Cream Cheese Icing (you could eat this by itself)

So here is the basic cream cheese icing. It isn't fancy. That's because it doesn't need to be. It is just plain good.

6 oz cream cheese (that's 3/4 of an 8oz block)*
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2- 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Start adding powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time until it turns fluffy and easy to spread.

*Note: I've had mixed results with "Lowfat" cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese). This stuff has a higher water content and less fat (dur!) and so it is wetter. This also means it will make your resulting icing much softer. Too soft. If you decide to use Neufchatel in recipes like this where it is uncooked and mixed in to dry ingredients, I find cutting it to 3/4 of what the recipe asks for is about right to keep it from becoming runny.

Perfect Carrot Cake everytime

This is absolutely the best recipe for desert that I have. It has come out perfect nearly every time I've made it (and I've nearly screwed it up a few times too and it still came out good)

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
3 cups finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup oil
1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1 cream cheese frosting recipe (see my next post)

Take 2 8" cake pans and grease with shortening or butter. Line the bottoms with wax paper. Grease the wax paper. (Do a good job or you might end up with paper in your cake)

combine liquids, including carrots in mixer. Add dry ingredients. Pour into lined pans.

Bake at 350f for 30-35 minutes. Cool on racks for at least 10 minutes. Stuffing them in the fridge for a half hour is better so the cream cheese icing doesn't melt.

Ice and eat.

Classic Cheesecake ala BHG

1 3/4 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

3 8-oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon peel (optional)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup milk

Combine graham crackers, cinnamon, butter, (and walnuts) in a bowl. Press into 8" or 9" springform pan, creating a bottom and sides of about 1-1 1/2". Use a flat bottomed cup/glass to tamp it down.

In mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, (and lemon peel). Add eggs and egg yolk. Beat on low until combined. Add milk.

Pour filling into crust. Bake at 375f for 45-50 minutes for 8", 35-40 for 9".

Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Chill for 4 hours for best results ( Make this a day before you need it. It is worth it too)

Orange cupcakes

1 small orange
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup self rising flour

1. Pressure cook the orange for 15 minutes. Blend well.
2. Mix everything together
3. Bake at 350f for 25-30 minutes

Cream Cheese Pie Crust

1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. Soften cream cheese and butter. Add flour a little at a time
2. Roll out between two pieces of wax paper
3. Poke holes with a fork
4. Line into a pie pan
5. Bake at 350f for 10 minutes

The ultimate cheese muffins (Pao de Queijo)

1 14oz bag of tapioca flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs

1. Bring milk, butter, salt to a boil
2. Mix in flour. Add eggs. Add cheese.
3. Scoop mix into sprayed mini muffin tin.
4. Bake about 10 minutes at 400f
5. Enjoy
6. Reminisce about the muffins you just ate and yearn for more

Cornbread

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 400f. Grease a 9 inch round cakepan.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add in egg, milk and oil. Pour into pan.
3. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes until toothpick to center of loaf comes out clean.

Wei's Thin Crust

6 1/2 cups bread flour
2 packets yeast (4.5 tsp)
3-3 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp salt

mix by hand. Let proof at least a couple hours. Using rolling pin to roll out flat.*

Works on pizza screens and pizza pans.

Papa Dave's Pizza Sauce

1 can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (8oz)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sugar (substitute 1 tsp for less sweetness)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
optional: 1/4 tsp onion powder

blend ingredients

Pita Bread

This recipe is awesome. And it can be used for Mexican food like fajitas.

3 cups of bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water

Combine all the ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook. Mix about 5 minutes. The dough should be dry clean the bowl sides. If it doesn't, add a bit more flour, a tbsp at a time.

Cut the dough into 8 parts and ball. Cover with a wet paper towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

Turn out on floured board and roll flat to about 10" circles.

Cook in oiled skillet until each side is browned (about 2 minutes a side).

Awesomeness

Chicken and Pork Chop breading

Again a recipe much like one from the commonwealth of Kentucky's largest fast chain:

1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp MSG
1 cup milk
1 egg
bread crumbs
butter (for baked variant)

Start off with 3 bowls - 1 that is just big enough to fit in 1 piece of meat and the other two are large (like pasta-style plate-bowls).

Put the milk and egg in the smaller bowl. put flour, slat, pepper, and MSG in a bigger bowl. Put bread crumbs in last bowl. Set the bowls up in that order assembly line fashion.

Dip meat in liquid bowl, then in flour bowl. Redip in liquid bowl then in bread crumb bowl.

At this point you can either deep fry or bake. I choose to bake (it's already unhealthy enough)

Get a baking dish that has been liberally oiled. Lay meats on baking dish and top with a pat of butter or a bit of melted butter.

Bake at 400f - 40-45 minutes for bone-in, or 20-25 minutes for boneless meats.

Candied Yams (Yummy Sweet Potatoes)

2 15 oz cans of Sweet Potatoes packed in syrup
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Put the syrup in a saucepan. Put potatoes in a baking dish and set aside. Mix other ingredients into saucepan and heat on medium heat. Gently boil until syrup gets thick. Pour thickened syrup over potatoes. Top with miniature marshmallows and bake at about 350f until marshmallows are a golden brown.

Pineapple Porcupine Ham

I made this one with my daughters. It is a variation on a Hawaiian or Pineapple ham.

1 can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tsp cinnamon
1 jar maraschino cherries
1 ham (5-10 lbs)
Lots of toothpicks

Mix the spices into the pineapple syrup in a small pan and cook into a syrup. If using a non-spiral ham, cut diagonals in both directions making pretty diamonds on the top (or sides of a bone-in) ham. Take toothpicks and stick 1 chunk of pineapple and 1 cherry to the outside of the ham. Do this until the ham is prickly like a porcupine. Pour the syrup over the ham. If it is a precooked ham, bake until the center is hot and baste with the juice often. If it is an uncooked ham, bake as directed, basting the ham every 45 minutes to 60 minutes with the juice in the bottom of baking pan.

Jambalaya from Emeril

1/2 cup oil
3 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne (to taste)
1 lb sausage
1 1/2 lb chicken
3/4 lb country ham
3 bay leaves
3 cups white rice
6 cups chicken stock

1. Cook onions, peppers, celery in oil for 6 minutes with salt and cayenne.
2. Add garlic and sausage and cook another 5 minutes
3. Add chicken and bay leaves and cook 6 more minutes.
4. Add rice (and ham if used) and cook for 2 minutes until rice absorbs some juices
5. Add stock and water. Put all in a rice cooker and cook until done.

Baba Ganoush

1 can roasted eggplant (unspiced Baba Ganoush)
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (taste before adding as some cans of baba ganoush may have salt)

Mix thoroughly. Chill and serve.

Hummus

1 can shelled garbanzos (or get unspiced hummus)
5 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients together in food processor. Chill and serve.

Garlic Sauce

1-2 heads of minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together by hand. Chill and serve.

Tatziki sauce

1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c very very dry shredded cucumber

Mix ingredients slowly by hand. Cool and serve.

Mustard Peppercorn Prime Rib

7 lb bone-in ribeye roast
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tbsp coriandor seed
2 tbsp whole peppercorns
2 tsp salt

Place roast on baking pan and slather (I love that word) the mustard onto the roast.

Sprinkle and pat the spices onto the roast evenly.

Bake at 425f at 15 minutes a pound for bone-in. If you use a boneless roast, only 12 minutes a pound.

Lemon Potatoes

3 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups chicken broth

1. Dice potatoes into 1 inch cubes
2. Put potatoes in cold water and bring just to a boil ("Parboil")
3. Put the potatoes in a 9x11 pan
4. Mix other ingredients and pour over the potatoes
5. Bake at 400f for 60 minutes.

Hot Potato Casserole

5 lb potatoes
16 oz sour cream
8 tbsp butter
16 oz bacon
1 bunch green onions
1 lb shredded cheese
1 tsp salt

1. Boil potatoes until slightly soft and the quarter.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding (ala Nordstrom)

Here is a variant of the Nordstrom Bread Pudding recipe:

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 cups cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
6 large eggs
12 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 24" loaf of dried French bread

Heat the oven to 325f. Brush a 9x13 baking pan with 2 tablespoons butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment.

In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar and heat just until hot. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate morsels, and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle the warm cream mixture into the eggs, continuing to whisk until smooth and well blended. (If the cream mixture is too hot, the eggs will curdle.)

Lay half of the bread slices in the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour half of the cream mixture over the bread and allow to absorb the liquid, about 5 minutes. Layer the remaining bread on top and pour the rest of the cream mixture over it. Press down on the bread, making certain it completely absorbs the liquid. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour. Uncover and continue to bake until the liquid in the center has evaporated and the pudding is golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Cream of spinach soup

1/2 lb spinach
1/2 chopped onion
3 small potatoes
1 can chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
1/2 can water

1. Cut up potatoes and onions and cook with broth and water for about 15 minutes.
2. Throw in spinach and cook for two more minutes.
3. Take out the solid stuff and put them in the blender
4. Pour the puree back to the broth
5. Add in cream

Zuppa Toscana ala Home

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onions
4 tbsp bacon pieces
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup cream
1 lb sliced potatoes (Red, Russet, or White)
1/4 bunch kale
2 tbsp minced garlic

1. Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water. Add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add kale just before serving.

Chopped Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 12oz package bacon, cooked and chopped
2 avocados
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup blue cheese
2 green onions, diced
1/4-1/2 cup Italian dressing

Mix ingredients in a bowl.

Handmade Guacamole

1 tomato
2 limes
2-3 avocados
1/4 chopped onion
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp cilantro

Dice tomato. Peel and mash avocados. Add lime juice to mashed avocados. Add chopped onion, tomato, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno, and cilantro. Salt to taste. Mix and serve cold.

Roasted Pepper and Feta

1 Jar of Roasted Red Peppers and juice (something like 10-15oz)
2 cups of feta cheese (8 oz)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic

Blend ingredients together in a food processor.

Refrigerate and serve as dip for pita bread.

Mom's Best Deviled Eggs

12 boiled eggs
6 tbsp mayonnaise
6 tbsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt

Cut eggs in half and separate yolks and white halves.

Mix yolks, mayo, mustard, and salt into paste.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the paste into egg white halves.

Refrigerate until cool.

Mom's Kentucky Potato Salad (Mustard style)

This is the best potato salad there is. Period.

4 lb of boiled potatoes
1 cup of boiled eggs
1/2 cup of celery
1/2 cup of pickles
1/4 cup of onions
1 tsp salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mustard

Mix all ingredients together by hand, smashing potatoes into 1/2" bits. Once well mixed, refrigerate until cold.

Deep Dish Pizza recipe

This is one I tried in the past. It worked pretty well for me. Just make sure you give it time to proof:


1 1/2 c. 105-115f water
1/2 tbsp yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt

Mix water, yeast, and sugar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Mix shortening into dry ingredients. Add water and mix for at least 5 minutes.

Cut dough into appropriate size for pans and roll out to fit bottom of well oiled pan (I prefer buttered pans). Let proof in pan until reaches the sides and is about 3/4" or taller.

Top and bake in oven until bottom is golden, crispy brown.

Cole Slaw Recipe

Here is a recipe for Cole Slaw I tracked down on the web. It is very similar to a chicken shop in the commonwealth of Kentucky:

8 cups chopped cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Add ingredients together and refrigerate for about 2 hours.