Monday, February 2, 2026
Home Blog Page 4481

The Covered Dish: Upside down German chocolate cake

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
-
0

Yum, I say, yum.  You are going to love this delicious cake recipe.  My good friend

P.J. Beisswenger gave it to me a couple of weeks ago.  P.J. (Pam) is my go to

cooking friend here in the Branson West area.  When I describe what this cake

tastes like to someone I call it ‘The Almond Joy’ cake.  As usual I took a bite of the

so-called icing that goes over the top of the cake at the end.  The moment I tasted

it I said to myself, ‘Almond Joy’.

Now let’s get a bit more detailed about the cake.  The most important thing is the

fantastic flavor, however the presentation is a bit lacking.  I highly suggest a

dollop of whipped cream or ice cream over the top.  One friend, a local chef, told

me just to put a layer of icing over the rather ‘rough’ top.  After you taste this

cake you’ll understand that another icing layer is not the ticket.

I would like to address the adding of the ‘icing’ in this dish.  When I made the cake

the first time I tried to smooth out the icing portion of the recipe.  This is really

not necessary, just try to drop even dollops so each serving contains the yum-

yum.

When I was growing up I remember my mother making a cake that we kids called,

‘Crater Cake’.  It contained Milky Way bars.  OK, this is what I would call an ‘aside’

in theatre.  I just called my mother.  She said that you certainly know how old her

Milky Way cake was because it lists how many ten cent candy bars to purchase!

While we were talking she says:  “I made a cake a couple of weeks ago called,

‘Earthquake Cake”.  She starts telling me about it and it’s the same cake as what

I’m featuring as:  Upside down German Chocolate Cake.  Different regions,

different names.

I suppose in cooking this is one of my most amusing topics.  Recipes that have the

same contents, just different names.  Often I’ll be featuring a recipe in a class and

guests will say:  ‘Oh we make that in North Dakota, but we call it ____ and we put

potatoes in the dish too.’

This weekend Silver Dollar City re-opens for the 2015 season.  I am saddened to

find my ‘project’ time coming to an end.  However it’s also exciting to look

forward to a new year and the possibilities that lie ahead.  I enjoy meeting new

people and continuing my friendships with established guests.

You know that spring is about here because track season has begun at school and

the youth are busy securing summer jobs.   The buds on our trees have been out

for quite some time and it appears the weather from the last two weeks has left

our plants and trees unscathed.   I’m not holding my breath though, on opening

weekend last year, the park closed due to a snowstorm!

I enjoy all the seasons, but it’s always good to see the ‘rebirth’ of green plants

after the dark days of winter.  Embrace the day, laugh more, and let the messy

house go for another day.  Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

www.thecovereddish.com

Upside down German Chocolate Cake

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix

(Prepare with Box Directions)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter-slight melt

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 (1 pound) box powdered sugar

(3 3/4 cups unsifted powdered sugar)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

9 x 13 glass or metal baking dish

Vegetable spray

Spray baking dish and across the bottom evenly sprinkle the coconut and chopped

pecans.  Prepare the cake mix exactly as the instructions state and pour over the

nuts and coconut.  Note this doesn’t spread well, so do a good job placing batter.

Now soften the butter and cream cheese and whisk together to blend.  Stir in the

powdered sugar until smooth.  Now place dollops of the icing over the cake.

Take the chocolate chips and sprinkle them over the top.  I chose a rather good

brand of chocolate instead of semi-sweet, and my hand was a bit over generous

with the chips.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-55 minutes.

There are no mistakes on the placement of the icing.  It goes down through the

cake and it’s just amazing.  The outcomes looks like a crater on top, but it’s

delicious.

From the archives of P.J. Beisswenger

I have decided that everyone should visit their friend’s kitchens more often.  One

day while Pam was teaching me how to make her famous oil pie crust I spied this

recipe someplace in her kitchen.  I said:  ‘Oh I’ve been looking for a good German

Chocolate Cake recipe, and this looks extremely interesting.’   If we would spend

more time with our mothers and grandmothers we would find many good recipes

within an arm’s reach!

A Cowboy’s Faith: Nothing Beats Classroom Times

By
Editor
-
0
Frank J Buchman
Frank Buchman

By:  Frank J. Buchman

 

“School days are the best days of our lives.”

 

Despite all of the vastly-appreciated things that have happened in our lifetime, those 16½ years in the classroom for our formal education still must outrank all others as the most important of all.

 

Reflecting our unbelievable blessings of faith with family, horses, ranch, friends, and profession, nothing can replace those good ole school days.

 

The fact has come to mind often over the past few years. First off, when somebody says they dislike school, then when we hear of children being schooled at home.

 

Schoolroom time was always exciting, most of all because of the other students and teachers, who remain our friends always. Such an important diverse exposure to living life at the fullest.

 

It came back Saturday morning when we went to the county 4-H club days, where we attended our first nine years of school.

 

It was Garfield Grade School, that students from the east side of town attended, while those west of the river went to Washington School. Most of the country kids were in rural one-room schools, for the first few years.

 

Today, it’s Council Grove Elementary School, still with nine class levels. All town kids go there, and it’s also attendance center for a wider area of rural students.

 

Actually, the facility is about three times as large as 60 years ago. But, the front entry is where we remember Mr. Fisher, the principle, coming out and ringing the large copper bell in his hand.

 

Down the hall, we walked and reflected which class was in each room, our teacher, and even musings of occurrences there. Interestingly, Mrs. Gibson’s room, where we attended first grade 58 years ago, was location of the instrumental solos we sat down to hear.

 

What was the gym is now more classrooms, and the boy’s restroom, with obvious renovations, was what used to be for girls. We reminisced Billy running into us on the ball field permanently scaring our left temple, Mrs. Kahle kicking us out of the fifth grade, and more.

 

Reminds us of Sirach 51:23: “All need instruction learned in school.” Because, Hebrews 5:12: “You still need someone to teach you the first lessons.” Thus, Wisdom 8:8: “Knowledge knows history lessons to anticipate the future.” And, Psalm 85:1: “God brought good times back.”

 

+++ALLELUIA+++

Do We Really Need this? Maybe so

By
Steve Gilliland
-
0

There is an old adage that says if you drop a frog into boiling water it will

immediately jump out, but if you put that same frog into a pot of cool water then

slowly raise the water temperature to boiling, the frog will likely be boiled. The

gist of the proverb is that we will instantly react to sudden changes around us, but

if those changes come slowly and subtly, it may be too late to properly react once

we notice.

House Concurrent Resolution 5008 just now starting its journey through the

Kansas legislature would amend the state constitution to guarantee Kansas

residents the right to hunt, fish and trap wildlife here in our state. My first

reaction was “Do we really need this?” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to

become like the frog in the pot and eventually lose my hunting, fishing and

trapping rights after years of slow and subtle attacks on those rights by the likes

of PETA and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.) But this is Kansas

after all, and I really don’t worry much about us Kansans being out-muscled nor

out-witted by that sort of thinking. I also know that federal law still trumps state

law, so we can pass all the laws and resolutions we want here in KS, but if

something contrary gets passed at the federal level, it’s all for naught. I could only

hope that the bills coauthors Adam Lusker from Fontenac and Travis Couture-

Lovelady from Palco had some reasoning in mind that I was missing.

I spoke with Rep. Lusker on the phone and here are some points they hope to

make with this proposed constitutional amendment. First, they want its passage

to show groups like PETA and HSUS just how seriously we Kansans value our right

to hunt, fish and trap,  making them think twice about trying to force their

agendas here in Kansas; sort of  the ounce-of-prevention-is-worth-a-pound-of-

cure principle.

Secondly they want to show Kansas sportsmen and women that our state leaders

take our hunting, fishing and trapping rights seriously enough to do whatever

they have to do to protect them. Also by doing this they want sportsmen across

the country to take notice that Kansas also wants their business as well.

If ratified by two-thirds of the house and two-thirds of the senate, House

Concurrent Resolution 5008 will appear on the ballet in the next regular election

year, 2016. If passed by the voters in Kansas, that should add even more teeth to

its intent. I’m still not sure we need an amendment to our state constitution to

guarantee our right to hunt, fish and trap here in the state of Kansas, but things

take awhile to grow on me. I have to say that the points presented to me by Rep.

Lusker were very valid and thought-provoking. In the mean time, let’s all exercise

those rights to the fullest and Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected]

Towanda offering Tuesday night yoga classes

By
Editor
-
0

An adult yoga class is being continued at 6 p.m. Tuesday nights at the Wilbur Wiens Community Center in Towanda. For information about the class, please call the City of Towanda at (316) 536-2243.

 

Alumni basketball tournament set for Sedgwick High

By
Editor
-
0

This year’s Sedgwick High School Alumni Basketball Tournament has been scheduled for April 3-4. Anyone who wishes to participate or volunteer is encouraged to speak with someone with the Sedgwick County Backers, or contact the group through its Facebook page.

1...4,4804,4814,482...4,788Page 4,481 of 4,788

Kansas News, Auctions & Classifieds

Trending

Categories

© Rural Messenger