Tiny Treats

These tiny treats are most certainly something to try at your next dinner party or any special occasion. Personally, I think that fruit is the most delicious dessert, and mixed with chocolate, well you cannot go wrong. Raspberries are fresh, sweet, and perfect for the summertime, or any time really. These stuffed raspberries are really simple, and only take a little bit of patience. Grab a bag of either milk, dark. or white chocolate chips and place on chip inside each raspberry. Easy as that!

The kiwis require a bit more time but nothing to fret about! Cut a few kiwis in even rounds and remove the skin. Make sure to cut them thick enough to fit a popsicle stick in. (Then put the stick in!) Melt chocolate in a pot with a drop of milk and dip the kiwi pops until they are fully covered with chocolaty goodness. Put them on some wax paper and place them in the freezer for a few hours.

Summer is all about fruit, fun, and sun. As it is quickly approaching I would definitely urge you to try these treats with your friends and family. They are a healthier alternative to a tick chocolate cake or a mound of ice cream so you can feel great and look amazing this summer!

Morning, Sunshine

I love a happy morning, and to me it starts with a yummy breakfast. Something as simple as an egg can be made into a decadent and delicious meal. This idea came from an Epicurious recipe I stumbled upon last week. It totally caught my eye and I am going to try to make it this weekend for sure. This picture shows the finished product, but I will tell you what goes inside this miniature bread bowl.

The base consists of mini hard rolls, scooped and lightly toasted. Since coming to college, I have perfected the art of the sunnyside-up egg, but it had not always been that way. For these, you do not need to know how to have that perfect easy over egg, because the oven does it for you. Lay the scooped rolls on a baking sheet and crack an egg into each one. Dollop some creme into each and add some herbs. Then sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and enjoy!

These are great for any Sunday brunch with a bunch of people, or just you and a friend. For a healthier option, use whole wheat rolls and low fat or fat free creme!

Breakfast, as we all know, is the most important meal of the day so why not add a little flare to you mornings!

Ice Cream Cake Job?

These little delectable treats are under that category called, "they are so cute, there must be no calories". This category, by the way, is probably my favorite! In these cupcakes there are part pie crust, part Funfetti cupcake, part ice cream, and part icing. WOW. Making them seems a bit complicated, but definately doable.

First you make the funffetti batter and lay it out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Then you cut them out with a small round cookie cutter. Once they are cut, move on to the pie crusts. Lay them out over a cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Now you are going to move on to the icing. Put your icing in a pastry bag(or a regular plastic bag with a tip cut out) and squirt into the cooled pit crust. Scoop on a spoonful of ice cream atop the icing. Now, remember the funfetti cutouts? Place one on top of the ice cream, and plop some more icing on that. place them in the freezer for an hour or so and the ENJOY!

Cupcakes are such a treat to begin with, but the added deliciousness makes them irresistible. If you have never had funfetti cake straight from the box, you really must go to the grocery store right now and buy a box (preferably complimented by funfetti icing).

This combination of goodness will definately make your tummy happy!

Sunday Night Dinners

Sunday nights are usually a time for family, food, and fun. My Sunday nights definately fall under that category when I am home in New Jersey. My family has made a tradition to eat with our next door neighbors for about 7 years now. They are our very best friends and we love spending time with them, so they have become our favorites to eat and hang with on Sundays. The Yearicks have two kids in high school and college, and my sister and I are in college as well so we all get along wonderfully.

Last Sunday night I was home for spring break and we had a long awaited Sunday night dinner. This one was a definite "do again" type of meal. We always start with some appetizers like cheese, crackers and fruit, and maybe some hummus and mustard. Then the moms make dinner while we all hang around the island and chat about our week (although in this case there was much more to talk about being that I was away for so long at school). So this dinner was a masterpiece. There was a yummy salad with butter lettuce, pear, goat cheese, candied walnuts, craisins, and some homemade dressing drizzled on top. Then out of the oven came a melted, crunchy, vegetable medley. It was rigatoni pasta with zucchini, squash, tomatoes, carrots, smoked gouda, AND smoked mozzarella. Can you say delicious?

Meals like these are the ones we love to cook together, eat together, and enjoy together. Sunday nights are something special to me and my family and having great food each week just makes it something more to look forward to. Food can bring people together and make people closer. Our dinner table is always colorful with the food choices and the personalities that accompany it. Try this meal and try to start a new tradition with your family!

Pesto is the Besto

I think that it is safe to say that this sandwich is something that everyone would enjoy. It is a fancy twist on the classic grilled cheese with some more sophisticated ingredients. As a kid, I know grilled cheese was a staple food for my sister and I, but it was your basic cheddar cheese, wheat bread, and butter (occasionally accompanied by tomato soup!). For this modern grilled cheese you can use any type of cheese, although I would suggest mozzarella, cheddar, or even pepper jack. Cheese is obviously the main ingredient in this masterpiece, but don't forget the other delicious additions! Lets start with the bread. Use a nice whole grain bread, or a sourdough with a good bite to it. Grab a few leaves of spinach and saute them in a pan with a dab of olive oil. You can use a store bought pesto; Classico brand is definately a good choice.

To assemble your sandwich, Put a smidge of butter on each side of your bread, then put a later of pesto on the insides of each piece of bread. Now, add in the cheese and sauteed spinach and slap it all together. If you have a panini maker, pull it out because melting this together is how it is going to get those delicious flavors to come out. If you do not have one, not to worry, use a regular frying pan or even your toaster oven.

If you do not enjoy this new twist on an old favorite your taste buds must not be working!!

October Dreaming

Who says that pumpkin needs to stay in October? The social norm for pumpkin is to eat it in the fall, and carve it before Halloween. I say that pumpkin should be on the menu year round. This spiced pumpkin layer cake looks so phenomenal that I had to share it. The there is something about pumpkin that is intriguing because it is so versatile. You can use it in a savory way or in a sweet way, for dinner, snack, or dessert. I love going to Starbucks and picking up a slice of pumpkin bread or a pumpkin spice latte, but it is made so seasonal that it is hard to enjoy the delectable treats when it is, say, April.

Eat pumpkin and make this cake! You can even make cupcakes or muffins using the recipe from epicurious.com


http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Pumpkin-Layer-Cake-240123

Ratatouille!

I would just like to thank Disney and Pixar for creating a little rat named Remy. Ratatouille is a great children's film about a rat whose life goal is to be a chef. He teams up with an uncoordinated waiter at a french restaurant to become the greatest chef in all of France. Through all of his hardships and let- downs, Remy succeeds and his specialty dish become Ratatouille. Now I for one did not know that ratatouille was a real dish, I just thought of it as a funny play on words. To my surprise, when I was gazing over the menu at High Cotton restaurant in Charleston, SC I found what I thought had been a mythical creation. Ratatouille!

I obviously had to try it because I was so intrigued and elated that this was real. It was also a dish that was right up my alley when it comes to food I like. It is a vegetable dish including tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and green herbs. The veggies are sautéed together and placed in a layered pattern around the plate. It is usually served with rice or pasta. At High Cotton it was by itself with corn bread on the side. Delish! I am so glad I loved it because all of the hype I was giving it was a little embarrassing being that it came from that little rat named Remy.