Apple Cake

Thanksgiving wrap up...

Here in Canada we celebrated our Thanksgiving this weekend.  As my boys are still students their part-time jobs mean they work weekends.  My eldest till quite late in the wee hours of the morning, so our festivities usually happen on Monday.  I've not usually had guests for this occasion, simply because my house seems to be shrinking.  I always look forward to a long weekend with my guys.  It's a busy time of year for me and for them and I don't get to snuggle them as much as I NEED to.  At first I thought it might be just two of us for dinner, so I bought a little, little turkey and planned on a great many desserts.  But, my eldest was able to find time to get home and was bringing a guest, ( a pretty one).  The turkey could have been bigger.  Good thing the big guy likes vegetables.  When I got married I decided I wasn't cooking things that I didn't like, why would you? And so as my guys grew I didn't make them eat things they didn't like.  Big mistake.  Now I have to cook an array of different foods to suit everyone's taste buds, but then again what kind of a celebration would it be if only some of the dinners enjoyed the meal, everyone has a right to do that.  So Sasha, meat and potatoes and dessert, Daniel meat, no potatoes, just vast amounts of other vegetables, dessert is optional. Good thing they don't like different beverages.Milk with meals still applies here.  My husband eats everything in large quantities, didn't spoil him.  So I won't bore you with the usual feast recipes but I will share with you my mothers apple cake.  I haven't made this in awhile (probably last Thanksgiving) it's just such a large recipe and I have never really been successful at 1/2ing it.  My complaint with this cake was that it didn't have enough, not enough apples, not enough dough (I am the carb queen you know) and not enough sugar.  It always tastes better the next day, not sure why. 

So here is my edited version:

Babcia Stefi's Apple Cake

Dough

3cups all purpose flour (I use Robin Hood)

2tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 lb. butter

3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg (save the whites to use to brush the crust, I always forget to do this)

1tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sugar add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, add flour which has been sifted together with baking powder. Divide dough in half of the two halves, reserve 1/3 of each piece to make the cross hatching on the top.

Press the remaining larger pieces one each into two 9X12 pans. Then...

In a large bowl combine the following

4lbs. apples peeled and sliced (more to meet the "enough" meter.

tossed with about 3/4c. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon

If your apples seem dry (depending on what you choose to use, I just use the Royal Gala, but the pie type apples are better, anyway if they are dry I would toss a 1/4 lemonjuice into the apples and perhaps a little more sugar, taste if you like.)

Spread 1/2 of the apple combination over each of the pans and then with the remainder of the dough roll out long lattice pieces and criss-cross over each pan. Brush with egg white which has been somewhat beaten with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Bake a 350degrees for about 45 min. I like to use coarse sugar for the topping it just glistens more, no real difference in taste.Great served with vanilla ice cream. Smells heavenly in your kitchen.  Don't know how this stores, never any left to do so.

Ball Chicken Pineapple, or as we call them Chinese Chicken Balls

Many years ago my sister Donna took a chinese cooking class, like the food you get from take-out. Now trust me once you've made these you'll never order out again.  I serve it with Basic Fried Rice. and cucumber slices with Japenese Vinegar and Viola it's a great little supper.  I only have a photo of the chicken while I was cooking, they gobbled it up so fast I didn't get a shot of the whole shbang.

Chinese Chicken Balls
2 breasts of chicken, (cut into 1 inch cubes)

Batter for Chicken
1/2 cup water      1cup flour
1 egg                   1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vinegar       1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil              1 tsp. cornstarch

Mix the water, egg, vinegar and oil, then add to the flour, cornstarch and salt, and baking powder. I like to use a deep bowl, so I can wisk this all together and then dip right into it.

Heat oil in deep fryer. You only need enough to cover the pieces. Dip each cube into the batter and then directly into hot oil. Cook until golden. In class we used a wok, but since I only have one and am usually making the rest of the meal in it I just use an ordanariy pan to deep fry in. I also like to use a good quality shortening (Crisco here in Canada) but in class we used canola/vegetable oil. I did this experiment once measured the melted Crisco shortening before frying and after and it was remarkable how little actually got absorbed in my chicken balls. I also heat my oil to very hot, and then when it's actually cooking turn it down slightly so my chicken has a chance to cook. I've never found a raw piece, it just seems by the time it's browned the chicken is also cooked.

Serve with Pineapple Sauce

2tbsp. Ketchup          1/2c. pineapple tidbits
2tbsp. vinegar             2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar     1 c. pineapple juice
1 tbsp. tomato paste   3 tsp. cornstarch mixed with a little water.

I use canned pineapple. Drain pineapple and reserve liquid (this is your pineapple juice, if it does not measure 1 c. add water to meet the requirement). Mix ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, water, pineapple juice, tomato paste in saucepan, bring to a boil. Meanwhile mixt cornstarch and water ( add water slowly to cornstarch probably a tbsp. at a time just so you can make it a smooth liquid). Pour into boiling liquid and stir continuously until thickened, add tidbits at the end.

I serve this on the side of the chicken balls, I just found when I poured it over, they got soggy, and not all my guests liked them smothered in sauce. If I have leftovers (big IF ) my husband eats it on anything.

Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

And a mini me!

Cake cooling with the topping only.

Well here it is, my favorite Birthday Cake. It's large invite lots of people to help you eat it. I've never frozen remains, there never is any.


Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust
1 1/2c. graham cracker crumbs
½ c. butter melted
5 tbsp.sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Melt butter, combine dry ingredients, and press into a 10 in. spring form pan. Bake about 15 min. Use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent butter drips.
Filling
1c. sugar
1tsp. vanilla extract
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon or orange
2lbs. cream cheese
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream cheese until it is soft, add eggs, sugar vanilla and lemon juice and rind. Mix until smooth. Pour onto baked crumb crust. Bake 25-30 min.
Topping
1 500ml. sour cream
1 tbsp. honey
Combine these two ingredients and pour over cheese cake, return to oven and bake 5 min. at 425 degrees.

Prepare blueberries in a small saucepan, and water and cornstarch if needed. I like to use a little lemon juice and some sugar if they are not sweet enough. Top just before serving on cooled cake.

Mellow Yellow Monday #66

It's Mellow Yellow Monday, usually I post something pretty, in a house full of men pretty is hard to find, but today well you'll see...



I can honestly say, I'm shocked. This is the breakfast, lunch, or supper of my eldest son. The pain in the neck eater. For 23years I had to come up with some awesome meals to please that pain, and here he is eating poutine, and coke for breakfast. I worried about nutrition, and vitamins and the absorption of all the nutrients in the foods I gave him, and acne and allergies , you name it I worried. The minute I'm not cooking for him, look what he replaces me with... KIDS!!!!!!

Sunday Roast of Beef, yummy

I had to try something with my Sunday roast. I like to put my roast in my cast iron roaster, for 500degrees F. for 45 min. then I turn it off and go to mass. By the time I return supper is ready except for the vegetables. This week I'm making a recipe that was delicious. I had a 3lb. roast not too fatty, rubbed some curry paste, about 1/3c. on it and put 'er in, since there was not too much fat I added 1c. water to the pan just before I put it in. When I returned home I removed my roast, rolling it ever so gently in the pan drippings getting some of the curry paste in. I then sliced my roast as thinly as possible, placed it a casserole and covered it to keep it warm. In a separate pan I made a rue, (2 tbsp. butter melted with a quick stirring and frying of about 2 tbsp. flour, I added the pan juices from the roaster, (some of which had the curry paste) stirring to keep it from getting lumps, and then I added 1 cup of coconut milk. By the time I did all this my potatoes were done and my steamed asparagus. Serve the warm roast with the sauce and your desired side dish. I prefer rice or couscous with my curry, but as my family don't like curry, I didn't rock the boat. I have no picture, they gobbled it, yes gobbled it all up. (what they don't know won't hurt them). Enjoy. I think it might be good with a cilantro garnish, but that might give away the curry secret. As it was the asparagus was a hard sell.

P.s. the curry paste I like to use is Hot, however, by the time you add all the other ingredients, it give the sauce just a nice flavour, you would not be overwhelmed with the curry flavour, that's why my boys didn't even know they were eating curry. I could have easily punched it up a few notches, but I was a good mommy and considered my boys.

For Today

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's sunny, but cold. (my window is dirty, think I'll go wash it)
I am thinking...when am I ever going to be finished cleaning.
I am thankful for...to have slept in a little today.
From the learning rooms...(if this applies)
From the kitchen...veal cutlets with mixed vegetables
I am wearing...my pjs.
I am creating...a mess at the moment, just sorting through some candles.
I am going...to return my library books
I am reading...my Canadian Scrapbooker
I am hoping...it gets warm enough for me to straighten my garden hose.
I am hearing...my cat complaining about the window being closed.
Around the house...I need to desperately hang some art on the walls.
One of my favorite things...that first cup of coffee
A few plans for the rest of the week:paint, visit my mom, bake a cheese cake.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...(add your picture here)

This meme is hosted by The Simple Woman's Day Book.

Foodie Friday

Missed Foodie Friday this week as well, so here it goes on Scrubbing floors Saturday. On many an occasion my sisters and brother and our kids and our spouses gather for special occasions or not so special. Sometimes the kids my three nieces who are close in age would visit with each other. My sister's daughter Jen is the eldest of the three girls and she would often set up a school room and be the teacher, "vocabulary improvement" would often be the topic. On one such occasion the word of the day was "constipated". Well for one of the younger of her students this was quite a mouth full and she just couldn't get it. So on her way out "the teacher" shortened it for her and said "remember today's word is "STUCK". Here's a recipe that ensures this never happens to you.

Six Week Bran Muffins

2c. all bran cereal
1 c. Crisco oil
5 tsp. Baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 quart Buttermilk
5c. flour
2tsp. salt
4eggs
1 c. raisins
Add all dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Mix well (don’t beat)
Store in covered container in fridge until ready to bake (as long as six weeks). Bake @ 400 degrees F. for 20 min. in well greased muffin tin.

Makes 4 doz.