Texas Sheet Cake

Family favorite

Bring to a boil:

 1 cup butter
 1 cup water

1/4 cup cocoa 

Pour over:       

 2 cups flour 

 2 cups sugar
Beat well----------------

Add:
2 beaten eggs, 

1/2 cup sour milk ( add 1 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to make sour milk), 

1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Mix well and bake in 11x 17 pan@ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Five minutes before cake is done, make the frosting.

Frosting

Put:
1/2  cup butter, 4 Tablespoons cocoa and 1/3 cup of milk in a pan. Stir and bring it to a boil, remove from stove and add 3 3/4 cups powder sugar and 1teaspoon of vanilla and beat till smooth. Ice cake right out of the oven.

Salmon

Beth gave me this recipe to try.  I think it might be from all recipes.com...

I had the skins still on so I sautéed the top first and then turned them over.  Super yummy.

3/4 pound salmon fillets lemon pepper to taste garlic powder to taste salt to taste 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons soy

sauce 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (3). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (6).

1.	Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2.	In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a largeresealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3.	Preheat grill for medium heat.
4.	Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Flag Cake

Growing up my mom made this cake almost every 4th of July.  I will have to make everything from scratch here in Jyvaskyla, hope it makes me(and my guests) feel at home!  Hopefully, I'll remember to take a picture too.

Flag Cake:

1 pkg. white cake mix

     ( make as directed only bake 15 min. in Texas sheet size pan )

Edith made cake from scratch this year’23.  Subbed 1/3 cup oil with applesauce, 1 cup of wheat flour, almond milk and used almond extract. 

 It was the best I’ve ever had.  Also used zero cool whip for topping it was so good.  

Modified from:  https://sugarspunrun.com/the-best-white-cake-recipe/#recipe

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature (85g)
• ▢ ⅔ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (160ml) [1/3 oil, 1/3 applesauce]
• ▢ 2 cup sugar (400g)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract [added almond extract]
• ▢ 2 ⅔ cup + 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour(345g) [one cup wheat]
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup milk room temperature preferred (235ml) [used almond milk]
• ▢ 6 large egg whites room temperature

• • Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans [used the rectangle for flag] by lining the bottoms with a round of parchment paper and generously greasing and flouring the sides. Be sure to shake out excess flour.
  • In a stand mixer (or using an electric mixer), beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.
  • Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla extract.
  • In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Measure out your milk.
  • With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next.
  • Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
  • In separate bowl combine your egg whites and using a hand-mixer on high-speed beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.
  • Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.
  • Bake on 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking.
  • Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking.
  • Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack.
    
    

Topping:

1 large vanilla instant pudding  ( mix with 2 cups of milk till thick )

add 8 oz. softened cream cheese ( whip first )

then add 1 pint of whipping cream ( whipped ) or 8 oz. cool whip

May be decorated as the flag with blueberries and strawberries

or with crushed pineapple and slivered almonds

Finnish blueberries stain your hands, but they are delicious!!!

Roberts Cookies

Betty Crocker, but it is known as the Robert's cookie, because these are the only chocolate chip cookie that we had growing up.  It was famous from my brothers making it down to when I have made them.  I hope it isn't copy writing, because it's one that I want to reach anywhere I go.  SO yummy.

1 c. sugar

1 c. packed brown sugar

2/3 c. soft butter

2/3 c. shortening

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

Mix the above ingredients, then stir  in

3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt      ( combine dry ingredients first )

1 c. chocolate chips

Bake @ 375 8 to 10 minutes     2 dozen

Pillow

Okay, so I know pillows are way simple, but I'm excited about this inspiration. This was left over material from a baby blanket for a friend. My daughter loves the mink, and she hasn't had a real size pillow, combine the too, and wa la.

Next thing to try with the left overs of the left overs....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72747095/chloe-pink-damask-elephant-sensory?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=elephants&ga_page=7&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

I also have made bibs with mink and used a bib to wipe down the counter and they make great clothes for clean up...

Whenever you work with mink, before sewing pull a little tight and pin, or else you will have extra fabric at the end.

BEST Brownie EVER!

I'm picky about my brownies. I don't want them cakey or too densey. I've tried all kinds of brownie recipes NEVER satisfied. I was talking to my friend and she said she had the best, and she did!!
 from Wendy

 Fudgy Brownies

1 1/3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa

 Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Remove butter from heat and stir in cocoa. Add sugar eggs, and vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients and mix. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

"Owl" be His hands

We had a Relief Society Meeting where service was purpose and owls were are theme. This creation happened when I was thinking of a centerpiece. A little scrap paper action, sticks, and a milk jug. It's awesome when things just come together. (its kinda funny too, b/c I thought of the milk jug b/c there was an empty one on my table)