Fish Birthday Cake

So this post isn't really a recipe, just a cute cake idea. I love to make my kids birthday cakes and we sort of make the cake to go with the party. This year my son went fishing so he got a fish cake. My daughter has an easy bake oven that she loves to use, so I let her make the little fish at the bottom.

Tasteful Tuesday...Salsa

This recipe comes courtesy of my Aunt Nancy. I'm sure most of you already have this recipe but if you don't, you better copy it down and go make it. It has been a year since I have made this...it is just too expensive to buy tomatoes from the store and make salsa from them. Since our tomatoes in the garden are coming on, this has made it to the table twice already.



Aunt Nancy's Rooster's Beak

3-4 jalapenos, chopped
1 can black olives, chopped or sliced
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped*
3-4 green onions, chopped
3 Tblsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Mix all together and refridgerate overnight. Serve with chips.
*Try to remove seeds and juice from tomatoes. Roma tomatoes work well.
Hope you love it as much as us!

Cookie Dough Brownies

These brownies were really yummy. I cheated and used a box mix, which I normally never do because I never buy them. I included the brownie recipe I usually make, but the box one was good too. I also made the frosting a little thinner than I would have liked because I had a screaming baby. I originally found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe . She always has yummy recipes.

Brownies:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar, then add in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mix well. Pour into greased 9X13. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. Cool and then frost

Cookie Dough Frosting:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

3 Tbls. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2-3/4 c. flour

pinch of salt

1 c. choc. chips

Beat butter and sugars. Add milk, vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt. Stir in choc chips. You can make it thinner using the 1/2 c. flour and it will be easier to spread or use the 3/4 c which will really be more like cookie dough and pat it on with your fingers carefully (to not tear the brownie)

Tasteful Tuesdays

For those of you who know me really well, you know two things by now. One, I am fairly bad at blogging regularly. Two, I love to cook....anything, especially really yummy bad for you stuff! So, even though I haven't wanted to for some time, I decided to start a weekly reader called Tasteful Tuesdays. Doing so will get me to post something mildly useful (hopefully) weekly and allow me to fulfill my wildest dreams in the kitchen. One noticeable mention. I am not a great photographer...that domain falls again to my most talented hubby (is there anything the guy can't do?) so the pictures of my really yummy bad for you stuff will probably leave you with something to be desired. Please don't use my poor photo skills as an excuse to not try these tempting recipes!
I am choosing to start off with my most favorite bread recipe, which I got off another blog (sorry I can't remember where) and which I make usually at least twice a week. It is great because it only takes about an hour for fabulous results. The recipe for this bread allows you to use the dough for 3 different tasties: breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, and fabulous braided bread. I however, have a different recipe for cinnamon rolls and therefore only use this recipe for breadstick and braided bread. I usually make this recipe in a big bowl, stirring by hand but you can use the mixer. If you try it out, drop me a note and let me know what you think!

Fabulous Bread

2 cups warm water

2 Tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup sugar

Let sit while yeast dissolves. then add:

3 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix well and add

1 egg

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

2 1/2-3 cups flour, added one at a time(you want it to be a very soft bread but not too sticky)

Knead on an oiled counter. Let rise 30 min. If you are making breadsticks*, do that now. If you are making bread, divide into 3 pieces, roll into ropes, braid. The recipe will make 2 braided loaves or 2 sheets full of breadsticks (I usually make one of both) Place on greased cookies sheet and let rise 30 min. Then bake 15 min. at 375 degrees.

*if you want really great breadsticks, place one cube of butter on a sheet with sides. Put into oven while warming. Pull out when butter is melted and sprinlke on some garlic powder and grated parmesean cheese. Then put the cut breadsticks on the sheet, rolling in butter and then twisting. Bake for 15 min.

Next week I'll have some great brownies with cookie dough frosting....who doesn't love cookie dough and brownies?!