The Blog

Christmas time is here! And these little cuties are super fun and great to do with the kids. The ideas are fairly self-explanatory, but if you want specifics on what tips are used, etc. , follow these links: Reindeer, Melting Snowman, Santa Hat, Christmas Tree, Wreath, Tri-Color. To make these treats even easier, you can pop down to your local …

Halloween Pumpkin Roll For a spooktacular dessert, spin a Thanksgiving favorite into a frightful Halloween treat by baking a spider web design into the rolled cake. Use this Pumpkin Roll recipe to make your batter. Take 1/2 cup of the batter and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of dark cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder if that’s all you have). …

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-muffin tin pan with cupcake liners. To make the crusts, stir together in a small bowl: 1 cup of crumbs from crushed ginger snaps 4 teaspoons sugar 4 tablespoons melted butter Once combined, put a heaping tablespoon of mixture into each muffin cup liner and press down to compress. (I …

With the beginning of fall just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite autumn desserts. Find the full recipe here: Apple Crisp.

Who wants to turn on the oven when you want a fabulous summer dessert? These easy no-bakes are so light and delicious and they come together in a jiffy. Instead of the oven, you put them in the fridge or the freezer. And the flavor and ingredient options are endless. Here are recipe links to two I made: Pina Colada …

While hiking down Unaka Mtn last weekend, I got the inspiration for this month’s Daytime Tri-Cities segment: Trail Bars and Energy Bites. I love spending time in the woods, hiking the AT, and enjoying the beauty of creation. But all that up and down with a pack on your back burns up some calories. Why settle for ho-hum boring when …

We can buy strawberries all year ’round, but it’s always special when your local strawberries are in season. Here are a few “berry good” ways to enjoy the strawberry bounty. Strawberry Sauce In a saucepan, combine 3 cups hulled and sliced or chopped strawberries 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) lemon juice (fresh or bottled) Heat until …

For bread lovers, it doesn’t get much better than a delicious loaf of hand-crafted sourdough bread. The open moist structure, complex tangy flavor, and chewy crust is a combination that makes bakers’ mouths water. This is not the bread to make if you’re in a hurry. The most important ingredient in sourdough is TIME. But if you have the time, …

I’m going retro with this one, using an old favorite out of Mom’s well-worn handmade cookbook. Here’s the recipe, as she typed it: Yes, that’s right: MAYONNAISE cake. Who would have thought that substituting mayo (or salad dressing like Miracle Whip) for the eggs and oil would create a moist and delicious cake? But it does. You might want to …

Give your loves a sweet start to Valentine’s Day with these simple and tasty breakfast ideas. Overnight French Toast with Strawberries and Cream Cheese A great way to simplify your breakfast is by putting this together the night before. You can use different kinds of bread and fruits, but I followed the recipe link here.