I mentioned in the buttermilk post that the cream of tartar is the ingredient I substitute for for the most. Don’t get me wrong, I AM a snickerdoodle aficionado and I do keep cream of tartar in my current residence, but about half of my cooking takes place in the homes of others (hence how [...]

In keeping with the “Father’s Day” theme, here is the recipe I made today to surprise my dad with. This recipe is great for lovers of those chocolate oranges you find at Christmas time and fans of citrus and chocolate in general. This is a very RICH recipe, that yields a near perfect baker’s dozen: [...]

Ever get started on a recipe and hit one ingredient, one tiiiiny little ingredient that you just don’t have? Yea, that is buttermilk to a T. It’s a product that most people just plain never buy, and often your recipe will only call for half a cup or less which barely warrants going to the [...]

In honor of Father’s day and summer cooking in general, I thought I’d post this fun grilling recipe. It is especially well suited for small parties (and can be doubled and tripled for larger ones) and family meals meant to get everyone involved.
Ingredients:
Crust

2 envelopes dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 [...]

Here are three simple dip recipes for sliced fruit, great center for (seasonal?) fruit plates. All of these are really simple and can be adjusted with more or less of the ingredients as you like.
Yogurt Dip:

2 containers strawberry yogurt
1/2 container Cool Whip (or equivalent whipped topping), thawed

Gently fold ingredients  together and chill 30 minutes before [...]

The perfect end to a pizza party, or any meal you’d like to end with a fruity finish
Check google for some inspirational photos!
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sliced fruit [...]

Ingredients:

1 package (3oz.) Jell-O Gelatin of any flavor (house brands with identical instructions also work)
2/3 c. boiling water
2 c. ice cubes
3 1/2 c. (8oz) Cool Whip non dairy whipped topping, thawed (or equivalent house brand)
1 c. diced fruit (optional, I’ve never used it)
9-inch graham cracker crumb crust

Notes: Cool Whip will be in the frozen foods [...]

Ingredients:

1/3 c. margarine or butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers (about 18 crackers)

note: check the baking aisle for boxes of graham cracker crumbs… sometimes they are cheaper. And much easier to use
Directions:
Melt margarine or butter. Stir in sugar. Add crushed graham crackers or crumbs, toss to mix well. Spread mixture evenly into [...]