7 up cake

Today our junior high youth group is having a "7 up" party for the 6th graders moving "up" to 7th and the 7th graders moving "up" to 8th (two of my children in that category). So of course I had to make a 7 up cake!! I have not tried it yet, so I can't verify the quality of the recipe but it sure looks good! I will try to post a comment after the party and let you know how it was received!


7-UP POUND CAKE
3 sticks of butter (margarine will not do)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3/4 cup 7-Up
Cream butter and sugar for 20 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour and beat well, then add lemon extract and 7-Up. Bake 1 1/4 hours at 325 degrees in a well oiled Bundt pan. Cool 8 to 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar.

and a link where you can find all kinds of info 7up cake related!

7 up cake

Cheesecake Bars

This is kind of my "standard" cheesecake bar recipe. I just modify it with whatever I am in the mood for. This time I used chocolate graham crackers and mini chocolate chips.

Cheesecake Bars

1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 pkg cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs


Heat oven to 350. Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8 inch square pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 25-28 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Buttemilk Spice Muffins

These are delicious! They taste just like the ones at Mimi's Cafe!

Buttermilk Spice Muffins
Muffin Batter: Nut Topping:
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Grease the baking tins with butter or margarine

Method
Preheat oven to 375°. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and the butter together with an electric mixer. When they are thoroughly mixed, add eggs and beat one more minute.

Sift the flour into a separate bowl, together with the baking soda, nutmeg and the cinnamon.

Add the flour and the buttermilk to the first mixture, mix at low speed until smooth. To avoid lumps in the batter, add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, in small amounts.

Make the nut topping: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Grease muffin tins with butter or margarine. You can also use paper baking cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Add a full, rounded tablespoon of nut topping on top of each muffin cup of batter. Bake immediately or the topping will sink to the bottom of the muffin.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out dry. Home ovens heat differently from commercial ovens so you may need to adjust the temperature or the baking time accordingly.

Recipe yields 12 standard-size muffins, or six Mimis size muffins. If using the jumbo muffin pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25° and increase the baking time 5-10 minutes.
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Swiss Chicken Casserole

I have had this recipe for awhile and finally decided to try it. I had to make a couple adjustments to be able to use what I had on hand, but it was still great!

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups sliced celery
2 cups croutons (I substituted some stale bread torn into pieces)
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I substituted sour cream)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
optional:1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients together in a 9x13 casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Menu Monday

This was a really tough payday (the beginning of the month always is) so I went and bought eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and flour (and toilet paper!) and we are living off of what we have in the house. This is what I came up with for this week:

Monday:
breakfast~cinnamon toast and fruit
lunch~chicken tortilla soup
dinner~meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots, and toast

Tuesday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~leftovers
dinner~swiss chicken casserole

Wednesday:
breakfast~banana bread
lunch~picnic (sandwiches, chips, fruit)
dinner~bbq pork sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad

Thursday:
breakfast~cream of wheat
lunch~pasta
dinner~tacos

Friday:
breakfast~blueberry coffee cake
lunch~baked potatoes
dinner~bbq chicken pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~chocolate chip pancakes
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~cheesy tuna skillet

Sunday:
breakfast~cinnamon crumb muffins
supper~hamburgers

Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Mothers Day!

I made carrot cake today (both my mom and MIL LOVE carrot cake!). Although I used a cake mix because someone kindly gave me one, I did make the frosting. I have made many batches of cream cheese frosting through the years, but this is the best one I have ever had!!!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

Menu Monday

There has been a lot going on lately, so this week's menu is ultra simple!

Monday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~mac n cheese
dinner~pork roast

Tuesday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~leftovers
dinner~b.l.a.t. sandwiches

Wednesday:
breakfast~cinnamon toast
lunch~picnic
dinner~roasted chickens

Thursday:
breakfast~cream of wheat
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~teriyaki chicken

Friday:
breakfast~crumb cake
lunch~baked potatoes
dinner~mexican pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~pancakes
lunch~pasta
dinner~omelets

Sunday:
breakfast~muffins
lunch~sandwiches
dinner~ribs

~Dawn