Friday, August 20, 2010

The Infamous Momou Dirtcake


This is a dessert that make memories. That is when you know that you have a good recipe in your hands. Presenting Momou's infamous Dirt Cake....

This recipe goes back to the 2nd grade for me. I remember Momou and our Aunt Gay picking me and my sisters up from school telling us they had a special surprise waiting for us at home. We arrived home to find a terra cotta flower pot sitting on our kitchen counter with bright silk flowers planted in what LOOKED like dirt. Well Momou and Aunt Gay really spiced things up when they started eating this dirt. My sisters and I thought they had gone mad! Who eats dirt? Or at least eats it and makes yummy noises over it? Well I am not sure how they convinced us but we had a bite too. And from that day on we were hooked on Dirt Cake!

If you have never had Dirt Cake get ready to be a lover of this stuff. It is a cool and creamy chocolate/vanilla dessert that always hits the spot! Half of the fun is how you present this concoction. Get wild...crazy colored flower pots, Gerber Daises, gummy worms and even a garden trowel. Whatever your pretty heart desires. This is always a favorite at any event or party!

I have not yet gone the "flower pot" route but I do add gummy worms for good looks. I haven't yet made this for any kids (only us adults so far:) but when I do I am going all out. Just like Momou and Aunt Gay did.

Dirt Cake

Ingredients:
1 bag crushed Oreos
1 (8oz.) block of softened cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
2 boxes (3 oz. or closest to 3 oz.)instant vanilla pudding
1 (12 oz.) tub of Cool Whip

Steps:
1. Crush Oreos, set aside.
2. Cream butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar, set aside.
3. Mix pudding and milk until smooth.
4. Stir together step 2 and 3. Fold in Cool Whip.
5. Layer Oreos, then pudding. Add another layer and end with crushed Oreos on top.
6. Chill for at least 2 hours.
7. Serve with flair and you've got yourself a party!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family have. I love making this for special occasions and seeing every one's face when I serve it. Did I mention that you can even make this a lower fat version. All you have to do is buy "light" or "fat free" ingredients and it still tastes delicious! I hope your children, your grandchilden or even children in your classroom love this dessert and keep the memory that goes with it. I know I will never forget!

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

No-Bake Nuggets


These past few months have been so busy for us. Literally something planned almost every night. But no complaints at all...it has been all fun. During these busy days I have found myself in a pickle with the need of a QUICK recipe with barely anytime to search for that perfect "one". I should have known that Momou would have the perfect "quick" recipe in her collection.

A few months ago my girlfriends and I decided to start a bunco group. And we have had a ball with our little group let me tell you! The first official bunco night was hosted by moi and of course I planned it on a busy little day. And guess what...I needed a dessert to make and quick! Sure I could have run by Publix and grabbed something for the bakery but honestly I perfer to make something myself. That's just me.

So No-Bake Nuggets? Sounds more like an appetizer to me. But oh it is not. It is ooey gooey deliciousness! The best part...you never even turn on that oven! Second best part...there is a very good chance you will have the ingredients right in your little pantry. So do I have you intersted in how to make these little gems? Well see below!

No-Bake Nuggets
1/4 cup butter of margarine, melted
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
One 15 oz. can condensed milk
3/4 cup Chunky peanut butter
Dash of Salt

Combine butter and oats in a skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly; about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add condensed milk, peanut butter and salt; mix until well blended. Spread in greased foil lined 8-inch square pan; chill. Cut into squares.

Voila! How is easy this little dessert? And it is so yummy too! Enjoy.

Food for thought: If you don't belong to a bunco group....start one with your girlfriends ASAP! SO MUCH FUN!

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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Heavenly Hash Cake


Today is Momou's birthday! She turns 88 years old. She has been blessed with many wonderful years and has become so much to so many people. I wish I could be with her today to celebrate her. Since I can't then I will blog about another one of her amazing recipes. What to blog about...a cake of course! Not just any cake but a Heavenly Hash Cake. Have you ever heard of the candy? Well this is just like it...but all wrapped up in a cake.

Heavenly Hash Cake

2 sticks margarine
3-4 T. cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package marshmallows
Pinch salt

Melt Margarine and add cocoa. Cream sugar and eggs until smooth and add flour, salt and vanilla. Fold in cocoa mixture and mix well. Add nuts. Grease and flour a baking pan (9x13) and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Pour and spread out marshmallows on top of warm cake. Let cool. Top with chocolate layer.

Chocolate Topping
Pinch salt
1 oz. cocoa
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 T. margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 box of 1 lb. box of powdered sugar

Mix the cocoa, brown sugar and water in a saucepan for four minutes. Remove from heat and add margarine. Stir in vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Spread or pour over cake. Leave iced cake in pan until cook.

Thank you Mrs. Marie Bordelon from Morauville, La for submitting your recipe to the newspaper. Your cake is absolutely amaxing. Momou and I thank you!

This cake makes many servings and will feed lots of hungry people:) It is beautiful 3layer cake. Cakey part on the bottom, a marshmallow layer in the middle and a delicious hard chocolate topping. This will be a crowd pleaser!

Happy Birthday Momou! I love you and miss you so much. I wish I were in Marksville, La today celebrating with you....

Heavenly Hash Cake on FoodistaHeavenly Hash Cake

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Honey Cake


Right when you think you have eaten a slice of every type of cake out there...you find this. HONEY CAKE. Oh holy Moses! This is so different and so amazing. There is honey in the cake as well as in the icing. And the icing...that's a whole other story. Did I mention it is a "Cream Cheese Honey Icing"? Yes. You heard right.

I made this yummy cake to celebrate our first cookout of the season last Saturday. My hubs and I had spent the entire day with friends at the cutest little festival called the Buttercup Festival. Afterwards we headed home to crank up the grill to spend time with more friends. This cake was the perfect ending to a perfect day!

Honey Cake
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
(recipe follows)

1. Combine sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add combined dry ingredients to oil mixture well after each addition.
2. Pour batter unto greased and floured 9 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minute or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Frost with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 9 servings

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine softened
1 3oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon honey
Dash of salt

1. In small bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, smoothly blend margarine, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, honey and salt.

I hope you love this cake as much as we did. If you need to make a dessert that really takes the cake...this is it! (Pun intended:) I like to consider myself quite the foodie and never have I ever tasted a Honey Cake. Oh what I have been missing!

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Cupid's Cake Magic


The question is: Is it a dessert or is it breakfast? Who cares! It is delicious enough for both. And no this isn't a Valentine's recipe. It just has a cute little name with a nice ring...Cupid's Cake Magic. But then again, you sure could serve it to that someone special on the official day of love.

I made this little magic cake for breakfast for our Sunday School class. And it received great reviews. It could be served with tea, coffee or for dessert with a nice cold class of milk. The crunchy topping really tops the cake. The pun is intended:)

Cupid's Cake Magic

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soft butter
1 egg
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square 9-inch cake pan. Combine dry ingredients. Add butter or margarine, egg, and milk. Beat hard for two minutes. Pour into pan. Cover with Crunchy Topping (recipe follows) and bake for 40 minutes.
YIELD: 9 to 12 servings

Crunchy Topping

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons soft butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Mix all ingredients together with a fork.

How much easier could this recipe be? Just mix and bake until golden! You could have this cake whipped up so easily for this upcoming Easter morning. No one will even care about their Easter candy with this around! Okay, well so maybe I will eat both this AND my Cadbury Eggs....

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole


Finally a main dish recipe...compliments of the infamous Momou. I will tell you two people who will get into a fight over this dish. My darling hubs and my baby sister. Oh yes...don't mess with them and Momou's Cheesy Spaghetti!

This casserole dish is delicious! Baby sister adores it because of the cheese and darling hubs loves that he can have spaghetti baked together and it is less messier. Did I mention this little dish has only 3 ingredients? Well it does. And it feeds a crowd. Talk about yummy and frugal!


Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

12 to 16 oz. package of angel hair pasta
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1 jar of spaghetti meat sauce

Boil pasta until tender. Spread a layer of sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish, then a layer of pasta, and then a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350
degrees until the cheese is melted and bubbling hot.

Just a little note. You can also add 1 lb of browned ground meat to the sauce for more umph!

Have a sick friend who you are bringing dinner to? Bring this. Have any sweet friends arriving home with a new baby in tow? Bring this. Sure you could bring old faithful lasagna. But spaghetti that travels in casserole form? Perfect! Add french bread and salad and you got yourself the easiest home cooked meal this side of the Mississippi!

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Momou's Famous Chocolate Icing


The day I discovered this particular recipe I was sitting on my bedroom floor as a new bride spending another afternoon sorting through Momou's priceless recipe collection. I came across a recipe written in her handwriting in a blue marker on a piece of cardboard. Such a different type of recipe compared to all of the other yellowed newspaper and magazine recipes. I took a closer look and all of a sudden tears started filling up my eyes. This was it. "THE" recipe. Momou's famous chocolate icing.

For each and every birthday Momou made us a delicious yellow two layer cake covered in this amazing icing. So many special memories are attached to this chocolate concontion. And I warn you, this icing is so delicious that you WILL want to lick the entire bowl!

Last Monday we celebrated my darling hubby's birthday so of course I carried on with tradition. A yellow cake topped with Momou's famous chocolate icing. It was a hit with the birthday boy and all of the others who had a slice.


Momou's Famous Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:
1 1 LB box of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1 stick butter
3/4 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine cocoa and butter with mixer on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Mix in milk and powdered sugar at low speed, alternating between each. You may add more milk until you receive the spreading consistency that you desire. Voila! Easy as can be!

Oh and another warning...you will never want to go back to store brought icing that comes in a "tub". You just mark my words! Why would you when you can make this amazing icing from scratch in just a matter of minutes?

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Momou's Baked Macaroni



So how do I even begin to write about one of my most favorite and cherished dishes that has ever passed my lips? A recipe that I have loved since before I can even remember and a recipe that probably has more memories than any other. It is time for "that" blog...Momou's Macaroni. I need to stress to you that this is not, I repeat NOT your normal macaroni. Unless the macaroni dish that you bring to mind has sugar and evaporated milk in it. Because my friends...this one does.

There is nothing like this macaroni. Pure creaminess topped with pure sweetness. I have spent so many family dinners/holiday meals with this very macaroni present. If you called Momou right this second and asked her what Leesha's (that's how she refers to me) favorite Momou recipe was, she would know. Her Momou's macaroni.

I have to share 2 particular memories about Momou and this macaroni because this is "that" kind of recipe. One with many stories attached. First of all, when I was younger Momou would frequently come to stay the night with us. What precious times those were. I can remember how exciting a school day was just knowing that Momou would be waiting in the carpool line to pick us up. She would then take us to get a snack, our usual ICEE and bag of chips. Once back to our home, she would pop her trunk and there would be her glass 9x13 dish with all of the macaroni ingredients stacked up in it. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Another sweet memory of Momou's sweet macaroni is that every single Sunday during hunting season I would know that I would be having macaroni for dinner. Do you want to know how I know this? Well, my dad, uncle and grandpa would hunt each and every weekend from Friday to Sunday and then head to Momou's for Sunday lunch. And every Sunday she would make her famous Sunday lunch. Chicken Fricassee, tomato gravy, rice and gravy, rolls and SWEET MACARONI! And that meant that Momou would always send some home to me. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

So how do you make this treasured macaroni? See below for this secret and get ready to fall in love...

Momou's Baked Macaroni
1 (12 oz.) package of long macaroni (Yes, this exists! The fancy name is Perciatelli. You may have to search hard but it is worth it. Try Kroger or Brookshires)
1 (12 oz.)can of evaporated milk
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons sugar OR MORE (you can bet that I add at least 1/4 cup)
6 to 8 oz. Velveeta cheese

In a large pot put water to boil. Salt to taste. Put in macaroni. (Momou breaks hers in half before adding to boiling water.) Boil until tender. Drain. Pour macaroni and all other ingredients into a 9 x 13 glass dish. Stir well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Now here's the trick...you HAVE to keep a watchful eye on the macaroni. Once the evaporated milk is just about gone you have to turn off the oven right then and there and let the macaroni sit. And then you will be assured of creamy and sweet macaroni.

A favorite pastime of mine, my aunts, sisters and Momou is to "try" the macaroni once it was out of the oven. We did this without barely anyone noticing. We did this by grabbing a lose edge of a noodle whose end was a little toasted at the top of the dish. Just simply pull this toasted end and it will just slide right out all creamy and yummy on the other end.

I hope this dish finds its way onto your table over the next Sunday lunch or holiday dinner. Or even a random weekday night! I assure you that your day will be much better knowing that Momou's macaroni is at the end of it. Enjoy!

P.S. The picture above is of Momou, my husband and I on our wedding day. We were showing Momou the goblets that we were using. They were the goblets made especially from Momou and Grandpa's 50th anniversary party. Jason had the larger goblet that was engraved "Lut" and mine was the smaller goblet engraved "Narcille". Priceless...

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake


Chocolate? Good... Mayonnaise? Good... Put them together? Even better! I'm so serious about this. I am not lying to you even one little bit. Chocolate and mayonnaise make a delicious combo. So what do we have here? CHOCOLATE. MAYONNAISE. CAKE. Oh, did I forget to mention that last little part about cake? Well you heard right!

Last Saturday night was a much needed girls night. First thing first... was to get the men (precious as they are) out of the house. Which is exactly what we did:) Then settle in over lots of food and talk nonstop. Which is exactly what we did:) Then came the main event: dessert time with a good girly movie. And this is where our Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake came into the picture...

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
1 package chocolate cake mix (with pudding)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
confectioners' sugar

In large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients at low speed for 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Why add mayonnaise you might ask? Pure moistness! Imagine this sweet chocolate cake sprikled with powdered sugar and topped with vanilla ice cream. Now I don't mind bragging on these recipes because they are not mine. They belong to Momou.

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Friday, January 8, 2010

Quick Bread


I hate that it has been over a month since my last post! But what a perfect time to pledge to be more faithful to my blog but than the new year! I just watched Julia and Julia again and this time with my hubby (who had never seen the movie). Watching Paul and Julia Child and Julie and Eric Powell with my hubs made me so happy. I realize that I am married to my own Paul, my own Eric. Paul and Eric supported their wives in their other true love...cooking. They supported their dreams, ambitions and desires all having to do with food. And Jason is just the same. He can't wait to see what life might have in store for me and my passion of cooking and for that I am so so so grateful...and lucky.

Speaking of my wonderful man, I made him a special dinner as part of his Christmas present. Not just any dinner but all of his favorites. Portabella Mushroom Tortellini and Angel Food Cake...all by candlelight at that! I decided to throw in a Momou twist and make a Momou recipe somewhere in that menu. And I found JUST the right recipe. Now the name is kind of bland BUT the taste is delicious and perfect for my man. The recipe was for Quick Bread but it was truly biscuits that had ranch dressing in it! Biscuits AND Ranch dressing...more of his favorites!

The other best part is that this recipe calls for three ingredients! ONLY three! And it took just a few minutes to whip up! So break out that muffin pan and get ready to use this recipe very often. These zesty muffins go with ANY dish!

Quick Bread
1 cup self rising flour
2 Tablespoons salad dressing (I used Ranch Dressing of course!)
1/2 cup milk

Combine all ingredients and mix to a lumpy batter. Spoon in a 6-cup muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Muffins will be white. Oh and I did add a dash of cayenne pepper for good measure. What can I say? I just like spice in my life!

There you have it folks! Nothing to it! This is one of the few Momou newspaper recipes that have the name of who contributed it. So thank you Mrs. Jimmy Ray Everett. Your recipe is delish!

And to my husband: As someone once said, "You are the bread to my butter and the breath to my life." I love you.

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