Dairy Free & Delicious Pineapple Preacher Cake

A moist and delicious cake that everyone will love!

Ingredients

CAKE 1/2 c	sugar
2 c	all-purpose flour
2	eggs
2 tsp	baking soda
1/2 tsp	salt
2 tsp	vanilla
1/2 c	nuts
1 can(s)	20 ounces crushed pineapple - undrained (I use pineapple in it's own juice)
Frosting
1 pkg	8 ounce cream cheese - softened
1 3/4 c	powdered sugar
1/4 c	butter or margarine
1/4 tsp	salt
1/2 c	nuts
2 tsp	vanilla

Directions

1. CAKE:Combine dry ingredients; add remaining ingredients, and mix by hand.
Bake in a 9 x 13 prepared pan at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (check frequently as cooking time may vary). *Some people have mentioned that their cake only took 30 minutes to bake, so please check your cake at that time and make any adjustments in cooking time from there.

2. FROSTING: Mix well and spread on cake in pan. Enjoy!

3. If you would like to save calories, instead of using the frosting, just sprinkle top of cake with a bit of powdered sugar and enjoy!

4. There is NO milk, butter, or oil in the cake. A great recipe for those who cannot have dairy J

* You may add other fruits or coconut to the cake if you like: some suggestions are: dried cranberries, raisins, currants, tub of mixed dried fruit, and even fresh blueberries.

Oktoberfest in Mount Angel, Oregon

Some Family Fun for the Weekend...

The small community was settled by German pioneers in the 1800s and readily reminds one of the rich Bavarian countryside. Oregon's oldest and best-loved Oktoberfest began in 1966 as a traditional harvest festival to celebrate the bounty of the earth and the goodness of creation. 

It is Oregon's largest folk festival.

http://www.oktoberfest.org/

Mt. Angel is located 18 miles northeast of Salem on Highway 214. Founded in the late 1800s by German settlers, this town has an Old World flavor which is heightened by the many Bavarian style storefronts and the beautiful Benedictine Abbey. They celebrate their German heritage each year during the Oktoberfest.

Mt. Angel Abbey, set high above Mt. Angel on a 300 foot bluff is a century old Benedictine monastic community built in 1883 by Swiss Benedictine monks. Views from the bluff include Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, as well as the lush Willamette Valley farmland. The beautiful library, designed by Alvar Aalto, stores a priceless collection of illuminated manuscripts, and features a display of rare, hand printed books.
Guided tours can be arranged by appointment.

Four Days of Fun-Filled Activities

"September 15, 16, 17 & 18, 2011"

Open Thursday - Saturday From 11 a.m. 'til midnight.

Open Sunday from 11 a.m. 'til 9:00 p.m.

Continuous live music on four stages

Free Kindergarten with rides and shows Friday and Saturday night street dancing

Over 50 Alpine food chalets serving a wide variety of ethnic foods

Large Arts and Crafts Show

Traditional Biergarten, Weingarten and Alpinegarten

Over 30 musical groups featuring the Original Donaumusikanten from Germany Courtesy Lufthansa

Cruz-n Car Show

Gravy....located on Mississippi right in the heart of restaurant row!

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/24/281494/restaurant/Boise-Eliot/Gravy-Portland

Gravy restaurant located on Mississippi in Portland is a great place if you like huge portions, delicious food, and great service!  It was unbelieveable the amount of food you are served.  You may want to plan on sharing unless you have a very, and I mean VERY, big appetite.  Arrive early and don't plan on being seated right away.  We got there around 10:45 and signed up on the list.  We were not seated until 11:25. 

Though the wait was long, it was well worth it!  We took a menu and sat outside. You can even get your cup of coffee while you wait to help pass the time.  We sat at the bar (it's not really a bar, but that's what they call it) and enjoyed the view.  We were watching the cooks make the incredible breakfasts. 

 The serving size for the hashbrowns fills an entire medium sized frying pan! 

(Cook flipping the hashbrowns...check out those flames from the oil...scary!)

The hashbrowns are perfectly browned and with a crunchy crust. 

 We initially wanted to order biscuits and gravy. We figured since the name of the place was "Gravy" that we should try it.  They have a vegetarian gravy that looked very good, but we finally decided to try something else on th menu.

I ordered the Turkey, Ham, and Swiss French Toast Monte Cristo served with 

 two over easy eggs, hashbrowns, and maple syrup..oh my goodness! Keep in mind that these plates are the size of small platters, so the food is bigger than it looks here.

3 Huge Fresh Blueberry &Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes with warm

Maple Syrup and 3 pieces of Apple Smoked Bacon.

These pancakes were the size of large dinner plates! Staci could only finish one pancake with her bacon. As  result,  she took the rest home for round two...lol. After everything was said and done...the Monte Cristo French Toast won....and I could not eat another bite.  I ate half of my meal and with Stacey's assistance we were able to finish the hashbrowns. This meal was literally enough food for two adults or one very large linebacker!

I give up!!!

This is the place to go for a great breakfast with friends. Only warning I would give is to come early and get your name on the list the second you get there.  Every meal coming from the kitchen looked delicious with each one looking better than the last! We were both anticipating what our own meal would look like.  Neither of us were dissapointed.  The service was friendly, food was delicious, and the portion sizes were straight up ridiculous! Like I said before, the only down side was the long wait.  It was a beautiful sunny day so we didn't mind sitting outside to wait.  Well worth the trip.  Will have to make another trip to visit some of the dozens of interesting restaurants located on the same street.  Two thumbs way up!

Sweet and Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce

Great with Chicken and Steak

Ingredients

3 C. finely chopped, pitted, and peeled peaches (about 5 medium)

½ C. finely chopped and seeded red bell pepper (1/2 a large pepper)

½ C. finely chopped sweet onion (1/2 a large onion)

1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped garlic

¾ C. honey or agave nectar

1/3 C. cider vinegar

1 tsp of liquid smoke or your favorite bbq sauce (optional) * Add if you want a more smokey flavored sauce.

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

 Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens to the consistency of barbeque sauce, approximately 35 minutes or until thick enough to spread on chicken or steak.

If you prefer a less chunky sauce, place mixture in blender and puree until smooth Refrigerate for up to a week of place in an airtight container in freezer.  To thicken, place in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Sweet and Savory Bacon-Laced Cupcakes

Better Homes and Gardens-September 2011

Think Voodoo Doughnuts Bacon Maple Bars except with chocolate!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 vanilla beans
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 5 slices bacon
• 12 oz. 62% to 65% dark chocolate bar, chopped (you can also use semi sweet and milk if the dark is too strong a flavor)
• 2 cups whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour (or use cupcake liners) two 12-cupcake pans and set aside. Place cocoa powder in a large bowl; gradually add boiling water, whisking until thoroughly combined. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Finely chop whole vanilla beans (or process in food processor until fine).

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, vanilla beans, and pure vanilla on medium-high until well combined. Beat in eggs, one by one, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl often. Add the sifted dry ingredients in fourths, alternating with cocoa liquid. Stir slowly to prevent splatter. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat on low about 3 minutes or just until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until the center is just barely set about 25-30 minutes (depends on your oven). Be careful not to over-bake; cake should slightly resist the pressure of your finger. Let cupcakes rest for 10 minutes, then remove from pans.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings to use in Chocolate Frosting, if desired. Drain bacon on paper towels. Finely chop enough bacon to equal 1/3 cup. Set aside.

4. For the Chocolate Frosting, chop chocolate and place in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of the whipping cream just to boiling; pour over chocolate then add bacon drippings. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup cold cream; whisk to combine. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, whisking occasionally until spreadable. (Watch closely the last 10 minutes; frosting should remain glossy.) Stir the chopped cooked bacon into the frosting. Set aside.

5. Frost cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting. If you use a piping bag with a very large tip you will be able to get a more even amount on each cupcake. Refrigerate. Before serving, let cupcakes stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

It was great day at Arleta's Library Bakery Cafe!

Arleta's Library Bakery Cafe

What a beautiful sunny morning to go out to breakfast with some wonderful ladies.  We decided to beat the rush and get there when the doors opened at 8:30.  By 8:25 there were already 15 people waiting in line.  The space is very small, but cozy.  We were greeted by warm smiles and quickly seated.  Many of us had already looked over the menu, so it didn't take long to decide what we wanted.  From our table I could see a waitress cutting into a pan of freshly baked blackberry coffee cake...it looked divine! Did I forget to mention that they make all of their own baked goods?

  

The ladies were served their "Stump Town" coffee as we chatted away the time waiting for our delicious breakfasts to be prepared. After taking my first bite, my taste buds were bombarded with a mixture of savory and sweet flavors.  The gravy was perfect...not too salty or greasy.  The library fries were a nice change from the normal hash browns that are normally served at breakfast. And to add just a little more deliciousness to our meal, our server brought us some of their homemade ketchup and strawberry jam...yum! The zesty homemade ketchup was a perfect match to these perfectly seasoned potatoes. I didn't have any of the jam, but all the ladies agreed that it was wonderful!

 

As we passed around samples of our breakfasts, I had a bite of the spicy Italian sausage that was blended with just the right amount of Italian herbs to give it a nice kick! I also had some of the batter dipped brioche that was griddle fried and served with whipped honey butter and maple syrup. I have to say that it was so good that it didn't need the maple syrup. I used it to catch the last remnants of the rosemary sausage gravy from my plate. Delicious!

 

Arleta's is a great place for breakfast. It has a casual, relaxed, homey feel.  Like going to grandma's house....right down to the Corelle yellow patterned dinner plates and coffee cups.  The company was great, the prices are reasonable, food was delicious, service is friendly and courteous...what else could you ask for? Two thumbs up!

Arleta's Library Bakery Cafe

5513 SE 72nd @ Harold, Portland, OR, 97206
(across from the Mt. Scott Community Center)goodfood@arletalibrary.com
503.774.4470