Month

I love a good dip.  You know, something that can be served at home on a romantic, cozy night for my hubby and me, or just as lovely to be served as an appetizer to a group of friends that have come over for a dinner party. 

I absolutely love hosting dinner parties, but since my friends come over so often, I really do not wish to serve them the same thing every single time they come.  That is why I am always on the lookout for a great recipe, filled with flavor that they are sure to enjoy. I know that this dip has easily become one of my favorites!

I have tried many dips. Say the classics like spinach and artichoke or a brie dip.  I have also tried my hand at homemade hummus.  It is definitely not fancy, but it is flavorful and delicious.  Now, as amazing as those are, sometimes I am serving a dinner that needs an appetizer that causes a WOW factor.

I am not saying the others are not great (I mean, come on… brie and apricot dip is my absolute favorite!), but what I am saying is that some dips do impress more than others.  This is one of those dips that will cause all your guests to say WOW!

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Use your favorite honey in this recipe.

George doesn’t like anything with wheat. Not that he’s allergic, but he just doesn’t like the “grainy” taste (that’s how he often describes it). His wife, on the other hand, loves anything with wheat because they taste more natural according to her.

And she loves the “grainy” goodness that George doesn’t love. George is one of my cousins whom I am very close to since we’re kids. He’s quite a nice guy too, so unlike Rob who’s still a prankster. Just don’t test his hatred for wheat because he’ll hate you forever. Kidding! His wife attempted a lot of methods just to get him to eat whole wheat.

Wheat is good for the body and while George is healthy as a horse, he needs to start looking after his health because we’re not getting any younger. His wife’s most successful attempt is her mother’s old family recipe of whole wheat pecan pull apart bread.

She modified the ingredients a bit because some of the ingredients in the recipe were a bit impossible to get in groceries, but they tasted great. I knew because I was there when his wife served it to him.

I witnessed how he actually closed his eyes in pleasure as he chewed on the really delicious bread. Well, wife, one point for you! George truly couldn’t resist any sugary goodness!

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Punching down removes some of the gas bubbles formed by the yeast during rising and produces a finer grain. (Red Star Yeast)

You might ask—who is Susan? Susan is one of my friends who has an Italian Dad and an American mom. We often tease her that she must be the luckiest person alive because she gets the best of “both food worlds”.

Her dad is a great cook! He cooks for us every time Susan invites us to their family home. Usually, he is the one in-charge of the kitchen that day. Her Mom will always say we’re so used to the American diet it will be good for us to experience other cuisines. And we, Susan’s friends, love it every time we get an invitation. That’s an instant taste of Europe right there!

When Susan visited me during fall, she stayed with me for a week. To compensate for her stay, she begged me to agree that she would be the one to cook for me and my boyfriend. Afraid that she would really leave and check in at a hotel if I didn’t say yes, I agreed.

I’m actually glad I did. Because I got to taste her famous homemade cannoli! It was the first time I actually tasted this dessert.

It was so delicious I begged her to stay with us forever. Unfortunately, it couldn’t happen; but at least she shared her cannoli recipe with me.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: If the ricotta has an excess of liquid, drain it over a strainer for at least a half an hour before making the filling.

My mother was practically born to bake. She is so good at it we’ve often told her she should set up her own bakery! She likes to experiment with different recipes – sometimes she sees a recipe on TV or a magazine and she’ll make something similar, but with her own ingredients. She has made the most beautiful and decorative cakes and pastries for family gatherings, but to her it’s always about the flavor. If she makes a cake and it doesn’t taste good enough, she’ll throw it away.

It’s a bit of a surprise that this easy-to-make cake is one of her favorites. I mean, the ingredients are so simple and the method couldn’t be easier. But that’s where the flavor comes in! This is one of the tastiest cakes on the planet, according to my mother, and she really knows about cakes. That’s why I knew I couldn’t fail with this recipe – and she was absolutely right!

I’ve made this cake several times already, since Mom found it over at Can’t Stay Out Of The Kitchen. It always turns out delightful and I can barely wait until the next time again!

Recipe and image courtesy of Can’t Stay Out Of The Kitchen.

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Quick Tip: Let the cake cool before cutting it into squares.

I Don’t Know Anyone Who Doesn’t Enjoy A Good Pot Roast

If you were to ask anyone in my family, they would tell you it’s one of their favorite meals. I remember my mother making a roast every weekend. Walking into our house, when you could smell the savory flavors wafting through the front door… The thought alone still makes my mouth water! So many of my most precious childhood memories are related to family meals.

One of the best things about making a pot roast is how easy it is, even if you’re not very confident of your cooking skills. Just bring out your crock pot, a chuck roast, and your favorite vegetables –  I like to add carrots, potatoes, and onions. Put everything into the crock pot and set it to low. Within a few hours, you have a complete meal ready to devour!

And if, for some strange reason, you should feel like you’re getting a little bored of the dish – just use different veggies on the side and your dinner will have fresh new flavors again. Although, I must say I have never known anyone grow tired of pot roast! Even my picky eaters gobble it up so fast that I hardly get a bite of it myself.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Use pork instead of beef roast, if you’d like!

You know what? I am really tired of oatmeal. I know about all the health benefits and I know how it’s a part of a balanced diet and all that stuff.

And yes, I do like the taste – especially when combined with all kinds of lovely fruits and other toppings. But after a long winter of trying to eat healthily and religiously sticking to my diet, I am honestly just so sick and tired of oatmeal. There, I said it. I must be a bad person! I just won’t let myself feel guilty for making changes to my breakfast routine.

Otherwise, I may end up not having breakfast at all, and that’s never a good thing. So here’s what I’ve been having for breakfast for two days in a row!

These will definitely get your day started right – and if you’d rather have oatmeal for breakfast, just make these for lunch instead!

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Instead of ham and cheese, you could try these waffle sandwiches with any of your favorite fillings.

My family loves rich meals that taste really flavorful. They never shy away from strong-smelling food, most especially my husband. The more flavorful a dish is, the more they will like it.

Usually, we get our flavorful and rich fix from meat like beef and pork. These types of meat already have those natural flavors that you don’t need to season them much just to make them taste good. Even chicken is flavorful, at least the thigh and leg part; which is why it’s our favorite type of meat. Sometimes, we crave for something else other than these three. Usually, it’s seafood like crab, shrimp, and squid.

Speaking of seafood, I have a feeling you and your family are going to love this cheesy seafood casserole recipe. It’s like diving under the sea once you take a bite of this amazing dish. I already made this for my family a lot of times and they still can’t get enough.

The taste of seafood in casseroles is surprisingly incomparable. You have to make sure you have enough when serving this to a large crowd- it will surely be gone in seconds!

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Serve something light, like a fresh green salad, on the side since this is a very rich meal.