Citrus-ade

Lemonade--but with limes and oranges! So refreshing in the summer!

6 lemons
5 limes
5 oranges (unless they are very large; adjust numbers according to taste)
4 c. water
2-2 1/2 c. sugar (to taste)

Squeeze the juice from oranges, limes, and 5 lemons. Remove any seeds. (Do not strain out pulp, unless you don't like it; in which case you might as well buy powdered "lemonade" from the store.) Add water; stir in sugar to taste until it dissolves. Chill and/or serve over ice. Slice remaining lemon; garnish each glass with a lemon wedge.
Makes approximately 6 servings; maybe 7-8 depending on glass size.

Editor's note: I used only 3 oranges, because they were enormous. Again, all amounts may be adjusted according to your tastes.

Cheesecake Bars

1/3 c. butter

1 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped nuts (SO yummy with hickory nuts!)

chocolate chips*

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

8 0z. softened cream cheese

2 T. milk

1 T. lemon juice

chocolate syrup*

Cream butter with brown sugar in a small mixing bowl; add flour and nuts; mix to make a crumb mixture. Reserve 1 c. for topping. Press remaining mixture into bottom of an 8"-square pan.

Place sugar, egg, vanilla, cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Mix well and beat until creamy. Pour over crust. Add chocolate chips (to taste) to remaining crumb mixture; sprinkle evenly over filling.

Bake at 350° F. for 12-15 minutes. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the top in a pretty zig-zag. Cool completely; chill for a day or two before cutting into bars and serving.

*Chocolate was not originally a part of this recipe. I added it because the bars sounded boring without. But if you don't like chocolate, feel free to leave it out--but then, if you don't like chocolate, why are you reading my blog?

Almond-Cherry Cake

1 c. softened butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract (I think; I sort of forgot how much I actually put.)
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. almond meal/flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 can cherry pie filling

Chocolate chips (optional, but recommended)

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Sift dry ingredients, except almond flour, in a separate bowl. Stir in almond flour. (The almond flour will get stuck in your sifter. Most of it will go through, but there will be larger pieces that do not. You can still try it if you wish--but consider yourself warned.) Add to egg mixture and beat until well-blended. (Dough is thick.) Spread half of the dough in a greased 9"x13" pan. Top with pie filling (and a sprinkling of chocolate chips); spread remaining dough over filling. (This step is difficult; I had to use two spoons and kind of stretch it over the filling.) Bake 45 minutes or until done. While cake is warm, spread with powdered sugar icing to form a glaze. (I mixed a drop or two of almond extract into my glaze.)

This cake was originally called "Cherry Slices." Adding almond flour and flavoring was my idea. If you don't like almond, but do like cherry, the original recipe calls for 3 c. flour and nothing almond at all. Also, the chocolate chips were my own addition--because, as we all know, everything is better with chocolate. =)

Super-easy Cream Cheese Bagel Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. honey, or to taste

cinnamon (optional)

vanilla (optional)

Beat cream cheese with a fork until smooth. Blend in honey to taste. Add cinnamon or vanilla, if desired.

Spread on bagels, toast, crackers, fruit, or anything else with which it would be yummy. =) (Chocolate pancakes, anyone?)

Chocolate Pancakes

But of course! Why did I not think of this before???

It's as easy as adding cocoa powder (as much or as little as desired) to the dry part of your pancake recipe. Also you might want to add a little extra milk to compensate for the extra dryness.

Serve with syrup, peanut butter, honey, or whatever else you like to have with pancakes!

Sometimes, mess-ups are best

Otherwise known as Chilled Strawberry Soup!

I took my grape salad recipe and thought that it would be delicious with strawberries--especially since strawberries were on sale! But I decided to try using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. The result was a very liquid, but delicious, dish. So I am sharing the results of my "bad idea" with you!

8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. plain yogurt (can use strawberry, but you might wish to reduce sugar)
1/2 c. to 1 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
approximately 2 lbs. strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
1 banana
pecans

Beat cream cheese and yogurt until blended; add sugar according to your taste. Blend in vanilla. Fold in strawberries. Cover and chill overnight, or all day if you wish to serve with supper. Slice banana and fold in. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top and serve.

Note: if you combined everything right before serving, it would probably be salad consistency. :)

Thank you, and come again!

Deep, Dark, Chocolate Cake

This is traditionally our family's birthday cake, every time someone turns a year older. It is dark, rich, and moist--and decidedly better than any store-bought or box-mix cake! The first picture is this cake this year, and the second is the cake with no decoration. The third picture is this cake a few years ago, decorated with whole almonds, slivered almonds, and chocolate stars.

1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
2 t. vanilla
1 c. boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except water; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into two greased and floured 9x9" layer pans, one greased and floured 9x13" cake pan, or papered cupcake pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes for layers; 35-40 minutes for sheet cake and 12-15 minutes at 400° for cupcakes. Cool completely; frost with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.