Tuesday, November 17, 2009

C'mon, I'm Taking My Vitamins!

My mom reminded me that I said I was going to post about "healthy" stuff too. It looks like I've been on vacation from "healthy," but I haven't. I've been drinking "blue-goodness" and water, choosing "wheat" over "white," taking my vitamins... AND cooking stuff that tastes good. Is it because it's winter in Utah? The long dark days that simply call for comfort food? We aren't even at the darkest part of winter yet! Lately, when I find a highly rated recipe it's like it's burning a hole in my pocket until I try it out.

So, I've had a recipe and an ingredient that I never have on hand "buttermilk." I also found some recipes that appear to be tried and true by the Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond). The buttermilk met cocoa and it was a happy thing! Here are 2 recipes that are keepers:
  • "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever" (Photo above) This is the yummiest chocolate cake I have ever made. Love the buttermilk in it! Kind of fluffy like the cake at my elementary school!
  • "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich" Everybody thought this was a really good sandwich, even Eric! The Squirrel loved it (note: the Squirrel is not a nut loving rodent, but a dog)!
One recipe I don't recommend is Lazy Chiles Rellenos. Maybe it's the altitude difference. I think less milk would have made it set up better. I like my eggs cooked, for sure!

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake 

Cake Batter:
2 C Flour
2 C Sugar
¼ t Salt
4 T (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 Cup Boiling Water
½ C Buttermilk
2 Beaten Eggs
1 t Baking Soda
1 t Vanilla

Frosting:
½ C Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 T (heaping) Cocoa
6 T Milk
1 t Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

"In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake. Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever."

Source: Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman

2 comments:

  1. very cute blog! I want togo start cooking! you are an inspiration to us all!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey! You've made M.M. Favorite Sandwich? I was looking at it in the cook book at B&N the other day and have come across it on her blog too. It looks pretty good. I think I might have to get the cook book.

    ReplyDelete

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