Desserts
Almond Butter Cookies
Well this past week has been trying, to say the least. After spending a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends, Black Friday and Shop Small Biz Saturday came and went with a bang! We were VERY busy at the shop, I’m happy to say; but all the hustle and bustle took it’s toll on me. Exhausted ...Pre-BaconApocalypse Bacon Party
Rumors of an imminent bacon shortage has got the whole foodie world abuzz. Bacon prices will rise; and what once was considered a low-brow, inexpensive, commonplace kitchen staple is now a gourmet item. Much blogged about, placed on the foodie center stage, and soon-to-be the newest poetry subject: We love our Bacon! ;) So, leave it ...Minty Peach Sorbet
The dog days of summer continue to linger here in the deep south, but the past couple mornings there has been the slightest hint of fall in the air. When the humidity breaks for a few minutes, and a breeze blows in, there is an unmistakable smell of changing seasons. We have months of warm weather ...Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream
Last summer I got the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I waffled a bit before buying it because I wasn’t sure I’d get that much use out of it, and I despise having useless kitchen gadgets cluttering my precious cabinet space. Well, needless to say, I’ve gotten more than my money’s worth of use ...A Southerner’s Staple: Banana Pudding
Perhaps I’m being a little parochial. Maybe banana pudding is a staple on every American’s table during summer time feasts. Maybe every family has a generational obligation to provide this one dessert at every meal where . Maybe. I know for sure this is how it is in the South. :) Everyone grows up with this ...Strawberry Beeramisu
Several friends have been asking for this recipe for the last YEAR. >sigh< Yes, I have procrastinated, forgotten, and put it off for that long. The last time I actually made this dessert was two years ago, so it wasn’t much on my mind until the subject of strawberry beer arose recently. My favorite Louisiana ...Banana Split
O. M. G. Have I said I love Pinterest? Well…. I LOVE Pinterest! So many ideas, so little time. I do not know where this particular idea originated (I did not find it on Pinterest myself). My brother-in-law is actually the one who told me of this idea and that he found it on the ...{Guest Blogger} Mardi Gras Cake
I am very happy to introduce you to today’s guest blogger, Carmen. I’ve known Carmen for many years and am happy to call her a long-time friend. Among many other talents, she has started baking and decorating cakes (and cupcakes and cookies and…. well, I suppose anyting sweet that can be decorated!). She has been ...Peanut Butter & Jam Sandwich Cookies
A very dear friend asked me to help out with her daughter’s 6th birthday party. Theme: dress up tea party! How could I say ‘no?’ This is going to be way too much fun, so I started brainstorming immediately. What would little girls like to eat? ??? I thought and thought, wondered and wondered. Then realized: ...Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
…or should they be called Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars? Meh… Sometimes I get things a little backwards But I’m not sure that really matters in this case because whatever you call these, they are De.Li.Cious! Heavenly. Decadent. Sinful. Rich. There are many adjectives that aptly describe these treats. I’ll leave it up to you to work out. I’m too busy ...Holiday Treats
Hello! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that jazz. I hope each and every one of you have had a wonderful holiday season so far. For myself, I am fortunate beyond measure; and there is nothing more I could want or ask for :) Contentment is a wonderful thing My time has been so limited ...Coconut Caramel Rice Pudding
You know how when you spend days planning out the perfect event, thinking of every detail, meticulously prepping every item you plan to put to use? And then the day comes and something always goes wrong. Something was forgotten, or something went missing, or something just did not go to plan. Well, that happened ...Pumpkin Cheesecake
I think I’ve said before that I’m not a cheesecake fan. Spicehubby LOVES cheesecake so I will make them occasionally for him; but they hold no temptation for me. I do, however, like pumpkin–especially pumpkin desserts. So, this particular cheesecake is one that I will actually eat. It’s like the perfect marriage of pumpkin flavor ...Pumpkin Mousse
It’s November!!! And that means the holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from today, so I’m prepping my menu for the big day and trying out recipes to see if they make the cut. We are hosting it at our house this year, and I couldn’t be more excited! (can’t you tell?) ...Pumpkin Sandwich Cake with Chocolate Icing
And the pumpkin obsession continues… I have a group of friends (aka football fanatics) who gather every Sunday to cheer on our beloved New Orleans Saints. :) We alternate hosting this casual affair, and everyone contributes to the meal we consume whilst screaming at the television. LOL This week I was asked to provide dessert, and ...Fall’s Best: Apple Pie with Grapes
Years ago when I was studying abroad in London, part of my time was spent with a family in Finsbury Park. The first time my roommates and I met Graham and Julie, we were invited over for tea (or dinner, as we Americans call it). The dessert Julie made was the best apple pie I ...Apple Pop Tarts and a Party Invitation!
My love affair with fall continues even though the season has not officially started yet. The homemade applesauce I made a couple of weeks ago was such a hit that I decided to make more and find new uses for it (even though it is ever so scrumptious on its own!). The title of this post ...Decadent and Delicious: Chocolate Beet Cake
Yesterday was my very dear friend Lydia’s birthday. And in order to properly celebrate the occasion, CAKE was in order! Chocolate cake, to be exact. This recipe was suggested to me by my lovely niece, baker extraordinaire and author of TheMilkandMoon blog. She posted a fabulously inspired video of this intriguing chocolate beet cake. And ...Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
When I came across this cookie recipe in “Cooking Light” magazine a few years ago, I didn’t quite know what to think of it. Obviously I was intrigued enough to pull it out and add it to my growing stack of “I need to try that” recipe pile. Forgotten and tucked away in my cookbook ...Rocky Road Dessert
For reasons that will go unexplained, I have had THREE packages of cookies from the deli of our local Kroger sitting on my kitchen island, mocking me for the past week. Ugh… I was supposed to start my post-vacation diet on Monday, but that was never going to happen while all those cookies were staring ...Almond Joy Ice Cream
For months I’ve put my workout regimen on hold because of various distractions and excuses. “It’s too dark and cold in the mornings.” “I have too much to do in the evenings.” “It’s too hot and humid.” etc…etc…. But finally yesterday I put my Vibram Five Fingers on and hit the road. The humidity is ...Homemade Ice Cream: Banana Coconut
After a very short period of debate, I decided to use my 20% off coupon to Bed, Bath & Beyond on an ice cream maker attachment. I figured since it’s getting hot and I keep seeing all these great homemade ice cream recipes pop up online that it would be put to good use. I’m ...Foodbuzz 24×24: Wine Tasting Party
I am so excited to be participating for the first time in Foodbuzz’s 24×24 project! Inspiration for this party came from my love of entertaining and of drinking wine. The setting for this late spring feast is my garden, under a brand new custom pergola.☺ It was the perfect evening for dinner outside, so we ...Grasshopper Pie
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! It’s official; most people are off for a long weekend, and some are off for the whole summer! (lucky dogs!) ☺ This dream of a dessert is not just to celebrate the imminence of summer; it’s also to celebrate Spice-hubby’s family. The big annual family reunion is tomorrow, and I promised I ...Easter Brunch
With no particular plans for Easter Sunday (except to avoid any work whatsoever and try our best to relax), I woke up bright and early in a mood to cook! 6:30 this morning, coffee in hand I started rummaging through several of my cookbooks for inspiration. Funny enough, it was a fellow blogger that provided ...Carrot Cake and a big Thank You
For those of you who may not know, I co-own a small business with a very good friend of mine. It’s a home decor/gift shop that we began almost four years ago in my quaint home town of Alexandria. For a small town dominated by big-box stores, we have an amazingly loyal customer base. And ...Cocoa-nut Cake
I made this cake for a family gathering in Ville Platte on Saturday. My husband’s sister from Dallas came home for the weekend, so all the brothers and sisters planned to get together for an outdoor fish fry. The weather is perfect right now for this kind of party–sunny, low humidity (which does not happen ...Mrs. Elsie’s Tea Cakes
Mrs. Elsie was my mother-in-law. I was fortunate enough to meet her and get to know her for a couple of years before she passed away, just short of her 90th birthday. She was a petite fireball in her day and raised 8 children as proof of just how tough she was. My husband is ...Big Love and Cheesecake
My husband and I cap off our weekend each Sunday night by watching HBO’s “Big Love.” It’s one of our favorites shows, and we try to never miss an episode. The series is an intriguing look at faith, convention and societal expectations of family and romantic relationships. I’ll be sorry to see it come to ...Simple Strawberry Amaretto Dessert
With the days getting longer and the temps getting warmer, I begin to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside. That means I want meals that are easy to prepare and don’t need a lot of planning ahead. And if it can be grilled outside, even better! I created this strawberry dessert from ...
