Monday, February 27, 2012

Easy Beef Stroganoff















1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. beef broth
4 oz. can mushrooms including juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles
chopped fresh parsley

Fry ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef until browned, stirring often. Set beef aside. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender. Pour off fat. Add soup, broth, mushrooms, and paprika. Heat to a boil. Stir in sour cream and return beef to skillet. Heat through. Serve over hot noodles. Sprinkle with parsley.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
















Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or oatmeal


Cake:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


Combine topping ingredients, set aside. For cake, cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat until combined. Pour half of the batter in a greased 9 x 13 x 2 baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the topping. Add remaining batter, and then topping. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Addition: sandwiched a can of peach pie filling in between the layers.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Cake Mix Recipes: Red Velvet Cookies w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
















1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup canned cream cheese frosting or homemade
¼ cup chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients together. This will make a cookie dough. Roll into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten down slightly (depending on the thickness you desire). Bake at 375° until the tops crackle (about 8-10 minutes) or until desired doneness. Frost cooled cookies with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce package cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup stick margarine or butter -- softened
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, margarine, milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frosts one 13 × 9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts one 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake. Refrigerate any remaining frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled, with the margarine.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Planning My Valentine’s Table

I  am playing around with my dishes today to see what I can come up with for a Valentine Tablescape for next week. I have not yet used any of these items before except the Ravel dishes which I used for the holiday's this past November and December. The rest of the items I had been collecting to go with the dish sets over the last several months and now its time to see what I can come up with.

I had a Moss Rose China set that I had been using for the last 3 or 4 year for my Valentine’s Dinner. I had a nice collection of embellishment like table cloths and decorations but my oldest daughter got married and moved out in October so I gave the whole lot of it to her so this year I am starting over. You can visit my 2010 posts about my Rose Valentine Tablescape and my Rose Valentine Dessert Tablescape by clicking on the links.

My best china which I got this fall at a church rummage sale for $40 is a 10 piece set of RAVEL by NORITAKE which includes 10 Cup & Saucer Sets, 10 Dinner Plates, 10 Salad Plates, and10 Bread and Butter Plates.















I also have a set of SPRING CLASSIC by SOCIETY that I got this past summer at a thrift store for $30 that set has no Dinner Plates but it does have an Oval Vegetable Bowl, Oval Serving Platter, Sugar Bowl and Lid, Creamer, 8 Bread And Butter Plates, and 8 Footed Cup & Saucer Sets. As you can see they are still in the box wraped in tape and need cleaned.
















I plan to mix these two set for my dinner party of 5 people by using just the serving pieces from the Spring Classic Set and all the needed pieces from the Ravel set.

Last week I bought some nice glasses at the thrift store for $3.00 for a set of 6.















Since my dish color is blue I am have been collecting things to add to that color with a White Tablecloth, Blue & White Flowered Table Runner, and Set of 8 Blue Cloth Napkins. At a thrift store last month I got the table runner for $1.00 and the napkins for $2.00.















I am thinking of using this as my centerpiece the candlesticks I paid $2.00 set, birdhouse perfume bottle $3.00, and the flower arrangement $3.00 this past summer at different thrift stores.















I don't think it is very Valentiney colors but this is what I have and I do think it will all look good together ofcourse once it all comes together on the table I may do some figiting with it so you will have to stop by next week to see how it all comes together. What do you think?