Texas Sheet Cake

There's just something so satisfying about Texas Sheet Cake!  Anything chocolate is good in my book!

So here's "Texas Flood" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE—HALF-SIZE

2 tablespoons cocoa               

½ cup water

½ cup butter

1 cup flour                             

1 cup granulated sugar                                   

¼ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla                 

1. Put cocoa in a saucepan.  Add water.  With a fork, eliminate lumps.  Add butter.
2. Over medium heat, bring to boil then remove from heat.  Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes.
3. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Pour cocoa mixture over flour mixture.  Using electric mixer, combine together.
5. Add buttermilk, baking soda, eggs, and vanilla.  Blend until smooth.
6. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes until edges start to pull away from sides of pan. 

GLAZE

2 tablespoons cocoa

¼ cup butter

3 tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla     

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

1. Combine cocoa with ¼ cup powdered sugar.  Put in saucepan.  Add milk and butter.
2. Bring to boil over medium heat; stirring often.  Remove from heat.
3. Put 2 cups powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Pour cocoa mixture over sugar.  Add vanilla.  With electric mixer, whip until smooth.
4. Spread warm over warm cake.

Frozen Fruit Salad: Cold Shot

Frozen Fruit Salad is a refreshing dish that is so easy to make!

Who knew cold fruit could be so tasty?  On that note, here's "Cold Shot" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble!

FROZEN FRUIT SALAD
29-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
29-ounce can sliced pears in light syrup, drained and cubed
29-ounce can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained and cubed
20-ounce can pineapple tidbits
1 cup 100% pink grapefruit juice

1. Combine all fruit and juice in a freezable plastic bowl or put servings in individual freezable plastic bowls.  
2. Freeze.  Remove from freezer an hour before serving.

Severe Weather at Sam's Club

Today a severe storm passed through at 5:30. Where was I? In Sam's Club!

The staff mobilized quickly and everyone in the building was escorted to the back into the bathrooms. I stayed outside the bathroom area with the staff. 

The staff brought out water and cookies for everyone, asking the customers to remain calm. We could hear the rain and wind pelting the building.

Then at 6:00 when the emergency was over, they let us leave the store. I had gone in to buy a rotisserie chicken...and yes, it was worth the wait by the bathrooms!

Ironically, the Internet is also down--from a cut line, not the storm! You'll need to look up the song, but it's worth it! I've highlighted today's song before, but it's completely appropriate for the happenings today. Check out Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Couldn't Stand the Weather."

Double Chocolate and Double Trouble

These cookies are one of my favorites!  Honestly, they are amazing!

The "double" comes from semi-sweet and white chocolate pieces.  And double is better, huh?!

So here is Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in their classic "Texas Flood."  I love this song!



DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Adapted from a recipe in Mary Engelbreit's Cookies Cookbook

2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 ounces white chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup slivered almonds, chopped

In a medium bowl hand mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed.  Once combined, hand mix the chocolate chips, white chocolate pieces, and almonds.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Take dough out of fridge and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out 1 1/2 inch balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined trays.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cookies remain on baking sheets for 3 minutes after removal from oven.  Then put cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.

Snow in April: Couldn't Stand the Weather

Erik, my brother, on a very snowy day!

Today was windy and REALLY cold.  It snowed a little, but not long.  There were actually only a few flakes.

I'm not sure I understand this whole "spring" concept.  It seems to me winter is now when spring is!  How does winter keep hanging on?

Now, I like the cold--I like it better than hot weather.  But when I'm expecting temperate temperatures and I get frigid frost, I do get a little miffed!

So instead of staying disappointed, I remembered a song by one of my favorite guitarists, Stevie Ray Vaughan, who performed a song about bad weather in a relationship.  I adore his gritty, bluesy style!  So here's "Couldn't Stand the Weather" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.