THAT got your attention didn’t it?

  I write alot about how strongly I feel about using organics when possible. I love the spectrum organic shoretening because it literally has NO trans-fats.  Hydrogenated shortenings can have a certain fraction of transfats and still have 0 trans fat per serving and I really am uncomfortable with that.

  Anyway, about a month ago I began using Spectrum, which is palm kernal oil that solidifies at room temp without hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation. All organic..and it performed beautifully in pie crust.

 However, I am so very dismayed to say that when it comes to a buttercream frosting that you can decorate cakes with (a la Wilton) your best bet is to stick with the Crisco or whatever you are currently using.

  You see, for some odd reason three of my eight children chose to be born in the first 11 days of July. The 1st, the 3rd , and the 11th.  Kyrie will be 4 tomorrow, Nick will be 7, and Matt will achieve that pinnacle of teenhood, 15, which means Driver’s Education is scheduled in the next few months. This year, to add chaos to a chaotic situation, Matt will be at youth camp the week of his birthday SO we have decidedc to celebrate all the birthdays tomorrow…complete with a homemade pizza buffet (I am trying out a mango-chicken-chipotle pizza) cakeS, homemade strawberrry ice cream, and pinata. That means that at 8 this moprning I started baking cake…a Strawberry Shortcake pan for Kyrie, a 3-D car for Nick and a fish for Matt.   They are the type that you decorate with the star tips and intricate details.

  All was going well until the frosting. The Spectrum left the frosting a little grainy..but I was o.k. with that until I tried to frost the cake and the frosting would not hold well, nor did it cover the cake surface, even after I covered the cake with a thin layer of frosting and chilled it well.

 Some of this may have to do with humidity.  We have had rain daily for 6 weeks and it is in the 90’s today and humid and rain is forcast. The Dallas area NEVER gets rain like this..They said last night on the weather that we were nearly at our annual average rainfall only 6 months into the year! Praise God our creek has not flooded excessively and the animals are well…muddy but well.

  Anyway.  The taste is excellent and for normal cake frosting I would use the combination unsalted butter/organic shortening. However for intricate cake decorating, especially since it is not something you eat on a daily basis, go with the traditional shortening for the best results.

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/2 c shortening

4 c confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch salt

2 Tbs half and half

Mix shortening and butter until blended. Mix in salt and flavorings. Mix in confectioners sugar and add milk until you achieve a creamy but firm consistancy. Frosting for one cake (2 8″ layers, one character pan, etc.)

  Have a great weekend!

So before I hand over this incredible recipe, tell me, if you were replacing your computer would you go with a laptop or a full size and why?

  I am telling you, blogging at the library is getting old and I dislike not being able to post pictures  because I like to look at pictures on blogs, myself. Plus, I am getting jealous of all Aisa’a yummy pictures sitting there on her posts tempting me to break my diet. :P   Ijust am trying to decide,I am leaning toward a laptop but I have 6 kids remaining at home that are homeschooled and use the computer routinely as well..What I need is for a couple of thousand to be dropped in my lap and get both.
   O.k..these are really good and not hard to make..you can use chicken or turkey instead of the ground beef if you like. The recipe makes 12 enchiladas. According to most theories this will feed 6 people. In our house that will take care of the 2 teenage boys…I usually double or triple the recipe.

  I used to do Once a Month Cooking…I really like the idea altho I do get tired of so many casserole type meals. This recipe is from when I was doing that and therefore freezes very, very well.  If you are freezing then freeze the grated cheese in a small ziploc and attach the ziploc to the casserole dish so you can add the cheese seperately when you cook it. Freeze for up to 3 months.

  These are child friendly..meaning they are no too spicy. If you like more spice add about 1/2 c of salsa verde to the sauce with the chilis.

 1 1/2 lb ground beef  (chicken breast, or turkey )

1 1/4 c chopped onion

1 Tbs chili powder

12 corn tortillas

3 c grated monterey jack cheese

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

            *OR if you are NOT freezing this make a white sauce with 2 c half and half, 1/4 c flour, 2 tsp chicken bullion paste and salt and pepper to taste. I dislike using commercila products because of everything they seem to like to add to it but it does freeze better when you use the commercial product.

  1 1/2 c sour cream

4 oz can diced chilis

  Brown beef.If you are using cooked chicken breast or turkey leftovers then just go ahead to the sauteeing. :). Saute onion. Combine with chili powder, salt and pepper.

  Reserve 1 c cheese (this is what you would put in freezer bag if freezing). Mix remaining cheese in with meat mixture.

  Warm tortillas until flexible.

  lay a tortilla flat and spoon about 2 tbs meat mixture down center.  roll up and place, seam side down, in a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or greased with olive oil. Repeat until all the tortillas have been used.

 Combine soup, sour cream and green chilis to make a sauce. Pour over enchiladas.

 Freeze at this point…

 OR

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cheese over top and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until heated through.

A delicious, savory bread perfect for summer! Goes extremely well with grilled foods, a simple salad….all of those fresh foods that summer is so full of.

  2 medium onions

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 tbs olive oil

3 large red peppers (or red, yellow and orange)

2 pkg yeast

1 c warm water

1 Tbs sugar

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp dried chipotle if desired

1 tsp cracked black pepper

4 c flour

1 egg

1/4 tsp oregeno

Chop one onion. Cook onion and garlic in 2 Tbs  olive oil until  tender. Chop one pepper and add. Cook until limp. Puree this mixture.

Cut the other pepper into a small dice -saute until soft but shape is retained

Slice onion in 1/2 inch slices. saute until transparent. Cool. Add egg, chipotle, and oregeno. set aside.

 Proof yeast in water. with sugar. Add salt, remaining olive oil,  cayenne, and cracked pepper. Add puree and diced pepper and mix well. Add 3 c flour and mix to a soft dough. Turn out and knead in as much extra flour as you need to to achieve an elastic, smooth ball of dough. oil dough.Let rise 1 hour.

 Shape into flat, 10 inch round. Indent a 9 inch diameter area int he center to recieve the topping. Spread cooled onion mixture over dough and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled.

 Bake at 350 45-50 minutes.

 Warm homemeade breads, fresh from the oven, are hard to beat…AND hard to do in our busy lives. Way too often we find ourselves grabbing something fromt he freezer section or factory made because we just don’t have the time to make it ourselves.

  These quick yeast rolls are great. They save time and smell wonderful. It will take about 2 hours from the time you remove from the freezer until you serve the dinner rolls..and altho that is much less time than if you were doing them from scratch sometimes you just don’t have even that time…This recipe is versatile and you can also bake them just until done but not browned, about 8-10 minuts…THEN freeze them. That way you have your very own brown and serve rolls. How easy is that?

5 1/2-6 1/2 c flour

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 pkgs yeast

1 1/4 warm c water

1/2 c milk

1/3 c butter

2 eggs

Mix yeast and lukewarm water with about 2 tbs of the sugar. Let proof about 10 minutes.

  Meanwhile, melt the butter, mix with the milk and eggs. Beat well. Add the liquid ingredients, salt  and sugar to the yeast. Mix well. Add the flour until dough is formed. Knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to get a soft, elastic dough.

  Let rest 20 minutes. Punch down, shape into rolls and place on greased baking sheets. Freeze at this point, then bag in ziploc bags when frozen. May be frozen up to 4 weeks. When ready to use remove from freezer and place on greased baking sheet for 1 1/2 hours.bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

OR

Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 until done but not browned about 8-10 minutes. Cool and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and bake  until golden brown…about 10 minutes.

Well, that is what we call them here. I have been working on the recipe for dark chocolate chipotle brownies  for a couple of months, ever since I fell in love with the smokey, complex flavor of chipotle and realized that it just is incredibly versatile. And I mean incredibly. We used to do a Monte Cristo sandwich and use a raspberry chipotle sauce as a dip…and the list goes on…

  These brownies are getting closer to what I am looking for, altho I would like them to be a bit more moist and chewy. The flavor is right though…What happens is that there is some kind of magic that happens in the oven  between the cinnamon, the dark chocolate and the smokey chipotle and when they come out…yum.  I was sitting here trying to think how to describe it and I just can’t…very sophisticated and complex, not too sweet, the dark chocolate convinces your mouth that you have just bitten into a delicious, but predictible brownie and then the cinnamon sort of pulls you in to the chipotle and all of a sudden you are doing the macarena…

  Well not really..but you need to try these.

 The chocolate chipotle brownies have a spicy heat that can sneak up on you..make a plain batch for the kids…

2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

6 tbs Hershey’s Special dark cocoa

1 c unsalted butter

2 c sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp mexican vanilla

1 c flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2-4 tbs finely chopped dried chipotle

1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven:325

Grease 13×9 pan

microwave chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl until butter is melted..stir to mix and make smooth..add cocoa and mix until smooth

stir in sugar until well blended and not grainy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Spread in pan.

 Bake 30 -35 minutes or until set, toothpick inserted in center will come out with a few moist crumbs. 

let cool and cut into squares.   Makes 24