Dutch's Birthday

Yes, our little darling is one year old today and we had a wonderful day with him.  His mom, Uncle Bear and I took him to the zoo this morning.  We were there at 9:30 and left at 11:30.  Not a minute to soon because Honey (that's me) and Dutch were about to melt.  Actually, it was really hot but we all had a great time and enjoyed the zoo.  It has changed so much.  I was trying to remember the last time I was there and I know its been at least 15 years.  The zoo has really changed but it is really nice. Lots of misters to cool you down, good picnic area, huge sand box for kids to play in and even a little river for kids to wade in.  Really nice!  I want to go back in the fall or early spring when it is cooler.  I was talking to an employee at the zoo and she said, "if you don't mind a light rain the animals love the rain and come out and play.  It's a good time to see them."

As Dutch's birthday has approached, I have remembered many times the miracle of his birth and that he was a very healthy baby.  I have been very thankful for blessings past and present.   

Dutch is a loving little boy, always happy, very inquisitive, very determined, has strong hands, he's quick, he knows what he wants, he loves music and he sings you just don't know what he is saying, and he is very strong willed which is wonderful!  Our family has been so blessed by this little guy.  We all love him so much and we think he hung the moon.  After all his name is Star Dutch!

Foods That Strengthen Your Immune System

I listened to a video on foods that help strengthen your immune system.  These foods can help prevent cancer and also help in a fight against cancer.

Mushrooms - Three cooked mushrooms a day can help prevent breast cancer. It's important to eat cooked mushrooms.
Garlic
All berries
Turmeric
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, collards)
Leafy Dark Green Vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, Swiss chard, bok choy)
Legumes - beans, peas, lentils
Red Grapes
Walnuts
Celery - This one really surprised me.  I did know that celery helps low your blood pressure and it also helps with gout but was surprised that it was one of the top ten foods to eat to help prevent cancer.

I have a apple shot every morning and I have come to love this.  It's one organic apple, one small garlic clove, a good two inch piece of fresh ginger and a two inch piece of fresh turmeric.  I put all of this through my juicer and I wait about 5 minutes for the garlic to produce the allicin and then I drink it down.  This is one of my morning rituals.

Another morning ritual - this is the first thing I do.  An 8 ounce glass of lemon water.  I used to do cold until a dear friend told me she used warm water and then I read an article on lemon water in the morning and the article said warm water is best.  You wouldn't believe all of the things that warm lemon water will do for you.  Number one thing.... it helps your liver.

It takes a while for us to do the things that are good for our bodies but it is worth it.  You feel so much better.

Some other information I thought was interesting to promote good health, don't sleep in a room with the light on. Don't cook in a Teflon pan, don't use a microwave (I finally took this out of the house and got rid of it.  I didn't cook in the microwave but it was to handy to warm coffee or leftovers.) Drastically limit soda pop.  I can't remember the other things now but there were a couple of things on the list that was surprising to me.  If I remember I'll post it.  It was an interesting video.

Chocolate Cake for Father's Day

This is the cake from the last post only different filling and icing.  The cake is an excellent chocolate cake.  You could use two layers and have chocolate icing for a two layered chocolate cake or use the batter for cupcakes.

The filling I used for this cake is the icing I use when I make a red velvet cake.  The icing is an old fashion icing used on red velvet cakes 30 or 40 years ago.  Most red velvet cakes today don't use this icing.

The filling:

1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cook flour and milk until thick.  Let stand until cool.  Cream sugar and butter then add vanilla.  Add to cooled mixture and beat with mixer until light and fluffy.
I cut both layers in half and completely cooled them and then iced with this filling.

Creamy Fudge Frosting
6 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler; add cocoa and mix well.  Add milk, vanilla and salt.  Cook until slightly thick.  Remove from heat.  Beat while adding sugar.

The family really liked this cake and it really satisfies that chocolate cake craving which I've had for months.  We had a wonderful father's day and celebrated the life of a wonderful dad and pawpaw!

My Daughter's Birthday Cake

I made this in March for our daughter's birthday.  As you can see, the icing turned out grainy. I started using gmo free sugar and I never dreamed that it wouldn't melt like the other sugar does.  So, I haven't been in a big hurry to share this with you.  The cake had a wonderful flavor, it's chocolate with a wonderful caramel filling. At least, I can tell you what to not do.  I got this recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  There are a few little tricks to the filling that you have to do or it will not turn out well. This is a wonderful chocolate cake recipe.  I'm using the cake recipe for a cake for Gary for Father's Day and I'll have pictures and tell you about it tomorrow.

Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325.  Grease 2 9" cake pans and line with parchment paper and grease paper and flour pans. Sift flour, cocoa into a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl mix together buttermilk, water, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk together buttermilk mixture into flour mixture a little at a time until it is blended well and batter is smooth.  Divide batter between two can pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean about 22 to 28 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.  Let cakes cook on wire racks for 15 minutes then remove from pans and discard parchment paper and let cakes cool completely on rack at least 2 hours.

Caramel Filling
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt

Lightly grease a glass 8" square baking pan. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat and cook without stirring until mixture is amber colored.  This takes about 8 to 10 minutes.  When it is amber colored reduce heat to low and continue to cook swirling the mixture in the pan (do not stir).  When mixture reaches a dark amber about 2-5 minutes the caramel is usually done but check temperature with a candy thermometer and make sure it is 375-380 degrees or it isn't done and your caramel will not turn out right.  Take this mixture off of heat and stir in heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt (mixture will bubble up and steam) but continue to stir and return to medium heat and cook.  Now, you stir frequently until smooth and caramel reaches 240-245 degrees about 3-5 degrees.  Carefully transfer caramel to prepared 8" square pan and let cool until just warm to touch about 20 to 30 minutes.  You want to have your cake already cooled when you start this caramel because when the caramel has cooled to where it is warm you want to put it on the layers of your cake.  It will get to hard where it won't spread if it totally cools.  The filling of this cake is the hardest part. 

Frosting

16 tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Process butter, sugar, salt and cocoa in a food processor until smooth about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl.  Add corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined 5-10 seconds and scrape down sides, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy about 10-15 seconds.  Frosting can be made 3 hours in advance.  For longer storage, cover and refrigerate.  Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before using. 

Use a serrated knife and score the cake by horizontal line around side of each layer then follow scored lines and cut each layer into 2 even layers.  Using a rubber spatula transfer 1/3 of caramel to center of 1 cake layer and use a small offset  spatula to spread over the surface leaving 1/2 inch border around edges.  Repeat with remaining caramel and 2 remaining cake layers.

Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.  Let cake stand 1 hour before slicing.  This cake can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated.  Let stand at room temperature at least 5 hours before serving. 

Oklahoma Sunset

On the way home yesterday evening, the sun was a huge red orange ball! Oklahoma sunsets always beautiful~

Baked Potato Wedges

Most of our family really like buffalo wild wings except me.  So I decided I would try my hand at some and they really turned out good according to all the guys.  They were the ones here for dinner that night.  I just seasoned with salt and pepper and a little garlic powder and fried them in hot grease. I had bought some wing sauce and warmed that according to the directions and I also had homemade ranch dressing for dipping them. The guys were in hog's heaven or should I say, chicken heaven. Bah! 

When I was thinking about something to go with the wings I came up with these baked potato wedges and they turned out great.  I loved them! Just scrub your potatoes and dry them off.  Then cut them in half and them cut the half in half again.  If that half is too big you might want to cut it again.  I then put salt and pepper to taste on the wedges.  In a bowl I mixed about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.  I guessing on these measurements for spices.  You can try this and you might want to add a little more of something according to your taste.  But mix this up well and then I put the potato wedges in a plastic bag and poured in the Parmesan cheese mixture and coated the wedges well with this.  I then put them on a cookie sheet and drizzled olive oil over them and baked them at 400 degrees for an hour. 

Since the wings, I have made them with hamburgers.  I love the flavor and it doesn't take long to make them.  These are a lot better than those flavored frozen French fries you get at the store.

Wonderful Sunday Morning!

We were awakened this morning with my husband's storm alarm going off on his phone.  It was a flash flood warning.  We went to bed at 9:00 last night so it was 6:30 and I was ready to get up.  I made coffee and sat and listened to the rain and the thunder.  It was wonderful! The coffee just topped everything off.  My picture of the dark clouds to the south doesn't look quite as ominous as they did with the naked eye.  Anyway, a perfect rainy Sunday morning!

I will have some interesting things to share with you in the days ahead.  I've been reading a lot and my daughter and I went on a wonderful vacation/spiritual retreat to Portland, Oregon. I've also been trying some new recipes that I want to share with you.

I wish you a relaxing day and as summer gets into full swing I'm hoping you enjoy all the wonderful things about this season.

xo