Spellings errors, bad grammar, flopped layers, brightly colored icing… have you ever wondered what happens when brilliant cake ideas go bad?
CakeWrecks.com has some interesting cakes, some scary cakes, and some downright disturbing cakes… and each of them will make you laugh, or cringe!
My good friend, Jan Norris, introduced me to this website. This site is great comic relief for a long Monday!
Sunday – October 5
Church attendance throughout the South was somewhat obligatory as opposed as to voluntary because of the charismatic personailities embodied by preachers, ministers, reverends, bishops, pastors, brothers… all names that define leadership within Christian churches. In the Jewish faith, their leader is called Rabbi. An encompassing word for all religious leaders is ‘clergy’, and October is Clergy Appreciation Month.
During the month of October, I am going to encourage each of you to pay tribute to clergy each Sunday. These unsung heroes are never properly recognized for the late nights spent in prayer, hospital visits, weddings, funerals, counseling, etc. These folks have endured countless suggestions, ‘brilliant ideas’, and members who only serve God in an advisory capacity!
Having graduated from a Southern Baptist school - Palm Beach Atlantic University - I know many clergy, and all are faithful servants who give of themselves tirelessly with little public recognition. Some suggestions on how you can honor a member of the clergy:
Cook a special dinner in your home using your finest silver, china, crystal and linens. Honor clergy and their families with a very special evening… and don’t ask 101 Bible questions at the dinner table. Allow them to be guests, not a psychologist or marital counselors. Have each member of your family express why they are appreciative for the clergy’s leadership;
‘Adopt’ a member of the clergy’s family and invest in that person – birthday, holidays, encouraging notes, attendance at his/her special events (graduation, athletic games, drama productions, etc.). A happy minister is a minister who has a happy family… and often their families are overlooked, burdened and expected to live lives beyond reproach;
Compliment and encourage the church leadership each week… even when you do not agree with their every decision. Pray for them, don’t gossip about them. Encourage your friends to do the same and this will probably be the greatest gift you can ever give the clergy.
For those who are not involved with church but admire clergy, find a local church with a terrific outreach ministry (food bank, clothing closets, etc.) and write their leader a nice note. Or, clean your cupboard and closets and give something in their honor.
As you can see, these suggestions are easy and can so encourage our weary leaders. Clergy are in impossible situations as they cannot please everyone and must continually wage war with the countless factions that are always a part of any church.
Honor clergy for their faithfulness because we surely would not want to carry the load they do. Serving others ain’t easy, just ask Jesus Christ… he paid the ultimate price for being a faithful servant.
Good cookin’
Ben
The roots of this recipe are somewhat unknown; however, I am told that it took first place in the Illinois State Fair.
Bourbon Pecan Pork Roast
2 lb rolled pork roast
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup bourbon
3 tbsp brown sugar
Preheat oven to 325F.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; brown roast on all sides. Put meat on rack in roasting pan, sprinkle with garlic and pepper. Cook 30 minutes, add pecans to the oil in skillet and cook over medium heat 1 minute and remove.
Combine bourbon, sugar and salt; add to frying pan and boil until sugar dissolves, and bourbon reduces slightly, 1 - 2 minutes. After meat has cooked 30 minutes, begin basting with bourbon sauce. Cook until meat thermometer in center reaches 160F, about 30 minutes.
Five minutes before meat is done, sprinkle with pecans.
411 – According to “All About Pork”… the loin roast comes from the area of the pig between the shoulder and the beginning of the leg. It is sold either bone-in or deboned. Loin roast can be rolled and tied with string. Loin roasts with a bone tend to be juicier and more flavorful, but the bone can make carving a bit tricky.Loin roast is sometimes confused with tenderloin. Despite the name similarity, they are not one in the same. A loin roast is typically sold in pieces weighing between 2 to 4 pounds (the tenderloin is a smaller, long cut that usually weighs about a pound). The term roast simply refers to a large cut of pork.
For more pork information, click here.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (about 42)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 cups hulled strawberries, divided
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine wafer crumbs, sugar, vanilla and butter; press into a 9-inch pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until set and barely beginning to brown. Cool.
2. Quarter 2 cups strawberries and combine with 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat while mashing strawberries. Cook about 2 minutes or until very juicy. Push mashed berries through a sieve, pressing with a spoon and discarding solids that remain. Measure juice and add water to measure 1 cup.
3. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in strawberry juice and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Boil 1 minute or until translucent. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
I love the great variety of food found in my native South — everything from German cuisine to Cajun and Creole to the wonderful spices of Afro-Caribbean cooking.
Chef Rick
Chef Rick’s Southern Cooking
Grilled Vidalia Onions
1 medium Vidalia Onion (per person)
1 cube Beef Bouillon (per onion)
1 tablespoon butter (per onion)
Parmesan Cheese
Peel and core onions.
Insert 1 beef bouillon cube into onion, and add 1 Tbsp. butter in center. Also, insert 1 ice cube. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
Wrap in heavy duty or doubled aluminum foil. Allow small opening to vent. Grill approximately 30 minutes or until tender.
NOTE: Chef Rick has an awesome website, click here!
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This decadent recipe comes to you from the 1999 Spokane (Washington) State Fair. I can guarantee you this recipe will make you a star!
Pecan Cheesecake Bars
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Filling ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine flour, brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed until mixture is crumbly, 2 – 3 minutes. Stir in pecans by hand. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture; set aside.
Press remaining crumb mixture on bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Combine all filling ingredients in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed until well mixed, 2 – 3 minutes. Spread filling over hot, partially baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until filling is set.
Cool completely; cut into bars. Store refrigerated.
Yield: 25 bars
I have spent time in restaurant kitchens as both chef and helper, including a stint in kitchen hell — cooking pizza eight hours a day while a nearby jukebox blared the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. Yes, that’s how I spend the summer of 1978. I even had to wear a polyester apron! I’ve also cooked in one restaurant where no one I knew made enough money to eat there.
Chef Rick
Chef Rick’s Southern Cooking
Southern Style Pork Spare Ribs
4 pounds pork spare ribs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat spareribs and enough water to cover to boiling in 5-quart saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour or until ribs are fork-tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat honey, ketchup, vinegar, orange juice, garlic, Tabasco sauce and salt to boiling in 1-quart saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
Preheat grill to medium or preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place ribs on rack on grill or in broiler pan. Brush ribs with honey mixture. Cook 20 minutes or until heated through, brushing occasionally with honey mixture and turning once.
NOTE: Chef Rick has an awesome website, click here!
A Southern meal is not complete without some type of bread – buttermilk biscuits, yeast rolls or corn bread.
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Mountain Corn Bread
1 1/2 cups of cornmeal
1/2 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 beaten egg
2 cups of buttermilk
1/4 cup of melted butter
2 tablespoons of sugar
Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add buttermilk, egg and butter. Stir until moistened but don’t beat. Pour into greased 8” square pan. Bake at 425F for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.
This has just become a guilt free food… pecan pie is healthy!
Recently, several studies have found that nuts, including pecans should be included in your daily diet to help boost your immune system. A study completed at the University of Florida found that pecans are loaded with antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer… as per Durden Pecan’s.
Tennessee Whiskey Pecan Pie
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup light (or dark) corn syrup
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp Tennessee whiskey
1 1/2 cup pecans, whole
1 - 9 inch pie crust, unbaked
In bowl, stir together first 6 ingredients until well blended. Stir in nuts.
Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350F for 50 - 55 minutes.
Cool before serving.
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Today, the United States is one of the world’s leading pork-producing countries. The US is the third largest exporter, trailing only long-time world leaders Denmark and Canada. The United States’ production accounts for about 10 percent of total world supply. All About Pork
Wisconsin State Fair’s
Peachy Mustard Pork Chops
Yield: 4 Servings
4 top loin pork chops
1/4 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup honey mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Stir together preserves, mustard, and lemon juice. Grill chops over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally and basting with sauce, until done.
NOTE: If you have extra sauce leftover, DO NOT eat or add to pork chops as it has been exposed to raw meat. Be careful not to cross contaminate — return cooked meat on a fresh clean plate (not the one having contained the raw meat).