All American

It's All American Night!

Janice:

Main Dish: All American Lasagna

Time: 1 hour 45 mintues

Source: Taste of Home, Comfort Food Cookbook

Comments:  I have never even attempted to make anything like this before.  Fortunately, I had picked a very easy lasagna recipe.  When I started looking I couldn't believe how many different variations there were.  I was also concerned with the number of calories (which some were very very high in).  The recipe called for ground beef and I substituted ground turkey.  I really liked this recipe.  It was not heavy but very light and had much less calories due to using cottage cheese and mozarrella cheese.  I will try this again and it was a simple recipe to make.  I just takes a while to cook (about 1-1/2 hours).

Comments from Melissa: I don't usually eat lasagna - not quite sure why, maybe it's because everyone in the world loves it and I just have to be different, haha.  But I saw the ingredients Mom was using and I was a little worried that it called for cottage cheese LOL - I kept asking her if she read the recipe right =)  But it turned out yummy! I ate my whole slice that night and another slice the next day.  Good job Mom  - but I probably wont eat it next time if you cook it - 1st time's a charm ;)

Comments from Tammy:  Ok, don't let Mom fool you.  She used ground turkey, because she kind of had too.  I don't eat red meat.  I know Mom thinks that I am a little difficult to cook for because of that, but look at what a great substitute ground turkey is for ground beef.  I really liked this recipe. It looked pretty easy, definitely easier than traditional lasagna.  I would definitely make this for my family.  I think this is one that even the kids will enjoy.  Go Mom, Go Mom!!!!

Tammy
Side Dish: All American Corn Bread
Source: GroupRecipes.com
Time: 30 minutes

Comments:  I have to admit that this recepie was too easy for one of our cooking nights.  But, my justification is that I have never made a cornbread before.  Therefore I am going to let my self off the hook on this one :)  As far as the recipe and how it turned out?  Well, it couldn't have been any easier and it was so yummy!  Let me tell you, I have had a lot of dry cornbread in my day..... but not here. Not even close!  It was so moist and fluffy and I impressed Lissa with this one.  If I can impress Lissa then the recipe is definitely a keeper.   :)

Comments from Janice:  Our theme as you can tell was All American due to the 4th being so close to our cooking date.  The cornbread was yummy.  It was a very sweet cornbread as there are so many different kinds of cornbread.  The other difference was that this called for full kernals of corn.  The bread was sooo moist and soft and it is good hot with butter or very cold just out of the refrigerator or room temperature.

Comments from Melissa: I looooved this cornbread!  It was sooo tasty all warm and fresh from the oven - a perfect compliment to any meal and looked super easy =)  Great job Sis!  I even had a piece the next day, cold without butter and it was yuuuumy!



Melissa
Dessert: All American Apple Pie
Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes


Comments: Woo Hoo!!! Go me! =) I can't believe I actually made an apple pie from scratch! I think it's something that every cook should know how to throw together (and I'm sure most of you do) but I had never attempted anything like this, especially not the crust too, and it turned out sooo tasty.  I poured just a little bit of carmel on top and served it warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream mmm mmm!  This is a definite winner!  Especially if I perfected it haha

Comments from Janice:  Yeh, Lissa.  This pie was yummy.  I will say that I am not a pie person, but I LOVED this one.  It was very sweet and tasty.  The only thing that might make it even better is to cut the apple slices even smaller, because they were a little crunchy.  Even so, great job.

Comments from Tammy:  My baby sister, who, this time last year, could not boil noodles, is making apple pie.    WHAT???????  I am very proud of you Sista!    This was a really yummy recipe and very doable.  I have made some pies with complicated crust recipes, but this crust was fairly easy.  It didn't quite stretch far enough so that Lissa could crimp the edges, but that didn't matter.  It was pretty and very delicious.  Good Job Lis!   Are you turning into a cook?  Could that be?  You go girl!

Recipes

American Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 3/4 cups water

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups (16 oz) fat free cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato paste, and spaghetti mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a small bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spread 2 cups meat sauce in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, half of cottage cheese mixture and half of reamining meat sauce. Repeat layers.

3. cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Cornbread:

Ingredients:

2 cups biscuit baking mix

1 cup butter

1 cup half and half

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs fork beaten

1, 11 oz can of sweet corn kernals, drained

Directions:

1. Warm half and half with butter to melt butter and when warm, add to remaining combined ingredients (except eggs and corn).

2. Blend well then stir in eggs and corn.

3. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or tested done and golden.

4. Let cool then serve.

All American Apple Pie:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cold milk

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 fuji apples, cored and sliced

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. To make crust: In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, oil, milk 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, spreading dough evenly over the bottom and up sides. Crimp edges of the dough around perimeter.

3. To make filling: Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly into unbaked pie shell.

4. To make topping; Using a pastry cutter, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.

5. Put pie in the oven on a cookie sheet to catch the juices that may spill over. Bake 45 minutes.

Fat churros

IT'S MEXICAN THEME NIGHT!

Melissa

Main Dish: Mexican Chicken Pizza with Cornmeal Crust

Source: Cooks.com

Ready in: 40 minutes

Comments:  This wasn't truly a Mexican pizza, I don't think because it was missing beans and rice =)  But overall it was an easy recipe with lots of yummy ingredients and I loved the taste.  Super yummy and I think it would satisfy all ages. 

Comments from Janice:  I really loved this pizza (although a special corner of it was made just for ME.  I am not a fan of cilantro or bell peppers, so it was left off of my piece.  It was funny though because the dough did not behave itself.  The recipe called for kneeding and Lissa did it with her hands.  We thought the dough was not going to happen because it stuck to her hands.  I stated that I thought more flour was needed, but she was afraid it would take away from the recipe.  She put it back in the mixer to kneed and then took it out again to try and do manually.  It STUCK again.  She finally worked it out and we had a pizza crust.  Those are some of the things we learn with trying different things.

Comments from Tammy:  A little comedy is always called for on our cooking nights and Lissa provided it for us this time.  I mean really, how do you knead a dough that won't come off of your fingers, even when extra flour is added.  I thought for sure this dough was going to be too hard to eat.  But, actually it turned out soft and really yummy.  I don't think I have ever had a mexican pizza.  So for a first timer, I really liked it.  I do have to agree that we needed beans, rice and Don Jose salsa to make it feel complete.  Next time we will be sure to do that.   :)  Good job Lis!

Janice
Side Dish: Sweet Corn Cake
Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour


Comments:  This recipe was different than anything that I have every tried.  It was a very simple one.  I thought these little squares were very delicious and I would try it again.  It does always compliment the Spanish cuisene.


Comments from Melissa: The corncakes were very tasty.  I've always like the ones they used to serve at El Torrito and I think this was even better!  Good job mom, even though it was easy =)  But definitely one I would cook over and over with any meal. 


Comments from Tammy:  Super easy and really yummy.  Very moist and sweet.  I make something similar to this on Christmas Eve and it is always a big hit.  Made from scratch and super easy?  You can't go wrong with that, right?  Good Job, Mom.




Tammy:
Dessert: Churros
Source: Allrecipes.com

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes


Comments:  I have to say "boooo" to the churro.  I don't know, this one just did not work out like I wanted it to.  And I had high hopes.  The dough was simple enough to make, but you were supposed to put it in the pastry bag (or in my case, ziploc) while it was still warm.  Yet even after letting it cool it was still too hot for the bag and too hot to touch.  I had three bags burst on me.  Then, the recipe just said to let cook till golden brown, which I did, but the inside wasn't really cooked.   Even after putting them back in the oil to cook longer the inside was just too doughy.  I don't like a recipe that isn't specific.  Just tell me how long to cook the thing for goodness sake!  I would dump this recipe and try a new one.   It just wasn't worth all the effort.  I love the challenge though :)

Comments from Melissa: These were funny to watch Sis make.  She was second guessing the recipe the whole time and a little stressed that they wouldn't turn out.  I think they did turn out pretty well although they were short and fat - so looked kind of funny LOL.  But good try with these Sis, I thought overall the taste was perfect with the sugar - not sure how you could have made these cook better.  I'm definitely not the person to ask about that haha

Comments from Janice:  I thought the churros were very tasty.  There was a little trouble with getting them to cook all the way through.  We weren't sure whether it was caused by the oil being too hot or not.  Anyway, Tammy cooked them longer than the recipe called for and the outside was a little toastier.  They were good anyway even if some of the centers were a little doughy.

RECIPES

Janice:

Sweet Corn Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup masa harina

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. In medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. Add the Mexican corn flour and water and beat until well mixed.

2. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.

3. In a seperate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. allow to cool for 10 minutes. use an ice cream scoop for easy removal from pan.

Melissa:

Mexican Chicken Pizza with Cornmeal Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

additional cornmeal

2 cups mexican cheese blend (8oz)

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can (14.5 oz) organic fire roasted diced tomatoes or plain diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees

2. In medium bowl, stir together 3/4 cup of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. Stir in warm water and oil. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on high spead 1 minute. Stir in 1/3 cup cornmeal and remaining 3/4 cup flour to make a soft dough. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. cover and let rest 10 minutes.

3. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with additional cornmeal. Press dough into 14x10-inch rectangle on cookie sheet; prick with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges just begin to turn brown. sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese blend. Top with chicken, tomatoes and bell pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake 6 to 8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with green onion and cilantro.

Tammy:

Churros

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegatble oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

16 cups oil for frying

1 cup white sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.

2. Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees. Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.

3. combing 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Tammy:
Main Dish: Mushroom Risotto
Source: Allrecipes.com
Submitted by Myleen


Comments : Let me just say how proud I was at this dish.  I am a big fan of risotto in restaurants.  It is always delicious, so I wanted to brave this scary dish myself.  It is definitely intimidating.  Something so delicious can't be easy right?  Well, kind of.  It really wasn't a difficult dish to make, but it was very time consuming.  You have to attend to the rice constantly.  I stirred until I didn't think I would be able to go on, only to find that I had another 15 minutes of stirring to go.  Was it worth it, you may ask ................

Absolutely.  This dish was amazing.  The amount of mushrooms that went into it was a little frightening, but it turned out fabulous.   Would I make this on an average night for dinner?  No way!  This is not a dish that you can make while sharing the kitchen with a two year old.  However, I will make it the next time that I want to impress my hubby on date night.    He won't know what hit him :)


Comments from Melissa:  This was great to watch but holy cow did it take FOREVER to make! LOL I enjoyed eating it and watching Sis make it - but it's not worth it for me haha, I like easy recipes.  But good job Sis, way to finally try something you always said you wanted to.  It was super yummy and the mushrooms were perfect!


Comments from Mom: Wow.  I really loved this dish.  I first thought that the whole recipe was going to be mushrooms.  Also, it took a great amount of time to put together and finish.  But, wow the finished result was nothing like I expected.  I always make up my mind before I even try a recipe and I am learning not to prejudge.  Good job Tammy as it passed the MOM test.

Janice
Dessert - Raspberry-Topped Cream Tarts
Source:  Taste of Home Comfort Food Cookbook


Comment:  This was a very light and tasty dessert.  First, I did not have a biscuit cutter so I used a glass approximately the size of 3-1/2 inches.  Then I cut the tortilla rounds with scissors.  That was okay.  I think they could have been a little bit bigger because the cups were a little too small.  The next thing was that I needed a wire rack to cool on (didn't have), although that was not a big deal.  The recipe was very easy to make.  You could use just about any fruit to top the cups.  The one last thing was the recipe said to store the leftovers in the refrigerator, but after a few hours the tortilla cups were not crispy anymore.  They became a little soggy.  Overall, good job.


Comments from Melissa: It's hillarious to watch Mom cook because she really doesn't measure anything or go by the recipe...she kinda eye-balls all the measurements and then if she's missing something, she says, "oh well" and then moves right on along. Haha It's too funny.  Somehow, most things turn out pretty good.  These were good but you could definitely taste the extract that she measured over the bowl she was mixing the ingredients in - in which she overflowed the measuring spoon and still poured it all in LOL.  Love you mom!



Comments from Tammy:  Good job Mom.  These were very pretty.  A great dessert if you want to impress your guests.   One thing that we have learned about Mom is that exact measurements are not her thing.  Ha, ha.  As a result, these had a strong flavor from the almond extract.  I think a little extra spilled over into the mixture.  You can judge for yourself when we watch the video :)  Aside from that these tasted good and looked beautiful.  I am proud of Mom's dedication to this one.  Cutting the tortilla's was no easy task.




Melissa
Side Dish: Twice Baked Potatoes
I lost the recipe...sorry!  =(


Comments: These make me look like a real chef!! I loved making them because they were challenging (for me) and involved and look so pretty once they are done.  Definitely pleasing to the eye and something I would make again if I wanted to impress.  Cutting the potatoes open was difficult for me because I didn't understand what the recipe was saying (not descriptive enough) and the skins kept craking and I thought they were going to be a disaster.  But Sis gave me a suggestion that worked and I was able to save a few.  Yummy!


Comments from Tammy:  It's called teamwork Sis.  That is why we are doing this together and not on our own.  Can you imagine if we didn't have each other's help?  Ha, ha.....  Anyway these potatoes were very pretty.  Definitely one to impress.  The flavor of the actual potato was much like a baked potato.  Not a ton of flavor.  Lissa said when she ate it that if you want to impress you make these potatoes, but for an everyday dinner for your family, this is a little too much effort.  Just do regular baked potatoes instead.  Good job Sista!!!

Comments from Mom:  Sorry you lost the recipe because I would have tried this recipe.  It was a little involved, but overall they turned out yummy.  This would be a recipe to use if you were really trying to impress because the presentation was really nice.  The recipe was a little hard to follow in some of its instructions (as far as some of the wording).  So it was a little difficut to try and figure out what was meant.  Good job Lissa for haning in there with it and ending up with a winner.

Recipes

Mushroom Risotto:

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

- In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.

- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.

- Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Raspberry Topped Cream Tarts

Ingredients:

1 tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 flour tortillas (8 inches)

Warm water

1 pkg. (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

3 tbs. sugar

1 to 2 tbs. fat-free milk

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.  Cut tortillas with a 3-1/2 in. biscuit cutter; discard tortillas scraps.  Brush both sides of tortillas rounds with warm water.  Spray tops with cooking spray; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.  Press into ungreased muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool in pans on wire racks.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, milk and almond extract; mix well.  Spoon into the tortillas shells; top with the raspberries.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yield:  16 servings.

You Call That Frosting?

Tammy
Side Dish
Classic Marinara
Source: CDKitchen.com

Comments:  What can I say other than this was a complete disaster.  I have had a few in the past, but nothing that left the food inedible.  Only Lissa has experienced that :)  Ha, ha!  Sorry sis, couldn't help it.  But really, what was up with this recipe?   I double and tripled checked to make sure that I didn't miss something, and I didn't.  I followed the recipe to a tee.  Did the person who wrote the recipe actually never make it before?  I know many of you can relate (or maybe Lissa and I are the only ones who have ever experienced this) to how bad it sucks to buy ingredients, spend time preparing something, only to have to pour it down the drain cause it tasted so terrible.  At least I kept positive!  (Don't tell her I said so, but I am not sure that I can say the same about Lissa when it came to her frosting flop, ssshhhhhhh!)


Janice:  Well, what can I say.  When Tammy was cooking this, I commented on how many onions that were being put in it.  I thought there were way toooooo many.  But, the proof was in the eating.  I tried to eat it and be really nice, but even I had to admit that the recipe was not a good one.  Well, we chalk it up to the learning process.  We still had fun making it.


Melissa: Okay....so, this recipe...not good.  Ahaha, sorry Sis.  Love ya!  But, seriously, yuck.  I do like mild onion flavor, but this was marinara was like, "Would you care for some sauce with your onions??" LOL  It was too strong that I couldn't take but a few bites of it.  But, nice try Sis - looks like you strike again!




Tammy
Side Dish
Italian Style Garlic Bread
Source: Cooks.com






Comments: Thank goodness I was able to have a second chance this time.  So glad that I decided to make bread also.  I think since the bread was so good, we can just pretend that the marinara never happened right?  Right Lis?  .....   Yeah, right.  She will never let me live it down!  Oh, well.  I will just have to redeem. This garlic bread was so good.  So easy.  This will become a regular dish at my house.  Now, I just need to find a marinara recipe to go with it :)



Janice: This bread recipe was scrumptious.  As Tammy said that it was sooooooooo good that we forgot about the marinara sauce.  I would definitely make this recipe again.  This made up for the not so good recipes.


Melissa: Yum Yum!  It looked super easy and I think it tastes way better than the frozen kind you can buy at the store. I will definitely make this again.  Sis, good thing you added this to your menu because otherwise you would have had nothing to celebrate ;)  Good decision.

Janice
Main Dish
Tender Turkey Meatballs
Source:  Taste of Home Comfort Food Cookbook


Comments:  Yeah!  The turkey meatballs were very tasty.  We ended up with about 38 meatballs because Devyn was making small ones and I was doing larger ones.  That was great fun.  I did not realize that they needed to be baked on a rack so that the juices could run off.  So, I had to kind of wipe off each meatball separately of any sediment from baking.  Oh well, live and learn.


Melissa: Let me just start by saying, like I did in the video, that I'm not a meatball person. HAHA because I seriously would never choose to make this recipe myself.  That being said, Mom did a good job - even though she doesn't know how to check if they are done, she just says the are!  They turned out yummy and I think the kids and husbands would love them.


Tammy: Yay Meatballs!  I love them.  I thought these were so yummy.  I do have to say that I really don't like green pepper, but all the flavors mixed together turned out good.  Good thing Mom's meatballs turned out good or we would have had nothing but dessert to eat!  Devyn really enjoyed making these with her Grandma.  This is definitely a fun recipe for the kids.   These probably would have been even better had they had a great marinara to go with them :)

Melissa 

Dessert

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Source: CountryLiving.com

Yields: 2 dozen cupcakes

Total Time: 50 min

Comments: UGH!!!  I just wanted to pull out my hair!  Sorry for all who watched the video cuz I was sooo frustrated. HAHA oh! and sorry Sis for snipping at you.  That's called LOVE ;)~  Anyways, the only thing we can think is that I didn't let the white chocolate cool completely (but the recipe didn't call for that) and that because it was slightly warm, it melted the butter and ruined my frosting.  In any case, I improvised and was able to make a different topping that worked well.  As for the muffin cups, I have no idea why people use those (can someone please explain!!) because I even made more cupcakes that night and sprayed them and the cake still stuck to them!  AHHH

Tammy: Ha, ha!  I love ya Sis!  Is it bad that I have more fun when you are frustrated?  It makes for a much better video I think.  Bad frosting and cupcakes that stuck!  Despite all that they tasted really great.  The frosting was too labor intensive anyway.   I am sure that there is a much better and much easier  recipe out there.  Don't worry Sis,  I am sure that it wasn't your fault :)  Well, maybe it was (ha, ha).


Janice: Hey, I thought that the cupcakes were great.  Yes, there was a little problem about the frosting that didn't come out right but all was fixed in the end.  As for the sticking problem, we thought that the silicon cups were non-stick.  Apparently, they are not.  Lissa was able to come up with a different frosting and all was goooooood.  The cake tasted really good and we just dug them out of the little cups.

Recipes

Classic Marinara:

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive or vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1/4 cup grated carrot
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounce size) crushed tomatoes with basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Hot cooked pasta, if desired

Directions:

Heat oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions, carrot and garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in tomatoes, parsley and oregano; season with salt and pepper. 

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes. Serve over pasta

Italian Style Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp minced garlic

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients. Spread on sliced french loaf. Broil until golden on ungreased baking sheet.  Makes 3/4 cup.  May be stored in covered container for up to 1 month.

Tender Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 package (12 ounces) spaghetti

5 cups meatless spaghetti sauce

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients.  Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.  Shape into 30 balls about 1 in. each.  Place meatballs on a rack coated with cooking spray in a shallow baking pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until juices run clear; drain.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.  Transfer meatballs to a large saucepan; add spaghetti sauce.  Heat through.  Drain spaghetti; top with meatballs and sauce.

Yield:  6 servings

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cake

• 1/3 cup(s) cocoa
• 3 tablespoon(s) red food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup(s) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 4  egg yolks
• 1 cup(s) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 1/4 cup(s) sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon(s) white vinegar

Frosting

• 1 cup(s) milk
• 3 tablespoon(s) flour
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
• 8 ounce(s) of either 62 percent dark chocolate or white chocolate
• 1 cup(s) butter
• 1 1/2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) cocoa (for white chocolate frosting, omit cocoa)
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup cupcake tins with baking papers and set aside. Mix the cocoa, food coloring, and vanilla together in a small bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed. Add the yolks and beat for 1 more minute. Add the cocoa mixture and beat to combine. Stir the buttermilk and salt together and add it in thirds, alternating with the flour. Mix the baking soda with the vinegar and blend into the batter. Fill each cupcake tin with 3 tablespoons batter, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cupcake center tests clean — about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release cakes and cool completely before frosting with Cooked Chocolate Frosting.
2. Frosting: Whisk milk, flour, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble — 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. Melt either dark chocolate or white chocolate. Set aside to cool.
4. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa (for white chocolate frosting, omit cocoa) together until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled chocolate and add milk mixture and vanilla extract (dark chocolate frosting only) until smooth and fluffy. Use immediately.