For beer, I used Waterloo Dark, made by our local Brick Brewery. I have found that the Brick Brewery beers work well for me and as I mentioned before, I use products that are grown or made locally as much as possible.

So – you can get creative – just bake the cake and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 cups of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of beer (preferably dark)

Directions:

1. As always – I recommend getting all ingredients ready – it really does make the preparation easier and you will not miss anything!

2. Preheat over to 350F and prepare your baking pan. I used 10 x 10 pan but 9×13 will work just as well. Spray with a non-stick baking spray or grease and flour to make sure cake doesn’t stick. I used the spray – chocolate cakes have a tendency to pick up some of the flour used for dusting the pan and then they don’t look so nice)

3. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda in a medium size bowl. The one thing to watch here for is that the cocoa is completely powdered – little pieces can stick together so take care and mix this well.

4. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then beat in the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

5.Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350F for 35 – 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. cool for a few minutes and then remove from baking pan by turning it upside down onto a board or a tray.

7. I sliced my cake in a half and filled it with thinly sliced bananas

8. Icing with was easy for me, since I had some cream cheese icing left over in a fridge. You can use white icing, whipping cream or any other icing you like to use for a chocolate cake. If you need a recipe for great icing, try this one:

Rich Butter  Icing Recipe

I usually decorate my cake more elaborately – this time, I just used a fork to create a bit of a lattice effect.

Hope you try this recipe – and please send me your comments and pictures if you at all can – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

]]> http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/chocolate-beer-cake-recipe.html/feed 0 http://www.mama-knows.com/featured-articles/the-best-valentines-day-ideas.html http://www.mama-knows.com/featured-articles/the-best-valentines-day-ideas.html#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:03:59 +0000 Hanna Trafford http://www.mama-knows.com/?p=6786 One of the nicest days of the year – a day when you get to tell people that you love them – in case you don’t do it often enough. There are a number of ways to do that – saying is the nicest one, but on February 14th, we all get to do just a little bit more. Here is some help for you – ideas and tips on how to organize a party, what to do to create that special thoughtful gift, how to create that special centerpiece for you romantic dinner, what you need to look for when you are choosing those beautiful Valentines Day roses or what movies you could pick up for your romantic evening at home.

It’s all here for you – just click on the links for pages you need detailed information from and enjoy your special Valentines Day!

How to Plan Your Valentines Day Party

Valentines Day Gift Ideas

Valentines Day Centerpieces

How to Choose Your Valentines Day Rose

Best Romantic Movies

Have a wonderful and loving Valentines Day and please send me your comments, suggestions and experiences – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

You can easily make butter tarts like these! Click on the picture and check out my pre-packaged products. So easy, you won't believe it!

I have a story to tell you:  Some of you are already familiar with the Mama Knows product line. Good old fashioned recipes that I have personally transformed into a ready to mix and make goodies.

One of the products are The Best Ever Butter Tarts. And much to my delight, my adopted grandson ventured into his mom’s kitchen and started baking. Using my pre-measured butter tart ingredients package, he got to work. Now – it is important for you to know that he is 12 years old and I will not even mention the fact that boys are not always the ones who would be most inclined to roll up their sleeves and get into the kitchen. I am delighted that he did it – big hugs and special rewards are sure to be coming his way from grandma Hanna!

Here are pictures of his kitchen adventure :

My 12-year old adopted grandson getting ready to use my Best Ever Butter Tarts in a jar

Was he going to have fun baking? You bet!

Little bit of mixing..... - nice to see the concentration of doing it right!

I think maybe mom was doing a bit of teasing from behind....

Check the oven.... time to put the creations in

And ready to go in! He is having so much fun baking - it's awesome!

Total success! They turned out perfect and I am not sure how many he consumed by himself - but knowing him, I am sure he shared...

You will find all my carefully selected and personally developed products in

Mama Knows Online Store

Hope you will visit and check out these special products – use them yourself or remember that  they will make a great gift as well anytime!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 1-1/3 cups of sugar
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup of bourbon or rum (optional)
• Ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and sugar together over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved – about 2 minutes
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks
3. Whisking constantly, pour hot mixture into yolks in a slow and steady stream
4. Return mixture to pan, cook over medium-low, stirring often, until mixture is think enough to coat back of a spoon – 20-25 minutes. Do not let simmer.
5. Quickly strain into a bowl
6. Stir in bourbon or rum and chilled heavy cream
7. Cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled
8. Garnish with ground nutmeg just before serving

Hope you enjoyed this recipe, please send me your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated

First – go through your Christmas decorations and pick pieces that you would like to have on your wreath – set them aside. Then – venture out into your local store (Walmart will do nicely and you will save a few bucks too) and buy a plain artificial wreath and a basic set of mini lights if you want to light up your wreath. The alternative is taking a walk a picking up evergreen branches and then making a really nice, natural wreath – I am actually thinking about doing that.

Then sit down with all your stuff and start creating your very own wreath! And do not worry or get discouraged – remember that if you are not happy with what you are doing – just change it!

Wreaths can be embellished to achieve a variety of looks. You can add ribbons, ornaments, floral materials – anything that will reflect your personal style and add to the theme of your home Christmas decor.Artificial evergreen wreaths are very easy to decorate – you just simply twist the branches around each item to secure them – or use floral wire or hot glue to do that.

Start with using one item at a time, spacing them evenly around the wreath to achieve a balanced look. Add the large items first and fill any bare spaces with smaller ones. Secure items at  the surface as well as closer to inside of your wreath – that is to achieve a sense of depth.

And if you are going to put mini lights on – put them on first, light them and work your other items around them – you will be able to see better what the final result will be.

Here are a few ideas for you:

Artificial evergreen garland is wrapped around a grapevine wreath. A natural look is created by adding birch bark and twig birdhouses, artificial birds and stems of rose hips.

Santa's elf wreath is created by wiring a small elf (or choose another of your liking) figurine to this wreath, creating a focal point. Dried fruit slices, cinnamon sticks and paper twist are added to give this wreath a nice country look

Create this elegant wreath by first attaching a gold wire mesh bow to the top and then adding metal ornaments. This wreath works very well with the addition of mini lights.

Village house becomes the focal point on this wreath. Additional springs of greenery, cones and berries add texture and fullness. For the snowy effect, spray artificial snow over polyester fiberfill

I think these are beautiful wreaths and consider this: if you are still thinking about how to decorate your tree – extend the wreath decorating ideas  - they could be easily applied to that task!

Hope you have enjoyed this information, please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences – and pictures as well! – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

Let me tell you a little bit about some of the products.

First - The Recipes in a Jar – it is a group of products that I am very proud of. Mainly because I am so very comfortable that everyone will love them. I have been told many, many times that I make wicked Chili, the best ever Butter tarts, very popular and frequently sought after Chocolate Chip Cookies, great Soups and even my two and half year old grandson checks with me every single time if I am bringing him Muffins.

Each one of these products is now packaged either in a glass jar or a nice gift bag, with a folder that includes the recipe and step-by-step directions. And you can check out all the products in the Mama Knows Online Store

Mama Knows Good Old Fashioned Chili - this jar contains 5 different kinds of beans and my very own premised spices and seasonings. It will make over 20 servings and is great to freeze.

Good Old Fashioned Chili in a Bag - same content as in the jar and of course - every product comes with a special folder with recipe and step by step directions

I have also created Gift Baskets – from the ones filled with cookies and chocolates, to one for the person that likes to bake (that one has a gift bag with my very own Chocolate Chip Cookies mix included) to a special one for the dog lover and another one for the Pasta Lover

Hope this give you a few ideas as to how you can make your very own special Christmas Gifts – and if you want to make it easy on yourself – you can just visit my online store and buy them from me!

For the baker on your list - festive cookie container filled with Betty Crocker utensils and my very own Chocolate Chip Cookie mix

For the Dog Lover - Ceramic food dish, filled with doggie goodies, including a frisbee and treats.

Perfect for you to share with others - whether they are your co-workers or employees or friends. Pretty festive red bowl filled with selections of cookies. chocolates. herbal teas, hot chocolate and candies

Great selection of items that will delight pasta lover on your list - all packaged in a white colander and of course - beautifully wrapped

There is a whole lot more items in the Mama-Knows online store – check them out today!

Cranberry Upside Down Cake:

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 1-3/4 – 2 cups of cranberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups of flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the centre
2. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with about 2 tablespoons of butter
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and allspice
4. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over bottom of pan
5. Arrange cranberries in a single layer on top
6. With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy
7. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well combined
8. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
9. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk, until well combined
10. Spoon batter over cranberries in pan and smooth top
11. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake cake until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean – 30-35 minutes
12. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes
13. Run a knife around the edge and invert the cake onto a rimmed platter

Hope you will enjoy this recipe – please send me your comments anytime – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

Here is the recipe:

Old Fashioned Butter Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup of col unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Optional:
• Egg wash: 1 large egg white beaten with 2 teaspoons of water
• Decorating sugar and sprinkles

Directions:

1. Place flour, sugar, butter and salt in a bowl of a food processor and process until mixture is the texture of course oatmeal. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this with a fork
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and vanilla and with motor running, add to food processor. If you are not using food processor, using electric mixer on a low speed will do the job as well.
3. Process until dough forms
4. Making cut out Sugar Cookies
5. Divide dough in a half and form into two ½ inch thick discs
6. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm – about 1 hour
7. Preheat oven to 350F
8. On a piece of floured waxed paper, roll out one disc to a 3/16 inch thickness and chill again
9. Repeat with the remaining dough
10. Flouring cutters ads you are working along, cut dough into desired shapes and carefully transfer to baking sheets
11. Re-chill rolled out dough it if gets difficult to work with
12. If you plan to decorate your cookies, brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar or decorative sprinkles
13. Bake cookies until edges are firm – not brown – 15-20 minutes
14. Cool for couple of minutes on the baking sheets and cool completely on a rack

You most probably have a glass bowl already, so think about filling it with various sizes of pumpkins and colourful gourds – definitely not difficult and not expensive at all. But it does look great and I am sure it will add a special touch to any table

Do you have children’s table to set up? What a great idea this is – just get some colouring placemats. decorate a napkin paper ring and a crayon pouch with Thanksgiving theme pictures (you can use stickers you buy at your local discount store) and you will have something that will keep the kids occupied!

I love the simplicity of this setting and the use of colour. Adding a little pumpkin adds just the right accent and the moss green colour is very effective in contrast. matching the potted, simple centerpieces.

How adorable is this centerpiece? And all it will take is a pumpkin – fresh or a plastic one can be used here. Collecting some branches outside and adding colourful leaves, little birds and a cute little bird house can be very easy and very inexpensive. i have seen all these items in our local dollar store – and this is the centerpiece I am definitely going to make! I would recommend placing a florist foam into the pumpkin first and securing all decoration in that way.

Again  – simplicity is what makes this decoration effective. Most items used can be gathered outside – why not take your kids out for a nature walk and make several of these beautiful decorations together?

One of my favourites – using different heights and colours of pillar style candles – especially adding a metallic one, nestled on a bed of fall leaves, along with a few colourful gourds will make a centerpiece all your guests will admire! And think about using this concept for your Christmas table – it would be very easy to replace the leaves with pine branches, add some pine cones and colourful Christmas balls or bells…. are you thinking?

Warm and very friendly – that is what I would call this design. Love the round wicker place mat under the plate – think about how well this would work if you are using disposable plates! The leaves could also be replaced with ones you could gather outside, or you could purchase silk leave garlands or arrangements at your local craft store and remove individual leaves. The candle holders are great – and definitely easy and inexpensive!

Hope you have enjoyed this information – please send me your comments. suggestions and experiences – and pictures of your holiday table settings! Your input is always very welcomed and much appreciated!

Cranberry Walnut Bread

• 2 tablespoons of butter – room temperature
• 2 cups of flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of orange zest
• 1 cup of fresh orange juice
• 1 cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Butter and flour 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside
4. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until creamed
5. Add egg and beat well
6. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until combined – dough will appear dry
7. Reduce speed to low, add orange zest and orange juice
8. Fold in cranberries and walnuts
9. Spread batter in prepared pan and smooth top evenly
10. Bake until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean – 50 minutes to 1 hour – tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly
11. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack
12. Cool completely before slicing