Love Grows

I am not a good quilter.  Probably because I am not patient enough to be a perfectionist.  I have not finished very many quilted pieces because of this lack of patience and inexperience.  A few months ago I started making fabric flowers and had an idea for a wall hanging.  I wanted to have it done for
Valentines Day, but I didn't finish it until today.  I hung it on the wall anyway.  I used my sister's Cricut to cut the letters.  It was a fun experiment.  It is far from perfect, but I learned a few new things and hope my next attempt will be better.  I have a new sewing machine that I am getting aquainted with.  I am loving it so far.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This is seriously the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever had.  The frosting is soooooo yummy.  I could eat it by the spoonful, if I didn't mind gaining 10 pounds.  I saw this recipe in "Country Living" magazine last year.  I made a few adjustments by using a devils food cake mix instead of the recipe they had for dark chocolate cake, and I halved the raspberry filling recipe.

Just use 2 round cake pans for your devils food cake batter.  Follow the directions on the box.

I froze the cakes so they would be easier to frost.  Cut the top off one cake to make it flat.  Put the raspberry frosting on that flat layer. 

1/2 cup softened butter, 1/3 cup raspberry jam, 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Top it with the other cake. Frost with the Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting. It can be topped with fresh raspberries or thawed frozen raspberries.

(mixing the butter melted chocolate mixture with marshmallow cream)

Chocolate Buttercream

Using a mixer set on medium-high speed beat:

1 cup butter 

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate (I used 5 ounces Hersheys Dark Chocolate chips and half a square of unsweetened chocolate because I did not have any bittersweet chocolate in the pantry. It worked out great!  You can melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir, then melt again if needed).

Beat chocolate and butter until fluffy.

Reduce speed to medium and beat in 2 cups marshmallow cream.

Add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar and increase speed to medium-high and beat.  Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Chill for 20 minutes before using. 

Country Fried Steak

This is a good Sunday dinner. I got this recipe about 12 years ago on KSL.
1 pound tenderized cubed beef steak
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground sage
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup dry bread crumbs or saltine cracker crumbs
1 square margarine or butter

Put steaks between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until very thin. Cut into serving size pieces.



Use 3 plates or bowls. On first plate put flour, salt, pepper, and sage. Stir to blend.
In second bowl, put eggs and water. Blend well.
On third plate put fine crumbs.

Heat 3-4 tablesppons of margarine in heated frying pan. If using electric fry pan, set at 300 to 325 degrees.
Dip each steak in the flour mixture, then egg mixture, then into crumbs.

Fry steaks slowly, not overcrowding. They should take 7 to 10 minutes for each side, and the crumb mixture should be light brown. Don't fry too quickly. Turn and cook the other side, adding margarine as needed. If you have too many to fry, keep warm in a 250 degreee oven until finished.

Country Gravy:
3 tablespoons margarine added to the pan drippings, melt and add
3 tablespoons flour/seasoning mixture left over from dredging meat.

Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups milk and bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Add more milk if it becomes too thick. Add any additional seasonings you like-- salt, pepper, thyme, Worcestershire sauce.

Wa La

Jarom loves blue Jello.  I like the flavor too, although blue food seems strange to me. 

Have you seen Monsters vs. Aliens?  We cannot eat this Jello without Jarom reciting

lines from that show, and reminding us several times that we are eating Bob.

No More Braces

       
Josh is happy to be rid of his braces.  Jenicca is anxious to get hers off too, but it looks like it may be summer before she is done.