Southern Fig Preserves Cake: Gifts from the Heart

I think everyone appreciates a homemade gift during the holiday season. It is special and shows you have put some thought into the gift. Consider “Southern Fig Preserves Cake.” The cake is unique, definitely has a Louisiana or Southern charm and is a moist, crunchy and delicious cake. A friend suggested the recipe and she even took photographs and shared her experience “writing a blog post.” I made the recipe, too, here is my mini-loaf.old-fashioned-southern-fig-preserves-cake-img_2302_1

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Pears in Puff Pastry with Chocolate Praline Liqueur Sauce

Here’s a classy dessert for a holiday dinner: “Pears in Puff Pastry with Chocolate Praline Liqueur Sauce.” This dessert is elegant, not too sweet and has a pleasant fruit flavor mixed with a chocolate praline liqueur sauce. It’s not a rich or heavy dessert — a perfect ending to a holiday meal. And it sends a message to your guests about how much you love to cook and how creative you are.pear-in-puff-pastry-with-chocolate-praline-liqueur-sauce-8-img_2348 Continue reading

Delicious Stuffed Acorn Squash, Let’s Cook Something New

Let’s cook something new. Winter squash are in season in grocery stores; my favorite is acorn squash. The squash has a mild, almost sweet flavor with the texture like a pumpkin. It’s easy to cook–just add margarine, salt and pepper. Or for something more fancy add a stuffing; both ways are delicious. A local grocery store featured winter squash in a large bin; I had to purchase several and that sent me scrambling to my recipe file to locate a favorite recipe.acorn-squash-img_0780_1

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Election Day Easy Cheesecake Bites

It’s Election Day! We’re voting today.Every vote counts as we elect a new President. Regardless of whomever you favor; I’m relieved that the rhetoric will be over.  For a special election day tribute, I’m making Easy Cheesecake Bites. These individual mini-cheesecakes are absolutely delicious. The are simple and easy to make; a great dessert for a celebration, party, buffet or wedding reception.easy-cheesecake-bites-img_1985 Continue reading

Healthy Halloween Treats: Homemade Graham Cracker S’mores and More

Last night was Halloween, definitely an American tradition. We participated in trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, as we have done for as long as I can remember. This year we counted 355 trick-or-treating youngsters that stopped by our house for candy. For safety, we only pass out pre-packaged candy. But here’s another idea for a healthy trick-or-treat snack: homemade graham cracker s’mores. This week I show how to make s’mores and photos of a sampling of the trick-or-treaters who came to our door on Halloween with interesting costumes including a very good Trump impersonation..smores-and-homemade-graham-crackers-img_1692

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