Chocolate cake for a crowd

 4 sticks butter, (room temperature)

8 Tablespoons cocoa powder

4 cups flour

4 cups sugar

1/2 t salt

2 cups boiling water

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp baking soda 

2 tsp vanilla 

4 beaten eggs

Oven at 350 degrees

Grease and add parchment to the bottom only of 2 - 9 inch round cake pans and prepare for 22 cupcakes by lining muffin tins cupcake paper.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a very large mixing bowl 

Melt butter in heavy sauce pan, add sifted cocoa and stir together. Then add 2 cups boiling water . Allow this to boil for :30 minutes. Turn off heat.

Pour butter/ cocoa/ water mixture over dry ingredients- stir lightly.

Combine buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla, and beaten eggs in a separate bowl bowl.

Stir buttermilk mixture into the butter/ chocolate mixture.

Fill muffin cupcake tins and round cake pans. 

Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes and cakes :30 minutes or so.

Let cool and I refrigerated them overnight.

Frosting- this was challenging!!

3 cups heavy cream ( I would use 2 cups next time)

24 oz semisweet chocolate chips 

2 tsp. Vanilla

Pour chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.

Heat cream in a heavy sauce pan until hot. 

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let them sit awhile until the chocolate melts. Stir.

Refrigerate frosting until it gets to the consistency of thick pudding. 

When completely cooled add vanilla and beat. Maybe 1 or 2 minutes (don’t beat too long or it will curdle) 

Use frosting for filling and to frost the top and sides of the cake. Frost the cupcakes. 

Homemade dog food with chicken

 4 pounds ground chicken

1 1/2 cups rice

1 large sweet potato or yam

2 cups green beans ( fresh or frozen )

1 apple cored and sliced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Cook rice according to directions. Add additional water and add sweet potato, beans, and apple. 

Let cool and set in the refrigerator over night.

In the morning, use an ice cream scoop to place size you choose on parchment covered cookie / jelly roll pan and freeze. 

Remove frozen parcels and place them in a zip lock bag to freeze until ready to serve. 

Zucchini Chocolate Bread

Stir together;

1/2 cup butter- melted and slightly cooled 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Add to the above;

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the following dry ingredients 

1 2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sift dry ingredients and mix with butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Fold in 

2 cups zucchini

1 cup chocolate chips

Spoon in loaf pan

Bake 350 degrees for :60-70 minutes ( depending on your oven temp )

Several versions of this zucchini bread recipe can be found in most older cook books, zucchini usually is readily available late summer.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Beat together the following.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup milk- soured with 1tsp. Vinegar 

Add to the above and beat until think

2 1/2 cups flour (sift- I use a screen colander to sift the flour) 

4. Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon soda

Fold in;

2 cups grated zucchini

Pour in cake pan and add topping

Topping

1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Bake 325, 40 minutes ( depending on your oven temp )

Story- this is Grandma Cay’s recipe. We had lots of extra zucchini!

Farm House Baked Beans

1 pound navy beans (about 2 cups)

1 medium onion diced

6 Tablespoons yellow mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

12 oz bacon cooked and chopped

2 cups reserved cooking liquid (see directions)

1. Rinse and Soak dry beans 8 hours or over night in 1 quart water

2. Drain beans, cook beans using 2 quarts fresh water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. 

3. Drain - but reserve cooking liquid

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

5. To the beans add all of the above ingredients. Including the 2 cups reserved cooking liquid. Combine and pour into a 9X13 greased baking pan, cover with foil.

6. Bake 30 minutes covered - remove the foil and bake an additional :30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit :15 minutes. 

7. When cool, refrigerate over night.

8. In the morning bake - covered in the oven 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Grandma Iszler made baked beans similar to this - that were a very good addition to any meal. 

Hot Fudge Cheesecake Brownies

 

Ingredients

 

FOR THE BROWNIES:

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate
• ▢ 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips or additional chocolate chips or chopped peanut butter cups, for topping

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1 jar about 12-16 ounces hot fudge topping

• 
  
  Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13" pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the brownies: Place the butter and 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and heat on high power in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in cocoa powder until completely incorporated. Add both sugars, vanilla, and salt, stirring to combine. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed through. Gently stir in flour until incorporated and no more flour is visible. The batter will be thick.Spread 2/3 of the brownie batter in the prepared pan and set the rest aside. 
  
  
  Make the hot fudge cheesecake: beat together the cream cheese and hot fudge until smooth and no lumps remain. It's best to do this with a hand mixer. Gently spread over the bottom brownie layer. (It's best to drop spoon the batter evenly over the top and then spread to avoid mixing the layers together.) Carefully layer the rest of the brownie batter on top of the cheesecake layer. (It's best to drop spoon the batter evenly over the top and then spread to avoid mixing the layers together.) Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, regular sized chocolate chips, or chopped peanut butter cups. 
  
  
  Bake for 30-38 minutes until the brownies are set with just a little wiggle in the center and they are starting to pull away slightly from the edges of the pan. Cool completely then chill at least 2 hours before cutting. Store in refrigerator in sealed container.
  
  
  Story: My manager made these for nurses week and they are AMAZING. 
  
  
  
  

Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Topping

• ▢ ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Bread

• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ¾ cup whole milk
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1)Set the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray
• 2)In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for the cinnamon swirl topping, set aside.
  3)Melt the ¼ cup unsalted butter in a pan or the microwave, then cool to room temperature.
  4)In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
  5)In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, and 2 large eggs until smooth and pale yellow, 1 minute.
  6)Slowly whisk the melted butter and ¼ cup vegetable oil into the egg mixture until incorporated.
  7)Whisk the ¾ cup whole milk, ¼ cup sour cream, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract into the egg mixture.
  8)Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Gently fold the flour mixture until just moistened, with some lumps and flour spots remaining. Do not over mix the batter.
  9)Add half of the batter to the pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture over the batter.
  10)Top with the rest of the batter, then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon mixture on top.
  11)Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture with the batter, up and down into the batter, and around the pan in swirls, but do not completely mix.
  12)Bake the cinnamon bread for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the bread is set, or internal temperature reaches 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the bread loosely with foil about 30 minutes into cooking to prevent the top from getting too brown.
  13)Cool the cinnamon bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove and transfer to a cooling rack. When the loaf is cool, slice it and enjoy!
  I made this and it was so amazing I had to share! Great warmed up with butter.