Cook's Corner

I love early mornings on Wednesdays, after the dogs are fed, the coffee is made and people are out the door doing what they do.  It's then Cook's Corner time for me.  I am fearful that it will disappear as it has been reduced to just a couple of pages by the Columbus Dispatch  and seems to shrink weekly. Some weeks I think, well that was a bust, but days like today I am totally amazed.  I had NEVER heard of ice cream bread!!! Have you? Who would think of that concept and does it really work?  I am going to find out by trying this recipe as well as the other two listed here.  Nate has dug more red skin potatoes, so they will work in this potato salad recipe. Cornbread goes with many of my summer and winter recipes, so it will be fun to try as well.

Ice Cream Bread Recipe photo by Taste of Home
After looking up the recipes on the Internet, apparently I am the only person who did not know about this recipe. Duh!

Ice cream bread:

Makes 1 mini loaf (about 4 servings)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup butter pecan ice cream (or another favorite ice cream flavor), softened
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 tablespoon sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a mini loaf pan (5 3/4-inch-by-3-inch) with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan.
Joan Miller, Worthington
 
Time saving recipe
Makes 9 servings
Cheesy buttermilk cornbread:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 8-inch square baking pan.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in cheese.
Whisk buttermilk, eggs and honey in another medium bowl to blend. Add butter. Whisk until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
L.M., Columbus
 
Time saving recipe
Makes 6 servings
 
Potato salad with warm bacon dressing:
2 pounds red-skin potatoes, quartered
Salt
4 bacon strips
1 small onion, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but not mushy. Drain. Cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy and brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble.
Add onion to skillet. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add vinegar, apple juice and mustard. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Pour bacon mixture over potatoes. Toss to coat. Season with salt. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

The Country Cook (blog) lady, the one obsessed with poke cakes, has this recipe for all of us to try.  Anything red velvet goes over well here, so let's give Brandi's cake a try. Her poke cakes are simply delicious and very easy to make.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake.

It starts off by using a red velvet boxed cake mix, then a sweet cream cheese layer is swirled in and then it's all topped off with a buttery cream cheese frosting.

 

Ingredients:

1 box Red Velvet Cake mix

(ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil & water)

1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg white

For the icing:

1/2 block (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. milk

I am still laughing at this post.  My dear mother never said these things, but I surely did!

THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME:

1. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"Your room looks like a tornado hit it."
2. My mother taught me about RELIGION.
... "You better pray that comes out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week."
4. My mother taught me about OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
5. My mother taught me about the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, I can take you out."
6. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in the world who don't have wonderful parents like you."
7. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when we get home."
8. My mother taught me about GENEOLOGY.
"Shut that door... You think you were raised in a barn?"
9. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids... I hope they turn out just like you!"
10. My mother taught me about LOGIC.
"Because I said so, That's why."
11. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until your spinach is gone."
12. My mother taught me about IRONY.
"Keep crying. I'll give you something to cry about."