Pumpkin Cake Balls/Pops

Halloween is just days away when cute little munchkins run around with scary costumes consuming sugary treats.  Dentists love Halloween but moms and dads dread the weeks that follow when your child is off the wall on a sugar high, unless you manage their intake. 

My folks let me eat chocolate and candy by the bushel maybe because they loved it as well.  I let mine indulge but then rationed their candy after the big day.  Others I know don't allow their kids to have any after Halloween and some don't go out at all. 

Whatever your family does works well for you however, I just had to share this recipe for Pumpkin Cake Balls & Pops in the event you like to celebrate and indulge.

Cake Balls have been around for quite a few years.  I'm not certain of the exact date or year but they were introduced by Angie Dudley the creator of Bakerella and her book Cake Pops.  However, Angie discovered Cake Balls while attending a party and took it from there.  So the mystery is who actually created them?

The basic premise behind a Cake Ball or Cake Pop is simply taking...

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with a Round Grilled Cheese

When I was a little girl it seemed like I was sick all the time with either colds or some sort of virus. Soups became my best friend and comfort food (my favorites were Campbell's Tomato Soup with milk or Chicken Noodle) paired with a round grilled cheese sandwich.

We had what was called a Toas-tite. You'd lay a piece of bread on one side of this contraption, place a couple slices of cheese on the bread, top it with another slice of bread then seal. Place it on the burner and toast on both sides. The end result was an incredible grilled cheese sandwich where the center would swell up making a nice hot gooey cavity of cheese.

When I moved out of my parents home I confiscated the Toas-tie.  I wanted to be certain no one else in my family would take it.  This was mine!    You can read more about the Toas-tite here.

This past week it was raining and cold. My body was screaming for a pot of Tomato soup and a round grilled cheese. So I decided to make some for dinner. Tomato Basil sounded great but wasn't up for anything too creamy or fattening. Checking out various recipes online Ina Gartens Roasted Tomato Basil Soup appeared in more recipes than you could imagine with rave reviews. So I decided I'd try hers. I did make a few minor changes to her recipe and although I wanted to strictly use fresh tomatoes, her recipe called for both fresh and canned. Why not test out the recipe that received great reviews and then change it up next time, if I felt like it.

The Roasted Tomato Basil Soup was fantastic. You would have thought there was cream in it. This recipe is a keeper and one that if you haven't made before but love Tomato Soup, you have to try.

Here's the recipe with the changes I made in blue.

Black Quinoa Asian Slaw

One of my favorite places to grocery shop is Whole Foods Market.  Everything they have in my opinion is incredible.  Walking into the produce section is like walking into a carnival of bright, fresh, fruits and vegetables stacked neat and clean but in perfect view and reach for everyone.  With samples galore and the friendliest staff ever. 

Of course, you do pay a premium for the quality but it's worth it to go when you can.

The other day I arrived just after the lunch hour.  I was starved having not had anything to eat since 6:30am.  I looked at the soups and although it was chilly out I felt like something light and refreshing.  I headed over to the prepared foods section and their Black Quinoa Asian Slaw caught my eye.  It was positively stunning with the black balancing the bright vegetables and fruit mixed in.  The woman behind the counter said it was delicious so I tried it.  AMAZING!!!!

Of course after coming home I looked at the ingredients and then got online to see if that recipe was posted anyplace.  I found it!  I went back out to Whole Foods to get some Black Quinoa and the other ingredients.  I had the regular pale quinoa but the black made this dish stand out. 

A simple dish to prepare and packed with nutrients.  Did you know: 

Fun & Inexpensive Gifts for the Holidays!

With the economy in the toilet these days it doesn't mean we still can't give gifts to family and friends.  However, the gifts we give may not be as extravagant but that doesn't mean they're still not fantastic.  Here's a fun idea to perk up those incredible treats you plan to share with everyone this holiday season.  All for just under $5.

Have you ever Mod Podged before?  I've been doing it since I was about 8 years old and well, that's a lot of years.  It's the perfect way to preserve something or design a unique gift to give or keep for yourself.

This particular project adds a nice addition to those treats that you plan to make for family, friends and co-workers.  Instead of placing your cookies, etc. on a plastic or paper plate wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon why not make a lovely or festive plate to place your treats on.  A plate that you give as a gift with your holiday treats!

I've found that WalMart has great prices on all materials required for this project.  Of course, you can get as fancy as you like by going to specialty fabric stores.  Here's what you'll need.

Darkness is closing in on my grilling time!

The days are getting shorter and although Daylight Savings Time doesn't happen until November this year, I feel like my time at the grill is closing in on me.  I know I can still grill when it's dark out, and I do however, I just don't enjoy it as much.

With that in mind and feeling like an Indian Summer day I decided to grill up some chicken breasts with an Asian Ramen Noodle Slaw for dinner.  This meal feels like comfort food to me, light yet, soothing.

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts but feel free to use any type of chicken you like.  The balance of flavors makes this dish great hot or cold.  Plus, the next day I like to slice the chicken up and add it to my Asian Slaw for an entree' salad.  I think you'll like this recipe!

Virtual Cookie Swap & Giveaway!

AND GIVEAWAY!

The holidays are coming and it's always such an exciting time of the year for me.  Besides teaching  culinary classes for adults and children and going to holiday gatherings I also bake A LOT, and share my baked goods for gifts or with whomever I can. 

Years ago, I heard of something called a "cookie exchange or swap".  Of course I had no idea what this was, nor had I ever been to one, let alone given one. 

Brandied Apple & Brioche Pudding!

Did you know there are over 7500 varieties of apples worldwide, and of those, 2500 are grown in the United States?  That's a lot of apples!  Those 2500 varieties are grown in 36 U.S states and while they come in all shades of red, green and yellow with the smallest the size of a cherry, and the largest the size of a grapefruit, the average packs only 80 calories.

Have you ever wondered how an apple floats when you go bobbing for apples during Halloween?  That's because 25% of an apples volume is air!  It's hard to believe since they're large and appear solid.  Yet, though a 1/4 of the apple is air they are very nutritional.  Apples are naturally fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and provide many of the important vitamins, minerals, fiber (5 grams), and phytonutrients that you need to stay healthy. 

The best time to pick apples are in the fall when they're largest - one farmer or apple picker can pick up to 5,000 pounds of apples a day - that's just incredible!  With such abundance in the stores, farmer's markets, etc. I try to come up with creative recipes to use them in.

For me, October and the beginning of November are the best times to try new recipes to master in time for the fall and winter holidays.  Having gone through stacks of cookbooks and magazines over the weekend I came across an old recipe from Chocolatier.  I loved this magazine which is no longer in publication and have almost every single issue still.  So when I cast my eyes on this recipe from the October 1998 issue, I knew I had to try it.

Trying to think outside the box, I made them in jam jars, an idea I got from Chris who cooks in jam jars all the time.   I contacted the Ball Company who told me jam jars are guaranteed up to 220F degrees, but Chris who bakes in them often never had an explosion!  So I figured why not try.  Of course, I can't guarantee that an explosion couldn't happen, but it worked for me and Chris.  In addition, I also decided to make just one in a ramekin, to see which way I preferred.  You can make that decision after viewing my finished product. 

Enough talking, here's the recipe!