Cheesy Goodness

I wanted to serve something alongside my beef stew. I wanted to be a little more jazzy than just dumplings though, so I thought about biscuits. But not just any biscuits. I wanted something with a little more pizazz. So, I turned to my trusty recipe website: http://www.allrecipes.com/

I found a cheddar biscuit recipe that only took four ingredients. I had them all on hand, so what the heck?! The best part is that the recipe only makes five biscuit cups, so you won't have a ton of leftovers.

These turned out well. They have a crispy outside and a warm gooey inside. The only thing I would do differently would be to add some spices, like garlic powder, and maybe some parsley or other herbs.

These biscuit cups would go well with soup or chili or any other recipe that needs a bread side.

Cheddar Biscuit Cups

from: http://www.allrecipes.com/

1 cup self-rising flour *

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a small bowl, combine the flour and the cheese. Stir in milk and mayonnaise until just moistened. Fill five greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Fill empty muffin cups halfway with water. Bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

If you don't have self-rising flour, use regular flour and add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt.

Thank You Paula Deen

A couple of weeks ago, my husband mentioned that he wanted me to make beef stew. I am not a fan of beef stew. I am not sure why. I just have never found a stew that I particularly liked. But, the things we do for love. I decided to make him a good beef stew. Stew is something that I would consider "southern" cooking. Don't ask me why. So, I consulted the Bible of southern cooking: Paula Deen. My mom gave me her cookbook for Christmas, and I hadn't ever made any of the recipes. Maybe it's the two sticks of butter in every recipe that made me leery. However, I found a stew recipe and decided to try it.


I don't think I made it correctly. First off, I think I cooked it too high. By the time it was done cooking, there was no broth left. I wasn't able to thicken the sauce, because there WAS no sauce. Oh well, live and learn. I know what to do next time. Second, I have no idea where the onions went. It's almost like they went to the same land that your mismatched socks from the dryer go. They literally disappeared.

Don't let me lack of stew making skills scare you. This was delicious! I just wish my husband was able to eat some of it. I slaved over the stove for a better part of the day, and the poor guy has food poisoning. Normally, he would eat a lot. But tonight, he had zero, nothing. I don't think he could even stomach toast right now. Oh well, more for me!


So, I thank you Paula Deen. This beef stew recipe was lovely. You have changed my mind about hating beef stew.

Old-Time Beef Stew
from: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook


2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash of ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, quartered
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

Beware: Healthy Recipe Ahead

I have been wanting to get back into healthy eating again. Several years ago, I lost almost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers. An engagement, new job, wedding, and married life have all caught up with me. I am starting to put on some pounds. So! Back to healthy eating and exercising!

One staple of my healthy eating is my vegetable soup. I can't really claim it as mine. It's really the Weight Watchers claim to fame, however, I have made some adaptations. Mine has different veggies in it. I like all kinds of veggies, but rather than spend a fortune on Swiss Chard, I substitute baby spinach. Well, you'll see.

This is a great lunch item. I usually pair it with a salad or even a half a sandwich. You get tons of vitamins and minerals and all that healthy junk. If you are not a veggie lover, I don't suggest you read much further.

This is very easy to make, and can be changed up a million different ways. I have to have tomatoes in virtually everything I eat, so I add a can of diced tomatoes. I use chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth for two reasons: 1) it's cheaper and 2) it has less calories. Who knew?

I will post the WW version and my version.

Have fun with this! Invent your own combination of veggies and spices. And eat a second bowl. After all, it's healthy.

Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

1 medium sweet red pepper, diced

1 medium celery stalk, diced

2 small zucchini, diced

2 cups Swiss Chard, chopped

2 cups cauliflower, small florets

2 cups broccoli, small florets

2 teaspoons thyme, fresh, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, optional

1. Put garlic, vegetables, thyme and broth into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a bowl over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Stir in parsley; season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Pachey's Version

2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups Normandy vegetable mix, frozen - don't thaw. The Normandy mix has carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower.
3 cups baby spinach
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or to taste
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspooon crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1. Put all the ingredients in the pot, with the exception of the spinach. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook an additional 2 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt.

My Poor Husband

My husband is getting really tired of me trying out new recipes. If that weren't bad enough, he is getting even more tired of recipes that are made in the crockpot. I am not sure what he has against the crockpot, but he is a little leery of it. 99% of the time the results turn out well. Okay, except for that coagulated mess of a bean and biscuit recipe. And, maybe one or two other times. And let's not mention the time I overcooked pasta in it. That was pretty gnarly.

Anyways, I am a big pasta lover. Give me a big heaping bowl of pasta with nothing on it and I am happy. If you throw in a piece of bread, even better (healthy right?)! I wanted to try out a chunky spaghetti sauce and my best friend let me borrow her Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook (which is awesome by the way) which had about 12 good sauce recipes.

When this was done cooking, it resembled the American Chop Suey I blogged about a few weeks ago. This was very hearty, and if you substitute ground turkey or extra lean ground beef, it would be a very healthy recipe too. All those vegetables are good for you! I added a little extra seasoning in my version. Just a little extra garlic powder, Italian Seasoning and red pepper flakes. I also used canned tomatoes, because I am lazy and didn't want to seed and cut up three pounds of tomatoes.

Of course, we had bread with this. I am a carb addict, what do you expect?

Nancy's Spaghetti Sauce

from: Fix-It and Forget-It

1/4 cup minced onion

garlic powder to taste

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, or 28oz. can diced tomatoes with juice

6 ounce can tomato paste

3 1/2 teaspoons salt

dash of pepper

1 basil leaf

1 chopped green pepper

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

4 ounce can sliced mushrooms

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on low 3 hours.

The Family Spaghetti Sauce

The family spaghetti sauce is a recipe that has been passed down from my grandfather. He got the recipe from an Italian family, so it's an authentic concoction. In our family, everyone requests this for their birthday dinner. It's a huge treat, and one pot lasts a long time.

My mother would kill me if I posted the actual recipe, so instead, here is a picture of the finished product, and a similar recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Italian Gravy

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 pounds pork shoulder roast
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 (28 ounce) cans tomato puree
6 cups water
1/4 cup white sugar

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Place pork shoulder in pot, and pour in 1/2 cup white wine and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, combine oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 of spice mixture over pork. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes turning occasionally. Add water periodically if needed.

2. Pour in tomato puree. Fill cans with water, and pour in (about 6 cups). Stir in remaining spice mixture and the sugar. When liquid starts to bubble, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally, and adjust seasonings to taste.

It's Fall, Continued

The fall themed food didn't stop there however. I followed up with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I got this recipe from someone on the Nest.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, canola oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk, and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips.

3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

The Chicken Legend

This recipe is a bit of a legend. I frequent a website called thenest.com. All the ladies on the What's Cooking board rave about these chicken thighs. My Memere, bless her heart, can't pronounce t-h's, so she would call these "Chicken Ties".

Trust the cooking time in this recipe. It doesn't seem long enough to cook the chicken meat, but it really well. You will result in juicy, flavorful chicken. The recipe is from Cooking Light, so you don't have to feel guilty about eating them.

These are a favorite in our house, and with some couscous and green beans, they make a very quick and easy meal.

Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken Thighs

from Cooking Light

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

6 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1. Preheat broiler

2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken to bowl and toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3. Combine the honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on the chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 minute or until chicken is done.

Moist and Minty Brownies

What could be better than chocolate brownies with a hint of mint? They are the perfect holiday treat.

Moist and Minty Brownies

from Nestle Toll House Best Loved Cookies

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups Nestle Toll House Mint-Chocolate Morsels, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

Frosting

1 container (16 oz) prepared vanilla frosting

1 tube (4.25 oz) chocolate decorating icing, optional

For Brownies: Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Combine sugar, butter and water in medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat (Or combine sugar, butter and water in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH power for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Stir until smooth).

Add 1 cup morsels and vanilla; stir until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in flour mixture and remaining morsels.

Spread into greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely (center will sink) in pan or rack.

For Frosting: Spread vanilla frosting over brownies.

Squeeze chocolate icing in parallel lines over frosting. Drag wooden pick through chocolate icing to feather. Let stand until frosting is set. Cut into bars.

There is nothing like chocolate, mint and frosting to top off a great meal! This recipe was fantastic, easy and yummy! I didn't add the chocolate decorating icing however. It was great without it.

The Famous Oreo Truffles

Now, because dinner was simple, I went all out for dessert. I have seen this recipe several times now from various people and have wanted to try it. It's a perfect holiday dessert, gift idea, a great potluck offering, or just to eat yourself! It is a little more involved, so give yourself enough time to make them. The title is easy, and I guess they are by truffle standards. They were easy, just a little time consuming.

These Oreo Truffles only take three ingredients, but the result is a rich, creamy, decadent truffle. I was only able to eat two before I couldn't handle any more richness! I used a food processor to grind the Oreos rather than crumble them by hand. I believe the food processor was able to provide a better consistency anyways.
Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Easy Oreo Truffles
from Kraft Foods

1 package (1 pound 2 ounces) Oreo cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 packages (8 squares each) Baker's Semi Sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Mix 3 cups of the cookie crumbles and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1 inch) balls.

2. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

3. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container.

Let's Talk Turkey

This recipe is a good casserole if you want a good old fashioned "casserole". I cook the egg noodles for less time stated on the package. If you cook them the full time, you will end up with a mushy mess.

I have made this two times, and I used cheddar the first time, and the colby-jack mix the second. Either cheese you choose is really good.

My husband, who is usually anti-non red meat likes this too, even if it is made with ground turkey! I think I have made more recipes out of this cookbook than any other I own. I just love it!

Cheesy Noodle Turkey Casserole
from Pillsbury One-Dish Meals Cookbook

8 oz (5 cups) uncooked dumpling egg noodles
1.5 pounds lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (10.25 oz) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz (2 cups) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend, or Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles to desired doneness (if cooking time is 7 minutes, cook for 5.5). Drain; rinse with hot water. Place in large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground turkey and onion until turkey is thoroughly cooked. Drain, if necessary. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese and noodles; simmer 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Pour turkey mixture over noodles; mix well. Spoon into ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish. Cover with foil.

4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cookies + Cake = Delicious

Now, this cake was pretty to look at and pleasant to eat. I needed an excuse to use my new mixer yet again. Have I mentioned just how much I love my new mixer? Best Christmas gift my husband has bought me thus far.

I wanted a cake, but not an overly chocolate cake. Wait, check my temperature! I said I DIDN'T want something overly chocolate. I must be ill. Call the paramedics! Considering how much I love chocolate, this is a shocker. I settled on the cake below. It has a little chocolate, using the addition of sandwich cookies. Those would be Oreos for those brand-name people. I actually didn't use Oreos. I used the Fred Meyer brand called Kid-O's, which my husband and I thought was funny.

This was a fun cake to bake. The recipe called to cut the layers in half to make a four layer cake. It was so pretty with all the whipped cream in between the layers. The only change I would have made to this recipe would be to add a little bit of sugar into the whipped cream. It would give it a touch more sweetness. I couldn't find a cake mix with pudding at the grocery store, so I just used a regular boxed mix, and it turned out just fine! And of course, I used my new mixer for both the cake and to make the whipped cream.

Have I mentioned just how much I love my new mixer?

Cookies and Cream Cake
from: Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor

18 sandwich cookies, plus additional if needed
solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 oz) white cake mix with pudding
1 cup water
1/2 vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

1. Place the sandwich cookies, in batches, in a food processor and process until you have crumbs. You should have 2.25 cups crumbs. If not, process more cookies until you have the correct amount. Or, crumble the cookies using a large ziploc bag (this is what I did). Set aside.

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

3. Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Fold in 1 cup of the cookie crumbs until well distributed. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

4. Place a clean, large mixing bowl and clean electric mixer beaters in the refrigerator (or freezer) while the cake bakes. You will use them to prepare the whipped cream.

5. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 28 to 32 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

6. Prepare the whipped cream: Remove the chilled bowl and beaters from the refrigerator. Pour the cream into the bowl and beat with the electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks, 2.5 to 3.5 minutes. Gently fold in 1 cup of the remaining cookie crumbs, distributing them well. Chill the whipped cream until the cake has cooled completely.

7. Carfully slice the cake layers in half horizontally, using a large, sharp serrated bread knife or a long piece of unflavored dental floss. You will have four layers. Place the bottom half of a cake layer on a serving platter, cut side up. Spread with some of the whipped cream. Top with the matching top half of the layer, cut side down. Spread with whipped cream. Next, add the bottom half of the second layer, cut side up, and spread with whipped cream. Top with the matching top half of the layer, cut side down. Spread the top and sides fo the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream using clean, smooth strokes.

8. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cookie crumbs on top of the cake. Place the cake in a cake server or under a glass dome and chill until time to serve.

There's a First Time for Everything

Can you believe that I have never eaten polenta? I love Italian food, but I have never tried it! I found this recipe in "Real Simple" magazine and the picture was what sold me. It looked very yummy, so I thought I would give it a try.

I bought the polenta that was already made in a tube. The grocery store had three different kinds, but I opted for plain since I have never had it before. I will definitely be making it again! I thought it was really delicious. My husband used to date an Italian girl, so he is not a newcomer to polenta.

I didn't have any white wine on hand, so I used chicken stock instead. I bet the wine would have tasted better, but the chicken stock worked well. Wine doesn't last long in our house, ahem.
Enjoy this tasty recipe!

Sausage and Peppers with Crispy Polenta
from "Real Simple" magazine February 2008

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
salt and pepper
2 small red bell peppers, seeded and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
6 sprigs thyme
1 pound store-bought cooked polenta, sliced into thick rounds

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the saugsage and cook, turning once, until it starts to brown, 5 minutes. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook until they are just soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and thyme.

3. Transfer the skillet to oven. Roast until the sausage is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the polenta in batches, turning once, until golden brown.

5. Place the polenta on a platter. Spoon the sausage, vegetables, and pan juices over the top. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Poor Chicken

I feel slightly bad for the chicken. They aren't particularly smart birds, however, they are mighty tasty. In my case, the chicken makes an excellent pot pie. Still on a roll from last weekend's meat pie, I decided to make a chicken pot pie.

This is a budget conscious recipe. I got the pie crusts on sale for $.99 for two. If you are even on more of a budget, you can make your own crust using butter, flour and ice water. Frozen vegetables, or even fresh are inexpensive, and the canned soup is a pantry staple that most people have. You don't need to use the best cut of chicken. If you have leftovers from a roasted chicken, you could certainly use that. In my house, we have a bag of frozen chicken breasts from Costco. We always have them on hand, and they are pretty cheap.

I didn't follow a recipe for this pie. If you know my cooking style, that is a pretty big surprise! I am not the type of person that can just "whip something up". The measurements below are estimates. Unlike most of the women in my family who can make a gourmet meal out of baking soda, a banana and leftover ground beef. Seriously, it's an art and I don't have the gift.

This was a really really good pie! My husband was surprised that it was done from scratch. It seriously tastes like one of the premium frozen pot pies. Enjoy, and try not to think about the poor chicken that was sacrificed to make this delicious dish.

Chicken Pot Pie

by Pachey

Pan grill 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or the equivalent of about 2 cups of chicken) using any type of spices that you prefer. I used thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Mix one can of cream of chicken soup (or cream of celery, mushroom, whatever you have on hand) with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk. Once combined, add seasonings. I again used thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Cube the chicken into bite sized pieces. Combine with vegetables (about 3 cups of mixed vegetables). I used stew vegetables, which are more hearty and are a mix of carrots, celery, potatoes and onions. Mix with the creamed soup mixture until combined.

Roll out the bottom crust and place in a pie pan. Pour the chicken/veggie/soup mixture into the pan. Cover with the top crust.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Not for the Faint of Heart

I grew up with this cake. I love this cake like it was my own child. Every birthday, I had my choice of what kind of cake I wanted, and I always chose this. My mom would put food coloring in the frosting to make it special (ahhh, nostalgia) and we would eat.

According to my mother, and Bill Cosby, this is an appopriate breakfast food. It's got eggs, milk and flour, therefore, it must be suitable for breakfast. I am not going to lie; I will be enjoying a slice tomorrow morning, tee hee.

This is a very dense, dark chocolate cake. If you don't have sour milk on hand, which most people probably don't, you can make sour milk by adding a teaspoon of vinegar. The sour milk gives the cake an extra special flavor. I didn't have any shortening on hand, so I substituted with butter. Watch the cooking time, because the use of butter seemed to speed up the baking. The frosting may be the best part. Real butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. There isn't anything like homeade frosting. None of the store made, fake, Crisco frosting. Ew.

Here is a picture before the cake is frosted. See what I mean about dense? This cake is not for the chocolate faint of heart, or chocolate newbie.

You all have to feel very special, because this is a family recipe. I honestly don't know how old it is, or where it originated from, but here you go. Printed with permission from my mom.

Family Chocolate Cake

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup shortening (or butter, softened)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour milk

1/2 cup boiling water

1. Put ingredients in order given. Beat together. Put in ungreased square 8-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Frost with the buttercream frosting below.

Buttercream Frosting

1 pound confectioners (powdered) sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened

dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

milk (amount depends on consistency)

1. Blend in mixer and add milk slowly to desired consistency. Frost cooled cake.