Ok, I know there are people who don’t like Jell-O. But when I heard there was a whole week committed to Jell-O, I had to investigate. It has been said that Jell-O is "America’s Most Famous Dessert." But I was shocked to see all the ways Jell-O is used. There are Jell-O jigglers, Jell-O parfaits, Jell-O in cakes, salads, lime margarita smoothies, and even Jell-O shots. And, get this…there is even Jell-O wrestling! What a thought.
I love to cook - mostly desserts. There is just something wonderful about the smell of baking pies, cakes, and all of those yummy calorie filled foods you want to eat before dinner but are not supposed to. I was walking around the cookbook section at the Red Bridge Branch and came across Jewish Food: for Festivals and Special Occasions by Marlena Spieler. What a neat book: great pictures, wonderful recipes, and a whole series of informational articles about each of the Jewish festivals and their significant food. As someone that always associates food
Since I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes, I’ve started reading cookbooks from the Gooseberry Patch collection. These fun books have a comb binding and are illustrated throughout with pen and ink drawings that give them a charming country feel. They are filled with simple, down-home recipes made with basic ingredients. The recipes are collected from cooks across the country and include personal comments and memories from the recipe contributors.
In my wildest dreams, I create wonderful scrapbooks. One for each granddaughter, one for every trip I take, oh yeah, one for each child.... You get the picture!
We all need a little sweetness in life, and one of my favorite sweet treats is cake. When I got this delicious wedding cake recipe from a relative, I had to try it. It is tasty and easy enough to make for any occasion, so you don't have to wait for a wedding to come along. I hope you enjoy it.
Italian Wedding Cake
1/2 c. butter (the real stuff) 1/2 c. shortening 2 c. sugar 5 eggs (separated) 2 c. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 c. buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 small can of coconut 1 c. chopped pecans
Are you in the mood for something light and healthy for dinner during these dog-days of August? Here is a quick an easy recipe a friend gave me. It was inspired by a picture on a magazine cover, but the recipe and ingredients were changed to avoid any precooking and to give it a "Greek Flair":
Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the north branches of MCPL. We traveled around Platte and Clay Counties, stopping at every one. Some branches were majestic; others were tiny. One branch (Woodneath) hadn’t even been built yet!
Fall can be a busy time of year for many people. School and all of its extracurricular activities have gotten into full swing, the holidays are fast approaching, and the days are getting shorter, making it feel like you have even less time to get things done. It's times like these when you need some quick and delicious recipes on hand to get dinner ready to feed a hungry family in record time.
Now that the weather is turning colder, it’s time for me to pull my slow cooker out of the back of the cupboard and stock my pantry with ingredients for soup. Soup, or stew, is my comfort food in the colder months. There is nothing better than returning home after being gone all day to the aroma of a delicious stew in the slow cooker. The following is one of my favorite stews and is full of vegetables for the kids:
There is just something about this time of year and pumpkins. I see them artfully displayed on front porches in home decorating magazines. They are intricately carved for Halloween and become glowing jack-o-lanterns. People visit pumpkin patches just to find that special pumpkin for the kids. Mini pumpkins can be used as candleholders or table decorations. Candles come in homey scents like Pumpkin Cinnamon. They even grow huge pumpkins to win contest money. Recently, a winner in California produced a 1,775 pound whopper.
