Man, oh man, do I love strawberries! I love them fresh from the garden, or the farm stand. I love them in ice cream, milkshakes, dipped in chocolate. I love strawberry jam, strawberry milk, and those little strawberry candies with the syrup in the center. I’d eat them on a train, with a fox, in a box, here, there, everywhere. Okay, you get the picture. So when the call came out for a whoopie pie blogfest, berry whoopies were my first thought.
Spring in New England is famous for its ever-changing weather. Now that we’re beginning to feel like summer truly is going to come this year, we’re thinking more about picnics at the lake, the first summer berries, and ice cream at the Udder Delight on a hot afternoon.
But one thing we know is coming, though we never seem to plan for until it actually hits us, is the summer rainy day. (more…)
A Mother’s Day poem:
Some moms are cool,
some moms are sweet,
some moms are nutty, like me.
Bake this Creamy Coconut Pie for the mom in your life
who’s a little bit of all three!
Like many in my generation, food jingles are a part of my lexicon. I can’t have hot dogs without singing the Oscar Mayer wiener song, I always know how to spell bologna, and yes I have counted how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. (I’m not tellin’). (more…)
Ooohhh, cheesecake! I know for so many people this conjures up mental pictures of New York delis and thick slabs of pale creamy cake topped with a layer of sour cream. But for me, the word cheesecake brings images of my mom’s Cherry Cheesecake. Not New York style, it relies on a yellow cake mix for its crust and part of the filling, and a heapin’ helpin’ of vanilla as well, with canned cherry pie filling a “must” for the topping. It was a favorite for birthdays and spring holidays, so this time of year always has me wanting to make a big panful. Easter just wouldn’t be Easter without Cherry Cheesecake. (more…)
Ahhh, the first breezes of spring are beginning to blow, and the hazy, crazy days of the holiday season are beginning to fade into memory. I think I’ve found the last of the ornament hooks that fell off the tree, and the gift cards are nearly all used up.
Despite being happy to be moving on with my year there are things from the season, I’m missing it already. I think roast turkey with gravy is perfection; I really do love holiday music; and I didn’t get to make a gingerbread house again this year.
Years before I came to King Arthur, I was teaching kindergarten/pre-school, and had plenty of vacation time during the holidays. As you can expect, here at King Arthur the holiday season is our busiest time of year. And more often than not, we’re all working overtime to get your goodies to you in time. So little things like gingerbread houses can fall by the wayside.
BUT WAIT! Thanks to my local library, a couple of handy gingerbread kits, and a trip to the dollar store for candy, my gingerbread fantasies have come true this year. (more…)
One of the things I love most about writing for this blog is the stories we get to share with our friends, fans, and fellow bakers. It’s great to connect with folks who share a love of the same things that make you glad to get up and come to work every day. Baking, cooking, and food are a big part of my life, and sharing that with others each day makes for a satisfying and rewarding day at the office. But what about at home? (more…)
Allow me to wax nostalgic for a moment. As the youngest of three children (and the only girl), you would have thought I would have been a “sugar and spice and everything nice” kind of child. You know, with ribbons and curls, and doted on by all. In truth, I was quite a tomboy. I wore hand-me-downs from my older brothers; and my hair was straight as a pin and short as theirs, at least until Dorothy Hamill came along and I grew mine out just a little to copy her famous haircut.
I still vividly remember being 12 years old and having someone comment to my mother about her three fine sons. Ouch! Considering the fact I was wearing earrings and a skirt, that really burned my biscuits. And it started me on the road to a more ladylike existence. (more…)
Nothing says “comfort” to me like a big plate of pasta with butter, salt, pepper, and a bit of grated Parmesan cheese. Unless it’s pasta with alfredo sauce. Or fresh tomato sauce. Or maybe pasta with fresh spinach and tomatoes, with a few hunks of mozzarella cheese just barely melting on top.
OK, I confess all pasta is comfort food to me and my family. Like most folks, I used to use boxed pasta, and probably overcooked it 90% of the time; but it still tasted good to us. (more…)
Whether or not you’re a big football fan, Superbowl Sunday is a chance to gather with friends and make all the snack foods and appetizers you’ve been craving all winter, not to mention a few liquid libations.
Both my husband, David, and I grew up in New England and have been Pats fans for years, but our tastes in snacks run more to the South. We’re quite partial at our house to nachos; pulled pork with David’s famous BBQ sauce (coleslaw ON the sandwich, not on the side, thank-you-very-much!), and Cowboy Caviar (kind of like salsa). (more…)
On any given Friday night, you’ll find our family racing out the door to our favorite trendy hot spot to rub elbows with the movers and shakers in our community. That’s right, we’re headed to the diner, and to see Elsie. (more…)
