Sadie's 10th Birthday Cake

Sadie designed, baked and decorated her own birthday cake this year.  

Mom just watched.  Logan and Oliver helped with the eggs and 

Maple was lots of help with the apron ties.

Cake Ingredients

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix

Raspberry Jelly

Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate Chips

Decorating Supplies (Look in your pantry and create with what you have)

Girl Guide Cookies

Coconut

Marshmallows

Lilac Buttercream Icing

To make the cake check out the photos below and use your imagination.  Sadie designed her cake on paper first with her "pantry ingredients" in mind.  She added chocolate chips to the batter to make the cake a bit "richer".  When the cake was cool and ready to decorate raspberry jelly and chocolate fudge were spread between the layers.  A lovely lilac buttercream icing  became the decorating base and then the cookies, coconut and marshmallows topped off the cake.  

The design

Turkey Crepes

Thanks to neighbor Pat for this idea to use up leftover turkey. 

Crepe Batter:
2/3 cup flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tbsp sugar; 4 beaten eggs; 1 1/2 c milk; 2 tbsp melted butter.
Sift dry ingredients. Combine eggs with milk, gradually beat into dry ingredients until batter is smooth.   Stir in butter Chill batter 2 hrs.  Brush a small heavy fry pan with butter and heat until a drop of water sizzles.  Pour a small amount of batter (2-3 tbsp.) into pan and tilt pan to form a very thin layer on bottom.  Cook over medium heat until lightly browned on one side.  Turn and brown other side.  Repeat until all batter is used.

Cheese sauce:
2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp dry mustard; dash paprika; dash cayenne; 1 1/4 c milk; 3/4 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.
Melt butter, blend in flour and seasonings.  Gradually add milk. Stir and cook until smooth and thick.  add cheese and stir until melted.

Turkey Filling:
1/4 c. finely chopped onion; 1/4 c. finely copped celery; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 c. chopped mushrooms; 2 c. finely diced cooked turkey; 2 tbsp chopped almonds; 1/4 tsp salt; dash of pepper.
Saute onion and celery in butter until onion is transparent.  Add mushrooms and cook 1-2 min. longer; add turkey, almonds, seasonings and 1/2 cu. of cheese sauce.  Place a spoonful of filling on each crepe and stack or roll.  Place crepes in a greased baking dish, brush with a little melted butter and bake at 400F until heated (about 10 min.)  Pour remaining cheese sauce over crepes when serving .

Makes 12 crepes.

Tuck Shop Cinnamon Buns

If you attended the U of A you most likely remember the Tuck Shop Cinnamon Buns either served in the CAB cafeteria, in the early years at the Tuck Shop and........if my memory serves me right I remember these cinnamon buns from my res year at Lister Hall.

This version of the original recipe was adapted for home kitchens by Joyce Kerr, former U of A food services manager.  The original recipe by Joyce is in the link below.  Grandmaman made a couple of small changes to suit her kitchen.

https://sites.ualberta.ca/ALUMNI/history/traditions/82autrecipe.htm

Made the cinnamon buns today but a few disappeared before I had a chance to get a photo.  Yummy!

Recipe

Soften 2 packages instant yeast or 1 oz Fleischmann's fresh yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 2 tbsp of sugar.  Let this mixture set for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl put 2 cups boiling water.  Add 3 tbsp. butter, 2 tsp. salt and 3 tbsp. sugar.

Let the butter melt and the mixture cool a bit.

Then add 2 cups of all-purpose flour.  Beat this mixture hard until very smooth and creamy (about 5 minutes).  Grandmaman used the dough hook on the Kitchen Aid mixer.

Then add yeast mixture, 3 beaten eggs and 3 1/ 4 cups more flour.

Continue beating until dough is very smooth.  (It should be a very soft dough.)  Cover and let stand in a warm place to rise until the dough is doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).

While the dough is rising:  In a flat pan melt 1 /3 cup butter

Set aside to cool.

In a flat dish, mix 1 cup white sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Turn the raised dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Let the dough set 5 to 10 minutes to "firm up."  Cut the dough into pieces about the size of an orange.  Dip each piece of dough first into the melted butter, then coat it well in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Stretch the dough piece until it is 4 to 5 inches long and form it into a simple knot.

Place the knots side by side in a 9" x 12" pan.  (I used my 10" x 10" inch corelle pan.)  Be sure the pan is 2" deep and allow a 3" square for each bun.) Let the finished buns rise for about 45 minutes.  Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.  This recipe makes 18 good size buns.

(The first time I made the recipe I got 15 good size buns but have to admit lost a bit of dough in the bowl as it was really soft.)

Note:  An electric mixer is needed for this recipe as it requires a lot of beating.  If the dough is too soft to handle, add a bit more flour.  However, the less flour used the better the buns will be.

Cranberry Brussel Sprouts

Fresh brussel sprouts

Fresh cranberries

Orange Juice

Salt and Pepper

This yummy side dish can be prepared stovetop or roasted in the oven.  Countless variations can be implemented to  make it a fun side dish for any meal but it makes a perfect complement to Christmas or New Year's dinner.

The Basics for the Stovetop Version

Wash and prepare brussel sprouts (half ) and  cranberries. Place brussel sprouts in a saucepan and pour in enough orange juice to go half way up brussel sprouts.  Cook at medium heat for up to 5 minutes.  Add cranberries, season with salt and pepper and cook until fork tender. (maybe another 5 minutes)  The goal is to have fork tender brussel sprouts that maintain their bright green colour.

Creamy White Bean and Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Enjoyed this chili/soup with buns with the Calgary Crew during our Christmas concert/band/swim meet visit 2019.  Amy prepared it ahead of time and all Grandmaman needed to do was add the cream and warm the buns.  A perfect meal on a cold but "busy" winter's evening.  

I took a photo of the soup but my camera lost some photos. Here are a couple of concert/swim photos instead. 

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey thigh (or left-over turkey)

2 (15 oz. cans) cannellini beans

2 carrots finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 stalks celery

1 tbsp. ground coriander

2 garlic cloves

1 onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree, unsweetened

1/2 tsp. red chili

2 tbsp. fresh thyme

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

kosher salt to taste

1 tbsp. ground paprika

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Pour the oil into a 4 or 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven and place over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add the garlic and all the spices through the black pepper, stirring to coat in the oil.  Add the turkey and cook until it's no longer pink, stirring and breaking the meat up with a spoon, about 8 minutes.

3.  Add the herbs, pumpkin, beans, broth and 2 teaspoons salt.  Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook 25 minutes adjusting the heat so it doesn't boil.

4.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.  Serve in bowls.

To make this chili in a crockpot or slow cooker:

1.  Follow step 1 and 2.  Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker and add the herbs, pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups broth and salt.  

2.  Set to cook on low for 6 hours or 3 hours on high.

3.  Stir in the cream and serve.

Serves 6.

Butter Chicken

6 tbsp butter

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 yellow onion diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp chli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or one 14 oz can)

2 cups cream

salt and pepper

lime and cilantro, for garnish

naan bread and rice for serving

Saute onion and chicken in large pan ( Cuisinart cast iron casserole dish works well).  

Add spices and tomato sauce.  

Stir and cook for about 10 minutes.  

Add cream and heat through.  

Use lime and cilantro for garnish or add to mix.

Serve over rice with naan bread on side.

Lunch Wraps

The perfect lakehouse lunch wrap.

Ingredients

Tortilla Wraps (can be gf)

and

Whatever You Have Available

Lunch Meat/Chicken/Leftovers

Grated Cheese

Bacon Bits

Peppers

Onions

Tomatoes

Place ingredients on Tortilla Wrap

Add cheese

Start to wrap

Fold in the sides

Finish by rolling

Grill or barbecue