously with butter. Let cool completely before storing.

Recipe shared by Camille T. HERE at learningtomakemore.blogspot.com

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart half-and-half
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth (if you enjoy a thicker soup, use 1 can)
• Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1 cup finely shredded carrots
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken breast (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 (16-ounce/500g) package ready-to-use gnocchi

Melt the butter into the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half. Simmer until thickened. Whisk in the chicken broth. Simmer until thickened again. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, the thyme, parsley, nutmeg (if using), carrots, spinach, chicken, and gnocchi. Simmer until the soup is heated through. Before serving, season with additional salt, if necessary.

Recipe found HERE at copykat.com

**I didn't have gnocchi so I used cheese filled tortellini. Still really good.

Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies

Beat:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 Tbls. milk
• 1 Tbls. vanilla

Add:

• 1 egg

Combine dry ingredients then add mixture.

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Add:

1 cup Heath milk chocolate toffee bits

Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on pan before removing to wire cookie rack.

Makes about 3 dozen.