I've made several chocolate cakes over the years, and I've never had one that beats this recipe! This recipe was passed down from my grandmother, GeGe, so I think of her every time I make it! It's super easy and so moist. It pairs amazingly well with this frosting recipe: That’s the Best Frosting I’ve Ever Had | Tasty Kitchen Blog
If you've never tried making frosting like this, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!
I still have no idea where the name "blue goose" came from! Ha!
GeGe's Blue Goose Cake
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (I love using Hershey's Special Dark!)
- ¼ lb butter (1 stick of butter)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (or 10 oz by weight)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 8 oz sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda. In a saucepan, melt the butter, water, and cocoa powder with a whisk until combined. Pour the hot cocoa mixture over the dry ingredients. Add in the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and mix well (I use a hand mixer).
- Pour into a greased and floured tube or bundt pan and bake for 50-60 min
or
- Divide into 2 greased and floured cake pans (8 inches) and bake for 40-45 minutes
or
- 24 cupcake liners in a muffin pan... check these at about 18 minutes
We loooooove this breakfast casserole. It's great to make in advance when you have overnight guests. #easybutton #alwaysacrowdpleaser
The Best Breakfast Casserole
3 slices of whole wheat bread, cubed (or if you're fancy like me and you make your own bread, use that! Here's my favorite go-to bread recipe. I make a loaf every 2-3 days for my family to enjoy!)
¼ cup butter, melted
10 oz shredded cheddar cheese (in my opinion, nothing beats Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
12 eggs
1½ cups half & half (or milk of your choice)
1 tsp salt
1-2 drops Black Pepper Vitality
2 tsp dry mustard
1 lb turkey sausage
2-3 big handfuls fresh organic baby spinach, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the turkey sausage well in your favorite skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any remaining liquid. Melt the butter and mix well with the cubed bread, then add the cheese. Beat the eggs, half & half, salt and Black Pepper Vitality. Dissolve the dry mustard in 1 Tbs warm water and then add to the egg mixture. Now mix everything together and pour it into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for about 50 minutes, and voila!
Discover a delightful twist on a classic with this Greek Yogurt Caesar Dip recipe that doubles as a salad dressing. The perfect harmony of tart apple cider vinegar, creamy Greek yogurt, and robust Dijon mustard creates a base that's both zesty and smooth. Accentuated with Parmesan cheese and a hint of garlic, this dip promises to elevate the taste of raw veggies to a gourmet level.
Enhancing this already delectable mix are a few drops of Lemon Vitality essential oil, infusing the dip with a bright, citrusy note that's both refreshing and sophisticated. Whether you're dressing a crisp salad or searching for a creamy complement to your veggie platter, this blend achieves a balance of flavors that cater to various palates.
For those preferring a thinner consistency, the recipe allows for customization with the addition of water, making it versatile enough to serve as either a rich dip or a light dressing. This clever use of household ingredients combined with the elevated touch of essential oil makes for an innovative recipe that's sure to impress at any table.
Read more...I had no idea it was this SIMPLE and EASY to make homemade mayo! It's been on my list to try for years, and I finally did it recently. I won't go back to storebought after this! 1) it's cheaper than good, clean mayo ... and 2) it's legit the best tasting mayo I've ever had!
Homemade Avocado Oil Mayo
- 1 egg
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup pure avocado oil (I love this one: https://amzn.to/3STjl6q)
- 1½ Tbs raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (my fam doesn't like lemon 😒 so I've been using the raw ACV instead)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt to taste - I do about 1/4 tsp
Add all of the ingredients into a mason jar. Use an immersion blender (like this one: https://amzn.to/49JzsKO) by putting it all the way to the bottom before turning on, then once you turn it on, pull it upward slowwwwly. It will all magically transform into mayo! It's pretty cool! Blend for a minute or 2 until it thickens up a bit. I keep this in the fridge and try to use it within a week or so. I haven't put it to the test to see how much longer it will last! 😆
With tons and TONS of brands of essential oils on the market these days, a big question is "why Young Living?" Let's chat about it!
There are a few reasons I only get my essential oils from YL, but the biggest reason is because there are hardly ANY regulations on essential oils. Crazy, right?! Unlike food, you can't rely on labels to tell you what's inside.
For example, companies are allowed to claim a bottle of oil contains 100% pure essential oil (frankincense, for example) but it only ACTUALLY has to contain 5% of said oil. So, the other 95% could be chemical extenders, synthetic fragrances, fillers, etc. But the bottle will say 100% pure. Ummmm… what?!
So if there aren’t any regulations placed on any companies, then what makes Young Living any different?
Young Living has what is called their ‘Seed to Seal’ promise. They own their own farms, or partner with farms around the world, and run their own distilleries, all of which are onsite on their farms (no other essential oil company in the world has this!). From the time they plant seeds on their own farms (which they only use essential oils on for pest control, no pesticides or anything unnatural) to the time they seal the bottles, they are in full control of the process. So, the most quality control any brand can offer. In a market full of essential oils that you can’t necessarily trust their labels, I find a lot of comfort spending my money on a company that is totally transparent about their process. And not only are they very transparent, but they are also passionate about their hands on farming practices. They truly practice the art of organic farming and take so much pride in their old school methods. In fact, you can even go visit their farms! You can explore, chat with the farmers, feel the soil with your own hands, smell the plants with your own nose, view oils distilling with your own eyes. They have nothing to hide, which is why I trust them and only them.
The other main reason is because Young Living’s oils obtain the plant material's therapeutic properties. YL distills each and every one of its oils to ensure they reach their highest potential. Some distillations are fairly short, and others take much longer. Less expensive oils, like the ones you see at health food stores or on Amazon, will generally just distill all of their oils for the same amount of time, across the board. Meaning they're really only suitable for fragrance and they are devoid of all of the powerful benefits that therapeutic oils contain. There is so much that goes into properly distilling essential oils, and Young Living does it right!
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE!
CYPRESS ESSENTIAL OIL: which has 280 known chemical constituents.
* If it is distilled for 20 hours you only get 20 properties.
* If distilled for 26 hours you get NONE of the properties.
* Most market cypress is distilled for 3.5 hours.
* The correct length of time for distilling cypress is 24 hours to get the full 280 properties.
If you want Cypress to do the job it is intended to do, you MUST get ALL 280 constituents, no more, no less. Most people don't realize essential oils have chemical properties in them and in order to get the full benefit out of that particular oil it has to be grown, harvested, and distilled the correct way or the oil contains no benefit to us. 🤯
If you want to truly have the transformative experience that I’ve had with oils, and to really experience the true power of plants, you have got to get the good stuff! You definitely get what you pay for! 🙂 Are you ready to dive in? Join me and grab a starter bundle here.
