Family Recipe: Red Devil's Food Cake

I'm back from a fantastic vacation with my family. It was just what we needed so that we could come back refreshed. If you have never been to Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas (specifically, Eureka Springs), you are missing out! It's a quaint little town that is filled with artists and their shops, and others who allow people to come in to their studios to watch them work. The living is much slower than city life, and that was what we needed to fully relax on this vacation.

Thank you to all of my blogging friends who helped keep my little blog going while I was away! I do hope you will visit their blogs as they are all fabulous!

When we arrived in Kansas City (that was our first stop of our vacation), My Mom had made my favorite cake - Red Devil's Food Cake. It was our birthday cake growing up and back then she would decorate the icing so that it looked kind of tie-dyed. One of these days I'm going to make one like that for my boys. This cake is really my perfect chocolate cake. It's dense with little crumb and so moist. It's actually even better after it has been in the refrigerator for a day. You can use your favorite icing on it, but my mom changed her usual buttercream by subbing in cream cheese for the butter. And, it was wonderful - and not overly sweet as buttercream often is.

From Family, Friends and Food

Now, do you see that beautiful dish? Well, that was My Grandma's china and I just love the delicate flowers on it. After My Grandparents had been married quite some time, My Grandpa bought this set of china for My Grandma. Of course, he couldn't just give it to her all wrapped up. He sent her on a scavenger hunt for it through their house! How cute is that?

Next time you need to make a fabulously, moist cake for family or friends try this one! You won't be disappointed!

Red Devil's Food Cake
Source: My Mom

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour milk
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 teasoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter & sugar together. Add well-beaten eggs and sour milk.

Sift together cocoa, flour, and baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture. Then, add vanilla and finally the boiling water.

Bake in a sheet pan (or bundt pan) for 30-40 minutes.

Guest Post: Tater Puffs

Today, I am so excited to have Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy sharing a guest post! Susan's blog was one of the first one's I got hooked on, and I even won one of her Top Chef giveaway's! She is a fabulous food blogger, and each post is entertaining and informative. Continue reading for more on her Tater Puffs! I know I can't wait to make them myself!

First of all, I’d like to thank Patsy for inviting me here today. I hope she’s having a wonderful time on her well-deserved vacation! Regular readers of Patsy’s blog already know that she’s a busy working mom who strives to find healthy, delicious and family-friendly recipes to serve her family and to share with all of us. As a working mom myself, I well understand this challenge. So today, I’d like to share a dish that is sure to please just about any picky eater you might have at home, young or old. I call them Tater Puffs, and they’re my homemade, healthier version of everyone’s favorite – Tater Tots.

Did you know that today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds of Tater Tots each year? That’s a lot of potatoes, people! What are these little spudly morsels and why do we love them so? Tater Tots are little bite-sized nuggets of hash browns made from deep-fried, grated potatoes. They were first created in 1953, when Ore-Ida founders, Nephi and Golden Grigg were looking for new ways to use potato shreds that were left over after making French fries. To say the least, they were really on to something, as Tater Tots have become one of the most popular side dishes around, appearing everywhere from school cafeterias and fast food joints to our own kitchen tables.

You might be asking yourself why I would bother messing with something as beloved as Tater Tots. Well for one thing, Tater Tots are fried and these homemade Tater Puffs are not. If you’re trying to cut down on fat or don't tolerate fried foods well, this is a plus. Also, if you make them, you can tweak the recipe any way you like. And of course, frozen food in a bag doesn't have one very important ingredient that you can only get at home - lots of love!

I make my Tater Puffs with pre-shredded packaged hash brown potatoes. You could certainly peel and shred your own potatoes. I have done that, but honestly, I really can't tell much difference the end result. I also like to add some grated cheeses, onion and diced ham to the puffs before they are baked in mini muffin tins. Tater Puffs are a super easy and tasty crowd-pleasing dish. And, they go with everything from hot dogs to an elegant roast chicken.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and make thee some Tater Puffs!


Tater Puffs

1 20 ounce package pre-shredded hash brown-style potatoes
2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 small sweet onion, coarsely grated
2 thick slices deli ham, chopped into small bits (about 1 cup)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F., and lightly spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of the potato mixture into each prepared mini-muffin cup.

Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Makes approximately 36 Tater Puffs.

Guest Post: Fresh Fruit Salad

My week of guest bloggers continues with none other than Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBunch! I must say I was happy to help Shelby out recently while she cruised the Carribbean! She was sweet enough to jump in when I sent out the request for help, too! Continue reading for a fabulous Fruit Salad:

Just a short while ago I had the honor of having Patsy guest blog for me while I was away on my cruise. Now, while Patsy is on vacation, I have the honor of guest blogging for her! Thank you, Patsy, for the opportunity to share with your readers and I hope you are having a great time!

It has been so hot this week that neither Grumpy nor I have felt much like eating in the evening. When I called home at the end of the day I was informed that was the case again. I decided to stop at the store and grab some fruit so I could make a fruit salad I had seen in an old Taste of Home magazine (dated August 2007). I threw some pork loin steaks on the grill and put together our salad. Refreshing, sweet and delicious it was the perfect side for our grilled pork! I modified the recipe some from the original since there were no strawberries in the store and because I forgot there were oranges in the ingredient list. The recipe will follow after the photo!

Fruit Salad
adapted from Taste of Home

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup pineapple juice
2-3 kiwi fruit
1 pint blueberries
3 medium bananas, halved widthwise and lengthwise
fresh raspberries
shredded coconut

In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Cool.

Cut the end off one kiwi; place cut side down in the enter of a large round platter. Place buleberries evenly around kiwi. Cut remaining kiwi into 1/8 inch slices; place around edge of plate.

Place bananas in spoke pattern over blueberries. Arrange raspberries around out edge of salad on top of kiwi slices. Drizzle with pineapple sauce and sprinkle with coconut shreds.

Makes 4-6 servings

Guest Post: Strawberries with Zabaione or fragole con zabaione

When I put out the word that I would be away enjoying some family time for a few days, I was thrilled to get a wonderful response from some of my fantastic food blogging friends! So, while I am away getting in some quality family time, there will be some great guest posts to keep you coming back while I am away!

First up, is Janet from LaDue & Crew! She is a fabulous blogger, and you simply must check out her cake decorating skills! Wish you lived closer because I could would love to learn some of your tricks! So, sit back and enjoy Janet's post below:

You know I can almost hear the theme song to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood about now, welcoming me over here to Patsy's place... it's always that comfortable when I have the chance to sit and visit! How sweet of her too, to ask me, Janet from LaDue & Crew, to guest blog for her while she enjoys a well deserved vacation with some good friends.

When I first began blogging a few years ago, I began to get a bit frustrated. I really did not know my way around the blogging community, nor did I have the etiquette I felt I needed to continue food blogging. It was Patsy's continued visits and kind, inspiring words that kept me from hanging up the towel. Thanks Patsy! (Wow, Janet! You really are too sweet to say that!)

One of my favorite fruits during the this time of year (ok, quite honestly all year round!) is strawberries. How one simple fruit can go from jam to tart, ice cream to pie, and everything in between without seeming like a repeat just amazes me. Dress her up, dress her down, she's quite the lady in red. Did you know that strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside? Here in Arizona, wanting that refreshing, sweet bite, yet with a touch of elegance, can be difficult to envision with temperatures over 110 F. Who feels much like baking then?! But something as easy as a Zabaione, with few simple ingredients, can be made on the stove top in under ten minutes. Perfect for last minute guests with that elegant flair!

Strawberries with Zabaione or fragole con zabaione
adapted from La Cucina Italiana magazine

2 large egg yolks
1/4 c orange juice
2 Tbs sugar
1 lb small strawberries, trimmed and sliced in half
Good quality balsamic vinegar- I used Pomegranate balsamic vinegar

Prepare and divide strawberries into 4 small serving dishes. Set aside.

Fill a large sauce pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer.

In a medium non-reactive bowl, combine yolks, orange juice and sugar. Place bowl over the simmering water (like a double boiler), and cook, whisking constantly, making sure to scrape bottom of bowl with whisk so that your eggs do not scramble. You do not need to whisk vigorously, just enough so that your mixture is frothy and moving at all times. Do this for about 8 minutes until the mixture is tripled in volume. Remove from heat to a cool protected surface and whisk a minute more.

Pour and divide evenly over strawberries. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Simple French Toast

I grew up in the Midwest, where there is no such thing as a diner. The closest thing I can think of is Perkins or Denny's. So, after I met My Husband and I made my first few trips to visit him in New Jersey, I was introduced to the wonder that is the diner.

If you've never been to a diner, and if you haven't been to the East Coast that is very possible, then you would be amazed at the size of the menu. At any time of the day you can get a full breakfast, lunch or dinner. Depending on your mood or what you are craving it's on there. I think some diner's pride themselves on the number of items on their menus.

I would always get so overwhelmed by what was on the menu when I first came out here, that I often went with simple French Toast. I knew I would enjoy it, and never really made it at home so it was a good choice. I have since figured out that I prefer diners for breakfast over other times of the day. Getting a plate of eggs any way you like them with some crispy hash browns and any type of toast you want is what often appeals to me. My Boys, on the other hand, are pancake purists and just want a side of sausage with them.

So, when I received a cookbook to review for The Voice of Mom, I ended up choosing a simple recipe for French Toast to test from it. You can check out my review of the book over HERE.

Now, I chose this recipe for a couple of reasons. First, it was one of the few in this vegetarian cookbook that immediately appealed to me (I knew all the ingredients and didn't have to buy anything "special" to make it). Second, I also figured if it was as easy as the recipe made it sound, then I might actually be able to do this on one of my busy weekdays when school starts back up in September.

The French Toast came out perfectly using the recipe in the book as a guideline (you can find the recipe on my post at The Voice of Mom). Nice and crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside with the perfect amount of sugar and cinnamon. It was as simple as I had hoped, so when school starts back up I might actually make a homemade breakfast a couple times a week.

Over the next week, you will notice some "new" voices here at Family, Friends and Food. I'm off to enjoy a much needed family vacation, and several of my Food Blogging Friends were nice enough to write some Guest Posts for me to keep my little blog a "happening" place. So, please stop back by and see what they have to share, and leave a comment so they feel welcome! I'll be back with some restaurant reviews from our trip and hopefully, some other fun tidbits to share as well!

Chicken Soup ala Emeril & Giveaway Winner

Last weekend we took a quick trip to Washington, D.C. Some might say Our Boys are too young to appreciate what they would be visiting, but I think they enjoyed it quite a lot. They do love museums, and their elementary school got them all excited about the election last year. So, a trip to see our nation's capital seemed like a good idea to all of us.

Before we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, My Oldest said that he was looking forward to "admiring" it. I had been explaining to both of them that we would be visiting Lincoln, but he would not be coming to "life" like he did in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. They were still excited to go see it.

From Family, Friends and Food

I've only seen the Lincoln Memorial two times now, and each time it has been moving. Something about the words engraved on the walls and the meaning behind them just makes you feel as if you could be listening to this great man speak.

Unfortunately, after 2 nights in a hotel where the air conditioner ran constantly and was blowing down on us we ended up with 2 boys with summer colds. Between the air conditioner and the steaming hot days wandering between museums and sites they both ended up with a cough.

Now, we are gearing up for another get-away, and I need healthy boys before we get back on the road. Since I had received a few more of Emeril's products to sample from the folks at FoodBuzz, this seemed like the perfect time to put a couple together and see what I could come up with.... and as it turns out, chicken noodle soup was the answer.

From Family, Friends and Food

I used the 32 ounce container of Emeril's Chicken Broth plus another 16 ounces of water and heated that up to a boil. Tossed in the noodles and carrots... then added some sliced cooked chicken. To add a bit of flavor, I added about 1 teaspoon of Emeril's Essence. My plan was to add just enough spice to help the colds run the other direction. The broth was flavorful on it's own, and the Essence definitely added a bit of spice, to which both of My Boys declared it was "too spicy" and didn't slurp up as much as would have been helpful for their colds. At least they got in the chicken, noodles and carrots so the did end up with a healthy serving of good foods to help battle the cold.

I am not so sure I would go out of my way to pick up Emeril's Chicken Broth as I tend to keep my own on hand most of the time. In a pinch it would certainly fill in nicely. I think Emeril's Essence has so many possibilities that I'll be pulling it out to add a hit of flavor to some of my favorite dishes, perhaps Shrimp Jambalaya could be taken up a "notch" with some of this added to it!

Now, for those of you waiting ever-so-patiently, the WINNER of the "handful" of Spifes is.....

Comment #3!!! Erin who writes Erin's Food Files!!! Erin - send me your mailing information (email: pkfamilyfriendsandfood (at) gmail (dot) com) so I can pass it along so you can receive your cool new tools! Thanks for playing along!

Phillips Seafood - Baltimore

We spent last weekend exploring a bit of Washington, D.C. and finished up Sunday in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. It was my first time to Baltimore, but all I had heard about was how you could get a bucket of blue crabs and go to town!

So, we ventured forth and found the restaurant that My Husband remembered as the one serving these famous blue crabs, Phillips Seafood. When we sat down and began looking over the menu, it seemed to be missing the main thing we were looking for!

From Family, Friends and Food

When we asked our server about it, he said that they had Snow Crab Legs. Not what we were hoping for, so we ordered a couple of dishes off the menu. Apparently, their crab cakes are "famous", so I opted for their Crab Cake Sandwich.

From Family, Friends and Food

The seasoning was very good, and the crab was fresh and delicious. Overall, I enjoyed it and noticed that they also sell their seasoning (not too different from Old Bay Seasoning). On the back of the tin was a recipe for their crab cakes. I am making a note to add a touch of Worcestershire sauce next time I make mine. I like that mine hold together a bit better though.

My Husband opted for the Fried Seafood Platter. No real explanation required here... take a look at the goodies he enjoyed (and shared with Our Boys):

From Family, Friends and Food

The seafood platter was more than a fair portion and thank goodness he ordered it because Our Oldest didn't care for the kid's burger he ordered. He ended up thoroughly enjoying the fried fish and crab cake. Our Youngest went for the kid's Fried Shrimp and let's just say there were only little shrimpy tails left as evidence he was there.

Overall, the food was very good, but a bit pricey. Even though we weren't able to order what we had been hoping for, we did enjoy our lunch there. We do plan to go back to Baltimore/Inner Harbor to check out the Baltimore Aquarium and find those coveted Maryland Crabs. Would love to hear from others who have been in the area where they have found the best seafood while there.

Don't foget you have until Midnight TONIGHT to enter my Giveaway for a Spife! Just the tool for snacking on Kiwi! Click on over HERE and leave a comment!

Kiwi and the Spife? Giveaway!

When I received and email talking about a Spife, I was definitely curious to find out what it was. I mean really, I've heard of a spork but never a spife. Turns out, the folks at Zespri love their Kiwi so much, they created a special tool to make it easy to take in your lunchbox and enjoy anytime.

The spife is a simple tool that consists of a spoon on one side and a serrated "knife" on the other. It's sharp enough to cut through the delicate skin of a kiwi, but won't harm small hands. I decided to put it to the test by having My Boys try it out. If they could manage it on their own, then not only is this a cool little tool but we have another great fruit I can send in their lunches during the upcoming school year!

First, cut the kiwi in half using the knife side of the Spife.

From Family, Friends and Food

See what a nice cut it makes? And these are 7 year old hands doing the work.

From Family, Friends and Food

Next, switch to the spoon side of the Spife and dig in to enjoy the sweet kiwi treat!

From Family, Friends and Food

Not only are they delicious to eat, they are full of fiber, Vitamin C, and Potassium they are also are low on the glycemic index. Can't beat all that goodness packed into such a small package. This little experiment was a success because My Oldest now ADORES kiwi and I have to keep them on hand so that he can enjoy them as a treat each day. Score!

Now, if you'd like to score yourself a handful of these cool tools, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. This is only open to U.S. residents. One comment per person, please! Entries received by midnight on Tuesday, August 18th are eligible!

I will choose a random winner on Wednesday, August 19th. Doesn't everyone need another cute gadget for their drawer? This one really will be useful since it's purpose is to make eating Kiwi even easier!

Guest Post!

We just returned from a quick weekend in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore! Yep, we managed to squeeze in as much as possible into 2 days! So, I don't have a post here tonight to share, but head over to one of my favorite blogs, The Life and Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBunch to see what I shared over there while she was away!

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh post, so come on back to see what I've got to share!

Roasted Veggies, Sausage & Pasta

I know what you are thinking. Why on Earth would I be roasting vegetables in August?!? Well, we've had the most bizarre weather this summer, and it's been usually mild most of the summer so turning on the oven isn't going to make too much of a difference in the temperature of my kitchen right now.

I used a recipe from Cooking Light as my jumping off point for roasting the veggies. You could toss in whatever veggies you happen to have on hand. I had a HUGE zucchini, a pint of grape tomatoes, 12 oz. package of mushrooms and an onion. So, I cut everything up into smaller pieces, except for the tomatoes. Drizzled some olive oil over everything, then sprinkled some Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the pan into the oven that I preheated to 475 degrees and let roast for 15 minutes. Then, pull out the pan and turn over the veggies. Add about a half cup of white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio) to the veggie mixture and roast for another 7-10 minutes.

While all that was going on, I grilled up some sweet turkey sausages and got some farfalle pasta cooking. It all came together rather nicely. I sliced the sausage into bite-size pieces because it would mix with the pasta nicely and make it a filling dinner.

From Family, Friends and Food

Well, the result was a delicious meal that had enough going on in the bowl to fully satisfy hungry bellies. I adore roasted tomatoes, but really loved the zucchini and mushrooms cooked in this was as well. It can't get any easier than this and it doesn't require a lot of hands-on time once the veggies are cut. You don't need to be precise, just cut into reasonable bite-size pieces. Once everything is finished cooking, toss it all together and serve!

Check out these pasta dishes for more inspiration:

goodLife {eats}: Sundried Tomato and Spinach Lasagna

Cooking with Christine: Sausage & Fettuccine in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Tastemaker Review: Emeril's Chicken Rub

When I think of seasonings from Emeril, I think of big flavor and a kick of spice that often hits at the end. So, when the opportunity was presented to the Foodbuzz Featured Publishers to review some of Emeril's food products, I thought it would be a great way to sample some things I might otherwise pass by in the grocery store.

The first thing I opened was the Chicken Rub. It is all natural and filled with spices you would have in your cabinet such as garlic, salt, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper and poultry seasoning. Emeril even made sure to add some hickory spice as well. When I opened the spice jar, the aroma was strong and the flavors unmistakable.

I followed the recommended instructions on how to use the rub. Add a bit of oil to all sides of the chicken, then you can sprinkle or rub the spices into the meat. I sprinkled, then rubbed them in to make sure the flavors would "stick" to the chicken.

From Family, Friends and Food

I wasn't sure if the crushed red pepper would be a dominant flavor after the chicken was grilled, and I must say I was happy it wasn't overpowering. The hickory smoke really kicked this seasoning blend up from the ordinary blends you might see when shopping. This blend is also much lower in sodium than many I have seen so you won't be grabbing huge glasses of water after dinner to quench that thirst.

Over the next week or so, I'll be reviewing Emeril's Chicken Stock, Emeril's Essence and Emeril's Horseradish Mustard.