The Survey Says!

Can You Hear The Silence?

It rained all day and the rain is suppose to continue through this weekend and on.  I have been watching the news and I am news-ed out.  There is so much going on that it makes my head spin. 

I sure don’t know what to blog about.  It has been quiet around the blogosphere.  Either bloggers are experiencing a writer’s block-so to speak-or they are out and doing things instead of sitting in front of their pc’s. 

So with that said, I will sign-off and surf the web for some new and exciting sites.

Chocolate Cake

The ac was repaired yesterday.  We had been six day without it.  We were sweltering in here. Now it is wonderfully cool in here.  I can turn the oven on now.  So, I made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting from scratch today.  For some reason the frosting lacked flavor.  That is what I thought anyway.  Tom and Brian said it tasted good.  I must be loosing my taste buds.  The cake came out delicious and moist.  Still, I am not liking the frosting and I think that I may have had a too heavy hand in frosting the cake.

Chocolate Cake and Frosting

This is the recipe I used for the cake.  Like I said,  this is a really moist cake and tastes so good.  It is on the back of the Hershey Cocoa Powder.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
 
Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13×9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.) Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. 8 to 10 servings.

Macaroni Salad

Since our ac had been down for six days I wasn’t about to turn on the oven or use the stove for long periods of time. Temperatures reached 95°F in our house. Coming up with quick and cooling meals, I made macaroni salad. I find that using macaroni as a salad tends to soak up any dressing that is used and the salad quickly becomes dry. I have had success by mixing a small amount of the dressing/mayonnaise into the macaroni and letting it marinate for a while in the refrigerator to keep it from becoming a dried out salad. Then I add the rest of the ingredients.

Macaroni Salad with Tuna

Makes 4-6 servings and preparing about 4 plus hours in advance.

2 cups of elbow macaroni (before cooked)
3 Tablespoons of fresh minced onions
3 Tablespoon yellow prepared mustard
4 eggs-hard boiled
1 small cucumber-peeled
1 can chunk white tuna or any type of canned tuna-drained
Salad Dressing such as Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika to sprinkle on top of finished salad

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain in a colander and place the macaroni back into the pan. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and put into a med-large bowl.

2. Add the minced onions, mustard, and a small amount of salad dressing or mayonnaise, salt and pepper to the macaroni. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

3. In the meantime, hard-boil your eggs. Peel and set aside or refrigerate until ready to mix the salad all together.

4. After the allotted time, slice your eggs and cucumber any way you desire, add these and the tuna to the salad. Add your dressing/mayonnaise about a 1/2 cup. Add more or less dressing/mayonnaise at your discretion.

5. Sprinkle the top with paprika.

Refrigerate until chilled

Ragù or Ragù Alla Bolognese

The traditional ragù/ragù alla bolognese has a soffritto (combination of celery, onions and carrots. What the French called a mirepoix). I forgo the celery, carrots and the milk or cream.

This is thicky and hearty and all so “delizioso”.

Ragù or Ragù Alla Bolognese

Ragù alla Elisabetta

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
6 slices proscuitto, finely minced (I use a small food processor processing 3 slices at a time)
1 large onion, chopped
5 small cloves of garlic minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
2-28 ounce cans of tomato puree
2-12 ounce cans of tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
1 tablespoon white sugar-optional
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 large (or 2 small) bay leaf
Good grind of pepper if using fresh or 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. In a large pot (Dutch oven size) heat olive oil over medium heat. Sautee proscuitto, onions and garlic until onions are transparent making sure this mixture does not brown. Place this mixture in a small bowl and set aside.

2. In same pot, brown hamburger and pork, breaking it apart as it cooks to a crumble. Drain off excess fat. Stir in the procuitto mixture, and the rest of the ingredients.

3. Cook and simmer for 2 hours, stirring constantly. Be careful of the plops and splatters. This is a very thick sauce. Use a splatter screen if possible.

Serve over spaghetti or your choice of pasta.

Italian Ice

The more I think about the Cantaloupe Sorbet that I made, the more I am thinking that it came out more like an Italian Ice. It was hard to scoop out of one large container. Therefore, I use small plastic cups with lids for an individual treat.

Being that the temperatures reached 105° today and our air conditioner is not working and the inside temperature is a steamy 95 plus degrees, we needed some relief and we needed it soon. I had some fruit punch, consisting of cherry, orange and pineapple and add some tangerine juice, and made an Italian Ice. I also added light corn syrup to the juice before freezing in my Delonghi Ice Cream Maker.

Any kind of fruit juices would make a delicious Italian Ice and any kind of ice cream maker would work just fine.

Individual Italian Ice

Make this 6 hours ahead or longer to allow for freezing before eating.

1. Put a quart (4 cups) of your favorite fruit juice and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup to the bowl/chilling chamber of your ice cream maker.
2. Freeze in machine for 20-30 minutes.
3. Place the mixture into small plastic container, cover and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

Vinaigrette

A Vinaigrette that can be used for fresh vegetable salad, pasta salad, or antipasti.Vinaigrette

1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and

pepper. In a slow stream whisk in oil until emulsified.

 

 

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Types of olive oil:

• Extra Virgin- use in salads
• Medium Grade- use for pasta dishes
• Pure Olive Oil- use for frying
• Fine Extra Virgin is expensive, but worth the difference for salads, etc.

Biscotti Regina

This recipe below is called “BISCOTTI ” REGINA Regina meaning Queen in Italian (Queen’s Biscuit).

Biscotti Regina

Preheat oven 350°F

4 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons anise or lemon extract
½-1 cup sesame seeds

1. Grease two large baking pans.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl cream together shortening, sugar and eggs.

Add extract and mix.
4. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix well after each

addition.
5. Pick up about 3 tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and shape

into a 2 ½ x ¾ inch log with your fingers. Roll log in the sesame

seed, pressing seeds into dough. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake into preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden

brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Welcome To Hell

The ac has quit working. I am keeping track of the days that I will be missing and will post those days. I haven’t missed a day in posting for months. I want to continue with jotting down my days for me.

Soup’s Up and Gone

It has been a long an unfulfilled day.  I have been searching for something to do all day.  Something that would take my mind away from the disappoints that have been plaguing me. With nothing else to write about.  I have posted a new recipe on my pages for Lentil Soup that I made two days ago.  This recipe is easy and quick to make and is easy on the budget.

Lentil Soup-Italian Style

Recipe found here.

Da Boyz

I kept Nicky today for a sleep over.  He and Brian had a wonderful day.  After supper they wanted to go out and play, but it was so humid and hot that we only spent about 25 minutes out there. 

After being outside, I gave them some Dreamsicle pops.  Then later on, Brian went on the computer and Nicky stayed in the livingroom with Grampy and I. 

Nicky and Brian 7-9-08

That was my day in a nut shell. Nothing too exciting, but something a little different.

I forgot which site I downloaded the scrape page that I am using for Brian’s and Nicky’s picture. If anyone knows, let me know so that I can give them proper credit for it. I really appreciate all those that give there graphics, etc. for others to use.

Chocolate Muffins

I made chocolate muffins today at Tom’s request.  I never really thought of chocolate as making a good muffin for the morning.  I suppose for those that are true chocolate connoisseurs would disagree with me.  These muffins would compliment a morning cup of coffee or a cup of tea. 

I made six jumbo muffins and between Tom and Brian they have eaten five of them. 

Chocolate Muffins with Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips

I added milk chocolate chips and Reese’s peanut butter chips to this chocolate muffin. 

Chippy Chocolate Muffins

Makes 6 Jumbo muffins or 12 regular size

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4-1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven 400°

1. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers. If not using papers, grease the tins. Set aside.
2. In a med-large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl mix egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until flour mixture is moistened. Batter will have lumps.
5. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.
6. Fill muffins cups 2/3 full of batter. Add some chocolate and or peanut butter chips to the tops of each if desired.
7. Bake 20 to 25 for jumbo muffins and 17-22 degrees for regular size muffins.

chocolate chip muffin

Swedish Meatballs

One of my family’s favorite dish is Swedish Meatballs served over a bed of wide egg noodles. During the Christmas holidays I make the size of the meatball smaller and serve as an appetizer. They are surprisingly easy to make and you make them the day before and refrigerate overnight. They taste so much better the next day.  I made these for Sunday’s dinner.

swedish meatballs

You can find the recipe here-Swedish Meatballs.

The Lost Summer

The day flew by today. I had an easy day as far as dinner. Yesterday, I made Swedish Meatball for dinner today. Then later on in the day, it was off for a nap more out of boredom than anything else.

This year we didn’t get the pool up and running and that cut down on things for us to do. We just hang around, hang around…

Brian goes back to school August 1st. That is on a Friday. It doesn’t make sense to me. The summer vacation is more than half over for him. That is way too early.

Enough Of Nature Already!

Our attempt to barbecue today instead of yesterday was halted by creepy crawlies in our barbecue grill. Yesterday, for the 4th, we were going to cook chicken on the grill but decided to wait to do it today. I got the chicken marinated, potatoes, and veggies prepared while Tom sprayed down the patio with bug control to rid the area of armies of red ants and any other pests. A couple of hours later Tom went out to get the grill ready. A little while later he came in and asked me how I would feel cooking inside. At first, I thought it was because the grill had broken or we were out of propane. He told me that there were four black widow spiders inside the grill and he had to spray it with the bug control. OH-MY-GOD! Not only that, he moved the grill and where he had his hand positioned on the grill, his hand was on one of the webs. I wasn’t upset by the fact that the grill was sprayed with bug juice; I was upset about the black widows.