I love red velvet cake. I never even heard of red velvet until I moved to Tennessee and was really afraid to try it because it uses so much red dye. Finding the right cake recipe has taken me some time but I've finally found one I really like, thanks to the joyofbaking web site. I've read that some make this cake with beets but I have yet to try this. Now that I'm thinking of it I'm going to have to go on a search for a good red velvet beet cake.



2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 8 ounce tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

Cream Cheese Frosting: In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. If the frosting is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or until it is firm enough to spread.

Today we wanted something light and easy so when I asked the husband what he wanted he said grilled chicken. Easy enough. Looking in the fridge for anything to go with the grilled chicken and I see spinach, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and lemons. I checked to see what pasta I had and found rotini. This was going to be the best grilled chicken ever.

2 chicken breasts
3 vine tomatoes
1 roasted red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 cups spinach
3 tablespoons fresh basil
6 oz black olives (preferably pitted Kalamata)
6 oz feta cheese
14 oz rotini pasta
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Mediterranean oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Start Cooking the pasta according to the directions. Then flatten the chicken and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Heat pan with olive oil and cook chicken.


Rinse spinach and set aside. Cut tomatoes, red bell pepper and chop the garlic and basil.


When the chicken is almost done add the spinach and tomatoes. You want to just warm the tomatoes and have the spinach wilted, about three minutes.


When pasta is done drain and put it into a nice size bowl. Add the olives, feta cheese, basil, and red bell pepper to the pasta. Take the chicken out of the pan and cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken, tomatoes, and spinach to the pasta then add the juice of one lemon. Mix all together and serve. You can add more salt and pepper to taste.

The kids always come home from school starving but they would never consider eating a whole apple..... that would be insane. So I try and find ways to incorporate this fruit into something that they would eat. Most of the time I cut them up and let them dip them in peanut butter and or honey but yesterday I decided to turn my apples into fritters. The kids didn't complain. How could they.... it was fried in oil and covered with sugar.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup finely chopped apple
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk and egg; beat until batter is smooth. Fold in chopped apple. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep hot oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely browned.
Mix confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Drain well on paper towels then sprinkle cinnamon and confectioners' sugar on top.