Sunday Cookin'

Good Sunday morning everyone! On the menu for today is a Crock Pot Stroganoff, (a combination of several recipes), noodles or mashed potatoes (I'm leaning toward the potatoes) some kind of veggie, not sure what yet and Black and White Cupcakes.

Pat's Crock Pot Stroganoff

1 lb Stew meat cubed/bite size pieces

2  t  ketchup or tomato paste
1 t  mustard -- dry or wet
1/2 C  beef broth (actually a 1/2 c total of broth/wine/water is probably plenty)
1/2  C  red wine or water or more broth
1 T cornstarch
1 cube beef bouillon
salt and Pepper
1  lb  mushrooms sliced

2  medium  onion -- sliced
1  C  sour cream

• Set crock pot on high, add meat, catsup, mustard and beef bouillon cube.  mix broth, wine/water and cornstarch together stir together and add to crock pot, mix well.  Cook on high about 2 hours. 
• Turn crackpot down to low, add sliced onions, cook for another hour,  Add sliced mushrooms Cook low, till time to eat.
• Turn off heat stir in sour cream serve immediately over noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.

I made the cupcakes cause I had 2 half boxes of cake mix, one white and one
chocolate. I used the Cream Cheese Frosting below that I got from the Tasty Kitchen web site. I did make a couple of small changes though, I added a dash of salt, creamed the cheese and the butter well added the vanilla whipped it a little more, then I added the powdered sugar a little at a time, first on low speed, then gradually increasing the speed as the sugar became blended. When it reach my desired consistency I removed about 1/2 (perhaps a little less than half cause my family is really into chocolate), set it aside. Then I added 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder mixed it into the remaining frosting. Then I frosted the cooled cupcakes. 

Sara likes my cupcakes....

Sara told me that she sits at a table in the cafeteria with 3 little boys. She said they get so jealous when she opens her lunch kit and it has one of my cupcakes in it. She said they "just drool with jealousy they want a bite so bad", but in the second grade they don't allow them to share or trade their lunches. I don't think Sara wants to share anyway and I love helping her torment the little boys....

Allison and the long arm of the law...aka Daddy

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• dash Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3-½ cups Sifted Powdered Sugar (or More Depending On Desired Consistency)

• See Variations Below For Chocolate OR Flavored Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese, vanilla and butter until fluffy.
2. Sift or whisk powdered sugar to aerate it.
3. Stir powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture, 1 cup at a time, until well blended.
4. Makes enough to generously frost a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, 24 cupcakes, or an 8-inch layer cake.

Notes:
- This makes a medium consistency frosting.
- For a stiff decorator frosting: add more powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until desired consistency.
- For a thinner consistency to fill cupcakes or sandwich cookies, add about ½ cup less powdered sugar.
- For chocolate cream cheese frosting: sift ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the powdered sugar before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
- For flavored cream cheese frosting: Substitute the flavored extract of your choice. Maple, lemon, or orange are wonderful.