Posts under ‘holidays’

What kids’ birthday would be complete without a delicious birthday cake? I baked up this Elmo creation in honor of my daughter’s recent birthday. I wish I could tell you that the frosting was made with all natural ingredients and with colorings found in nature, but, unfortunately, that was not the case. Red is an [...]

It’s almost Valentines Day - time to start thinking about your sweetie. If store-bought flowers and candy aren’t your thing, how about baking some cookies? These window jam cookies are simple to make - just a few steps more than rolled sugar cookies.
To make, cut out the same number of windows and backs (I like [...]

The holidays are long past, so it’s time to do something with that ham bone that got stashed in the freezer and is taking up altogether too much space. I purchased a bag of 15 different beans for bean soup before the holidays and now’s the time to use it.
Bean soup is a quick and [...]

I decided to surprise my husband last night with one of his favorite treats - homemade granola. I had made this recipe dozens of times, and then it somehow ended up at the back of my recipe box and forgotten about. But this past weekend’s trip to Costco resulted in a great big bottle of [...]

Caramel sauce was one of those things on my list that sounded too complicated to make. I had researched recipes, and they all seemed so, well, scientific to me. The sugar had to be melted to a certain temperature, or the cream had to be a certain type, and it just seemed like too much [...]

The next time you need an elegant dessert - for the holidays or any time of year - try poached pears. A beautiful presentation with golden syrup drizzled over glossy pears, the dessert only looks difficult - if you can boil water, you can make this surprisingly easy treat. Better yet, you can make [...]

Tis the season for all thing peppermint - candy canes and other minty treats are appearing on store shelves, and peppermint flavored drinks on the coffee house menus. I love peppermint lattes and mochas, but would much rather have the convenience of making them at home than venturing out in the cold to get one, [...]

After all these pumpkinny posts, you’d think that would be enough, right? Well - apparently not. I have one last pumpkin recipe up my sleeve, and it’s a good one: pumpkin trifles.
These little goodies are as easy to make as they are impressive to serve.  In fact, it doesn’t even require a recipe. You’ll need [...]

The other day, I had one of those slap-your-forehead, duh! moments. I was getting ready to decorate some sugar cookies with colored sugar when I realized I didn’t have the color I needed. Halfway out the door to make an emergency grocery store run, it hit me - why not make my own colored sugar?
It [...]

We’re getting closer and closer to U.S. Thanksgiving, and I’m still finessing this year’s menu. New twists on old favorites are always fun for guests and the cook, and side dishes are no exception.
This year’s table will feature Sweet Potato Risotto, a fall twist on a classic, creamy