Lemon Cake

The picture is not mine, but I can't find a name to credit the photographer.

I got this recipe from Todd's mom- it is his great Aunt's recipe- I don't know that she created it, just that she always made it.  It's an easy, light dessert and so far everyone that has tried it loves it. I love Aunt Rachel and baking this cake always makes me think of her.

Aunt Rachel's Lemon Cake

1 Lemon cake mix
1 cup oil
1 cup apricot nectar
4 eggs added one a time
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 275-300 for 55 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Punch holes in the top of cake. While still warm add the glaze made with 1 cup powdered sugar and 4 TBS of lemon juice.

The Ballistic Elvis

We needed a fun Friday night dinner, so I decided to make a recipe I picked up on our road trip this summer. The famous "Ballistic Elvis Sammich." We found this yummy treat in St. Louis at Iron Barley a restaurant that had been featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

It's not something I would eat more than once or twice a year, but it sure is good. And fun.

Here's all you need...


Butter your bread like you are making a grilled cheese.

Peel the bananas. Cut them in half. Then cut each half in half again- This time cut lengthwise.

In a skillet, warm a small amount of butter.

Place the banana in the skillet. Cook until it's golden brown on both side.

Now, go back to your bread.

On one piece spread a layer of strawberry jelly.

On the other, spread a layer of crunchy peanut butter.

Place each slice of bread, butter side down, into a frying pan that has been heated to low/medium heat. Don't put them together yet.

Place a piece of cheese on the jelly side. Sprinkle the cheese with about a 1/8-1/4 tsp of hot pepper flakes. This is important, don't skip it.

On the peanut butter side lay two pieces of banana.

Let the cheese begin to melt, then combine the two slices of bread.

Cut the sandwich into four triangles- that's the way they served and it looked pretty. :)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

I made Green Peppered Steak for dinner last night. I used a well loved recipe that my mother in law gave me when Todd and I got married.

Since it's "Asian inspired" I decided to make the frozen egg rolls I purchased when I went to Costco hungry a few weeks ago. They were giving them out as samples and they were so good that buying a box of 24 egg rolls seemed like a good idea at the time. I'll admit it, most of my impulse purchases are food.

Anyway, once I put the egg rolls in the oven, I realized I had no dipping sauce. Honestly, I'd rather just not have an egg roll with out sauce. So, as much as I didn't want to, I got ready to run out to the store to grab some. But, it was 5:30 and no-one (read Gabe who was happily playing with lego people) wanted to go out. So, I pulled out my favorite cooking tool- the internet- and googled a recipe for it.

The first few recipes I found were labor intensive and since dinner was just about 30 minutes away, I needed easy. Then I found one that looked easy and, most importantly, required ingredients I had on hand.



Here it is. It was pretty good. I used rice cooking wine, because until I looked at the picture I didn't realize it wasn't vinegar, but overall it was a success.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
* 4 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ketchup
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)

Comfort food

This is one of those foods I love from childhood. Probably not the healthiest way to eat fish, but it is one of the tastiest...



Curried Fish
2lbs cod fish (or other white fish)
2 TBS cooking oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
1 large onion
2 TBS flour
1/2 cup light cream

cooked white rice

Arrange fish on baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute onions in oil until brown. Add curry powder and cook 2 minutes over medium heat. Blend in flour, cream, and 1 cup chicken broth. Blend well bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over fish. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve over white rice.