Alphabet Soup

Back in 2011, I participated in a project called Frosting for the Cause.  My contribution was Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Filled Moon Pies.  Unfortunately, it seems as though that blog no longer exists.  In light of that, I am re-posting the story and recipe here, just in case anyone comes looking for it.  :) Originally posted Feb 22, 2011 When I first heard about Frosting for the Cause via Twitter, I knew I had to join in.   I was so excited to get the email letting me know when I would be posting!   I feel very honored to be a part of this.   Later, when I sat down to write my post, the emotions really hit me.   My grandmother has battled cancer not once, but twice in her life.   And thankfully, both times, she has won.   She’s a tough old lady!   Just don’t tell her I called her old.     And she is not the only woman in my life to have been touched by cancer.  A dear friend of mine, Denyse, recentl...

I've been making the littles some apple muffins lately, which they love, but I've been wanting to make something with pumpkin instead.  However, I've been stuck in a rut and just haven't found a recipe that I've wanted to try.  Sure, I have my stand-by recipes, but I wanted something new.  I can't believe I hadn't checked one of my favorite baking books ( Baking From My Home to Yours , by Dorie Greenspan ) before now.  A quick look at the index, and I found what I was looking for, All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake.  It really does have it all:  pumpkin, apples, fresh cranberries, and pecans.  Perfect!  I even had all the ingredients, since I had picked up some cranberries on a whim at the grocery store this week.  I decided to let all the kiddos help me, and they were excited to.  Let me warn you though, I would prep the pecans, cranberries, and apples ahead of time if you're going to be making this with kids, especially young ones....

Several years ago, my mom gave me an old cookbook, it was hers but I'm not sure she ever used it, Favorite Recipes from Southern Kitchens:  Desserts .  I love this cookbook!  I thought it would be great to go through it and pick a recipe or two to use for this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats series.  For this week, I chose a super easy one, Hello Dolly Cookies.  I have absolutely no idea where the name came from.  I'm really not sure I've ever eaten one before, though the ladies I shared the finished product with knew about them!  I did an internet search too, and it seems they go by a lot of names, including Magic Layer Bars.  Honestly, they are so easy to make.  There's no mixing required.  Kids could absolutely help with these.  The cookies smelled divine while they were baking, and I barely waited for them to cool before trying one. At first I thought "these taste almost like German chocolate cake", then "or d...

Chocolate.  Ganache.  Ice.  Cream.  I'll just get right down to business.  This stuff is amazing!! Katrina of Baking and Boys! chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  She has my wholehearted gratitude.  ;)  Chocolate ice cream is probably my favorite when it comes down to it.  Or really good chocolate ice cream, that is.  This particular recipe starts out by making ganache, which is a French term for a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream.  I have to confess, I'd never actually made ganache before trying this recipe.  I can say, it's super easy!  You put your chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate).  Next you bring some heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate.  After letting it sit for a couple of minutes, you start stirring and are rewarded with a beautiful, glossy, bowl of chocolate bliss.  Not that I stuck my {clean} finger in...

Well, after a longer-than-planned hiatus, I am hopefully back in the swing of things. Luckily, this week's TWD pick was rather easy! Cathy of The Tortefeasor chose Tender Shortcakes . Perfect for summertime, if you ask me! These were quick and easy to put together, being essentially a sweet biscuit, and biscuits are something I make frequently. I halved the recipe, and still came out with 8 shortcakes. Dorie must make hers quite large, because the full recipe was supposed to make 10! Hmmm...then again, maybe I should have made mine larger...this way, I could say I only ate one, instead of two. I may have to rethink my strategy next time! Anyway, I probably could have added another spoonful of cream to my dough as it seemed a tad on the crumbly side. However, the end result was just fine - light, tender, sweet, and oh so delicious! Sadly, I did not have any extra cream to whip up to serve with them, so I just had plain strawberries with mine. D stood over the sink and ate his plai...

This is for those days when you need banana pudding, and you need it now . It's not made from scratch. But that means there is no sweating over the stove, stirring your precious pudding...waiting...waiting. This is for those days when the baby wouldn't sleep the night before, when your head is absolutely pounding, and you need that banana pudding!! :) Ingredients: 1 large box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla or banana pudding (I use vanilla) 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 1 carton (8 oz) cool whip 1 box vanilla wafers 3-4 ripe bananas Directions: Start by mixing the pudding according to the package directions. You'll want a large bowl for this. Next, make a mess while opening the condensed milk. Don't cuss too loudly, or you might wake the napping baby, and lord knows he needs that sleep. Add the condensed milk and cool whip to the pudding you've already mixed up. Using your finger, scrape the last bits of cool whip out of the carton and eat. Go wash hands. Grab yo...