Chocolate Cake

We like cake here but we love chocolate cake the most and we were having a going away party for a little friend since military families move at the oddest of times.  So as a last minute request, I whipped up this cake that could serve 16 very well.

Homemade Chocolate Cake batter pre wet ingredients.

What? There’s coffee in my chocolate cake?  Yep, it helps enhance the chocolate flavor.  Make sure it’s hot freshly brewed coffee.

All ready for the oven.  I chose just to pour it all into one round pan but I would actually put it in 2 rounds and make it a fabulous layered cake with a homemade strawberry frosting in the center and a yummy marshmallow fluff frosting ( I have a recipe for that ) on the outside.  But alas our guest was arriving soon and I had homemade pizza to make. So it just ended up with Marshmallow fluff frosting on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter; Cubed and Room Temperature
• 4 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar; Chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh Brewed Coffee
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 round pans generously with Butter. Set aside. In a Large bowl, whisk together the Flour, Cocoa, and Baking Soda. Add Sugar and whisk together until well incorporated. Make a well in your Flour mix; set aside. In a Medium bowl, Add Butter and Chocolate pieces.  Pour the hot Fresh Brewed Coffee over the Butter and Chocolate. Stir until the Chocolate is melted. If you need to melt the Chocolate more, put the microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir until smooth.  Pour Chocolate mixture into the well and whisk together until Flour mixture is thoroughly mixed together. Stir each Egg into the Batter.  Stir Yogurt into the batter with a spoon.  Pour Cake Batter into baking pans.  Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies are the most classic sweet I know and I could eat them all day.  In fact while I’m making these I easily eat 8 cookies.  Part of it is because I test them after each batch is baked and then I eat 3 more for good measures.  For what ever reason I didn’t take that many photographs during this cookie making day but I did get the important ones. I add oil to the batter to help them stay fresher and softer longer.  But you can do the old age trick of adding a slice of bread to your cookie jar and it keeps them soft for a couple of weeks, if you’re cookies aren’t eaten by then.

I use a cookie dough scoop to drop my cookies on the cookie sheet and I do believe the cookie dough scooper was the best baking tool ever invented.  Get yourself one!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350°.  In a Medium Bowl, Whisk together the Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.  Set aside.  In a Large Bowl, Beat the Butter until creamy.  Add Sugar, Brown Sugar and beat until smooth.  Add one Egg at a time and beat until mixed in.  Add Oil and Vanilla Extract.  Beat until batter is smooth.  Slowly add Flour and beat until batter is smooth.  Stir in Chocolate Chips.  Scoop dough onto cookie sheet 3 rows, 4 columns.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from Oven and let cool for a minute then set cookies on a cookie sheet to let it finish cooling.  Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Recipe Shopping List

We’re baking Classics this weekend

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Butter

Chocolate Cake

• Semi-Sweet Baking Bar
• Butter
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Cocoa Powder
• Coffee
• Powdered Sugar or Frosting of your choice

You’ll need other ingredients but those are staple kitchen items that you probably already have on hand; like milk, flour, sugar and eggs.

Related articles

• Chocolate Chip Cookies (raisinguproses.wordpress.com)
• Chocolate Cake (raisinguproses.wordpress.com)

Creamy Potato Salad

“RIP Medium size Pyrex Bowl”
The eldest daughter dropped it while opening the back hatch for me. Bless her. She was upset that she broke my bowl but I told her it can be replaced.

I am planning on making this potato salad on Monday for Labor Day. I wanted to share with you my original recipe (the one in photo had to be onion and mustard free so I jazzed it up with red peppers) and while others make theirs tangy I like to take the bite out it and have a little sweetness.  My husband does not like onions so I have to omit the shallots when I know he wants to eat some. You can also add chopped dill pickles or celery.  What ever your little heart desires, feel free to be creative.

Ingredients:
• 6 medium potatoes; peeled and diced
• 2 Hard Boiled eggs; peeled and diced
• 1 Shallot; minced
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Paprika
• Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Mayo
• 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 3 tbsp. Mustard
• 2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

Directions:
In a Large pot of water, boil potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain water and fill pot with cold water until potatoes are cool to touch. In a Medium bowl, stir together Salt, Onion Powder, Paprika, Pepper, Mayo, Greek Yogurt, Mustard and Maple Syrup. Turn in the Shallots, Hard Boiled Eggs and Potatoes.  Place in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

One Pot Pasta

This is a simple dish that is quick to make and it’s so cheesy, everybody loves to eat it.  I use a deep Pot because I make a lot of it and my skillet is not large enough to hold it all.  Leftover pasta always tastes better than the first time. Now let’s make Dinner in under 25 minutes.

4 Easy steps to One Pot of Pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 cup Mezze Penne Pasta
• 2 cups Water
• Jar of Pasta Sauce
• 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese; Divided

Directions:

In a Large pot, Brown the Ground Beef on Medium heat.  Add the Mezze Penne and Water, bring the Water to a Boil and cook for 10 minutes; stirring frequently.  Reduce Heat to Low. Stir in Pasta Sauce and 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese. Cook for an additional 2 minutes stirring constantly to melt the cheese. Remove from Heat. Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella Cheese and Cover for 5 minutes. Serves 6-8 people.

Note: There will be a little water left before you add the pasta sauce.  This is okay.

Banana Bread

This is a classic recipe and my family loves when I make it… I love the smell of it baking.  I put my own twist on the classic because my daughter and I prefer not to have walnuts.  I use nutmeg in place of the nuts and some lemon zest to bring in a sweet fresh flavor.

As always make sure your Bananas are good and ripe.

I use my trusty mini food processor to “mash” them.  If you like Banana chunks in your bread then use a fork and mash them.

I use this flour, it makes the bread more dense than using All-Purpose Flour. It’s a matter of feeling like I am making my family eat healthier whenever I can.

Before and After.  Breads made with All-Purpose Flour rise more.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1 Egg
• 3 medium Bananas; Mashed
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 1 tsp. Lemon Zest from 1 Lemon

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350°. In a Large Bowl, Whisk together the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Ground Cinnamon, and Ground Nutmeg.  Make a Well in the center and set aside.  In a Medium Bowl, Stir together the Egg, Bananas, Sugar, Canola Oil, and Lemon Zest.  Pour the Egg mixture into the Well you made earlier. Stir with a Whisk to combine all the ingredients.  Spray a Loaf pan with Non-Stick Spray and pour in the batter.  Bake for 48 to 53 minutes.  Once done remove from the Oven and let it cool to touch. Then remove the Bread from the pan and let it finish cooling on a Cooling Rack.

Tip:  To get the most moist bread wrap it in Aluminum Foil and let it set for 8 hours.

Recipe Shopping List

Banana Bread

• 3 Ripe Bananas
• 1 Lemon

One Pot Pasta

• One Box of Mezze Penne
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Pasta Sauce
• Hamburger meat

You’ll need other ingredients but those are staple kitchen items that you probably already have on hand; like milk, flour, sugar and eggs.

Live In Parents – Almost

My parents arrived here last week, and they brought all their household items with them. As a Military Spouse you never imagine being able to be stationed so close to family but because they have always loved the Southwest and we just happen to be in the prime location, it’s happened and I couldn’t be more excited!  I love my parents and they are so easy going that it’s nice to be so close to them.  We were close growing up too, makes me wish my sisters and brother were here as well. With or without the siblings, this is a blessing for my husband and I, maybe we can start dating again. Crossing my fingers so tight for that one. Well, I’ve been cooking and baking for them every day they’ve been here so I have a couple of recipes to share that I need to download pictures for and I need to get to work on my Part 2 of Jerusalem – The City of Prophesies.  I promise I’ll get my life together soon, so I have regular posts again.

 

Related articles

• Jerusalem: The City of Prophesies – Part One (raisinguproses.wordpress.com)

Jerusalem: The City of Prophesies – Part One

I have been thinking about this for some time now and I really want to do a study on the Biblical History of Jerusalem.  I enjoy History and Jerusalem is so richly immersed in it. So much in fact that it’s the same place that contains Mount Moriah, on which Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.  This place was chosen for a reason.  It’s the same location that Jesus was nailed to the cross.

14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Genesis 22:14

On that mountain God provided our salvation.  There are multiple parallels between Abraham and Isaac making the journey to the summit of the mountain and Jesus making his Journey to the summit of the same mountain.  Isaac carries his bundle of wood as Jesus carried his cross; Isaac was bound and placed upon the alter as Jesus was bound and nailed to the cross.  In the end it is only Jesus, Our Savior, that was sacrificed for our sins and the sins of all our children.  The city that was destroyed twice, besieged 23 times,  attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times; is the birthplace of Christianity, the place of the Death, the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord.  All these were foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament.

16  Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  17  When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.  18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

51  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into Heaven.  52  Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

Luke 24:51-52

In Part 2, I’ll share more history and prophesies about Jerusalem. There is lots to learn.

Musical Monday Inspiration

Mandisa ” Overcomer”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z29olPjFbqg

I needed to hear this song.  Sometimes we all need to know that God is there for us even when we’re fighting for our lives.  Or when we feel like our lives are not what we want them to be.