cabbage roll casserole

The lovely and talented Cambria Turnbow of Stamp A Little Love, Baby blog fame has blog candy in exchange for recipes (and LOVES her crock pot, hint! hint!) ... so head on over if you're interested in participating! Here's a fav of mine that I haven't made in a while. Do you like cabbage rolls? Then you'll LOVE this one!

Cabbage Roll Casserole
from the kitchens of Paula White & Martha Kuchar

1 lb hamburg, browned
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 tbl uncooked instant rice
add tot meat and simmer 3-4 minutes

(see shortcut below or add these ingredients and mix well:)
1 10-3/4 oz can tomato soup
1 soup can water
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar

(the shortcut? I just use my fav 28-oz jar of spaghetti sauce)

1 sm head cabbage - cut into medium pieces and line bottom of 2-qt casserole
gently pour meat mixture on top - DO NOT STIR!
cover and bake 325 degrees fahrenheit for 2 hrs

Enjoy! I'll try to remember to post a pic next time I make it ... maybe this week!?

Halloween cookies

A few friends and I took a cookie decorating class after work last night and here's the outcome! We each came away with 6 large decorated cookies, a nice apron, decorating bags and tips, recipes, and the remainder of the frosting. Some more cookie decorating may be in the works this weekend w my boys ...

Zehnder's Bakery Decorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
   
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 - 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
   
3. Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
   

White Icing

Ingredients:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup shortening
2 tbls water
1 tsp clear vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, water and vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for a full five minutes. It won't look like icing at first, but keep the mixer going for a full five minutes, and then you're done!
   
2. Note: If you're not using this for decorating, but just for icing the cake, thin the icing by adding 3 tbs of corn syrup or water to the icing.
   

Try it ... you'll like it!

I don't generally have multiple posts per day, but Laurie Schmidlin has some wonderful blog candy at her blog today. It got me thinking about my Mom's raison spice cake, and I thot I'd post the recipe here. I LOVE this stuff, and her hermit cookies ... and ... well, suffice to say I love my Mom's cookin'!

Raison Spice Cake - from the kitchen of my Mom, Sylvia

Simmer 1 cup seedless raisons with 2 cups water and 1 stick margarine for 10 minutes after being brought to boil.

In large bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups flour, 1 cup granualted sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/8 tsp each of salt, cloves, cinamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Add raison mixture and mix well (I'd use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula rather than a mixer for the entire recipe)

Add 1 egg and beat well.

Bake 35 minutes at 375 degree oven in 8x8x2 pan.

Optional glazing: add a few drops of boiling water at a time to 1/2 cup confectionate sugar.

I'll add a picture here in the next few days - my sister's asked Mom to bring it Thursday - unless I'm bitten by the bug to make it earlier for my clan!