State Fair

I love fried food. And we had the best. Corn dogs from Fletcher's are yummy. We also had the greatest lemonade and gorditas. The chocolate strawberries were meh.

We now have out dream car. The Highlander Hybrid. Soo nice.

Biscuits

Thought I would try these.

Ruth's Diners Mile High Biscuits
3 c. flour (I have used 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat and they turn our great!)
1 1/2 t. salt
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 stick butter
3/4 c. buttermilk (I have made these with buttermilk as well as the 'homemade' buttermilk version of 3/4 c. milk + 2 T. lemon juice and they work out amazing either way)
1 egg
1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Mix in buttermilk, egg and just enough water to make a workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don't over mix). Roll the dough onto a floured cutting board about 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or a 2 inch round cup. Place on a greased baking sheet (touching each other) and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 biscuits, depending how thick you make them.

Tips to making awesome biscuits:
*ONLY hand mix your dough. Don't mix in a Bosch or with a hand mixer. The dough will be too tough and the dough will become dry if you use a mixer. You don't want to over mix this recipe. The best way to mix this dough is with a pastry cutter or using two knives and cutting the dough back and forth. This method takes a little longer but will ensure the perfect biscuit. You want pieces of butter left in your biscuit, that is what keeps the dough light and flaky.
*Next tip is to keep your biscuit dough fairly thick. You want a tall and thick biscuit more than you do a thin and hard biscuit. Keeping the dough thick will ensure a chewy and soft biscuit. I keep my dough about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (cooking times may vary depending how thick you make them).

Chicken Spaghetti

One day I'll make this

Recipe: Baked Spaghetti

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 30 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 3/4 pound of spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian style diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 (10 ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes, with liquid
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups grated Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 × 13 x 2 inch baking dish with non stick spray.

Break the spaghetti noodles in half one or twice to make them more bite sized and drop them into a large stockpot filled with boiling, well salted water.  Brown the ground beef in a large skillet; remove, drain and set aside.  Cut the bacon in half lengthwise, stack a few slices together and cut into small pieces, dropping it directly into that same skillet. Cook until only slightly crispy; remove and let drain on a paper towel, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Add the onion and green bell pepper to the bacon fat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. To that, add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and the cooked beef and bacon.  Bring up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Layer half of the spaghetti noodles into the prepared baking dish. Spoon over half of the meat sauce. Add half of the cheddar and then repeat all three layers.  Combine the cream of mushroom soup with the water and blend well. Drop over the top layer of cheese and carefully spread across the top. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.

The casserole came right up to the very top of my baking dish by the time that I got through the layering, so for insurance, I placed a pan on the lower rack and the casserole on the top rack to bake, just in case there was any spillover. There wasn't, thankfully, but you may want to take that precaution also, just in case!

~Cook's Notes~

Can substitute all plain diced tomatoes; can also drain the Rotel to tone it down and just loosen the sauce a bit with some beef broth.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

Tater Tot Casserole

I am a Duggar fan.  I love their parenting, well behaved kids, and am really excited to try their favorite meal.  I figured 19 kids, surely my sweet angel won't turn his nose at it.  Maybe...

Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1 2-pound bag of tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Directions
Brown the ground turkey. Drain the meat and add to a medium sized bowl (or leave it in your pan if it's large enough for the added ingredients) stir in the soups and evaporated milk. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Now line the top of the casserole with tater tots (don't sprinkle the tater tots on, actually line them up in a single layer row fitting as many as you can). Shake on some salt and pepper and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.


And the verdict is...winner winner tater tot dinner.  My sister, nephew, husband and son loved it!  Yum!

Sugar Cookies

Cookies with the kids

White Lily Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

30 min
10 min
2 1/2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• Crisco® Butter No-Stick Cooking Spray
•  
• COOKIES
• 3 1/4 cups White Lily® All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream
•  
• BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Food coloring (optional)
• Colored sugar or sprinkles

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1.       HEAT oven to 375°F. Coat large baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Combine shortening, sugar, egg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in a large bowl, beat 2 minutes.

2.      ADD sour cream and half the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. With oiled hands roll dough into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons); place on prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Dip bottom of a glass into flour; press dough down to about 1/2-inch thickness.

3.       BAKE 10 to 11 minutes or until cookies begin to look dry on top (cookies will not brown). Remove from oven; cool 2 minutes. Remove cookies to cooling racks with metal spatula. Cool completely.

4.       BEAT butter until creamy in a large bowl. Add powdered sugar, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat on low until blended. Beat on medium until light and fluffy. Add more milk if frosting is too thick. Stir in food coloring, if desired. Spread on cookies, sprinkle with colored sugar.

Coca Cola Cake

I was going to a Fourth of July celebration and they have a dessert contest.  I remembered sometime in my past having a Coke cake and thought, "What's more American than that?"  It was delicious!  Unfortunately, it didn't place. 

Coca Cola Cake

http://www.squidoo.com/coca-cola-chocolate-cake

Coca Cola Chocolate Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups small marshmallows
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marsh-mallows. In saucepan, mix butter, oil cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Pour into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.

To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.
 

Dr. Pepper Cake

I love this recipe!  It won me second place at a dessert contest.  Soo yummy!  

Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake

Added by missamy

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 45 Minutes

Servings 24

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1-½ cup Dr. Pepper Soda
• ½ cups Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 stick Butter, Salted (8 Tablespoons)
• 4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 whole Eggs
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• _____
• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 1 stick Butter, Salted (8 Tablespoons)
• 4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (again, I Recommend Using A Dark Cocoa Powder)
• 8 Tablespoons Milk
• 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar (powdered Sugar)

Preparation Instructions

Directions for the cake:

Preheat oven to 350° F and grease or spray with cooking spray a 13x9x2″ baking pan.

Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn the stove off.

Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda); add to the mixture in the saucepan and mix well. Don’t over beat.

In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together, then add them to the saucepan and combine the batter well.

Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

Directions for the chocolate frosting:

In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.

Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

Pour over the warm cake.

Lock all the doors, draw the shades, don’t answer the phone and get the milk.

Enjoy!

Chex Mix

1	cup Flavor Blasted Gold Fish

1	cup Sesame Sticks

3	cups Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares cereal

6	cups Crispex cereal
3	cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1	cup mixed nuts
1	cup bite-size pretzels
1	cup Ritz cheese crackers
12	tablespoons butter or margarine
4	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3	teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2	teaspoon garlic powder
1	teaspoon onion powder

Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.