Here is a recipe for a coconut cake with a raspberry filling and flaked coconut frosting. Ingredients 2 large eggs, Whole Foods 365 brand (.50 cents) 2 large egg whites, Whole Foods 365 brand (.50 cents) 1 3/4 cups flour Whole Foods All Purpose flour brand (.63 cents) 2 teasp baking powder, Rumford brand (.06 cents) 1/2 teasp salt, Morton’s brand (.02 cents) 3/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces, Whole Foods 365 brand (.63 cents) 1 1/3 cups white sugar, C&H brand (.40 cents) 1 1/2 teasp vanilla extract, McCormick brand (.69 cents) 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk, Whole Foods 365 brand (.80 cents) 3/4 cup raspberry jam, Whole Foods 365 brand ($1.00) 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, Whole Foods 365 brand (.30 cents) For The Frosting Ingredients 2 cups powdered sugar, C&H brand (.84 cents) 2 tablesp butter, softened, Whole Foods 365 brand (.13 cents) 1/2 teasp vanilla extract, McCormick brand (.23 cents) 2-3 tablesp whole milk, Whole Foods 365 brand (.06 cents) 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, Whole Foods 365 brand (.60 cents) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two �" 9 inch x 1 1/2 inch (23 x 3.75 cm) cake pans, and then line the bottoms with parchment paper (or spray with non stick spray). Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In bowl of electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; add the egg whites and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and coconut milk, in three parts; in other words, add one third of the flour, mix gently by hand with a spatula just until it is mixed in, and then add half of the coconut milk, mixing until just combined. Add half of the remaining flour, mix by hand until just mixed in, and add the other half of the coconut milk, mixing until just combined. Add the other half of the remaining flour, mixing by hand until just mixed in. Always mix gently, and do not over mix. Divide the batter and pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center. Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool, in their pans, for about 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto a greased rack. To prevent splitting, re-invert cakes so that tops are right side up. Cool completely. Cut each cake in half. Place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with about 1/3 of the raspberry jam and sprinkle with about 1 - 2 tablespoons of coconut, or enough to lightly cover the entire surface of the cake. Continue with the next layers, stacking and filling with the jam and coconut. Set aside when done. You will be making the frosting next. For The Frosting In a mixing bowl add the powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Turn the mixer on medium low and slowly add the whole milk until you reach the consistency desired. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until fluffy.

Here are a few to get you started: Poor Man's Salami 2-21/2 lb ground venison 1 cup water 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed 2 tbls liquid smoke 3 tbls Morton's Tender Quick salt Combine all the ingredients and form the mixture into two 8-inch long rolls. Wrap in foil with the shiny side next to the meat. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Pierce the foil in several places on the bottom side of the roll with a toothpick. Place the rolls on the oven rack over a pan containing 1/2 cup water. Bake at 225 derees for about 2 hours. Venison Breakfast Sausage 4 lbs ground venison 2 lbs ground pork 1/2 Burgundy 1tsp garlic powder 2 onions, liquified in blender 4 tsp basic smoke salt* 4 tsp marjoram 3 tbls mustard with horseradish 1 tbls pepper 2 tsp sage 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp ground nutmeg 3/4 tsp rosemary Combine all ingredients well. Form into patties and fry. Or stuff casings to make breakfast links. *Basic Smoke Salt This is a seasoned salt mixture I devised years ago for smoking meats. It's a great general seasoning salt as well: 1 package table salt (1 lb 10 oz) 1 tbls onion salt 2 tbls celery salt 1 tbls garlic salt 2 tbls paprika 4 tbls white pepper 2 tbls dill salt 4 tbls white sugar Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container (canning jars work great) Spicy Game Sausages 1 3/4 lb venison or other game meat, ground 1 3/4 lb pork, ground 1 tbls smoke salt 2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp black pepper 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp rubbed sage 1/4 tsp ground allspeice variations: 1 tbls curry powder 2 tsp cumin seed Combine all ingredients. Stuff into casings or make into chubs. For people with dietary restrictions forbidding pork, this next is particularly suitible. Scott Darrohn's venison sausage 4 lb venison,ground 1 lb beef fat 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp cayenne 2 tsp ground sage 1/2 tsp ground allspice Combine venison, beef fat, and seasonings and pass through meat grinder. With hands, shape; meat into 4-ounce patties. The sausage can be prepared any way you like it, or frozen for later use. This next is reminescent of Boudin sausages, but actually has a totally different flavor: Venison & Potato Sausage 10 lbs ground lean venison 10 tsp salt 2 tsp pepper 10 lbs ground raw potato 3 lb ground raw onion Sausage casings Grind meat, potatoes and onions separately first, then mix all together with salt & pepper and put through meat grinder a second time. Fill sausage casings by hand or with a sausage stuffer attachment on your meat grinder. Tie off or twist sausage into individual links or leave whole. Do not pack casings too tightly or they will burst when cooked. Wrap in meal sized packages and freeze. To serve, punch a few holes in the casing to release pressure as the sausage expands while cooking. Put frozen sausage in boiling water and let simmer for 45 minutes. If preferred you can add up to 3 lbs ground pork to the mixture before stuffing the casings. BTW, if all you have is ground meat, that's fine. But if you're starting with whole cuts, it's best to spread the herbs and spices on the meat before grinding. Then double grind the meat. This assures that the herbs and spices are evenly distributed throughout.

Here are a few of my favorites. They may not be too challenging but they are delicious. We're having Monte's Ham for dinner this Sunday :) Kima (Indian Meat Dish) 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb extra lean ground beef 1 or more Tablespoons curry powder 2 tsps salt tsp pepper 2 potatoes peeled & diced 2-3 tomatoes, diced Ground coriander Garlic powder 1 package frozen peas Saute onion in butter (I used 1 Tbsp). Add garlic and meat. Brown, then drain a bit (I didnÂt have much fat). Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper. Simmer. Then add tomatoes (I mash the tomatoes and meat at this point to get more juice and to make the ground meat fine). I saute the potatoes separate, then add to the mixture and let simmer about 15 minutes. I add some spaghetti sauce (marinara style) and water until I have a sauce because the tomatoes I buy donÂt make a lot of juice it seems. I taste for seasoning and add more curry powder plus some coriander and a bit of garlic powder. A few minutes before serving I add the peas and let simmer. If the Kima is too acidic, I add a bit of sugar. Serve with raita salad and naan (from Trader JoeÂs, baked 1-1/2 minutes in countertop oven). Can also serve with rice. Raita Salad (can halve this recipe for above Kima recipe) 2 (8 oz) containers plain yogurt 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced 4 or 5 radishes chopped ¼ cup red onion diced Ground coriander Pinch of Kosher salt Blend all ingredients, cover with wrap and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour. ***************************************************************************************** Chile & Tomato Saifun Noodle Salad ½ pound saifun (rice stick) noodles Dressing: ¼ cup rice vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar Zest and juice of 1 lime 2 tsps chile paste* 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsps fish sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil Soy sauce 2 ripe tomatoes, diced 1 small peeled cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds 2 tablespoons choped fresh mint 3 to 4 green onions, minced To prepare the noodles, soak them in a bowl of warm water for about 10-15 minutes to soften. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add the softened noodles, & cook until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the noodles & briefly rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and place in the refrigerator to chill. To prepare the dressing, mix together the vinegar, sugar, zest, juice, and chile paste in a medium bowl. Stir in the garlic and fish sauce. Slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified & thickened. Season to taste with the soy sauce and set aside. To finish the salad, place the chilled noodles in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, mint and green onions and toss well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat evenly. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes, then serve. *I use only 1 tsp of chile paste (sambal oulek)--this stuff is Hot! The author says you can add slices of pork tenderloin or bean sprouts. I added snow peas, bean sprouts and shrimp & sometimes have added more soy sauce. Source: CaprialÂs Bistro Style Cuisine **************************************************************************************** MonteÂs Ham 1 (15 lb) smoked ham, on the bone 1-1/2 cups orange marmalade 1 cup Dijon mustard 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 1 rounded tablespoon whole cloves Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut off the ham's tough outer skin and excess fat and discard. Put ham in a large roasting pan. With a long, sharp knife score it, making crosshatch incisions all over the ham about ½" deep and 1 inch apart. Roast the ham on the lower middle level of the oven for two hours. Remove it from oven, increase heat to 350 degrees and make the glaze. For the glaze, stir together the orange marmalade, mustard and brown sugar in a medium-size bowl. Stud ham with cloves, inserting one at the intersection of each crosshatch. Brush entire surface of ham generously with glaze (reserving some glaze) and return ham to the oven. Cook ham 1-1/2 hours more, brushing with glaze at least 3 times. Transfer ham to a cutting board or platter & allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. Carve and serve warm or at room temp. Source: Saveur Cooks Authentic American.

Here's one buy sooo much work! Stuffed Cabbage Head From Diana Rattray, This cabbage recipe was posted by Marie. 25 to 30 Cabbage leaves 3/4 cup uncooked rice 1 1/2 pint boiling water 2 tbsp. bacon drippings 1 med. onion, chopped fine 1 stick celery, chopped fine 1 cup lean ground beef 1 cup ground pork 1/2 cup cooked ham, chopped fine 1 egg, well beaten 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. red pepper 1 clove garlic, mashed A large white cotton cloth about 28 " square American or Velveeta cheese to grate Immerse cabbage leaves in salted boiling water; cook 2 to 3 min. or until wilted, adding a few at a time. Avoid crowding; drain and cool. Cook rice in boiling salted water 12 minutes; drain and transfer the rice to a large bowl. Cook ground pork in bacon drippings until brown, stirring occasionally. Add slat, pepper, garlic, onion, and celery, cook 5 minutes longer. Pour into cooked rice. Combine, rice, pork mixture, ham, ground beef, nutmeg, thyme, and egg, mix well and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Spread out the cloth. In center, place 4 cabbage leaves, to later resemble growing end of cabbage. Place about 1 tbsp. of mixture in center of each leaf and spread a bit. Continue building up the the head, using up the least attractive leaves first and placing dressing over each. Then at the last try and cover top and sides with the more perfect leaves, having used up all the dressing in the center. Bring up all 4 corners of the cloth and tie a string tightly and closely to the cabbage. In a large pot, pour 1 pint or more of water; place a rack or crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom. Place wrapped cabbage on rack, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook over med. heat. When water comes to a boil, reduce heat and cook 1 hour. When it is done, turn off the heat and let set covered for 10 minutes. Then untie string, unwrap, grate cheese over top, cover again for a couple of minutes, then gently lift our cloth and slip onto a platter. Serve sliced in wedges, cut like a cake, pass your favorite tomato sauce over each helping.