Pound cakes are awesome. They are simple, almost everyone likes them and they are really versatile. You can flavor them with almost anything.  I was thinking of pound cake and mentioned on twitter that I was planning a white tea, apricot, cream cheese one OR a Cappuccino one and the votes started coming in for cappuccino.

It was a landslide. Then I just needed to figure out how I wanted to do it. I wanted a delicate coffee flavor that revealed itself in layers, chocolate but just a hint..and a little cinnamon. I would have loved to put orange peel in …read more

There is nothing, and I mean nothing that will scent your kitchen up like Mole.  Not moles, silly, Moe-LAY.  Mole is a Mexican sauce that is so complex that it is unbelievable.  Your taste buds will be going nuts for hours trying to figure out all of the flavors they have taken in.  Sweet, spicy, warm, tangy….the list goes on and on in waves of flavor ecstasy.

Mole can be time consuming..but the best way to make this is in a slow cooker so that all the flavors meld together.  I like to stir in corn at the last minute but …read more

I could not believe it. I was working on formatting the cookbook until about 1:30 a.m. and when I went to bed it was still hovering around 90 humid degrees.
We are just about into those dog days of summer when even the bugs seem to take shelter in the afternoon heat!

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Night. This week it is being hosted by A Scientist in the Kitchen. There are sure to be lots of fantastic dishes so run by and check it out on Friday July 11.

Coconut ice cream is a delicate and yet intense flavored ice cream.  It is almost like vanilla but with a little something more. I had several gallons of milk in the fridge and needed to use it up..The kids were at VBS camp all week and just were not drinking milk like normal. Unfortunately you can’t just turn goat’s mammary glands off and on as needed!

 
Deviled Eggs. You know you have to have them. With 4th of July coming up I am whispering one word to my chickens to get them in egg laying overdrive. Cacciatore.

 
When I am in a rush, and I seem to often be rushed lately, nothing goes on the table quite as quickly as a pasta dish.
There are times I like to make fresh pasta but I always keep a couple of packages of organic whole wheat, and organic semolina pasta on the shelf for “Those Days”.
This was a fantastic hit at my house.  The pasta was garlicky and olive-y with just a hint of fresh tomato taste.  Fresh basil adds a nice touch.  I used elephant garlic but use what you have on hand.  If you are substituting regular garlic …read more

First of all, I have to tell you that the reason there is no picture of this dish is because I forgot to take it before I called everyone to the table and …uh..there was none left once they go there.  It was like an invasion of locusts on a young green bean crop. At least you have a lovely picture of the cilantro from my garden, right?  Oh wait…here is another ingredient….

I wanted to do something a little different to go with lunch the other day. Usually scones are a breakfast item here, I just don’t think of them for lunch. But with a salad and some Brie these are a great way to round out a light meal.
They are sweet from the glaze. The vanilla mellows out the lavender to make a great taste combination. A few months ago I read about a technique where you grated cold butter into scones and biscuits to give a more tender product. This really does make a difference and I have …read more

 
If you have never had beef brisket you have never lived in Texas.  A huge beef brisket is a must have at nearly any summer celebration from Memorial Day to a family reunion, and there are as many arguments about making a good one as there are about whether or not Texas should succeed from the Union.
If you didn’t know THAT was a common conversation then you haven’t even VISITED here.  Another thing you must know is that it can be spelled barbeque or barbecue. I will probably spell it both ways in the course of writing this because spell …read more