Heart Tarts

With only four ingredients, this easy dessert comes to the table for summer tea parties or afternoon lunches.  These heart tarts could be made to any shape based on the cookie cutter choices used to cut the Puff Pastry sheets. I simply used two frozen Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry sheets and thawed them on the…

Valentine brownie

Chocolate desserts have to be the ultimate choice for Valentine’s Day.  Sometimes making a favorite recipe in a special serving dish can make the dessert seem extra special. I have found over the years that I prefer to make my own Valentine’s Dinner.  I control the ingredients and the timing of the meal.  I can…

Specialty chocolate for a Valentine celebration

Are you thinking about a special gift for your Valentine?  I know one of my favorite gifts is always chocolate. I was so happy this past Christmas when a dear friend sent us a box of Holl’s chocolates from Vienna West Virginia.  These chocolates are made from a family business in a small West Virginia…

Easy Holiday Petit Fours

Years ago I found this recipe for easy petit fours.  This is a “go-to” recipe that can be made for just about any holiday.  It uses the standard frozen pound cake, which is thawed overnight in the refrigerator.  Then, after cubed, the pound cake squares are glazed with a typical confectioners’ sugar mixture.  During the…

Valentine’s Day Tea

How wonderful that Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday this year.  It was an all day celebration at my house with my sweetie.  It was a day filled with time spent together, which is better than anything else in this world. And for something totally different, we had an afternoon tea, complete with walnut and…

candle light for Valentine’s day

One of the best ways to improve a meal is to improve the presentation. Beautiful dishes, flatware, glassware and lighting can make even the most simple meal feel special. Serving a meal to those you care about is a gift. Often our everyday lives are so hectic, that we may not have time to do…

waffles from a can

I must admit that I do take shortcuts in the kitchen on some days.  When I find a product that I really like, I tend to use those “semi-homemade” time-saving steps. I have found that the Stonewall Kitchen mixes are time savers and equally tasty.  I tried the Strawberry and Pancake waffle mix recently with…

Double Chocolate cookies

Are you ready to try a gooey creamy chocolate cookie?  This recipe from Cooking Light magazine, November 2014 is wonderful. The secret to this recipe is not to over bake the cookies.  For the rich, creamy soft cookie, only bake this one 8 to 9 minutes maximum in the oven. And then, allow to cool…

anticipation of Valentine’s Day

For the past few days I have been scanning my cookbooks for possible recipes for Valentine’s day dinner.  I really prefer to make a nice romantic dinner for my husband at home each year, rather than fighting the crowds going out to dinner. I have several favorite cookbooks that I “go to” for special occasions,…

raspberry breakfast muffins

Fresh raspberries are plentiful at the market, and I just couldn’t resist purchasing several packages.  Muffins made with fresh berries are sometimes a bit tricky, since there is so much moisture in the berries.  I looked through some of my cookbooks to find a recipe using fresh raspberries, and decided after some time to look…