Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups self rising flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp. of red food coloring (add it slow until you like the color)

Frosting:

2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 boxes of Domino's confectioners sugar

Splash of vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray 3 9 inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line them all with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and the vegetable oil for a couple minutes.

Add in the eggs and vanilla. Beat for another minute.

In a separate bowl, briefly mix together the self rising flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer. Mix on low speed for 20-30 seconds.

Add in the food coloring. Then add the buttermilk. Mix for 20 seconds.

Divide the batter among the 3 cake pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Let them cool completely before frosting!

SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup of sugar

• 1 egg

• Splash of vanilla

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• (1/2 cup sugar for dipping)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, (or using a bowl and an electric mixer), cream together the butter and sugar for a couple minutes.

3. Add in the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute.

4. In a separate bowl, briefly combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix for only 20-30 seconds.

5. Scoop the cookies and dip each one into some sugar. I use a 1 1/2 Tbsp. ice cream scoop to keep them all the same size.

6. Put the cookies onto the baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes!

Roasted Chicken & Vegetables (One Pan Meal!)

Watch my YouTube video- https://youtu.be/mzgWGEt7V_I

Ingredients:

• 6 lb. whole chicken

• 3 potatoes

• 2-3 onions

• 2 carrots

• 1 stalk of celery

• 2 heads of garlic (you may not use it all)

• 3/4 stick of unsalted butter, softened

• fresh herbs- rosemary, thyme, sage

• Poultry seasoning, to taste

• salt/pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Chop the veggies into large chunks. Break apart 1 head of garlic, but don't peel the cloves! Save one head of garlic, 1 onion, and some of the carrots and celery for the inside of the chicken.

3. Arrange the chopped veggies in a single layer on your roasting pan.

4. Put the chicken on top of the veggies. Make sure to pat the chicken dry! If it is wet, the compound butter will not stick.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, 1 glove of garlic (minced or grated), salt, pepper, chopped herbs, and some poultry seasoning (to taste). I only use about 1 tsp. of poultry seasoning. If I don't have any fresh herbs on hand, then I will use a little more poultry seasoning.

6. Loosen the skin of your chicken. (See video). Spread 3/4 of the compound butter under the skin. Massage it well to make it even.

7. Put the remaining 1/4 of the butter all on top! Sprinkle some more salt and pepper on the chicken and veggies.

8. Stuff the rest of your veggies (whatever will fit!) into your chicken.

9. Roast in the 425 degree oven for about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Check on it around the 1 hour and 15 minute mark. When the internal temp. reaches 165-170 degrees, you'll know it's done! :)

10. Let the chicken rest on the counter for about 20-30 minutes before carving. Enjoy!