Whether you are faced with a need to make a last minute potluck dessert or have impulsively invited friends over for coffee and need something to go with it, here is a solution that takes little more than 5 minutes to prepare and another half hour or so to set up. Of course, that short…

Last year, I posted a couple of Valentine’s Day cookies that have become family favorites, at http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2011/02/cherry-heart-refrigerator-cookies.html and http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2011/02/candy-kiss-cookies.html. The time had come to make these again, so I stirred up the doughs and invited the kids over to help. After washing their hands thoroughly, two of the grandkids carefully sorted a package of Christmas…

(2-11-11: Not quite sure what happened here, but an editing comment I entered moved this November 2010 entry up to February 2012! I decided not to delete it, just in case you find some help in the comments on broth and stock, along with some really good soup recipes. Still, just want you to understand…

Here’s an idea for a dip that moves beyond the usual sour cream and onion or even seafood and cream cheese based offerings. It will be a nice alternative for any vegans in the crowd, but make plenty as your non-vegan guests are sure to scoop it up as well. Great for pairing with apple…

  Recently, some friends joined me in the kitchen for a little Christmas baking and a lot of fun. We made breads (yeast raised coffeecakes full of apple butter and raisins and cranberry/apricot and pumpkin applesauce quick breads) along with the two choices featured today, Date Balls and Pretzel Reindeer. Date Balls for Christmas When…

For many years, I will admit that I resisted trying pumpkin soup, thinking of this fruit of fall only meant for pies and maybe some sweet breads. However, once I tried it, I became a fan.  Now, with so much pumpkin pureed (see the last post for details), it seemed time to do some experimenting,…

I love so many of the sights, smells, and sounds of the yuletide season. Trees, lights, spicy baking smells, and classic Christmas music (we’ll ignore for now the less than wonderful stuff that fills too many background music channels at malls and stores). It’s all really wonderful, especially when we finally get a couple of…

A local grocery chain has their 15 oz cans of tomatoes and chiles on sale this week and I was getting hungry for lentils. A little rummaging in the cupboard and I came up with a vegetarian main dish that would be great for left over baked or boiled potatoes* and can be made with…

Here’s a recipe that can be a vegetarian option even with “meatball” in the title. I often make it with a vegetarian meatball recipe introduced to me by one of my daughters-in-law. It’s very easy to make a huge pot of this for keeping in the refrigerator or freezer for quick family meals during the…

I have it on “good medical authority” that breakfast may be the ideal time to eat birthday cake, since you have the rest of the day when your metabolism could be at its best to work off those extra calories. Since this cake also has a cup of very healthy butternut squash in it (and…