Italian Cream Cake

Here's one of my favorite classic cakes!  I love to serve this one after a nice Italian dinner.  It wows everyone presented on a beautiful pedestal.

Italian Cream Cake

Cream together 1 stick margarine and 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco, add 2 cups sugar and beat until very smooth.  Separate 5 eggs.  Set aside whites and beat until stiff.  Add yolks to the mixture.  Alternately add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup buttermilk to mixture.  Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts and 3/4 cup coconut.  Fold in egg whites.

Pour into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until cake tests done.  

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting and top with more coconut.

This is such an impressive cake to serve to guests.  The consistency of the cake is very fluffy.  I just wowed some teacher friends with this dessert.  They loved the combination of the coconut and walnuts in the cake.

The Best Ribs Ever

Tony makes the best ribs ever!
Our friend, Danni, showed us how she oven-bakes them.  
And Tony's rub spice blend is unbeatable.
Here's how it's done.

Mix together:

1 / 2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 / 4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 / 2 tsp paprika
1 / 4 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 / 4 tsp chili powder

Place ribs on a foil lined baking sheet.  Rub the mixture liberally on both sides of ribs.

Cover with foil, then bake at 290 degrees for 3 1 / 2 hours.

They will look like this.

Spread your favorite barbecue sauce all over the top.
Put them back into a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes - uncovered!

The meat will literally fall off the bones.  You can eat these with a fork.  They are the most tender and flavorful ribs we've ever had.  Enjoy!!