Birthday Recipes
Big Batch Peanut Butter Congo Bars
I wasn’t going to cook today. I really wasn’t. But then, my kids and their friends wanted to have a lemonade stand. After a cooler than usual spring, the weather has been sunny and warm. It was a perfect idea and, somehow, every time there is a lemonade stand in our driveway, I make cookies…
Caramel Popcorn with Salted Peanuts
Make gourmet-quality popcorn at home with these easy instructions and helpful tips. Delicious for anytime snacking and makes a fabulous gift too. Salty, sweet, and crunchy. What better combination could one hope for? My aunt made a similar recipe years ago and gave tins filled with this mouth-watering mixture as holiday gifts. I noticed that…
Parmesan Crusted Salmon
Wholesome and delicious, this quick and easy salmon can even be prepped ahead, making it equally ideal for busy weeknights and weekend entertaining. A version of this recipe was the first seafood dish I ever served to company when I was newly married 18 or so years ago! I have given this recipe away…
Honey Sweetened Corn Muffins (gluten-free option)
My husband adores cornbread, so I have made it scores of different ways over the years. Since his birthday is today, and because we like to start birthdays in our family with birthday muffins, bagels, donuts or baked oatmeal — basically, anything I can stick candles in to start the day off in a festive…
Orange-Infused Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Who remembers the Pepsi Challenge? Years ago, I remember going to a mall while with my family in the Poconos and seeing the stand. I thought it was so cool that we ran into the real, live challenge, just like they did on the Pepsi commercials. My mom never kept sodas in the house, so…
Classic Cheesecake with Chocolate Hazelnut Drizzle
Foolproof classic cheesecake (with a few delicious upgrades!) is easy to make with this recipe and the included helpful tips. First off, Happy New Year!!! It has been a complete pleasure to share my recipes with so many friends, both old and new, in the past year and I look forward to more…
Easy Yogurt Fruit Dip
A fruit tray is a delicious addition to any party menu as well as a healthy option that looks pretty and is typically a hit with kids and adults alike. Recently, I hosted an event and wanted a dip to serve alongside the fruit. I experimented with the following recipe and served it in a…
Golden Oreo Bark (or Mint or Doublestuff or….)
For my younger son’s last birthday treat at school, he requested Oreo Bark. Treats are to be delivered during lunch, and when I arrived at the appointed time with the small bags we had packaged for each of his classmates (each bag held a small piece of golden and a small piece of mint Oreo…
Royal Icing
Making gingerbread houses–well, actually, graham cracker houses –is an annual holiday event in our house. The first year I thought of doing this, I offered to make enough “bases” for my son’s entire pre-school class. It was a bit overwhelming at first. I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into! But once you…
White Chocolate Pecan Pie
White chocolate and a graham cracker crust take the classic pecan pie to new heights in this crowd-pleasing dessert that assembles in a mere minutes. While my husband, Jack, does not often cook, there are two or three dishes he prepares quite well. Baking, however, is unexplored territory. So, when he bought the ingredients…
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie (grain and gluten free)
The last few days have proved to be quite exciting. My recipe for Crunchy Top Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal was in a national contest with Smart Balance and to, my great surprise, it won! The prize is an all expenses paid trip for two to Canyon Ranch Spa in Miami Beach. What’s more, I get to…
Baked Pumpkin Pancakes (Grain/Gluten Free)
Pumpkin and almonds hold a special affinity for one another. Generally speaking, combining these two ingredients has the potential for greatness. Yet the concept of combining them to create a gluten-free pancake—baked in the oven, no less–had the potential for epic failure! I remember well the first time I made this recipe. The batter tasted…
