Brown Butter Sour Cream Cookies... So, I am not very good when it comes to grocery lists. I often forget that I already have something and end up buying it a second time.  This happened a few days ago.  While at the store, buying the ingredients I needed for some lovely Chicken Enchiladas with Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce (recipe coming up on Wednesday next week), I forgot I already had a pint of sour cream at home and bought a second.  When I got home...

Pan Seared Chicken with Creamy Polenta and Bacon... I love one pot dishes.    Anything I can do to save washing up dishes after dinner is always welcome.  Aside from making the washing up easier, building the dish in one pan gives you a unique opportunity to develop some pretty robust flavors.  You never lose any fond, the caramelized bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pan, so all that flavor makes its way into the polenta.   This dish starts with some automatic...

Cheddar Bacon Muffins... Go check out TasteStopping to see my guest post about inspiration and comfort zones.  I was their very first guest blogger, and I am so excited to share this with you!!  Go, now.  The muffins will be here when you return! I love breakfast. After dessert, it is my favorite meal of the day.  (And, yes, I consider dessert a meal, and not an add-on to dinner.)  Where else can you combine sweet and savory so neatly? ...

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken Salad... I am ready for Spring.  Seriously ready.     I am ready for warm weather, rain showers, and packing up the winter clothes.  With that in mind, I decided to treat myself to an early taste of Spring a few nights ago.  It was cold outside and I was feeling a little blue, but this salad perked me right up!  Just looking at it, with its cool greens and bright yellows, made me feel that I could hold out a few more weeks.   What...

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Scones... I might have been thinking of cookies when I made these scones. I was craving chocolate chip cookies the other day when a picture of some cream scones caught my eye. Why couldn’t I take the best flavors of a chocolate chip cookie and combine them with some scones? So, I did just that! I used brown sugar in the dough and added a full cup of chocolate chips. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla. The results are...

Orange Almond Chocolate Cookies... This cookie is not what I set out to make.    This was supposed to be a simple almond cookie.  I was craving almond cookies last week and decided to come up with a recipe that incorporated ground almonds into the cookie for some texture.  Things went astray when I saw a lonely orange sitting on my counter.   It only went further off track when I remembered I had a bag of chocolate disks from New York in my pantry.   These...

Sweet and Sour Chicken...  Sometimes it is all about the sauce.   The best part of this meal is really the sauce.  It is the right combination of tangy and sweet, unlike the neon red sauces served by most Chinese carry-out places. Not to say my mixture of chicken and vegetables in this dish are not fantastic, because they are, but it is the sauce that makes this dish such a superstar.     Aside from being really good, it is really easy...

Black and White Cream Pie... Ready for some new shenanigans?  How about we start with pie?    When I first started cooking I used to make something called “Oreo Pie”.  It was made with an Oreo crust, chocolate and vanilla instant pudding, and whipped topping.  It was easy, it tasted pretty good, and when sliced it looked fairly impressive.  That pie was my beginner attempt at recipe creation and it was always popular.   Now, many...

Evil Shenanigans in NYC … Part 2... When we left off last time I had just checked into the Hotel Ganesvoort and had gotten some pretty sweet swag thanks to Electrolux!  We rejoin the story the day after the Super Bowl win of the Saints, a fantastic meal at The Fatty Crab, and a very relaxing massage at the hotel spa. The evening before the cake event was a welcome reception at The Spotted Pig, a gastro pub run by Chef April Bloomfield. The reception...

Evil Shenanigans in NYC … Part 1... We arrived in New York City late on Friday night.  It was cold, in the 20’s, and there was a lot of wind which made it feel much colder.   It seemed within a few moments my face and legs were completely numb with cold.  We met the driver at baggage claim and once we had our bags we were off.   The first two nights of our stay in New York City were spent in a boutique hotel called the Chelsea Pines Inn. ...

Cake-Off Voting Now Open!!... As many of you all know I participated in Kelly Ripa’s Cake-off for a Cause this week!  Here is a sneak preview! The cake above was our team’s creation, the Snow Day Cake!  I had such a wonderful time working with my team, and Buddy along with the team from Carlo’s Bakery.   Kelly Ripa was also there and was so kind and funny! I will be posting loads of my pics and the full story Friday. Until...

Super Sunday Ideas!... I’m headed to New York City to participate in Kelly Ripa’s Cake-Off for a Cause, and while I’m away I leave you with some yummy Super Bowl party food ideas!  I will be back on Wednesday with a new recipe, and on Friday I will be posting all about my time in NYC! Enjoy, have a great weekend …. and Who Dat?? Queso Blanco Beef Empinadas Sliders Crab Cake Dip Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Cornbread Jalapeno...

Sliders...   Do you want to know the secret to super juicy burgers?  Would you believe that these juicy burgers have only two ingredients??     I am going to share the secret to the most juicy burgers you have ever eaten.  It is so simple.  It also goes against everything I have ever read about making juicy hamburgers.  I was a sceptic, I admit, until I tired it.  Now, I am sold and if you try it I think you will be,...

Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with ... I have discovered the secret to world peace. Ok, maybe not world peace, but at least momentary joy and happiness.  I have been toying with the idea of a chocolate filled vanilla cupcake for a while.  As it happens I have a soft spot for cream filled cupcakes, considering one is now my logo, and it made sense that I try to make a reverse version.    The results were far better than I could have hoped.  The vanilla...

Jalapeno, Bacon and Cheddar Cornbread... Growing up in Texas, cornbread was something we ate almost weekly. Mom would almost always make her cornbread in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.  That skillet gave the the cornbread a lovely crust on the bottom and I would always pick off the crusty bottom before eating the tender center.  We never got fancy with the cornbread.  We usually had regular cornbread, but on occasion we would have sweet. Now that I...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies... Before we get started with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies a couple of fun news items ….    First, as many of you know I am participating in an event sponsored by Electrolux in New York City to help raise awareness for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  It is a fantastic organization and you can help by donating here.  Part of the event is a cake decorating competition.  We have been placed in groups...