Tag Archives: dessert

Caramel Apples are a classic fall treat.  These Gourmet Caramel Apples are even better and will satisfy any sweet tooth! You can make these caramel apples at home in a few easy steps.  Start with tart green apples (or any apple of your choosing), dip into melted caramel, cover with any topping of your choice, let set, and enjoy – treat yourself! The recipe can be found here. My favorite toppings are mini chocolate chips, mini M&M’s, crumbled Oreo cookies, peanuts or mixed nuts, and chocolate almond bark.  You can use any candy or snack topping of your choice.  A fun topping to try would be potato chips – the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  Maybe next time I’ll give that a try! I like to make these Gourmet Caramel Apples to serve for dessert when company is over, bring out as a snack, or give as a fun … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Gourmet Caramel Apples

Are you ready for some football…and delicious food?  Snacks and appetizers served during a football game need to be fit for a crowd and easy to eat.  Think finger foods, grab-and-go, quick and easy…. foods that don’t draw your attention away from the game for too long – you don’t want to miss any big plays!     We’re hosting a football part this week and will be serving the following items: Football Pretzel Rods Individual Chicken Taco Bowls Loaded Tater Tot Kabobs Mini Football Pizzas Dessert   Football Pretzel Rods are super simple to make and a crowd favorite!  Plus, pretzels are such a common snack food so you can’t go wrong. I like to pick team colors or traditional football colors (or think seasonably if making these for a holiday gathering).  My pretzel rods wills be dipped in milk chocolate with white chocolate used to create the look … Continue reading

Posted in Party, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fan Favorite Food

Halloween is fast approaching. For some, Halloween is a lifestyle and obsession, for others, it’s a day to be someone or something else.  I personally love decorating the house, buying candy to pass out to trick-or-treaters, dressing up the dog…. but mostly, I love the food!  I like to take a traditional dish and “dress it up” for Halloween.  For example, a pepperoni pizza might have the pepperoni in the shape of a jack-o-lantern.  You get the picture 🙂   This year, I have quite the spread.  It’s going to be one big Halloween celebration at our house, starting with breakfast, and ending with dinner.  Here’s what’s on the menu: Eyeball Donuts Spider Web Donuts Candy “Charcuterie” Board Eyeball Asparagus and Gruyere Tart Spider Web Loaded Potatoes Festival Feetloaf Mini Skeleton Cheesecakes   Halloween is full of candy and treats so why not start the day with something sugary?  Eyeball … Continue reading

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Halloween, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Haunted Hullabaloo

National Dessert Day is October 14th and boy was I excited when I found out!  It’s a day to indulge and enjoy sweets, and I love dessert…. any dessert….so I could not pass up sharing three of my favorite dessert recipes with you.  When I say I love sweets, I mean I REALLY love sweets.  If I’m offered a second helping of food, I would rather turn it down to save room for dessert.  Or start my meal with dessert so I’m not too full afterward.  National Dessert Day is my day 🙂 The 3 recipes I want to share with you today are: Tres Leche Cake Butterscotch Budino with Salted Caramel Pistachio Cheesecake   First up is Tres Leche Cake.  This is an authentic Mexican cake, soaked in a sweet milk mixture, and topped with homemade whipped cream, cinnamon, and berries.  Tres Leche means “three milks” and that is … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on National Dessert Day

Black Bean Brownies are moist, rich, and fudge-y.  I bet you never thought you would hear “black beans’ and “brownies” in the same sentence 🙂  Most people look at me like I’m crazy and ask if they heard right.  Yes – Black Bean Brownies are a thing and they are delicious!  They are also healthy and easy to make. The recipe can be found here. One thing I want to mention is this recipe can be Vegan, if Vegan chocolate chips are used, and it can also be Gluten Free, if the oats used are Gluten Free. Start by preheating the oven and prepping an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, except for the chocolate chips, and process until smooth.  You might need to turn off the food processor and scrape the sides a few times. Once processed, I like … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Bean Brownies

Everyone loves ice cream!  Why you ask?  There are soooooooo many flavors to choose from, it’s refreshing on a hot summer day (but can be enjoyed year round), you can eat it anywhere, it goes with almost any dessert, you can make it at home….really the reasons to enjoy ice cream are endless 🙂 I enjoy making ice cream with my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker and trying different flavors.  I’ve definitely had a few batches that didn’t turn out how I wanted but let’s be honest, I ate them anyway 🙂  Who would throw away perfectly good ice cream?  I do, however, have 3 favorites I would like to share with you today. Strawberry Ice Cream Pistachio Ice Cream Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is incredibly flavorful and refreshing!  There is an entire pound of strawberries in this batch of ice cream, so it’s definitely fruity.  … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on National Ice Cream Day

Summer is finally here and now it’s time to look ahead to the 4th of July.  Can you believe it’s only a week away?  We plan on celebrating with family and friends – backyard bash, BBQ, yard games, drinks, the whole shebang!  If you are as unprepared as I am, you are probably in need of a few quick and easy food options 🙂 First up is Buffalo Chicken Firecrackers.  These are fun to assemble and a great themed food for your spread.  Feel free to use your favorite homemade Buffalo Chicken Dip if you prefer but I like to order fresh from the deli.  Saves me some time and effort, and it’s delicious!  Plus, any leftovers can be set out to enjoy with the rest of the food. Start by laying out wonton wrappers on the counter.  Place a spoonful of the Buffalo Chicken Dip on each wonton wrapper.  Then … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 4th Of July Entertaining

If you are having a hard time deciding what to make for St Patrick’s Day, I can help!  There are some really great recipes out there whether you are hosting a party or enjoying a quiet meal at home.  I want to share my take on St Patrick’s Day and the menu I plan on serving. I’m sticking with a “green theme” for my menu and serving mostly food that is…green.  The menu is not necessarily traditional Irish food but is fun and festive for the occasion! The menu consists of the following: Avocado Ranch Dip with Veggies Reuben Sandwich Rachel Sandwich Decorative Pretzel Rods Frozen Grasshopper, for the adults Mint Green Shake, for the kids   The Avocado Ranch Dip is delicious!  It’s light, tangy, and perfectly salted.  You combine the ingredients in the food processor until smooth and serve with veggies.  I only plated green veggies to keep … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

I recently had a bowl of Butternut Squash Bisque at a restaurant while traveling and it was one recipe I knew I had to remake!  It took a few tries, but I have something luscious and delicious to share with you. Soup is such a popular fall dish; it warms the body and curbs those comfort food cravings as the temperatures start to drop.  This Butternut Squash Bisque is thick, creamy, rich, and healthy – great for a cozy dinner!  I’m calling this recipe “bisque” instead of “soup” because it’s so thick and creamy. The recipe can be found here. I start by chopping all the veggies and doing some prep work.  This was the longest part of making the bisque and admittedly was my first-time preparing butternut squash, so it took some getting used to.  If you’ve never cut squash before, start by cutting off both ends, then cut … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Perfect Fall Meal

Labor Day Grilling It’s time to fire up the grill for your Labor Day celebration!  I plan to spend the day outside enjoying the weather with family and friends.  Whatever you plan to do, I hope you enjoy some delicious food and get good use of your grill before cooler weather hits.  It’s the perfect day for grilling and a picnic. I have a handful of grilling ideas and side dish suggestions for you to try to have the perfect spread.  Let’s start with the meat! Brats – there are so many brat varieties available, you are sure to find something for everyone on your guest list.  My favorite is the Chicken Fajita Brat found at the Chef’s Counter of your local Festival Foods.  Other varieties available include Philly Cheese Chicken, Octoberfest, Jalapeno Cheddar, Wild Rice, and more!  Don’t forget the fresh brat buns from the bakery! Burgers – probably the most popular food to grill.  Plus, burgers … Continue reading

Posted in Labor Day Weekend, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Labor Day Grilling