Desserts for Still Hot Weather

We're still in summer .That means a hot kitchen. Yet many are craving desserts , sort of an upcoming nod to fall where home baking resumes. The best bet is go the easy route.Don;t heat up the kitchen too much,

Again Dave Tanis tapped into this in Wednesday;s New York Times Wednesday Food section.He create a blackberry napoleon iwt fresh blackberries and easy to defrost frozen puff pastry. The puff pastry is put into the oven while a lemon curd for the filling  is made on the stove top.This is an easy cook, similar to sabayon where eggs sugar and salt are remixed together with lemon zest.Once this is cooked this is blended with whipping cream and confectioner's  sugar.Its the layered on the cooled and split puff pastry along with the blackberries to create a sandwich.You can do the same with ice cream and any kind of sauce, Think chocolate ice cream with strawberries and a bit of chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream with caramel and  air fried toasted almonds. The puff pastry can also be the base for a fancy strawberry shortcake,Just layer the berries with whipped cream(or even Cool Whip) if you don;t want to fuss.You can also create a quick chocolate mousse with Cool Whip and chocolate pudding mixed together. Layer this on puff pastry for an elegant quick dessert.

Ice cream pies ,cakes and cupcakes are all still great right now.They're the perfect send off party cake too, for kids heading off to college . Have a good silicone pan that's easy to take the cake out of. (Amazon has a good array of them)It starts with a good crust - name Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies These are crushed and mixed with melted butter or margarine. The crust can be layered two or three times throughout the cake.Then add whatever flavors the future college student's favorite flavors. Think a mocha latte  pie or cake.Start with the chocolate crust. Then add a layer of chocolate fudge and fill in the mold with softened coffee ice cream.Layer with more chocolate crumbs and then spread a layer of whipped cream or Cool whip on top. You can just add puffs of Reddi Whip too for a fancier cake or pie.This can  be done with ice cream cupcakes too. Use silicone cupcake molds (again you can get these on Amazon). Use the same technique that you would for the pies and cakes. You can also do a fun surprise layer of M&M's chocolate chips or even crushed toffee.Top with a swirl on Reddi Whip and top with sprinkles or cherries.

Desserts can still be made.Yet make them easy during these still hot days. It;s a simple way to enjoy having a sweet treat 

Sweet And Easy Desserts

 What do you finish a barbecue with? A sweet and easy dessert.There are many summery recipes that will be a nice end to those hot dogs and hamburgers, ribs and wings.

Grilled fruit is any easy cook and you can do it right on the grill. Pineapple works the best for this and it's just taking precut slices (which you can buy at your grocery). Brush both sides with melted butter and then sprinkle on brown sugar. Grill on both sides. If you want to make it fancy then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an updated version. pineapple sundae. Another easy idea is dipping strawberries in chocolate. It's a kind of chocolate fondue which can be made by just microwaving chocolate chips You don;t have to stick to fruit. Marshmallows, and pound cake squares are also good drenched in either milk or dark chocolate. Another idea is scoops of vanilla ice cream doused with brandy for a meat take on a classic ice cream sundae. if there are kids then think of an sundae bar. Have two or three flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry along with chocolate and salted caramel sauces. Have two or three cans of whipped cream and a variety of fun toppings like nuts and mini M&Ms to top creations. You could have have flavored seltzer for those who want to make egg cream or ice cream sodas.

Another way to go is making iold fashioned ice box or ice cream cakes. Both are fun to make and eat. The most classic and most belived ice box cake is the Nabisco chocolate wafer one. This is creating two small stacks of the wafers layered with either Cool Whip or freshly made whipped creams. The stacks are put to gether to form a log and then it's chilled for anhour or two. decoate with crumbled eft over wafers or sprinkles if you're celebrating a birthday. You could also add a few drops of mint extract to the whipped cream for a fancier taste.Nabisco's Nilla wafers also make for a good base for ice box cakes. Try a layered one made with instanf vanilla pudding and strawberries. Add in some blueberries and bananas for extra flavor. Ice cream cakes are another simple dessert. it's just grinding up those wafers into fine crumbs and combining them with melted butter.It's then topping the layers with softened ice cream and any kind of sauce. Try an all chocolate one with layers of all kinds of chocolate. You could also do a chocolate and strawberry one or a butter pecan layered with vanilla wafers and salted caramel sauce.

Summer desserts are easy makesYou can try anything from grilled pineapple to a simple ice cream cake. They're just so perfect for ending a barbecue.

To Bake Or Not To Bake

The problem with August birthdays is that they're well in August. Like July birthday's they're in some of the hottest weeks of the year. The question is do you bake a lovely homemade cake or do something else? There are alternatives, yet are they the best choice?

Many will say the heck with baking,It's just too hot and humid to pop a cake into the oven. Keep in mind that a good size cake can range from as low as $25 for one that serves six to one at $39 for half a sheet cake. Yes it's easy but it's also expensive, especially when you factor in decorating costs. Cupcakes are a better way to go , depending on the bakery or grocery store. You can easily get   a six pack of fresh made ones from Stop & Shop for $3.99 providing it's a small get together. Vegan cakes and cupcakes are a bit more expensive. Vegan bakeries such as Sweet Avenue in Rutherford, New Jersey charges $4 for one single cupcake. Granted they are OK and there's a wide array of different kinds from simple vanilla and chocolate to S'mores cupcakes and strawberry shortcake ones. Their cakes are $35 for a six serving cake and $95 for a larger one that can serve twenty-four. If you can stand the heat, then bake. You don't have to create an elaborate scratch although it's a great way of using up all that flour you bought. The birthday boy or girl would surely appreciate a Duncan Hines,Pillsbury. or Betty Crocker one. All of these companies have frosting if you don't feel like making your own.

What about microwave cakes? They're all over You Tube and they look easy. It's just a five or six minute pop into the microwave. The ingredients are the same from the flour, and milk to the baking and cocoa powders. There are even no egg and no dairy versions that only require vegetable oil or melted butter.  You can bake two layers and then frost how you want. If you feel that butter cream is still too involved then use Cool Whip.It's a great icing and filling. To jazz it up, add a few drops of mint flavoring if it's frosting a chocolate cake. A layer of strawberries, blueberries or peaches work for a vanilla one. Another idea is an ice cream cake. It's just filling a silicon mold with ice cream and making the crunchy filling. This is taking those Nabisco chocolate wafers or any similar kind and grinding them down in a food processor or chopper. Mix these with microwaved melted butter or margarine and spooning it onto the first layer of ice cream. Then add the second and finish with Magic Shell, If not decorate with whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles. Freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

Do you bake or not bake for an August birthday? There are alternatives from buying to microwave to ice cream cakes. Pick what works for you during these warm days. The birthday boy or girl will enjoy it.

And Then There's Plan B

Most of the times the best of holiday plans get messed up. That's kind of what happened to me when I just didn't have the time to bake, frost and decorate my Winterscape Cake. What happens when the best of menu plans go awry? Quickly leap to Plan B.

Every home chef should have an alternative plan ready to be deployed. I did, with this

Aldi's dessert saving panettone trio which has three minis : Classic, Tiramisu and Cranberry.  These can easily be toasted and served with marscapone or butter. If I didn't have these I might have tried Nigella Lawson's no churn salted caramel ice cream. This is just mixing dulce de leche with whole cream and flavoring with bourbon and flaky sea salt (think Malden's).I could also whip up a quick chocolate mousse using Cool Whip and Instant chocolate pudding. It's an easy dinner - penne with crockpot sauce so the meal in itself is flavorful. Dessert would only be gilding the lily. Just remember that whatever sweet you have  around can be made into some kind of dessert. Trifle is the easiest. You probably have most of the ingredients. Just add a good slug of brandy and it's a boozy fun end to a Christmas meal.

The same philosophy goes for the main meal. There are ways to fix a holiday cooking mistake. Those hams or beef roasts sometimes get burned. Cut away the burned part , cut up the roast into pieces and continue cooking. If the entire thing is completely charred then first put the pot into a larger pan than it. Fill this with ice cold water  to cool it and after a while taste the meat. If it's still bad, then emphasize the sides as the main meal. Rummage through the freezer quick or ask a guests (Namely family and friends who will help out in a pinch) what they have. You may have to cobble together frozen burgers and nuggets but at least it's something. If you still want to serve the main dish, then cut away as much as the burnt  roast as possible then stir fry it with veggies such as tomatoes from the salad or the Brussels sprouts. Add a dash of some flavorful spice like turmeric or cumin to minimize the burn taste. If your holiday turkey  is too dry then boil up some chicken bouillon with butter and pour over the bird to moisten up the meat. If the gravy is horrible add chicken broth to give it more flavor. Sides nor up to par? Sprinkle with Parmesan to make  them more palatable. Another idea just serve more salad with the along with plenty of bread.

There always has to be a Plan B when it comes to holiday baking and cooking. Just be prepared for whatever your kitchen and fate throws you. You can get through it and still have a pretty tasty holiday dinner.

Sweet Cold Desserts

There's something about ending a summer meal with a cold dessert. A slice of ice cream cake or pie tops off a supper or late lunch of spicy ribs or chicken. It's a cool way to finish, especially on a hot , humid day.

One of the coolest treats is the simple icebox cakes. These came about in the 1930s' when iceboxes became a fixture in American kitchens. Often these are a mix of cookies , pudding, sometimes fruit and whipped cream. One of the easiest is the famed Nabisco chocolate wafer log. This is also known as the zebra cake for the fun black and white stripes. It's just lining up chocolate wafers and mortaring them together with Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream. This forms a log which can be left alone or dressed up for birthdays and parties. A simple decoration of shaved chocolate is fine  but you can also sub in colored sprinkles for a more festive cake. A more elegant decoration is a scattering of strawberries and blueberries on the plate. The cake can also be made Magnolia Bakery style. New York's most famed bakery creates a cake shaped one with four layers of the chocolate wafers sandwiched between whipped cream. Nilla wafer cake is another icy treat that's easy to make. Layer the cookies in any kind of pan - glass or foil - and then layer with vanilla pudding, peaches, strawberries or blueberries and a layer of whipped cream.

Ice cream cakes are another frosty way to end a summer meal. They're easy to make at home, thanks to silicon cake and bread pans. I bought a silicon loaf pan which works perfectly in creating a two layer cake. I also have a smaller one that makes a cute mini cake. Again the Nabisco chocolate wafers are the perfect cake layer. DO NOT sandwich cookies. The creme filling will make for an over sugary , lumpy layer. Pulse the wafers in a food chopper and mix with melted butter or margarine to create a cake like layer. The first layer can be this or Hershey's hard shell which gives the top a nice crunchy, ganache look. Before you add the ice cream and crumbs ,brush a thick layer of it first onto the bottom of the mold. Then layer with your favorite ice creams. Add a second layer alone or with caramel  or the seasonal fruit. I recently made a vanilla and sea salt caramel loaf, using Soy Delicious vanilla coconut ice cream and Smucker's Salted Caramel. Keep in mind that the caramel does get the texture of salt water taffy when frozen. You can sub in pureed or chopped strawberries or raspberries for the caramel. Ice cream pie is another cool ,sweet dessert . Get a pre made pie shell and then fill it with whatever you want. Decorate it with puffs of whipped cream, hard shell or even candy. It's a nice alternative to a birthday cake for something different.

A summer meal deserves a sweet, cold ending A  slice of ice box cake or ice  cream cake or pie is the perfect dessert. It cools you off while you enjoy the end of a delicious warm weather, lunch , supper or dinner.

Summer Baking

Even baking affectionadoes do not like to be stuck in the kitchen during a hot day. It's no fun to have the kitchen turn into a sauna as cakes or cookies bake in a hot oven. It's time to turn to summer goodies that only need the fridge and microwave.

One of the easiest, fun and delicious summer cakes is one made out of ice cream. Some, like myself, were daunted by it. Would it be as good as a DairyQueen or Friendly' s? There's no need to worry. The hardest part is crushing the crumbs and microwaving the butter to make the crust and middle.
.Start with a good hard cookie or snap. Many go for Oreos, mostly for the flavor. I prefer Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers, They're a rich dark chocolate that have the perfect crumble. As for ice cream, here's where you can customize it to suit tastes. Try one layer of s fruit ice cream  like cherry ,or strawberry and the second  layer can be chocolate. Or go with vanilla. Coffee ice cream works well with both chocolate and vanilla.As for icing use a chocolate hard shell. Pour on top and let drip down the sides. Fancier decorations  come from a can of whipped cream and a spoonful of sprinkles.You can also make ice cream  cup cakes but when doing this , use a silicon mold. You could use a regular cupcake tin and papers, however the last may be hard to peel away when you want to eat them.

Layered  trifles, usually reserved for fall and winter can be interpreted for summer. This is the season  for a variety of fruits . Take advantage of the bounty. a fruit trifle is an easy make, Use store bought lady fingers for the base layer, and alternate the fruit with Cool Whip. If you're ambitious you can make your own whipped cream using whole cream, with either granulated or confectioner's sugar and a tiny splash of vanilla extract. As for fruit - go wild! Try strawberries and peaches or nectarines and blackberries. You can also create an all berry one using strawberries, blackberries , and blueberries. Ice box cakes are another hot weather favorite.One is the famed zebra cake made with Nabisco's chocolate wafers and Cool Whip.A variation of this is making a triangle shaped one ,instead of where you line up the wafers.There is also the graham cracker icebox variation where the crackers are layered in a cake pan with fruit, pudding and whipped cream.Vanilla pudding is the usual filler but to liven  it up - sub in pistachio or butterscotch pudding.If choosing the last, add a layer of salted caramel topping on top of the graham crackers for decadence.

It's summer. Don't heat up the kitchen by baking. Create tasty sweets that only require your fridge and microwave .

An Icebox Cake With Snap

Icebox cake is the de rigeur dessert of the summer. It 's the perfect end for a barbecue or even better  a warm weather birthday. It's a cool creamy treat, easy to assemble with already made ingredients. Now there's a new recipe with a snap to it.

Melissa Clark wrote about her creation - strawberry gingerbread icebox cake in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Usually America''s icebox cake consists of the ultra chocolate wafers mortared together with Cool Whip. Her version subs in Nabisco gingersnaps  "glued" together with a strawberry mascapone creme and topped with more strawberries, this time macerated with sugar, lime and ginger.Home chefs can use the chocolate wafers,also made by Nabisco. The taste is that of a chocolate covered strawberry - just omit the ginger and lime.Just remember, she warns, don't use any sandwich cookie like an Oreo. The middle stuffing will not soften and the cake will have hard, sugary pockets standing out in a sea of fluffiness. Another cookie that is good to use is the Nilla wafer. The effect is the same as the gingersnaps. Most of these cakes are held together by heavy whipped cream but marscapone. It's sturdier and mixes well with the strawberry puree. The final touch is  the macerated berries , with them being marinated them in white sugar, ginger and lime.The last adds a zing to a normally sweet treat.

One of the best aspects of making any icebox cake is that it doesn't require any skill. It's just layering  and building it up like bricks and mortar (not so with the Famous Chocolate Wafers. These have to be stood up to form a log)You could even increase the amount.Ms Clark has eight snaps per layer and the cake is four layers high. It could easily be expanded to serve a large crowd.Could graham crackers be used? Maybe not for this recipe but they can be a component for other icebox creations. Could home chefs change the fruit? Yes, but I'd use a tart fruit like blackberries simply because the cream is very sweet  thanks to the addition of a quarter of a cup of confectioner's sugar. Raspberries are another good choice thanks to their tartness.  What about mascapone? Many grocery stores only stock it occasionally. A good substitute is a homemade mix of  sour cream, cream cheese and heavy whipping cream.Blend together until smooth and use as the recipe directs.

A strawberry gingersnap ice box cake is a cool way to usher in the summer.It's different and fun full of spice and kick. Make this new hot weather classic to end a barbecue or celebrate a summer birthday.
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Easy Summer Desserts

The last thing any home chef wants to do during hot weather is bake. Yet there's something about homemade desserts that finishes a meal . what to do. Have a no bake treat.   . They easy to assemble  and even easier to eat.

The thought occurred when reading about Eton Mess, that quintessential English dessert the other day in David Tanis' A City Kitchen in the New York Times Food section on Wednesday. This is a fun and easy make, taking store bought meringues and breaking them  and then mixing then with freshly whipped cream and another mix or mess of  strawberries and rhubarb. The only effort is prepping the berries and stalks, marinating them in lemon juice , sugar and water to get rid of the rhubarb's bitter taste. They can be layered with the meringue , cream and fruit to make the Aussie favorite Pavlova, named for the great Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. Eton Mess can be varied, Try blueberries or more more tartness blackberries. Take advantage of the season and add a cup or two of chopped peaches or even better - pitted and sliced cherries. Many home chefs have paired the last with chocolate chunks for an even decadent dessert. Use chocolate meringues too, if you can find them. If you can;t find meringues, make them yourself using egg white or aquafaba - bean water.

Trifles are also easy desserts that can be made in an elegant deep dish bowl or even in a dessert dish.it's kind of like an ordered Eton Mess with layers. Start with a bought angel food cake and then cut it into chunks, Layer with cream and then a layer of strawberries or blueberries. Repeat a second time and chill. A colorful one is a blend of different berries ,using raspberries and blackberries. A fun decadent one is a blackberry trifle with blackberry brandy soaked pound cake, layered with freshly whipped cream and crushed blackberries.The all time favorite, tirimisu, is really a trifle of sorts. An easy one involves layering coffee soaked  lady fingers with sweetened marscapone cheese and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. Truly easy desserts are American at heart. Think of the chocolate logs, a marriage of chocolate wafers and Cool Whip (or fresh whipped cream if you want to put more effort into it. ) Vanilla wafers can be layered with canned pineapple chunks and cream for a tasty, tropical treat. Vanilla ice cream can be subbed in for the cream for an even cooler treat.

Desserts can still be made in the heat of summer. Just go the easy no-bake route and create tasty treats and decadent desserts. All without the fuss or muss of a hot oven or kitchen.

Buckles & Crisps & Cobblers Oh My

Summer baking isn't always an easy thing.Who wants to create a complicated torte when it's ninety degrees outside?However there are some tasty baked treats that require almost no work, They are the fruit filled buckles, crisps and cobblers. They are  baking at it's simplest but also at its' most delicious.

For starters, buckles, crisps and cobblers are somewhat alike but there are some differences. Buckles are more buttery and cakelike. Fruit of the season is mixed with a rich batter and sometimes topped with a streusel topping. It's one of America's oldest dessert recipe, having been made in colonial New England kitchens. Originally it was made with blueberries but now home bakers can use peaches and nectarines as well as raspberries and blackberries. It does have to be made with wet fruit hence the buckling effect so unfortunately apples and pears won't work with it.Melissa Clark offered a recipe in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food column. Hers is made with mixed berries such as blueberries  and blackberries along with black raspberries. She also gives it a light sprinkle of cinnamon too and tops the finished buckle with iced cream. Whipped cream or even crème fraiche also goes well with it too.

Crisps are somewhat easier to make and a good starting off point for novice home bakers.They're simply a mix of sugar butter and flour poured over fruit. They can be made with everything from rhubarb and strawberries  to apples and peaches. Apple crisps sometimes have oats added to them as well but it's up to the baker. They're a snap to make , and a fun back to school treat to make with the kids serve with mounds of cool Whip or iced cream.Cobbler is another simple dessert that can be made with frozen biscuits. Bisquick can also be used to create a tasty topping as can yellow cake mix. Your best bet is a scratch  one using flour and baking powder for a light fluffy one. Some home bakers add oatmeal and cinnamon but save that for the crisps. French style has one or two eggs in it for a much more cakier topping.A good cobbler is an equal blend of biscuit that's not too sweet and that will sop up the fruits' juices and fruits that will bake up soft and pulpy. Cobblers can also be made with cherries and blackberries but the peach kind is the best. Again you can serve it with vanilla ice cream , crème fraiche or good old whipped cream.

The weather is sweltering yet you can still bake. Try the super easy buckles  crisps or cobblers with the fruit of the season. They are a snap to make and oh so delicious to eat.

Warm Weather Layers

Layers are not really associated with hot weather. Basically it's stripping down to the bare basics of just tee shorts and shorts, however this doesn't apply to dishes. Layered dishes can be fun for a summer weekend meal, whether they be savory or sweet. They're a colorful treat , full of different flavors and textures.

Every summer party needs a fun dip. Try a Southwestern layered bean dip which has red and black beans along with scallions and jalopenos ;Spices such as cumin and chili powder are used for zing.Add shredded Montery Jack or cheddar  and then microwave for a few minutes. Then layered on the veggies, such as shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Top with layers of guacamole and sour cream. Have plenty of chips and iced Corona on hand .Summer is the time for seafood and why not combine two favorites, crap dip and lobster salad together?. Layer them as you like and you can even add a top decorative layer of baby shrimp. Use Melba toast for dipping. Layered salads are another colorful treat that liven up any barbecue. One is a yummy spin on spinach salad. It's taking two layers of both spinach and lettuce ( use more of one than the other depending on what you like more) Coarsely chopped  hard boiled eggs are then added , followed by coarsely chopped bacon. Layer on tomatoes and scllions and then cover with cheese ,peas and then a simple "icing" of  sour cream- mayo dressing. You can also make a vegan one , using garbanzo  and kidney beans. A layered bean salad is another summery crowd pleaser.You can use any kind of beans, plus veggies to create an interesting dish.You can even try a layered chef's salad to make it more suitable for a weeknight meal. Layer on ham, beef and turkey between layers of greens, tomatoes and hard boiled egg slices.

Summer desserts are the easiest to layer. Parfaits are wonderful, whether for a crowd or for yourself.Of course nothing beats an ice cream one, made with good home made ice cream , fresh fruit and fresh made whipped cream. Try a decadent one , with layers of chocolate ice cream, cherries and strawberries. Add chocolate syrup and a topping of whipped cream for more perfection. Another idea is vanilla ice cream layered with brandy and cherries and topped off with both. A healthy dessert parfait is layering Greek yogurt with blueberries and strawberries for a patriotic spin on the dessert. If you want crunch sprinkled some granola before you put the fruit. Trifles, those layered desserts usually reserved for finishing winter dinners can be lightened up for the summer season. These are great after a barbecue or perfect for ending a Sunday brunch. Get a prepared angel food cake and cut it into cubes.  Lay them evenly in the bottom of a trifle dish.Spoon on a layer of Cool Whip and then layer on the fruit of your choice. Repeat until the trifle reaches the dish's rim. "Ice" with more Cool whip and decorate with slices of the fruit used. Peaches are very good for this but also blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. It can be served immediately or chilled until after dinner

You can do layers during these heat soaked days. Make a yummy layered dip or salad for a get together or dinner. Treat yourself to a decadent ice cream parfait or whip up a fruity trifle for a lovely dessert. It's summer layering done right!

Holiday Classics

Holiday classics this time of year may include Frosty  and Rudolph but  they also include chestnuts and Jello.

Jello???? Yes, it and so many other basics are the start of many a holiday dish. They're also comfort food and what's a holiday without that.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire is a classic, in particularly a New York one.They're everywhere in Manhattan The tradition started centuries ago on London and Parisian streets as well. You can roast them at home. using a perforated metal pie plate for stovetop cooking. Cut an X on the tops to release steam or they'll explode. Their taste is sweetly intense so you really don't need any seasonings. They're a nice accompaniment to popcorn at a tree trimming party.as for popcorn itself, nothing  beats the old fashioned way on the stove in a sturdy pot.Use 1/3 cup cooking oil or coconut oil to 1/2 cup of kernels. The pot should be warmed before the oil is even added. It should be shaken every now and them so each kernel is evenly coated in oil. Butter is always recommended for that old fashioned movie theater taste. .Melt it right after  the popcorn is popped , preferably in the same pot where you cooked the popcorn. For caramel use butter , again, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt to start with Baking soda and a touch of vanilla finish it off . Pour over the popcorn until every kernel is coated , cool and then munch.

As for Jello, it's really is a holiday classic. You can do a cheesy fun dessert with red and green cubes . Serve with Cool whip  dusted with gold and silver sanding sugar for a sparkly spin.Surprisingly it can also be made into sophisticated sweets  for elegant holiday parties.TRy a light and airy Key Lime Cloud Square which is  a combo of lime Jello, cream cheese and CoolWhip. It's a perfect end if you're having a chicken and champagne dinner party.A fun and creative dessert are Jello stained glass bars  which require four  flavors of it along with a mix of plain  gelatin and condensed milk. There's no baking with this which makes it super easy to make, Jello salads are the holiday buffer must have and actually standard.Try them with any kind of fruit as a sweet side to casseroles. Miracle Whip and Philadelphia Cream cheese are also holiday classics, being used in everything from crab spread to cheesecake,You can make yummy salads using leftover holiday  roasts and Miracle Whip.

This is the season for holiday classics. It could be a plate of steamed chestnuts roasted on an open fire or a Jello salad. Either way, they are the perfect comfort foods for the holidays, full of memories and taste.

Light Summer Mousses

Recently I wrote about that most wonderful of meals and desserts, the mousse. Now with the hot weather here, it's time to revisit it and check out the lighter stuff.It's an easy to make summer dish and it's perfect for ending a barbecue or even a picnic. Try the traditional flavors or even make with the fruits of the season.

One of the easiest mousse recipes is made with just simply Cool Whip and any kind of pudding. Just mix equal parts pudding and the topping. Finish with fruit slices or berries placed on top. There's also one where it just requires egg yolks, melted  butter  and bitter chocolate Add Tia Maria  and  the beaten egg whites and then blend. If you want sub in coffee for the liqueur for a mocha latte flavor.. Vanilla mousse is another great classic. Make it with  a marshmallow fluff, whipped cream and a dash of vanilla for something truly tasty and really quick.

Fruit mousses are the perfect dessert right now. This is the season for peaches, and all the berries.. Try a puree of any fruit and mix with Cool Whip or fresh cream for a type of English fool. You can also use macerated fruit along with any comparable in taste liqueur for added kick.. Another idea is using  fruit flavored gelatin and whisking  when it's in the liquid state with Cool Whip or heavy cream.This creates something that's not only feather light but meltingly delicious. Add some fresh fruits on the side and a blob of Cool Whip for an elegant but easy dinner party end.

A light summer mousse is what a barbecue or outdoor dinner party needs. It is easy to make  whether you use the traditional flavors or it with the fruits of the season.It's a few seconds of creating some so complex yet surprisingly easy.

For my friend BMoose who's having a dinner in the stars right now.

Fresh Starts

Now that the holidays are overi t;s time to start eating right.You don't have indulge in all those luscious baked goods and rich appetizers anymore. It's time to start thinking fresh - as in fresh produce. Even though it's winter you can still buy fresh fruit and veggies in your local supermarkets.There's a lot you can do with them too - .it;s not just boring salads but exciting meals followed by a variety of yummy desserts too.

Luckily thanks to importing you can still buy tomatoes which are great for a healthier pasta pomodoro sauce. Chop up a few of the plum types and then add to olive oil and garlic. Saute until the tomatoes are wilted and then pour over any whole wheat pasta. Ratatouille is another cold weather fave. This involves , again tomatoes but also eggplant and onions, The dish  can be served with the traditional French bread or for lighter fare , pita bread.Any Mexican meal can also be made with fresh veggies as well. Just nix the sour cream and use half the avocado for a lower calorie treat.

Of course everyone wants to add fruit for their New Year's diets. The problem is that eat it  plain every day and it becomes boring. Any kind of fruit can be jazzed up.If you really want to indulge yourself go for that banana split sans the ice cream. Just mix sliced strawberries and bananas together and add chocolate syrup along with zero calorie Cool Whip.Luckily Mexico has been sending us blueberries and blackberries. These are good again with Cool Whip, or layered in a parfait. If you're craving  a warm dish then heat any of the fruits in your microwave. Finish with a layer of Greek yogurt and granola to create a kind of good for you crumble

Eat fresh produce in the New Year's.Doing this will help you lose weight as well as getting doses of vitamins and antioxidants. Best of all you can use those fruits and veggies in delicious dishes that are rich in flavor - not in calories.

Pudding That Pops

Fall is here and it's time to bring out the comfort foods. The bes t is pudding. It;s sweet and creamy without the chill of ice cream. It's comforting after a hard day. Best of all it brings back childhood memories of a simpler time. Whether it;s instant or made from scratch, pudding is the best. It rules.

The sweet as we know it only came into existence around 1840 thanks to English chemist, Alfred Byrd. He developed a way to add processed cornstarch to milk and sugar . Earlier puddings were first invented by the Romans buy they were more custard like in taste and appearance, than to the Roman;s love of eggs. The English were the first to make the savory puddings, mostly with meat and cheese. They do make sweet ones, usually In flour and then boiled in a kind of bain marie. Christmas plum pudding is a good example of this.

Pudding is good a variety of ways. You can use instant like Jello to My-T-Fine or by scratch. Scratch puddings also call for egg, milk and butter. They have a richer taste than the store bought mixes, (of course) and are more or less relatively easy to make, Also pudding is versatile. Add Cool Whip and you have an elegant mousse. Pout it into a prebaked pie crust and it;s a quick and tasty dessert. You can even freeze it to make rich pops.

Pudding is great, especially in these cool days. It's the perfect comfort food no matter how you have it. It's a great sweet whether for a snack or after dinner.

Cool Treat Cool Whip

It's occurred to me that I've never written entirely about that American dessert staple Cool Whip. This is a must for almost any treat or dessert.At my house its; used constantly , especially with pies and fruit. It's a great way of adding that something extra to sweet endings without any sweet calories.

Cool Whip was invented in 1966 0r 67 by William A Mitchell a chemist for General Foods. It is a more or less non dairy products made from is made of water, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup with hydrogenated coconut and palm kernel oils and vanilla extract Even though it is non dairy it does have a milk derivative in it known as sodium caseinate. Seasonal Cool Whips are strawberry (being sold right now in the warmer weather) and chocolate. The aerosol was introduced last year in 2008 to compete with Reddi Whip. I like my Cool Whip from the aerosol can, It's fun to spritz in different fruits or to add flourish to pies and cakes.


Cool Whip is great because you can use it as an icing or as whipped cream sub. It's a phenomenal topping for any cream or overly sweet pie such as pecan (the topping balances the fillings gooey sugariness). A fun dessert is an instant chocolate mousse made with just an equal mix of chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. This is a great quick ender that will impress guests. My favorite way to have Cool Whip? Over sliced bananas and chocolate syrup. This is my go to at home dessert and snack. It's kind of like a banana split but without the ice cream.The aerosol version is also good on strawberries. Don't worry. Cool Whip is zero calories so you can eat as much as you like.


Cool Whip is a fun addition to any dessert or sweet snack. It makes just sliced bananas or strawberries extra special. It adds to any plain slice of cake. It's just a cool treat.

Exotic Goodness - The Banana

Nothing beats a banana as a wholesome snack. This tasty is not only good for you its' just downright delicious. It's the best ingredient in any dessert dish,rating number one both in flavor and nutrition.


Bananas originated in Malaysia and then traveled to India. it was on the subcontinent that Alexander had his first taste of the fruit in 327 BCE. Bananas were even mentioned in the writings of the Pali Buddhists six centuries before the birth of Christ. This ancient fruit then was transplanted to the island of Madagascar where it then was introduced to the African continent. It was the Arabs who did mass trading in bananas and gave them their name banan meaning "finger " in Arabic. A> from they moved to the Iberian Peninsula and also the Canary Islands. Portuguese missionaries later brought them to the Caribbean where they soon grew in abundance. American had to wait until 1876 to get their first taste of the fruit. They were sold, foil wrapped at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The banana doesn;t come froma tree but from a large herb of the Musacae family.

Nowadays everyone has bananas as part of their diet. The fruit is rich in potassium with a large one having 150 mg of it. They also are loaded with Vitamin A , thiamine and folic acid. One banana is only 150 calories.Remember to buy yellow ones and store on your table or kitchen counter. DON'T store them in the fridge . They won;t ripen there and you'll wind up with a mess.You can use the leftover peels as mulch for your garden.

As for recipes my favorite is the ice cream less banana split. (which was created during the 1920s!) It's just a sliced up banana, covered in chocolate syrup and topped with Cool Whip. This a great , relatively low calorie snack when you're craving the other but can't have it. Banana bread is another favorite because it combines the fruit with sugar and vanilla (it's a no brainer that my favorite all natural lotion by Pure & Basic is their banana and wild vanilla scent. It smells just like freshly baked banana bread!!!!)You can also chunk up bananas and grill them for a minute or two and then serve with vanilla ice cream and brown sugar.

Bananas are a great and nutritious treat. Their sweet, mellow flavor is just the thing for anyone craving a sweet snack. Their nutritional value is just right for adults and kids .

That American Classic - The Bake Sale

Endless schools and teams around the country will be hosting that tradition that usually starts in the fall. What is it?

The bake sale.

This classic has been around for decades possibly starting at voting booths. After choosing their candidate voters paid for a light, sweet snack of cookies or pie along with coffee tea or lemonade. Girl Scouts also had bake sales to raise cash as did various school clubs and groups. Now it's almost fall must to head over to your local one and sample home baked sweets.

Don't despair if you're tagged for a bake sale. Even the worst bakers can whip up something reasonable and tasty. A quick and easy treat are slice and bake sugar cookies. Toss on a few sprinkles in the school or team colors and you've got an instant hit. Another quickie entry is a cream pie. Use a prebaked pie shell, Fill with instant pudding and then cover with Cool Whip or Redi Whip. Muffins are another easy contribution and there are some very easy microwave recipes concerning these.Of course what bake sake wouldn't be complete without chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. these are easy to whip up.You can decorate them with powdered sugar for a classier spin or top with fresh made butter cream icing and decorations.

If you love to bake then consider snickerdoodles, those common classics that are always big sellers at any bake sales. Giant chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies are fun to make and good to sell. Any sweet bread such as banana and zucchini are also top sellers and guaranteed to bring in cash. If you're really ambitious think about making an old fashioned layer cake with home made butter cream frosting.

This is definitely the season. They're a fun addition to any one's fall schedule along with being a great stop to indulge your sweet tooth.make sure you have a few minutes to go to one and help out a team or a school.