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Showing posts with the label Holidays

Southern Spoonbread

Southern Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a century-old Southern comfort food that has graced the tables across the South.     SOUTHERN SWEET CORN SPOONBREAD The Southern Spoonbread recipe is a classic Southern side dish.  It is creamy, moist cornbread that is more like a cornmeal-based souffle or delicate cornbread pudding.   This Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a quick and easy side dish. To make it, combine everything in a bowl, stir, and bake. It is a favorite around my house. We look forward to having it every year on our Easter menu. The recipe also works well for weeknight menus. It starts off with a box of Jiffy cornbread mix, then two kinds of corn, butter, eggs, and sour cream, simply delicious.

Carrot Souffle

This velvety, creamy souffle perfectly complements a holiday meal, providing a grand presentation. CARROT CASSEROLE Like sweet potato casseroles are to Thanksgiving, this carrot casserole is an essential Easter side dish that will surely delight all your guests!  It is rich, fluffy, and literally melts in your mouth.  Oh, so yummy! This recipe came to me from a good friend who has shared many of her recipes through the years.   I cherish recipes I have received from friends over the years.   They bring back so many memories to me when I make them.

Raspberry Coffee Cake

Raspberry Coffee Cake in the morning will start your day off to a fabulous start.  Serve it anytime for dessert, an afternoon snack, or my favorite breakfast. RASPBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE The recipe is based on my Very Blueberry Coffee Cake, switching out with fresh raspberries, butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream and sprinkled with a coarse finishing sugar. I grew up with something sweet on the table all the time because my mother had a charming sweet tooth, which she passed on to her four daughters.    Mother was an amazing baker.  Even though I learned from her, I wish I had written down more of her recipes and paid more attention when she baked.

Nutella Sweet Rolls

Nutella Sweet Rolls recipe follows a similar process to cinnamon rolls. They start with a soft, pillowy dough and are filled with the star of the recipe, Nutella, then iced with vanilla icing. Nutella Heavenly Sweet Rolls These ooey gooey sweet rolls are the most decadent breakfast treats you could ever imagine, either for breakfast or,  like at my house, for dessert. Nutella is an absolute favorite with my grandchildren, so I thought making Nutella Sweet Rolls would be appropriate for Valentine's breakfast or, why not, dessert :). These soft, sweet, fluffy sweet rolls are hassle free.   They only take 30 minutes to rise once, so you can spend your time making other special delicacies for your special day. As you see, these rolls are amazing plain, but to give them an additional gooeyness, I iced them with a rich buttery, vanilla icing.  A thin coat gives them a glorious shine and divine gooeyness. If you can't resist these sweet rolls, just take a look at these  sweet rolls an

Christmas Tea Cakes

Christmas Tea Cakes are festive tea cakes that are super easy to make with few ingredients, including two cake mixes. Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes This is the perfect recipe to use extra cake mixes you have on hand.  This recipe was inspired by all the cookie recipes that use cake mixes.  Another secret ingredient that is classic around the holidays is mincemeat pie filling. You will love the Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes if you love mincemeat pie.  I know there are some yays and nays when mincemeat is mentioned.    Growing up in the 60s, my family always had mincemeat pie during the holidays.  Mincemeat is a sweet concoction of dried fruit, spices, dark brown sugar, nuts, and beef. When I saw a jar of None Such Mincemeat pie filling in my cabinet, I wanted to try to make a cookie with some cake mixes I needed to use.   

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

  Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is simple to prepare and has as much flavor as a whole turkey.  Start with a bone in, skin on, and use the same seasonings, but the secret to the juiciest meat is the brining. CROCKPOT TURKEY BREAST This Crockpot Turkey Breast recipe is an excellent addition to serve extra white meat for your Thanksgiving meal, which my family loves.  We always run out of white meat, but not anymore. My recipe for Crockpot Turkey Breast is straightforward, with only 3 ingredients, turkey, poultry seasoning, and butter, that's it.  It turns out moist and flavorful every time.   Whether cooking a whole turkey or a turkey breast, the leftovers are always my favorite.   I love making turkey sliders, sandwiches, turkey soup, and my new recipe for turkey bubble up, which uses this year's leftovers.

Waldorf Salad

The Waldorf Salad recipe is straightforward and delicious and can be made with ingredients from your pantry.  It is ready in 15 minutes and easy for family gatherings or potlucks.    Granny's Classic Waldorf Salad I have been making this classic Waldorf Salad recipe for the holidays and special occasions for years. The recipe comes from my Mother.  It is one of my favorite recipes growing up. The original Waldorf Salad was introduced on March 14, 1893, at the Waldorf Istoria Hotel in New York by the first executive chef for a charity ball and became an instant success.  In years since, the original recipe, which consisted of apples, celery, and mayonnaise, has taken on more additions.

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad will elevate a meal for Kings or refresh a family potluck dinner.  The perfect salad with only six ingredients, including the creamy, tangy dressing. BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CREAMY DRESSING My recipe for delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is simple and quick to make, full of fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets, julienne red onions, and tossed in a dressing you want to drink.   Growing up, anytime we had a big gathering, Mother would cook the biggest meal, and the whole family would come.   Recipes like this classic Broccoli Cauliflower Salad totally remind me of those days of the love and care my Mother took in hosting all the family and celebrating us. Just like Mother, I keep this salad as simple as possible.  My family loves this salad year-round, especially around the holidays.   This brings up Thanksgiving around the corner, always a favorite.   I know this salad will become one of yours, too.

Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Summertime is the season to indulge in a perfect combination of tangy and sweet desserts like this Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake.     BLUEBERRY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE BARS These delightful Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake Bars have the perfect combination of flavors, the ease of the recipe, and the ease of carrying it somewhere.   Perfect for any celebrations, picnics, potlucks, or grand enough for any dinner party. Gooey Butter Cake has been around for many years.  It all started with the made from scratch version supposedly made by accident by a man in a St. Louis bakery.  Then, in the early 70s, Paula Deen introduced her version using a butter cake mix.  Since then, there have been many versions of the Gooey Butter Cake. With the ease of making recipes that call for few ingredients, I can whip up a batch of these bars in no time.   I had a couple of cups of blueberries that needed to be eaten, so I added them to the recipe.  The tartness of the lemon zest and cream cheese and the sweetness of t

Oven Smoked Brisket

Oven Smoked Brisket is tender meat that tastes like it has been smoked in a smoker for hours.  You don't need a smoker to enjoy this mouthwatering oven smoked brisket. Beef Brisket Smoked In The Oven The best Texas style brisket is tender without falling apart while slicing, and it has that thick layer of smoky, peppery bark surrounding each slice.  This recipe meets all of those standards. Brisket was a new cut of meat, you might say, at our house growing up as a teenager. When my mother first started cooking brisket, she would cook them in the oven at first, and then, when she got a smoker, she started smoking them. The best part about my mother cooking brisket was not how she cooked them but how she selected the one to buy. The briskets you buy in Texas are usually known as a packer cut—this means that it’s the entire chest muscle, and most of the time covered with a generous layer of fat and weighs anywhere from seven to eleven pounds. 

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with mini chocolate chips are sure to please everyone for a special occasion or any day.   These melt in your mouth chocolate chip pancakes are rich, buttery, light, and fluffy, and incredibly easy to make.  Top them with whipped cream, and fresh fruit, then drizzle them with warm pure maple syrup. Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes If you want to wow your guests with big smiles on their faces, tell them you are making Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes for breakfast. We love pancakes at our house, but when special occasions come, we pull out all the stops. Birthdays and sleepovers are some of our favorites. My buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes are fluffy, sweet pancakes with the tang of buttermilk seeping through, giving them the perfect morning dream come true. What I love about making pancakes is there are no crazy ingredients to come up with.  I mostly just need to make sure my buttermilk is fresh.  I use full fat buttermilk in my pancake recipe, yieldin

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a fast and easy recipe that is perfectly sweet with brown sugar and loaded with oatmeal. Oatmeal No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies This is a classic cookie recipe for those who can't have or just prefer not to eat chocolate. These Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a version of the famous  Chocolate No Bake Cookies  using cocoa powder that I grew up eating in the 50s.  I am especially a fan of no bake cookies during the summer months.  Not having to turn the oven on is a big plus. They always satisfy the craving for something sweet.  I love the moist, chewy texture and rich peanut butter flavor that just takes minutes to make, and the hardest part is waiting for them to set up so you can eat them. When my children were small, I would give them a spoon to scrape the sides of the pan and get all that yummy peanut butter mixture.

Buttery Lobster Tails

Buttery lobster tails served with garlic butter sauce will wow any dinner guest for any special occasion, especially Valentine's.  Incredibly Easy Lobster Tails When you think of lobster tails,  a pricy restaurant meal you could never cook at home comes to mind.  I used to be intimidated and feel the same way until I watched my son-in-law make them at home.   What a fun meal we had, you will want to start making them for special occasions. My son-in-law, Ben, and I love to cook together.  On most holidays and a weekend of trying new recipes,  we will get in the kitchen and cook together.   For Christmas, it is our  Standing Rib Roast , Easter is our  Whole Bone In Ham , and a tailgate appetizer is  Grilled Whole Jalapeno Poppers . For this recipe, I have included two methods of preparation with tips and tidbits, how to broil lobster tails and how to bake lobster tails. 

Linzer Pop Tarts

This recipe was first published in February 2012.  Updated December 2022 This is a pastry that takes on the elements of an Italian tart made with a buttery pastry, yielding the right amount of flakiness.  Simple and delicious, perfect for brunch. A Simple Jam Crostata A Crostata is one of those desserts that is known and made all throughout Italy, a rustic version of an open fruit tart. The shortbread crust is unique in that it is made with flour, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and baking powder.  It is filled with the traditional jam, but there are new ingredients that have swept across the United States, Nutella, ricotta, and pastry cream.  

Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

Warm gingerbread cake baked in a skillet on top of a sweet mixture of caramelized pears and flipped over to a stunning presentation, fancy enough for a Thanksgiving dessert. Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake The pairing of gingerbread and pears brings this cake to the forefront for the fall.   The pears hold up really well and play nicely with the cake's warm spices. Upside down cakes are famous here in the south, pineapple being the most traditional.    This Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake tastes and looks impressive and is made using a simple shortcut to save time and effort in the kitchen. The cake is moist and dense, just like I like it.  Usually, gingerbread cakes get better with age, but you will want to eat this cake in a day or two since the pears begin to soften.   The structure of the pears changes when cooked more than other fruits used in upside down cakes, such as pineapple, peaches, and apples. Serve thick slices of cake at a dinner party dessert or as an indulgent

Epic! Pumpkin Roll Bread Pudding

My love for a pumpkin roll and bread pudding is the inspiration for the recipe.   The flavors of fall spices in the tender pumpkin roll cake and the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting are the beginning of an epic bread pudding.     Pumpkin Roll Bread Pudding  The bread pudding takes on a whole new level of deliciousness using a pumpkin roll cake cut up into cubes, and to add more richness, a pumpkin puree custard is poured over all the cubes.  It is served with the Ultimate Custard Sauce, made with a secret ingredient.  

Smoked Salmon Roll Appetizer

Smoked Salmon Roll Appetizer sounds fancy, you might say.  Well, they are, yet they are straightforward to make. Do not be intimidated. Give them a try! SMOKED SALMON PINWHEELS   Make this elegant appetizer at your next gathering.   All you need is a few ingredients rolled into one fantastic bite, presliced smoked salmon, cream cheese, wasabi paste, cucumber, and avocado match sticks.    Be sure to make a double batch for your guest. They will go fast.   These Smoked Salmon Pinwheels are the perfect make-ahead appetizer, even a day ahead.  Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  There are so many variations you can make.   I think adding dill sprigs, pepper flakes, red onions, and what about capers?  Just go with it.  Make it your recipe for the occasion. I love recipes like this.  The add-ons are endless.   The whole recipe is leisurely.   I hope you will try making these Smoked Salmon Pinwheels for your next gathering.

Air Fryer TikTok Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

You don't have to heat up the oven for a quick and easy breakfast. Try making these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls in the air fryer.  You will not be disappointed . Air Fryer Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls I use my air fryer nearly every day in the summer months.  I am finding there is not much that I can't cook, bake, or grill in my air fryer.  I have been seeing the TikTok sensation for canned cinnamon rolls on every social media platform lately.  So I wanted to give them a try in my air fryer using sweetened pumpkin puree.  The viral TikTok cinnamon roll hack uses heavy cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon.   In this recipe, I combined the viral cinnamon roll hack ingredients with sweetened pumpkin puree to the heavy cream and adding pumpkin pie spice to the brown sugar. They are truly delicious, with pumpkin pie filling and cozy pumpkin pie spice in every bite, then topped with brown butter icing; oh my gracious, did I say delicious?

Irresistible Symphony Cake aka Better Than Anything Cake

Irresistible Symphony Cake, devil's food chocolate cake mix, infused with sweetened condensed milk, topped with whipped topping, drizzled with caramel ice cream topping, and sprinkled with chopped chocolate symphony candy bars.  Delectable. Irresistible Symphony cake is utterly decadent and a perfect treat to serve for any special occasion, but don't pass up any reason to make one.     My daughter in love made this one as a request from my grandson for his birthday, with a  scoop of ice cream on the side for a truly indulgent celebratory dessert. This is a moist, semi-homemade cake that everyone will love.   The rich, sweetened condensed milk adds to the moist texture of this confection.   Then there is the topping, with whipped topping, more richness with caramel sauce, and more richness with chopped Symphony candy bars.  Heavenly.

Extreme Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits

Patriotic Cheesecake Berry Parfaits are a perfect dessert for summer and cookouts with extreme layers of yumminess.   CHEESECAKE PARFAITS The parfait starts with a spoonful of leftover cheesecake, fresh berries, yogurt, and berry jelly.  Don't forget to top it off with a generous spoonful of granola.  Did I mention these are extreme? Are you looking for an easy and quick no-bake dessert for the summer? Try these Extreme Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits.