If you love cooking then you know you can never have enough great kitchen tools in your home. You need versatile appliances to mix in and prepare your foods and handy gadgets to make the tasks go faster. When I was preparing my Thanksgiving feast recently I realized that some of my measuring cups were missing as well as some of my favorite small food prep bowls. It turns out the kids had taken them for mixing some paints and they had ended up in the outdoor shed. I made do with what I had for the day, but realize I need to find some good replacements before Christmas rolls around. I think I’d like this POURfect Spill-Proof 27 Piece Measuring Cup Set for my kitchen. Read the rest of this entry »

My cabinets are filled with a good amount of pots and pans for just about any dish I need to make. Unfortunately it’s a bit of of a mix and match type of cookware that isn’t in the best condition anymore. I have a couple of covers that have chipped handles and some of the pots handles have gotten scorched over the years. My largest nonstick frying pan isn’t quite so nonstick anymore which is making it tough to cook my favorite eggs over easy anymore. When it gets to the point the pots and pans aren’t cooking the dishes like they should anymore, I figure it’s time to purchase a quality nonstick cookware set for my home. Read the rest of this entry »

For some people, a warm Apple Cobbler coming right out of the oven, tops any apple pie no matter how good. I have to agree with them for one reason. Cobblers, whether apple or peach, have an almost romantic feeling to them. That may be why you’ll find cobblers at some of the finest restaurants – but not pie. Pie is humble, according to some, while cobblers are regal. It’s silly, I know, but something sort of true, too. When you make your Apple Cobbler, be sure to sprinkle some sugar over the top so it makes that nice crispy and glistening look that is so pretty. Also, have some rich, vanilla ice cream ready to put along your hot piece of cobbler. It completes the illusion of the grand dessert that is really so simple. Read the rest of this entry »

My Grandma used to add those little red hot candies to her applesauce as she cooked the apples down in a big pot on top of the stove.  I thought she had the greatest idea going there since sliced bread!  Now I make my own crock pot red hot applesauce for my family.  They, too, think it’s the greatest invention ever and can’t believe people would dream of eating applesauce without red hots.  Unless you’re feeding infants their first applesauce, most people would agree that the added Red Hots make this applesauce dessert quality. Read the rest of this entry »

When I was growing up, my Dad did all of the cooking on Sunday mornings. He was always the first one up, a habit from years of getting up early for work! He simply enjoyed the quiet time, putting on the coffee and reading the Sunday paper. We’d wake to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying. I know it always got me out of bed, hungry and ready for a big family breakfast. I can still see him cooking up his favorite eggs and bacon in his big, sturdy cast iron frying pan. So when I was setting up my kitchen, I knew I wanted a sturdy cast iron pan just like Dad’s. I found something even better, a handy Cast Iron Skillet Set. Read the rest of this entry »

People exchange gifts on several occasions and for different purposes. Gift shops are full of gift items from arts and crafts to jewelry, wall hangings, kitchen items and many more. We get bored selecting the same gift item and the process gets repetitive. You can try some gift baskets for a change. There are wonderful baskets available in stores and online, filled with tempting items to please all, and one such basket is a Taste of Tuscany gift basket. Read the rest of this entry »

My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I’ve been thinking about making her cake from scratch this year. I usually use one of those box mixes, but when you think about it, that’s just flour, sugar and spices, so I might as well make it myself. So far I’ve always used canned frosting, but my mother-in-law just shared her favorite vanilla frosting recipe and it sounds simple enough. So I’ll give that a try as well. Read the rest of this entry »