Tuesday, May 3, 2016

May Days and Freezer meals

I'm a learn by doing kind of person. I like reading blogs and attempted creating my own a few years ago. At my age, a few years ago seems like last year. I was shocked to realize the last post I made was in 2011.  What I do well, I continue to do. What I don't do so well, seems to fall to the way side. So here goes another endeavor at blogging.

Recently, my daughter and I were discussing teaming our efforts at making freezer meals. She's a great cook/baker.  I'd like to say she inherited it from me, but truth be known, she has far surpassed whatever she learned growing up.

We are in the stage of making a list of needed groceries, etc. for the day of beginnings, which is supposed to be Thursday, Lord willing.  I have to correct that statement.  She's already been to the store and bought her ingredients. I keep a fairly well stocked pantry and freezer, but still need to recheck for some items I may have missed.

I'm going to enjoy trying some of her freezer meal recipes.  So far, we've come up with marinated chicken breast or tenders, useful for various recipes or just grilled.  Add to that frozen meatballs, homemade pasta sauces, enchiladas, several Italian pasta recipes that I can't remember the names of, and roasting chicken to be used for a variety of recipes. 

Last year I found a recipe on my Facebook page and cannot remember who posted it or I would otherwise give GREAT credit to for the recipe. I love the simplicity of this desert and having a recipe that includes fruit of my choice. This desert actually improves with time in the refrigerator. That's a plus for us. At our age, deserts usually sit in the fridge after we've had it twice and then it goes into the garbage.

Here's the recipe:

  DANISH HEIRLOOM LAYER CAKE

Ingredients:
 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
 1/2 cup sour cream
 1 cup of sugar
 pinch salt
 1 egg
 1/2 tsp. baking soda
 1 tsp. baking powder
 1 + 1/2 cups flour
 1 tsp. vanilla

 1 pint whipping cream - whipped and sweetened with 4Tbsp. powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon corn starch,  when thickened add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
 1 - 2 pounds sliced slightly sweetened strawberries - or fruit of choice

Directions:
 In a medium bowl, mix together with a whisk or wooden spoon, yogurt, sugar, sour cream, egg, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Add flour and vanilla.
 Grease or spray 3 - 9" layer pans and divide batter evenly between pans. (the batter will seem skimpy....but spread as evenly as you can with a spatula in each pan - layers will rise on baking).

 Bake at 350 oven (325 if using Convection oven 325 oven) Bake for only 10 - 12 minutes....till Very Light Brown. Cool on racks...and remove from pans with a plastic spatula onto racks to finish cooling as soon as you can handle the cakes.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT over bake!! If not using immediately - put wax paper between layers, cover with plastic and refrigerate or freeze till ready to assemble cake.

 Layer cake layers: 1/3 sweetened whipped cream and 1/2 sweetened sliced strawberries, or fruit of choice - then 1/3 sweetened whipped cream and 1/2 berries.
Last layer - just sweetened whipped cream. Decorate with berries.
 This cake tastes even better the next day and the day after that....if there is any left!! The Trick is Not to Over bake the layers...or it will be dry and not nice and moist.
 This will soon become Your Favorite Family Cake too!!