A Homemade Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
Use fresh or frozen fruit to make a midwinter healthy treat.
Butterfinger Buzz
A review of Nestle’s new caffeinated candy bar — a twist on an old favorite!
Cooking Gadgets
Cyndi has two Smith’s Edge knife sharpeners to give away this weekend!
Mardi Gras Cocktail Recipe
A delicious recipe for your Mardi Gras celebration
Quilled Pastry Hearts with Key Lime Curd
You can make quilled hearts out of paper or get really creative and make them from frozen puff pastry for a perfect Valentine’s Day dessert.
School Lunch Variations
Mary Emma …read more

This Valentine’s Day show your sweet side ­ in and out of the kitchen! Prepare the following delectable treats using the natural, pure goodness of honey. Recipes are courtesy of the National Honey Board.

Bittersweet Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes
- Makes 18 cupcakes -
Ingredients
• 8 oz. 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate, divided
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• …read more

Twelve delicious “classics” for you to master this year!  Food and Wine has a slide show with links to the recipes and techniques that you’ll learn in making these tempting dishes.  They’re not all quick and easy, but they all look worth the effort, especially the Beef Stew, shown above!
Image: Food & Wine

According to my chocoholics, these are the ULTIMATE chocolate cookies, full of butter instead of shortening, soft but not too soft, and very very chocolatey. I found the recipe in Martha Stewart’s Cookies, but it turns out that the recipe was created by Anne Feldman, or more specifically, by her grandmother.  Although I love the book, just a warning: these are all available online, are mostly not new, and is actually an edited volume by the editors of the magazine.
I didn’t bother to roll the balls of dough in sugar, but other than that, I did follow the …read more

40 Fun and Fabulous Valentine’s Day Party Treats Cupcakes and Cookies
Are you looking for a recipe to make for your child’s Valentine’s Day party, girls movie night, or February book club meeting?
Cooking Gadgets
Check out some eco-friendly cooking gadgets from Preserve Kitchen!
Jean’s Picks of Low Cal, Low/No-Carb Snacks for Nighttime Snacking
Jean created table of low-carb and no carb snacks which is now posted on her fridge in her struggle to get rid of the extra pounds that crept up on her last year.
Korean-style Short Ribs
Easy, delicious, tender ribs made in a slow cooker
…read more

Cooking Gadgets
Cooking Gadgets has an All-Clad Electric Skillet to give away during the Bloggy Giveaways!
In Search of Low Cal, Low or No-Carb Snacks for Nighttime Snacking
Did you know there is a theory that sugar and high glycemic carbohydrates accelerate the aging process? Read more here.
Soups & Stews & Winter Foods
Mary Emma at Country Kitchen gives us some ideas for turning leftovers into winter soups, stews and meat pies.
Super Bowl Snacking: Chocolate Cake Balls
A very easy sweet snack, perfect for a Super Bowl party!
Super Bowl Snacking: What’s on Your Menu? …read more

The least pleasant task in preparing this soup is coring the parsnips. I find it’s not too bad if you slice them lengthwise in quarters and then slice out the triangular shaped piece…don’t worry about getting every single woody fiber. The balsamic syrup seems like a bother to make too, but the flavor it imparts is out of this world. The soup is great without the syrup, but with it, you’ve gained a taste of heaven!
This amazing recipe is courtesy of Eating Well magazine.

Stirring in the syrup

Roasted Parsnip Soup
Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: …read more

Compliments of Taste of Home cookbook, here are recipes for everything you’ll need to make your party a smash, without crashing your budget! All you’ll need to add is chips, pretzels, and beverages, and maybe you can have your friends bring those along Visit their website for lots more great ideas and recipes, information on subscribing to the magazine, and to purchase the cookbook.

Beer Dip
Prep/Total Time: 5 min
Cost $.22 per serving
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Pretzels
Directions:
1) In a …read more

Alphabet Cake Pan
Personalize your birthday cake with an alphabet cake pan. Make their initials, or their age in cake!
Chocolate Covered Buttercrunch Bars
Chocolate and buttercrunch treats made with a surprise ingredient.
Horehound Drops
A herbal home remedy for a sore throat or cough.
Old Woodenware Stirs Memories
Mary Emma, at Country Kitchen, finds that old kitchen woodenware brings back memories of cooking in the farmhouse kitchen of childhood.
Super Bowl Snack: Edamame “Hummus”
A delicious thick dip made with edamame, tofu and avocado
The Experts’ Suggestions to Curb Nighttime Noshing
Most of the registered dieticians and diet …read more

15 Appetizers and Snack Foods For Your Superbowl Party
If you’re planning a Superbowl party, or just hanging out at home here’s a list of fun easy recipes for the big game.
Cooking Gadgets
Who doesn’t love chocolate?
My Name is Jean and I’m a Nighttime Nosher
If you or someone in your family is a nighttime nosher, come along with Jean as she explores the whys and what-to-dos.
Preparing Your Pantry For Weight Loss Success
If your New Years resolution was to lose weight, filling your pantry with healthy foods can help you achieve your goal.
Valentine’s Day …read more