Christmas Favorites

Espresso-Chocolate Layer Cake with White Chocolate-Mascarpone Frosting

April 7, 2011

I was honored to have my sweet friend Lora, the Cake Duchess herself, ask me to help her with a post while she is going through some personal stuff. Every now and then I’m reminded of just how real our relationships are in this globally connected world and I’m not just happy to help; I’m [...]

‘Irish Coffee’ Cake and a Great Cause for Children – St. Baldrick’s Foundation

March 8, 2011

St Patrick’s Day will be here soon and I’ve got enough Irish in me to start thinking about a celebration. Not a big party but an opportunity to pay homage to a part of my ancestry (My Dad’s parents were German and Swiss; my Mom’s English and Irish). I’ll usually make corned beef for dinner, [...]

German Pancake (Dutch Baby

March 7, 2011

First, let me thank Rachael, @fujimama, for asking me to do this post during Pancake Week for her readers on Babble. Until this past week I had no idea there was an entire week devoted to pancake love but I’ve got the love so am more than willing to celebrate! I’ve known Rachael for almost [...]

Manhattan Bundt Cake – Bourbon, Pecans and Maraschino Cherries

January 3, 2011

Like many people, I’ve got some traditions for New Year’s Day. Nothing that would stand up to any historical perspective but just ‘our’ traditions. We have to have some Black Eyed Peas for luck, a tradition that started when our family lived in North Carolina for 10 years, and I have to make a Butter [...]

Raisin Walnut Bread

December 20, 2010

A simple but satisfying bread with raisins and toasted walnuts that is an old family recipe. I already make Pecan Butter Ball cookies every year for the holidays and I attribute that recipe to my Grandmother Bathe. They are a favorite of mine and I recall fondly helping her as a girl and making them [...]

The Best Sugar Cookies

December 16, 2010

For many years I would spend days each holiday season making decorated sugar cookies. I started the tradition in my twenties with a girlfriend and we made hundreds of cookies that we rolled, cut out, decorated and gave to friends. I continued on with that tradition for many years when my kids where small and [...]

Beef Bourguignon, My Birthday with Julia Child
and @ManPans Giveaway

December 14, 2010

A classic dish that is in no way trendy but just perfect for today; so soul satisfying and delicious…but trust me, this is not your mother’s beef stew! I’ve always loved Julia Child. Watching her on PBS was my first ‘Julia’ experience, cooking from ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ brought us closer together and [...]

French Fridays with Dorie – Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts

December 10, 2010

I’ve been wanting to join this group for weeks now but it began to feel as if it was not meant to be. First, my copy of Dorie Greenspan’s ‘Around My French Table’ was the victim of a shipping snafu with Amazon so I missed the inaugural event. Once I finally received the book my [...]

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

December 7, 2010

This recipe is from a cookbook called ‘Colorado Collage’ which is one of a series of cookbooks put out by the Junior League of Denver. I bought their first cookbook, ‘Colorado Cache’ which was spiral bound, when I moved to Denver 25 years ago. I had to replace it years ago as that spiral bound [...]

Cranberry Glazed Orange Layer Cake

November 28, 2010

I make this cake every year for a holiday meal. This year it was for Thanksgiving but more often it’s for Christmas Day. The flavors are just fantastic and it is so beautiful. The combination of the orange flavored cake, the brown sugar/cream cheese frosting and the cranberry sauce make a spectacular presentation for this [...]