I made these scrumptious cupcakes for my grandchildren for a family celebration weekend. They were a big hit! I used my 1-2-3-4 yellow cake recipe to make the cupcakes: 1 cup butter; 2 cups sugar; 3 cups flour: 4 eggs—so easy to remember—you barely need a recipe. I left some of the cupcakes unglazed, so [...]
Vegetarian lasagna is one of my favorite dairy dishes. Golden brown and bubbling, the finished casserole yields a heavenly commingling of alternating layers of pasta, tomato sauce, sautéed vegetables and melted cheeses—a dairy dish sure to please both young and old alike. 10 ounces lasagna noodles* (about 12 noodles), slightly undercooked and spread on [...]
It’s the season for gift giving. To my mind, one of the best ways to show you care is a home-baked gift from your kitchen. The beauty of home-baked gifts is that they are universally appreciated and enjoyed. You can make them weeks ahead of time and freeze, then defrost in the fridge the night [...]
Since Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday and meatloaf is the classic American comfort food, why not serve meatloaf for your holiday feast? That’s what I’m planning to do this Thanksgiving, with a few tweaks here and there. It is Thanksgiving, after all, so I’ll substitute chopped turkey for the chopped beef in the recipe. [...]
Rummaging through my overflowing recipe files, I found a recipe for “spaghetti pie”—one that has been beckoning to me through the decades, but for some reason, it remained untested until now. Most likely this recipe came about when a resourceful and creative cook wanted to use up some leftover spaghetti. But, this dish is so [...]
This past summer, I had the distinct pleasure of celebrating my sweet granddaughter’s first birthday. Her mom and dad threw her a unicorn-themed birthday party. What better way to celebrate the joys and wonders of a child’s first year of life than with the majestic and magical unicorn! My contribution to the dessert spread was [...]
A tomato tart done right is a culinary feat for the eye and the palate, and the best time to make one is during the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. This tart boasts a homemade tart shell that is golden and flaky, but you can save some time with a premade shell—just follow [...]
Here are two creative, fun and tasty ideas for a July 4th dessert grand finale. Family and friends will want to participate in creating the red, white and blue balloon cups. They will enjoy rocking the blown up balloons in the candy melts and then, after placing the balloons for a brief stint in the [...]
I love ratatouille, a classic vegetable stew hailing from the Provencal region of southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. To make these colorful and healthy veggie stacks, I used many of the seasonal vegetables and flavorings you would find in a ratatouille—eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and onions, infused with olive oil and fragrant with garlic [...]
Spring is finally here! The longer days and brighter sun have done wonders to chase our winter blues away. Here’s a recipe for lemon bars to welcome and celebrate spring. These luscious bars have a crisp and buttery shortbread crust topped with a sweet and tangy lemon curd. Their lovely yellow color evokes the light [...]