Rachael Ray

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 [...]...

When  you have little kids, good babysitters are like gold - you do not want to let go of them. Some parents are lucky enough to have grandparents as built-in regular babysitters - I always had to find my own and had overall good luck thorough local colleges, friends of other friends’ sitters, even Craig’s List. Now that my kids are older and in grade school, I have them troll the halls for sitters. They will ask their favorite substitute teachers and after school program instructors if they babysit - what a dream. There are some unwritten laws when it comes to sharing babysitters, at least with my friends and me, without which you can definitely run into trouble. If you “found” [...]...

There was a baby shower for my cousin’s wife a few weeks ago and I though t would be cute to do mini cupcakes that were in the baby theme. I made mini yellow cupcakes with buttercream frosting and then used ribbon, lollipop sticks, (from Michael’s), gel frosting and m and ms to decorate. My kids helped me and they turned out very cute - I was shooting for baby rattles, but they look more like lollipops. They weren’t perfect but adorable in any case. Check out www.partycupcakeideas.com for tons of cute cupcake decorating ideas. ...

My daughter’s 10th birthday was a few weeks ago. We survived her first slumber party unscathed (kiddie hangovers all around) but I can’t say I will be jumping up and down to have 8 girls in my house for 18 hours any time soon (the volume!). She had fun, which of course is the most important thing. The next day was her actual birthday and she cried at least ten times due to sheer exhaustion. The day was capped with her telling me it was “the worst day ever.” You gotta love the roller coaster emotions of a 10 year old girl. Her birthday cake request this year was not a cake at all, but brownie waffles (I used my normal [...]...

My sister did a stint in Ireland a few years back and I had a hilarious whirlwind visit with her and my parents. We did some ridiculously scary driving from town to town, enjoying pints of Guinness and Irish fare along the way. Holy potatoes. Shepherd’s pie, stew with mashed potatoes, meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Comfort food heaven, but good thing I brought some elastic waist pants for this trip. I loved the colcannon - a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale, boiled ham or bacon, and scallions. Talk about a one-pot meal! I decided to make my own version in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend - it is a hearty and satisfying meal. Colcannon Ingredients 3 [...]...

Ireland is not necessarily known for the food but one standout worth making for St. Patrick’s Day (or anytime) is this delicious - and easy - Irish Soda Bread. No yeast, and therefore rising, required, and I whipped the dough up in about 5 minutes, then it bakes in the oven for 45 minutes. This bread has a delicious soft texture with a crusty exterior, and is lightly sweetened with orange zest and currants. I ate 2 pieces right out of the oven with butter, so to restrain myself I immediately sliced it and threw it in a zip-lock into the freezer. It should make delicious toast. Quick and Easy Irish Soda Bread (from a recipe by Ina Garten) (click here [...]...

I love love cheesecake but shockingly have trouble putting away a whole piece. Maybe not while I am eating it, but I never feel good after the fact. Cheesecake it a perfect example of a little goes a long way, which is why these cheesecake squares are the perfect size - one square is a one- or two-biter. Not overly sweet, there is a generous amount of lemon in this recipe so if you’re not crazy about citrus, cut the amount of lemon zest and juice in half. Cheesecake can be tough to slice - dip a sharp (non-serrated) knife into warm water before slicing for neater cuts. The thin slice of strawberry on the top hides any imperfections! I have made these [...]...

Or is it pay for grades? I think I have written about this topic before but it’s worth bringing up again, as a friend of mine was recently recounting how she and her husband have adopted this policy to great success with her two boys who are in 7th and 5th grade. They established a pay scale according to the report card grade - ie, an A earns $10, a B+ $5, a B $5, and down the line. I don’t think a C garners any dollars, but I am not sure. I personally think kids should do well in school because that’s what is expected of them, and as my dad used to say, when you are in school, your [...]...

On my quest for the perfect brownie recipe, I have discovered a new favorite in the past month. Peanut butter caramel swirled brownie - it is a delicious combo of creamy and slightly salty peanut butter, rich caramel and fudgy brownie. I have made these four times in the past two weeks - a good sign. These are best served cold from the fridge and small - if you can! Peanut Butter Caramel Swirled Brownie (adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay) (Click here for printable recipe) Ingredients: 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural style) 1 tablespoon corn syrup Pinch salt 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into chunks 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 ounces bittersweet [...]...