With the warmer weather here, it is time to bring on the cold drinks. And nothing quite says summer like the perfect milkshake. They are cold and refreshing and so popular with the kids and guests. But a great milk shake is not just about putting cold milk and ice cream and blending it. There…
Making Popsicles is one of the easier frozen dessert ideas but there are still a few cooking tip basics that you need to keep in mind when making them at home. It doesn’t matter what you call them – Ice Pops, Yogurt Pops, Frozen pops, Paletas, or Popsicles. These frozen sweet treats are a tasty…
One of the first questions that a waiter asks us when we order a steak in a restaurant is “how would you like it done? Steak Doneness is simply a gauge of how thoroughly cooked your piece of steak is. Do you know how to determine the doneness of beef? Cooking tips like these will…
Pitting cherries is right up there with removing pits from mangoes and unripe peaches in those “pulling out your hair” kind of kitchen tasks. There are special cherry pitters available, but what do you do if you don’t have one? Never fear, you can pit cherries with a simple household tool with this kitchen tip….
These Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies have the addition of macadamia nuts for extra crunch and are just delicious! One of my favorite flavor combinations for cookies is orange and dark chocolate. It is bright and fresh with a decadent touch. And best of all, the cookies are totally gluten-free! Treating yourself to baked goods when…
Afternoon snack time is so much more fun if you serve the snack in a pretty container. There are lots of retail products out there, but why buy new when you can make a pretty DIY Paper Cone for Snacks in no time at all for just pennies? I love easy cooking tips like this…
These Paleo Baking tips will show you ways to add your favorite baked goods back into your day. If you are following the Paleo diet, you will know that it takes some creativity and a few special foods to get tasty baked goods. But even though a Paleo diet is restrictive is what you CAN…
What’s a girl gonna do when she is trying to cut down on flour and sugar but really feels like banana bread? No problem at all! This gluten free banana bread contains no added sugar and uses coconut flour and eggs. The recipe makes a really large loaf and has about 150 calories for a 1/10th…
I have to admit it – I am a mushroom girl. I’ll eat with eggs for breakfast, in a salad for lunch and incorporated into main courses for dinner and I am proud of it! These sauteed mushrooms are combined with garlic and baby spinach. They are ready in 15 minutes and go well with just…
These Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies, take everyone’s favorite peanut butter cookie to a new height by adding Snicker’s candy to the recipe. I woke up this morning for a yen for cookies. I have a bag of candy in the corner of my office that keeps calling my name and I decided that I should…
Slow cooker meals are some of my favorites. There is nothing that makes an easy recipe better than adding ingredients to a slow cooker and letting the appliance do the work for you while you are out and about doing other things. This Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken is simple to prepare and flavored beautifully from…
This heavy cream substitute is one of my favorite cooking tips, since it can be made with items that you are very likely to have on hand. Don’t you just hate it when you are ready to make a recipe, only to discover that you have no heavy cream? I know I do, and it…
Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes, and I love the way the big, wide noodles hold the meat and cheeses together so well. But it can be challenging trying to get your lasagna noodles cooked perfectly, since they like to stick together. Don’t worry though. By following these cooking tips, you’ll make sure that…
I thought it would be fun to do a chocolate drizzle tutorial for my cocktail tips guide, so that my readers can see how it is done. Many chocolate flavored drinks use this decorative technique for the inside of the glass. Going out to one of my favorite restaurants or cocktail bars gives me a…
It’s time for a hearty breakfast casserole! I am all about easy recipes. I don’t have a lot of time to cook but still want to make sure that I serve meals that are visually pleasing and taste good, even when they don’t take much time to make. The hearty breakfast casserole features eggs and…
Storing dried herbs so that they will stay fresh can be a challenge. Cooking tips like this one will make sure that your herbs and spices will continue adding flavor for a long time to come. Herbs and spices add a ton of flavor to food and most add little to no calories. I cook…
We are big cheesecake fans in our house. I’ve tried so many different versions of them and haven’t found one yet that my family didn’t love. For today’s cheesecake recipe, I’ve decided to turn my favorite chocolate chip cookie into delicious Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. This amazing recipe brings together the best of both chocolate chip cookies…
This mint chocolate chip fudge is rich with an out-of-this-world taste. It’s the stuff that Christmas dreams are made of! I love anything mint-flavored. And combine it with chocolate? It’s a match made in heaven! Fudge is one of those things that is either super easy to make or a “pull out your hair” experiment…
The holidays are upon us and baking is in full production in my kitchen. I love to make creative and cute food projects for Christmas. These Holiday Shaped Brownie Pops are so much fun to make and the kids will just love to get involved in the project. These Holiday Shaped Brownie Pops are made in…
This Rocky Road Fudge recipe is just about one of the easiest fudge recipes you will make. And don’t let the snobby cooks scare you into thinking that you need a great deal of patience and a fancy candy thermometer to make fudge! Making fudge does not have to be hard. This delicious…
These chocolate chip oatmeal bars are rich and delicious and make the perfect snack or dessert. Bar recipes are a godsend for any busy homemaker. They are so easy to make, and even easier to eat. Two of my favorite desserts are chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal bars. I’ve combined them both into one delicious dessert with…
These chocolate peanut butter bites will satisfy your sweet tooth, but they also have some special ingredients to pack a nutritious punch as well. FALL!! My favorite time of the year~ I can almost smell all of the new aromas that are sure to come from my kitchen during the next few months. I just…
This recipe for slow cooker spicy minestrone soup is perfect for a cold winter night and also fits in with my new healthy eating idea of having a Meatless Monday. Winter is my favorite time to try out new crock pot recipes. My husband and daughter like it year round, but I’ve always been a…
Tonight, I had a hankering for chili myself, and didn’t have the time for a long cook. I came up with this smoky 3-bean chili, and it has the most amazing flavor. No one will know it is one of your 30-minute meals! One of my favorite go-to meals when I really want to please my…
These no-bake chocolate toffee peanut butter pretzel bars are my latest sweet treat, and they mimic two of my favorite types of candy. I love both Heath Bars and Reese’s peanut butter cups, and my sweet tooth was asking for one of these delicious treats (or both!) I gave in and came up with a…
These white chocolate snickerdoodle blondie bars have everything going for them. They have the flavor of a Snickerdoodle cookie, they are the easiest of bar recipes to make and they taste amazing. And add in some white chocolate? SOLD! I adore the taste of anything with the word snickerdoodle in it. I make snickerdoodle cookies at…