White Texas Sheet Cake

Oh my Lone Star, I thought I was addicted to chocolate sheet cake, but this may be better.

Boil until melted and combined.
1 cup margarine
1 cup water. 


Add:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Bake in sheet pan at 375 for 20-22 minutes. 

(This cake is thin.  For a large cookie sheet with 1" sides, I would 1 1/2x the recipe.)

While cake is cooling make the frosting.
Melt 1/2 cup margarine
      1/2 cup milk.
Pour into 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds.

Pour over cake and smooth evenly.  Let cool before serving.

Peach Jello Guest post

This recipe was originally posted here by my mom on her blog, foreverblooming.blogspot.com She has posted a few other recipes there. Check them out and leave a comment to let her know you stopped by.
I absolutely love this dessert it is so fresh and light and even yummy frozen.


PEACH JELLO DESSERT

1. Make a graham cracker crust in a 9x13 pan. Press into pan and chill 15 minutes.

2. Beat 8 oz. package cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cheese. It is lighter and has fewer calories.) with 1/4 c. sugar. Gradually beat in 1/4 c. milk. Fold in 3 1/2 c. whipped topping and spread over crumb crust. Top with 4-6 peeled, sliced, fresh peaches and return to fridge.

3. Dissolve 1-4 oz. pkg. peach jello in 3/4 c. boiling water. Combine ice cubes and 1/2 c. cold water to make 1 1/4 cups. Add to jello,stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Gently spoon jello over peaches. Chill until firm about 3 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Makes about 12 servings.

Pesto Day

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  Harvest, that is.  Sara and I had our annual pesto day yesterday.  We got four batches done and then ate it for lunch.  Here's the recipe.

      2 cups  Firmly Packed Basil Leaves
     10   peeled Garlic cloves
    3/4 cup  Olive Oil
    1/4 cup  Pine Nuts
      1 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese (the real stuff)
      1 tsp  Salt
      1 tsp  Pepper

Combine all in food processor.  Freezes well in ice cube or mini-muffin trays lined with Saran Wrap.  Add to hot pasta, mayonnaise, cream cheese, or vinaigrette.  Add to 1/4 cup heavy cream for creamy pasta sauce.  (Add
Vitamin C tablet to retain bright green color.)

Sara cleaning the basil leaves.

Cleaned and ready to become delicious.

Grind the leaves with the garlic first.  Then add your olive oil in a slow stream with the motor running.

Next, add cheese, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and Vitamin C tablet and process until smooth. 

We like to line mini muffin trays with plastic wrap, freeze, and then complete wrapping them and store in a ziplock.  Just defrost on the counter in a bowl to use. 

Here is our lunch- Farfalle with pesto with a fresh-picked tomato-feta-basil salad.  It was so mmmmmm.

Spinach and Orzo Salad

I know, pasta salad doesn't really need a recipe, but this one is yummy!  I made it b/c my friend talked me into doing Bountiful baskets, so I had fresh spinach and tomatoes to use.  Can't wait for dinner.

3 cups cooked Orzo pasta
3/4 cup italian dressing
1 head spinach chopped in large pieces ( or use baby spinach)
3 roma tomatoes- diced
1/2 cup halved black olives (eat the rest of the can while you make the salad)
3 Tbsp capers (drained)
Fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Stir it all up and chill for later.  Yumm!

Martha Stewart's Salmon with Mustard caper butter sauce

Any flavored butter that's left over can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to one month. It's delicious with crusty bread or sauteed vegetables.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, coarsely chopped
• 4 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus 4 thin lemon slices for garnish
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 salmon fillets (6 to 7 ounces each), skinned
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Stir together butter, capers, dill, mustard, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon, allowing 1 inch of space between fillets (cook in batches if needed). Cook, flipping once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 3 1/2 to 5 minutes per side. Serve topped with mustard-caper butter and garnished with dill and lemon slices.

Texas Jalapeno Jelly

My mom has always made yummy pepper jelly- and now she has streamlined the recipe to be even easier!!


      2    jalapeno peppers,seeded and chopped
      3    medium green peppers,cut into 1 inch pieces, divided
  1 1/2 c  white vinegar,divided
  6 1/2 c  sugar
    1/2    to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
      2    pouches (3 oz. each) liquid fruit pectin
           About 6 drops green food coloring,optional
           Cream cheese and crackers optional


1) In a blender or food processor, place the jalapenos, half of the green peppers and ½ cup vinegar; cover and process until pureed.

2) Transfer to a large Dutch oven or kettle. Repeat with remaining green peppers and another ½ cup vinegar. Add the sugar, cayenne and remaining vinegar to pan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

3) Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. (You may use regular pectin according to the directions on the pectin package.)

4) Remove from the heat. Ski off foam. Add food coloring if desired. Ladle hot liquid into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

Serve over cream cheese with crackers if desired.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Betty Crocker

6	cups French bread cubes
1	package (6 oz) white chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
1	cup fat-free egg product
3/4	cup warm water
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

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1.	Spray inside of 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in slow cooker. Sprinkle with baking bar.
2.	In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; pour over bread cubes and baking bar.
	3.Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. **We skipped the raspberries and mint pictured above and enjoyed it drizzled with caramel syrup and ice cream.