BLACK WALNUT CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Relish in the pure pleasure of chocolate and black walnuts in this irresistible pound cake. A slice of heaven in every bite.

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder and salt
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sweet milk
1 teaspoon black walnut flavoring
1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup chopped black walnuts

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Cream well the butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa together three times. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, starting with flour mixture. Add flavoring and chocolate. Fold in nuts. Bake in well greased tube pan for 1 hour and 55 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING BAKING. It's the law. Frost with chocolate icing if you like, or leave it plain.

"I never met a pound cake I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

OLD-FASHIONED PUMPKIN BREAD

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone~Our Lord and Master said: But by the living Word of God our souls must so be fed. So as I cook and serve the meals, I will sincerely pray that I shall give, along with food, some Christ-like love today. Amen

1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X5-inch loaf pan. Sift together flour through nutmeg. Set aside. Cream shortening through vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Stir in pumpkin. Stir in dry ingredients in 4 additions, alternating with water just until smooth. Add chopped nuts and pour into losf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. turn out and cool right side up. Serve at room temperature.

Cooks Note: Serve with softened cream cheese.

CRAB & ARTICHOKE DIP

There are several recipes rolling around out there in the waves but this is my favorite one of them all.

3 (14oz.) cans of artichoke hearts, drained
1 (12oz.) can crab claw meat, or fresh crab if you're lucky
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, I use fresh if I have it
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients, place in pan and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 15 minutes. Serve with chips, crackers, or cubes of crusty bread.

Serves up to 15 hungry souls

NEPTUNE'S CASSEROLE

This casserole is the most requested dish at my place of work. The recipe calls for shrimp, scallops, and crab meat, but I have so far only used the shrimp and it is simply divine every time! It gets really quiet around the crowded table after the first forkful is lifted to their mouths...then next comes the uuuuhhh's and ahhhh's.

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, cleaned
1/2 lb. sea scallops
1/2 lb. cleaned crabmeat
!/4 cup each of chopped red and green bell pepper
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
16oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 heaping tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
healthy pinch of white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup light cream
1 1/2 cups grated White cheddar cheese
!/2 to 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the veggies in a little butter then combine all ingredients. Place in a greased 9X13 dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs and drizzle with butter. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve immediately with a smile and a side of mixed greens and freshly stewed silver Queen corn.

COOKS NOTE: I use 2 lbs. medium shrimp in this recipe and top it the last 15 minutes (of the 30) with the crumbs of my Little Bits of Sunshine...and the cheese and butter of course. That is a total cooking time of only 30 minutes. I never cook my shrimp before putting it in any casserole either. There's not much worse than tough shrimp.

SIMPLY SENSATIONAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Strawberry Shortcake makes me smile...always has...always will.

1 1/4 cups cold milk, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 pkg. (3.4oz.) Jello-O vanilla flavored instant pudding
8oz. Cool Whip, thawed, divided
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat 1/2 cup milk, sour cream and 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in Bisquick just until moistened. Spread over bottom of greased 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cake from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Beat pudding mix and remaining milk in bowl with whisk 2 minutes. Stir in half the Cool Whip. Toss the strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar.

Cut cake horizontially to make 2 layers; stack on plate, filling with half the strawberry mixture and all the pudding mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip and strawberry mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

AVOCADO-TOMATILLO RELISH (From Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook)

This bright relish melds cool, creamy avocados with tart, acidic tomatillos for an altogether fresh, green topping or dip.

3 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
3 tomatillos, husked, scrubbed, and diced
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together the avocados, tomatillos, lime juice, oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Fold in the green onions and cilantro until combined. This can be made up to 30 minutes in advance and refrigerated.

Makes about 4 cups

PEACH POUND CAKE

Pound cake always hits my 'spot' no matter the flavor but here is one that takes the 'Blue Ribbon'! It is moist and flavorful and always comes out just right from the oven with the wonderful smells of peaches, almond, and vanilla flavorings permeating every nook and cranny of the house. I was fortunate enough when I made this cake yesterday to have sweet white peaches, and let me just say, I think it is the best pound cake ever. You know how certain pound cakes come out crusty on the top with a layer of moistness just underneath...oh yes, that is what this ol' country girl is talking about.

2 sticks butter (the real thing), softened
3 cups sugar
6 big eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed peaches
1 teaspoon each of almond and vanilla extracts

Cream butter in stand mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine sour cream and peaches. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with peach mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings.

Pour batter into a Bundt-pan which has been greased with shortening and floured. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until done. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto plate. Cool for a little while anyway before getting into it. Excellent with a tall glass of organic milk.

Yield: 1 large pound cake

“The desserts we serve are all fresh homemade. We have homemade cobblers, lemon, coconut and pecan pies and pound cake.”~Donna Davis