Lemon Herb Rice

For a side dish for my husband's birthday dinner, I served him Lemon Dill Rice from Mennonite Girls Can Cook. My version included Minute Rice, fresh-from-my-garden oregano, and both lemon zest and lemon juice. It was so good! Next time I'll add even more herbs and lemon.

Fruit Shake

In the 1980s I purchased a book called Fit for Life and followed the nutrition plan outlined in it, which was eating healthful food in proper combinations. Although I no longer adhere to the plan (and I really should - I felt fantastic while on it), I still use some of the recipes from the book. One of the recipes is for a fruit smoothie, and I love it because it is a frequent quick and healthy lunch for me and does not contain the yogurt found in most smoothie recipes. Although I love yogurt, I do not want it in my smoothie.

Boozy Banana Bread

I recently purchased Eva's Kitchen by Eva Longoria, and I've read it cover to cover. Usually when I get a cookbook I mainly look at the pictures, read the recipes that look appealing to me, bookmark a few to try, and give a cursory glance at the others. This cookbook captured my attention, because I like the way Eva writes, and I want to try nearly every recipe. She includes the stories and traditional recipes of her family, what is was like growing up on a Texas ranch, and some of the recipes she has developed from her travels as well as from her restaurant, Beso. Her cookbook is not pretentious in any way and is written as you might imagine she is talking to you while you watch her cook. Her recipes are simple with uncomplicated directions, emphasizing fresh, local, and in-season ingredients.

Light Brioche Buns

After a cooking friend supplied a link to Lucie Madeleine's blog, I found a recipe for these homemade brioche buns and tried them for our turkey burgers this past weekend. They were deliciously light with just enough sweet to complement the burgers. I will be making more of these for a family get-together this coming weekend!

Sweet Success

For years I have baked sugar cookies that tasted good but did have the visual effect I wanted to achieve: an even, consistent height and straight sides. I would like to thank Paula at Salad in a Jar for showing me the light. Her method is based on tips from Baking: From My Home to Yours. Although I have that cookbook, I had not tried the method prior to seeing Valentine's cookies on Paula's blog.

Valentine Red Velvet Cake Truffles

I made red velvet cupcakes for a church dinner (a future post!) and decided to make cake truffles with some of them. I've never had much luck dipping chocolate, but I read tips from several blogs then purchased some decent chocolate and followed the package directions for melting it. I was pleased with the results, and these truffles will go to my husband's staff for Valentine's Day.

Red Velvet Cake Truffles
3 cups red velvet cake crumbs
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting
Baker’s Premium White Chocolate Baking squares

Make crumbs with food processor. Mix thoroughly with frosting till crumbs are completely moist and hold together well. Form as many 1 inch balls as possible – I got about three dozen. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm – I did mine overnight.

Melt chocolate according to package directions; dip balls into melted chocolate, gently shake off excess, and carefully place on waxed paper. Let set until firm. I garnished with alternating drizzles of melted dark and white chocolate. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

I like to think of these cookies as good for me because of the amount of carrots they contain. . They are delicious on their own with no filling, but these were going to church with me, so they got the whoopie pie treatment. They are crispy on the edges and soft and moist inside, and the flavor is certainly carrot cake-like.

Flour's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

For those of us who grew up on pineapple upside-down cake made with Duncan Hines cake mix and canned pineapple rings with a maraschino cherry in the middle, Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery version represents everything good about adapting a 1960s recipe to today's trends. The combination of fresh pineapple and "real" caramel with a rustic butter cake simply changed my mind forever about pineapple upside-down cake.

This was my first attempt at caramel, and the richness and flavor it imparted to the cake was amazing. The cake baked into the caramel/pineapple mixture, creating wonderful caramelized bites of buttery goodness--I know that sounds hokey, but it's the best description I have.

Warm and Creamy Bacon Dip

While looking for appetizer recipes for my Appetizers and Desserts Buffet Christmas Party, I happened upon this recipe on the Daisy Brand sour cream website and loved the name of it! What is not to love about a dip with bacon and the words "warm and creamy"? Although I used other recipes for my party, I decided to try this one on New Year's Eve.

Cranberry Applesauce

What to do with apples that are going soft in the fruit bowl? I have had this apple crisp from Eating, Etc. blog in my "Must Make" bookmarks, but I knew I would probably eat too much of it! I was craving something with cranberries, so I looked online for an applesauce recipe that incorporated cranberries and found the perfect one at Elise's Simply Recipes. I served this as a side for our dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and garlic bread. It was everything I hoped it would be--tart with just the right amount of sweetness!

You may view the original recipe link above, but here is my version:
Cranberry Applesauce
10 peeled, cored, roughly chopped medium apples - I used Pink Lady
1 heaping cup frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place first 8 ingredients in a large (5-quart) pot. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook at least 30 minutes, or until the apples can easily be mashed--I kept mine simmering about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add honey and vanilla. Mash apples and cranberries with potato masher to consistency desired.

My recipe made about 3 cups. Elise says that this can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for up to a year. Mine is destined to be eaten in only a few days.