Red Velvet Cake

It’s easy for me to plan meat and sides for my family during the holidays or just a family dinner. I know what they like. Even though everything I prepare will not please everyone at the table, I know I have enough of what each individual wants so they do not leave my table hungry!  

However, I like to have a dessert or two when it comes to a holiday meal. This is not the case in other family meals. Anytime my family is together, it’s a special time. Holiday meals need to be a little extra special, though.  

I always need help with this. Since I do not plan to have an array of desserts, I have to choose something spectacular enough for the occasion, but it has to please everyone.   

Layer cakes are a leap for me. If I bake a cake, it’s typically a pound cake. Not because I do not like them. Layer cakes intimidate me! I can follow all directions, and my layer cakes always look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Until this cake!  

Red velvet cakes are one of the only desserts everyone likes. Here’s a funny fact: Wes called it a Roosevelt cake when he was small. Because it’s a one-and-done dessert, I will definitely serve this during the holiday season. And since I found this recipe in an old church cookbook a few years ago, it is my go-to for layer cakes.   

With my dad being a pastor for years, I have a few old church cookbooks that I love. The pages have browned over the years and have splash stains here and there, but I know they are recipes I can trust. The old cooks who penned those recipes were the best! 

Here are a few tips from this not-so-experienced layer cake baker: 

  1. Baker’s Joy works well for greasing and flouring the pan. 
  2. Make sure your layers are even. Rather than pouring, I use a large scoop and scoop my batter into the pans.
  3. Cut off rounded tops to make your stacking easier!   
  4. Take your time and cool the cake layers completely!   

So whether you are like me and have “layer-cake anxiety,” or you are a layer-cake pro. You will love this dessert. It’s beautiful and delicious, and it checks off all the boxes for my family’s holiday meals!  

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 ounces red food coloring
  • 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans, set aside.
  • In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, set aside.
  • In another bowl combine buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla extract, set aside.
  • Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Adjust mixer speed to low and carefully add the red food coloring.
  • Add dry and wet ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a time of two. Mix until combined, but do not overmix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
  • Bake at 350℉ for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan, on a cooling rack for 10 - 15 minutes. Turn out on cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
  • While the cake is cooling prepare the frosting. Combine butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add enough milk to reach spreading consistency. Stir in pecans.
  • Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread frosting over the top of cake.
  • Place second layer on top of first. Frost top and sides of cake.
  • Store in refrigerator.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

I love painted furniture. I know it’s not for everyone, but our house would be filled with painted pieces if not for self-control. They fit into our little country house well.

I have painted several pieces over the years. Most of which is in our house today. One of my all-time favorites is our old entertainment center. At one time, everybody that was anybody had an entertainment center. But like everything else, their day in the sun ended.

We ended up removing the center section that held our television. Greg pulled the backing from the other two pieces and added barn wood from the farm instead. Then he connected the pieces, making one long piece, and I painted it a beautiful Annie Sloan Old White. It served as a coffee bar in the kitchen for a while but has finally found a home in the dining room as a beautiful display for all my blue and white treasures, some of which I inherited from my mom.

The furniture pieces I love the most are those I painted in neutral colors. In fact, everything I painted in other colors has either been painted over, or I no longer own them, which leads to my dilemma.

I have been trying to get my mom’s dark cherry China cabinet moved to my house for over a year. Her favorite color was blue, and I planned to paint the cabinet a beautiful blue with white or cream on the inside. This would be a great way to honor my mom with a piece she loved. But now that I have it here and am ready to work on it, I’m starting to doubt my choice.

I’m afraid it will be too much. I’ll get it painted, and it will simply be more than I want. I don’t know why I am second-guessing myself. Stay tuned for future developments. I will share pictures of the pieces I have painted and get your opinions.

One thing I am not second-guessing is these incredible peanut butter bars from www.houseofnasheats.com. I loved these and am not even a huge peanut butter lover. I recently took two trays of these bars to a church luncheon, bringing both platters home empty! That’s a good sign!

These delicious bars are called Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars, and they taste like the tasty treats I remember having at school. Back when school lunches were actually good.

This recipe makes a large 13 x 18-inch pan and bakes quickly. In fact, because the first dessert I made was not good, I started these at 11 PM, and by placing the pan in the freezer to cool, I was in bed at a decent time.

The peanut butter bars are soft, chewy, and incredibly addictive!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

BARS

  • 1 cup salted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
  • 2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

FROSTING

  • 1/2 cup salted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a half-sheet baking pan (13 x 18-inch) pan with a rim, with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1 cup peanut butter in a mixer until creamy and light.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat again, scraping the bottom and sides of bowl.
  • Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan with spatula.
  • Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and barely set in the center. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
  • Remove from oven. While bars are still hot, melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Drizzle over the top of bars and spread into an even layer. Cool completely. (The freezer helps!)
  • Make the chocolate frosting by beating the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer, until smooth. Spread in an even layer over cooled bars. Cut into squares.

Homemade Brownie Mix

Before becoming a grandmother, I would have argued with the best that I was simply too young. I might have even said I did not want to be one because I would feel old. However, just like anything else, you only know once you are there.

Life as an Emmy is full of love, fun, and adventures. My grandson keeps me on my toes like nothing else, and now I wonder why it took so long! His hugs and kisses and just hearing him say my name can melt my heart like no other.


I even have a Pinterest board full of fun grandchildren holiday ideas, crafts, and recipes. I have so many fun ideas to share with him. Just maybe, the older we get, the more we realize how fast time has gone by, and grandchildren give us a second chance to slow down just a bit.


Whether you have children, grandchildren, or just have a chocolate craving every now and again, I have the perfect recipe for you! This homemade brownie mix from Crazy for Crust is rich and chocolatey and can be customized not only by the “mix-ins,” but you can make a big pan or a small pan of brownies. I have listed a few options in the recipe notes, but the possibilities are endless.

Homemade Brownie Mix

Course Cookies, Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt until well blended.
  • Store in an airtight container until ready to make brownies.

Brownies

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • *Personal Pan Size: Loaf Pan
  • 1 cup brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup melted butter OR vegetable oil OR liquid coconut oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons water OR cold coffee
  • **10-inch Skillet Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix (can be made in 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan)
  • 2 cups brownie mix
  • 1/2 cup melted butter OR vegetable oil OR liquid coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon water OR cold coffee
  • ***Thin 9 x 13 Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix
  • 3 cups brownie mix
  • 3/4 cup melted butter OR vegetable oil OR liquid coconut oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon water OR cold coffee
  • ***Thick 9 x 13 Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix
  • Entire amount of brownie mix
  • 1 cup melted butter OR vegetable oil OR liquid coconut oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons water OR cold coffee

Instructions

  • *For Personal Pan Size: Line a 4 x 8-inch or 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brownie mix, melted butter (or oil), egg, vanilla, and water (or coffee). Add up to 1/4 cup "mix-in" ingredients, if desired, and stir. Spread into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out, 1-inch from edge with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing.
  • **For 10-inch Skillet Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix: Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the brownie mix, melted butter (or oil), egg, vanilla, and water (or coffee). Add up to 1/2 cup "mix-in" ingredients, if desired, and stir. Spread into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out, 1-inch from edge with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing.
  • ***For Thin 9 x 13 Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix: Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the brownie mix, melted butter (or oil), egg, vanilla, and water (or coffee). Add up to 1 cup "mix-in" ingredients, if desired, and stir. In a large bowl, whisk the brownie mix, melted butter (or oil), egg, vanilla, and water (or coffee). Add up to 1 cup "mix-in" ingredients, if desired, and stir.
  • ****Thick 9 x 13 Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix: Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the brownie mix, melted butter (or oil), egg, vanilla, and water (or coffee). Add up to 1 cup "mix-in" ingredients, if desired, and stir. Spread in bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out, 1-inch from edge, with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing.

Notes

  
Options: 
 
*Frost brownies with any flavor frosting desired. (Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Salted Caramel or Coconut are good options)
 
*Warm thick sauce for 15-20 seconds in microwave and pour over the top of uncooked brownies.  Swirl with a butter knife.  (Peanut Butter, Nutella, Marshmallow Fluff, Caramel, Salted Caramel, Mixture of Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff)
 
*Mix-in suggestions:  Crushed Oreos, nuts, candy, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, marshmallows.  
 
*Thin 9 x 13 brownies are perfect for ice cream sandwiches!   If you plan to do this I suggest that you line the pan with foil, then spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray for baking.  Slice cooled brownies down the middle.  Spread softened ice cream of your choice over one side of the brownies.  Cover with the other half of brownies.  Cover and freeze until firm.  Remove from freezer and cut into serving size pieces. 
 
 
 

Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and Butter Pickles

I grew up in the small town of Cumming, Georgia. Back when it was actually rural and still considered the country. Lord willing, there was a big garden every summer. You not only enjoyed the bounty all summer, but you put up for the winter. Mama spent her summers canning and freezing vegetables, making vegetable soup and jellies.

We also had gardens early in marriage. However, we made several moves and ended up in subdivisions where a garden was not possible. So this year, Greg planted a garden. We have lived here a while now, but he finally had the time.  I would not say it’s vast in size, but it’s producing like crazy!

Pickles seem to be my thing this year. I have made Greg’s grandmother’s lime pickles and some bread and butter pickles also.


I felt the b&b pickles needed more flavor. I also liked the crunch of Greg’s grandmother’s pickles. So, after a few tries and changes, my b&b pickles have evolved into something I am very proud to share.

If you, too, have a ton of cucumbers and need an excellent pickle recipe, give this a shot. I think they are delicious and I’m anxious to see what you think.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Author Amye Melton

Equipment

  • Water Bath Canner

Ingredients

  • 10 pounds small pickling cucumbers (approximate weight)
  • 2 cups pickling lime
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons kosher sea salt
  • 1 bag ice (regular size bag is fine)
  • 3-4 medium yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • 8 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 8 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons mustard seed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher sea salt

Instructions

  • Day 1: Wash and slice the cucumbers 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, discarding the ends. In a large, clean, food-safe 5-gallon bucket mix the pickling lime with water. Whisk until the lime is dissolved. Add the cucumbers. Allow to stand at room temperature for 12 hours, stirring every 4 hours.
  • Wash jars, lids, and rings on a very hot setting, in the dishwasher.
  • Day 2: Drain the cucumbers and rinse the cucumbers and the bucket well, making sure there is no lime left on the cucumbers or in the bucket.
  • Peel and slice the onions, set aside.
  • Layer 1/3 of the cucumbers and onions in the bucket, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon kosher sea salt and top with 1/3 bag of ice. Repeat until you have used all of the cucumbers and onions. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
  • After 3-4 hours, working over the sink, remove the ice and place the cucumber and onions in a colandar to drain. Be sure to discard all of the ice.
  • In a large non-reactive pot combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, whole cloves, and kosher sea salt. Stir and heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the cucumber and onions and stir. Bring back to a boil and boil for 30 miinutes, stirring occasionally.
  • I err on the side of caution and go one step further to sterilize my jars. Wet the clean jars and microwave them for 1 minute on high. Add the new jar lids and rings to a pot of water and bring them up to a simmer.
  • To begin canning your pickles, remove jars from the microwave. Using a jar funnel, fill each jar with pickles, gently pressing to pack the pickles in the jars. Fill the jars and add brine to within 1/2-inch of the top of the jar. With a clean, wet cloth, wipe off the jar rim. Please a hot, sterilized lid on top and secure with a ring. Continue to fill each jar.
  • Using a jar lifter add the jars to a hot water bath. Bring to a boil and process pint jars for 15 minutes. Remove hot jars, using a jar lifter, to a dish towel covered counter. Allow to cool off at room temperature. You should hear the lids start to seal. Check the lids after they have cooled to make sure they all sealed. At this point, if the lid did not seal, remove the lid and begin again with a new lid.

 

Brandi’s Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

We all have our favorite relaxing pastime. Some enjoy a good book; some go for a walk or workout; others binge-watch their favorite television show. Me, I enjoy baking. I actually miss being in the kitchen if it’s been a while.  

I’m not sure my mother or grandmothers baked to relax or if it was just to feed the family. However, it was watching them in the kitchen that ignited my love for baking.

My favorite recipes are the recipes my family and friends have passed on to me. This fabulous muffin recipe was given to me by my cousin, Nancy. They are moist and full of flavor. Perfect for an on-the-go breakfast. Using the tall Wilton baking cups I get 24 muffins from this recipe.  Plenty to share with a friend or freeze.

Brandi's Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Course Breads
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsalted butter softened
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 6 very ripe bananas mashed
  • 4 tablespoons instant coffee powder
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 ounces Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a muffin tin with baking cups and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
  • Dissolve instant coffee in hot water, set aside.
  • In a mixer bowl cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, bananas, coffee mixture, vanilla, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, blending well, scraping bottom and sides of the bowl.
  • Scoop batter into baking cups, filling almost full. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until done.
  • Cool on a wire rack.