~Simply Delicious~

Lime Simply Delicious
(File Photo)

Ohh, the heat is on!! 90°F days in June are tough- especially when we are heading into what could be our second heat wave of the year. A cool refreshing dessert is what is needed on a hot day. A quick and easy to prepare dessert! One that requires only 3 ingredients is great. Simply Delicious! There are 3 ingredients: 1 small package of flavored Jello, 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream and 1 Cup of hot (boiled) Water. Everything is mixed together (in order) in a medium size bowl. It is that easy! It also tastes so good!

Preparing Strawberry Simply Delicious
(File Photo)

Simply Delicious- serves 2 

Ingredients: 

1 small package flavored Jello 
1 Cup hot (boiled) Water
1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:  

1. Boil cold water and measure out 1 Cup.
2. Place contents of 1 small package flavored Jello in a medium bowl.
3. Pour hot water in bowl and stir Jello.
4. Dissolve Jello completely.
5. Add 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream to mixture.
6. Whisk or stir well until Ice Cream melts.
7. Pour into 2 servings dishes/ mugs.
8. Refrigerate several hours.
9. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Strawberry Jello and Strawberry Ice Cream tastes delicious! Lime is so tasty! Orange flavored is so good! There are so many choices. On a hot day make a batch or two of this dessert.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
(File Photo)

Add Sour Cream to your grocery list if you do not have it in your fridge! It is one of the ingredients in Sour Cream Sugar Cookies! Nutmeg is too! These Sugar Cookies are prepared in a 2 step process. On Day 1 the dough is prepared and placed in the fridge to use the next day. On Day 2 find your rolling pin, rolling mat, favorite cookie cutters and colored sugars. Day 2 is the day to have fun rolling out, baking and yes sampling these yummy light cookies. They are so good!!

After the cookies are baked/ cooled they can be packaged and placed in your freezer. Defrost the needed amount to share for the upcoming holiday. Your family and guests will enjoy biting into this cookie and taste the hint of Nutmeg. These are the best sugar cookies!!

*****I use Unsalted Butter and Fat Free Sour Cream when preparing the dough. If Margarine is used the dough is sticky and difficult to roll out.  

Click here for my recipe for Sour Cream Sugar Cookies. Delicious!! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread
(File Photo)

Cranberry Bread! YUM!! The delicious dessert bread that is orange flavored with chopped cranberries in every bite. It is at Thanksgiving time that so many of us think about using cranberries when baking. So many of us also add cranberry sauce to our grocery list. That is- if we do not prep this sauce ourselves for the Thanksgiving Day dinner. I purchase the sauce for all of us to enjoy.

A bag of fresh Cranberries is purchased in order to bake this treat. Orange Juice is also a needed ingredient. The cranberries are rinsed in cold water/ drained and then chopped before adding them into the batter. 

I have not baked this bread for Thanksgiving, yet, because it does NOT freeze well. Usually a day or two before eating is when I bake it. 

For the Cranberry Bread recipe that I have used for decades, click here.  

It is so good! Add a bag of fresh Cranberries and also Orange Juice to your grocery list for this weekend. Then, bake this delicious bread!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Butternut Squash Bread

Butternut Squash Breads cooling
(file photo)

There are quite a few 2 Cup bags of Butternut Squash in our freezer. Last week 3 more Butternuts were purchased to prep for the months ahead. A delicious dessert to bake using this tasty vegetable is Butternut Squash Bread. It requires the same basic recipe as Pumpkin Bread, but I substitute the defrosted mashed Butternut for Pumpkin. Pumpkin tastes bland, so in addition to cinnamon and nutmeg, ground cloves are added to the batter. That spice is not necessary in Butternut Squash Bread, because Butternuts have flavor. The cloves can be added though, if desired. 

I have posted my recipe in the past, so to view it today, click on this link below:

Butternut Squash Bread 

***With the increased cost of groceries, including baking supplies, I have made a change with the Egg Whites that I used in the past. Rather than using Egg Whites, I use Whole Eggs. When baking there is a formula for Egg Whites = Whole Eggs.

2 Egg Whites = 1 Whole Egg

Butternut Squash Bread is a family favorite! In our home it is always enjoyed over Thanksgiving Day Weekend!! I bake 2 breads rather than one. Just stagger the pans in the oven when baking. The extra bread can be frozen after it is cooled/ wrapped in foil. I cut one bread in half. Then wrap/label/date and freeze both halves. A frozen half is always a great treat for our family members to take home with them after enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

Bake a Butternut Squash Bread, or 2, to enjoy over Thanksgiving! Your guests would enjoy taking 1/2 a frozen bread home, too. It is delicious!

I need to bake these breads again this week! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
needs a small scoop of vanilla ice cream
(File Photo)

Apples are a great tasting fruit! There are so many different varieties. One of my favorite desserts to bake using apples is- da da- Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp! It's the yummy dessert containing raisins and craisins mixed in with baked apples. It has an oat, cinnamon and nutmeg topping. After placing each serving in a dessert dish, top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream! What a great dessert! Quite often at Thanksgiving rather than bake an Apple Pie, I bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp. It is that good! There is also no pie crust to roll out.

In autumn I like to use Cortland Apples when baking this dessert. As the year moves along I switch to Empire Apples. I have posted this recipe in the past and I am sharing it again today.

Click here for my easy Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp recipe.    

Add apples to your grocery list to bake this very tasty dessert. Vanilla ice cream too, if you do not already have it in your freezer!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

~Best Ever Irish Soda Bread~

Irish Soda Bread
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It's especially at this time of year that Irish Soda Bread is baked and enjoyed! You know the yummy bread that is just filled with sweet raisins with every bite. At least the Irish Soda Bread that I bake is. Yes, you can purchase one that can be a tad dry in texture and /or not contain lots of raisins. If you are going to enjoy this delicious traditional bread on St. Patrick's Day weekend, bake one using this recipe. It's that good!

***Three ingredients are key here- Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk. The Butter is melted first and cooled before adding into the other ingredients. The Raisins are soaked in hot water and drained before adding them in.

Did I mention that no eggs are needed in this recipe? There are no eggs. 

In the photo below the sticky raisin filled dough is ready to be placed in the oven.

Raisin filled dough
(File Photo)

Click here for my recipe for this delicious Irish Soda Bread.

Add Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk to your grocery list this week. Then, bake this delicious Irish Soda Bread to enjoy this upcoming St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Delicious Thanksgiving Day Dessert

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
waiting for a small scoop of vanilla ice cream
(File Photo)

Apple Crisp is always a welcome dessert! Slices of baked apples combined with dried cranberries and raisins that have an oat cinnamon/ nutmeg topping. Yum! A small scoop of vanilla ice cream is always placed on top whenever we enjoy this dessert. I have baked one this autumn. It was so good! Next week the day before Thanksgiving Day I will be baking another Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp. It is such a delicious dessert to enjoy on that special day. And also many other special days!

At this time of year so many restaurants, grocery stores and specialty food shops advertise their Apple Pies. Some may be good, but others are just o.k. Instead of purchasing one, bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp! There is no pie crust to roll out. That is an added plus! It sure does save time involved in preparing this tasty dessert.   

My easy recipe for Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp is here. 

Add Apples to your grocery list for this weekend. The other ingredients you probably already have. If not, add those ingredients, too. This is one dessert that beats buying an apple pie.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Bake a Butternut Squash Bread!

Butternut Squash Breads
cooling

Butternut Squash Bread! YUM!! It is a delicious dessert bread that is a family favorite. After preparing the Butternut Squash for our freezer, 2 cups were placed in our fridge to bake 2 of these yummy breads the next day. Yes, 2 breads. Why 2 breads? Well, doubling the recipe and baking 2 and then freezing one Butternut Squash Bread helps when planning ahead for Thanksgiving Day. That holiday is in our future! Every year without fail we enjoy this treat during that holiday in November. 

The recipe is very easy. The orange squash has already been mashed, so it is added to the liquid ingredients. Then the combined liquid ingredients are mixed into the dry ingredients when preparing this dessert. While baking there will be a great aroma floating out of your kitchen, too! It is a very tasty dessert bread! 

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Bread!    

It is a quick and an easy dessert to bake and to enjoy! Will you be baking one or two in the next 2 months?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Raisin Zucchini Muffins

A Raisin Zucchini Muffin
(File Photo)

It's the weekend! A weekend in late January when our local grocery store had some fine looking Zucchini in the Produce Department. Very quickly a memory of freshly baked Zucchini Muffins popped into my mind.  To be specific- Zucchini Muffins with Raisins.  Yum!  Not since that "buy local" veggie was available at road side stands this past summer have I baked a batch.

Well, that changed today.  A double batch is now baking in my oven and the aroma in my kitchen is beginning to make me hungry.  I baked a double batch.  There will be Raisin Zucchini Muffins located in our freezer tomorrow, too.  

Click here for the recipe. 

When you also find some "fine looking" Zucchini in your grocery store's Produce Department, bake a batch of these very tasty treats!

Enjoy!
Yummy!          

~CranOrange Coffee Cake~

CranOrange Coffee Cake
before the Almond Icing is drizzled on top.
(File Photo)

CranOrange Coffee Cake!!  A slice of this delicious cake served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream is just the best!  It's another great dessert to enjoy at this time of year.  Whole berry cranberry sauce is one of the ingredients.  Years ago when baking this cake I used a cranorange relish, but now I use the whole berry sauce and orange extract.  I also use my Tube Pan rather than my Bundt pan. 

Ready to be placed in my oven.
(File Photo)

This CranOrange Coffee Cake is another yummy dessert that can be baked early.  After the cake cools completely wrap it in foil and place it in the freezer.  The day before you plan to serve it, defrost and drizzle the cake with the Almond Icing.  

Click here for my recipe for this delicious cake! 

My cake for the holidays is already in my freezer! Will you be baking one also?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Butternut Squash Bread!

Butternut Squash Bread
(File Photo)

Butternut Squash Bread! What a delicious dessert!  Yes, I did write Butternut Squash. For years- that has led to decades- I have been using this veggie instead of pumpkin when preparing this dessert bread.  It is so yummy that you may just want to enjoy a half slice as a snack! 

Lately, the amount of Butternuts in the bushel container in our garage has been reduced.

The Bushel of Butternut Squash

Many of the squash have been cooked/ mashed.  Labeled freezer bags of this orange veggie are on their designated freezer shelf.  This weekend the remaining squash will be prepared and more bags will be frozen.   

One delicious treat that is made using the mashed Butternut Squash is Butternut Squash Bread.  Usually I bake 2 breads at once, so I double the recipe and stagger the pans in the oven before/ when baking.  This weekend I will be using the freshly mashed Butternut Squash when baking these breads.  

During the year I defrost a bag containing 2 cups to bake 2 breads.  The Butternut Squash will defrost overnight in the fridge.    

This dessert bread is very easy to prepare!  While it is baking the aroma of Cinnamon and Nutmeg will float from your kitchen to other rooms in your home.  A small amount of Ground Cloves can be added to the batter, too.  It is also at this time of year that one of the 2 breads that I bake will be placed in our freezer to enjoy over Thanksgiving.  If you will also be doing this, after the bread cools, wrap in heavy duty foil, label and freeze.

I use Egg Whites in this recipe. 
Remember- when baking:

***2 Egg Whites = 1 Whole Egg

With the current price of Eggs, you may want to use  2 Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg for 1 bread. 
When baking that would equal or be the same as using 4 Egg Whites.     

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Bread!  It is a family favorite in my home and it just may become a favorite for you and your family, too!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
(File Photo)
My dessert is currently baking in my oven.

Today was the day! The day to bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp!  The dessert that has fresh apple slices that are baked with an oat topping that also contains Cinnamon and Nutmeg.  Nothing beats enjoying this dessert when it is prepared with fresh apples.  In Autumn I use McIntosh or Cortland apples or a combination of the two.  Craisins (dried cranberries) and raisins are placed in the baking dish along with the apple slices.  

When this dessert is baking the wonderful aroma of apples, Cinnamon and Nutmeg float through our home.  It is a teaser of how great it will taste- later.  

You are one click away from my recipe.  Click here!

Bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp soon.  Do not forget to purchase the vanilla ice cream.  A small scoop tastes so good on top.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

 

Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus
(File Photo)

Today, fresh asparagus was purchased in our grocery store to enjoy as a veggie at dinner tonight.  O.K., to be honest enough asparagus was purchased so we could enjoy it again tomorrow night.  It is a great treat to have at dinner.  It's also very easy to prepare.  After cutting off the tough ends from the bottoms of the stalks (about 1"- 1 and 1/2") , the veggie is rinsed in cool water.  Then, the pieces are coated with Olive Oil and herbs and placed on a large cookie sheet to be roasted in the oven.  Now, that is really easy!

Asparagus ready to be roasted!
(File Photo)

When I was growing up Asparagus was a veggie that my family always enjoyed in the Spring.  My mom would boil it, but I prefer to roast it.  I really like the flavor when it is roasted!    

Click here for my complete instructions on preparing Roasted Asparagus.  So delicious!  It is a great veggie to add to your dinner table.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

      

Best Ever Irish Soda Bread

Best Ever Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

It's that time of year when every one is Irish! It's also that time of year when I look into my fridge to see if I have unsalted Butter and Buttermilk.  I will be baking Best Ever Irish Soda Bread this week. It is delicious! A slice warmed for a few seconds in the microwave to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day has become a tradition! This Irish Soda Bread is filled with plump Raisins.  They are plump, because they are soaked in hot water while I prepare the dough.  It does make a difference.

Ready to be placed in the oven.
(File Photo)

I have also learned that slices of this delicious bread freeze well.

If you have never baked this yummy bread, bake one using this recipe.  I found it many years ago when I was searching for a recipe.  The ones that I had always seemed to be too dry.  You know, like the Irish Soda Breads that you purchase in the grocery stores.  This bread is just the best!

Click here for the recipe and my helpful hints. 

Bake this delicious bread this year!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Yummy Blueberry Muffins

Yummy Blueberry Muffins!
(File Photo)

Yesterday, baking a batch of Yummy Blueberry Muffins was on my agenda.  In the summer when the local fresh blueberries are "in season" my "to do" list includes purchasing/ cleaning/ and freezing the local berries.  Then, whenever blueberries are needed for a recipe, I reach into our freezer and take out a bag.  The day before a bag of frozen blueberries is needed it is placed in our fridge to defrost overnight.   

Yummy Blueberry Muffins is a dessert that is easy to prepare and tastes so good.  After they are baked there is always a "taste test"!  That is a great excuse to enjoy a warm muffin.  My recipe makes 22- 23 muffins, so half of them are always saved to enjoy in the next few days.  The other half?  They are placed in freezer bags and into the freezer they go.  It is a great treat to find them in a few weeks.   

I have been baking these muffins for so many years!  A small amount of cinnamon adds to the delicious taste.  They are definitely a family favorite!

Click here for the recipe!  If you do not have frozen blueberries in your freezer, purchase a container of fresh blueberries to bake a batch!

Enjoy!
Yummy!   

Cranberry Cake

Cranberry Cake
Icing will be drizzled over the top!
(File Photo)

For so many years I baked a yummy CranOrange Cake for my family to enjoy after Christmas dinner.  Then, for some reason that I cannot remember, I did not bake it.  A few years after that, this special cake became known as "the cranberry cake you used to bake".  After this cake drought this yummy treat found its way to our table, again.  Then, once again I stopped baking it.  Over this past weekend I surprised my family!  "The cranberry cake you used to bake" was enjoyed for dessert.  Slices were served with small scoops of vanilla ice cream!  It brought back memories from long ago!  The cake?  Oh, it was delicious!  So good!!  During this year I will once again take out my tube cake pan and bake another one to surprise them again. 

I bake this cake in my tube baking pan rather than using a bundt pan, because it works better.         

Ready to be placed in the oven!
(File Photo)

 

 

Many years ago I posted the recipe for this yummy cake that is a family favorite.  Click here to view the recipe.  We may have changed the name a bit, but this cake is just delicious!  Plan on baking one, too!     

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Butternut Squash Bread

Butternut Squash Bread cooling!
(File Photo)

Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner!  Butternut Squash will definitely be a veggie that will find a place on our dinner table.  That orange colored veggie is also an ingredient in a delicious bread.  You guessed it! We will also be enjoying Butternut Squash Bread on that day and over the holiday weekend.  It is so good! 

The recipe is easy!  Cooked, mashed, cooled Butternut Squash is used.  This bread can also be frozen after it cools.  So, bake one or double the recipe and bake two this weekend. After they cool wrap in foil and freeze.  They will be ready to defrost and enjoy on Thanksgiving Day!

For the recipe click here!    

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Apple Bread

Apple Bread cooling!
(File Photo)

Apples are a favorite fruit in our household!  In autumn the fresh crops of apples are so good.  Slices of this fruit are a great snack, too.  Desserts made with apples are also favorites of ours and one of our favorite desserts is Apple Bread.  It has a very simple name, but it is packed with flavor.  Fresh chunks of Apples along with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Orange Juice are tasted with every bite of a slice of this dessert bread. 

Slices in the serving dish!
(File Photo)

This bread is so yummy that I always bake two of them at once.  If you are baking two at the same time, just remember to stagger the bread pans in the oven while baking the breads.  After baking and they cool, one of the breads is wrapped in foil and labeled/ dated and placed in our freezer.  It is a wonderful surprise to enjoy in a month or two.  This year during Thanksgiving Day weekend, the second bread will be defrosted and shared at our dinner table.  

For the ingredients and the recipe for Apple Bread- click here. 

In the next few days I will be baking 2 of them.  You guessed it!  One we will enjoy now and the second Apple Bread will be placed in our freezer!  This is a very moist bread that has become a favorite of ours over the years! 

*****If you plan to bake one bread, cut the recipe in half- use only 1/2 of the ingredients.  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

~Autumn~

~Autumn~

Autumn has arrived! The season of pumpkins and gourds. Today was the day to keep a tradition going! Purchasing a bushel of our favorite vegetable at Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow. The veggie is Butternut Squash!  

Yummy! 

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
before adding the vanilla ice cream on top.
(File Photo)

In September when it gets a bit chilly here in Western MA I always think of baking an Apple Crisp! Actually, I think of baking a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp and top it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream before serving!  It's the dessert containing peeled/ sliced apples that is baked and has a delicious cinnamon nutmeg oat topping.  Did I mention that mixed in with the baked apple slices are puffed Craisins (dried cranberries) and puffed raisins?  The dried fruits absorb the moisture while they are baking and puff up.  At this time of year I use McIntosh and/ or Cortland apples.  During the winter season, sometimes, I use Empire Apples. 

This is definitely a tasty dessert made with apples and it does not require a pie crust!  It has been a family favorite for years!  A small scoop of ice cream or a small amount of whipped cream added on top adds to the delicious taste.  

I have posted my recipe many times in the past, so I am including my complete recipe here:

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp Recipe 

Add apples- McIntosh or Cortland to your grocery list this week.  Read the recipe to learn if you have the other ingredients.  You probably do have old fashioned Oats in your pantry along with brown sugar, and the cinnamon and nutmeg.  If not, add those, too.  Plan on baking this delicious dessert soon!  It is so good!

Enjoy!
Yummy!