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Cheese Ball
A Retro Appetizer While you are watching Mad Men, way not have a retro appetizer? Serve a cheese ball! Maybe not bring back the secretary chasing and the smoking, but the cheese ball and the Old-Fashioned could use a re-intro. Cheese Ball 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened 10 strips bacon, fried crisp, then […]
Continue ReadingWild Rice with Dried Apricots & Toasted Pecan Salad with Port Vinaigrette
A Lovely Ladies Luncheon… I catered a party for my absolute favorite ladies yesterday. It’s an annual luncheon and I have done it for about 5 or 6 years. (…but who’s counting!) Anyway, one of the things I made was a rice salad that had lots of dried and fresh fruit in it. I changed […]
Continue ReadingMaple Bundt Cake
A Beautiful Bundt I love maple syrup. I made three different cakes for a lunch party that I am catering today. One of them is a maple bundt cake with maple whipped cream. Maple Bundt Cake Serves 8 – 10 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking […]
Continue ReadingRoasted Salmon with Balsamic Sauce
Eat Your Omega-3-Rich Fish! I usually roast salmon, it’s easy and fast. Here is a recipe that is delicious and nutritious that uses balsamic vinegar. I love balsamic vinegar. Salmon is a highly nutritious food. It is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the […]
Continue ReadingFAMOUS Chocolate Refrigerator Roll
Ice Box Cake I was thinking about desserts that my daughter might like to make and I came up with this ice box cake that uses the Nabisco chocolate wafers. I can just see whip cream everywhere! FAMOUS Chocolate Refrigerator Roll Serves 14 2 cups whipping cream 1 tsp vanilla 1 pkg. (9 oz) FAMOUS […]
Continue ReadingBourbon Balls
Boozy Bon Bons My daughter, Grace, made these “bon bons” for me yesterday for a party I catered. They are quite boozy and delicious! Bourbon Balls 1 cup pecans 8 oz vanilla wafers, enough to make 2 cups 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, divided 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1/4 […]
Continue ReadingWarm Sticky Toffee Cake
Warm, Sticky Dessert! There was an amazing recipe in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times. It was an S.O.S. from a women who had this dessert at the Westside Tavern in West L.A. (inside the Westside Pavilion). She said it was the most delectable, amazing dessert: warm sticky toffee cake. Being a big fan of sticky toffee pudding, I […]
Continue ReadingAngie’s Fig Jam, Caramelized Onion, Manchego Arugula Pizza!
I was talking to my friend, Angie, yesterday and she said that she made a delicious pizza as an appetizer. It sounded so good to me that I decided reveal her recipe. Someone gave her a jar of fig jam, which inspired her to create this wonderful pizza. You spread pizza dough with the jam […]
Continue ReadingCaramel-Almond Popcorn
Handmade Holiday Gifts December, to most people, means a very long to do list. Hostess, teacher, mailman, etc gifts are always difficult. Handmade gifts are the best kind, particularly when they’re edible and nicely packaged. Here is an easy recipe that fits the bill. Caramel-Almond Popcorn Makes about 18 cups 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted […]
Continue ReadingHot Toddy
When the Weather Outside is Frightful….. Try a Hot Toddy. The Hot Toddy is a mixed drink, usually including alcohol, that is served hot. Hot Toddies (such as mulled wine or cider) are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet and/or cold weather. They were believed to help cure the common cold….. or […]
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