Strawberry Cake!


Yes, this is a cute cupcake!

This recipe can make about 3 8x2 cakes or a bunch of cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the cake:
Nonstick vegetable spray
3 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup pureed strawberries, strained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 large eggs, beaten
red food coloring (Optional)

For the cream cheese frosting:
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 3 cups confectioners powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk (if needed)

Directions

1.) Before you begin, remember to preheat your oven to 325f degrees (160c degrees). Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Make sure to tap out any excess flour and then set them aside for now.
2.) Now it's time for the cake batter! In a large bowl, combine and stir together the self-rising flour, oil, sugar, pureed strawberries, vanilla, lemon zest, and eggs. This is where you would add in the food coloring if you'd like a brighter pink color, though I don't believe it is necessary!
3.) Now take your pretty batter and pour it evenly between your three prepared pans, smoothing out any bumps with an rubber spatula.
4.) It's time to bake them! Place them so that the edges of the pans don't touch anything, and rotate the pans halfway through the cooking time. You want them so that the tops will spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips. This will take around 26 to 28 minutes.
5.) Ding! They're done! Now you should transfer your cake pans someplace safe so that they can cool. Make sure that they are cooled all the way. You can make your icing while you wait!
6.) To prepare the cream cheese frosting, you need to beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
7.) After, slowly add the powdered sugar in 1 cup batches until desired sweetness is achieved. You may need less than 3 cups if you like your frosting less sweet.
8.) Now stir in the vanilla. Add milk little by little if you need a looser consistency.
9.) And that's it! With the cake cooled and the frosting made, all that's left is to frost the cake however you want, and you can decorate it with some cut strawberries, or whichever way you'd like! :3 Make sure to refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me!

Old Fashioned Beef Stew


Ingredients

3 lbs. stew meat (or boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
ground pepper
Cajun spice mix (like Tony Chachare's or Slap Ya Mama)
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup flour
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup red wine (if you are under age and cannot buy wine, you can buy cooking wine (which kinda sucks...) or leave it out all together)
3 cups water (or for added flavor, half water/half beef broth, or beef broth to taste, I change it up each time.)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch slices
3 large russet potatores, peeled and cut into eighths (other types of potato can be used)
-Tony Chachere's instant roux powder (optional, but helps make this stew extra delicious. xD)


Preparation

1. Season stew meat with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning liberally. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large heavy pot (one with a tight fitting lid), a cast iron pot or dutch oven are perfect, however if you just have a big non-stick pot, that will work too.

2.When it begins to smoke slightly (don't burn it!), add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches if necessary.

3. Once browned, remove beef with a slotted spoon or tongs, set aside on a plate to use later. DO NOT clean out any of the oil and extra bits!

4. Add onions to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the flour. Cook for 2 mintues stirring often.

6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.

7. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scrapping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.

8. Simmer the wine for 5 minutes. Then add the water (water and broth, whatever you decided on), bay leaves, thyme, and the beef.

9. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.

10. Add potatoes and carrots after the hour is up. Simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. At this point, you can add a little of the Tony Chachere's instant roux poweder to help thicken it and add flavor.

11. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve over freshly cooked white rice! Enjoy!


Notes: if you don't eat beef, you can easily tweak this and make it a chicken or even pork stew. I've made chicken stew other ways, but honestly stews are real basic and up for your interpretation. I've never tried it, but I bet you could even make a vegetarian one too. So just adjust to whatever your tastes and diet are!

Also if you find its too thin and don't have the instant roux powder, let it simmer without a cover for a little bit. Or you can add in a small mixture of water and cornstarch.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me!

This recipe was derived from this one: http://americanfood.about.com/od/classicchowdersandstews/r/beefstew.htm

Holiday Calico Snowball Treats
~NO BAKING REQUIRED~



Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
1 (7 ounce) jar of marshmallow fluff
3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 bags of miniature marshmallows
Colorful and decorative sprinkles and/or shredded coconut


Directions

1. Mix the butter and marshmallow fluff in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes or until melted, stirring occasionally. After mixing the butter and marshmallow fluff add peppermint extract or oil to give it a holiday twist. You can add as much oil.extract as you would like.

2. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth.

3. Pour the sprinkles and/or coconut into individual bowls.

4. Shape 2 teaspoons of the marshmallow mixture around 1 miniature marshmallow.

5. Immediately roll in the coconut or sprinkles until the ball is covered.

6. Place balls onto a wax-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until set. (2 hours)

TIP: Storing the Calico Snowballs in wax paper, in an air tight container can keep them fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.[/size][/center]