Your Blizzard Pantry Must Haves

Yet again there's blizzard coming to the East Coast, namely the New York City area.Unless you live in the sunny, summery Southern Hemisphere, this is snow season. That means one thing: a well stocked pantry  - and fridge.Be prepared for a  few days without the grocery store.

Grains are important in a winter pantry. Have boxes of favorite pastas on hand. These can be a main meal, or even go into soups . Also there's nothing like a hearty penne or spaghetti lunch or supper on a cold, snowy day. Rice is also a must have. It's good as a side but also can be incorporated as part of the main meal to give it more substance. Mix it with stew or even thin soups like tomato and minestrone.Barley and bulgur are also good to have in your winter pantry. Bulgur can also be used instead of oatmeal for breakfast as well.Oatmeal is another must along with farina. You can  get a box of the flavored packets or a canister of plain oatmeal  that can be used in baking bread and/or cookies.Should you also have flour? It will come in handy if you're planning on making pizza dough  or roux bases. A snowy day usually means baking so do have a bag of it along with other baking must haves such as baking powder and baking soda.As for the already baked stuff, it helps to have a loaf .Bread can be used in making sandwiches, grilled cheese and French toast.Grind it into crumbs for baked macaroni and cheese topping along with thickener for soups and breading veggies and meats.

Should you include canned meats in the mix? Yes! Canned tuna can be used for salads and casseroles along with that cold weather fave tuna melt. Get a few cans of tuna fish in olive oil. You can make a sunny salad Nicoise with it , a perfect meal to help imagine warmer climes.You may also want to stock up on the lower calorie salmon which is versatile to use in such hot dishes as croquettes and pasta sauce.Another must have is canned chicken which can easily be turned into chicken a la king. A winter pantry should have a small variety of canned vegetables too.You can also stock up on bags of frozen ones too. These can be made into sides but also salads if you have the odd craving for something cold. Corn can also be tossed into corn cakes and corn bread. Canned or frozen spinach can be turned into a dip for movie or football binging. Have a few cans of fruit too. You may want to finish a meal with a fruit cocktail or peaches as a side to pound or angel food cake. Dried fruit or fruit crisps are also good to stock up on. They're perfect low calories snacks when the boredom munchies hit.

Make sure your pantry is well stocked for the stormy,  snowy weather ahead. Have the basics. They'll go  along way when you can't make it to the grocery store.

A Special Cake For Mom

One of the best gifts is a homemade one for Mother's Day. Any mom would appreciate a tasty treat that she didn't bake. Think fun cupcakes or a daffodil cake. If she's into fruit than a great pie, or if she's fancy a plate of macarons with a ganache filling. There's a variety of sweets that can be created for mom's special day.

If you're not a pro at baking, then go for the mixes. Between the big three cake mixes, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, you can make any kind of cake.Duncan Hines has introduced serving for one -  mug filled with either cake or bread. This is the easiest bake - just the mix and three tablespoons of water - - it just takes a minute in the microwave and voila - a perfect treat. She can have her choice of flavors from a decadent chocolate lover's cake to  banana bread. There's even one minute muffins, blueberry ,apple cinnamon and corn, in a mug too for a neat breakfast in bed. as for cakes and frosting , all three brands have not only mixes but frostings too. As for decorations Betty Crocker has these various sprinkles including Cupcake Gems that are gold and silver sugar crystals. Sprinkle these on a plain cake  to amp it up to something special.You can also have fun with the mixes too, thanks to the brands offering dozens of recipes on their sites. Try a poke cake with either pudding or Jello for a fun surprise or a skillet cake , layered with whipped cream and fresh berries.Pillsbury has a easy to bake ice cream cake recipe that just requires cake mix , ice cream and whipped cream.It's easy to assemble and decorate.

More experienced bakers can definitely whip up a scratch cake with no problems. One of the prettiest is the daffodil cake,  a marriage of angel food and yellow scratch cakes. The frosting is a mix of pineapple juice and Cool Whip which is a lovely , mild flavor to go to the cake. Of course , nothing beats the taste of a scratch marble cake. This would make a great dessert with a scoop of French vanilla or chocolate ice cream.It's also good just on it's own with an iced coffee and mom's favorite Sunday crossword. A homemade pie is always a nice gift.Supermarkets such as Stop & Shop and Acme are still selling Granny Smith and Fuji apples and these are the best for a homemade apple pie.  If you want something fancier then think a homemade lemon meringue with a slightly browned meringue crown. It's a great end to a Mother's Day barbecue. Another tropical tasting treat is a Key Lime pie, the perfect union of sweet and tart. What mother wouldn't like a plate of fresh from her oven macarons. Yoou can make them like the ones from the famed Ladueree Patisserie, with flavors such as chocolate, salted caramel and even rose water.Fill them with a rich chocolate ganache or almond buttercream for true luxury,

Nothing beats a homemade treat for mom's special day . Surprise her with home baked treat. It's a sweet way to thank her for she's baked for you.

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!

Treats From Trader Joe's

Some supermarkets are just chock full of good food and yummy treats. Trader Joe's is one of those .it has a wide variety of different foods both healthy and decadent.It not only  makes grocery shopping but also menu planning fun. Going there can set the wheels in motion for a truly tasty and gourmet meal.

Trader Joe's started in the late 1950's in Southern California and named for its' founder Joe Coulombe. Originally called Pronto the store's name was changed to Trader's Joe's He sold it early on to Theo Albrecht of the small but boutique grocery chain Aldi. What makes the grocery different is that it  only carries about 4,000 items, mostly in house.Trader Joe's features a wide variety of different ethnic themed foods from Mexican to Italian to French to Italian.Like any other supermarket it has a good frozen and fresh produce departments too.

What is so great  about Trader';s Joe's is that they have healthy foods along with snacks. Of course they also have the sinfully rich desserts such as their buttery tea cookies and home made tarts. For lesser calories and still great taste opt for the mini angel  food cakes that are just delicious with fruit and whipped cream. For those who are concerned with health , try the fiery hot kale chips . These are air dried so they're not fried and are chock full of vitamins and anti oxidants.Another fun snack is the dried strong beans which are a crunchy blend of salty and sweet. There are also excellent whole wheat pastas as well as whole grain breads and cereals too.

Trader Joe's is just a great place to shop. You can buy tasty and original there. planning a unique menu , If you haven't shopped there in a while ,go, It's a fun place not only to buy food but get ideas for interesting meals and parties.