Italian Cream Cheese Cake...

For the Cake you will need:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 oz. of flaked coconut 
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Beat softened butter and shortening in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, (I usually mash them together with the back of a spoon before I beat with the mixer), gradually add sugar, beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each, In another bowl combine flour and baking soda, then add to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the cake. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on wire racks. 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting you will need: 

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine softened  (to soften, I just leave it out on the counter about an hour or two until it's softened enough to mix, same with the cream cheese below) 
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. of cream cheese softened
• 1 (3 oz.) pkg. of cream cheese softened
•  6 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese together with the back of a spoon until it's mixed together, stir until   creamy and mixed well, gradually add sugar a little at the time, beat with mixer until smooth, add vanilla extract and beat until blended.  If desired, you can add a touch of milk if  want the frosting less thick or you can add more powdered sugar if you want it thicker. Add either for desired consistency. 

Frost your cake. 

Enjoy!

Red Potatoes with White Sauce and Chives...

You will need:

• New (Red) Potatoes Unpeeled, I used 6 medium size potatoes to feed 4 to 5 people (use the amount of potatoes you think you'd need for the number of people you will be serving and adjust the white sauce measurements accordingly) 
• 5 Heaping Tbsp. of  Flour
• Stick of Butter
• 1/2 Cup of Milk (plus a little more)
• Chives (dried or fresh) 
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper (to taste) and More Salt (to taste)

Wash and scrub potatoes, cut them into 1 inch pieces or so, add 1 tsp.of salt to a medium sized pot, add potatoes, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender about 12-15 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

In the same pot you used for cooking potatoes, melt a stick of butter over med-high heat, add 5 heaping Tbsp. of flour and whisk, add 1/2 cup of milk, keep stirring, until smooth, as it thickens you can add more milk or a little bit of water as necessary until it is the desired consistency and thickness. Add salt and pepper to taste, and desired amount of chives (I just sprinkle it in until it looks about like the amount in the above photo)

Return potatoes to the pot of sauce and stir. Add more salt pepper and chives if needed. 

Enjoy!

Po-Man Oven S'mores.....

You will need:

• Saltine Crackers
• Peanut Butter
• Marshmallows

Spread peanut butter on the crackers, top with marshmallow, place in a preheated oven broil until golden brown on tops....don't turn your back on these, they will get brown fast!

Let cool slightly

Enjoy! 

Have you ever made these before? I didn't know what to call them, but Po-Man S'mores sounded good, so I went with it! I grew up eating these, sweet mama fixed them all the time.  I was surprised to find out that many people I know have never had these! They are delicious!