Coconut Cake

Some of the very best recipes in the Deep South are passed from cook to cook. They're written on little slips of paper, usually with no directions other than ingredients. It's assumed you know how to throw it all together and make the ingredients come out tasting wonderful. What they don't tell you is that most really good cooks kind of alter things as they go. At least in the South. That we get the recipe ingredients written down is a big deal.



Now that I've totally freaked you out, let me assure you that this recipe comes complete with ingredients and directions. It was passed from one cook to another on a little slip of paper. I've added the directions. It's a wonderful cake. I know you'll enjoy it.

Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 box intant coconut pudding
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon coconut flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla



Mix all ingredients together, blending well. Start with the cake mix and pudding, add a little water and oil until you've added it all. Add one egg at a time, blending thoroughly after each. Then finish with the flavorings.



Grease and flour three to four cake pans. Divide the cake batter evenly among the pans. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Remember that oven temperatures vary. You'll need to check it, especially the first time, to see how long this cake takes in your oven. Then you can jot down the time for when you make it again. And you will want to make it again. When the layers have finished baking, remove them from the pans and cool on racks.

Icing

1 box confectioners sugar
1 cup white crisco
1 tablespoon coconut flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1 12-oz. package frozen coconut, thawed
3 egg whites



Beat all ingredients, except the coconut, together until it's smooth. Stir in the coconut. Frost your cake. I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator.

Coconut Cake

Orange Salad

Some folks love congealed salads. Are you one of them? My mother is. She's forever searching for a recipe that everyone will eat. This one comes pretty close.



It's also really good for that extra dish when you're serving a crowd. And it's a good make-ahead dish for when you need to take something somewhere but don't have time to bake it and take it while it's warm. This goes in the refrigerator until it's firm and then on to wherever you need it. That's perfect for a busy schedule.

Orange Salad

1 small box of orange jello
1 small can of Mandarin oranges (8.4 oz. size)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 9-oz. tub of Cool Whip
1 cup chopped nuts (We use pecans)



Drain all the fruits, saving all the juice. Bring the juice to a boil. Dissolve the jello in the juice, then add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a dish. Place dish in the refrigerator until firm. I prefer to make it a day ahead.



Enjoy!

Chili for Hot Dogs

Shhh. This is a secret recipe. Many years ago Andrews Sweet Shoppe made this chili and put it on their famous chili dogs. The old timers, like my Mother, still talk about going there for the chili dogs. Sadly, Andrews Sweet Shoppe is no more. They even closed the gift shop in December. But this recipe lives on. Thank you, Joyce, for giving it to my Mother before you died. It is still eaten and enjoyed by many.

Hot Dog Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix
3 "shakes" Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
onion, finely chopped, as desired -- use as little or as much as you like
black pepper, as desired
salt, as desired

Mix beef with a little water and stir until soupy in a boiler, then brown. Stir in other items and simmer. You can make this chili as thick or thin as desired by cooking out the water or adding more. Mother prefers it thick. She says that's how it was served when she was a child.