Secret Garden Cake

Makes one 9-by-13-inch layer cake



Old-Fashioned Vanilla Cake

10 cups Swiss Meringue Buttercream

One 11 1/2-ounce package milk chocolate morsels

40 chocolate wafer cookies

Two 2-ounce packages pretzel sticks, at least 4-inches long (about 100)

1 cup candy pebbles

Marzipan Flowers

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions

1.Place cake on a clean work surface. Using a serrated knife, trim top to make level, and split cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Place a dab of buttercream in the center of a 9-by-13-inch cardboard rectangle. Center 1 cake layer on top. Using an offset spatula, frost top of cake layer with 5 cups buttercream for the filling; place remaining cake layer on top. Frost entire cake with remaining 5 cups buttercream. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, melt chocolate morsels in a double-boiler or a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Stir in vegetable oil until combined. Remove from heat. Dip pretzels into chocolate to coat, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let sit in a cool place until chocolate has set.

3.Using white glue, affix cardboard rectangle to a cutting board or piece of plywood covered with adhesive-backed paper, approximately 14-by-18 inches. Process chocolate cookies in a food processor until finely ground; you will need 2 cups of crumbs. Sprinkle top of chilled cake with crumbs. Place marzipan terracotta pot in center of cake. Sprinkle candy pebbles on top of cake to form a path. Arrange marzipan flowers and garden hose in clusters on either side of path.

4.Gently press pretzels into sides of cake, about 1/2-inch apart. Serve at room temperature.

.



Read more at Marthastewart.com: Secret Garden Cake - Martha Stewart Recipes

Rainbow Jell-o Jigglers

(I found this recipe online:  http://dobetter.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/rainbow-jello/)

I picked up a 6oz box of blue, yellow and red jello plus a box of knox gelatin. To get these fabulous layers, mix the blue jello with an envelope of the knox gelatin. Pour in two cups of boiling water. Dissolve the gelatin. Add 1/2 cup of ice. Stir until thick. Remove any remaining ice cubes and any bubbles that may have formed. Pour into a 9×13 inch pan. Let set in the refrigerator.

Repeat with the yellow jello and pour it over the set blue. Repeat with the red jello and pour it over the yellow. And there you have it, Rainbow Jello.

I won’t go into the whole primary and secondary color thing, but these colors, when stacked upon each other, create other colors. There is not an orange or green layer. It just looks like it when the red and yellow layers touch and then yellow and blue layers touch. Pretty cool.

Key Lime Cheesecake

Crust:  2/3 cup Sugar

           2/3 cup Butter or margarine

           3 cups Graham cracker crumbs (reserve 1/4 cup)

Filling:  1 cup fresh Lime juice

            1/4 cup Water

            2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

            1/2 cup Sugar

            5 Eggs, slightly beaten

            2 teasp. grated lime zest

            1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

            2 pkgs (8oz. each) Cream cheese (room temp)

            1/2 cup Heavy cream (chilled)

            Whipped cream & lime slices for garnish

Prepare crust:  Stir crumbs, sugar and melted margarine in bowl.  Press over bottom of a 9" spring form pan and up sides.

Prepare filling:  Combine lime juice and water in sauce pan, sprinkle gelatin over top.  Let stand 5 mins to soften.  Stir sugar, eggs and zest into pan.  Cook, stirring over medium heat until almost boiling;  about 7 mins or until thermometer reads 160 degrees (do not let boil!).  Remove from heat; beat margarine and cream cheese in large bowl until well mixed about 1 min.  Gradually beat in lime mixture until well blended.  Refrigerate until mixture thickens enough to mound slightly when dropped from spoon, about 45 minutes. 

Beat chilled cream in small chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.  Fold into lime mixture and pour into prepared crust.  Cover and refrigerate until firm 3-4 hours. 

Run thin knife around inside edge of pan to loosen sides, remove side of spring form pan.  Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices around edge.  Use pastry tip to pipe on whipped cream, and sprinkle on extra graham cracker crumbs.  Store in refrigerator.  *yield 16 servings

Note:  Cut recipe in half and use a smaller pan for an 8 serving cheesecake

Food your kid will eat

Yum Yum Rainbow Pasta:

3 C uncooked pasta (I use half whole wheat rotini spirals and half veggie rotini spirals)
2 C veggies (examples: mixed veggie pack, broccoli, etc. Whatever you have on hand works)

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbspn butter
1/4 C flour1
1/4 C milk
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C grated cheddar cheese (packed)
1/2 C butternut squash puree

Topping:

2 tbspn fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbspn fresh bread crumbs

Butternut Squash Puree:

1. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds
2. Place halves face down in a pan and cover with an inch of water
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour - be sure the "shell/skin" puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash "meat" out of the shell
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. I freeze in 1/2 C jars and then put one in the fridge the day before I want to make this.
6. I heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it is ready to use.

Directions:

1. Preheat to 350 degrees if you want to bake
2. Boil pasta according to directions, drain, mix a tiny bit of oil in to keep from sticking, and set aside.
3. Steam veggies, when done be sure to dry out with paper towels to keep pasta from getting soggy.

Sauce:

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour to make a paste, stir over low heat for 1 minute.
2. Gradually wisk in milk, bringing slowly to a boil on medium heat, cook until thickened, stirring constantly with a wisk.
3. Remove from heat and add butternut squash, nutmeg, and cheese (stirring after each addition).

Final Directions:

1. Pour pasta back in the empty pot, mix in veggies and sauce. From here you can serve if your child is starving. But I think it is better baking.
2. Pour into greased casserole dish
3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

Laura, Guest Blogger

Crock Pot: Your best friend on the ROK

There is nothing more awesome than putting your dinner on to cook in the morning so you can goof off all afternoon with your friends and then come home to a good home-cooked meal. Here's another labor saving idea: pair up with a friend and take turns cooking double batches during exercise weeks, or anytime your active duty spouse is working triple time AGAIN.

Osan chefs are accomplished Crock-pot users and here are a few favorite recipes:

SIMPLE CHICKEN

Take a sliced onion and whole garlic cloves place them in the bottom of your crock pot. Put a whole chicken on topped. Stuff chicken with half an onion and celery. Salt and pepper the outside of chicken. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook all day on low setting. My kids love it!

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND BEANS

4 chicken breasts
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (16 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz ) can petite diced tomatoes with basil and oregano or any style of canned tomatoes
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
2 t dried basil
1 t dried thyme

Cook 7 hours on low.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts

1 jar salsa

1 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried apricots cut into small pieces

Cook all day on low.

For more recipes, look here or here. And if you're not a slow-cooker fan and you are lucky enough to have an oven with a timer, you can slack off all afternoon too; try making an oven-only meal and setting it to cook itself while you're gone. Try seasoned chicken breasts, baked potatoes and oven-roasted vegetables (shake veggie chunks in a bag with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then toss them into a baking dish) baked at 350 for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Korean Veggies: Love those Leeks!

The Osan Commissary has a nice little selection of organic local veggies- you can find them as you go past the check-in desk, and often they're very inexpensive. They're in a refrigerated case on the left side as you enter the produce section. But some of that stuff is pretty weird; what to do with it? Here's an idea for using local leeks (usually on the bottom shelf; they look like large, long green onions):

POTATO-LEEK SOUP

1 package leeks

4 large peeled and chopped potatoes

1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks

Garlic cloves, roasted, or minced garlic in an amount that suits you

Chicken bullion or chicken stock

Wash the leeks well; they can have silt and sand in the 'branches'. Slice them up and stir fry them in a little oil or butter until they're greenish-brown and flattened. If you're using minced garlic, add to the leeks. Cook the potatoes and cauliflower until soft in just enough water to cover them. Toss in a couple of bullion cubes or use half water and half chicken stock for cooking water. Add the roasted garlic, and mash the potatoes cauliflower up. Puree it in the blender, then put it back in the pan and add the leeks. Serve it with crusty bread for an awesome and healthy autumn meal.

LEEK-PECAN RAVIOLI

Cheese tortellini or ravioli (or choose another pasta)

1 package leeks, washed and sliced

Minced garlic, in an amount that suits you

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups fresh or frozen veggies: chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, green beans, or sliced zucchini will work nicely; use any veggies your family likes!

Shredded parmesan cheese

Quickly toast the pecans in a couple tablespoons of olive oil at medium high heat on the stovetop. They'll burn quickly, so watch them carefully. Scoop them out of the oil and set aside, then put the garlic and leeks in the oil until they're good and cooked; about ten minutes. Add the veggies until just cooked, put the pecans back in, and season to taste. Serve over the ravioli or tortellini with shredded parmesan on top.

Garden project: Tomato Basil Salad

Here's a fun and delicious activity for the garden and kitchen: Tomato Basil Mozzarella salad! Here's how to do it:

Pick some cherry tomatoes and basil in the community areas of the garden. Wash them, toss them in a bowl and add mozzarella chunks or shreds. Toss and eat- super easy!

The salad in the picture was made entirely by a four year old. It was a great opportunity for him to learn to use a knife, but a younger child could use shredded mozzarella and do it without assistance. A variation would be to put the cheese, tomatoes and basil on a pita and have a do-it-yourself pizza.