The purpose of this recipe newsletter is to post requests and replies, and recipes  from our recipe family (members) and to post all their great tried and tested (TNT) recipes.  To search for a specific recipe within the newsletter please click here.

June 19 Newsletter

CLICK HERE to respond to messages. Please include date of newsletter, name of recipe and number of servings.  Remember to include your name within the message as well. (Just clicking on your email message will not get your messages in the newsletter.) Please use the link listed above.

New/Updated Pages
Chocolate Cake Recipes
Chicken Recipes
Lemon Recipes
Cucumber Recipes
Worcestershire Sauce

Free Downloadable Publications and Cookbooks
(in pdf format)
Cookbooks to download and Product Samples
How to Bake:  Your Complete Reference
Baking Essentials Lessons (Easy lessons on Baking)

Rosemary of Oklahoma regarding recipe circus. How do you go about adding your recipes to this site, can you divide them into categories? Can I transfer something from Nancy's site to this? How? Thanks in advance. Mary Jean, San Marcos

In response to the June 15th's newsletter, Muriel in PA request for removing stains in her teapot. I have found that if you put a little cream of tarter and water in your teapot and bring it to a boil, all those stubborn stains will disappear. If it is really stubborn, you might have to do it more than once.
Judy, East Brookfield

For Muriel in PA with tea stains in her favorite pot. Try a couple of Alka Seltzer in cold water.
Bonnie in Delaware

Re: Tea Stain in favorite pot.
Muriel try boiling plain water with "cream of tartar" added this should help remove the stain.
Barbara Ann in TX

I need some help from everyone, and any help given is greatly appreciated. This is not a recipe request, my daughter is turning 2 and I am having a Finding Nemo party for her. I found this party favor idea where you take glycerin soap melt it, place it in a bag and place a plastic fish inside of it, the end result looks like a fish in a bag that you would win in a carnival. My problem is that the directions say to use boilable bags, does anyone know where I can find these? All the ones I have seen just say microwaveable. The soap is not melted directly in the bag, could I use the microwaveable ones?

Thanks for your help!
Gracie, Rochester, NY

Margo/Boston I would LOVE to have the recipe for your Danish birthday cake. Thanks for the chocolate cake recipes as well. We have a birthday in the office Wednesday and they requested a chocolate cake so that was perfect timing.

Thanks to everyone for all the great recipes. My family is extremely happy!!! lol
BG in Indy

Hi Nancy, I hope you and the kitties are doing well. I have a comment about the cakes with the cream cheese icing cooked in them. I too had this problem a few times. Try mixing the ingredients cold rather than at room temperature. I have always used a 9x13 pan instead of a bundt. I make a Hurricane Cake and if my ingredients are at room temp. it is easier to mix but the cake will cook over. If I use cold ingredients it usually doesn't cook over.

This is for Susie in Ark., do you hang the bags of water inside the doorway (inside the house) or outside of the doorway (outside of the house)? This sounds like a great, chemical free way to help with the problem!!! I love all the recipes and helpful hints that are here!!! Keep up the great work, Nancy!!!! Holler at me if you need help!!!!
Chris E. in NE

Please help me find the date of the “best banana bread” recipe that has been posted and talked about so much.
Thank you. Jennifer in Ohio

reetings from northern Colorado.
Know all you readers will be able to help me with this - both my granddaughter (age 14 months) and myself are insulin dependent diabetics. Just wondering if any of you had a TNT recipe for cookies using Splenda. Do you use the Splenda for cooking or can you use the regular Splenda? Granddaughter is doing great - but as a gramma I just want to do things right for her! Any help would be greatly appreciated!
remppmom

In response to June 18th newsletter. This is for Kay in Indy looking for a Friendship cake recipe that had more fruit in it. There is one on www.Allrecipes.com type in friendship cake and you will come up with one that is called Thirty day friendship cake. It has peaches, pineapple, maraschino cherries, golden raisins, walnuts & coconut. It is very long and it also has the starter for it. Hope it's what you are looking for.
Laurie in Fruitport, MI

Harriet/AZ requested a recipe from Swans Down Flour. The one I found is called America's Favorite Choc. Cake. Harriet, is this possibly the one you were looking for?
Let us know.
Barb in OKC

America's Favorite Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
1 cup boiling water
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/4 cups and 2 tablespoons Swans Down Cake Flour, sifted
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cocoa and water; cool. Set aside. Combine eggs, 1/4 of the cocoa mixture and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients; add butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed to moisten. Beat on medium speed 1-1/2 minutes. Gradually add egg
mixture in thirds mixing well after each addition. Spread batter into 2 prepared 9-inch layer pans. Bake until tester inserted comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool. Frost with favorite frosting.

Lois was inquiring about how to keep her new wood floors. Lois, what I did was buy a wool dust mop. It does a fabulous job, making the floor really shiny. I found mine at Vermont country stores. Then to clean any spots on the floor, what we do is dampen the mop very slightly, then go over the floor, making sure there is no standing water. The product we use is a wet-dry mop from O-Cedar. It has a microfiber covering for the mop. You can take the covering off and wash it. Enjoy your new floor.
Barb in OKC

This is for Lois who is looking for a tried and true way to care for her new wood flooring. Lois, I clean houses and I have hardwood floors myself and find that the Don Anslett Easy Glide Microfiber Mop that can be purchased from QVC is absolutely the best for this....Do hope you will try it...
Barbara in Corsicana, Texas

This is for the widow with several widowed friends, who finds it difficult to cook for just one person. Why doesn't each one prepare her favorite recipe and share it with the others. This would provide a number of meal selections, while only cooking once.
Mary in New Orleans

June 17th Newsletter
Re white rings on furniture: Toothpaste works well in removing white rings on furniture also.
Donna Blandina

Irma from Iowa requested "recipes for one". Several years ago I when I moved to Texas, I found I was in a neighborhood with several widows, a widower and two newly divorced women. I was also single.
We used to go ahead and cook our reglar recipes and make "TV Dinners" -- put them in our freezer and periodically we would get together and trade our dinners.

We all purchased those 3 compartment plates with lids at the local Dollar Store so we didn't have to worry about getting our own containers back. You give me a meal, I give you a meal, you keep my
plate and I'll keep your plate! Worked out great. We did this for nearly 2 years. Gradually people moved and the group broke up.
Helen Central TX

For Irma in Iowa, having trouble cooking for one, continue to cook as you always do, but put the extras in the freezer. It's wonderful to have already cooked food that you just take out and let thaw, or put in the microwave. I don't do the once a month thing, but when I cook, I cook a lot, and freeze. Then there are days that I don't have to "cook", I can just thaw and reheat.
Marie in Mississippi

Teahag in Upstate, NY, I think it is part of a man's psyche. If a man has a TV set the remote is automatically attached to his hand. I do believe I read it somewhere in the instructions. LOL!! After being off of work for an extra few days, I asked him how his hand was feeling. He said "what do you mean", I replied, having the remote amputated must have really hurt!!! In our house, I never get to see the end of anything or the part of the news that has something that I really would like to see. Sometimes I get dizzy from all the channel changing.

Hugs to you Nancy and pats for the cats. Everyone have a great tomorrow.
Betty In Whittier

To Carole With an E ( June 19th newsletter ) who has the same problem as I do ( The E part at the end ;)) )

I have this site only on Portabella mushrooms http://tastymistake.blogspot.com
I hope you'll find you recipes there.
Jocelyne with an E in Québec

In theJune 14 issue someone was talking about using the inner crock of a crock pot on the stove. that's not a good idea, BUT they can be used in the microwave for cooking & re-heating.

to prove to yourself that it's safe in microwave, place crock in MW along w/ a glass measuring cup ( or other known MW safe container) w/8oz water. heat on high for 1 minute. if water is warm & crock is cool to touch, it's safe.
Danzer2.

Thanks for posting the information about the ABLES cookbook. I have had several responses and need to place an update on your mailer if possible. The president checked with the post office and postage for one or both books, same pricee, will be 4.05. This is sent priority mail and should be received within two days after shipping. To ensure faster shipping, I forgot to mention we prefer money orders so we won't have to wait for the orderers checks to clear since they will be coming from other states, etc. I apologize for being a bit behind in responding to some queries but have hopefully caught up but was offline for a few days last week and again, the price for one is 12 or two different ones is 20, please state preference if ordering only one, but two is the best deal. Sharon at HizGal4972@aol.com.
Thanks again for posting the info about the cookbooks for our special needs group.
Sharon

Nancy,
Hi, I was wondering if you could help me identify the makers of Grandy's white gravy mix. I used to be able to get it at Sam's club here in Las Vegas but they no longer carry it. I have since used all of the mix and have thrown away the bag. I was searching the net and came across your website. If you still have a bag or have any contact information I would greatly appreciate your help.
Best regards,
Chad G Las Vegas, NV

This is in response to Yvonne asking for the Pineapple Angel Food Cake that was mentioned in the June 3 newsletter. I made this and it was sensational! The only change I made was to invert it upside down as soon as it came from the oven and then let it cool that way completely. Just like you do with a regular Angel Food cake. It worked better at least for me. I found that it didn't collapse as much by doing this.
Claudine

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 (16 oz) package Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (DO NOT DRAIN !)

Heat oven 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl beat together cake mix and crushed pineapple on low speed 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula; and then. Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
Pour into ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
Invert pan upside down and cool completely. To serve, cut into squares and then top with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.

DO NOT add oil or eggs to this cake…this is a two ingredient cake!
Note: You can make this a low calorie cake using frozen yogurt OR Lite Cool Whip.

To Doris from Bitely MI . Here is Squirrel repellent homemade recipe.
Jocelyne in Québec

Squirrel Repellent
1 ounce Murphy's Oil Soap
1 ounce hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix everything together and put the mixture in a 22 ounce spray bottle. Fill the bottle to the top with water. Gently mix. Spray everything around where the squirrels are unwanted.

Hi Nancy, Siggy, Ditto and everyone in Nancyland. GLORIA, INDIANA wrote in the June 17 newsletter, " 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 regular cocoa and Dutch processed is? I have looked at Wal Mart and Kroger and neither carry it. What I have in my cupboard is regular Hersey brand cocoa."

Gloria, that was my recipe for the Fudge Cake that I sent in and I looked your question up in my cookbook, "Old Fashioned Holiday Recipes" and it says...."The Dutch process, or European-style, cocoa gives this frosting an intense chocolate flavor and a rich color. Other unsweetened cocoas can be substituted, but the flavor may be milder and the color may be lighter." Hope this answers your question.
Betty in MD

Fudge Cake
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cups Hershey's cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
5 eggs

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl 5 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; add alternately with coffee and buttermilk to cream mixture until mixture is just blended. Pour into well greased and floured 10-inch tub pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes at 325°. Cake tester should come out clean when done. Cool about twenty minutes and remove from pan.

Frosting:
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
2-2/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa. Gradually add to butter alternately with milk and vanilla beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. When cake is cool, frost Makes 2-1/4 cups.
Betty in MD

To the ladies who made the icing in the cake recipe and had it overflow in the oven. I've made that cake many times and have not had that problem. Try mixing it by hand and use a tube (some call it angel food) pan. Everyone I know that had a problem with it overflowing used the bundt pan. Tube pans are a little larger than bundts.
Marge in So CA

To Susie Indy, Thanks for your response. The problem I had with the cookies was that they spread out when I baked them. They became flat and kind of semi-sticky kind of like caramelized sugar. I used parchment paper to bake them on, and a cool cookie sheet. I also refrigerated the dough before I baked them. The dough was kind of runny. Then, I decided I didn't want to lose all of the other ingredients that I put in them, so I added 3 more eggs and another 1/2 cup of flour. Now when I baked them, they did puff up somewhat with some substance. However, they became the texture and consistency of pancakes! lol! I finally gave up and put the remaining batter in a 9x13 pan and baked them as bars. We are eating them, and they are good, but I would really like to know why they wouldn't "puff" up. Any help you can give will be appreciated.
Terri in Mn.

This is for Diane in Albuquerque from Chris in California. Hope you enjoy. I am passing along one of my favorite desserts. Being raised in the South means you have to love great desserts and home cooking.

Strawberry Twinkies Dessert
14 Hostess Twinkies
2 pkgs of strawberry gelatin
2 cups hot water
2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 container of whipped topping
1 pint fresh strawberries

Place 14 Twinkies in a 9 x 13 pan. Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in the hot water and pour evenly over the Twinkies. Sprinkle on some chopped strawberries. Mix the milk with the pudding. The mixture will
be thick. Carefully spread pudding over the Twinkies. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding. Garnish with more sliced strawberries. Chill overnight then cut into pieces.

The Gooey Butter cake from Paula Deen of the Food Network. has an addition to the recipe posted yesterday.

To the second part of the recipe along with the cream cheese you can add cocoa, peanut butter, mini chocolate chips, use a spice cake mix and add pumpkin, Use any flavor of cake mix .The lemon cake mix and add lemon zest and juice is very good. I make these all the time. Add toffee bits or whatever...It is a easy cake and all are very good.
Marla in Ks.

Thank you for the immediate response to my problem. That really surprised me. This is in regard to the cake with the frosting stirred into it before baking. My mistake was that I did use the mixer for the whole thing. I most certainly am going to try it again, just mixing by hand. I have gotten so many excellent recipes for this newsletter. Thanks to all who make it possible.
Virginia, Apache Junction, AZ

Hi Nancy, Siggy, Ditto and everyone in Nancyland. YVONNE, here is the repeat recipe you requested in the June 18 newsletter for the Pineapple Angel Food Cake that was at one time The Recipe of the Week on Wanda's Country Home "The Happy Cooker". We love Angel Food Cake and this recipe was so delicious. Wanda's Country Home "The Happy Cooker" recipes that I have made.
Betty in MD

Pineapple Angel Food Cake
1 (16 oz.) Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

Heat oven 350°

In a large mixing bowl beat together cake mix and crushed pineapple on low speed 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula; and then beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Cool completely. To serve, cut into squares and then top with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.

Notes that were included in the recipe:

DO NOT add oil or eggs to this cake...this is a two ingredient cake.

NOTE: You can make this a low calorie cake using frozen yogurt or Lite Cool Whip.
Source: http://wandascountryhome.com/

Comment
I did look at the site and liked her cat pictures. I agree with her
Cat's are little people
Nancy

For DJC...The Best Spaghetti Sauce.. In your ingredients you state 2 cans tomatoes, What size cans and what type of tomatoes?
Thank you, Candy

Hi Nancy: For Muriel in PA on 6-15-2006: To remove tea stains - I moisten a cloth and dip in baking soda and rub the stains out. We drink tea everyday for lunch and I found it really works well.
Ellen in Wa.

Nancy,
For Fran (6-15): Sorry about the mix up on pie crust directions. Use baked pie shells that have cooled before putting in the chocolate cream mixture. You are only browning the meringue topping in the oven with the cream pie mixture.
CC

NaNe’s Chocolate Cream Pie
1 small box Jello pudding and pie filling (not instant kind)
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 eggs separated
3 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 small can Carnation evaporated milk PLUS 2 cans of water
Dash of salt
2 BAKED 10 inch pie crust

Cook:
Heat milk and water over low heat while mixing sugar, pie filling, flour, cocoa, salt, and egg yolks. Add just enough WARM milk mixture to wet dry ingredients. Add this mixture to the remaining milk. Cook until thickened.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and margarine. Mix well. Pour into baked, cooled shells. Top with stiffly beaten eggs whites with a little sugar added. Brown in 350 degrees. Watch carefully to keep meringue from burning.

**Makes 2 delicious pies.
**If it looks too thick, add just a little regular fresh milk when you add the vanilla and margarine. SUBSTITUTE butterscotch or lemon for the chocolate for a different flavor cream pie.

Nancy, I couldn't help but laugh when you said that Ditto was helping you on the computer...I have recently rescued 2 wonderful kitties (brother and sister). They are a year old and are an absolute delight. Tuffy, the male is quite large, weighing in at 19 lbs...and Baby is daintier but probably weighs about 12 - 15 lbs. They are grey and tan tabbies with black striations in their fur...Pretty cats and so loveable. My sister has just gotten a longhaired Chihuahua and they play together so well.. Just wanted to share with another cat and dog lover about my sweet furry babies.
Barbara in Corsicana, Texas

There have been several recipes and comments about the Friendship fruit starter.  I am going to post those in tomorrow's newsletter.
Nancy

Search site and our newsletter

	Web www.nancys-kitchen.com

F.r.e.e Daily and WeeklyOnline Horoscopes

pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp