The Starburst Juju ~ Book Trailer

The Starburst Juju

Death by Pumpkin Cake

1 stick melted butter
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans pumpkin mix (approx 3.5 cups)
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

In a small bowl mix melted butter, cake mix and pecans; set aside. In a larger bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Stir until smooth.

Pat half the cake mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Pour in pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle half of remaining cake mixture and swirl in with a knife. Reserve some to sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream on top.

NOTE: This cake is best if made the day before serving and then slightly warmed before serving.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 lb spinach

¾ box of strawberries sliced

1 cup toasted pecans

Dressing

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

1 cup oil

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 ½ teaspoons poppy seeds

I usually toast my pecans over the stove with sugar sprinkled on them. When the sugar melts I take them out of the pan and put them on wax paper to cool.

Pasta Salad - Monica Strang

Here is my recipe from Wednesday:

"Everything Pasta Salad"

-- Mini bow-tie pasta (cooked then cooled)

Then add whatever you want! Examples.........

-- golden raisins
-- olives
-- grape tomatoes
-- feta cheese
-- asparagus (cooked and chopped)
-- shrimp (cooked and chopped)
-- chopped basil
-- corn
-- bacon (cooked and chopped)
-- chopped mini carrots
-- salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
-- Apple Cider Vinegar
-- Fresh Lemon Juice
-- Honey Mustard
-- Sugar
-- (and/or) Italian Dressing

Sorry -- I don't have measurements for anything. I just added until it looked and tasted good.

Thanks!!
-- Monica Strang

Shayla's White Bread

Here's the recipe: (yields 6-7 loaves)
note: bread flour is best, but you can use all-purpose & just add a little more & mix a little longer to build up gluten.

In a heavy-duty mixer with dough beaters add:
4 T yeast
1 1/2 C. warm water
1/2 C sugar
I also add 1/8 C. honey
Mix the above ingredients
Add:
5 1/3 C. warm water
2 T salt
6 T shortening (I use 6 T canola oil instead... I think that's why it's so moist)
7 C. flour.

Beat in large mixer and then
add 8-9 C. more flour (or maybe a little more if you used all-purpose flour)...
Knead for 10 mins with your mixer.
Cover and let rise until double. Shape and put into greased pans, rise again. Bake in a 375 oven for 20-25 minutes. (sometimes I make 6 loaves of bread and a batch of rolls-- for the rolls, 375 oven 15-20 mins.

Sweet Pork and Dressing

Sweet Pork (I love Lisa's version, this is just another variety)

3-5 lb Pork loin or pork roast

1 1/2 cans coke classic

1 C. sugar

7oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce - provides some heat

1 tsp dry ground mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp minced garlic

Remove chilies (throw chilies away) from adobo sauce and add all ingredients except pork in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sauce with coke to get all the sauce out. Blend in blender until well mixed. Place in crock pot and pour sauce over it. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 7-9 hours on low. Carefully turn roast over halfway through. Cook in sauce until pull apart tender and shred. Serve over rice, on a salad, or in a tortilla/enchilada.

Creamy cilantro-tomatillo dressing

1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing

1 C. mayo

1 C. milk

1/2 bunch cilantro (I don't use this much because I am not a cilantro fan)

2 tomatillos

1/2 serrano chili pepper with seeds removed

Blend in blender, let sit to thicken

Dressing gets a bit spicier after sits in fridge. No worries Karyn, not too spicy though!

Recipe from Liz Macdonald

Gabi's Chicken Noodle Soup

Cover a whole chicken with water and simmer with:

salt & pepper

1 whole onion

1 rib of celery

1 carrot

2 or 3 bay leaves

Simmer for 2 hours. Cool chicken, skin and cut into bite sized pieces. Discard vegetables and bay leaves, skim fat. Season broth with garlic salt, table salt and pepper to taste. Add bite-sized chicken pieces, freshly chopped celery and carrots and noodles.

Homemade noodles:

1 cup flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

Enough cream (or milk) to fill 1/2 an eggshell.

Beat egg slightly with a fork. Add cream and stir. Stir in flour and salt. Knead gently; roll out on floured surface. Cut into thin strips with pizza cutter. (The noodles will expand as they cook...so thin strips are best!) Add to soup and cook at least 45 minutes.

**Note: I usually double or triple the noodles...they are the best part!

**In a pinch...use canned chicken broth and stewed chicken pieces. Throw in chopped vegetables and homemade noodles. No one needs to know you didn't make your own chicken stock!