RASPBERRY BALSAMIC REDUCTION SAUCE

This is a sweet and tangy raspberry dessert sauce that I paired with my black raspberry meringue cake. It's delicious and a great dessert sauce that can be used in many different ways. It was very easy to make and well worth it!

LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

I made this lemon buttercream to go with the Black Raspberry Meringue Cake, but it can be used on so many different things. I would think on a plain white cake, it would be incredible too! It's a very sweet frosting, but that's what I'm eating it for isn't it?

BLACK RASPBERRY MERINGUE CAKE

I know the seasons are changing and with fall here, I should be thinking about pumpkins and apple spice cake. I just couldn't help myself when I saw Raspberries in the market the other day, I had to make something with them. After a couple of days of thinking about it, I came up with this. A Black Raspberry Meringue Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting and a Black Raspberry Cream Cheese filling. If you're totally a chocolate person, this may not be for you. However, if you're like me and LOVE just about anything with berries and lemons in it, you'll LOVE this. The fresh fruit adds a moistness to the cake that makes it even yummier! This isn't a throw it all in the mixer and go kind of recipe, but if you've got the time give it a shot! My family is loving it! We have lots of leftovers that I slice in individual slices, put on a paper plate and cover with Cling Wrap and freeze. Then when anyone is craving a piece of cake, 10 seconds in the microwave is all that is needed to satisfy the sugar craving.

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

My husband loves pulled pork sandwiches. I like just about anything that resembles barbecue, so this is a perfect match! I love the spicy and sweet balance this has. It does take an entire day to make, but it's a throw it in the pot and forget about it kind of thing. That's the stuff I love! There are many variations to try. I just used what I had on hand. The jalapeno jelly could be raspberry or grape and the pineapple balsamic is a little rare, so regular balsamic is fine too. Here's my take on pulled pork sandwiches.

BANANA BREAD WITH TOASTED WALNUTS

Ever wonder what to do with those overripe bananas? Make bread!! I had a few bananas going to the dark side today, so I thought I'd make some bread. The sour cream is added to make this bread extra moist. This is a recipe that can be modified in  many ways. Omit the cinnamon and add allspice or omit all together. Use sour cream instead of yogurt. I've also thought about cream cheese instead of yogurt. Add almonds instead of walnuts... You get the idea. The one thing you probably don't want to change though is the bananas!

TURKEY BURGERS

I saw this on the Oprah show a few years ago and just had to learn how to make them. I've adapted the recipe to be more tailored toward a typical package of turkey meat, which is about 1.25 pounds, the original recipe was for 4 pounds which made a huge amount of burgers. I've also tweaked the ingredients to add a little more flavor as well as adding Worcestershire and additional pepper. We serve these as the main protein without a bun or cheese, but you can certainly add it to make it heartier.  They are very moist and yummy. I hope you like them.

CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN PASTA

I've been trying to recreate a pasta dish that my daughter used to have at an Italian Restaurant where we used to live. She loves it and anytime we go back to visit, she has to get some! I've come very, very close. Now to share this delicious recipe so you can have some too! I try to plan ahead on this one and make the pesto the day before and start marinating the chicken the day before also.

EGG SALAD SANDWICHES

We like to have egg salad sandwiches once in a while and I make them whenever I have eggs that are getting close to the date, I'm a stickler when it comes to the expiration dates. Today was one of those days.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

5 simple ingredients is all is takes to make this yummy Pesto. Enjoy it on your favorite pasta. Can be made in advance and frozen if you want to save some for later!

HARD BOILED EGGS

Ever wonder, "What's the best way to boil eggs?" I've asked that question when making deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. I always did it different and therefore had different results. Sometimes they were great, sometimes the yolks came out grey, sometimes the shell would stick so bad, I'd just chuck them into the trash. Grrrrrrrrr.  The quest for the perfect boiled is was on! I consulted many websites, made different kinds and EUREKA!!! I found the one that works the best, courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Network.

HONEY BRAISED SHORT RIBS

I had no idea what a short rib even was until just a few years ago. Since I learned about this delicious protein, I've been experimenting with all sorts of recipes. I've simplified it and put my family through taste tests. This one makes the grade hands down. It's the easiest of them all and tastes yummy every time! You can use an iron pot, crock pot or pressure cooker depending on how much time you have. The pressure cooker is definitely the fastest way, cooking in about 2 hours, but there is something about slow cooking that I really like.

CHEESE RISOTTO WITH CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE

I am a lover of pasta and rice and especially love Risotto. I always order it in any restaurant as I never thought I could make it taste as good at home. Well, after years of making and tweaking a basic risotto recipe, this is what I make and it ALWAYS tastes incredible! Most of it is pretty simple, but reserve some time to babysit the risotto when it's time to start adding the stock, it takes some time, but well worth it. This is a family and friend favorite for sure! You could add shrimp, sausage, scallops or just about any type of protein that would pair well with white wine. I've imagined making this with beef and using a Cabernet, but have yet to get that far. Maybe one day...

BUTTERMILK PIE

I have to admit, I didn't think the words "BUTTERMILK" AND "PIE" should be in the same sentence together, let alone in a pie recipe. My husbands' family makes this pie and when we married, he kept trying to get me to try it. "No way!" Well, I'm sad that I missed out on a few years of not enjoying this pie. When I finally tried it, I couldn't believe how awesome it is! Why did I wait so long? It's lemon custardy goodness should never have been wasted.  Fortunately, I finally tried it and I'm glad I did. We make this anytime we are making any kind of "Southern" food or shrimp boil, etc. It's always a hit. (As long as you don't mention "buttermilk" until AFTER the person has tried it... 

EASY BAKED MANICOTTI - BEEF OR TURKEY

I have been making this Manicotti since I was a teenager. I won't say how long ago that was, but I've made it MANY times...  It's very easy and tastes yummy. Comes out delicious every time. There are always plenty of leftovers which freeze well. Another thing I like about this Manicotti is that it is  light and not heavy, even though it looks like it would be. If you wanted to make it more rich, I'm sure there are a few other things you could add.

RED WINE TOMATO SAUCE

I love this sauce. It's great with any pasta. I use it when I make Manicotti, which I'm doing tonight (recipe to follow). The red wine gives it a great flavor along with the red bell pepper and onion. It's an easy sauce to make and tastes oh so yummy!

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This Cream Cheese Frosting is a basic cream cheese I've made a thousand times. I usually put this on Red Velvet, Carrot cake, cinnamon rolls and even white cake. It's my go to frosting for just about everything. 

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Again, I'm not usually a buttercream fan, or a chocolate fan for that matter. I made this to go on the Extreme Chocolate cake and wow, I'm a fan now.  It's a nice chocolate flavor, without being too heavy or overly buttery (if there is a such a thing). I like frosting fluffy, light and tasty and this one hits the mark. It sets up nice in the fridge too, so doing a crumb coat with this works well.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

I'm not usually a big fan of Buttercream Frostings. I usually prefer Cream Cheese on just about everything. That was, until I tasted this one!! I will still have to use cream cheese on red velvet and carrot cake, but this little recipe right here has changed my mind about Buttercream after all.

LEMON CURD CAKE FILLING

There are lots of variations to this recipe. I've made it several different ways and after the whole family did a taste test, this one was the winner! Sorry I don't have pics of now, but will post them next time I make it, which I'm sure won't be too long as this was YUMMY!

WHITE ALMOND SOUR CREAM CAKE

Made my husband a "welcome home" cake in the shape of a house. After 3 years of serious commuting, he's finally going to be home everything now that his job is close to hom.
I'm a novice cake decorator, but thought I'd give a sculpted cake a try. The cake shape really isn't that impressive, but what's under that frosting sure is!!! White Almond Sour Cream Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting!!! WOW!!! Make it in any shape you want, just make it, it's incredible!!

CHRISTMAS DIP

This is the cheese log / dip recipe that went along with the penguins. It is one of the best cheese logs I've ever had. The recipe is from Allrecipes and is called the Christmas Dip. I'll post it here. I made this a little different in that I put it in a small bowl that I had lined with saran wrap. I put in a layer of cream cheese first, so that when I inverted it out onto the platter, it would be totally white, iceberg like. typically it has cranberries and pistachios all over it. This was delicious!!
Also, this says "Christmas Dip" but I think it can be served at anytime of the year it's so yummy.

CREAM CHEESE PENGUIN APPETIZER

This might sound kind of strange to be making penguins as an appetizer, but they are just adorable! I made them for a holiday party one year and made a cheese log recipe (posted separately) that I formed into an iceberg for the back of the platter. I covered the platter with panko to give it a snowy look and voila, the cutest appetizer I've ever made. It was a huge hit at the party. Not only were they adorable, but yummy too! (That still sounds strange, that the penguins were yummy) Anyway, here's how they looked.

RED VELVET CAKE AND CUPCAKES

I've made this recipe countless times and it's always a hit. I've even removed the red food coloring, added green and used this for St. Patrick's Day. I've thought about doing blues, pinks, oranges, etc in pastels and using them for Easter on a pretty cupcake stand. I tend to make this more as a cupcake than a cake, but it can be used either way. It's a crowd favorite!!

When I had my cupcake bakery last year, customers raved about this one. I had customers that came in several times a week just to get one of these before they were sold out each day.

KEY LIME SOUR CREAM PIE

I had one of my Taekwondo classmates tell me that she had never had Key Lime Pie before. I couldn't believe it, so I just had to make one for her. Help her broaden her horizons. (I was really in the mood for some too, so it gave me a good excuse to make two!) I love just about anything that has to do with lime. So, off to the store I went to buy key limes. It takes about 1 1/2 bags per pie, so I had a lot of juicing ahead. I'm sure you can probably buy key lime juice, I just wanted to make this one from real limes to show her what it is supposed to taste like when it's truly made from scratch. 

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA TORTE LAYERED CAKE

I made this scrumptious cake for my husbands birthday a few weeks ago. He loves chocolate and I'm an occasional chocolate eater (milk chocolate only). I decided to add some vanilla cake layers and cream cheese frosting to give it some variety so the party guests weren't completely laid out in a chocolate coma by the end of the party. It was a long process, because I'm a novice, but here is how it went. 
Frosting recipe is also included.