Monday, March 22, 2010

Happy First Day of Spring

From First Day of Spring 2010

This is how it looked at my house! I think most of it will melt off today. We didn't get nearly as much as some communities north. I heard Bolivar, Mo. got over 6 inches. Ours was a mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow.

Our company left yesterday morning and all got home safely. I have my usual letdown when company leaves and spend most of the day resting in my nest in the kitchen. This time I had a new book to read that my Iowa sis sent me, The Help. I am really liking it so far.

Food:

I cooked a regular turkey dinner for the birthday girl and had very little left. I always send as many leftovers as they are willing to take home with them.

There weren't that many this time.

Late yesterday I boiled the turkey carcass and made turkey vegetable soup that will last us several days. I just strained the broth and cooked brown rice and some frozen mixed vegetables in it. Very tasty. I had never done the carcass thing before but kept hearing about it. I have now done it twice. I just cover the carcass with water and boil for an hour or so. The broth is very flavorful.

I made my old standby chocolate cake with fluffy white icing. Our granddaughter always requests that.

The icing is so simple and I have never had it fail. The best part is
you don't have to stand over the hot burner beating it!

This is from my old Better Homes and Garden cookbook:

Fluffy White Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
l teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook and stir till bubbly and sugar dissolves. In a small mixer bowl comine egg whites and vanilla. Pour sugar mixture slowly over egg whites with mixer beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form, approximately 7 minutes.

Frosts top and sides of (2) 8 or 9 inch layers or (l) 10-tube pan cake.

The cake is also very simple:

It is from a Softasilk cake flour box from many years ago.

Best Chocolate Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 sq (l oz each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an oblong 13x9 or three 8-inch or 2 9-inch pans or two 8 or 9 inch square pans.
Note: I always cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of a layer pan so I can be assured of getting it out cleanly.

Here is the simple part, you measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes on high sped, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s). Bake oblong 40 to 45 minutes. Round pans 30 to 35 minutes. Check with wooden pick inserted in center.
Cool.

Frost with frosting of choice.


I forgot to take a picture of the cake. I get a tad flustered with extra people in my kitchen!


This is my morning to milk so I better get ready. Ahhh, the sun is shining brightly now!

4 comments:

  1. Yum-O, Glenda! Gotta try those recipes!

    Glad you're getting extra mileage out of your turkey carcass. Did you know that after you drain off the broth from the first boil, you can put more water in and boil it a second time? This makes kind of a marrow broth. I mix both broths together. Very, very good for soup. By that time, the bones are so soft you can crush some of them with your fingers. These are then good to dig into your asparagus bed! Feed the spent skin to the dog. LOL, no waste! Oh, and get that yellow color by adding just a little turmeric into the broth. A little goes a long way. Seems to smooth out the flavors.

    Thanks for posting the recipes! Hugs...

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  2. I love the cow picture!! It is perfect!

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  3. My mom used to make that fluffy white frosting-good- thanks for the memory.

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  4. I have a series of three shots of the cows peering at us over the bank of the pond west of the house. We were taking our walk and they turned their heads to follow us as we went past. I couldn't resist the pictures.

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