Baking and Cooking Blog – Evil Shenanigans

Pumpkin Bread

With the gift giving season descending upon us it makes sense to think about home baked gifts that you can do in advance.  Homemade gifts are, to me, the best gifts.  They indicate that someone took the time and interest to make you something that took more effort than selecting a gift card.  Homemade gifts [...]

Bruna Kakor

                          Christmas cookies.  Two little words, but what images and memories they conjure.  In my family they are tradition.  I have five cookies that I make every year without fail. I have been known to add a new cookie into the mix from time to [...]

Turkey Burgers

So, I am not feeling the holiday spirit this year, for some reason.  Maybe it is the elections, maybe it is the economy or the tax-payer bail-outs, or maybe it is the alignment of the stars.  Whatever the reason I have gotten lazy on my Christmas baking.  If I wait too much longer I will find [...]

Cookie Fest 2008

Last night I began my holiday cookie fest.  I made Chocolate Chip Bars and Nigella’s Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Mmmmm.  I doubled the recipes for both and I now have five containers of cookies ready to eat/give/serve in the freezer.   I will be doing Jam Thumbprints and Peanut Butter Cookies sometime this week, and this [...]

Leftover Turkey 101 – Turkey Chili

Last night I made a pot of chili, but rather than use ground steak I used chopped turkey breast.  Aside from being a lot better for you, and from being a clever way of using up more of the turkey meat from Thanksgiving, it was DARN tasty.  You really don’t miss the beef, and using [...]

Post Turkey Day Wrap-Up

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it.  I took some time off so I would not lose my mind.  The two days prior to Turkey Day I spent making all my make aheadable side dishes.  I marinated and wrapped the green beans in bacon, I made the sweet potatoes, baked [...]

Something I Did a While Ago …

  The Gallery has been updated with items in the Spring 2008, Fall 2008, and Cake Decorating sections.  Like this cake, that I did for a family who was celebrating the adoption of their granddaughter.  It was a special day and I was so pleased to be a small part of it! So, if you [...]

Lemon Butter Cake

  I decided on the dessert for my grandmother’s birthday.  She loves lemon so I made a Lemon and Vanilla Bean Cake filled with Lemon Curd and coated in Cream Cheese Frosting. For the cake I used a recipe from culinary school for Yellow Butter Cake, but tweaked it with the zest of a lemon, an [...]

Thanksgiving Countdown – Cornbread Stuffing!!

My grandmother is going to be 89 tomorrow.   I know, 89!! She told me, when I asked what she wanted me to bake for her special day, to just make whatever.  "Great," I said and smiled, but inside I was frozen.  What was I going to make???? She has no idea what leaving this choice [...]

Banoffee Pie … well, sort of and other musings

11/19/08 – I served the pie from the recipe below and it was quite tasty … and runny!  So, I would not fold in the whipped cream.  I would just sort of smooth out the toffee and spread it with great care.  But, the taste … spot on.  My family, once past the initial trepadation of a [...]