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.

Grandma's cookin'

I just don't get it. She does everything wrong, according to the "experts." She doesn't measure everything carefully. She doesn't follow recipes precisely. Yet, my Grandma's pizza is the stuff of legends. If food could be divine, her rolls would be. Her fudge is a definition. Grandma's cooking is proof that a grandmother's touch is more important than all the rules in the books.
And so, my fellow novices, there is hope for you and me: when we are grandmothers, perhaps our food will be legendary as well.

Quick, Creamy Chocolate Pudding

Otherwise known as apologies for not posting anything recently. =)

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa

6 T. cornstarch

2 1/4 c. milk

2 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and blend in butter and vanilla. Pour into individual serving dishes, or one large glass bowl. Carefully press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill at least one hour, or until thickened. Garnish with whipped topping and nuts, if desired. Makes 4 or 5 large servings.

I will add that if you don't cook this long enough, it will not thicken. Also, what is listed here is twice the cornstarch listed in the original recipe, because I can never thicken my pudding.

P.S. This is double the chocolate from the original recipe, because we like it dark at my house. :)