Red Couch Recipes

Pots Au Chocolat

2012-01-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

So glad you stopped by! I hope you are now ready for a dessert recipe. It took me about a month after Christmas to get in the dessert making mood again. These Pots Au Chocolat are sure to please as they are all about chocolate gooiness, all about speed, and all about sure success.

Tati, my 15-year old, made these for dessert the other day.

The pots waiting to be baked.

I first tasted Pots Au Chocolat at a church women's get together. One of the ladies had just had a French chef come to her home and teach her how to make some French recipes, including how to make Pots Au Chocolat. That night she demonstrated how to make Pots Au Chocolat. This was many years ago and I was intimidated by the "Frenchiness" of this recipe. A while later I went to a Chinese dinner at my sister Jacqueline's home and we overindulged by eating both her Hot Lave Cakes AND her Mango ice cream balls, beautifully plated. I use my sister Jacqueline's recipe today-- she calls them Hot Lava Cakes and I call them Pots Au Chocolat. Let me make this clear, this recipe is basically a no-fail recipe -- once you and your oven have an understanding. The first time you make these, be careful about the cooking time. You are looking for a product that is runny in the middle. If you bake it too little, you will get an extra runny middle. If you bake it too long, you will not get a runny middle.

My daughter chose to make these with milk chocolate chips; we both agreed that from now on we would always used semi-sweet chips.

This is how they should look when they come out of the oven. If you use semi-sweet chips, your pots will be darker.

Recipe for Pots Au Chocolat

1 cup semi-sweet chocolat chips

10 tablespoons butter

3 large eggs

3 yolks from large eggs

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt the chocolate chips and the butter in the microwave for about one minute. In another bowl, mix the eggs and egg yolks, then add to chocolate mixture. Mix in powdered sugar. Then add flour. Butter 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. Fill each wth about 1/2 cup batter. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 12-1/2 minutes. At this point, you can either serve the dessert in the ramekins (as we did) , or you can invert the ramekins and serve the dessert on a plate. Test, to make sure the Pots Au Chocolat are done by, running a knife around the edge of the ramekin and inverting the cake on a plate. The center should be runny, but the cake should hold up on the plate. If done, take all cakes out of the oven. Serve warm with raspberry sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes: Instead of making a raspberry sauce, I usually just warm up a little bit of raspberry jam in the microwave and spoon a little bit on top of the ramekin. The ramekins I use all the time are the white ones picttured in this post. They were from Pier 1 several years ago and were about one dollar a piece. If you don't have ramekins, why don't you invest in some?

We also served the Pots Au Chocolat with Ice Cream and Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

I hope you try these because they are super easy to make, make up quickly, and they are fun to serve!

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes and I hope you make these Pots Au Chocolat and add a bit of "Frenchiness to your life this year.

Snow Fairy Tablescape

2012-01-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

It came! It came! Finally, some snow arrived! I know I might be in the minority, but I love snow! We hadn't had a snow storm since early December. I woke up Saturday morning, and I looked out the window and said "Yes!" It snowed most of the day, and we received six inches of beautiful, sparkly snow! Snow that sparkles in the sun like diamonds. Snow that you can shuss your boots in when you walk. Snow that covers the tan-brown world with a beautiful white covering.

Along with the snow came these whimsical snow fairies that grace my table. Where there is snow, there will always be snow fairies.

I do have "snow" plates, but the fairies chose the white plates. The Snow Fairies are a bit partial to white.

They placed a furry snowflake in each glass.

They hung a furry snowflake from a silver candlestick.

More snow fairies come to join in the fun.

They say, "We hope for more snow so that we can stay and play!"

The Snow Fairies thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

Snow Fairies Table Information

Placemats and White Napkins: Wal-Mart

White Dinner Plates: Gibson

Large White Chargers, Salad Plates, Clear Glasses: Tai Pan Trading

Silver Tree and Candlesticks: Target

Flatware: World Market

Napkin Rings: Style Sisters

Silver Runner: Gift

Snow Fairies: JoAnn's

Posted with the following: Tablescape Thursday

Fun and Easy Harry Potter Mania Birthday Party

2012-01-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes and to my recap of the Harry Potter Birthday Party I threw for my 11 year-old daughter Talley. Before we started making plans for the party, she polled her friends asking them if they would like a Fablehaven Birthday Party or a Harry Potter Birthday Party. As many of them hadn't read Fablehaven, they voted for a Harry Potter Party. It also helped that the last Harry Potter movie had just been showing in theaters. The year before, Talley had a Percy Jackson Party, which, of course, I blogged about. Click HERE for the Percy Jackson Party. It seems like we have a "book to birthday party" trend going on at our home.

We started out with a simple invitation inviting each of the girls to Hogwart's Academy. I printed a black etched picture of the Hogwart's Castle on white vellum and placed the invitation behind the vellum on a white piece of paper. I used one similar to the one sketched HERE.

I decorated the table with witch hats attached to the back of the chairs and with this scarf and cape my son had for a Harry Potter Halloween Party, oh so long ago. My son Skyler, now 17, fell for the Harry Potter mania in a big way. I remember when one of the books came out, we of course, bought a copy on the first day. When we were shopping that day he was sitting in the cart reading the newest Harry book. Another time, we took a picture of us sitting in a fast food restaurant with a Harry Potter book on the table.

Another shot of the table. I bought the tablecloth at Zurchers. It has pictures of each of the three main characters. I used a black cats, cauldron, and wizard hat from my Halloween collectection. I love the effect of the well-worn Harry Potter books with the glasses on top,

When the girls first arrived I drew a lightning bolt on their foreheads -- just to be like Harry. We also gave them each a pair of Harry-styled glasses that I bought at the Dollar Store. I have edited the photo because I haven't asked permission from the girl's parents for their photos to be posted on the Internet

" I wish for Gryffindor!"

The big night arrived and nine girls showed up for the party. They were greeted with a sign at the door that said "Welcome to Hogwart's." The first order of business was sorting the girls into the Hogwart's House. For the sorting hat, I used a Halloween witch hat and drew the house names, Sytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, out of a bowl. The purpose of this was to divide the girls into teams to compete in a Harry Potter Trivia Contest.

At the end of this post is copy of the Harry Potter Trivia Contest. I thought it was quite simple, but it did stump most of the girls.

The girls were given Galleons, Gold Chocolate Coins, for their work on the Trivia Contest. Of course,
the House of Gryffindor won! I gave the winning team the most Galleons (6) and the losing team the least (3). They used these Galleons to purchase items on their trip to Honeyduke's.

The chocolate frogs were a hit -- Ribbit!

I used the following candy for Honeydukes:

Chocolate Frogs: Made with Chocolate Chips and a Frog Mold
Dumbledore's Dum Dums: Dum Dum Suckers
Pop Rocks: Pop Rocks
Fred and George Weasley's Tongue Taffy: Tongue Taffy
Pixie Poison: Pixie Sticks
Lemon Drops: Lemon Drops -- I used these because Dumbledore 's favorite candy was lemon drops.
Whiz Bangs: Zotz
Hermione's Sour Cubes: Cubed candy I found at the Dollar Store

Jacqueline, if you are missing a frog mold, you now know where it is!

The trip to Honeyduke's was one of the favorite activities at the party. I set up my buffet with candy labelled and with a price list. Limiting the amount of candy they could buy at Honeyduke's by the amount of Galleons they earned from the Trivia Contest, made the trip extra fun for the girls. It was as if they were really at Honeyduke's making choices with limited funds. I really did keep their Galleons!

While at Honeydukes we bought some Bertie Bott's Beans. I found them at the "Candy Barrel" at the nearest mall. They are still available, but they are not as easy to find as they used to be. This was a highlight of the party. I gave the girls an extra Galleon to spend at Honeyduke's if they would just try one -- they all did.

The girls had a lot of fun tasting the beans! As you probably know, there are good beans and bad beans. The bad bean flavors include flavors such as booger, grass, and baby wipes. All of the girls took the gamble and we had fun tasting them.

Not so sure about that bean!

A bad bean.

Next we went to Potions Class and made some Rosmerta's Butter Beer. Surprisingly I liked the flavor. I say surpisingly because the base of the Butter Beer is cream soda, and I am not a huge fan of cream soda. I used my sister Jacqueline's recipe (and natch it was good) and unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the Butter Beer because you have to act quickly because it fizzes over the cup. It was a fun fizzy and bubbly drink.

On the table I had displayed ingredients that were used for the "Potions Class."

I printed the labels and got the ideas off the web HERE, They are all things easily pulled together around your home, and there are free printable labels.

Every party has to have a cake.

We ended the night with pizza and Birthday Cake. You may have noticed that "Happy " and "Birthday" are spelled wrong on the cake. This cake, was to be like the cake that Hagrid brought Harry when they first met. He misspelled the words Happy and Birthday on the cake. It was Harry's birthday and he was so touched by the cake, because the Dursley's never celebrated his birthday before, and this was the first birthday cake he ever had. Of course, Dudley eats the cake and then Hagrid gives him a piggy tale.

Harry Potter Trivia Contest

(Caution: There May Be Spoilers)

1. Ron and George Weasley are twin brothers. T or F (False)

2. Albus Dumbledore does not like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. T or F (True)

3. The cry of a fully grown mandrake can kill you. T or F (True)

4. The Dursley Family lives at 4 Privet Drive. T or F (True)

5. Harry Potter's wand happens to be the brother wand of Albus Dumbledore's wand. T or F(False)

6. Sirius Black, Harry Potter's Godfather, is an Animagus and can turn into a big, black dog. T or F
(True)

7. Sirius Black eats rats while he lives near Hogsmeade. T or F (True)
\
8. The name of the candy store in Hogsmeades is Honeycakes. T or F (False)

9. Hagrid tried to turn Dudley into horse in the first Harry Potter book. T or F (False)

10. Bellatrix LeStrange kills Dumbledore. T or F (False)

11. Lord Voltemort's followers are called Death Cheaters. T or F (False)

12. Harry's first task in the Triwizard contest is to steal a dragon's Egg. T or F (True)

13. The Mascot for the House of Gryffindor is the Eagle. T or F (False)

14. In the end, Harry marries Hermione. T or F (False)

Thanks for dropping by my Red Couch , and I hope you enjoyed your visit to my Harry Potter Mania Birthday Party!

Posted with the following parties:

Metamorphasis Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Tablescape Thursday

Let It Snow Tablescape

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

I took a vacation from tablescaping for a month or so and I am glad to be back!

Today I bring a "Let it Snow" tablescape to hopefully help bring on some snow. We have only had one snow storm this year, and I have missed the snow soooo much! January is the month for snowmen for us. We put away Christmas and bring out snowmen. It makes our home not seem so bare after Christmas.

This table features these cute snow plates that I found at Wal-Mart on clearance last year.

Love these cute "furry" snowflakes.

I always love using these red "berry" napkin rings.

This snowman cookie jar serves as a cheery centerpiece on a dark and dreary day here in Utah.

I borrowed this sign hanging on a wall in our home. Please, can we have some snow?

I always like to include a glass view when I set my table with bubble glasses.

The full view of the table.

Table Information

Red Plates, Snow Plates, Placemats Napkin, Candlesticks: Wal-Mart

Bubble Glasses: Tai Pan Trading

Flatware: Cost Plus

Snowman Cookie Jar: Target, years past

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

Posted with the following: Tablescape Thursday

Fiesta Cheese Spread

2012-01-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to everyone to Red Couch Recipes! So glad you dropped by.

I made this Fiesta Cheese Spread and it went so quickly that my husband didn't get any! This spread is perfect for the "Big Game" that is upcoming, and it is quick and easy to prepare with only four ingredients. The spread is laced with cilantro, which I am a big fan of. How about you? Some people love cilantro and some detest cilantro; they think it tastes like soap! Thanks to my mother, (who had me put soap in my mouth for bad words) I do know what soap tastes like and I don't think cilantro bears any resemblance to soap!

Fiesta Cheese Spread Recipe

2 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese, softened

1 can mild Ro-Tel, drained

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, diced

Place all ingredients in medium-sized mixing bowl and stir until blended well. Serve with crackers.

Notes: Make sure you drain the Ro-Tel well. Ro-Tel is the brand name of a tomato and green chili sauce. If you are not able to locate the Ro-Tel, substitute a similar product. Make sure you don't include the stems along with the cilantro leaves; the stems are just too woody for this recipe.

Thanks for dropping by my Red Couch!

Red Couch Recipes Most Read Posts for 2011

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes. Today I share with you my Top 10 Posts for 2011. I am a little late to the game, but that is how life has been lately. The fun Internet tool Pinterest has really shaped and increased my readership during the latter part of 2011. I am by nature a real holiday girl, so it should be no surprise that all of my top five posts are holiday-related. I want to thank you for reading my Red Couch Recipes posts this past year.

1st Most Popular Post -- Grandma Utahna Felix's English Toffee

I am pleased, that with Pinterest, Grandma Utahna's English toffee received an astounding 50,700 views! It really is the best toffee recipe ever. I made six batches myself this Christmas. I know that my husband's grandma would be pleased that so many of you tried her toffee recipe -- it's a no thermometer recipe that whips up in no time! Grandma Utahna passed away over 22 years ago and it is fun to see her remembered with this recipe. Thank you to those who commented or e-mailed me to tell me how much you liked the recipe. Never before, have I received so many comments about a recipe.

2nd Most Popular Post -- Patriotic Groove Cookies

I developed these cookies from an old, tried and true, Betty Crocker Recipe. Someone who administers this blog, posted it on the Betty Crocker Facebook page and almost 8,000 people viewed this recipe. One commenter on the website on the Betty Crocker Facebook page said something like this , "I see something like this everyday when my preschoolers play with play-dough!"

This was a popular Halloween Post made by Zoulah in 2010 and 2011 with over 6,500 views. I had so much fun developing the concept and making these with my children. They are easy to make and your imagination is the limit.

Zoulah needed a new pair of shoes, so I created her several pairs. These little shoes come together in a hurry and are so verstalie for many holidays and reasons. I have made some for Christmas and they are just the perfect size to tuck a few treats in for someone you want to treat special. Zoulah's Witch Shoes was a popular post in both 2010 and 2011 with over 5,000 views.

I saw the concept for these cookies in a summertime issue of the Martha Stewart Magazine and knew I was going to make them. They are so fun, and easy, to make and I love the effect! I love a good, soft, thick sugar cookie and if they are frozen, they are not safe in my kitchen. Click on the link above the picture for my favorite sugar cookie recipe and for a diagram on how to swirl the royal icing. This posting received over 4,000 views and 64 comments. This was the only posting that I made in 2011 that made it in the Top Five for this year.

Thanks for reviewing my Top Five Most Popular Posts in 2011 and dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

Mrs. Kringle's Whole Wheat Cake Draped in Milk Chocolate Ganache and Cranberry Coulis

2011-12-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone and welcome to Red Couch Recipes. I hope you have been having a wonderful time with family and friends and you are ready to ring in the New Year. I developed this cake recipe for a Hodgson Mill Holiday Recipe Contest. In the hurry of the holidays, I didn't post it. I love baked goods with whole wheat flour and this one is a gussied up chocolate cake perfect for holiday get togethers.

.Mrs. Kringle's Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake Draped In Milk Chocolate Ganache and Cranberry Coulis

Yield: 12 servings; Preparation Time: 2 Hours

Step 1 - Make Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake

Recipe for Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake

1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 -1/2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
7/8 cup boiling water (or 14 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch round cake pans) or line cake rounds with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Then add 2 eggs and beat well. In a medium, and separate, bowl, add the whole wheat flour and cocoa together. In a small bowl, add the buttermilk, almond extract, and orange zest together. Then add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add to mixture the baking soda. Finally, add the 7/8 cup boiling water all at once and mix thoroughly. Pour immediately into prepared pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes..Let cake sit in cake pans for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool. While cake is cooling make cranberry coulis, milk chocolate ganache, and candied pistachios and cranberries.

Step 2 -- Make Cranberry Coulis

Cranberry Coulis Recipe

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
6 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon corn starch

Rinse cranberries with water and place in colander to drain water. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Remove ingredients from the food processor and place in a medium saucepan and cook on medium high heat until mixture is brought to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 8 minutes or until mixture is reduced. Cool mixture and then place in fine sieve, with bowl underneath, and strain mixture until only the skins and the peel of the orange remain in the sieve. It is helpful to use a spoon and keep pressing the fruit against the bottom of the sieve. Refrigerate until used.

Step 3 -- Make Milk Chocolate Ganache

Milk Chocolate Ganache Recipe

12 ounces fine quality milk chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups whipping cream

Place chocolate chips in a medium size bowl and set aside. Place cream in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Place cream in the bowl with the chocolate chips and whisk until fully combined. It will thicken quite rapidly. Cool slightly before applying to cake.

Step 4 -- Candied Pistachios and Sugared Cranberries

Sugared Pistachios

1/2 cup chopped pistachios, roasted and salted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Place sugar and pistachios in a medium sauce pan. On medium heat, heat the sugar and pistachios until the sugar just barely begins to melt. Working quickly, using a heat-proof utensil, quickly cover the pistachios with melted sugar. Remove sugared pistachios from heat and cool.

Sugared Cranberries

Wash 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries and drain in colander. Roll cranberries in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Step 5 -- Assembly

1. Working quickly, because the ganache can harden, take one 8-inch cake round and place on cake pedestal or large plate.

2. Spread 1 cup milk chocolate ganache evenly on top of cake layer.

3. Take second 8-inch cake layer and place on top of first layer of cake.

4. Take remaining ganache and pour on top of cake so that it drapes the cake. If ganache has cooled too much, place saucepan back on burner on low heat until the proper consistency has been reached. Allow ganache draped on cake to cool and harden.

5. Top ganache with 1 cup cranberry coulee. If desired, allow coulee to drip down the sides of the cake.

6. Top cake with sugared pistachios and cranberries and powdered sugar. Circle cake with about 16 cranberries on the outer edge of the cake top. In the center of the circle place the candied pistachios. Decorate base of cake with sugared cranberries. Apply powdered sugar by putting a small amount of powdered sugar in small-holed sieve, shake gently over cake to achieve desired effect.

7. Serve slices of cake with cranberry coulis on top. If desired, serve warm, by reheating slices of cake in the oven. We love any chocolate cake heated up, but it is good served cold too!

Have a great New Year!

Hope at Christmas and All Year Long

2011-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Red Couch Recipes. There is HOPE and Joy for all of us at Christmas!

For years, I have decorated my tree with those things that remind me about the true reason for Christmas. This Christmas I bring to you a message of HOPE and Joy!

There is Hope for all of us. We do not have to go through life alone.

In Matthew 11:28-30 of the Holy Bible we read:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

There is HOPE for the distressed and anxious.

There is HOPE for those that suffer with addictions.

There is HOPE for the unemployed.

There is HOPE for the abused.

There is HOPE for the depressed.

There is HOPE for the dieing.

There is HOPE for those that have lost a loved one.

There is HOPE for those that have lost their way.

There is HOPE for those that feel unloved.

There is HOPE that have been unfairly judged.

There is HOPE for those in despair.

There is HOPE for those who have been mistreated.

There is JOY in the Christmas season because Jesus was born!

There is JOY in the Christmas season because Jesus was born!

"And the angel said unto them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tiding of great Joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2: 10-11)

If you have lost your way, please trust in the Lord and pray to Him! He is the only true source of light. My favorite scripture for years has been the following:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Merry Christmas from Red Couch Recipes!

Coal from Santa

2011-12-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

I am sure that you know someone who has been naughty and not nice this year -- I know a few deserving people. Luckily, you don't have to live in a coal-rich area like I do to give them some coal! In case Santa might make a mistake and forget to give them coal, you can make some "coal" up in a jiffy!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be so cute. Just make your recipe for Rice Krispies and add some black food coloring and roll into "Coal Balls." We used Cocoa Pebbles, so we wouldn't have to use so much black food coloring ;).

In case you don't have a recipe for Rice Krispies, here is one.

3 tablespoons butter (don't use margarine -- Santa doesn't approve of it!)

40 large (10-ounce bag) marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows

5 cups Rice Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles

Black Food Coloring

Prepared buttered 13 x 9 pan and set aside. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter, then add the marshmallows, stirring until they are melted and incorporated into the butter. Add Rice Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles to the marshmallow mixture and mix well with a long handled spoon. Add small amount of black food coloring, then mix well. Add more if needed. Put Rice Krispie mixture into pan and allow to cool. Put buttered baggies on your hands to avoid staining and form into balls.

Now we all know the Big Guy is rather busy at this season, so give him a hand and give out some coal to some deserving soul. I am sure you can think of someone...

Posted with the following:

Wow Us Wednesdays

Socks for Christmas Poem

2011-12-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

A Merry Christmas greeting from Red Couch Recipes!

This is such a fun and useful gift idea -- socks for Christmas. I really do think the dryer or washer eats socks at our home, so when I opened a Christmas package containing a package of socks for each member of my family from my sister-in-law Camille, I was very thrilled. When asked what he wanted for Christmas, my father used to always say, "Socks!"

No, we didn't wait until Christmas to open up the package! In fact, I have a pair on right as I am typing! Enclosed with the packages of socks was this cute poem.

Oh, my feet are really chilly,

for my socks are rather thin.

If you hung them in the window,

they would let the sunshine in.

And it feels a little funny when my

toes and heels are showing,

They just might freeze inside my boots

when it should go to snowing.

So, I want socks for Christmas

don't laugh because it's true,

they can come in any color

(though my favorites would be blue).

You can buy them in a package,

You can get them in a pair.

And, if I get one hundred,

I will just have socks to spare!

You may think that I am kidding

but the truth of this be sworn;

I would like some socks for Christmas

Just to keep my piggies warm!

Thanks Camille, this was really fun!

Posted with the following: Weekend Wrapup, Made By You Monday

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

2011-12-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

A Merry Christmas Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

An easy way to dress up a cake during the Christmas season is to add some candy canes to a cake. It gives the cake a Christmas look and flavor. I took this cake to a church Christmas dinner on Friday night -- it was easy to put together and delicious. If you are short on time, you could even gussy up a store-bought cake to give it a bit of panache.

I frosted my cake with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting, see below, and added some mini candy canes, some chocolate curls, and some crushed soft peppermints. I like to use Bob's Peppermint rods -- they are softer than traditional candy canes. I made the small curls with a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar.

I made my mother Nedra's Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake, because I love its texture and flavor.

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 -1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

7/8 cup boiling water

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or 2 (8-inch round cake pans). In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Then add 2 eggs and beat well. In a medium, and separate, bowl, add the whole wheat flour and cocoa together. In a small bowl, add the buttermilk and vanilla together. Then add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add to mixture the baking soda. Finally, add the 7/8 cup boiling water all at once and mix thoroughly. Pour immediately into prepared pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes if using a 13 x 9 x 2 pan or 25 to 30 minutes if using the 8-inch round pans. Frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting -- see recipe below.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Blend together 3/4 cup room temperature butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3-4 tablespoons water. You may need to add extra water, depending on how thick you want it. I always like a moist frosting.

While frosting is still moist, place small candy canes on the side of the cake. Add crushed peppermint rods and chocolate curls to the top of the cake. Make sure to add some crushed peppermint to the cake platter to give it that Christmas feeling.

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

Posted with the following: Weekend Wrapup, Made By You Monday

Red and Green Christmas Whimsy

2011-12-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

At Red Couch Recipes, you know I love red and I also love lime green at Christmastime. Come on and sit a bit at my table.

The table is set and we are ready to eat a fine Christmas feast. The red bowls, red dinnerplates, and green salad plates are just some of my everyday dishes.

The footed cake platter was a gift from my sister Jacqueline, Purple Chocolat Home, a Christmas or two ago. I just love those footed cake platters -- so cute and whimsical.

The green mugs are a new addition to my holiday dishware. I have 5 in green and 5 in red. They go perfectly with the red and green pitcher. They were $1.00 at Tai Pan Trading.

I bought quite a few dozen of those icy candy canes years ago at a craft store. I festooned them on my cellophane bags of toffee that I gave out and thankfully saved enough to decorate my trees.

Here's a long shot. I love those oversized jingle bells that add to the whimsical feeling of this table.

The little footed bowl was purched at TJ Maxx and more last year. So cute.

Thanks for dropping by my Whimsical Christmas Table.

Table Information

Red Dinner Plates, Red Placemats, Small Whimsical Plates, Pitcher: Wal-Mart

Red Bowls: Michael's

Lime Green Salad Plates: Smith's Grocery Store

Flatware: World Market

Napkins: Target

Napkin Rings: Style Sisters

Water Glasses, Ceramic Mugs: Tai Pan Trading

Footed Cake Plate: Gift

Large "Cookie" Plate: Hallmark

Small Footed Bowl: TJ Maxx

Large Jingle Bells: Robert's Arts and Crafts

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Between Naps on the Porch

Italian Breakfast Strata and Hodgson Mill Giveaway Winner

2011-12-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

Planning for a Christmas morning breakfast, then this just might be the ticket! It whips up it minutes and you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Don't you just love things that you can prepare the night before, especially for Christmas morning when the kids just want to jump at the presents.

With the aid of Random. Org, Commenter Number 15 is the winner of the $25 Gift Code for the online Hodgson Mill Stores. Start your oven Marlis (Creative Journeys)! Marlis creates beautiful tablescapes on her blog and is a very gracious blogger. I know you will bake up something delicious! I just used Hodgson Mill whole-wheat flour for a cake and it was so yummy and moist.

We always eat a huge breakfast on Christmas morning and the rule is that the children can only open their stockings before breakfast -- the kids have to wait to open their presents until after breakfast. Yes, I am a mean mother :).

The Broken Bread

Ingredients for Italian Breakfast Strata

Adapted from the December 2011 issue of Family Circle

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (NOT soaked in oil)

1 cup water

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage with casings removed

1 each of green and red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

8 green onions, diced

1 loaf Italian bread (14 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup packed basil leaves, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

When I was making this, I felt very Christmas-y with all the red and green going on.

1. Bring 1 cup of water to boil. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and add water. Let stand 10 minutes to soften tomatoes.

2. Meanwhile, place sausage into a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for six minutes. Add peppers and onions and cook, sitting occasionally for about four minutes. Remove from heat. Drain sun-dried tomatoes and chop. Stir into sausage mixture into skillet.

3. Place bread cubes in a very large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and chopped basil (or dried basil). Stir sausage mixture into bread along with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and stir to moisten all ingredients. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour bread mixture into prepared dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover baking dish and top with remaining Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese. Spray foil (the side that will touch the casserole) with baking spray. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes: Fresh basil and red peppers are very dear right now so I used 1 tablespoon of dried basil. I know it would taste much better with fresh basil. I used two green peppers instead of a green and a red. I knew I would be okay because I had the red of the sun-dried tomatoes already in the mix.

Step into Christmas Tablescape

2011-11-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

A Merry Welcome to Red Couch Recipes and to my "Step Into Christmas" Tablesetting. These transferware plates remind me of an old-fashioned Christmas -- snow, a wreath, and tree peeking out of the window. You just know that as you walk into the home, all the indoor trimmings will match the outdoor trimming. My sister Jacqueline gave these to me recently -- 16 dinner plates and 16 salad plates -- whoo hooo! She said I need 16 for all my future grandchildren that are sure to visit in the Christmas season!

When I was in college at Brigham Young University, right after finals one year, my roommates, friends, and I left to go to California to see BYU play in the Holiday Bowl. On the way there, it snowed and the mountain pass was closed. We sat for six hours on the freeway!! It was at least a 10 hour drive there and then with the added delay it seemed like forever to reach the home of my roommate's parents. When we came to their home in Southern California, it just looked, smelled and felt like Christmas. We had just endured this long trip and when we walked into her parent's home I had literally Stepped Into Christmas.

I am old-fashioned and am still a sucker for green and red at Christmas.

Love these new snowflake goblets.

Crystal and red are always another favorite at Christmas.

I filled the lamp with some festive candy canes.

These are HUGE, OVERSIZED, GIGANTIC napkins -- I love them...

It is just so Christmasy!

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes where the Christmas fun has just begun!

My Hodgson Mill $25 gift code giveaway ends tonight. Click HERE to enter.

Table Information

White Plates: Tai Pan Trading

Transferware Plates: Home Goods and Gift

Red Goblets: Costco (years ago)

Snowflake Goblets: Smith's Grocery Store

Flatware: Home Goods

Napkins: Target (last year)

Posted with: Tablescape Thursday

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

2011-11-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hurray the Christmas baking season has arrived! Do you feel that way too? I made these little gems for the first time and we all fell in love with them. Salty, sweet, chewy, and tasty is how I would describe these -- and they whip up in just a few minutes -- they are made with a Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix. Their delicate green coloring is from pistachio pudding and gives the cookies such a pretty color. These little gems are perfect for any holiday cookie plate or for the "Big Guy's" visit on Christmas Eve.

Leave some out with some milk for Santa.

Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Via Betty Crocker

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour (See my 'Notes.")
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8 minutes. They will look like they are not done, but they will be. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for about two minutes. Do not over bake! Cool and eat. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Notes: Make sure you make a test cookie. After making a test cookie, I added about 2 more tablespoons of flour to make more of a full cookie. I also sprinkled the cookies with sugar before baking.

Leave some out for Santa to eat -- oops looks like "The Big Guy" has been here already!

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

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Foodie Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving from Red Couch Recipes!

I hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Hodgson Mill $25 Gift Code Giveaway

2011-11-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Sure glad you dropped by Red Couch Recipes today. I am pleased to offer one of my readers a $25 gift certificate to Hodgson Mill's online store. Hodgson Mill is a family-owned business that has been in operation for over 125 years providing all-natural, high quality, freshly ground grains and mixes. At their online store they offer many varieties of flours, such as buckwheat, pancake mixes, and other mixes and much more. The flours and mixes are reasonably priced and would be perfect for the holiday baking season. Click here to see what is available at their online store. I have some Hodgson Mill's Rye Flour on my shelf right now that I mix into pancakes and waffles that adds a wonderful taste.

To qualify to win the gift code to their Hodgson Mill's online store, just leave a comment telling me what your favorite thing to bake for the holidays or what is your favorite grain to use in baking or cooking. Leave a comment by Wednesday November 30, 2011 to enter to win. Make sure, you leave an e-mail so that I can contact you.

Disclosure Note: I have not been compensated to offer this giveaway on my blog. I was given some flour to use in a recipe that I am developing for a Hodgson Mill Holiday Baking Contest.

Apple Scrap

2011-11-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, when a new restaurant would open, my Aunt Ionia would often say, "There's a new restaurant I would like to take you to." Those words were magical to me! Someone wanted to take me out to dinner! She still wanted to take me even after I fell off my chair at a fashion show luncheon at an upscale restaurant. She still wanted to take me even after I spilled my water and it flew onto another's customer's suit, who of course was upset. Everyone should be so blessed to have an Aunt like Ionia. So at this time of Thanksgiving, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing our family with such a wonderful Aunt!

One of the restaurants she took us to was the "The Ovens of Brittany." At the time, this restaurant took Madison by storm. In later years, my sister Jacqueline, Purple Chocolat Home, gave me a cookbook from their restaurant. This recipe for Apple Scrap was included in their recipe book and I have made it over the years. Today, I would like to share this recipe with you.

Note: This tastes best when served the second day.

Apple Scrap

Crust Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons orange juice or apple cider

Filling Ingredients

1 egg, lightly beaten

1-1/2 cups half and half

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups, peeled, chopped apples OR pitted sour cherries

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Recipe Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. To make crust, mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until mixture is of very fine texture. Mix in liquid until just combined. Pat into pan.

2. To make filling, combine all ingredients, except the fruit. Fold in fruit and spread over crust. Bake 30 minutes.

3. To make topping, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in butter until size of peas. Stir in nuts. Refrigerate topping until bars have baked the first 30 minutes.

4. Sprinkle topping over partially-baked filling. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Cool and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I hope you enjoy! Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.

There's a warning that comes with this recipe -- do not eat the Apple Scrap warm -- wait until the next day to eat it. Some things just taste better the second day.

An Attitude of Gratitude Tablescape

2011-11-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes and to Tablescape Thursday.

Even if research doesn't suggest, though I think it might, I believe that those who are grateful, live happier, more fulfilling lives lives. What a great gift or developed skill being a grateful person is. Today my table is titled "An Attitude of Gratitude." These little tiles were given out to all the women at our church at a meeting earlier this year. I have displayed in prominently in my home to help me remember to be grateful for what I do have and not to whine for what I don't have.

At this point, I don't believe that I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner. This is just a fun tablescape that I put together in honor of Thanksgiving. I bought the fall leaf plates years ago at Target.

This table is filled with my favorite things at Thanksgiving time. The black kettle at the left corn is stuffed with pumpkins and gourds -- love the color and the shapes of them.

The napkin rings were from a giveaway at Cuisine Kathleen's blog. She is one of the warm and funniest bloggers around. I think they look so well with the faux sugar crusted pumpkin and spray.

In my other life, I am an aide to 4t h, 5th, and 6th graders for mainly math at my daughter's elementary school. Today, instead of being an aide, I was asked to substitute for a few hours in a class that I usually am an aide to. At the end of the period I received a little note from one of the students. I thought I would share it with you.

"You were a great sub today in class. One of the best subs in the world. Even in the universe. Your one of my favorite subs. I will give you this letter and I hope you like this. I will never forget you when I grow up. You will still always be my favorite teacher." That definitely put a smile on my face :).

This "little note of gratitude" brought tears to my eyes and I quickly wrote her a return letter. I was really touched by this sweet letter. Truly, gratitude can make one's day so much better.

So go make some one's day better by expressing your appreciation!

Posted with the following: Wow Us Wednesdays

"Egg-citing News"

2011-11-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

We have eggs! My youngest daughter went to the chicken coop this past week and came back inside and said, "Mom, someone is playing a trick on me!" When I asked her why she replied, "There are a ton of eggs outside in the chicken coop." THERE WERE TWENTY-THREE EGGS! No, not a trick -- her chickens began laying eggs and we didn't realize it.

Zach and Melba

Talley won her chicken, named Zach, in a chicken race this year in Melba, Idaho. She also took home one of her cousin's chickens, we named Melba, and they finally began laying! Those little sneaky hens were laying them in a cat carrier that Talley had placed in the coop! Talley never saw them going in the cat carrier so she never checked! WHAT FUN! Those naughty little hens chose the cat carrier to lay -- not the nesting boxes my husband made! They had almost ran out of laying space!

Just thought I would share this funny story!

Cheesy Cabbage Ham Soup

2011-11-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

We woke up to snow this morning! It was so fun to see the gigantic (or gigantor as I call them) snowballs the kids joined together to make before school! This Cheesy Cabbage Ham Soup is a wonderful fix for the cold weather. It is creamy and delicious on a cold weather day. Are you a soup person? Some in my family are and some aren't. I am surely a soup person. This recipe was taken from a family cookbook that my sister-on-law, Dawnell, and my mother-in-law, Geniel, spent many hours compiling; the recipe book is a treasure.

Chessey Cabbage Ham Soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 bag (16 ounces) shredded cabbage

2 cups chopped onion

1-2 quarts water (enough to completely cover the vegetables)

2 cups shredded carrots

2-3 cups diced potatoes

12 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 cups milk

1 quart half and half -- I used fat free.

2 cups grated cheddar. I used Sharp.

16 ounces cooked, diced ham.

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, saute onion and cabbage in the olive oil. Add carrots, potatoes, bouillon and enough water to cover (1-2 quarts) the vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add half and half to vegetable mixture. In a small sauce pan, add butter, flour, pepper, and paprika. Add milk and cook on medium heat until thickened and add to vegetable mixture. Stir in cheese. Allow cheese to melt into thickened soup. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy.

Notes: You could also replace the bouillon cubes with chicken stock and reduce water. I used canned potatoes. For a meat-less meal, leave out the ham. This makes a huge amount of soup!

Happy Halloween -- Creepy Pizza Cookies

2011-10-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Zoulah wants to wish you the most wonderful Halloween and has so enjoyed being in her Bewitchen Kitchen this Halloween. Zoulah wanted to bring you one more treat that we served at our Halloween parties -- Creepy Pizza Cookies. Zoulah and I have been Halloweening and partying it up. We have hosted two Halloween parties and attended another. We went to a Missionary Welcome Home Party and a baby shower. Not a lot of blogging was going on last week.

For the Creepy Pizza Cookies, just take a sugar cookie, frost with red frosting for the tomato sauce, add green and orange sprinkles for moldy cheese and then add eyes and worms. So easy and fun.

This will be Zoulah's last post until next year. She thanks you for all of your kind words of support and encouragement. She hopes you had a wonderful Halloween with all your ghosties, goblins, and witchies.

Jolly Jack-O-Lantern Table

2011-10-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Zoulah and I welcome you to Red Couch Recipes and to Tablescape Thursday. Zoulah and I set our Jolly Jack-O-Lantern table on the deck. Sadly, I think it will be the last table set on our deck this year. The weather here has snapped cold.

The stars of the table are these Jolly Pumpkin Scarecrow plates. They make me smile looking a them :).

The napkin rings were on clearance at Wal-Mart two years ago.

I have stuffed the table and the little table behind with lots of Jolly Jack-O-Lanterns. I go crazy over pumpkins at this time and love to carve them with my family.

It's a pretty view through the bubble glasses.

Just a long view of the table and the little table behind.

An angle shot. I am loving all the orange and all the Jolly Jack-O-Lanterns.

I have had this terra cotta Jack-O-Lantern for at least 15 years.

I hope you enjoyed our Jolly Jack-O-Lantern table.

Zoulah's New Halloween Home

2011-10-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Much to Zoulah's horror, last year after Halloween, the Red Couch Children ate Zoulah's home! This year, Zoulah forced the Red Couch Children to help decorate her home. It is very similar, structurally, to her last year's home, but the decorating is a tad bit different. You can see Zoulah's home from last year on the sidebar.

Zoulah welcomes you to the tour of her home.

A frightening gooing eyeball greets you on the side of the home, as well as a scary green Frankenstein.

Zoulah is particularly enamored with the green scary witch that is on the front of the house and the sign that say "Caution: Enter If You Dare. " For the Red Couch Children, it should say "Caution: Don't Eat Zoulah's Home! '

We have been making these gingerbread homes for years at Halloween and decorating the gingerbread home each year is a fun part of our Halloween celebration. The mold is a large John Wright metal mold that is available on E-Bay. We used royal icing for decorating and melted sugar to hold the home together.

Zoulah thanks you for dropping by her home today.

Posted with Wow Us Wednesdays

Rainy the Water Witch

2011-10-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Zoulah welcomes you to Red Couch Recipes today with a warm witchy hug! She made "Rainy the Water Witch" for our front porch. She bought some "witch shoes" at a thrift store for $3.00 and stuffed some Halloween tights.

She already had this sign and she felt it fit perfectly.

Just attach the legs of the witch to an umbrella and anchor the umbrella to a chair.

Zoulah feels that this is such a fun and easy way to welcome your guests for Halloween. Thanks for dropping by and "sitting for a spell" on our Red Couch.

Posted with the following: Weekend Wrapup, Metamorphasis Monday, Wow Us Wednesdays