FLEXITARIAN

There is a wikipedia on flexitarians.  They have changed it to semi-vegetarianism.  The wiki on flexitarians used to have have more information/history about the word "flexitarian."  I think it is important (did I mention I was from Austin) so here is a brief history that is often left out of the discussion.

There was a small restaurant in Austin, Texas called the Acorn Cafe (26th & Guadeloupe).  A reporter from the Austin American Statesman was doing an interview/review of the restaurant.  The owner Helga Morath referred to her food as "flexitarian fare."  The reporter Linda Anthony quoted Morath in her article.  This was in 1992 (Oct 17) and the word has continued to been used down in Austin since that time. Over time it has become more and more popular.  In 2003 the word was voted the most useful word for the year by the American Dialect Society defined as a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.

More commonly (especially in Austin) I heard it to describe someone who tried to eat less meat for various reasons that were usually health and financial related.

The Best Banana Bread

THE BEST BANANA BREAD
*from my SIL Patti - this really is the best banana bread, I don't always make it because it is full of sugar and butter :)

2 C sugar
4 Tbsp sour cream
3 bananas
2 C flour
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
nuts (optional)

Mix wet ingredients.  Add dry and combine.  Bake at 350 degree for about 50 minutes.

Hamburger Carrot Soup

HAMBURGER CARROT SOUP
*one of Grandma's best soups

1/2 lb ground beef (I usually use 1/8 lb)
2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
2 cans cream of celery soup
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sugar
1/2 garlic salt

Brown meat and drain.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Simmer until vegetables are tender.
Note - you do need to stir this more often, it can burn on the bottom

Sour Cream Enchiladas

SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

2 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 - 1 1/2 C sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced chilies
3 handful (about 3 cups) shredded sharp cheddar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp oregano
cilantro (I probably use about 1-2 Tbsp)
1 can green enchilada sauce
tortillas

Note - obviously by my directions this is a forgiving recipe, use any amount you want :) It makes a lot.

Combine soup, sour cream, onion, cheese, oregano, cilantro and chilies.  Mix and then add beans.  Fold/mix again to make filling.  Place filling in tortillas and roll them up.  Place in a greased pan (I use a 9x13 and a 2qt pan)  Combine enchilada sauce with a little cheese and cilantro (I also put sour cream in sometimes to make the sauce a little creamier).  Cover the tortillas with the sauce and bake for about 30 minutes at 350.

Garlic Chive Butter

GARLIC CHIVE BUTTER

1/2 C butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fine chopped chives

Cream together ingredients.  Store in the refrigerator a few hours before serving.

Perfect Chocolate Cake

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE
I got this recipes off allrecipes.com and it got rave review from everyone who ate it so this is an exact copy....

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
•  
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans. Stir together the cocoa and boiling water from the first set of ingredients. Set aside to cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the cocoa mixture. Mix only until combined. Divide evenly between the three prepared pans, and spread the batter out flat.
3. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool cakes on a wire rack.
4. In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla. When the cream becomes thick, add the confectioners' sugar and continue to whip until stiff but not too grainy. Divide into three parts and spread onto two of the cooled layers. Stack the layers onto a nice plate, putting the two creamed ones on the bottom. Place the plain layer on the top. If there is a hump on the top of the cake, trim it off with a long serrated knife. Frost the sides with the chocolate buttercream frosting.
5. To make the frosting, beat the remaining ingredients, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cocoa until light and fluffy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Frost sides of the cake, leaving a ridge that sticks up over the top edge. Spread the remaining cream filling over the top of the cake

• I doubled the buttercream frosting (or 2 1/2 the recipe) and add a little milk to make it less stiff.  When I made the whipped cream filling I made  less and then mashed up strawberry oreos and folded them into it.  I covered the entire cake in buttercream.  I also found that the layers needed to cook much longer.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

SNICKERDOODLE MUFFINS

Cream:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs

Sift into a separate bowl:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour out 1 cup milk in a pourable container.
Alternatively add the flour mix and the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well each time.
Spoon into greased muffin tin up to 2/3 full - they'll puff up huge.
Bake at 350º for 20 - 25 minutes. Check at 15, and when the toothpick comes out clean, you're set.
Immediately take out of the pan. Melt about a stick of butter (margarine is ok) in a bowl, and add into another bowl 1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip the tops of the muffins in butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.
Can be made ahead and frozen