The Taste of Summer

The summer is officially here!!!! When I think of summer I think of all the fresh berries and citrus fruits that are available. One of my favorite being oranges! I though I would share this orange cupcake recipe to help out with that sweet tooth and to bring a little summer to a party or picnic. Enjoy!!!

Shericka's Orange Cupcakes

3/8 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup all purpose flour

2 oranges

6 tablespoons of sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Finely grate the rind of 1 orange and squeeze the juice into a cup. Beat the butter and sugar together and gradually add the eggs. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well, add the orange rind and orange juice.

3. Pour into cupcake pans lined with cups. Bake for about 25 minutes.

4. Remove a thin layer of rind from the second orange and cut into fine strops for decorating. Squeeze the juice from the orange. Once cupcakes are done and have cooled. Squeeze the juice from the orange.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (add the larger amount of sugar for a stiffer consistency)
Pinch of salt

2. Before you begin, you want your ingredients to be at cool room temperature--not refrigerator-cold but not soft enough to spread on toast.

• If the cream cheese and butter are too cold, they'll be too firm to mix easily; if they're too warm, your frosting will be very soft and may be difficult to use.
• Start by beating the cream cheese until smooth.
• You can also use a food processor to make frosting instead of an electric mixer.

3. Add the butter and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and the pinch of salt. Ingredients such as powdered sugar and cocoa powder should be sifted before you add them to the mixing bowl.

5. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

6. Your frosting is now ready to use--it's as easy as that! If you need to refrigerate it before using, bring it back up to room temperature, return it to the mixer, and beat it for a minute or so for the best consistency.

Once complete you can pipe frosting onto cupcakes or you can do it the old fashioned way. Once you have iced the cupcakes add a couple of the orange rinds on top of each cupcake for that decorative touch. Just have fun with it!

 

Kentucky Butter Cake!!!! Yummy!!!!!!

 

 

Ingredients

3 c	all purpose flour
1 tsp	baking powder
1 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	baking soda
1 c	real butter
2 c	sugar
4	eggs
1 c	buttermilk
2 tsp	vanilla extract
BUTTER SAUCE
1 c	sugar
1/4 c	water
1/2 c	butter
1 tsp	vanilla extract

 

        

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. Cream: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, and then blend in eggs, mix in buttermilk, and vanilla, adding alternately milk and flour mixture into creamed mixture. Pour in bundt pan and bake for 1 hour.

 

Butter Sauce: In medium sauce pan on medium heat mix sugar, water and butter, bring to low boil , stirring until sugar is dissolved, add vanilla, When cake is still very hot, leave in bundt pan, poke small holes in top and drizzle butter sauce over cake, Transfer to dish and dust with powder.

 

The Joy of Watching A Child Have Fun Cooking!!!!

I always loved teaching the boys new recipes or techniques I had picked up. One day I decided to let Ashton choose a menu of his liking and cook it. It wasn't much of a surprise that he would choose two of his favorite to make for dinner. Black Pepper Shrimp and Butter & Garlic Asparagus.

He took the time to clean the shrimp and prep the asparagus which seemed like forever.  He didn't really follow a recipe but I thought it would be fun to watch him prepare it. Below is a list of the ingredients and you can let them go to town on what herbs and seasonings they want you use within reason of course. The shrimp were a little overcooked but the look on his face when I cleaned my plate....PRICELESS!!!!!

Deveined Shrimp

Asparagus

Butter

Minced Garlic

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Ashton & Shericka's 1st Garden

Last year I decided that I would attempt to do what my grandmother and mother did for years. I figured if they had a green thumb then it obviously was passed on to me. So, I joined the community garden that is located directly across the street from my old residence. It cost me $15 for the plot and a lot of sweat and tears. Ashton was just as excited and he couldn't wait to pick out seeds. What we didn't know was that we would have to turn the dirt and we didn't have a garden till so we had to do it with shovels and heavy rakes.

Along the way I also learned a lesson about weeding and why my mother finds it necessary to weed her garden every other day. This is a lesson that I definitely learned the hard way. During this garden venture I skipped one whole week of visiting the garden because it had rained almost everyday and I didn't want to be in mud...Not a good idea.

The challenge was making everything grow naturally without any chemicals. I didn't even use a compost or any type of natural fertilizer. So was it 1st timer's luck? You be the judge. Either way it was a great experience and I hope I can find a location for this year. FYI.....Plant carrots early. They take forever!!!



Congratulations Veronica!!!!!

My niece Veronica graduated a few weeks ago and I was unable to attend due to obligations at work. I also promised I would make her a cake and I wanted to keep that promise. I am so proud of her and I know she will go on to do great things. My dear Veronica remember life is what you make it. Not what everyone else thinks you should make of it and if it makes you feel any better, since the cake is in Minnesota and you're in Tennessee I am not eating eat. I promise to bake you one as soon as I get home.  :)

Love,

Auntie Shericka

Congratulations Veronica

2011 Graduate

I Wish You Much Success!!!!!!



A Great Breakfast Packed with Protein, Vitamin C & Fiber

I got out of bed pretty early this morning. Again no means of transportation due to my truck still being in the shop. On a normal day I would be at the coffee shop I was running by 5:00AM and my day would be going at full speed. Now that I have chosen another path it gives me more time to spend on making sure that I get back to my healthy eating habits. I decided to do an old favorite that Ashton's grandmother used to make for us with tons of seasoning and cooked in butter. Don't get me wrong. Boy was it good! She would serve it with rice filled with butter & sugar with biscuits and some type of home made jam or jelly. My version is simple, healthy and filling.

I decided to prepare grandma Janice's Tuna and Egg Scramble (my healthy rendition) topped with a little of the Habanero Jelly I purchased at the West Broadway Farmers Market last Sunday and a side of fresh Bing cherries. Just as an FYI....tuna and eggs pack tons of protein and the cherries provide some of the daily requirements for vitamin c and fiber. Who knew about the fiber? I didn't until doing a little research for my post today. Below is the recipe for the Tuna and Egg Scramble. I hope you enjoy it!

Tuna & Egg Scramble 

3 Eggs

1/3 cup of tuna flakes ( if tuna is canned make sure it was packed in water)

crushed red peppers ( just a pinch) optional

1/4 tsp. of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. of garlic powder

kosher salt (just a pinch)

Put eggs, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red peppers and kosher salt in a bowl and mix well. Then add tuna (if tuna is canned please drain all liquid). Mix again.

Place ingredients in a hot pan that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. I use Pam Cooking Spray with Olive Oil.  Any brand will do.

Place contents in pan and continue to scramble eggs until done. JUST A NOTE: You can take eggs off of heat during the last several seconds of cooking as they will continue to cook without over cooking.

Last but not least plate eggs and top with a small amount of your guilty pleasure. I have even topped with different types of cheese's such as romano, cheddar and feta. Every taste was different, unique and flavorful.

How to Jazz Up Store Bought Pizza and Enjoy Your Night!

I wanted to enjoy a quiet evening and something quick and easy for dinner. I took a walk to the store and purchased a name brand french bread pizza and a Cherry Pepsi (one of my guilty pleasures). I had to jazz up the pizza because I am not a fan of frozen pizza. I added some roughly chopped fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes that I had purchased yesterday. Talk about tasty and a step above some delivery pizza's I have ordered. It was great!  Now I'm going to pop in a dvd (chic flick) and enjoy the rest of my night. Sometimes you just have to enjoy yourself.....