Red Velvet Cake

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 ounces red food coloring 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon white vinegar

	Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.
	Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.
	Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I just made  NY cheesecake for the middle layer, I will post that recipe later. It is from my Juniors cookbook.
.	Frosting I just throw my frosting together  2 8oz cream cheese 1/4 cup butter 1 t vanilla Powder sugar Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and enough powder sugar to your taste.

Herb StuffedPork Roast

1 Pork rib with six ribs
3 cups fresh parsley
3 T Olive Oil
1 T fennel seed, rushed
3 cloves garlic
1/3 c golden raisins
2 T flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 T grainy mushroom seed

Let pork sit at room temp. 30 minutes Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, puree parsley,oil, fennel seed and garlic until smooth. Add raisins; pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.I asked my butcher to butterfly my pork to save me a little time. Butterfly pork being careful not to remove bones. Spread herb mixture evenly over pork and roll up tightly towards bones, secure with twine between bones season wth salt and pepper. Place pork in a heavy bottom roasting  pan.Roast until a instant thermometer inserted in center reads 145 about 60 minutes.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup and skim off fat. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth into pan scraping  up brown bits with a wooden spoon cook until reduced in half. Whisk in flour, then slowly wisk in remaining 2 cups broth, whisking until gravy is thicken about four minutest . Stir in mustard and seasonn with salt and pepper. Cut pork and serve with gravy.

Gumdrop cookies

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tea nutmeg
1 tea cinnamon
1/2 tea cloves
2 cups flour
1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup gumdrops
1/2 cup pecans

Heat oven to 375°. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter, shortening, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients, except gumdrops, and beat until a soft dough forms. Then add gumdrops and nuts 
Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cook