Peanut Butter and Carrot Dog Treats

 2 large carrots, scrubbed clean and cut into chunks

2 cups oatmeal, any kind

½ cup natural peanut butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Boil the carrots in water, covered, until fork tender, 5-10 minutes. Drain.

Combine the carrots, oats, and peanut butter in the food processor. Mix well until the carrot and oats are broken down, and a soft sticky dough forms. If dough is too wet, add more oats. Too dry, add more peanut butter.

Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Place another sheet on top and roll out about ½" thick. Cut out with bone shaped cookie cutter (or any shape). Re-roll the dough as necessary to use it all. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of cutter used, until the treats are dry and lightly browned on the bottom. They will feel soft when first removed, but will harden once they are cooled.

Store in air-tight container at room temp for up to 1 week, or 2 weeks refrigerated. Can freeze them which makes them firmer and longer lasting.

The Most Amazing Strawberry Cake

If you love strawberries you will love this cake! I used a cake mix (just because I had one), doctored up equate to the original recipe. I will list both versions below. 

This frosting is absolutely a show stopper! My grandson said it was the best cake he has ever eaten. You for sure want to make this one for that next special occasion. Perfect for Valentine"s Day. THIS CAKE MUST BE KEPT REFRIGERATED.

ORIGIONAL RECIPE:

1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

¾ cup salted butter, softened

¼ cup vegetable oil

1½ cups sugar

¼ cup sour cream

1½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp strawberry extract

3½ cups cake flour

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp table salt

3 large eggs, room temp

1 cup buttermilk, room temp

pink food coloring, optional

Add strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, util the mixture is thick and reduces by half, about 20 minutes. You should end up with just over 1 cup of reduced puree. Set aside for later use in both the cake and the frosting.

Lightly grease two 9" cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in one cup strawberry puree, sour cream, vanilla, and strawberry extract, if using. Reserve the remaining strawberry puree, up to ¼ cup, for the frosting.

Use a fork to combine the eggs and buttermilk together. Set aside.

In another bowl stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add half the milk mixture and combine. Add in another ⅓  of the dry ingredients until combined followed by the remaining milk mixture. Add remaining dry ,mixture and mix with hand mixer until just combined. Stir in food coloring, if using, adding a little at a time until desired color is achieved.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

MY CAKE MIX VERSION:

1 pound fresh strawberries, prepared and reserved as in original recipe above

I box of strawberry cake mix

1 cup melted butter, cooled

¼ cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Combine cake mx, cooled melted butter, sour cream. eggs, and vanilla. Add buttermilk. Fold in 1 cup of strawberry puree. Mix and bake as directed on box. 

NOTE: I live in a high altitude area so I have to add ¼ cup flour, and reduce the baking temperature to 325 degrees, and bake a little longer.

STRAWBERRY CHANTILLY CREAM FROSTING

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 oz instant strawberry jello

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened

reserved strawberry puree

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip cream and vanilla extract. Slowly add in strawberry jello while mixing. Once the cream reaches soft peaks, slowly add in ½ cup of the powdered sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, mascarpone, and remaining ¼ cup strawberry puree. Whip until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the remaining 1½ cups powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream mixture into the cheese mixture. Combine until no streaks remain. Frost the cake as usual. Refrigerate cake.

Rhodes Butt Cheek Rolls

This is a Reno Leuey favorite! So easy, and so good.

1 - 2 bags of Rhodes frozen unbaked rolls

Non-stick cooking spray

You need a muffin tin or two that is a little wider than normal. Spray each cup with cooking spray and place 2 frozen rolls (do not thaw) in each cup, along side each other, hence making a "butt".

Spray the tops with a little more cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise for 4-6 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for around 15-20 minutes, until tops are lightly golden.

High altitude reduce temp to 325 and bake a little longer.

  

Fireside Inn Sweet Potato Souffle

The Fireside Inn is a marvelous dinner theater in Fort Atkinson, WI. On their buffet they serve this wonderful sweet potato soufflé. That alone is reason enough to want to go there.

I served this for Thanksgiving 2024 and for sure it will be on the menu for every Thanksgiving from now on. Everyone loved it, even the ones who normally don't care for sweet potatoes.

4 large sweet potatoes (4 pounds)

⅔ cup melted butter

7 eggs

1¼ cups evaporated milk

2 cups sugar

½ tsp salt

Steam and puree the potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and put in a buttered 9x12" Pyrex baking pan.

Pecan Topping

¼ cup flour

2 Tbs melted butter

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans 

Mix all together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 1½ hours.

The Updated Green Bean Casserole

So I'm personally not a fan of the typical green bean casserole, commonly served at Thanksgiving. But my family likes it, so I found this updated version. With a couple tweaks, and no mushroom soup, it was well received. French style green beans are so much better than fresh cut beans . . . more authentic and just tastes better. Also, I have one of those gadgets that cuts vegetables in various uniform sizes, so very small chop is easy . . . No chunks of anything.

10 slices bacon, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped very small

4 minced garlic cloves

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

⅓ cup flour

½ cup chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

2 oz (½ to ¾ cup) FRESH grated Parmesan cheese (not the canned sawdust)

3 cans French style green beans, drained well

1 can (or more) French's Crispy Fried Onions

In a large skillet, brown the chopped bacon. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the bacon grease. Cook down for 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over them and stir well for 3 minutes. 

Slowly stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Season to taste with the garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. Add just a small pinch of nutmeg. Turn the heat to low and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted.

Add the bacon and drained green beans. Stir well and pour into a buttered 9x12" Pyrex baking dish. Bake @350 degrees, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Top with the crispy onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.