Homemade Cake Release

I am forever having my cakes stick to my bundt pan.  Always!  It never fails.  Whenever I want to bake a bundt cake I am both filled with excitement and dread.  Now, there are no worries!  I remembered my step daughter, Carla,  told me about making your own cake release and I have finally made it!  This recipe has been around forever, I don't know why I haven't been using it before now.  It was such a relief to see my little bundt cakes come out of the pan without sticking.  Love this!  Just brush the cake release in your pan and wait for your perfect cake to come out of the oven.  Use them with my Sour Cream Pound Cake, Lemon Fizz Cake, Cooked Apple Coffee Cake, Carrot Cake .. everything you bake!  Use what you want and leave the rest in the refrigerator.  Now, get out your bundt pan and bake away!

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Ratatouille

Such an easy meal to prepare.  Serve it with jasmine rice,  over Egg Noodles or with One Hour French Bread.  Any way you plate it, it is bound to be a hit! 

This is another meal I prepared in my Lodge 15” Seasoned Steel Skillet.  I love it!  Be certain to stay in touch by blog or otherwise.   I will be hosting a giveaway sponsored by  Lodge Manufacturing, sometime in the next two weeks.

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Roasted Rosemary Turnip Roots

When I was younger, you couldn't get me to eat turnips for nothing!  Nope, nothing!  No way, no how!  Fast forward a gazillion years...I love them!  I cook them with ham seasoning but my very favorite way to eat them is roasted.  Oh. My. These are so good!  I could grab and eat them right out of the oven.  Yes, I love them that much now.   So much so, I cooked them twice, in two days, in my Lodge  15" Seasoned Steel Skillet.  This is perfect to roast vegetables in!  I roasted 1 pound and could easily fit another pound in.  The larger ones were quartered, the smaller halved.  Simply seasoned yet robust in flavor.  Try them...I know you will love them also.  Oh,  just in case you hadn't heard.....I am very honored to be hosting a giveaway sponsored by Lodge Manufacturing.  It's for their amazing 15" Seasoned Steel Skillet.  I have cooked in it every day and l just love the ease of cooking from stove top to oven to grill.  It is large enough to accommodate food for my growing boys and much more.  Perfect!  The giveaway will start sometime in the next two weeks.  Stay connected with me so you won't miss out on this fantastic skillet.

Roasted Rosemary Turnip Roots

1 pound turnip roots peeled, halved or quartered

1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix oil and minced rosemary.

Place peeled and cut turnip roots in skillet.

Brush with oil and rosemary, saving a little oil to brush once out of the oven.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cook 10 minutes, turn skillet around. 

Cook another 10 to 15 minutes until done.  Just until fork tender.

Carefully, take out of oven.  Brush with remaining oil.  

Enjoy!

Alphabet Soup

One of my twins is home sick today with a horrible cough and low grade temperature.   Being sick has not bothered his appetite in the least.  He asked for my Microwave Pancakes for breakfast.  A couple hours later and he was asking for soup.  While he was eating his soup, he asked for a milkshake.  If the adage; starve a fever, feed a cold, holds true...he's got a cold!  ~smile~

Alphabet Soup

8 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

1/2 cup carrots, finely diced

3-5 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon minced

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely cut

1 to 1 1/2 cups alphabet pasta

1 teaspoon olive oil

In a heavy stockpot,  heat oil on medium.  Add onion when hot, stirring for 2 minutes.  Add celery and carrots.  Stirring for 2 minutes.  Add garlic, stirring for 1 minute.  Add chicken broth.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Add pasta, 1 1/2 cups makes a lot of pasta...you may want to use 1 cup if you want more broth.  Stir occasionally.  Simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until tripled in size.   Add rosemary last 5 minutes.   Serve with crackers or One Hour French Bread.  

Feel better sweetie! <3 and="" hugs="" nbsp="" p="">

Thursday's Treasures Week 72

My oldest son, 9 years old, was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis last Friday.  He has been having a lot of pain and swelling in his knees, one worse than the other.  His back, ankles, wrists and fingers also have been causing him pain.  He was put on NSAID's over 3 weeks ago.  The doctor increased the dose last week when he was diagnosed.  Yet he still has pain and now, his tummy hurts from the medicines.  I have to find an alternative..I cannot bear to hear his heartbreaking moans all day and all night.  I have had arthritis over 30 years.  I know his pain.  I hate his pain.  I would gladly take it away and add it to mine if I could.  We hope, we pray, we look for ways to comfort, we listen, we hug, we give meds, we hear cries, we wait to see what tomorrow brings....

Please hang in there with me...I'm not ignoring you.   I'm close by and will definitely be  sharing and commenting as often as I can.  ~smile~   Did you hear my secret?  I'm having a giveaway sponsored by Lodge Manufacturing!!!! I love all of their cookware and this one  is absolutely amazing.  Are you ready for this?  It is their  15" Seasoned Steel Skillet!!!!  I know!  It is fantastic! I am so excited!!!!!!  Be certain to check back often.  I'll open the giveaway for entries sometime in the next two weeks. Follow me on Google Connect, Facebook, Pinterest, Google + (which, I know nothing about, by the way) Twitter, email, RSS Feed...All are on the right side, you may need to scroll up or down to find them all ----->>>>>>> see?  Pick one or pick all!  Just be certain you are following me in some way or fashion so you don't miss out.  Now, on with the party!  Love and HugS!

Please add a direct link back to your post you link up.  Either with Thursday's Treasures button or text link.  I am always thrilled to pick out your fantastic links to be featured.  It is disheartening to see one I want to feature, go to your blog, only to see there isn't a link back.  A link back shows you are excited to be sharing with us and also have a chance to be featured!  I'd love for you to share the post you link up on facebook.  That way, your fans get another view of your amazing post and you are also inviting them to share on and view Thursday's Treasures.  And, (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) it is also easier for me to share on facebook, which is automatically shared on twitter when I do.  If you don't have a facebook page, no worries...I share those that are not on facebook each week also.  Maybe you could share on pinterest?  It's a Win-Win all the way around.  

Some of the many wonderful links shared.  You know I wish I could feature them all.  If you are featured, please grab my "featured on" button!  

Farm Flavor Classic Lasagna

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Tomato Soup

I have never liked tomato soup.  There, I said it.  While I'm at it...I don't like mayonnaise or that other whipped stuff either.  I like love tomatoes cooked in soup and sauces, why not soup?  Hmmm,  I'm not certain but I think it may have something to do with trying to make canned tomato soup when I was young...a very long time ago, and not adding enough water to it.  BLAH!.....As my youngest would say!   I decided to make tomato soup today and so glad I did!  The soup is plain and simple yet bursting with flavor. You will never want to buy canned soup again once you make it at yourself.  This can be made in under an hour...30 minutes or less if you want.  You can change it up by adding bay leaves, basil, oregano, cream, lemon zest or whatever you like.  Enjoy!

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Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

If you love melt in your mouth, light as a cloud, creamy, lemony/orange deliciousness of Meyer Lemons, this is for you! Oh. My. Goodness! I was very pleased the way this turned out.  This pudding cake could be a light, airy custard, a fallen soufflé, or baked mousse!   Yes, it is that good!  I added Homemade Lemon Curd and my mouth experienced an explosion of a lemon cloud!  Topped simply with powdered sugar was pretty amazing, too! Feel free to substitute whatever lemons you have for the Meyer Lemons.  Oh,  this is a thin "cake" ... you will want to double this if you are serving it for company!

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