The Cosmo

I'm interrupting this "Mennonite Monday" because I keep forgetting my camera at work which has my Mennonite Monday pictures on it I need to finally post the pictures of our hotel in Vegas, since that trip was over a month ago.   

 We had an amazing room at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.  This hotel opened in December and was very modern.  One of my favorite things was when you walked in there was a button that said "Hello" when you pressed it all the lights came on.  The other button was "Goodbye" when you pressed it, all the lights dimmed until it was dark.  

The above picture was the sitting area when you entered our room. 

 This was the desk and TV in the sitting area. 

 Across from the TV/Desk. 

 The bedroom. 

 Across from the bed.  To the left you see a window into the bathroom. 

 The bathroom

 The walk in shower

 The bathtub 

We had a little balcony, which was nice.  It didn't face the strip, but we could see a lot of people in the adjacent hotel rooms getting ready for bed. Which provided some free entertainment.

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Every week I plan to do a better job of blogging and every week life gets in the way.  Hopefully this week I can actually do a better job of posting more than once.  

Mennonite Monday - Breakfast Bundt Cake

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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This week I needed a coffee cake to take to a morning meeting, so I used this opportunity to make the Breakfast Bundt Cake (pg 59 W).  It was a great recipe that went together quickly and was very moist.  

Breakfast Bundt Cake 

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 pkg vanilla instant pudding

3/4 cup corn oil

3/4 cup water

4 med. or 3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

 1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl cinnamon

Grease bundt pan. Mix nuts, sugar and cinnamon.  Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil and water.  Mix well.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.  Beat 6-8 minutes on high speed.  Layer batter and cinnamon mixture, starting and ending with batter.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.  Cool in pan for 8 minutes remove and glaze with the following: 

 1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp oleo

1 Tbl milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla

 I started out by mixing this in a bowl and then I realized that I was going to need to beat the mixture for 6-8 minutes, so I decided to switch to the mixer. 

 The batter was really smooth, which I would not have been able to do by hand. 

 The recipe never stated when to add the vanilla, so I added it after the eggs.  

 Fully mixed batter. 

 I used the Pam for baking, which was a great product for this type of baking. 

 The cinnamon, sugar, nut mixture went much further than I thought it would. 

 After baking. 

 Following the flip.  I had no problems with the cake sticking to the pan.  

 I mixed the frosting the night before, so all I needed to do in the morning was pour it on. 

 The final product. 

The layers of cinnamon, sugar and nuts made a nice swirl in the cake.  

Mennonite Monday - Chuck Wagon Burgers

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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This week I decided to pick a main dish that would go together quickly, so I decided on Chuck Wagon Burgers (pg 168W).  They were a nice change up from sloppy joes, as so known as bbq sandwiches, because they had a different flavor but are the same concept.  

Chuck Wagon Burgers

1 lb hamburger, browned

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbl flour

1 tsp salt 

2/3 cup ketchup

1 cup 7-up

After the hamburger is browned add the onion and pepper and then the remaining ingredients and cook for another 5-10 min.  Serve on hamburger buns.  

 Mike and I had been out of ground beef for a few months and we just go a half of a beef and it is so nice to have ground hamburger again.  

 I skipped the chopped onion and green pepper and just added minced dried onion. 

 Browned and ready to go. 

 Adding chili powder

 worcestershire sauce

 flour, pepper and salt 

 ketchup 

 7-up

 Mixed up and ready

We added some melted cheese to our sandwich, which was a good combination. 

What happens

In Vegas ... Stays in Vegas

Unless you trip consisted of walking a and seeing good friend, then you can tell whoever you want.

Mike and  I decided that it would be fun to go to Vegas.  When we found out our friends from Oklahoma were going to Vegas, we booked our ticket and a week later we were Vegas bound.

Mike had never been to Vegas and I have only been one, when I was in junior high. We did a little gambling, hung out with friends and walked A LOT.

Here are some of the sights at night.

 (our hotel: The Cosmo)

Mennonite Monday - Cocoa MIx

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

~

With the surprisingly cold weather that turned up this spring I thought it would be nice to make Cocoa Mix (pg 1W). To be honest, this was not may favorite recipe.  It wasn't sugary or chocolatey enough for me.  I'm guessing that our tastes are inclined to like more sweet flavors now then they were when this recipe was written.  If I were to make it again, I would cut the dry milk in half and keep the same amount of cocoa and powdered sugar.  Here is the recipe. 

Cocoa Mix

10 cups dry milk (powdered) 

5 Tbl cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

Mix and store in air-tight container.  For serving add 3 Tbl mix to one cup hot water; stir to dissolve.  

 Dry milk

 Cocoa (not Nestle Quick)

 Powder Sugar 

 Mix it all together. 

 All mixed together.  You can tell it is not as dark as the hot chocolate mix we are use to. 

All mixed up and ready to drink.  

You can give this recipe a try, but try it on a smaller scale with more cocoa and powdered sugar.