Rachael Ray

I hate to admit that my kids are huge fans of the refrigerated cinnamon rolls in the biscuit-type tube. So easy, so fun to whack the tube and open it up, full of ingredients I can’t pronounce with lots of consonants. That said, I’ve stopped buying them but that doesn’t mean my kids have stopped asking for them. I wanted to make some quickly last weekend which means I needed a recipe without yeast so I could avoid rising time (and yeast - I am a yeast-a-phobe). I had all the ingredients on hand, plus the recipe was super quick and took no time to whip up. The dough was veeeery soft however and required a ton of flour while rolling it [...]...

I remember having congo bars when I was little so I was psyched to stumble upon this recipe online a few weeks ago. I have made them three times since - a testament to how crazy good they are. They are thick, rich and “toothsome” - thanks to lots of butter and all brown sugar - no white. Call them blondies, call them chocolate chip cookie bars (another favorite recipe - calls for melted butter though which results in a different texture - still good, mind you). For the life of me I cannot track down the origin of the name congo bars - if anyone has knows, please post! Congo Bars (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients 2 3/4 cups all purpose [...]...

I am usually all about making dishes completely from scratch, but last week did me in, and some corners needed to be cut. The stomach bug hit all three kids in succession over the course of five days, starting with my son who needed to be picked up from a slumber party at 2 am, and ending with my daughter who was sick in bed on her 12th birthday, while the family party in her honor continued downstairs. My daughter’s favorite meal is from a much loved local restaurant - Chef’s - and she always orders spaghetti parm. I decided to try and make it at home in her honor, while she battled through the stomach flu upstairs. It took no [...]...

I am always on the lookout for a new muffin recipe - I came across this newest one that looked somewhat healthy but delicious and decided to give it a try. They are chock-full of fruit - strawberries, blueberries, and banana - but I am sure they would work well swapping in any fruit you want. You could switch raspberries for the strawberries, fold in chopped apple for the blueberries - there are tons of possibilities depending on what you have on hand. As with all recipes that call for nuts, feel free to leave them out. Sunny Morning Muffins (from a recipe by Sunny Anderson, foodnetwork.com) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients 1 cup strawberries, chopped 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 1 1/2 [...]...

I volunteered to bring in cookies the other day but was short on time (what’s new). I made these toffee squares which were equally delicious but took a fraction of the time. They remind me of a favorite dessert from my high school lunch room  - “chocolate squares” - which is actually a good thing. My high school randomly had amazing food: fresh baked bread every day, amazing french toast, grilled bagels with fresh cream cheese. Holy carbs. Chocolate squares were the main course of many a high school lunch. Anyway, these toffee squares are quick and easy - highly recommended. Toffee Squares (adapted from a recipe from thepioneerwoman.com) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients: 2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 [...]...

Hot fudge sundae cupcakes. I can’t believe no one thought of these before. Vanilla cupcakes topped with a chocolate ganache layer and a dollop of whipped cream to finish them off. The recipe I used from Joy the Baker called for full size cupcakes but I made mine mini which was perfect - one bite of deliciousness. Then you don’t feel so badly eating two (or three). Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes (from a recipe by Joy the Baker.com) click here for printable recipe. Vanilla Cupcakes: from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes Ingredients: 1 cup flour a scant 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup whole milk 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to [...]...

From www.bored.com Are You Bored? Try These Things: Act like a spy / secret agent for the day Act like you just met your friend for the first time Act profound Ad lib Add some strawberries to your ice cream Adopt strange mannerisms Alphabetize the food in your fridge Announce your candidacy for President. Annoy total strangers Apply for a unicorn hunting license Appreciate everything Archive the Internet to 3.5″ floppy disks (low density of course) Arrest yourself Ask a question nobody can answer Ask embarrassing questions Ask for seconds Ask people how to pronounce their name Ask people if they want to see your “belly button treasure” Ask people if they’ve seen your head Ask stupid questions. Ask the person in front of you to marry you. Ask why At the bottom of escalators yell “MY SHOELACE!” Attract lightning Award yourself a Nobel Peace Prize Baby [...]...

This blog is a love letter to my newest kitchen appliance. My mother-in-law gave me this Nespresso milk frother for my birthday in February. It has changed my life. I love my morning coffee with all my heart and go to bed dreaming about the cup of coffee I will have in the morning. A creature of habit, it just makes me happy. I couldn’t have a cup of coffee without half and half had tried over the years to give up the habit (in an attempt to cut calories) but would never make it very long. Thanks to this milk frother, I have finally bid half and half good bye. I brew very strong coffee, froth up some cold milk [...]...

My sister got married a few weeks ago in a beautiful intimate wedding on the beach. No shoes, a setting sun, close family and friends - it was truly special. I walked away firmly believing big weddings are overrated. My sister did everything her way - right down to the dessert. She wanted cupcakes and as she is a cheesecake lover, a cheese cake for the “wedding cake.” Everyone was having so much fun at the reception that for the traditional “cake cutting,” no one noticed! A sign of a good wedding, indeed. This is a thick and creamy traditional New York-style cheesecake - make the cake the day before, chill overnight, and finish off with the berries and berry topping [...]...