We first published this recipe in July of 2015 and I just have to bring it out again. It is awesome for dutch cooking when you go camping this summer. Like Ah-mazing! But at home, my favorite is the cast iron skillet. Seriously good stuff.

Do you know what is completely awesome about this recipe? It is super versatile. Add cinnamon, nuts, serve it with ice cream, and it is all good. Do you have fresh peaches? That works, too. 

Amazing Peach Cobbler Recipe Your Grandkids Would Love

Little Known Facts About Peach Cobbler

As the name implies, it requires two of everything (except peach) to prepare it. 

Peach Cobbler is a dessert consisting of canned peach (or less commonly fresh peach fruit) filling, poured into a large baking dish and covered with a batter, before being baked. Some of the recipes, especially in the American South, resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dish pie with both a top and bottom crust. It is part of the cuisine of the United Kingdom and the United States, and should not be confused with a crumble.

As seen here, the general cobbler recipe originated in the British American colonies. English settlers could not make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits, scone batter, or dumplings, fitted together.

The origin of the name cobbler, recorded from 1859, is uncertain: it may be related to the archaic word cobeler, meaning wooden bowl. The term may be due to the topping having the visual appearance of a cobbled stone pathway rather than smooth paving.

Here Is What You Will Need

• 1 Large 29 ounce can of sliced peaches – drained
• 2 sticks or one cup of butter – melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°.

Before anything else, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the temperature that allows for browning and ensures it gets all the glorious flavors.

Step 2: Pour drained can of peaches into the skillet or 9×13 baking dish.

Be sure to drain the peaches, if you are using canned peaches. It might also interest you to know that canned peaches are safe to use.

A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture finds that canned peaches (yes, from the grocery store canned aisle) are as loaded with nutrients as fresh peaches. … In addition, canned had comparable levels of vitamin E and a lot more folate than fresh. You can learn more here.

Step 3: Pour melted butter over the peaches.

Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9×13 inch baking dish. To allow the butter to melt, you can place it in the oven while it preheats. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.

Step 4: Mix sugar, flour, milk, salt, and baking powder together to form the batter.

In a large bowl mix, the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter, and smooth it into an even layer. This forms the batter.

Step 5: Spoon peaches over the batter.

Use a spoon to place the canned peaches (or fresh peaches and juice) over the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top if you wish.

Step 6: Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty to forty-five minutes until the edges become crispy and the top turns golden brown.

Step 7: May take longer in a cast-iron skillet.

If you are using a cast-iron skillet, you should know that this may take longer than 40 minutes.

Step 8: Serve

You may decide to serve it warm or cold. Either way, it is delicious.

The Recipe – Simple And So Delicious

Print

Two Two Easy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1 large 29 ounce can sliced peaches - drained
• 2 sticks or 1 cup of butter - melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Pour drained can of peaches into skillet or 9x13 baking dish.
• Pour melted butter over the peaches.
• Mix sugar, flour, milk and baking powder together to form batter.
• Pour batter over peaches and butter.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until top is golden brown and edges are crispy.
• May take longer in a cast iron skillet.

Check Out The Video For This Recipe

Other Variations Of Cobbler Recipe

1. Grunt

Grunt is typically cooked on the stovetop, or in an iron skillet or pan, with the dough on top in the shape of dumplings. They reportedly take their name from the grunting sound they make while cooking. 

2. Apple Pan Dowdy 

Apple Pan Dowdy is another variation of the cobbler recipe. It is an apple cobbler whose crust has been broken and perhaps stirred back into the filling. This originated in North America.

3. Betty

Betty is also known as Brown Betties. It is made with breadcrumbs (or bread pieces, or graham cracker crumbs), and fruit, usually diced apples, in alternating layers. They are baked covered and have a consistency like bread pudding.

Nutrition Facts (Per 100g)

These facts were provided by the United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

• Calories 65
• Total Fat 0 g
• Saturated Fat 0 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg
• Potassium 54 mg
• Sodium 7 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 18 g
• Dietary Fiber 0.7 g
• Sugar 11g
• Protein 0.3 g

Peaches Go Well With…

To your peach cobbler recipe, you can include any of the following. It goes well with these. 

• Herbs & Spices: allspice, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, mint, basil, ginger, honey, tarragon, rosemary, and lemongrass.
• Produce: berries, lemon, arugula, tomato, fennel, endive, grapes, lime, greens, other stone fruits like nectarines, apricots, cherries, plums.
• Dairy & Other: kefir, buttermilk, butter, bourbon, brandy, butter, cream, ice cream, mascarpone cheese, vinegar, wine, sugar, and yogurt.
• Savory: pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pork, pesto, prosciutto, and poultry.

Storing Peach Cobbler

The leftover peach cobbler should be stored covered in the refrigerator. It will help keep the cobbler topping from getting too mushy. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.

You can also freeze baked cobbler once it has cooled, however, the topping may become soggy once defrosted. To freeze unbaked cobbler, prepare fruit and topping in an oven-safe baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cobbler in the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes longer than the recipe directs

Substitute For Baking Powder Used In Peach Cobbler

If you do not have the cream of tartar on hand and your recipe has an acidic ingredient present, then you can substitute the baking soda for baking powder. In place of baking powder, you can use baking soda. Use 1/4 the amount of baking soda than the amount of baking powder called for in the recipe.

How To Peel Fresh Recipe

If you are using freshly plucked peach, you can leave the skin on the peaches for Cobbler. Since the skins on the sliced peaches will soften during baking, they’ll be very tender in the final dish. But if you’d rather not have them in your cobbler or other peach recipes, it’s perfectly OK to peel the peaches first.

To peel the skin, place the peach in boiling water for about 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the boiling water and place it into a bowl filled with ice and water. As soon as the peach is cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove the softened skin.

Interested In Learning More!

What else is there to love about this recipe? Our family fights over the crunchy edges. We like a little butter overload. Those crunch edges are pure heaven and a perfect foil to the tender interior.

My hubby raved about this recipe after a friend made it for us. She lives on a farm near us in VA, and her down-home, southern cooking is to die for.  She lets me pick up fresh milk whenever we drive by her place on the way to and from the lake. She likes to cook with fresh ingredients. But with all she has to do on a farm, she doesn’t have much time and needs to get food on the table fast.

This recipe is so easy! Two, two easy because it pretty much takes two of everything to make it. Anyway, it is easy to make and easy to remember because it takes 1 can of peaches, and two of everything else.

Make sure to use a 12 inch cast iron skillet so that the whole cobbler bakes through.  I love my skillet and you can get yours HERE.

Grab your skillet and get baking this perfect southern cooking favorite. Even though the recipe is super easy, you can print it out below and make it as often as you like. Fairy grandmothers will love sharing this recipe with their grandkids because the kids can handle this. It is a perfect recipe for having little ones join you in the kitchen.

For More Easy Homemade Recipes Like This, Check These Other Posts We Have For You:

• Paula Deans Oooey Gooey Butter Cake
• Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
• Monkey Butter  Recipe
• Soy Sauce And Brown Sugar Salmon Marinade Recipe
• Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake Recipe

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With a few simple supplies you will be able to have a spring clean bathroom in 2 minutes! A few pro tips and some key supplies picked up at Walmart can have your bathroom company ready in a flash. Don’t think you can do it? You really can if you have a plan and work smart. A big thank you to Clorox for sponsoring this post!Dear Readers, I would like to reintroduce you to my imaginary friend Candy Dish. For those who have been following us since, well, forever, you may remember her from one of my most popular posts Easy Shower Mold Solution which I wrote back in 2013. Clorox was Candy’s friend then, and Clorox is Candy’s friend now. Candy Dish has been my friend since I was quite little and she has always been an important part of handling embarrassing situations for me. Like, say, when the entire box of cereal spilled out all over the floor. That was Candy. She can be clumsy like that. I should have thought to use her when I wrecked my parent’s car. But I don’t think she would have taken that one on. The bounds of friendship only go so far.

Candy Dish is willing today to extend her friendship by sharing a recent embarrassing social situation. She is not the best of housekeepers, as you can see from the black mess in her shower in the aforementioned post. Of all household chores, cleaning the bathroom is her least favorite. It follows then, that spring cleaning the bathroom is not high on her list of priorities. Reducing that task to 2 minutes was of great interest to her.

Some girls can tolerate a little mess, but don’t really want others to know it. Say, a spot of toothpaste on the sink gets left behind, and dries into a hardened dot that she begins to think is part of the design of the countertop. Or shall we say tastefully, a bit of mess in the toilet that doesn’t quite whoosh away as easily as one would like when flushing. And it remains there for way too long. These things do not cause Candy a great amount of alarm. She does not particularly like her bathroom to be left permanently in that condition, but it does not bother her enough to do something about it immediately.

But when she received the call she panicked. Normally, Candy enjoys calls from her husband, but this one made her heart race in a way she did not like. He was calling to let her know he was on his way home. This part of the equation made her happy. But the fact that he had run into an old friend and invited him and his family over spur of the moment is what had her running around the house practicing the art of tidying in a very hurried way.

This is how I know that it can be done it 2 minutes. If she had skipped her shower, were wearing her grubby clothes and had set aside the day for cleaning, it would take much longer. But as we all know, one is amazed at how much cleaning they can get done when pressed against the threat of someone seeing how we really live. And it is not the way we would like to present ourselves, however accurate it may be. Candy Dish, like myself, does not always want to be perfectly honest about her level of comfort with a bit mess.

She told me how grateful she was that I had helped her put together this little kit of last minute solutions to common messy bathroom problems. It was with these tools she was able to spring clean her way to a company worthy bathroom all in a matter of two minutes.

The trick is in the organization and tools. For organization, move from top to bottom, left to right. Begin at the to the left of the toilet so the toilet will be the last thing you clean. Remove cobwebs and dust above the doorframe. Remove fingerprints and wipe handles with Clorox Wipes. Tough spots can be handled with Clorox scrub singles. Move to the next wall. Wipe light switches, clean sink, clean mirror, dust frames, wipe faucet,  clean the cabinet doors, clean the outside of the toilet and then the inside. A quick sweep or vacuum of the floor and then empty the trash. 2 minutes, done! Using disposable products is a real timesaver. Tool number one is the Clorox Toilet Wand which I found in the mop and broom aisle at Walmart. The wand is stored in the caddy. Inside the caddy are disposable pads preloaded with Clorox toilet bowl cleaner that attach to the end of the wand. When your done, release the pad into the trash with a push of the blue button. Ms. Dish loved not having to touch a single thing and especially liked not having a grody brush hanging about. She was also thrilled to find this had the strength to get that unmentionable spot out.The wand even acted as a great duster by wrapping some paper towels around the end and getting into any dusty corners. Candy couldn’t grasp my meaning, so I had to show her how.Clorox wipes are a favorite of Ms. D’s. Admittedly, she overuses them when wiping toilet seats as she wont to be sure her hand does not touch anything remotely icky.  In part, Candy Dish hates cleaning the bathroom because she hates touching what she considers gross. She had always wondered how her bathroom was to be thoroughly clean when using an old sponge to clean with. Certainly, she reasoned, the sponge needed cleaning as much as the bathroom did. So she made quick use of Clorox scrub singles.
A quick spritz of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar did the trick for cleaning mirrors and pictures. But that was not the only trick she had up her sleeve for amazing results.Candy Dish loves Viva paper towels! She used to save them for the guest bathroom only because they felt like luxury paper. She much prefers using paper towels to a hand towel in the powder room for guests, because as we know, she does not like contact with icky things, and towels used by multiple people most definitely live in the realm of icky. She found since making this substitution that the flu and cold viruses were greatly reduced in her household.

But upon using them for cleaning, she found they were much superior to their counterparts in that area as well. Less streaks, less lint and much more absorbent. But these are mostly rationalizations, for the real truth is she just plain prefers the feel of Viva paper towels and that alone makes unpleasant chores more bearable.
Walmart is wonderful for quick touches to spruce up for spring. Ms. Dish appreciated that little extra touch from the floral department. Adding some silk flowers to vases that sat empty, waiting for use, added that bit of spring that does not need refreshing, which suits Candy well, since when it comes to the bathroom she prefers spend as little time cleaning as possible.

She and I hope you will enjoy your spring clean bathroom!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Clorox. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Spring Clean Bathroom Like a Pro in 2 Minutes appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through our links,  we make a little grandma cash at no additional cost to you! Win, win!

I have talked to several mama’s to see what really works to keep their boys busy when they are stuck indoors. We have found the collection that really works!

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit

What do a flying saucer, doorbell and police siren have in common? They can all be powered by snap circuits! Make sure to have your AA batteries on hand, cause this one keeps kids going for hours.

Gravity Maze

This is just as fun for one player as it is several. Create your own track to get your marble to its target or follow one of the cards. Either way, be prepared to get hooked and have as much fun with this one as the kids do!

Spot It

This is a great game to fill hours or minutes! With several different ways to play this fast paced game will have everyone laughing! So small it is easy to take along wherever you go!

Dutch Blitz

I know, this one does not look like it would keep boys busy. Don’t let the folksy packaging fool you. This game is cutthroat! It is for up to 4 players, but trust me, you are all going to want to play. You might want to get the Expansion Pack now so no one will be left out of the game.

ThinkFun Rush Hour

40 challenges cards that can be worked on alone or collaboratively as a group will keep boys occupied and thinking. Don’t be surprised if the boys can solve the puzzle before you figure it out!

Ravensburger Labyrinth

A board game that creates mazes for 1-4 players is a must have! Part puzzle, part board game.

Edushape Marbulous Marble Run

Endless variations, hours of fun! Seriously, don’t pass this one up. Just remember to keep marbles away from younger kids. Boys will love showing you their creations and have you put the marbles in and see where they go!

Qwirkle Board Game

This game takes about 30-45 minutes to play, and will keep ages 8 and up busy and thinking. Easy to play but don’t let the simplicity trick you into thinking this will be boring. It’s a bit of a mind bender!

Indoor Snowball Fight

No need to wait for a snow storm for a snowball fight! You will be amazed at how much these have the feel of snow, without the cold, slush and mess! Not to mention no one gets hurt. These are soft and so much fun for a little physical activity in the house. Just put the breakables away for this one!

Mindware – Q-bitz

Recreating patterns from memory will not be as easy as you think! Played competitively or collaboratively, this game will come out of the box over and over again!

This collection unplugged, indoor, boredom busting activities will have you and your grandson enjoying your time together when it is too cold to go outdoors. They may be expecting to be bored at Grandma’s house, but not anymore!

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This Hot Italian Stromboli is so beloved in our family because it is easy to make and tastes just as good next day hot or cold. My son used to love Hot Italian Stromboli for his school lunches. The key to this Stromboli is the order you lay the meats. We always do ham, turkey, cheese, then salami. When it cooks up the ham and salami flavor the bread and taste amazing. The crunchy parmesan topping tastes as good as it looks, I promise!Now that all the festivities from the holidays are over, I am getting ready to send my son off to college. But, before he goes, he is asking for all his favorite meals before he will be on his own, left to forage for himself. He has been asking for Stromboli over and over again. So I sent him to the store for the deli meat, and got the bread dough rising!

Sometimes I make several batches and put them unbaked in the freezer, wrapped in foil. Then thaw, bake and dinner is done. I will be making some extra for him to put in his freezer at school. It’s always good to have a little taste of home stocked in the freezer for those first overwhelming weeks away from home!

You do not want to miss our most popular posts for the year 2015. Make sure to hop on over and check them out!

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Hot Italian Stromboli

Ingredients

• Dough for 2 loaves of bread - frozen or homemade
• 1 pound deli ham
• 1 pound deli turkey
• 1 pound provolone cheese
• 1 pound salami
• 1 stick 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup parmesan cheese - I use the bottled kind
• 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Let bread dough rise or thaw if using frozen. Roll dough into a an approximately 18 x 10 rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Layer 1/2 pound of ham down the center of the dough, lengthwise. Repeat with turkey, cheese and salami in that order.
• Pull dough over the ends of the meats and cheese at the ends.
• Wrap dough around filling and pinch seam to seal the dough. If the dough is not sealed well the juices will leak out. It will still taste amazing! But it is great when you can hold all the flavor in the dough.
• Mix butter, parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic salt in a small bowl.
• Spread half of the parmesan butter mixture over each stromboli.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until outside is golden brown.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Slice and serve. Enjoy!
• Makes 2 Stromboli. Each stromboli serves 6.
• To freeze: wrap in foil and freeze before baking.
• To prepare: Thaw and bake as usual.

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In fact, I feel so excited when I purchase a new piece, because it I get to combine it with my other pieces and get way more use out of what I already have. I am totally hooked. To really understand how fun this jewelry is (and get my little pun about being “hooked”) you have to see the video! If you love it as much as we do, click the buy now button on the right hand side of the page and start shopping!

You can order now or call 1-800-982-3189 for more info. You can even start your business with us and start selling Versastyle jewelry yourself.

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Imagine that instead of making dough, waiting for it to rise, shaping it, rising again,  just pulling out your baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper, and setting the rolls out to rise. Then forget about them for 5 hours!  Pop them in for 12-15 minutes. Your freezer crescent rolls will be ready for dinner and your family will never know that you have been watching movies, doing your nails, running a marathon . You don’t have to tell our secret.

You do not have to spend your entire day in the kitchen to have a great meal! One of my favorite parts of dinner is warm, freshly baked rolls right out of the oven. These Freezer Crescent rolls are amazing! Everyone flips over them. But getting the timing right and finding time to make homemade rolls when there is so much cooking going on can get kind of crazy. These Freezer Crescent Rolls are delicious, look beautiful, and can be made 2-3 weeks ahead of time and stored in your freezer! Make these ahead = make your life easier.I make these all year long. They are so handy when I am in a hurry. To make them fit my schedule I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Sometimes I put the pan in a cold oven to rise. The draft free atmosphere is perfect for Freezer Crescent Rolls. If my oven is all ready occupied, putting them on heating pad set to low will also speed things up.

But sometimes, I need to slow things down. If my rolls rise early than expected, I just cover them with plastic wrap and set them in the fridge until it is time to bake them. With these two methods, I can get perfectly timed warm, fresh rolls on the table with dinner.

This recipe makes 32 rolls, so it is perfect for a crowd. You can halve the recipe, but I find they always get used. It is also nice to be able to pull out just the amount you need for dinner instead of always having to make the entire batch.

Print

Freezer Crescent Rolls

Slightly sweet, tender rolls are a major timesaver! Buttery and golden they go well with everything, but especially butter!

Servings 32 rolls

Ingredients

• 5 teaspoons of active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water 110° to 115°
• 9 cups flour divided
• 2 cups warm milk 110° to 115°
• 1 cup room temperature butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3-4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast in water in a large mixing bowl or bowl of your mixer. Using a stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, add 4 cups flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat until smooth.
• Switch to dough hook on mixer and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Place in a oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2-3 hours. Punch dough down; divide into four equal parts. Roll each into a 9 inch circle and and brush with butter. Cut into eight pie wedges. roll up each wedge from the wide edge to the tip of dough, and pinch to seal. Place rolls, tip down, on baking sheets; freeze. When frozen, place in freezer bags and keep frozen until needed.
• To bake, place on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheets. Thaw 5 hours, or until doubled in size. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets and serve immediately or cool on wire racks.

Notes

I like to let my frozen rolls rise in a cold oven to speed up the process. Another way is to set a heating pad under the pan of rolls to get things going. If they are rising too fast, I stick them in the fridge until ready to bake. I like to get the timing just right so they come out fresh and hot to serve with dinner.

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“I was standing on the platform of a railway depot watching a mainline train come in. Memory does not tell me where I was or why I was there, only that I was very young, that the weather was cold and my clothing was not good enough to keep me warm.

The train created a further chilling breeze as it shuddered to a stop with one of the dining car windows directly in front of me. Then, for the first time in my life I had a glimpse of opulence, the contrast between luxury and want, the gap between those who have much and those who have little.

There, behind a large glass window sat men and women in warm and well lighted comfort, dressed in fine clothing, talking, laughing and eating. If they noticed a shivering little boy outside their window gazing in at them in wonder, they did not show it. Nor could they have known that within that small boy at that time was born a determination that things would not always be that way from him.”

This is a small segment from our grandfather’s book. It is a collection of thoughts and stories from his time as an agricultural technician in the U.S. Governments Foreign Aid program between 1957 and 1967. This was a moment in his life that propelled him to get an education that changed the trajectory of his life forever.

He never told me this story. I didn’t know this story until I read it in his book and that was after he passed away. The book was intended for publication, but the manuscript sits in a 3 ring binder on my bookshelf with each page carefully placed in a page protector. It is in what I call my special collections section, the place on my bookshelf that holds the books I most cherish.

I know, we want to be hero at Christmas and birthdays. If I had received that book as a Christmas gift from Grandpa when I was a kid, my thank you note would have been short. But here’s the thing. I don’t remember a single Christmas or birthday gift from my grandparents. I didn’t keep any of them. But the book is on a special shelf. Here’s my two cents that you didn’t ask for. Give them a great present this Christmas. One they will love you for! The perfect thing. The one they will lose and probably forget that will make them feel loved when they open it. Scour the mall, hit the sales and make sure they know you care about them this holiday. At the same time, and they may not even know it, you can give them a gift that will last, will not be forgotten, and may help them cope in times of serious distress, help them be more well adjusted, more resilient, have more confidence.

Tell them your story. One of the most important roles we can play as Grandparents is family historian. [A. Kornhaber, 1996, Contemporary Grandparenting, Thousand Oaks, Ca:Sage] Grandparents are a link to the past and can provide continuity between generations. When grandparents share stories of their childhood, their families and their past, they can give a sense of identity. And your family story may do even more.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, it is the perfect chance to take time share memories while playing a game, eating a meal together, washing dishes and helping to clean up. But why does it matter and what difference will it make?

You have heard of 20 questions? THE 20 questions? I am not talking about the classic game. I am talking about the Do You Know 20 questions developed by psychologist Marshall Duke and his wife. I first read about it in The New York Times article The Ties That Bind. Dr. Duke’s wife noticed in her work with children with disabilities that the children who knew more about their families were better able to face challenges. So Dr. Duke and colleague Robyn Fivush developed their own 20 questions to test the hypothesis. And what do you know? The children who knew more answers to these questions was a significant predictor of their emotional health.

So, I could just print the 20 questions here and you could type out the answers, make your grandkids memorize them and we would have both wasted our time.

Consider this from the researchers:

“In our study of family stories at the Emory University Family Narratives Project funded by the Sloan Foundation, we found that family stories seem to be transferred by mothers and grandmothers more often than not and that the information was typically passed during family dinners, family vacations, family holidays, and the like. Other data indicated that these very same regular family dinners, yearly vacations, and holiday celebrations occur more frequently in families that have high levels of cohesiveness and that they contribute to the development of a strong sense of what we have called the intergenerational self. It is this intergenerational self and the personal strength and moral guidance that seem to derive from it that are associated with increased resilience, better adjustment, and improved chances of good clinical and educational outcomes.” — [Duke, M.P., Lazarus, A., & Fivush, R. (2008). Knowledge of family history as a clinically useful index of psychological well-being and prognosis: A brief report. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 45, 268-272.]

So while it is about telling your story, it kind of has nothing to do with the story. Maybe it has more to do with the relationship the story creates. It makes me wonder if part of the magic is that these are the kinds of personal stories we share when we spend quantities of quality time.  So while you spend time with family this Thanksgiving and Christmas whether it is in person, on the computer or phone, remember to share the better gift. The gift of yourself. We know that family relationships are not easy. We know that not all stories are happy. And that is part of the gift!

There are three types of stories mentioned in the article that are of benefit. With Number 3 being the best! It is the oscillating narrative where we share our family’s ups and downs and how we survived it. Knowing that my grandfather came from humble beginnings and worked so hard to get an education has stuck with me. I am stronger because of that story. I am proud of that heritage.

Don’t force it. Not all stories are appropriate. And the timing has to be right. Use wisdom. And right them down! Start a journal. A book like my grandfather’s was a long term labor of love; one we are still benefitting from. Start the special collections section this season. It is the best gift. Don’t know where to start? Start with the questions from the study and then make up some of your own!

20 Do You Know Questions

1. Do you know how your parents met?Y N
2. Do you know where your mother grew up?Y N
3. Do you know where your father grew up?Y N
4. Do you know where some of your grandparents grew up?Y N
5. Do you know where some of your grandparents met?Y N
6. Do you know where your parents were married?Y N
7. Do you know what went on when you were being born?Y N
8. Do you know the source of your name?Y N
9. Do you know some things about what happened when your brothers or sisters were being born?Y N
10. Do you know which person in your family you look most like?Y N
11. Do you know which person in the family you act most like?Y N
12. Do you know some of the illnesses and injuries that your parents experienced when they were younger?Y N
13. Do you know some of the lessons that your parents learned from good or bad experiences?Y N
14. Do you know some things that happened to your mom or dad when they were in school?Y N
15. Do you know the national background of your family (such as English, German, Russian, etc)?Y N
16. Do you know some of the jobs that your parents had when they were young?Y N
17. Do you know some awards that your parents received when they were young?Y N
18. Do you know the names of the schools that your mom went to?Y N
19. Do you know the names of the schools that your dad went to?Y N
20. Do you know about a relative whose face “froze” in a grumpy position because he or she did not smile enough?Y N

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Sometimes I act like a kid. And as a kid, I was a picky eater. I don’t like sushi. I try to like sushi. I just don’t. I can force myself to enjoy a few bites if I try real hard, but then, not a fan. Sushi lovers are always telling me I just haven’t been to the right sushi place. So I go with them. And manage a few not awful bites. And then it is over. My sushi loving friends also tell me I have not tried the right variety. Have you tried…? I try it; don’t love it. I feel a little Sam I Am-ish about sushi. With so many people telling me how good it is, there just has to be a way for me to like sushi.

Sweet Thai Coconut Mango Sticky Rice Bites are not sushi. I LOVE them!  This is my all time favorite dessert for my friends who are gluten sensitivite, because it doesn’t taste like a version of something that normally has gluten. This sweet dessert tastes just like it should. Sweet Thai Coconut Mango Sticky Rice Bites are my kind of comfort food. These bite size desserts are a great way to get kids to try something new and expand their palate.

So I thought to my sushi adverse self, would I still like this dessert if it were in the form of sushi? I bought myself a sushi mold to test the theory. I know this is not traditional sushi. Thailand is not Japan. But putting Thai Coconut Mango Sticky Rice into a sushi mold made the perfect little bite!
So if you will let me call this sushi, then I like sushi! If you don’t think this counts, then I don’t like sushi. These sushi molds are the coolest thing! The little hole at the top lets you push the sushi right out perfectly formed.

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The colors are beautiful! Don’t be afraid to experiment with different fruits. Berries or kiwi or banana would be some other kid favs. That might freak out those who know this traditional dessert well. It is ALWAYS served with mango! But then, I turned mine into sushi, so I am all about playing with you food. So I give you permission to get creative and serve it however your family will like it best. I like it best in my mouth.

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you use the link to purchase I will receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you! I only share things I am truly happy I have in my kitchen, so we both benefit!

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Sweet Thai Coconut Mango Sticky Rice Bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup jasmine rice or any short grain asian rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sugar divided
• 1 mango sliced

Instructions

• Cook rice according to package directions, substituting half the water with coconut milk and adding 1/4 cup sugar.
• Check during cooking and add more water a few tablespoons at a time if needed.
• It will be sticky without any liquid left at the bottom when done.
• While rice is cooking, boil the rest of the coconut milk with the remaining 1/4 sugar. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce becomes thick and syrupy.
• Place two slices of mango over each hole in the sushi mold. Spoon half the rice mixture into the mold on top of the mango slices and press with the lid.
• Remove the lid, flip the mold over and press gently on mango slices to release. Place on platter, drizzle with warm coconut sauce and serve warm.

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Having friends over for lunch doesn’t have to be a lot of work! Sometimes I just need life to be simple. P.F. Chang’s Home Menu line of frozen foods in your local grocery store makes it easy to prepare beautiful food for guests in about 30 minutes! I am going to give you all the tips and tricks to creating a Wok Wednesday get together that will have you friends saying, “Wow! That looks beautiful!” Mine did.

I invited 4 friends for lunch. Before inviting them over I wanted to test which of the meal options my family liked best before serving it to guests. I settled on Chicken Mini Egg Rolls, Mongolian Beef, Mongolian Chicken and Orange Chicken served over either PF Chang’s Steamed Brown Rice or Steamed Jasmine Rice. There were so many PF Chang’s Home Menu Entrees in the frozen section of the grocery store, it was tough to choose. I was impressed with the variety of choices. They all have their own sauces, we like that the veggies are crisp and colorful and you will find a great selection is in grocery stores nationwide.

It was nice to be able to have my friends over without a lot of fuss. We are all so busy, and it was nice to get together at home rather than a restaurant. We usually don’t do that, because it is too much work. But this made it much more simple. And Chinese inspired food at home is something I would not try at home! It was a great break from regular lunch fare. Make sure to watch the quick video at the bottom of this post showing us having a great time! You will see how easy it is to decorate and prepare for your own Wok Wednesday with friends. Keep it simple and have fun!

As it turns out, it didn’t really matter what I had planned. Because when I went shopping for the big day, I must have been in a hurry. I did get the Orange Chicken right but I came home with Mongolian Chicken and instead of Mongolian Beef somehow Honey Chicken snuck its way into the cart, and I have no idea how that happened! Gotta say, not sorry. That Honey Chicken ended up being our favorite by far.

The Mini Chicken Egg Rolls come with a sauce packet that we found to be quite tasty. We decided to get adventurous and try pairing it with sriracha sauce. It was a hit! We loved the sweetness of the sauce combined with the heat of the sriracha. Everybody but one of us tried it. One friend did not bow to peer pressure and decided spicy was just not for her!

To make a beautiful presentation I spread the Steamed Brown Rice along the length of one half of my platter and Steamed Jasmine Rice along the other half. Then I put the three entrees widthwise on top of the rice and topped with sesame seeds. Everybody oohed and aahed when I set it on the table! It was nice because then guests could choose which kind of rice they wanted with each entree.

This is my home menu graveyard after we killed all the food. There was nothing left! Here are few of my tips for everything to turn out top quality:

There is a microwave option, and it is fine, but we found the flavor and texture of everything to be better when cooked in the oven or stovetop, right down to the rice.

The instructions on the rice packet say to cook one at a time, but there are two packets in each box, and on the stovetop both packets at once turned out to have great texture. That was a time saver when serving several people.

We were surprised by how much we liked the brown rice. In fact, the brown rice went first.

We did feel that adding a little bit of salt to the rice would make it taste even better. Next time I will add it to the water when cooking.

And while everything was really good, veggies crisp, meat tender, the Honey Chicken stole the show. Totally the tops!

Check out all the fun we had!

Wok Wednesday Giveaway:

One lucky reader will receive a Wok Wednesday Kit to enjoy your very own P.F. Chang’s Wok Wednesday meal!

Wok Kit includes: branded woks, chopsticks, and tableware.

Here is how you enter: Leave a comment sharing your #WokWednesday celebration ideas. What would you do on #WokWednesday? Entry deadline is Wednesday, November 18th.

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https://youtu.be/r9RKVtS8a5I

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Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper for easier removal or spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large microwave safe bowl combine the bugtter and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Heat for 30 seconds then remove and stir. Heat another 30 seconds, remove and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds if needed.
• Add each ingredient one at a time, stirring until combined, in this order:
• Cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Beat until smooth.
• Stir in the baking powder and salt.
• Add the flour and stir until mixed.
• In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Add egg, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until well combined.
• Spread 1/2 of the brownie batter in pan. Pour pumpkin mixture over the top and spread.
• Place big dollops of remaining batter over mixture.
• Take knife and swirl through the brownie and pumpkin to create a marbled pattern.
• Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

We are excited to be linking this recipe to Klein Worth & Co.!

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She took my breath away. Measuring 102 x 84 she is huge! She took up the whole wall in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. all by herself.  I love art that makes me feel something. Fanny Fingerpainting by Chuck Close gave me the impression that this woman was important to the artist. I felt certain she was loved. From her wrinkles, to her age spots, and every strand of gray hair. I was puzzled by the medium, because it looked so much like a photograph. It isn’t. Chuck Close painstakingly recreated a photo of his wife’s grandmother, Fanny Lieber. She was a holocaust survivor, one of the few of her family to survive. What moved me to tears was when I stepped closer. It is literally a fingerpainting. By applying pigment to his fingertips and applying more or less pressure as he pressed his fingers to the canvas Chuck Close captured every beautiful bit of her aged face. 

Photo Credit: MyModernMet.com via PaceGallery

Was this her best hair day? No make up, no touch up, the painting is pretty raw. I love it. And it changed the way I feel about photography, even though it isn’t a photograph. 

In part because in 2010 my sister-in-law passed away. After the funeral I got a phone call from my brother-in-law asking a favor. His wife was amazing about taking and displaying family photographs. But when they went through them after her passing, she wasn’t in them. She was always behind the camera. And they were hoping I had some of her with the family. I found very few. 

So as I sat and stared at Fanny Lieber’s face so lovingly recreated on canvas I thought about all the times I wouldn’t let my picture be taken because my hair was in a messy bun and I wasn’t wearing makeup. Or I would rather wait until I got my weight down where I wanted it before being photographed. Or I didn’t like my outfit. Or I was self conscious about a variety of things regarding my appearance. And it got me thinking, what is it that we love about the people we love? What did I love about my grandparents? I didn’t see wrinkles and gray hair. I saw smile lines. I saw love in their eyes. They looked great to me. I wish I had more photos of them now.

Recently we went apple picking as a family. It was the only day we were going to be able to honor our yearly apple picking tradition because of all our competing schedules. And it was raining. With no sign of stopping. I threw my hair in a  ponytail, slapped on some foundation and rushed to put on mascara before we headed out. I shouldn’t have bothered. 

Speaking of ridiculous self-conscious nitpicking at photos I am going to tell you that I generally like my right eye better than my left.

That little mole under my left eye is weird. I never color it black, but invariably halfway through the day my makeup gets on it and it turns black and looks like I am trying to fake my way into a beauty mark. Also, my left eye waters. Not for no reason. It waters for lots of reasons. It waters if it is too warm, too cold, the wind blows, or there is not enough wind, because I wipe it and there is lotion on my finger, there is dust in the air, and sometimes because I poke myself in the eye with mascara. It waters because I wore makeup and because I didn’t. Eyedrops don’t help, and I almost always have a tissue for it, and my optometrist has no clue why that eye is such a bother.

While apple picking, my eye watered because a drop of rain dripped in my eye. So I preferred taking pictures of myself like this.

But I didn’t want the day to be remembered as if I wasn’t there. So I took this.

Here is small list of pictures I wish I had of me with my grandmas. I wish I had a picture of the day she taught me how to make paper dolls, and when we made homemade Valentine’s together, and worked in her garden, and picked tangelos from the trees in her backyard, and when she taught me new ways of doing my Barbie’s hair, and eating Granny bread, which is dry, crumbly, healthy, awful tasting homemade wheat bread fried in butter. Wow did butter make a difference! I wish I had pictures of the button jar, her teaching me to crochet, me failing at knitting and rolling the yarn for her instead, her taking me to the fair where I rode my first roller coaster all by myself, and won Goldie the goldfish who lived 7 years despite finding her laying on the counter because my cat got her like a bajillion times and I never cleaned her bowl. Ever. Once we just bought a new one.

The number one thing Grandmas need to know about photography is this. Get in the picture! If you don’t know how to take selfies yet, ask your grandkids to show you. And get a selfie stick. Take pictures of you with your grandkids. Let them have memories preserved of all the times you were there. So maybe one day your grandkids will laugh at your out of style clothes. Or giggle at your funky hair. Mostly what they will remember is that you were there. With them. Smiling into the camera. With them. Having a great time. With them. Eating and laughing and loving and sharing and living a great life. With them. Grandma, get in the picture!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu BLT cups are a lifesaver on busy nights. I have certain dinners I call emergency meals. They are for when everything goes wrong, our schedule has gone insane and I need dinner done fast! Chicken Cordon Bleu BLT Cups are one of my kids favorite emergency meals. And as a bonus, you can make them ahead and freeze them. I don’t even thaw them, I just pop them frozen into a muffin tin and bake a little longer.Topped with a little lettuce and tomato, this is a great way to sneak in a few veggies. Especially with the special sauce drizzled over the top! So easy!
These are great for game day,are a  perfect appetizer, but we gobble them up for dinner. Chicken Cordon Bleu BLT cups are a recipe you can count on!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu BLT Cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Country Dijon Mustard
• 1 10 ounce can chunk white chicken, drained
• 4 slices bacon crisply cooked and chopped
• 1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 packages crescent rolls or sheet
• 2 plum tomatoes diced
• shredded lettuce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard. Reserve scant 1/4 cup mayo mixture for topping. Add to large bowl, chicken, bacon, and cheese. Mix until well blended.
• Open Crescent roll dough and spread on counter. Cut into 9 equal squares.
• Place into muffin cups. Add 1 level cookie scoop of filling, about 2 tablespoons into center of each crescent square. Bake 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes. Top with lettuce and tomato. Place remaining mayo mixture in a baggie, snip a small hole in the corner and squeeze to top cup with extra flavor!

Notes

To freeze, place in muffin tins and freeze overnight. Remove from muffin tins and store in ziploc freezer bag in the freezer. When ready, place in muffin tin, no thawing required! Bake 20-30 minutes at 350° and top as usual.

Check out these game day recipes:

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

French Onion and Blue Cheese Sliders

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Welcome to WEEK 6 of our ULTIMATE TAILGATING RECIPE SERIES. I can’t believe we’ve done 6 weeks of these already. That’s 6 weeks of amazing recipes and 2 more weeks to come. I don’t want it to end. Ever.

Some of blogging buddies got together to collaborate on this fun tailgating adventure. There’s nothing better than sharing football food with people you adore. Noshing on great recipes with your friends is the best thing in the world.

We have TWO more weeks of exciting recipes for you. So be sure to keep tuning in to stay up to date on all the best tailgating recipes around. If you missed the first 5 weeks don’t panic, we’ve got them all lined up for you.

THE ULTIMATE TAILGATING RECIPE SERIES: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5!

Click on the links below; stop by and visit the bloggers that are sharing their Tailgating recipes!

Or so she says…
Made from Pinterest
Taste and Tell
The Girl Who Ate Everything
Cravings of a Lunatic
Bakerette
Kleinworth & Co.
Lady Behind the Curtain
The Pinning Mama

Now let’s dig in to all of this week’s tasty tailgating recipes!

Jalapeno Popper Pigs In a Blanket by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip by Taste and Tell

Bacon Wrapped Chili Dogs by Kiss My Smoke aka Cravings of a Lunatic

Peanut Butter Whip Brownies by Kleinworth and Co.

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos by Made From Pinterest

Mini Monster Cookies by Or So She Says

Quick and Easy Hummus Cups by Bakerette

Almost Famous Guacamole by The Pinning Mama

Tin Can Pineapple Upside Down Cake by The Lady Behind the Curtain

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Everyone in my family knows that if they are not sure what to get me for a present, I am sure to like any kitchen gadget. I can spend hours in a kitchen store. Every gadget I see, I am sure I need it. One of my recent favorites is a Pizzelle maker my family got me for Christmas! LOVE IT! I justified the purchase by making Mascarpone and Fruit Filled Pizzelle Cups. And it got me thinking. About waffle cones. And Minerva McGonagall.

So I just had to get myself a Waffle Cone Maker. My family began to think I was going crazy with batch after batch of botched hats and trashed cones. I wanted to mimic the way her hat droops at the top, the floppy brim and I wanted to get everything to be the right proportions.

The next hurdle was getting M and M’s in the Gryffindor house colors. So I was off to Candy World at the mall. I placed my bag, pulled the lever and heard the pleasing sound of M and M’s spilling into my bag. Then I weighed it. Okay, FYI, those candies come out of the dispenser really fast! I was up to $17 and all I had were maroon M and M’s! I did much better on the gold M and M’s, but not good enough. Friends, learn from my $30 M and M mistake and get 7 to 8 ounces of each color. Nobody needs that many Gryffindor colored candies.

It took me a while to work out my design for Professor McGonagal’s hat, but once I did, it was really pretty quick and easy. So I have worked out all the bugs, cleared out all the cobwebs and shazaam accio! Now you can see how easy  it is to make your own in this short video. Mrs. Weasley couldn’t have done better with magic! Make sure to scroll down for the printable recipe after viewing. Hope this helps you have a magical Halloween!

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Candy Filled McGonagall Hats

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick half cup melted butter, cooled
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoon black gel food coloring
• Colored Candies to fill the hat
• Black decorating icing

Instructions

• Whisk eggs. Add sugar and continue whisking until light yellow and well combined. Add melted butter and flour. Whisk until it is free of lumps, add vanilla and food coloring. Mix well.
• Next, follow manufacturers directions to make cones, BUT undercook them. 40 seconds was perfect on my cone maker. This way they stay soft enough to punch the tops and bend it over. Otherwise they will be to crisp to do that. The cones will be very hot. I used a spatula or a kitchen knife to remove them from the cone maker. Lay a towel on the counter as a work surface.

For the cones:

• Three small cookies scoops was the perfect amount for my waffle cone maker to make a full size cone. To make the hats, make full size circles and cut them in half. Then lay one half back onto the heated plate to keep it soft and pliable. On one corner, put a dab of black decorating icing. Take your cone form with the tip along the straight edge and begin rolling at the icing free edge of the cone along the form, keeping edges even, towards the dab of icing. You may want to use a towel or cloth as the cone will be hot. The dab of icing helps the cone hold tightly. Slide the form out of the cone slightly, pinch the top of the cone and hold in place with a kitchen towel. Remove the form. Cool for 50 seconds to a minute. Repeat with the other half.

For the brims:

• Lay five large spoons in a circle, with the handles out. Make a cone with two scoops of dough for a smaller circle. Lay the circle on the five spoon. Lay the handle of a knife in between each spoon to create an undulating edge. Cool 50 seconds to one minute.

To assemble the hats:

• Turn the cone upside down and fill with candy. Pipe decorating icing along the rim of the hat. Place the brim of the hat over the cone and press into place. Turn the hat over and let icing harden for about 20 - 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Each full size cone (3 scoops of dough) makes two hats. You will need 5 full size cones for 10 hats.
Each small cone (2 scoops of dough) makes one brim. You will need 10.
Make sure to handle the hats from the base. If picking up the hat from the cone, the brim may fall off.
If ordering specialty colored candy, 7 ounces of each color will be plenty.
These are best fresh, but the cones and brims may be made 1 or 2 days ahead and kept in Ziploc bags or an airtight container.

Don’t forget to have a little Polyjuice Potion on hand to help wash down all that candy!

This post contains an affiliate link which means I receive a small compensation, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase using my link. Clearly I am really happy with my waffle cone maker and had a blast designing these hats. I promise I will only recommend products I truly love!

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Sometimes my husband forgets to tell me he has invited people for dinner. Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken is one of my go to dinners where I can run to the grocery store and whip up this beautiful meal and no one will be the wiser. It never fails to impress!

This recipe for Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken was inspired by one of my favorite restaurants. We have been going there for years. Dinner is served family style and we always order the same thing. But it was my birthday, so I took the liberty of ordering something different, and I was not disappointed. It tasted so good I wanted to eat out every night.

Instead of eating out every night, I decided to come up with my own version. I think it is even better. The best part is, Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken can be made in hurry on a busy weeknight. The trick is cutting the chicken breasts into cutlets for quick cooking. I even made you a quick video to show you how to cut chicken breasts into cutlets yourself; check it out!

Using the chicken cutlets, I was able to make an entire platter of Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken from only two large chicken breasts. This is a time saver and an easy way to stretch two chicken breasts to make a whole meal for 4.

Serve it with Roasted Garlic Bread and you have a whole meal in a jiff!

To make this meal I use a bag of baby spinach. It is triple washed and I just spread that on the platter, cover it with the browned chicken, drizzle the balsamic glaze, sauté halved cherry tomatoes with garlic and layer them over the top of the chicken with fresh mozzarella pearls. I add ribbons of basil for that last layer of flavor!Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken is one of the easiest company worthy meals I have ever made.

I hope you enjoy it.

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Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken

Ingredients

Balsamic Glaze

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Caprese Chicken

• 1 6 ounce bag of baby spinach leaves
• 2 large chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into 6-8 cutlets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tablespoons of olive oil divided
• 3 cloves fresh garlic peeled and minced
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 8 ounce container of Mozzarella pearls drained
• 1/4 cup basil leaves sliced into ribbons

Instructions

Balsamic Glaze

• Whisk glaze ingredients together in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.

Caprese Chicken

• Spread washed and dried spinach leaves on large platter.
• Generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken cutlets. Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes each side.
• Lay chicken immediately onto spinach leaves. The warm chicken will wilt the spinach just a bit and marry their flavors.
• Drizzle balsamic glaze over chicken.
• If needed, add remaining oil to pan and add tomatoes and garlic. Cook just until warmed through over medium low heat.
• Layer tomatoes and garlic over chicken and spinach. Pour any remaining liquid from pan over all.
• Layer mozzarella balls and then top with basil.

Try these for dessert!

Chocolate Italian Cake

Strawberry Pinwheels

Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies

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I used to have a little emergency money on my kids lunch cards at school, but found that made it too easy to call every morning an emergency. When I let the kids be in charge of making their own lunches, providing what they requested, I found they were more willing to eat their lunch. Then, if they had an emergency, they were to use their own money to buy lunch. Funny how there were fewer emergencies and lunches got more creative.

Lunches like these are favorites, because we can make a big batch and divide it into containers and be ready for the week. My high school kids love having their lunch made in advance for the week. They get up in the morning, zombie walk to the fridge and throw their lunch together!

Safeway now has its own brand of organic foods and they have some great healthy back to school lunch ideas. This Sausage Potato Salad would pair well with Apple Fries with Cinnamon Dipping Sauce or DIY Strawberry Lemonade Fruit Leather. You can see how easy it is to make your own fruit leather on Safeway’s Youtube Channel.The first thing that caught my eye in Safeway’s O Organics was the Mushroom and Asiago Chicken Sausage. I sliced mine up and sautéed them over medium until they had a golden brown caramelized crust. The smell was heavenly! I added O Organic red potatos, tomatoes, basil and Italian cheese. With their Olive Oil and minced garlic I mixed up the light vinaigrette that adds amazing flavor without overpowering all these great flavors. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of O Organics. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Sausage Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby red potatoes
• 10 ounce container cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 bag Italian Cheese Blend
• 1 package Mushroom Asiago Chicken Sausage sliced into medallions
• 1 container basil
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Boil potatoes until tender. While potatoes boil, brown sausage medallions in a non stick pan until lightly browned. When potatoes are fork tender, drain and cool.
• While potatoes cool, mix the vinaigrette.
• Combine olive oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• Cut cooled potatoes into quarters. add sausage and tomatoes. Pour vinaigrette over all and toss to combine. Top with basil ribbons and cheese.
• May be served room temperature.

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Um…No. That is how I answered my hubby when one bite into this cake and he wanted to know if it was like a cake version of Personal Pan Pizza. I mean you could eat it all yourself, and you will want to once you taste it. But it is meant to feed 2-4 people.

Um…yes, it really does taste good enough to eat all by yourself in one sitting. The cake itself is wonderful, but the real treat is the frosting. All you have to do is mix the little frosting packet with 4 tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of water. That frosting is like magic. It is sort of like Hermione Granger’s magic bag. I looked at how much frosting there was, and thought it wouldn’t be enough. Once I got spreading though, it really is plenty. I had a smidge extra and carefully placed on my tongue. My tastebuds were quite happy. Good enough to make hubby think he was going to get to eat the whole cake. Were we going to let him? Um…No. The other day I bought some fudge, and when I got my small box, the clerk had written in Sharpie on the top, “Enjoy the little things.” I have been thinking about it ever since. There are lots of times I don’t celebrate the smaller moments, because, it is just too much effort! And I don’t need the leftovers. See the cute little pan in the photo above? When you make this cake you are not even going to have to wash the pan! The cake baked up perfectly in this little nonstick cake pan.

You have to see how clever it is! Check out this video:

You could even frost the cake right in the pan, and then it is the perfect thing to take a friend to say thank you, get well, or congratulations. No pan to return=perfect!

The other thing I like about these cakes being portable is that they would be perfect for a picnic!

The box comes with the cake mix, frosting mix and the disposable 6 inch pan. Seriously easy, everything is laid out for you and waiting at the local grocery store!

There are 5 Duncan Hines Perfect Size flavors to choose from:

• Chocolate Lover’s (chocolate cake with chocolate frosting)
• Red Velvet Dream (redvelvet cake with cream cheese frosting)
• Lemon bliss (lemon cake with lemon frosting)
• Strawberries and Crème (strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting)
• Golden Fudge (golden cake with chocolate frosting)

Celebrate the little things. My daughter just finished an online summer class. It was not the way she really wanted to spend the little free time she had this summer. But I am so proud of her for sticking it out and getting it done. Was it worthy of a night out to dinner at her favorite expensive restaurant? Um…no.

But how about a little cake? Um…YES!

What will you celebrate with your Perfect Size Cake?

This awesome post has been shared with Whipperberry and Tatertots and Jello

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Butter, garlic and a saucepan definitely rate at the top of my list for most creative gifts I have ever seen given at a bridal shower. The bride was puzzled, and the experienced homemaker explained to the bride to be that if she ever needed to buy some time while figuring out what she was going to make for dinner, she just sautéed some garlic and no one would ask questions. The smell of garlic and butter fooled her family into thinking she had something delicious coming. In my family the smell of garlic and butter creates the opposite reaction. Instead of stopping questions, it gets everyone asking when it will be ready! Luckily this Roasted Garlic Bread takes 20 minutes to make! Super easy, super simple, and whenever I make it, it is the most popular thing on the dinner table.
This Roasted Garlic Bread  is so easy and will have you kitchen smelling like a gourmet heaven in 5 minutes! Kids can help with spoon the melted garlic butter over the bread and wrap it up in foil before you put it in the oven. Serve it with spaghetti and meatballs and the kiddos will go crazy for it. I always used bread as the incentive for my kids to finish their veggies, and this bread will have them gobbling their veggies to get to this tasty Roasted Garlic Bread.
Did you know that it is garlic season right now? Garlic is ready to harvest between late June to late August. I  used to make road trips through Gilroy, CA in the summer. Driving through Gilroy you would take absolutely no notice, you wouldn’t even know you were driving through a town, if it weren’t for the smell. Gilroy is the Garlic capitol of the world. Of the WORLD! And this little town sporting a population of about 50,000 smells like the garlic capitol of the world. If it weren’t for the garlic, I would say blink and you’ll miss it. But if you have a nose, you can’t miss it, eyes closed or not.The smell of sautéing garlic really does let you know that something delicious is on its way. One whiff of this bread and you will not care what is for dinner, you will just want to dig in and tear it apart. I served Roasted Garlic Bread with Italian Salad and Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing last week and the combination was amazing.
Buon appetito!

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Roasted Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 lb loaf of Italian crusty bread
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter 3/4 cup melted
• 1 head of garlic peeled and minced

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter until golden brown. Add garlic and sauté on low for 5 minutes. When the garlic begins to smell sweet, becomes soft and turns pale yellow, it is ready. This gives the garlic that roasted flavor. Do not overcook or the garlic will become bitter.
• Cut loaf into 1/2 inch slices, leaving the bottom intact. By not cutting through the bottom, your loaf will hold together and the butter will drip to the bottom crust, which will bake up into a golden, buttery crisp, garlic heaven that Gilroy would be proud of!
• Lay loaf of bread on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap around the entire loaf. I use two sheets folded together using the same method as I use for my Oven Baked Bacon.
• Open each slice of bread and pour a tablespoon full of butter and garlic in each slice. In a thin stream slowly pour remaining butter and garlic over bread slices, letting the butter and garlic drizzle in.
• Wrap in foil and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and bread is warmed through and crusty.
• Remove foil and serve immediately.

Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies

Fresh Blueberry Hand Pies

Low Carb Key Lime Bars

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I remembered Mom’s recipe for a lemon sugar cookie, but couldn’t find it. I loved the crunch of the sugar on the outside, and the surprise of lemon flavor when you bit into the cookie.
I thought I lost the recipe forever! I have been trying to find something similar all over the internet. But nothing was quite like my mom’s. When I was going through my recipe file she made for me when I got married, I found it! She just called them sugar cookies! The recipe was right under my nose all along. I have played with the recipe a little bit for a bolder lemon flavor. I am so excited to share this not lost, but recently rediscovered cookie with you. Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies are my updated version of this family favorite recipe.Normally I roll these in regular sugar, but for some extra crunch on the outside I tried rolling them in yellow decorator sugar crystals. The kind you get in the cake mix area. My hubby said they were so good, I should sell them!

Let me know which way you like them!

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Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies

Author Sherri @ MadeFromPinterest.net

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 cups of flour
• sugar to roll the dough in.

Instructions

• Preaheat oven to 400°.
• With stand or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon extract, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest until well combined. It will begin to smell heavenly!
• Mix together baking soda, cornstarch and flour.
• Slowly add to dough, until flour mixture is fully incorporated.
• Scoop with small cookie scoop or rounded teaspoon. Roll into balls and roll in sugar.
• Bake for 6-7 minutes at 400°.

Notes

Decorator crystals may be used to roll the cookies in for a more crunchy exterior.

Here are a few more summer favorites that have popular recently:

Low Carb Key Lime Bars

Lemon Blueberry Poundcake

Cashew Chicken SaladThis awesome post has been shared with Home Stories A to Z

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Okay, I haven’t actually been to our community pool once this summer. But I have been to the lake several times. But how is it that every year the summer goes so fast. I remember when my kiddos were little, we used to spend every day at the pool. EVERY DAY! I used to think it was just a platitude when moms would say the time goes fast? Sometimes it felt like the time was going slow. Really slow. But in hindsight, it has gone by fast. I am glad to be where I am now. But it has taught me to enjoy every moment.

On Sunday, I shared with you Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing and warned you to be on the lookout for this salad today. I thought about posting them together. But they are so good, they really stand on their own. But mama mia, put them together and WOWSER! The dressing is drink it from the bottle good, and all that fresh basil smells like heaven. Pour it over this salad filled with nuts, veggies, asiago cheese and couscous. Did I mention the dried blueberries? Okay, so that little pop of flavor is amazing! Oh and fresh corn. Think fresh corn is not worth the trouble. We’ve got you covered! Check out the Magic Way to Cook Corn. It only takes minutes and leaves your corn with no silky strings! My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me after visiting her daughter. My sister-in-law is an amazing caterer and every time my mother-in-law comes back from visiting her she makes one of her recipes and they always make it into our family favorites. She and her family are coming to visit next week and I can’t wait.

So quick! Make sure to enjoy some of this Italian Salad and pour some Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing all over it before summer is over and we are on to soups. I am looking forward to that. But it is not time yet. Summer doesn’t last forever.

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Italian Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup grated Asiago Cheese
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 10 ounce package plain couscous cooked according to package instructions
• 3 cups lettuce green
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels from about two ears

Instructions

• Layer ingredients, pour dressing over the entire salad and toss until salad is coated with dressing.

Notes

For salads that call for fresh corn I always use our Magic Way to Cook Corn.

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This Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing is a cinch to make and crazy good on pasta salads, veggies salads and for dipping. It is a great way to use all the basil in the garden! Basil is one of my favorite things to grow in garden. It is so beautiful and the smell says something good is coming out of this kitchen! This dressing is so easy to make and the minute I tasted it, I was thinking of everything that it would taste good on. The list was long and it doesn’t really matter, because I started spooning it straight out of the blender.I figured I should probably start incorporating some veggies or I was going to make myself sick on this Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing. This is amazing on a chopped Italian Salad. Mine was filled with greens, cheese, tomato, nuts, and a hint of sweet dried fruit. I will be posting the recipe Tuesday. You will want to keep an eye out for it! (I have since posted it. There is a pic at the bottom of this post. You have to try this salad and dressing together. It is UH-Mazing!) I have not been able to stop thinking about this dressing since I had it at my mother-in-law’s. I couldn’t wait to make it and put my own little spin on it. I love the fresh taste of good ingredients. I first started really gardening after my in-laws lived with us for a few years. My father-in-law is a master gardener and got me started. Fresh herbs are definitely one of my favorite things to grow.  I love to start them indoors in paper seed pots and once started, plant them straight into my containers on the deck. That way they are handy and close to the kitchen when I am cooking. Besides basil, I love to grow rosemary, thyme, cilantro, parsley and mint on the deck.

We just moved in to our house in February. Is it bad that I am still not done unpacking? My father-in-law, the master gardener, has been going crazy planting things in our backyard! He just came over and told me he had a hibiscus to go along the fence. It is stunning! He has been going crazy getting my yard to look amazing. Eventually I am going to have to do something to get the front yard to match. And unpack, and paint. But that is for another day. At this point, my landscape around the house is like a mullet. Business in the front and party in the back.

The fresh flavor of this dressing will have you coming up with your own quick list of things to put it on, or dip into it. This Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing is simply delicious! Grab some basil and get your own party started!

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Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small shallot halved
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

• Blend basil leaves, mayonnnaise, shallot and garlic in blender or food processor until smooth. with Blender or processor running, gradually add buttermilk and lemon juice.
• Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper
• Can be made one day ahead.
• Cover and refrigerate, 1-2 weeks.

Italian Salad

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This recipe makes me happy. Like eat enough to put me in a food coma happy. Like willing to workout an extra 30 to burn off these calories happy.
When you make this at your next BBQ, you are going to be a grilling rock star! It can be our little secret how easy it is!

This Pin Rocks!

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Grilled Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 pound loaf frozen poundcake thawed
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter optional
• 1 tub whipped cream cheese
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• frozen sliced berries in syrup or fresh sliced berries and sugar

Instructions

• Slice thawed poundcake into 8 slices.
• Mix powdered sugar into cream cheese.
• Place one heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture between two slices of poundcake. You can brush the outside of the poundcake slices with butter if desired.
• Grill on medium 3-5 minutes each side, until grill marks are golden brown and cream cheese is warmed.
• Top with sliced strawberries and serve.
• May also be made in a panini press.

Here are a few of our other most popular summer recipes:

Two Two Easy Peach Cobbler             Brazilian Limeade                     Baked Peaches and Cream

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And look at all that colorful summer goodness!  The dressing is simple. How can just a few normal pantry ingredients combined in just the right amounts taste that good? Seriously, this hits all the right notes.One of my favorite things about this salad that I am just gushy in love with, is that it also stands on its own. Those Chickpeas make the salad filling enough for lunch, and make this a meal on it’s own if you want.The other night I had this with some grilled steak, which was delicious, but the shocker was that this salad went faster than the steak, and no leftovers! Good thing I had ingredients leftover for another batch to take to the lake for snacking on the boat. Much better than the bag of chips I usually eat, more filling and flavorful too!

Thanks to Kitchen Confidante and her Chick Pea Salad that was the inspiration for this recipe! This Pin Rocks!

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Cucumber Tomato Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 15- oz can of chickpeas sometimes labeled as garbanzo beans - rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro minced
• 2-3 tablespoons minced basil
• 2-3 tablespoons minced mint

Dressing

• 2 garlic cloves mashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard I used country Dijon, it's my fave
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Topping!
• 8 ounces feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

• Combine salad ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
• Just before serving, pour dressing over salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine.
• Top with feta cheese and garnish with fresh herbs.
• Yup, it's that easy! Enjoy.

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Michigan Dogs are a Northern New York regional favorite. Unless you have been to the North Country, you have never tasted anything like it! We just recently made a trip to NY to the town where my hubby spent his high school years. I had heard of the fame of Clare and Carls Texas Red Hots. It was nothing like I expected. It is only open seasonally, it is tiny, and it is a shack with a horseshoe counter that looks like it is about to fall down. Not the counter, but the building. But trust me, the residents of Plattsburgh, will never let that happen, because their love for this hot dog is intensely loyal.

Clare and Carl’s is famed for its recipe and you know they are not giving it up. This recipe is our version of this small town favorite. Get ready for some heat, because it is spicy! And, no, it is not a Chicago Dog, it is definitely not a chili dog, because Michigan Sauce holds its own. It is thicker, meatier, more spicy and the meat has a very fine consistency.

When Bar-S contacted us asking us to share a recipe for their Cartin’ Around the Country  campaign sharing regional favorites, I knew this was the recipe to share. They are sharing all kinds of unique dogs on their Facebook and Web page, be sure to check it out and learn more about their hot dogs. Bar-S hot dogs are great value in a budget friendly meal like this. This is a filling, easy recipe year round. The recipe for the Michigan Sauce makes a lot. It freezes really well, which makes this a meal that is perfect for busy nights.

A traditional Michigan Dog, which has nothing to do with Michigan at all, I can find no real history as to why they have acquired this name, is not made with a dog bun. Rather, they are served on New England rolls. They are sort of like short loaves of bread. If you can’t find them, don’t stress. These dogs taste great on regular hot dog buns as well. You can choose to have mustard or no mustard, onions or no onions, but the traditional dog is served onions, buried, with mustard. You can check out this 45 second video to see how easy it is to build your own!

Michigan Sauce is normally cooked on the stove for several hours. I just didn’t have the patience for that, so I made mine in a crock pot. It was sooooo easy! The sauce is one of those that gets better the next day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time and heat it up for dinner.

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Michigan Hot Dogs

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce - optonal

Instructions

• Combine seasonings with tomato sauce. Mix with ground beef as if you are making meatballs. Put the mixture into the crock pot and cook on low for 2-4 hours. When cooked, the meat will need to be broken up. The sauce is traditionally has no chunks of meat, the meat is broken up to a very fine consistency.
• You may also simmer this on low for 2-3 hours on the stovetop, but I find the crock pot easier.
• Leftovers freeze well.

Visit Bar-S Facebook for a chance to win products & prizes!

Find more information on Bar-S products

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I knew I was going to love this recipe when I could smell the lemon zest releasing it’s flavor into the dough. I ate several bites of dough in anticipation! The shortbread cookie was great to begin with, and then the glaze! Amazing! These cookies keep well. You can cut them into shapes, roll it into a log for refrigerator cookies, or cut them into squares, like I did.I have been in the mood for a good lemon cookie. Summer just makes me want lemony things. Plus, my mom has been here for a visit and she loves anything lemon. It got me thinking about trying out a new recipe. She is home now, so I feel a little guilty about how tasty these are. My daughter and I have inherited her love of all things lemon.
These make me feel nostalgic for some reason. Like Lemon Glazed Shortbread Cookies are a treat from a bygone era that ought to be revived. One we should never let go of. Once you make them, you will see why!

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Lemon Glazed Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 tbsp 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat an oven to 325°F.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the confectioner’s sugar, lemon zest and salt and process briefly to blend. Add the butter and process just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and gather it into a rough ball.
• Roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut as desired. You may use cookie cutters, cut them in squares, or use a fluted rotary cutter like I did mine.
• Bake about 10-15 minutes until blond, but not golden brown. I like a soft cookie. You may like it more crunchy, if so bake till golden brown.

Glaze

• Combine glaze ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth. Use an offset spatula to spread glaze over cookies. Set glazed cookies back on wire racks and let set, about 1 hour. Once completely dry, you can stack to store.

Here are a few of our other favorite lemon recipes:

Moist Lemon Cake RecipeEasy Blender Lemon Curd

Lemon Rice Krispies

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I love how delicate and pretty these bowls are.

My great aunt used to make Pizzelles and keep them in a tin that they fit perfectly into. She topped hers with powdered sugar. We used to laugh when we would take about and accidentally breath out and the powdered sugar would get all over. She didn’t think it was so funny. I think she knew we did it a little bit on purpose.

When making pizzelles, make a big batch. They store well and go quickly.
Pizzelles are soft and pliable when you first pull them off the baker. It takes less than a minute for them to become crisp. You can shape them into cones, roll into tubes for canoli shells, or place them over an upside down bowl, like I did.

This Pin Rocks!

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Mascarpone Fruit Filled Pizzelle Cups

Ingredients

Pizzelle - Italian Waffle Cookies

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter melted (1/4lb)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed or extract optional
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Marscapone cream

• 8 ounce container mascarpone cream
• zest of one lemon
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Seasonal fresh berries for topping.

Instructions

Pizzelle

• Beat eggs and sugar.
• Add cooled, melted butter, vanilla, and anise.
• Add flour and baking powder to egg mixture.
• Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon.
• Heat Pizzelle baker and brush a little butter or oil on plates. I find this helps so it doesn't stick.
• Put a heaping teaspoon of batter in the center of the mold for each pizzelle. Close baker and cook for approximately 30 seconds.
• Open baker and remove pizzelle on at a time with a spatula.
• To form bowl, place over an upside down bowl for about a minute until it holds its shape. Place on a cooling rack.
• For a traditional cookie, place flat on cooling rack until crisp.
• May be stored in an air tight container.

Marscapone cream

• Whip marscapone cream and lemon zest until smooth. Set aside in a large bowl.
• In a clean bowl, whip whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.
• Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture.

To serve

• Spoon or pipe mascarpone cream into bowls and top with berries.
• Serve immediately.

Don’t know what a pizzelle baker looks like? Here’s one on Amazon:

Here are a few of our other summer favs!

Baked Peaches and CreamMoist Lemon Cake

Strawberry Cheesecake SaladThis post contains affiliate links.

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https://youtu.be/SCk6Hg9THiA

Way more fun than unpacking, right?
When I say big blooms, I am not kidding! For this centerpiece I made the largest flower, and set my huge serving bowl right on top of it. Then I made the white medium sized flower and five coral and pink small flowers. I taped the bowl with double sided tip in a grid pattern and just set the flowers on top and filled in with some floral moss.Everything you need to make the flowers is in the kit. The petals are precut. The flowers come in a variety of sizes. You can even spray paint them your favorite color if you want! Or mix and match with different color petals.
I love the corals and white against my pale yellow walls. 

Enjoy creating something beautiful with your Big Blooms! We would love to hear about what you make!

This post is sponsored by Michaels Crafts and Snap.

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I saw these tulips at my local grocery store and just had to have them. I love the lavender petals with that delicate white strip! I had seen an umbrella wreath from Random Thoughts and thought these tulips would look beautiful and brighten up my grey umbrella.

Usually this craft is done with artificial flowers. So…I needed to figure out how I could do it with my pretty tulips without them dying in a few days without water.Amazon to the rescue! I ordered Aquatubes (Affiliate link). Seriously, these things are major floral craft game changers!!!! It’s like an individual vase for each flower. The hole in the lid of the Aquapik was not big enough for the stem of a tulip, so I just cut a few slits for a better fit.

I prepared the flowers by removing any damaged petals, and I removed all the lower leaves. This way all the water will be going where you want it and the bottom part of the bouquet will not be too bulky. Then I slid all my lids on each flower and in a bucket next to the sink. It was easy to fill each tube with water, add the flower and secure the lid. Make sure to have a bucket to put the flowers in. You want to keep the water tubes upright, or a few of them might leak.I set the umbrella in another bucket for support and loosely tied the ribbon to keep the flowers upright. Now it was time to do some flower arranging. I carefully slid each flower into the upside down umbrella.

When I had them arranged the way I wanted, I tightened the ribbon and tied a bow. I hung the umbrella by the handle on a wreath hanger. I love how inviting and beautiful this looks on my front door. It reminds me of the saying April showers bring May flowers.

This pin rocks!

Here are a few other of our most popular crafts and decorating ideas:

Paper Rose TopiaryDistressed Mason JarsMap Decor

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I am so excited about how easy it is to make these individual mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs! This is a perfect summer dessert you can have stashed in freezer and be at the ready. Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs are Hostess Ding Dongs transformed into an elegant dessert. They will be the perfect treat on a hot day. Just 2-4 minutes in the oven or with a kitchen torch, and dessert is ready.

Check out how easy this is! Just put a scoop of ice cream on each Ding Dong and put it back into the freezer for 2-4 hours.Then whip up a meringue and lay it on thick! I mean it. My dad used to joke about how his little sister was so amazed by his shaving cream, that she emptied the whole can of Barbasol in the sink and was panicked trying to get it all down the drain before he would see that she had used it all to play with. The meringue reminded me shaving cream. It was fun to be a little messy with it. You can pipe it on with a star tip, and it will be beautiful. I preferred the fun and ease of spreading it all over and making pretty peaks.

These Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs look so impressive and pretty. I made mine with cookies and cream ice cream because that is a favorite flavor in our house. But the big surprise came when I went to brown the meringue. I was so excited, kitchen torch in hand…and I burnt the first one. It takes a light touch and low flame to get a golden brown color. So it is a little slow. If you are making just one or two, the kitchen torch is the way to go. But if these are for a group, 500° F for 2-4 minutes browns them up perfectly. Just slide a metal offset spatula underneath and transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet, and they are ready to go in the oven.

This pin rocks!

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Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs

This is a perfect summer dessert you can have stashed in freezer and be at the ready. Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs are Hostess Ding Dongs transformed into an elegant dessert. They will be the perfect treat on a hot day. Just 2-4 minutes in the oven or with a kitchen torch, and dessert is ready.

Servings 10

Author Sherri @ Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 package 10 Hostess Ding Dong cream filled cupcakes
• 1 quart ice cream flavor of your choice
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Take ice cream out of freezer and let soften 5-10 minutes.
• Unwrap Ding Dongs.
• Place Ding Dongs on parchment lined baking sheet and top with one scoop of ice cream.
• Place in freezer 2-5 hours until firm.
• Cook corn syrup and sugar over medium heat in small sauce pan until sugar is dissolved.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla to soft peaks.
• While continuing to whisk egg whites, begin adding sugar mixture in a slow steady stream. Continue whisking egg whites until they are glossy, shiny and stiff peaks. This will take around 5-7 minutes.
• With a small spatula, spread the meringue over the ice cream and cupcakes. Put it on thick! Swirl and pull away with spatula to create beautiful peaks.
• Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours or longer.
• To remove each individual mini Baked Alaska, slide an offset spatula under the cake and transfer.
• If using a kitchen torch, remove to a plate and use kitchen torch low and slow to brown the meringue.
• If using oven, preheat to 500° F and bake on a parchment lined cooking sheet about 4 minutes until meringue is browned.
• Your Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dong is now ready to serve. Enjoy!

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For a soft roll recipe that is easy, I used the recipe from my recent post Curly Swirly Bread. See what I mean? I really am currently obsessed with uniquely shaped bread. I rolled out the dough into a rectangle large enough for about 30 circles. My biscuit cutter was about the same size as the rim on my water glasses, about 3 1/2 inches.

Next I topped each round with cooked breakfast sausage and cheese. About a tablespoon each.

Then fold it in half like a taco.

And fold it in half again, pinching the corners to seal. This creates your Chrysanthemum petals.

I love baking in my cast iron skillet. It makes a golden brown buttery crust. I buttered the pan and began placing my petals along the outside edge of the pan. Then did the next ring inside of that, and then filled in the center.

Let it rise until doubled and bake up to a golden brown. How beautiful is this?! I hope you will enjoy your own Chrysanthemum Bread soon!

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Chrysanthemum Bread

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of dough for dinner rolls
• 1 pound breakfast sausage cooked
• 2 cups cheese shredded - cheddar or mozzarella was good. There is room to experiment here.
• melted butter to brush on after baking.

Instructions

• Follow recipe directions for dough. After first rising, roll out into a large triangle and cut about 30 circles. The amount will depend on how big your pan is.
• Fill each circle with 1 Tablespoon of cooked sausage and 1 Tablespoon of shredded cheese.
• Fold in half like a taco. Fold in half again pinching ends to seal.
• Let rise until double, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°.
• Bake at 350° for 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter.

Recipe adapted from Stranamam.

Come check out a few of our most popular recipes recently posted:

Brazilian Limeade
Chicken 5-5Chocolate Italian Cake

This awesome post has been shared with Homestories A to Z and Whipperberry.

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