White Chocolate Macademia Nut Pie

This recipe is one of my favorites and turns out perfect every time. It's a dessert that no one can take just one piece of after a dinner meal. The texture is creamy and the chocolate makes it a winner with almost everyone. I keep it frozen and thaw for approximately 20 minutes before cutting and serving into individual pieces.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ganache:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Filling:
6 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus 3/4 cup, whipped soft
6 1/2 (1-ounce) squares premium white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2/3 cup roasted, chopped macadamia nuts
1 pre-baked deep-dish (9-inch) pie shell

Garnish:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 ounces chopped macadamia nuts

Ganache: Place chocolate chips in a metal mixing bowl. Bring cream to a simmer over medium heat. Pour simmering cream over chips and stir until melted. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Scrape bowl with a spatula and mix in 1/3 cup heavy cream. Add the melted white chocolate, zest, and nuts and stir just until incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread into pre-baked pie shell and level off using a rubber spatula. Put in freezer until frozen. To finish pie, place the ganache in the microwave on low for no more than 10 seconds at a time. Stir after each warming, until ganache pours loosely but is not even close to boiling. Be very careful when warming chocolate, as it will burn very quickly when heated in the microwave. Once chocolate is scorched it is unusable. Spread warm ganache over top of frozen pie, smoothing to the edges with a spatula.

Garnish: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar with a handheld electric mixer to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe edges of pie with whipped cream. Sprinkle macadamia nuts over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sugar Cookies (Soft As Could Be)

I enjoy a good sugar cookie and wanted the ideal recipe. So, I made a new sugar cookie recipe every day for a week until I found this one. It is incredibly soft and well flavored and gets me the "hmmmmm" and "so good" compliment every time. It's a KEEPER!

Cream together:
1½ c white sugar
1 c butter

Add:
1 tsp vanilla (add ½ tsp of peppermint flavoring at Christmas for delight)
2 eggs

Stir in:
1 c sour cream

Sift together and add:
5 c flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp nutmeg

Chill 40 minutes. Roll on floured canvas, fairly thick (1/4” +). Cut w/large cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet (on parchment paper makes them softer) and bake at 375 degrees 10-12 min. Cookies should be large, soft and thick.

FROSTING:

½ c Solid vegetable shortening
½ c Butter or margarine
4 c (1 lb.) sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Butter Rum Cake

This brings back memories to rum lovers. I could not get this cake to bake in the center, ever after two attempts. So, I had to separate the completed batter into two bowls and bake two cakes from the recipe. This allowed the center to bake thoroughly and gave me lots of cake to serve.

The butter and rum glaze makes the cake enjoyable. I decided to dress it up a bit with some powdered sugar sprinkled over the top before serving to the office.

Later, I served it with a maple nut ice cream to family. It was a nice change from the standard vanilla and chocolate cakes.

Oodles of Noodles Soup

I enjoyed the chunks of chicken in this soup. There is lots and lots of noodles, just like the title of the soup. Almost too many noodles for the amount of broth as it is served for a meal.

It was fun to eat and would be a favorite of kids, in my opinion.

For the recipe click here!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This would be my list as a substitute for "lava cake," but easier to serve in a larger group or dinner setting. The difficulty with this cake is that you cannot ever tell when it is done because the center is to remain soft and gooey. It was a constant guessing game. I made it three times in one day before serving to the office staff.

The first time I baked it too long and it was not gooey enough for my expectation and appeared like a standard cake. The second time I made it, it was too gooey and the cake sat upright in form after coming out of the pan for 45 seconds, then flattened to look like a chocolate pancake. The third time, I realized that it was not like a flowing lava cake, but more like a moist brownie on the inside and more cake-like on the outside. I decided to zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving each plate. The warm chocolate center, crusty outside topped with chocolate ganache and strawberry made it a favorite for pure chocolate lovers!

Tomato Corn Chowder

I found the potatoes in this to be my favorite part. The recipe did not call for celery, but I had some in the refrigerator, so it got thrown in to the pot. It seemed to go well with the other vegetables and flavor of the soup.


The recipe uses the liquid from the canned corn and tomatoes for flavor, so it is simple to prepare. I liked the bacon bits on top to improve the flavor, and I might suggest mixing it into the soup just before serving to enhance the overall flavor even more.

For the recipe click here!

Cocoa Bread with Stewed Yard Peaches

I couldn't seem to get enough of this dessert. The batter has a combination of flavors including; molasses, sugar, unsweetened cocoa and ground cinnamon. This creates a very interesting overall flavor to the bread.

I used frozen peaches for the stewed topping. This sugar and water with the peaches, warmed and served over the top makes a tasting finish. Then I completed the presentation with a splash of whip cream and dash of cinnamon. This recipe was highly complimented and requested again soon!

Mary Carole Battle's Mother's Wacky Cake

The history of this cake was fascinating. It was created during WWII when dairy products were scarce and was an answer to wartime desperate homemakers. This recipe involves no butter, no eggs, and no milk. The books says that the Seven-Minute Frosting takes more time to make than the cake itself. I would concur.

The frosting turned out wonderful and successful. I feel that I could make a Seven-Minute Frosting now at the "drop of a hat." The key is adding cream of tartar to the mix so the granular sugar crystals cannot "reconnect" and turn the frosting back to sugar. I also have discovered that White Karo Syrup will keep the frosting from doing the same. A great chemical discovery thanks to the inter-net.

The cake is simple. The frosting is complicated to make according to my colleagues. However, the two opposites combined were enjoyable from all the comments in the office.

Hearty Ham and Cabbage Chowder

I made this in celebration of St. Patrick's Day and acknowledging the Irish. It was simple to make had a variety of vegetables. The ketchup and brown sugar resulted in a sweet flavor in the chowder. It was not one of my favorites and serve due to the very sweet flavor. I'll save this for the desserts!

For the recipe click here!

Chocolate Pound Cake

I really like this cake for a chocolate delight. It went into the bundt pan easily and a came out easily. I added an extra 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa to the batter because it just didn't look rich enough in flavor to my taste. Also, I topped the cake with a chocolate ganache before serving to the office. This made it an incredible chocolate experience for everyone. I would use this recipe for any chocolate cake I serve in the future. It was dense and delightful!

30 Minute Minestrone Soup

I found this recipe in the book because the ingredients just happen to be in the refrigerator at the time, except for the spinach and beef broth required to complete the task. I did have some basil leaves on hand, so I used these instead of the spinach, and cut into small pieces. I also had chicken broth in the cupboard, so this went into the soup rather than the beef broth. I found these to be easy substitutions and created a wonderful flavored soup. I used 10 basil leaves for the amount of spinach and equal amount of chicken broth as called for in the recipe. The broth of the soup had a sweet and savory taste.

I would do it again, the exact same way!

For the recipe click here!

ATF Gingerbread

This cake was interesting to all in the office. Once they tasted the cake, gingerbread desserts went high on the charts. The texture and color of this cake was wonderful, so dense and dark, and easy to cut into perfect squares for serving. The book cautions that crystallized ginger is expensive. You're not kidding on this one! A member of the office staff found a recipe on the inter-net for making this topping, so there is a less expensive route to go if you don't mind peeling ginger root. This approach would just take more time, but save you money.

The cream cheese frosting recipe made the cake incredible to eat. Someone commented that it tasted like ice cream topping, so smooth and flavorful. If you are not into cutting out gingerbread cookies, here is a sure way to get the same effect with a cake!

Acorn Squash Soup

I used two acorn squash for this recipe. I found it to be just barley enough to make the three cups required for the soup mixture. Once I had put all the ingredients together, I chose NOT to put it in the blender and puree the contents, but rather used a potato masher to smooth out the contents of the soup. I really liked it this way. The curry and dill spices together was a nice change to standard squash soup recipes.

Do not, I mean, do not forget to put the crumbled bacon pieces on top of the soup before eating. This small touch of flavor and texture made the soup a winner!

For the recipe click here!

Dorie Greenspan's Rum Drenches Vanilla Cake

When this recipe was named "rum drenches vanilla cake," that is exactly what it is, and nothing more. It seemed plain to me, so I finished off the recipe by creating a powder sugar glaze with rum flavoring and drenched the cakes for an added punch of taste.

Dorie Greenspan's Swedish Visiting Cake

You do not need a mixer for this recipe, but just a good sturdy wooden spoon and a strong arm for stirring. Many commented in the office that this tasted like a cake brownie. To me it looked like a blondie cake brownie. I added several extra tablespoons of orange zest to the lemon zest in the batter. As a result it had a wonderful "tutty-frutty" flavor. The slivered almonds on top with a dash of sugar made for a sweet taste too.

Rather than baking it in an 8" round cake pan as suggested by the book, I chose to bake it in indvidual 2" square cakes (12 per pan.) I bought the pan at Target. It was an interesting and clever way to serve this item to my co-workers without having to cut into the cake. You're suppose to be able to mix this cake and have it ready for serving before your visitors get from the road to the front door. It has to be a bit of longer walk in this case than slowly strolling along my short front sidewalk.

Quick Turkey Bean Soup

If you are a fan of beans this is the soup for you to eat. The recipe was easy to prepare and requires some chopping. It appears healthy and with the turkey meat, it has less fat per serving. I found it to have a unique flavor and be very colorful.

It took 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to heat up before serving. I left out one of the cans of kidney beans because it seemed like allot of beans and added an extra two tablespoons of tomato paste for a thicker soup content and more red color. Also, next time I would cut back a tiny bit on the cayenne pepper to keep down the "heat" of the sauce.

For the recipe click here

Builidng a Pot Fountain

Nothing is more relaxing than the sound of moving water in the garden. Here's how to build a one-of-a-kind water feature.

This water feature consists of an underground, waterproof basin; sturdy grating; and a pot of your choice. Most of the supplies you will need can be found at a plumbing supply or hardware store or a nursery that carries water garden supplies.

Step 1: Plumb the pot
For this step, you'll need your decorative pot, a 1 3/4" by 1" barb fitting, a 1 3/4" PVC female adapter, plumbers epoxy, and a drill with a half-inch masonry bit. First, using a masonry bit, create a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. If yours already has a hole, it'll probably need to be widened by slowly rotating the masonry bit around the sides of the hole. Then put the barb fitting into the hole so the threaded end goes inside the pot. Next, thread the PVC female adapter onto the end of the barb inside of the pot. Finally, put plumber's epoxy around the base of the fitting to seal it in place and make the container watertight.

Step 2: Install the reservoir
For this step, you'll need a waterproof catch basin, a few cinder blocks, some sand, a heavy duty plastic grate, four feet of flexible tubing, a submersible pump, two hose clamps, flexible screen/mesh, and a reciprocating saw. TIP: A pot 30 inches tall or less will need a pump rated at 950 gallons per hour (gph) or less. A taller pot requires 950 gallons or more. Dig a hole deep enough to allow your catch basin to sit slightly above ground level. Shovel in a 1" layer of sand. This allows you to easily level the reservoir by shifting the sand. Place two or three cinder blocks in the center of the basin to give additional support to the pot. Cut a trap door in the corner of the plastic grate that is large enough for the pump to easily pass through. This gives you easy access to the pump for maintenance without having to disassemble the entire fountain. Cut a small hole in the center of the grate for the flexible tubing. Attach the one end of the tubing to the pump, clamp it in place, and poke the other end out the hole in the center of the grate. Place the screening over the grate and cut a corresponding hole for the flexible tubing.

Step 3: Place the fountain
For this step, you will a length of 3/4" PVC pipe, black spray paint, and some decorative stones. Cut a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe so that it is the same height as the pot and spray the top 6" with black paint. Then, place the PVC pipe (black side up) into the PVC female adaptor in the bottom of the pot. Bring the pot over to reservoir. Twist the flexible tubing onto the barb sticking out of the bottom of the pot and clamp in place. Slowly lift the pot into a standing position. If you have a large pot, you may need a friend to help you with this step. Place decorative stones on top of the screening to disguise the reservoir. Then, fill the reservoir with water, turn on the pump.

Miss Siagon Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake

I enjoyed the almond flavor of this cake. The recipe includes adding slivered almonds to the struesel. It was definetly "almondy."

I finished the cake with an almond flavored glaze, even though the original recipe called for no additional topping other than the struesel. In my opinion the cake just needed more texture, flavor and color. It was an excellent cake for a "coffe cake."

Italian Vegetable Soup

This recipe was easy to prepare with the pasta boiling while slicing and dicing the other ingredients. I enjoyed the pasta mixed with the savory tomato flavor and the fresh cut and frozen vegetables. It has a strong spicy flavor to it.

I used bow tie pasta rathter than the shells recommended in the recipe. It was the pasta I happen to have in storage and on the shelf at the time. I'm sure any type of pasta will do.

For the recipe click here

Argroves Manor Coffee Cake

This cake "takes the cake" in my opinion. It includes a mix of blue berries and diced apples creating its own sauce that thickens as the cake bakes. The streusel with pecans makes this a great coffee cake option. Included in the recipe is vanilla yogurt, which compliments well the overall flavor.

I got favorable responses from many in the office for this one and had a few newcomers that ventured down the hallway to take a slice back with them for tasting. It is recommended that one serves it in thick slices and warm and it's as the book says, "insanely delicious."

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

I really enjoyed this cream and meatlesss style soup, however, made a few changes to the recipe. I prepared the soup with more cauliflower, up to 16 ounces instead of 10 ounces. Before serving I added 2Tbsp. of bacon bits and 2 Tbsp. of spicy Dijon mustard. These last two ingredients gave it the quality of taste that is of more interest to me - "the man around the house." I wanted extra cheese flavor and included an additional 1/2 cup of cheese and top dressed it with even more cheese for a "great looking soup."

For the recipe click here

5 Minute Artisan Bread (Multigrain Peasant Bread)

I went to my first bread making class demonstration by Lori Bennett (her notes are listed below.) I've always felt intimidated by the word "yeast." With this recipe of hers I got past my fears. It only takes 5 minutes to mix up and the dough stores in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. So far I've no one who didn't like the bread and thank Lori!

Ingredients: (4-1 pound loaves)
3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 T yeast (I use 2 T!)
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1/2 c rye flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c multi grain mix
5 c unbleached flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel
Follow master directions for dough

NOTE: I also add the following extra to the dry ingredients for texture and flavor of the bread. It has improved the quality for me.

1/4 c flax
1 T Dough Enhancer (available at grocery store)
1 T Vital Wheat Gluten
1 T Lecithin

Master Directions:
1. Warm the water slightly, about 100 degrees. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. You can use cold water and get the same results, but your first rising will take 3-4 hours.

2. Add yeast to the water in a 5-qt bowl or preferably, in a resealable, lid (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve. Let stand until turns foamy.

3. Mix in flour and salt - KNEADING IS NOT NECESSARY! Add all the flour at once, measuring with a scoop and sweep method. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high capacity food processor fitted with a dough attachment, or a heavy duty mixer. If you are hand mixing and the flour becomes to difficult to incorporate use very wet hands and press the mixture together but DO NOT KNEAD. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes, the dough will be wet and loose.

4. Allow to rise. Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container. Allow the dough to rise at room temp until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), about 2 hours, depending on the room temp and water temp. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the results. You can now use the dough at any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temp. So, the first time you try it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight or at least 3 hours before shaping a loaf. Dough will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

5. On baking day the gluten cloak, don't knead, just 'cloak' and shape a loaf in 30¬60 seconds. First prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling liberally with cornmeal to prevent your loaf from sticking when you slide it into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1 pound piece of dough (about the size of a grapefruit) using a serrated knife or a pizza cutter. Hold the dough in your hands and add more flour as needed so the dough doesn't stick. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides until smooth. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive.

6. Rest the loaf and let it rise on a pizza peel. Place the shaped loaf on the corn meal covered peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Depending on the age of the dough you may not see much rise, but more rising will occur during baking.

7. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450. Place a baking stone in the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf.

8. Dust and slash your Artisan Bread. Dust the top liberally with flour, this allows the knife to pass through without sticking. Slash a 1/4” tic-tac-toe or other marking into the top, using a serrated knife.

9. You are ready to bake. With a quick forward jerking motion, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and into the preheated stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into broiler pan. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

10. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator and use over the next 14 days. You will find that even 1 day's storage will improve the flavor and texture of your bread. The dough can also be frozen in 1 pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.

Vanilla Dessert Sandwiches

This came from the Better Homes and Gardens, Feb. 2010 Issue and are available on the webpage. I found the dough to be dry and added 2 more tbsp. of milk to the ingredients.

In addition, I rolled the dough to 1/8" thick between two sheets of wax paper and chilled in the refrigerator before trying to cut the cookies with a shaped cutter. The "ball" rolling concept did not work from the recipe instructions. These seemed crunchy (as the recipe said it would) after coming out of the oven. And these softened (as the recipe said it would) after the cream cheese is placed between the cookies and it has a chance to set for several hours. The cookie was like a shortbread cookie, wonderful in taste and worth making again.

Choosing a Garden Style

Formal gardens are symmetrical plantings, sheared hedges, rows of flowering plants, and straight lines (Predictable/Visually Shortens)

Informal gardens are asymmetrical or rambling plantings, and gentle curve lines or resemble organic forms (Unpredictable/Visually Lengthens)

The Barefoot Contessa's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This had a nice and subtle taste to it, just like coffee cake should have on a plate. It really was less sweet than a regular dessert cake. I mixed the streusel with my fingers rather than a wooden spoon, just to get my "fingers in the cooking." I liked the streusel layer in the middle of the batter layers, along with the streusel topping. It made the cake interesting to see and eat. I spread the streusel with a spatula evenly across the cake. Not a good idea. I would suggest just dropping it in crumbs and leave be on the cake.

The maple flavor glaze was my favorite part of the whole presentation. I put the glaze in a zip-lock sandwich bag and tipped off the corner of the bag to drizzle easily. I went from center to back and back to center again until I had covered the top of the cake in a circular pattern. The cake looked like it was ready "to be on parade."