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June 17 Newsletter

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Nancy,
I'm not sure who sent in the recipe for Pumpkin cookies made with a cake mix, a can of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. I just want to thank whoever sent in that recipe. They were delicious!! After they were cool, I frosted them with homemade butter frosting and sprinkled the tops with crushed nuts.

Butter Frosting
5 Tb flour
1 cup milk
3 sticks of butter, room temp
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cook flour and milk together in a pan over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then add the cooled flour and milk mixture and beat til well combined - with no lumps. Then beat in the vanilla.

This makes a very rich frosting that is good on anything! If the frosting is left at room temperature it will stay soft, if it's refrigerated, it will firm up.

Everyone have a great day!
Julie from MD

This is for Phyllis in Phoenix. Have you tried the "Swifter" on your tile floors. We spend 6 months in Yuma and that is what I use.
Phyllis in WA & AZ

JoAnne, I'm glad you liked my spaghetti sauce recipe. I've never made it for anyone who didn't like it. Here it is again:
DJC

THE BEST SPAGHETTI SAUCE YOU'LL EVER EAT!
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 T. olive oil
1 ½ c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. flour
1 c. chopped bread and butter pickles
2 cans tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
1 t. salt
2 t. oregano
2 t. basil
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. red wine

Brown ground beef and onion in shortening. Add chopped garlic and fry a minute longer. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more to thicken. Serve over hot spaghetti.

You'll be sorry if you leave the pickles out of this. They are the secret that makes this the best spaghetti sauce you'll ever eat!

We'll be stopping by the St. Louis Arch on our vacation this year. A lady told me in passing that I should not miss having "gooey butter" when I was in St. Louis. When I asked what it was she just smiled and said I'd find out and that I shouldn't miss it. So does anyone know what gooey butter is and where I might find it in St. Louis?
Diane in Albuquerque

Hi Nancy,
I would like to say "Thank You" to Sue in MI (from the newsletter June 14th)suggested using plastic bags tied on the posts with the bags rattling. Also, the other lady who I'm not sure of her name told me about putting a net to keep the birds out of the garden.
Thank You, Dorry in VA

Hi Nancy - This is for Eleanor/NC. My daughter just moved to Raleigh, NC. I hear they had quite a bit of rain from Alberto. This recipe is one my new son in law always requests.
Carolyn - Illinois

Cauliflower Au Gratin
6 T. butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 oz, cooked ham, chopped
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 T. flour
1-1/2 C. whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1-1/2 C. shredded Swiss cheese
2 T. chopped parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet. Sauté garlic and ham for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until crisp tender. Combine flour and cream; stir into skillet and blend well. Add salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute more. Pour into a 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Place under a preheated broiler until lightly browned; about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

For Muriel in PA:
Try this on your teapot: fill with very hot tap water; add about 1/2 c (yes, cup) of liquid automatic dishwasher detergent and stir with spoon or spatula or something long-handled until detergent is completely dissolved. Leave overnight. In the morning, rinse pot well and then wash normally. Your stain should be gone. I use this stuff for everything! It cleans stains from my stainless steel sink, my bathtub, etc. I even soak my white kitchen towels and dishcloths in the same solution - they come out white as snow.

If you buy an off-brand detergent at the Dollar Store, it's really cheaper than cleaners that don't work half as well. Remember to wear gloves - this stuff is strong! Also, don't splatter it on your clothes - it will bleach the color out of them.

Now a question of your oh-so-smart readers while we're on the subject of cake icings. I, too, am a hobbyist cake decorator and really enjoy it, but don't like the traditional "decorator" icing either. I love the whipped icings the bakeries use, and there used to be a family-owned grocery store near me that would sell me the liquid. I would bring it home and whip it and decorate my cakes and it was wonderful! Now I can't find a source for this frosting. What I would really like is a recipe for it - I doubt there is any powdered sugar in it, or a source to order or buy some. If anyone out there knows how to make it or buy it, please let me know. Thanks in advance for all the help everyone gives me every day.
Doris in Oklahoma City

Join The E-Cookbooks Library for Only $12.97! for a lifetime membership! 

This is in response to Muriel in Pa. in the June 15th newsletter, regarding her green tea stain. I read once, a long time ago, to remove tea or coffee stains from cups, mugs, etc. to wet the inside and add regular table salt. Make like a wet paste and rub. It should come out. It worked when I tried it on my tea cup. Hope this helps.

Nancy, thanks for the newsletter, it's truly enjoyable as well as informative.
Eileen from WNY

For Jeri in Calgary,
Regarding your question from the June 15th newsletter for making self-rising flour- all you need to do is add 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour to make your own self-rising flour. Be sure to mix or sift it through well before using.
Sharon in South Australia

A friend of mines mom years ago made a fudge with cheddar cheese no cocoa powder in it and sold it in their bakery and they were Greek folk. So I thought by a slim chance someone would know of it. Her customers knew the day she usually made it and was sold out before noon. This lady's daughter and I have been friends for 50 years and when her mom died she took a lot of recipes with her as she never wrote anything down, plus she was an exec chef for many years too.
Take care, Judy Montana

To Virginia in Apache Junction, AZ. June 15th newsletter.
I've made the icing/frosting in the cake recipe "many times", and it always gets rave reviews. Two important things to remember: DO NOT mix
with an electric mixer, do it by hand. Also make sure your bundt pan is a 12 cup size. If you use a 10 cup one , it WILL overflow.

I also don't put all the frosting in the cake, I save about a 1/3 of a cup of it to drizzle on the cake after it has baked and cooled. Just nuke it in the micro for a few seconds and it drizzles very easily. Hope this helps......there are so many great combinations for this cake, that the list is endless.
Barb in San Diego

Terry in "LONG" June 14th Newsletter : To substitute plain flour to self raising ..very simple ;
1 cup self-raising flour = 1 cup A1 plus 1-1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt
Jocelyne in Québec

This is for Phyllis in Phoenix: Try using Don Aslett’s Micro Fiber Mop on the tile floors. I have one, and use it on all my floors that are not carpeted.
You can buy this mop through QVC. Just log on to their site and write Don Aslett in the search and it will take you directly to all the products he has. I use his cleaning cloths as well and love them. Do not have to use any chemicals to clean with them.
Harriet/AZ

Hi!, As always enjoy your site. This is for Zelda Patterson, Grand Prairie, Texas of may 22 letter. I belong to a senior center and i was interested what you do for their cooking classes and anything else that makes your center a success. We need all the help we can get to make our center more interesting to come to. thanks for any help. Mary Lamson, Green Brook, NJ

Nancy I noticed a Fudge Cake recipe in the June 15 newsletter, said to use Dutch processed cocoa. Could someone explain what exactly the difference is between reg. cocoa and Dutch processed is? I have looked at Wal Mart and Kroger and neither carrie a it. What I have in my cupboard is regular Hersey brand cocoa.
Thanks, Gloria, Indiana

Good morning, Nancy and Nancylanders! Gorgeous weather here, hurrah! A few weeks ago, a Nancylander requested advice on how to STABILIZE WHIPPED CREAM (if it separates and oozes when made ahead). I just found this hint buried at the bottom of a pile of "stuff" and thought I'd send it along. I'm sorry, but I don't remember who wanted to know. A few hours before you are going to whip the cream, put a few marshmallows (little ones or snipped big ones) in the cream to soak. They'll soften, and when you whip the cream, they'll help stabilize it. TASTE the whipped cream before sugaring it, since the marshmallows will add some sweetness and you might not need more. I haven't used this hint, since I seldom use whip cream, but it sure makes sense to me. I think you'd need to experiment with the amount of marshmallows you'd use.....too many might come out like Fluff, too few wouldn't work.
Good luck, and I hope whoever tries this will let us know if it works!
Kathi in Virginia

Niki in F'Burg Va (June 14 newsletter) is looking for cake and frosting recipes made from scratch. I have two great ones here . In answer to your request for fillings other than frosting, I suggest you use strawberry or raspberry preserves or jams in gold cakes. Custard or puddings make great fillings too.
This chocolate cake is my family's favorite. It gets richer each day . The chocolate frosting is so good it makes you want to sit down with a large spoon and eat the whole bowl full.

Chocolate Cake
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup dry unsweetened cocoa (I use Bakers)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2 unbeaten eggs
1 1/2 cups cold tap water
1 cup vegetable oil ( minus one tablespoon)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl
Make a well in the center and add all the remaining ingredients. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes, then on high speed of 5 minutes. Batter will be thin. But make sure it is well blended. Pour into greased and floured 13x9x2 inch pan bake 40 to 45 minutes

French silk frosting
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 pound confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler over hot not boiling water. Combine confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl, stir till blended. Stir in melted chocolate mixture and beat till thickened.

I have an elaborate Danish birthday cake that involves a lot of work and ingredients, layers of sponge or yellow cake layered with strawberry jam cherry liquor whipped cream, custard . If you would like this and don't mind spending a lot of time on it, I'll be happy to send it. If you get a cake or frosting in your class that really wows you please share it with us.
Margo/Boston

This is for Muriel in PA, to get rid of the stain in your tea kettle try filling it with hot water and drop in a denture cleaning tablet, one that has baking soda in it works as well. Let it sit and if you can use a bottle cleaner to help scrub the inside. I generally use this for my coffee pot at home, and it does a superb job.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to any of you Dad’s here in Nancyland!
Gracie, Rochester, NY

For Teri in Calgary. Here is a recipe for self-rising flour

4 C flour
2 t salt
2 T baking powder.

Mix all together and store in a tightly covered canister or jar. This makes 1 lb of self-rising flour.

For Phyllis W and the white marks on her wood table. Phyllis: My Mother always plopped some mayonnaise on the spots and spread it over the spots with a clean cloth. Let sit for a day or so and clean off with another clean cloth. That should greatly help the white spots. I've also had success using plain vegetable oil using the same procedure. Good luck!
Joan in Lancaster, PA

to Phyllis concerning cupcake damage to table. the white ring was probably caused by water (steam from the hot cupcakes). 1. try rubbing the spots with mayonnaise. 2. take a walnut piece and rub on the stain. 3. try a crayon or shoe polish the same shade as the table to just go over the stain.
These 3 ideas have worked for me for various stains on wood. If nothing else, she can strip the varnish off the table, and restain it.
Hope one of these ideas will help. Nedra in VA

Nancy,
Here is a gift suggestion for the person looking for a wedding gift. Whenever I am completely stuck, I buy some pillows and pillow cases. Depending on how close I am to the person I spend anywhere from $10 - $100, and have only ever once met a person who had "decent" pillows on every bed in the house. I am still using the down pillows we chose for a wedding gift 7 years ago (I throw them in the watching machine with bleach and toss them in the dryer). Many times the thank you note I get says that the pillows went straight on the bed. Hope this helps,
Fran in Ottawa

Hello Everyone,
My hubby will be on vacation next week and we are low on money so most of our time will be spent at home on his "Honey-Do" list. However we do want to spend one day riding up in the Smokie Mountains and being short on money we want to take lunch with us from home. Do any of you have any ideas for easy, quick, inexpensive things that we can pull over on the side of the road to fix and eat.
Thanks,
Gem in TN

Late last summer a recipe was submitted for a crock pot stew that started with commercial canned stew and then several cans of veggies were added. It was great and I did not try it until several members commented on it. Now I cannot locate it. Does anyone remember it, PLEASE.
Merrymaryan of MN

Hi everyone - I surely do love this newsletter!!! Thanks to Nancy's hard work!

I have a question. Mom & I got one of those Betty Crocker Dome cake sets - where the pudding or something goes inside. Well, I've tried it 3 times now with different recipes and the filling Always pulls away from the cake and shrinks. I even doubled the filling recipe, to no avail. Any suggestions???
Also, the homemade pan spray? I can't find liquid soy lecithin only capsules. Where does one buy this?
Sue in Fl

For Phyllis re: each cupcake had left a white circle the size of the cupcake bottom on the table. Go to the hardware store and purchase Jasco White Ring Remover and rub away those rings. Next time she may want to put newspapers and wax paper on the table before putting cupcakes or cookies to cool.
Just a little elbow grease and the spots will disappear.
Penny

Thank you so much for all the pie crust recipes in the June 15th newsletter: Mary G, Ca; M; Dale and CC. I should now be able to make a pie crust that doesn't come out like 'shoe leather'.
RoseMarie, TX

Not all replies and requests were posted.  The newsletter is getting much too long for a daily newsletter.  More recipes, requests and replies will be posted in tomorrow's newsletter.

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