Good Grief! More Food!

Thoughts and Quotes: Where there is cake, there is hope. And there's always cake. Dean Koontz

And one of my favorites is Kathy's Jello Cake. This cake is next to fool proof and easy, easy, easy. It's always moist, requires no frosting (though you can if you wish), and can be made in a variety of flavors.

I've made this cake with Yellow Cake Mix and Lemon Jello when I couldn't find a Lemon Cake Mix; Chocolate Cake Mix and Cherry Jello for Cherry-Chocolate Cake; try it with a Yellow Cake Mix, Pineapple Jello, a bit of rum flavoring, and frost it with Coconut Instant Pudding Frosting for a Pina Colada Cake. When I asked someone what kind of cake he'd like for his birthday, he told me "Purple." So I used a White Cake Mix and Grape Jello. Voila! Purple Cake. You're probably already thinking of a great combination right now. 

This week I made Orange Cake because I had a yellow cake mix and orange jello which were approaching their expiration dates. I glazed it with powdered sugar and orange juice. Some orange zest would have added flavor, but I was lazy, so added a bit of orange flavoring instead.

Cake and frosting recipes are on the drop-down menu above.

Use less liquid and it won't soak in and look like this lemon version, which is sort of like a crunch cake.

Or frost it. This is Lemon Jello Cake with Lemon Pudding Frosting.

Time to Remember: As you know, I like to remember my loved ones who have passed by celebrating their birthdays with food. Friday was my Auntie Kack's birthday so I made quiche. I served it for lunch when she visited me when I lived in California, and she loved it. I gave her the recipe, and my cousin said that she practically lived on quiche after that.

I made this one with cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage, sauteed mushrooms, green onion tops, stuffed olives, and cheddar. 

I cut it a little soon, but I was hungry.

QUICHE 

Basic Recipe:

1 unbaked 9” pie shell

1 cup cream (or half-and-half)

1 cup grated or shredded cheese (your choice)

3 eggs

Add whatever you like:

Cooked and crumbled bacon, sausage, ham, salmon

1/2 cup chopped onion sautéed in butter, cooked mushrooms, minced bell pepper, sliced olives (ripe or stuffed green), cooked broccoli or asparagus, 

use your imagination. If you use spinach, squeeze it very dry after cooking.

Heat oven to 350°.

Weight and bake pie shell for 10 minutes. You can use a pie pan or a tart pan. 

Whisk together eggs and cream; add balance of add-ins.

Bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until set.

Cool slightly before cutting.

Note: To make ahead, put filling in pie shell and bake 15 minutes at 375°. Cool, wrap, and freeze.  Bake frozen quiche at 325° for 25 minutes.

There's also a crustless version of Quiche on the drop-downs under both Breakfast and Entrees.

It looks like this.

Looking at these photos, I'm reminded of how much I love my baby bamboo cutting board which was a gift from Friend Mim. I used it to cut the green olives, the green onion tops, the tomatoes, the celery, the carrots. I use it nearly every day. 

I placed the egg on it so you can judge the size. You need one.

Tasting: No comfort food this week. I needed to get on with my program. I need to finish the four books I have in progress, or just forget about it. I'm filling in some blanks right now, and it's not creative, so I'm dragging my feet.

Many of my dinners were actual dinners, where people came and we ate the meal. I always took photos of the table and usually my plate, but never of the finished food item to go with the recipes. 

For the Everyday Celebrations, I had a photo of my 4th of July plate -

but not the BBQ Ribs and Cole Slaw to go with the recipes. I had to make the whole recipes for the photos, and I'm still eating ribs and slaw three days later.

I needed a photo of Blackberry Jam Cookies to go with the Berry Bonanza Theme Dinner, because the photo I have with my recipe has strawberry jam.

and the dessert photo for the Berry Bonanza Theme Dinner has blackberry.

So now I also have this photo. Now, if I can just stay out of them. I'd better freeze them right away.

Here's the recipe again.

STRAWBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, separated

1-1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup chopped almonds

Strawberry or other jam

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk in a medium bowl until fluffy.

Stir in the flour and gather the dough into a ball.

Chill several hours.

Heat oven to 300°.

Roll level teaspoonful of dough into balls.

Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in almonds.

Place 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Press an indentation in each and fill with jam.  They’re called thumbprint cookies, but my middle finger works much better.

Bake for 20 minutes.

This recipe works well with any flavor of jam.  Just be sure it’s nice and thick.  You can also skip dipping them in egg white and rolling them in almonds if you want a smooth cookie – no crunch.

Adding the almonds is a pain in the tush, but really makes a difference. They're really good. And an added bonus - 

Trying My Gadgets: I bought this grinder, thinking I might want to grind my own spices or coffee beans. Why? I'm an Everyday, not a Gourmet, cook and I only drink one cup of coffee each day. It didn't work well for grinding the almonds, so out it goes. 

Talented Lil' Bro': My brother Jim is retired, but can't sit still. He bought this:

And turned it into this:

Isn't he a miracle worker? I'm so proud of him. It's a shame that often our parents are gone before they have a chance to see what their children can accomplish.

Travel (By Computer Unfortunately): Why I love Paris.

Click HERE. A tour of the Paris Ritz. You can skip through the part where she empties her suitcase. Be sure to click the CC at the bottom to see English subtitles.

Click HERE. A walking tour.

Click HERE. Your hear about April in Paris, but take a look at autumn.

That's all I have this week. I need to step up my game.

SAVE FOR A TRIP TO PARIS

SAVE SOME MORE FOR ANOTHER TRIP

TAKE A DAY TRIP RIGHT IN YOUR OWN STATE

PRAY FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT YOU LOVE THEM

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

And yes, I love you