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This week I bought bananas knowing my boys wouldn't eat them so I could make this. Can't wait!!

This is the original red velvet cake recipe. I got it years ago from the Adams Extract booth at the State Fair of Texas. It's the same recipe my grandmother used to use when I was a little girl and it makes a wonderful red velvet cake. Making a Red Velvet cake isn't hard, there's just a few more steps in mixing the ingredients as you don't just dump it all into a bowl.

My grandmother always used a cream cheese icing instead of the one listed on the original recipe.

Red Velvet Cake

Cake:
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1tsp butter flavoring
1 1/2 oz red food color
3 Tbl (level) cocoa
2 1/2 c cake flour sifted
1 c buttermilk
1 Tbl vinegar
1 tsp soda

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cream shortening, sugar, salt eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring.
3) Make a paste of cocoa and food color. Add to first mixture.
4) Alternately add flour and buttermilk.
5) Mix vinegar and soda in small bowl. Add to batter. Blend.
6) Bake in 3 - 9" or 10" pans for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7) Let cool completely.
8) Cover with frosting.

Frosting: (My grandmother always used a cream cheese icing instead of the one listed on the original recipe.)
3 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk
1 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp butter flavoring

1) Cook flour, salt and milk until thick, stirring constantly.
2) Let cool.
3) Cream shortening and sugar very well.
4) Add vanilla and butter flavoring. Combine with first mixture. Beat well.

I love Italian food but can't have tomatoes or eggplant anymore, due to a food allergy. Not that crazy about the white sauces, like Alfredo sauce. Does anyone have some suggestions of Italian food that leaves out these ingredients?

I made this tonight for the first time. It was really easy and very tasty.

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, skinned and deboned
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. grated, fresh ginger
3 tbsp. strawberry jam
1 tbsp. water

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Put oil and butter in a frying pan, saute chicken until tender and cooked through. Remove from pan and add remaining ingredients. Cook for about 5 minutes, blending the ingredients well with the pan juices. Put chicken back into the pan with the sauce and heat for a few minutes. Serve.

Did you actually use fresh ginger or can you use the powdered kind?

Was it very sweet?

Chimichangas

It's from Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer (see my sig). This is the 1x version, but the cookbook has directions for making up to 9x at once for the freezer. I typically make it x6 and we love it!

1 t. salt
2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. oregano, crushed
1/2 cup canned green chiles, chopped
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cider vinegar

For Serving Day:
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
flour tortillas (Our family prefers the "homestyle" version if available)

Cooking day instructions:

Sprinkle salt in a medium skillet. Place over medium heat. Add beef, garlic and spices. Cook until meat loses pinkness. Stir in remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and cool. Freeze meat mixture in a labeled gallon freezer bag for later use, or continue to Serving Day Instructions:

Serving Day:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Melt butter or margarine. Brush one side of a tortilla with butter and mound 1/3 cup filling onto the un-buttered side. Roll tortilla around mixture and place seam side down in an ungreased baking dish. (I line mine w/ nonstick foil just in case. Love that stuff) Repeat until you run out of tortillas and filling.

Bake chimichangas until crispy - about 8 to 10 minutes. Pay close attention so they don't burn! Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and return to the oven so the cheese can melt. Serve topped with more cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream.

I would say this is a restaurant-quality meal that is so easy to do at home! Delicious!