Twice a year, you’ll find me menu planning and downing allergy medicine in preparation for the “works”. Fall works consist of weaning calves and preg-checking cows. For me, on this ranch, that means 7-10 days of ranch cooking for cowboys. That also means I’ve got a delicious Pecan Praline Cake recipe to share with you!
Here’s an interesting fact, about me, that I bet many of you don’t know! Sometime around 2005, I became allergic to cattle & horses. I don’t know why and can’t remember when but one minute I was braiding the horses’ manes and the next I was sneezing with itchy/watery eyes and my throat was closing up. Crazy, right?! As you can imagine, being married to a cowboy, I have to keep allergy medicine handy all the time!
Anyways, for the last several days, I’ve been cooking for cowboys, here at the Double M, and that requires a menu plan. The ranch will pay for groceries and pay me $x per plate for doing all the cooking. My menu looked a little bit like this for this year’s fall works and is always subject to change, especially if I burn something. Yes, that’s happened
I tried to make Tues-Fri as easy as possible! Everything was either a casserole or made in a slow cooker. The most work was making tortillas for the King Ranch Casserole and Carne Guisada and the cleanup, of course. My menu plan is based on the kind of days my husband has planned out. If they’re gonna have long days, where they have a lot more to do after lunch, I know they’re not gonna eat as much. Or if he tells me he’s not sure what time they’ll be able to come in and eat, I try to make something that will stay warm for a long time and still taste good.
Despite my lack of love for ranch cooking, I do enjoy seeing the cowboys eat. They’ve been working since before sun-up and deserve a good, hearty meal. Whether or not what I made that day, is truly good or not, will always be a mystery since they tell me everything I make is great. I know for a fact that it’s not all been great but at least they’re gracious enough to pretend. I’m thankful for their manners and prayer before meals.
Well, I guess you’re probably tired of me rambling and ready for the Pecan Praline Cake recipe, so here it is! I hope y’all enjoy it as much as we did!
P.S. Something I realized I didn’t have, was dessert plates! I’m loving all the melamine rustic dinnerware. Do y’all use dessert plates?
- 1 box Betty Crocker Butter Pecan Cake Mix
- 16 oz. can of Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup of Canola Oil
- 1 cup of half-and-half
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 Tbs butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Preheat Oven to 350'
- Grease or spray 9x13 baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the cake ingredients except for the chopped pecans. Mix well.
- Add chopped pecans and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.
- Add condensed milk and stir.
- Heat thoroughly, then add chopped pecans.
- Stir again to combine and remove from heat.
- Pour over the entire cake.
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