Chocolate cake at its finest and easiest~

People who read my posts know that chocolate is not my favorite thing, so why I tried this simple cake is beyond me.  Maybe it is because there are four ingredients and no mixer involved.  Maybe it's because it has a can of cherry pie filling coupled with chocolate.  It is NOT a dump cake which I do not care for at all.  It is a silky delicious simple no named cake.  It is 3:00 am and I am writing you about this cake that I baked for the second time yesterday.  Joe and Glenda are coming for a few days through July 4th and I can't wait for them to try it, if there is any left.  If not, I can throw it together in minutes. I found it on the internet Feb. 8th, 2013 and marked the recipe outstanding, so here it is.

For the cake with no name:
1  2-layer size devils food cake mix
1 tin of cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
3 large free range eggs beaten

Oven 350; buttered 13x9 inch baking tin and lightly dusted with flour tapping out any extra. Put all cake ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until they are well blended.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the optional frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 TBS butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine the sugar, milk, and butter for the frosting in a saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Boil for one-minute stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until they are completely melted and the mix is smooth.  Pour and spread over the warm cake and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

You can use a tub of store icing instead of the above, but I would not.

Women's Weekly Cookbooks

I read a cooking blog from the UK this morning and it triggered memories from my many, many trips to England in search of antiques.  I stayed at the Barkston and across the street was a bookstore.  Now these were not leisurely trips with tea and crumpets (unless you had them in hand and on the run or standing up in a field.) These were totally working trips and if I saw the sites it was in passing and on the move.  However, some Sundays there was little to do in the way of shopping so I would calm and sooth myself at the bookshop across the street. It was a chain bookshop and really well staffed and stocked.  One lucky day I saw a pile of sleek, thick, lovely what I called magazines but what was really called weekly cookbooks from Australia.  They were glorious and as it happens they still are.  Yes, this company is still producing WEEKLY these lovely cookbooks and they are just stunning in color, in correctness (each recipe having been tested three times before publication)  And, the good news is, you can still buy them.  I have maybe thirty or so back as early as the 1980's and I am sure they were producing far before I found them. Today the box was ticked again and I got on Amazon and started buying those that I thought I didn't have.  Now Amazon won't let you buy what you have already bought because they shoot a warning at the top and it reads the date you previously purchased the item, saving me some money.  I do love Amazon and I love these Women's Weekly cookbooks. So google and enjoy.  I know in the 500 posts I've made I wrote about this before, but I am certain people have forgotten this subject with all the recipes floating the Internet. The picture of the clafouti at the top of each of my posts came from the Women's Weekly cookbooks.

Fun is afoot

 Flag Blow Wind 

Party season at Many Branches has started with Joe and Glenda arriving Saturday and staying through July 4th celebration here.  We are going to make it less about the food and more about the company.  Simple and help are two words for the next few weeks.  Can you believe July 4th is upon us already?  I have been a slug just hanging out and reading, reading, reading.  I found an author that I am enjoying and I think she has about 48 books on the market and I have only read seven so far.  Mariah Stewart is her name, but, she is going to have to take a back seat now that company is coming.

We have also tied up the November birthday celebration venue in New Orleans.  Emails have clogged the Internet getting that set.  Planes have been booked, suites have been saved so we can relax until November where that is concerned.

Then there is Matt and Stacy's wedding the 2nd of Labor Day weekend and the party here the next day.

Life is good. 

High tea

Beth has thoughtfully reserved a high tea event for our trip to New Orleans in November.  Seven northern women are meeting in New Orleans and at least that many ladies, from there, will join us for a long weekend birthday celebration.  It is Beth's birthday and my 80th,  Windsor Court where we could not get reservations to stay because they are already booked up, will have us to tea, however.  It is a grand occasion with champagne to start and then tea and cakes with tiny sandwiches.

Devon style (cream first) or Cornish style (jam first). Although cream tea etiquette suggests the two halves should not be sandwiched together.

II remember very well the airplane trips home from several weeks of antiquing over one hundred times.  Once the plane took off from London the crew always offered scones, jam, and clotted cream.  I really loved this, but it was difficult to eat it because I worried about my connections home with 15-20 trunks, boxes, and bags.  It was an ordeal. Will they all arrive together, how would customs be, will I make the connection that I so longed for?  After all the best part of a trip is coming home.(With a lot of booty.)

These pictures are from the link The British Tea Party.

Great British Tea Party

@GreatBritishTeaParty

Great British Tea Party

@GreatBritishTeaParty

Claiborne Mansion

I have been neglecting this blog something fierce, but now I think I can get back to concentrating on it a bit.  Lately, the ladies in the family and I have been planning a birthday celebration in New Orleans in November.  I don't know what is in New Orleans that is so attractive in November but everything is high priced and or booked already.  Luckily I thought of the Claiborne Mansion where we stayed one Thanksgiving holiday and also where Alyssa's graduation party was held.  As soon as I thought about it I emailed Cleo, the owner, and she became as excited at the prospect as I. An all ladies sleepover for several nights in the luxury of a New Orleans mansion. What could be better?  She offered the entire main house and we were off and running.  Emails were flying and plans were afoot. Flights are booked and we can now settle down a bit and enjoy the summer ahead.

Comfort & Tranquility

Claiborne Mansion showcases beautifully appointed suites with queen size beds and spacious marble baths. Views are charming with two upstairs suites that open onto a balcony overlooking Dauphine Street and the Park. All original marble fireplaces remain and each suite is air-conditioned with individual thermostats, allowing for the utmost comfort in this historic setting. Additionally, we offer a set of adjoining rooms which combine to create a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite that is perfect for families or two couples traveling together.

I tried to use a picture from the ad, but could not, so you can look up Claiborne Mansion to see if you would be happy to stay there if you visit New Orleans.

I must say all is not rosy here.  Since the extreme hacking of our accounts, I can not get Amazon to work and I am Kindle deprived.  I can order, but they never arrive on my Kindle.  They go into order purgatory and remain unrescued.  I have a favorite new author and am eager to try her Dead series, but noooooo.  I suffer on.  On the other hand Netflix has been very good to me.  I am currently watching Cable Girls...Andy's Aunt Pinky was one of these women in Cincinnati years ago. I finished House of Cards; loved it. Watching Escape to the Country collection watching people look for homes in the UK--they never seem to buy, however.  Slow to make decisions.  Better Call Saul was interesting. REIGN, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEE IT YOU ARE MISSING A GOOD VIEWING. The Paradise is good too. Loved the Tudors.  Crazy about Doc Martin. I liked the Borgias... Well, not like them as people because they were despicable, but as a series.  Have you seen Chocolat? And, I can't forget Suite Francaise.  Well, these titles should keep you happy for the summer.

Birthdays in New Orleans

Saturday morning outing to the farmers' market with friends.

Beth and I have birthdays in November.  I will be 80 and she will be considerably younger.  We came up with the idea of getting with the ladies of New Orleans, Ann and her sisters, and Beth's sisters and then I thought let's invite the Cincy women, And the Florida women, Johnna and her great sister. So the clans have merged and we are wide open to frivolity. November is a long time away, but plans must be made and anticipation must be experienced.  We are leaving our husbands and the dogs behind.  One place to look forward to is the Rock and Bowl.  It is a night club of sorts with a bowling alley and a live band that is just great.  I can't remember the food, so I think it is basic pizza, but I am not sure.  The bowling is fun to watch and at my age watching is what I will be doing when it comes to flying balls and flipping pins.  The music of New Orleans gets everyone in the mood to party and that is what we are looking forward to.  We will dine out every night so no one will have to cook, even if they want to.  We will have high tea at the Windsor Court where I hope we will stay, but that is to be considered.

Ann and I had such a good time when she was here for a few days.  I am eager to see her again.

We are having Chinese take out tonight but I have boneless ribs in the oven to be paired tomorrow with several kinds of beans and whatever else I can come up with.

Life is good and getting better.

Cook's Corner had three recipes using tater tots today.  I am not opposed to taking help when I can get it and I actually like crispy tater tots especially when I have a crowd for breakfast.  I must admit breakfast is the meal I dislike cooking because getting it all out hot and at the same time is a problem for me.  Now I fix Nate's a carryout breakfast every work day morning, but I can get really creative with him and he likes the surprises he finds...salmon with scrambled eggs, Bob Evans zesty sausage, and eggs; fritta with many things from the fridge; every day is a surprise. I bought a big supply of Chinese carry-out cartons and they work so well for breakfast.  I bought the ones with no wire handles if they need to go in the microwave (which I do not own.) I got them on Amazon (sigh); I have not been able to use good old Amazon since the hacking but the bank and I , today, came up with a solution so I may be back on in a few days. Anyway, there are fifty sturdy paper cartons for $13. and they work a treat.

Chicken bacon Ranch potato tot casserole

1 tsp. veg. oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese blend
12 package (1 ounce) Ranch dressing & seasoning mix
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 bag (32 oz) frozen potato tots
1/3 cup chopped bacon
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
 1/4 cup sliced onions for topping

350 preheated
13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray
In a skillet cook the 1/4 cup of green onions until tender.  
In a medium bowl stir onions, soup, sour cream, milk, 1 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons of dressing mix and pepper until mixed well; stir in chicken.
Place half of the frozen potatoes in a single layer on bottom of baking dish. Spoon and spread chicken mixture on top of potatoes; sprinkle 1/4 cup of bacon on top.
In large plastic resealable food-storage bag, add remaining tots with remaining dressing mix; seal and shake bag to coat.  Arrange over casserole.
Bake 40 minutes.  Top casserole with remaining 1 cup cheese and 1/4 cup bacon.
Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are browned.  Top with tomatoes and green onions

A rainy day bake

I haven't been in the mood to bake for weeks.  But today is different.  The kitchen door is wide open while a gentle rain kisses the grateful plants and flowers and all is right at the moment.  Peace does not make me want to bake nor does baking give me peace as many people suggest; I just have to do it when I don't have to do it. So today is the day.  I have a cranberry and salted peanut bread in the oven. I just used whatever struck my fancy from the baking cupboard and I saw homemade orange cranberry sauce left over in the fridge. It bakes for an hour so I can't tell you how it will be.  I know the color will be a little strange because I did not spare the cranberry sauce.

Yesterday I search Netflix to find something to please me and noticed the British House of Cards.  Forget it.  It is awful.  I saw only a few minutes of it and felt sleepy in the middle of the day.  TV will be going to sleep too now that summer is on its way.  Sometimes a new show sparks interest but mostly, as you know, it is reruns galore.

I was hoping Joe and Glenda could come up for a few days to play cards and chat, but she is still in therapy for several more weeks.  I had the menu all planned but there it is...the best-laid plans go amok.

Andy is away car shopping; fresh hell is afoot because I am going to have to get into the fray sooner or later.  Now I've gone and spoiled my day with that thought.

A lot of this and that~

This Sunday finds everyone scattered hither and yon, so Andy and I have had a good, quiet time for the second weekend in a row.  We like it a bit more rowdy, however, so we look forward to people coming home:
 those in Cincinnati, Matt and Stacy from a wedding up north, Beth in New Orleans...

I wanted to get the fish of the week in so I made a big seafood chowder and it went down very well.  I use a wide variety of seafood that I have available, make a good base, and before you know it the soup/chowder is done.  The thing I have been neglecting is the area of baking.  I just feel stubborn about it, so I have neglected that arena for some strange reason.

We finally have the outdoors in good shape thanks to Johnny's loan of a really good guy.  I feed him well, so he likes coming here.  We are ready to put in a pretty large area in asparagus.  We have not been able to grow it, so we are determined after eating the very delicious gift of asparagus from Stacy's mother's husband.

We finally have our accounts in order after the hacking, so our nerves are being given a rest.  We do have a car buying saga coming up and I do wish they would just drive a nice car specific to our specifications right to the door, pick up the check and say goodbye for another few years...but nooooooooo.
We have to draw it out, offer and counter offer, make deals, sign a thousand papers, sit in an office while they pretend to get us the best deal which they know ahead of time, and then hope for the best.

  We sat in the bank a total of nine hours with the banking fraud fiasco and the poor personal banker even took another job at the end of our last session.  As I looked around for the next personal banker they all seemed to find something interesting on the floor under their desks.  One head finally popped up and I said, " you are next."  He blanched.

I finished the new season of House of Cards.  If there is a couple out there like the Underwoods, RUN.  However, it is a great series and I am sorry we have to wait so long to see what Clare does this next season.  She is as bad as he is for sure, but fascinating to watch.

The Ann with and E (Anne of Green Gables) started and I was all set for a long tale, but it was just one season.  Now we have to wait for the next series and who knows how long that will take.  It is very good.  I have watched (and read all of the books) the tapes and series on TV with at least three different Anns.  The first one was very good, the second not too good, but this one is really a good little actress. The entire cast is excellent.
Andy and I used to listen to the tapes of Anne of Green Gables as we drove long distances to do antique shows or on buying trips.  It was a good listen and Andy got hooked as well. 

Enjoy this glorious week.

Eggs and their salads

My sister-in-law, Glenda, always makes deviled eggs as her contribution to a family party. She likes to stick to her tried and true (and delish) recipe.  On the other hand, I cannot leave well enough alone. I am always adding a dash of this or that, so, like my soup dishes, my egg dishes never taste the same way twice. Today, Wednesday, Cook's Corner has a couple of egg salad recipes that you might like to try.   I had not thought of the addition of cream cheese and that's what they have done in one of these simple offerings for egg salad:

1-  8 oz block of soft cream cheese
2 hard-cooked chopped eggs
1/2 cup or more chopped salad olives, including pimento undrained

Mash the cheese, eggs, and olives together.  The juice from the olives will add saltiness to the salad.  The mixture should not be runny.  Refrigerate.  This spread is best made a day before serving.  It will be quite firm and this recipe is easily doubled.

Egg salad

6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (I would use grainy)
salt and pepper to taste

You can dress it up with pickles, olives, onions or relish, as you please.

These are very basic and simple recipes but then I am feeling simple today (in more ways than one.)

What fresh hell is this?

After spending another three hours at the bank I believe we are once again as secure as we can be.  Someone repeatedly did a number on all our accounts but now they are under fraud watch for a long, long time.  Trust is running low here at Many Branches and we are seeing crooks everywhere we look.  I guess we will get over it but all those hours of fretting and working with the poor banker--he is our current hero, are hours we will never get back.

Yet, I cooked on.  For some reason, I am driven to cook no matter what.  We had the most delicious tacos yesterday.  We usually have a Memorial Day crowd for the day, but this year it was uneventful and relaxing. We look forward to July 4th activities and of course Matt's wedding in September with the day after celebration here.  Back to tacos, they are a messy bit of deliciousness, it's a shame one is covered in it after the feast. No matter the wrap, it spills out.  I think layering in a bowl is much more pleasant in the eating.

Tonight we are throwing steaks on the grill and eating al fresco.  I look forward to a fret-free rest of the week although a car search is in the cards; how I hate looking for and at cars! Just  another several hours of fresh hell as far as I'm concerned.

On a positive note; I am positive that Netflix's Anne of Green Gables is a great thing to watch.  Also, House of Cards is to be on today!  YEA,  this is all good.