Swedish Coffee Cake

If you're looking for an easy-to-make cake, this cake is for you. You likely have all the ingredients for this cake on hand, so it is easy to whip up for a nice treat. The use of a little lemon juice gives this cake just a little tartness that serves it well. This cake could work for a special occasion or an ordinary day.

The recipe calls for a nine-inch square pan. But other pans, such as round pans, could be used. Any type of frosting could work with this cake, but I did not frost this cake. Instead, I just sprinkled the top with powdered sugar and served it with some freshly roasted grapes, which will be posted in the near future.

Swedish Coffee Cake 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add liquids and flour alternating to cream mixture beating throughly after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into greased and floured nine-inch square cake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes until done. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Baja Burgers

I am not sure where Mom found this recipe, but I imagine that she tried it in order to spice up the basic burgers that we always loved. My siblings are not always open to new things, so it is quite possible that they were not too pleased with a different burger and insisted on just the basic burger. But MDS and I loved these burgers, so I highly recommend that you give them a try to mx up your burger routine.

This recipe can easily be scaled up or down for more or fewer burgers. Because you are making the patties, you can adjust the shape and size for the buns that you plan to use. Instead of french rolls, I used brioche buns. I really liked the addition of crushed corn chips in the burger, which gave the burger a great flavor. And, by cooking the burgers in the tomato sauce that became the topping for the burgers, there was a terrific blend of flavors. I used a slice of cheese rather than shredded cheese because that is what I had on hand, but many types of cheese would be great with this burger. I also slightly toasted the buns and served the burgers with grilled onions.

Baja Burgers 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup crushed corn chips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic 
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• rolls or buns
• 1/4 cup sliced olives
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar 

Mix the beef and corn chips. Shape into patties slightly larger than the buns you plan to use. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet about 8-10 minutes per side. Combine tomato sauce, garlic, and chili powder; add to skillet and simmer for for a few minutes to blend flavors. Place burgers on the buns. Top each burger with sauce, olives, and cheese. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Hamburger Casserole

I found this recipe among Grandma Holmes's recipes, and it reads like so many casseroles that were popular back in the day: can of cream soup, meat, and noodles. MDS does not remember his Grandma making this casserole, but thinks that his Mom made something similar.

The good thing about a casserole such is this one is that you can easily make modifications. This time, I made modifications both for my preferred tastes and to use up some ingredients that I had around my kitchen. I used cream of celery soup instead of cream of mushroom or chicken. I also added in some extra celery instead of peas, which I highly recommend. I left off the grated cheese. But, I think cheddar would be especially delicious with this recipe. Finally, I used egg noodles, instead of Chinese noodles as listed in the recipe only because I had egg noodles available. Despite all my adjustments, this casserole came out great.

Grandma Holmes's Hamburger Casserole 

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 cups noodles
• grated cheese

Cook the noodles according to directions. Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until onion begins to brown. Mix together the noodles, beef, soup, and peas. Pour into a casserole dish. Top with grated cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Allow to cool slightly. Enjoy!