Apple Cake

Earlier this summer my husband and I took a trip to California. Part of our trip included visiting friends in San Francisco, where we all went to Alcatraz. My friend Nicole and I each bought the Alcatraz Women's Club Cookbook as souvenirs, filled with 1950's recipes of the Alcatraz officers' wives. Recently Nicole was back in Wisconsin and we decided to try one of these recipes. We chose this recipe for Apple Cake and it was delicious! I made it again for a family gathering and it was definitely a crowd pleaser.

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Apple Cake Dessert

1/4 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 c. apples, diced

1/2 c. nut meats

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Mix in order given. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in an 8"x10" pan (we used a 9"x9"). Serve either hot or cold. Cut in squares and serve with whipped cream. A small amount of molasses can be added to the whipped cream for a different flavor.

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The second time I tried this recipe I doubled it and made it in a 9"x13" pan. I plan to get this recipe out again as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays get closer.

Farmers' Market Potato Salad

I'm not usually a big fan of potato salad, but this was an alternative to potato salad that I really enjoyed! I served Farmers' Market Potato Salad as a side dish at a birthday party we threw for my dad a few weeks ago.

Cucumber Sandwiches

These cucumber sandwiches came from allrecipes.com, and made a great appetizer for a work party. I used fat-free sour cream, but regular cream cheese, although I'd be interested to see how they taste with reduced fat cream cheese as well. I used reviewers' suggestions to make the cream cheese mix the night before and refrigerate it before assembling the sandwiches the next morning.

Lemongrass and Garlic Shrimp

Lemongrass and Garlic Shrimp was a great way to include my husband in the meal prep - I made the marinade and he got a chance to use our new grill!

Banana-Lime Jam

With the warmer summer temperatures, and the busyness that comes with this season, I haven't been spending as much time cooking full entrees. Instead, I've been using my time to try different side dishes and hors d'oeuvres. This recipe for Banana-Lime Jam was very easy and so delicious!

Banana-Lime Jam (Cooking Light May 2010)

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 overripe bananas, sliced

2 Tablespoons butter

Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and fresh lime juice in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
Add 3 medium peeled and sliced overripe bananas. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 45 minutes or until slightly thick, mashing bananas occasionally with the back of a spoon. Stir in butter. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

Banana Breakfast Smoothie

This recipe for Banana Breakfast Smoothies was very good, and supposedly full of protein. At first it was a little bitter, but I added some orange juice and that sweetened it right up. The next time I made it I added strawberries and blueberries for more color and fruity flavor.

Pepperoni Deep-Dish Pizza

I've had this recipe for Pepperoni Deep-Dish Pizza picked out for a few weeks now, and, loving pizza as much as I do, I was very excited to try it. The picture in my May issue of Cooking Light was just mouth-watering, so I had high hopes for this one.

Unfortunately, the pizza didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, and the best compliment I got from my husband was, "it's at least as good as frozen pizza."

I was using a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer for the dough, so maybe that was part of my trouble, but I found the dough very sticky and hard to work with. Anybody have any insight on this problem? Was it the mixer? The temperature? Is that just how all dough is? Then when it was time to bake the pizza the toppings cooked much faster than the thick crust, so the top was overdone and the crust was still soft.

I did not make my own pizza sauce, although that recipe was included in the magazine too. Perhaps if I do it again I'll give that a try. I also used turkey pepperoni for less fat.


*Before cooking*


*After cooking*

Overall, it wasn't a total bust. At least I know I can make something that's as good as frozen pizza.