Magic Cake

This recipe is another Pinterest find. I spied it about a month ago but in the last couple of weeks it seems to be popping up more and more. There's kind of an exponential thing that happens on Pinterest. It's crazy. Funny though, all the different pins and pictures almost always ultimately lead back to this original post. From the looks of things, everyone on the blog-o-sphere loves this cake. And, so do I.

It's magic because, with one batter, made in just one bowl, you get a "cake" with three layers. Another plus is that it takes just 6 simple ingredients that I'll bet are in your kitchen right now. What I've noticed with all the different posts on Pinterest is that each person seems to get a slightly different ratio of layers. I haven't quite figured out what the variable is but I do know that how ever your layers turn out, they'll taste great. Don't wait another minute, make this cake, and make magic. . .

7Up Biscuits

Up until recently, and when I say recently, I mean last week, I've kind of looked down on Bisquick. I've kind of been a snob about it. I had a tude. The roots of my disdain lie in my childhood. As I've mentioned before, my mom didn't like to cook. She was a good cook, when she wanted to be, but she just didn't enjoy it. So, any way that she could find a shortcut, she did. And so Bisquick was a big player in her kitchen. Not just for pancakes or biscuits, but for everything. Pie crust, cinnamon rolls, and a whole slew of "Impossible Pies". Lots of dishes had that buttermilk tang that you only get with Bisquick. So when I started exploring my love of cooking I vowed not to shortcut with Bisquick. Not this gal. No siree bob! I was a "real" cook, who used "real" ingredients. No short-cutted, Bisquick-tanged dishes for me. And a snob was born.

Then I saw these biscuits on Pinterest. There looked so fluffy, so tender, so moist. I just had to give the recipe a try. So, I linked on over to this blog:  http://janellescookbook.blogspot.com/2010/10/7-up-biscuits.html and imagine my shock when I saw the recipe used Bisquick. So, I overcame my snobbery, bought some Bisquick and decided to give it a go. . .

Colcannon

I haven't had too much luck with this blog in baking/cooking ahead for holidays. Meaning, cooking a holiday dish a week or two ahead of the actual holiday. I'm always cooking holiday dishes on the holiday in question. Then by the time I post the recipe its too late. The holiday has passed us by.

But not this year. . .

Not with St. Patrick's Day just a week away. . .

This time I planned ahead. . .

It's the dawn of a new era at Becky Bakes and Cooks. . .

Er, too dramatic? Ok, I'll dial it back a bit. Point is, here is an Irish dish that you can make for St. Patrick's Day. I'm giving you a whole week to check it out, get your ingredients together and get cookin'. 

You might have expected a post for Corned Beef and Cabbage. But, truth be told, I don't really like corned beef. Too salty. And cabbage, too bland. I've tried a couple of times to make Corned Beef and Cabbage, and while it sounds fun and festive, it just never seems to be that exciting, or tasty, when it hits the table. An Irish dish I do like is Colcannon. Never heard of it? Come on! It's probably more authentically Irish than Corned Beef. It don't really know for sure 'cause I ain't Irish. What I do know is, we all like it and that's good enough for me on St. Pat's Day. See for yourself. . .

Cabbage Rolls

One of my favorite winter dishes is Cabbage Rolls. I never get to have them. On the rare occasion that I stumble into an old style deli and they have them, I always get some. The very few times I've found them on a restaurant menu, I've ordered them. No matter what time of day, no matter what time of year, no matter what occasion. I love 'em. I'm not sure where I first tasted them but it was love at first bite. (Anyone remember that hokey George Hamilton movie from the 80's?) The sweet savory combo is one of my favorites. Cabbage Rolls have all the elements of old fashioned comfort food. Hot, hearty, one-dish prep, awesome reheated for leftovers and an entire meal (veggie, meat, starch) all wrapped up in one. Yummy, yum, yum!

I finally decided to take the plunge and try and make them on my own. Unfortunately I don't have a Polish Nana to show me how. No long passed down secret family recipe. I'm totally on my own with this one. So, I researched, and read many, many, many cabbage roll recipes. Wowza, there are about a million different ways to make them. Oven or stovetop? Brown or white rice? Chunky or smooth sauce? Onion? Garlic? Pork? Beef? Sausage? So many variations. What I finally decided to try was the recipe below which I came up with by cobbling together what I liked from 4-5 different recipes. See what you think. . .