Every time I feel like I may have tried pretty much everything in the grocery store, I run across another ingredient I can’t believe I’ve never tasted. For this week’s recipe, that magical ingredient was lemon curd. I knew lemon curd existed, but I can’t remember ever buying or trying it before. If you’re like …
Continue reading “It never ‘a curd’ to me that this lemon dessert was worth a try”
In one of our first shopping trips together over 20 years ago, I remember Joey grabbing a bottle of ketchup off the end cap at the grocery store. “Whoa,” I said. “Why are you buying the expensive ketchup?” He looked perplexed. And that was the day I probably made my then-boyfriend reconsider his relationship choices …
Continue reading “Don’t have the right fruit? Your ingredients may ‘berry’”
There’s a phrase we often hear when we travel north: Minnesota Nice. It refers to how friendly the folks in Minnesota are, and that’s especially true when you visit in the summer months. After being snowed in and freezing in sub-zero temperatures all winter, they are ready to go out and about and are happy …
Continue reading “‘Chew’se a chocolate-free bar cookie for your summer treat”
When I graduated from college and rented my own home for the very first time, I decided that I would do my darnedest to cook meals for myself as much as possible and avoid premade stuff from the freezer section. I remember one of the first times I fired up the stove, heating some oil …
Continue reading “Oven mistake? Just keep calm and ‘berry’ on”
I find that the toughest time of year to make desserts is summer. If it’s a particularly good recipe, I’m willing to heat up my kitchen by using my oven, but my problem is how the dessert will travel with the heat. And if the event I’m taking my dessert to happens to be outdoors, …
Continue reading “In July, heat-proof desserts are a ‘pine’ of the times”
We attended a high school graduation this past week, and since I only knew one graduate, I had a little time to let my mind wander during the ceremony. I thought about how making friends has changed for me in the 20-plus years since I was in high school. It used to be so easy: …
Continue reading “Look cool at your next gathering with an icebox cake”
When I was growing up, my mom’s specialty, which was required at every family get together, was her deviled eggs. I remember my uncle jokingly blocking the door, looking for her tell-tale Tupperware box before we were allowed to come inside. I also remember one fateful day when I accidentally dropped the box, creating havoc …
Continue reading “This summer, let’s come together and give ‘pies’ a chance”
The past two weeks, every time I walked through the produce department at our local grocery store, pints of blueberries have been calling my name. I tried to avoid eye contact with them, knowing that I didn’t have a good way to get rid of a lot of dessert. But when we were invited to …
Continue reading “This crisp lets fresh berries’ true colors shine ‘blue’”
No matter how many kitchen gadgets I get, I always seem to need one more. We were invited to a barbecue recently, and I decided to bring something summer-y, settling on making pineapple tartlets. Unfortunately, I don’t have a tart pan, let alone any tartlet pans, but I do have cupcake tins, and it turns …
Continue reading “Mini pineapple desserts are a true work of ‘tart’”
It seems like barbecues and gatherings happen at a moment’s notice during the summer. As a lover of dessert, I often find that these gatherings are full of all kinds of delicious salads and entrees but are often lacking on the sweet side of the palate. Obviously, I’ve taken it upon myself to fix this …
