Good morning. We hope everyone is doing well today.
We had some friends of ours send Deb and I an e-mail a couple days back. They’re Bill and Sandy, and they live in Mobile. They’ve become friends just like so many of you guys have since the startup of our site.
Anyway, although I’d seen this before, Deb and I had never participated in one. It is a pretty dern neat way of sharing recipes. So, Deb and I participated, and what a great way to pick up recipes from friends around the Country, and even worldwide. We thought it was a very good idea.
So, I thought we’d take it a step further, and put it up on the site this morning. If you guys would like to participate, feel free to do so. We’re always looking for new recipes and we found this unique in its ability to supply you with tried and proven ways in which to prepare meals.
Just take a look at the way this is done, and again, if you’d like to participate…just jump right in. You send one, and in return you’ll be supplied with many. The way to go about this is very simple. This in itself is a Godsend for me, cause…I’m pretty simple anyway.
Here’s the e-mail Bill and Sandy sent us. Just follow what they have to say, and before long you’ll see your new recipes begin to start dropping in!
We are participating in a collective, constructive, and TASTY experiment.
As such, you have been invited to be part of a recipe exchange concept. We hope you will participate. We have picked those we think would make this fun. Please send a recipe to the person whose name is in position 1 (even if you don’t know him/her) and it should be something quick, easy and without rare ingredients. Actually, the best one is the one you know in your head and can type right now. Don’t agonize over it; it is one you make when you are short of time.
After you’ve sent the recipe to the person in position 1 below and only to that person, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to position 1 and put your name in position 2. Only my and your name should show when you send your email. Send to 20 friends BCC (blind copy). You should receive 36 recipes. It’s fun to see where they come from! Seldom does anyone drop out because we all need new ideas. The turnaround is fast as there are only 2 names on the list and you only have to do it once.
2-dubanddebs@gmail.com
Now…how easy is that? Isn’t it wonderful to meet new friends and share your ideas and techniques in different ways? THIS, is what our Country is all about…sharing knowledge, and helping others!
Granted, there are some who don’t know how, or care enough to help themselves. Sadly, this has become a sort of “indoctrination” our elected leaders are instilling in many today. Whether you contribute or not (Work), makes no difference…you STILL should benefit from the people who do contribute, or work.
Somehow, or somewhere along the line, our politicians figured out the convenience of “buying the vote.” As most know, this is by no means to help “we the people” out! But, far too many today believe this to be a fact.
Through this, the legacy of our Country, as laid out for us through our Founding Fathers is being interpreted by our elected leaders as full of flaws, and as they claim, not was what our Forefathers actually intended.
BUT, It IS EXACTLY what our Founding Fathers intended…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! America was built upon the right of free people to start a business, if so desired, worship as you like, and supply you, through capitalism, to better not only your own lives, but the lives of your family as well!
This is why all these people have immigrated here since the founding of our Country. All they wanted by coming here was the ability to work, save, and worship freely. Today though, too many immigrate here only for…a free ride on the “Nanny State” train! It just makes me sick.
Take from the haves, and GIVE…to the have-nots! Our current administration believes this whole heartedly. This is the agenda with community organizing. Our President…is a former community organizer.
Isn’t it amazing that he has “preached” this type of rhetoric for all these years, YET…he didn’t live in community housing, no, no. He lived in a mansion in Hyde Park. He lived the life of, well, let me see…a Capitalist! Still does! Plus most of our other politicians.
You see, capitalism FOR THEM, is okie dokie, just not us! We are actually going through a period of class warfare. Our politicians fire up the have-nots by preaching of all the corruption and fraud of capitalism. In the end, what happens?
The politicians and their cronies end up with ALL the money, All the power, and this means…no middle class eventually. We become a communist based ideology Country, and the freedom we’ve always known is lost forever.
We better wake up and start DEMANDING our rights. In this Country, we’ve always helped each other out. Like our site and so many like it, this old practice continues. We help each other not because we have to, but simply because we want to!
This little recipe sharing by Sandy and Bill is but one example of this. We do not need to be taken care of by our politicians. To be quite honest, I’m quite capable of taking care of my family and myself, but, for only along as “Our Government” continues to allow us these freedoms!
Plus the biggest point is that our politicians are not doing a good job by the most lax of definitions with the use of our taxpayer money! Look at our Country…14 trillion in debt, a school system in shambles, and at the very best mid-pack worldwide. This is literally criminal!
Alright, let me get back out of this. My dern keyboard is beginning to take too much abuse from my fingers now, not from typing, BUT BANGING on the dad-gum keys! But, you get the picture…
Well, let’s get out of politics and fire off a cook stove!
Our first recipe today comes from Diane, I believe from Virginia. If not, please correct me in this Diane! This recipe is very easy to make, and very easy on your pocketbook too!
Thank you Diane!
Sloppy Joes:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 rib chopped celery
- chopped small onion
- 1 small can of Hunt’s tomato sauce
- spices that you like
- Olive oil, for sauteing celery and onion
- One beef bouillon cube
- 2 Tablespoons of water
Heat oil in a medium/hi heat pan. When the oil is hot, cook celery for a few minutes and then put the onion in. Add ground beef and brown. Drain liquid.
Add bouillon cube and water and spices. Reduce for a couple of minutes. Add sauce from the can and cook for a little bit. Serve on top of hamburger buns.
Our second and third recipes are for those with a sweet tooth! I gotta tell you, these are two great cakes, and our ole buddy Roger supplied us with pictures to boot!
Roger is quite the joker, and has supplied many of the jokes we throw in our columns from time to time! Course, if I could bake cakes that turned out as good as evidently his do, shoot, I’d be a happy camper 24-7 myself!!
Thanks Roger!
Black Forest Cake:
- • 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- • 2 cups white sugar
- • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- • 3/4 teaspoon salt
- • 3 eggs
- • 1 cup milk
- • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- • 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
- • 1 cup white sugar
- • 1/4 cup cornstarch
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
Combine whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.
Check out these pictures from Rajah…
A couple comments from Roger in regards to his “cake making!”
Mmmmm! Sinful! I find that now that I have the time I find I still have the knack for making cakes! Want me to save you a bite? The wife was freaking out when I made her sit down and watch me put this baby together. I made her shave the chocolate for it!
I’ll send you a picture of me holding it. I used to make a lot of cakes when I had my own catering business back when. I used to make multiple tiered wedding cakes with bridges and the bride and groom placed on them. I should have saved some pictures of them from back then. I have the makings for a German Chocolate and a Carrot Cake in the cupboard. Yeah you never know who can bake a cake or use a sewing machine. (I own 2 sewing machines too!) Roger
Mississippi Mud Pie:
Chop pecans. Mix flour and butter. Press in pan. Brown 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely. (Best damned crust there is!)
Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and powdered sugar and spread over crust. Then put chocolate pudding layer, then vanilla pudding layer on the chocolate pudding. Top with Cool Whip. sprinkle chocolate bar shavings on top.