Monday, May 21, 2012

Tuscany Soup and Dr Pepper Cake!

We celebrated Amber's 28 week goal of this Quad Squad Pregnancy on Saturday with a Texas favorite - Dr Pepper Cake!


Everyone loved it and Mike came home last night with the EMPTY dish!
The nurses and staff helped finish it off!

Dr Pepper Cake

Cake:
1 box German Chocolate Cake mix (I sometimes use devil's food or whatever)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 can Dr Pepper

Frosting:
1  (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup pecans

Cake:
Combine first three ingredients, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add Dr Pepper, mix well. Pour batter into greased and floured pan.
(I use a 9 X 13 inch pan)
Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool in pan before frosting.

Frosting:
Melt butter and beat together with first 5 ingredients until light and fluffy. Mix chopped pecans or you can sprinkle them on top.



Yesterday I made soup for Amber using one of HER favorite recipes.


The recipe is from Sur la Table.......
The Art and Soul of Cooking.


My copy is pretty beat up looking!


It's a healthy soup and one Amber has made many times.
She actually made this the first time in a cooking class she took for her birthday last year.

Remember the kale I carried around in my purse that weekend?
Well, I didn't make the soup til yesterday so I had to get fresh!
Good thing I didn't get the pancetta that day! I am sure it would be rank by now!


These are homemade croutons made from a fresh loaf of French bread.
I KNOW the recipe calls for 'Italian Bread Cubes!'
I improvised!


Now Amber and I cook very differently.
She is a gourmet-ish Rachel Ray kind of gal.
Amber also LOVES to cook and often makes up her own recipes!

I, on the other hand, am a basic cook. Meat and potatoes. Simple.
And I do NOT 'love to cook.'  I cook because we eat. And we eat every bite I cook because if there are leftovers - then that counts as FOOD and I have a saying - 'No NEW food!' - til all the OLD is gone!

That being said, this recipe made a LOT of soup!!
I brought up a good sized container for their dinner tonight.
Meanwhile - back at the ranch - Louis Dean is whipping up some chicken fried steak.
I seldom fry anything except bacon or potatoes! LD is a great cook and loves to adventure. He is also baking his awesome cinnamon rolls!
Isn't it funny how different people are when it comes to the KITCHEN?


Louis Dean spent a good bit of time loving on Amber's cats yesterday!


Amber and Mike have trained them NOT to jump up unless there is a quilt down on our laps. I am surprised July CAN jump up! She is 20 years old!

Amber and I have spent a quiet day together. The contractions have backed off and she has napped a good bit. This is the very first MONDAY I have been up here. I usually arrive on a Tuesday. However, we are staying til the babies arrive now.
Mondays are one of my favorite days.......the new week is in front of me and who knows what wonders will happen?





14 comments:

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Thank you for the update, always eagerly awaited. In answer to your comment on my last posts - yes, retired teacher (computer and special education).

Pondside said...

Each new week now is exciting, because, as you said you're 'counting up now'!

Bernice said...

Thanks for the update, so happy to hear that the contractions have backed off some.
Going to get everything needed to make the Dr Pepper cake sounds soo yummy.My hubby loves Chicken fried steak, any prep secrets LD would like to share;)
Continued prayers for Amber and the babies.
And again Thanks for taking the time to keep us up to date.

Carole said...

Every day is a blessing. Still keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Would never have thought of putting Dr Pepper into a cake!

Chatty Crone said...

Your soup looks great and Dr, Pepper cake - never heard of it. Glad you are making her good healthy food. Who knows what this week will bring.
sandie

Bev said...

Food sounds sooo wonderful! So glad things are going well...

Kelly said...

I love your outlook for Mondays. I usually don't like them. That's a good way to look at them though. That soup looks mighty good! I may have to try that recipe for the cake. I've never tried that before. Does it taste different than a regular chocolate cake? So excited that Amber is in the home stretch. I keep thinking it could be any day now!!

Sweet Tea said...

I am so thankful she has made it to 28 weeks and is still going. Absolutely Amazing! Your food looks delicious!! Oh.How.I.Love.Cake.
Woe is me! LOL

Vee said...

Thank you for the cake recipe. It looks delicious. So glad that Amber got a lot of rest today. One thing is sure, sleeping helps the time fly by. LD looks so sweet petting the cats and making sure that they have some attention.

Deb said...

it all looks yummy....I'm not really into cooking either....but we have to eat...Hubby is the cook around here.....

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

I don't like to cook, either. And "Uncle A." does. :-) Purrrrrfact arrangement, now that he is semi-retired.

Everything looks delicious!

Happy news on Amber!

Gentle hugs...

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Lynne said...

Oh Linda! Thank you for sharing your Dr Pepper cake recipe. You had mentioned it in a previous post, and I was contemplating an email to you.

I love to cook gourmet, but I also love a homespun church cookbook recipe as well! This recipe, I will file under God Bless Texas Charm!

Both my children were born on Monday...so the day is very filled with grace for me as well!

I am praying 29 and holding. Bless Amber. She is such a trooper!
~Lynne
w/L.

bj said...

Yay.....so glad she is doing so well. I am so amazed at this blessing ya'll are receiving. Just amazing!!
I'm makin' that cake, using sugar frees...:)

Carla said...

YUMMY lookin.
Here's to looking forward to 29