Applesauce Cake

This recipe came from my mom, but I am not sure where it came from before that!!
The topping is so good and the cake is really moist!!

Applesauce Cake

Stir together:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
Add and beat until well mixed:
1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2 eggs

Beat well until well mixed. It will not be smooth because of the applesauce. Pour into greased
9 x 13 pan and thoroughly spread into pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Frosting:
1/3 cup soft butter
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
Stir until melted, remove from heat and add 1 cup flaked coconut.

Spread frosting evenly over a cooled applesauce cake. Place cake about 2 inches from Broiler and cook for about 2 minutes. The coconut will burn if left too long. Leftover cake keeps well for 2-3 days!

Ham Chowder

Anyone have any leftover ham?? This is our favorite soup recipe when we have ham, we almost always hope for leftovers!

The recipe is from allrecipes.com and serves 15, so I always half the recipe!!

Ham Chowder

8 cups chicken or ham stock

4 cups cubed ham

4 tbsp dried rosemary (always leave this out, no one likes it!)

2 lbs. bacon, diced

2 large onions, diced

3 leeks, diced (haven't added this either)

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 green onions, diced

6 large potatoes, cubed

1 lb carrots, cubed

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Pour stock into a large pot set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cubed ham and 2 tbsp rosemary.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon, and add to pot. Drain half of the bacon grease, and return skillet to medium heat. Stir in onins, leeks, garlic, and green onions; cook until tender, then add to pot.

Place cubed potatoes, carrots, and 2 tbsp rosemary in pot; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, and add cream to pot.

Sparkling Tree Cakes

These were so fun to make and a great Christmas treat idea!!

Yummy too!!

Sparkling Tree Cakes
(from Kraftfoods.com)

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1/4 tsp. green food coloring
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
16 peppermint sticks (3 inch)
1/2 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, chopped
Assorted Christmas candies
colored sugar


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; tint with food coloring. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE as directed on package. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk. Spread onto tops and sides of cakes.

CUT each cake into eight wedges to resemble Christmas trees. Insert peppermint stick into curved side of each cake for the tree trunk. Decorate with remaining ingredients. Store in refrigerator.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

I found this recipe on http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/!

These are one of the best I have tried!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins
from The Family Cookbook

Flavorless vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup milk
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Crumb topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (next time I think I will cut the amount of flour down to 3/4 cup to make it more crisp and sugary)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray 12-cup muffin tin with flavorless oil spray or line with paper liners (I actually got about 15 muffins out of the recipe). In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until the egg is incorporated before adding the next one, and then beat in the vanilla.

Add the milk, alternating it with the dry ingredients, in 2 or 3 additions. Do not overmix. Fold in the berries using a spatula. To make the crumb topping, combine the butter, sugars, cinnamon, salt and flour and mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Top each with a generous tablespoon of the crumb topping. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly in the muffin tin set on wire racks before removing.

Makes 12-15 muffins.

Thumbprint Cookies

These are a family favortie at Christmas time! It is from the Betty Crocker cookbook and really are jam thumbprint cookies!

I substituted chopped almonds for the walnuts on these cookies or you can just leave the nuts off!

Thumbprint cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

2 slightly beaten egg whites

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or substitue favorite chopped nut)

1/3 to 1/2 cup strawberry, cherry, or apricot jam or preserves (or substitute hershey kisses)

Grease a cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla till combined. Beat in the flour. Cover; chill dough about 1 hour or till easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in egg whites, then in nuts. Place 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.

If adding hershey kisses, place hershey kisses on cookies just out of the oven. The chocolate will be very soft for a while so remove to wire rack and let sit.

If adding jam, just before serving-fill centers with jam or preserves!

Ham Filled French Toast

This is Christian's Grandpa's recipe. It's really good, just give it a try. Just a warning it may be french toast, but it's a lot to eat in the morning. I usually fix this for a breakfast supper!

1 pkg. cream cheese - softened
4 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
a couple handfuls of chopped ham

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add mushrooms, ham 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Spread above mixture on 4 bread slices and top with remaining bread.

In a shallow dish beat 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk together. Dip sandwiches in and cook on a greased griddle until golden brown and the filling is hot.

Meanwhile, combine sliced olives, 1 can of Italian-style stewed tomatoes and 2 tsp. cornstarch and heat until slightly thickened and warm. Spoon this sauce over the sandwiches and serve.

White Bean Soup
Sorry I didn't get a picture. I thought of it too late, and it was gone. It's such an easy, fast soup and yummy!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
*saute the above ingredients till soft, lightly browned

Add the following ingredients and allow to simmer till warm:
3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 9 ounce pkg. of frozen corn
2 cans of white beans, drained
7 ounce can of green chilies, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. corranider
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper ( I usually omit this, so it's not too hot for my girls)
3 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp. lime juice

Serve with chips, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream, if you want.

Serves about 6 -8.