Meema's Pineapple Upside Down Cake

At my grandmother’s house this past Saturday she was telling us how popular pineapple upside down cake was when she was younger. If they were expecting company she would always bake one and everyone was always so impressed. In those days she said it was considered quite the fancy dessert and people felt very special to have one made for them. According to her no one bakes these anymore so she has taken it upon herself to reintroduce pineapple upside down cake to the family and we’re mighty glad she did, absolutely delicious and pretty too.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 can pineapple slices in syrup

maraschino cherries

Use an 8" square or round pan. Drain can of pineapple, saving the syrup. Place butter in 8" pan, melt in the oven while preheating to 375°F.

Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter. Arrange whole pineapple slices and cherries (with cherries in centers of pineapple slices) over the brown sugar in pan. Cut some of the remaining pineapple slices into half circles, and then line the sides of the pan with them (standing up).

In a bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, softened butter, milk, egg, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the pineapple syrup.

Pour batter into the pan being careful not to disturb the pineapples and cherries. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake is golden and has pulled away from the edges slightly.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes to set and then turn it upside down onto a serving dish. Serve while still warm.

So Many Different Aspic's on Jell-O, Gelee` and Jellied Salads

Here’s something to ponder… is aspic a fancy name for
Jell-O? Or is Gelee` a fancy name for jellied salad? Or………? I did not realize how many points of view there were on this subject. My grandmother insists that aspics are always savory and Jell-O or jellied salads tend to be sweet. My aunt on the other hand says; “Jell-O is a jellied salad when you put vegetables in it”. For example my aunt makes a lemon Jell-O with shredded cabbage and carrots which she tops with a dollop of Miracle Whip salad dressing (really delicious by the way). This would be referred to as a jellied salad. Now my mother frequently made the lime Jell-O with cottage cheese and pineapple in it. If my mother made it in the Pyrex baking dish it was her lime Jell-O salad if she put it in her Jell-O mold it was her Jell-O mold fruit dessert. Needless to say it is quite confusing depending on who you talk to. I guess all that really matters with any food is that it tastes good, gets people together and conjures up some good memories in the process.

Vintage Aspic

1 1/4 cups tomato juice
1/8 teaspoon crushed basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jell-O
3/4 cup white dinner wine
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional but good)

Heat tomato juice, basil and salt to boiling. Add Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat; blend in wine and wine vinegar. Chill until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in crumbled cheese.
Turn into small ring mold. Serve on salad greens, can be topped with sour cream. Flavor improves with age, can be made several days in advance. Serves 5-6.

Going Bananas

These are just fun and tasty little treats. I love working with egg roll wrappers and wonton skins. This is something you can bring the whole family in on and have some fun in the kitchen, let the kids imaginations go wild and come up with their own unique flavor combinations. Try different fruits or nuts, Peanut butter and Nutella work really well here.

Banana Egg rolls

Cut bananas into lengthwise quarters. Crush up some peanuts. Heat oil (about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup) in skillet and make sure it is hot! If you really want to kick these up a bit toss in a few chunks of white or dark chocolate.

In egg roll wrappers:
Sprinkle sesame seeds

Sprinkle coconut (optional)

Sprinkle sugar (white or brown)

Sprinkle chopped peanuts

Layer banana quarter on top diagonally

Fold up and glue ends down with water/cornstarch mixture (about 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch). Fry in oil until light brown. Fry in skillet or deep fryer. Dust with powdered sugar (optional). Serve immediately.

Homemade Ice Cream Pies

In the summer months my Cousin Lori usually always has a couple of her homemade ice cream pies handy. When we come for dinner she just pulls a couple out of the freezer, puts on a pot of coffee and dessert is served. This last get together she had one with chocolate ice cream, Spanish peanuts and chocolate sauce as well as one with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. They are so good on a hot day and so much less expensive than buying those name brand ice cream cakes and pies.

1 pre-made pie crust (any flavor)

1 qt. ice cream (any flavor)

Assorted candy, nuts, cookies, etc.

Sauce, hot fudge, caramel (any)

whipped cream

Maraschino cherries (opt.)
Canned pie fillings are great to use as well.

1. Take favorite flavor of ice cream from freezer to soften for about 15 minutes.
2. Spoon ice cream into pie crust until about half full.
3. Chop favorite candy, nuts and/or cookies into small pieces using a kitchen mallet or food processor.
4. Sprinkle these pieces on top of ice cream layer.
5. Finish filling pie shell with ice cream.
6. Garnish top of pie with whipped cream, sauce, cherries, candy, nuts, and/or cookies.
7. Re-freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Serves 6 to 8 people.
VARIATIONS:

OREO PIE:
Chocolate pie crust

Cookies 'n cream ice cream

Hot fudge sauce

Crushed Oreos

PEPPERMINT PIE:
Chocolate pie crust

Peppermint ice cream

Hot fudge sauce

Crushed candy canes
Crushed chocolate bars

BANANA SPLIT PIE:
Graham cracker pie crust

Neapolitan ice cream

Hot fudge sauce

Strawberry sauce

Pineapple sauce

Sliced bananas

Crushed walnuts
Whipped cream

Maraschino cherries

Kahlua

1 (9 inch) chocolate pie shell
1 qt. coffee ice cream (soft)

1/4 c. Kahlua

Chocolate frosting

1/2 c. pecan halves

And The Winner is...........

I would like to thank Chef John over at Foodwishes for naming me as a recipient of the Thinking Blogger Award! He gave me this award about a week ago, but I am just now getting around to making the announcement. Part of this great honor is that I must now give this award to five other blogs. It is so hard to choose only five out of the hundreds of truly amazing food blogs out there. But after careful thought I have chosen my five knowing that my five will choose their favorite five and so on (There is plenty of fame and notoriety to go around). I hereby bestow this Thinking Blogger Award to the following blogs:

Melecotte

A Fridge Full of Food

Vanilla Garlic

Butta Buns

French Kitchen in America

Congratulations to you all and now as you reign supreme “Thinking Bloggers” you all have the difficult decision of naming five worthy subjects to be next in line.

What A Crock

I have probably had the same Crock pot for more than twenty years. Why I don’t use it more I will never know, it is such a time saver. It’s usually coming across some clever crock pot recipe that drives my curiosity and leads me to take it out and place it back on the counter.
I love German potato salad and have followed a traditional recipe for years. I came across this recipe in a magazine and just had to give it a try, not to mention the fact that I really, really missed my crock pot.
All kidding aside, I tried this recipe and you can’t believe how good it is and how easy. I really should use my crock pot more.

Crock Pot German Potato Salad

5 lb. potatoes, boiled in skins, cooled, peeled and sliced

1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 lg. onion, diced

1 (16 oz.) bottle Wishbone Italian salad dressing (doesn't have to be wishbone)

Layer ingredients in crock pot and pour bottle of salad dressing over top. Heat several hours on low setting before serving.

Better The Next Day Brisket

I’ve eaten a lot of brisket in my life but I have to tell you that this recipe has a flavor unlike any other I have ever tried. That second day of cooking really allows the flavors to deepen and the meat to tenderize even further. A nice change from the smoker BBQ Briskets we all know and love.

2 1/2 lb. boneless beef brisket, fat side up in heavy casserole

SAUCE:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. minced onion or onion powder

Combine above ingredients for sauce and pour over beef. Cover with heavy aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 1/2 hours. Refrigerate beef and sauce separately. Next day slice beef and arrange in a 2 quart baking dish. Remove hardened fat from sauce and pour sauce over beef. Cover with heavy foil and reheat at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.