Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

RECIPES OF THE MONTH Part II

Julia Child's Nicoise Salad, Peanut Butter Buckeyes, Pear & Plum Tart, Apple Cranberry Tart, Chocolate Eclair Cake, Heirloom Tomato Recipes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Veggie Borscht and How to Cook Corn on the Cob.

Here's another list of recipes I've been working on the last two months or so. There's more to come too! Print them off or bookmark them for later use. And please feel free to email the links to your friends!

Julia Child's Nicoise Salad Recipe - Inspired by the French Chef - Salad Niçoise Recipe inspired by The French Chef: Black Nicoise olives, fresh or white albacore tuna, hard boiled eggs, heirloom tomatoes and fresh green beans set this salad apart from the ordinary ho-hum salad. Bon Appétit!

Roasted Red Potatoes Recipe - Red Bliss Potatoes sprinkled with olive oil, garlic & herbs and roasted in a hot oven or on the grill. Add some sauteed onions & peppers and call them Home Fries! Slice some smoked mozzarella chicken sausage and call it supper! Side dish or main dish, you decide!

Corn on the Cob: How to Cook Sweet Corn - Here's the secret recipe to perfect corn on the cob! Sweet Corn, Silver Queen, Butter & Sugar - whatever the variety - follow these simple directions, and you'll be enjoying the best sweet corn this summer!

Vegan Borscht Recipe & Video by Hippy Gourmet - Who says borscht has to have meat? This PBS episode has the Hippy Gourmet cooking alongside guest Lara Gutnik from the Ukrain. Delicious and authentic, this soup is an excellent example of borscht gone vegan!


 


Heirloom Tomato Recipes - Caprese Salad, Heirloom Tomato Tart, Tomato Sandwiches, BLT Sandwich and Brouchetta are just some of the delicious foods you can make with a bushel of heirloom tomatoes.

Apple Cranberry Galette Recipe - Stonewall Kitchen's Apple Butter, orchard apples & fresh cranberries from the bog, snuggle together with cinnamon & spices in a rustic free-form flaky pie crust & tart.

Fresh Raspberry Pie Recipe - Fresh raspberries baked in a flaky pie crust with plump ripe raspberries and spices. Dress it up with a lattice or double crust and serve à la mode with ice cream! Simply delish!

Buckeyes Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Candy - Football or chocolate candy? Similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and shaped like a buckeye, these chocolate dipped peanut butter candies are absolutely addicting!

 

Rustic Pear and Plum Tart Recipe - Stonewall Kitchen's Dulce De Leche caramel sauce, ripe Bartlett pears & Italian prune plums baked with nutmeg & spices in a flaky free-form pie crust. Just add ice cream.

Key Lime Pie vs Lemon Meringue Pie - The recipes for Key Lime Pie & Lemon Meringue Pie are very different, and yet both are refreshing summer pies made with citrus fruits – lemons and limes. Would you choose Graham Cracker Crust, or Flaky Pie Crust? Meringue or Whipped Cream topping?

Blackberry Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches - Blackberry Cobbler baked with fresh peaches and blackberries, bubbling up under a sweet biscuit topping.

Eclair Cake Recipe with Chocolate Frosting- This no-bake eclair cake layered with graham crackers, Cool Whip & vanilla pudding is frosted with homemade chocolate icing. Also called ice box cake, it's a perfect birthday cake or easy dessert!

Peach Recipes - Here's a recipe box full of 15 Peach Recipes! Peach Pie, Peach Cobbler, Peach Ice Cream Pie, Peaches & Cream Scones and many more. If it's peaches you crave, this list of peach recipes will tempt you!

RECIPES OF THE MONTH

 


Nutella S'mores, Apple Bread Pudding, Zucchini Bread, Blackberry Cobbler, Baked Flounder, Chicken Tetrazzini, Banana Nut Muffins, BLT Pasta Salad, Corn Pudding and Deli Style Macaroni Salad.

I Got My Bakin' MoJo Back!
Yes, I'm still alive! And I'm back with a bunch of new recipes! July & August were very busy months with tons of company, sailing and searingly hot temperatures that left me with almost no will to bake or cook. We don't have AC on the boat, and when that sun beats down on the deck, it heats the inside temps to over 100 degrees. There were days I just packed up my laptop and went to the library to escape the heat. The gas grill was my best friend for weeks! I got my MoJo back now that the days have turned cooler, and I've started baking and cooking again! Even our son Brad got the baking bug yesterday and made a batch of cookies, just because he could!

Recipes of Some of the Month!
This is just 1/3 of the things I've written since I've been AWOL the last 4 weeks. I'll post more in the days to come. PLUS, I have another Giveaway planned, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well! As always, feel free to print these Examiner and Suite101 recipes out, and make sure to email them to your friends too!

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Macaroni Salad – A twist on the classic BLT Sandwich! Use spiral pasta to hold more Italian dressing, add crisp bacon, romaine lettuce and vine-ripened tomatoes. Great for lunch, brunch or supper!

Macaroni Salad Recipe with Mayonnaise
Classic deli style macaroni salad with onions, peppers, celery, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise and celery salt. Hamburgers & hot dogs, barbecues, cookouts & picnics, could all use a big helping of this easy macaroni salad!

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini casserole with leftover roast chicken, spaghetti, butter, mushrooms, onions, sherry, cream and spices. This lip-smacking dish is perfect for pot lucks and large family dinners.

Corn Pudding Recipe: Scalloped Corn
Easy side dish casserole for quick meals & holiday entertaining. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is the secret ingredient! Don't let the name 'Corn Pudding' throw you off. This is an amazing veggie casserole. Red peppers and green scallions give it festive color, while canned and creamed corn give it great texture.

Baked Flounder Recipe with Cracker Topping
Baking flounder, sole or cod is a quick & easy way to prepare this mild white fish. Just a few simple ingredients, and tender baked flounder is ready to serve.

Red Onion Jam Recipe
Large red onions simmered and cooked down with butter, sugar and balsamic vinegar, makes an amazing relish or jam that's perfect for burgers, cheese, appetizers, tarts & galettes or dipping. Quick & Easy!

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
Moist & flavorful muffins loaded with ripe bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips if you like. Banana streusel muffins freeze well, so bake a double batch for later. Great for brunch, snacks, picnics or with a cup of tea!

Nutella S'mores Recipe
Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, campers and kids  will love these s'mores made with Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, honey graham crackers and toasted marshmallows.

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips
Moist & flavorful Zucchini Nut Bread recipe loaded with chocolate chips, cinnamon and walnuts. Easy quick bread recipe can be baked in mini loaf pans or cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!

Apple Bread Pudding Recipe with Fresh Apples
Fall dessert recipes with fresh apples, Vermont maple syrup and apple juice concentrate make this apple bread pudding with whip cream a perfect cool weather snack.

White Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Melted white chocolate coating, blended with butter & cream cheese frosting. Decorate Red Velvet Cupcakes, Coconut Cake, Chocolate Cupcakes, or frost a cheesecake. 

Fresh Peach Pie Recipe with Streusel Topping
Flaky pie crust loaded with fresh ripe peaches & spices, topped with sweet brown sugar praline streusel.

Blackberry Muffin Recipe with Fresh Blackberries
Blackberry Muffins with brown sugar & pecan streusel topping. 

Julie & Julia Movie & Recipe Round-ups

Blueberry Recipes, Cherry Recipes, Peach Recipes & Strawberry Recipes
I recently did an article round-up called Summer Dessert Recipes with 24 recipe links to my favorite and most popular fruit desserts. It's nice and neat and keeps everything together on one page. Some you've seen before, but there's new recipes too, like Cherry Clafouti and Fresh Strawberry Pie. Take a look, print it off, or email it to yourself so you can go back and look at it whenever you need inspiration!

Banana Bread Recipe - Easy quick bread recipe for banana bread is moist with mashed ripe bananas, nuts, cinnamon & nutmeg and very easy to make with ingredients already in your pantry. Make extra and freeze the rest. Or make Banana Nut Muffins instead!

Chocolate Mousse Recipe - Forget the phony pudding mix, this is the real deal! Silky smooth and decadently rich chocolate mousse, layered in pretty parfait glasses or Oreo Cookie crust, and piled high with fresh whipped cream. Top it all off with chocolate curls for an elegant presentation!

Transformers 2 Optimus Prime cake by Wilton - Have you seen the new Transformers 2 movie yet? If your kids have, they're gonna want an Optimus Prime cake for their next birthday party. Find out how to get your Transformers cake pan, and stay tuned for the next giveaway! There's a cool YouTube Transformers trailer at the end too!

Julie & Julia Movie - I can't wait to see this movie! I was so excited to enter a contest given last week by Steamy Kitchen. She couldn't go to the exclusive screening, so she announced a giveaway to Los Angeles to take her place. Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp won, and I followed her around virtually, got an interview and did 3 spots on her including a trailer of the new movie Julia & Julia. I actually found the book at Sam's today and grabbed it. I've only read the first chapter so far, but I find I can't put it down. I want to finish it before the movie comes out in the theaters next month.

Part 2: 'Julie & Julia' movie winner Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp

Part 3: Julie & Julia & Kelly: Movie updates from LA

If you don't know what it's all about, it's the story of food blogger Julie Powell, who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. Her blog was an instant hit, it was made into a book and now a movie with Meryl Streep as Julia Child. How cool is that? Take a look at the trailer and tell me you can't wait to see as well!

4th of JULY DESSERT RECIPES

 

Patriotic Red, White & Blue Desserts
What are you doing for the 4th of July? Are you having a cookout, watching a 4th of July parade, going to a ballgame? We're going to a party on a BIG yacht! Bigger than ours, and oh so classy! Actually, our sailboat, even at 40 feet long, looks rather small and dinky compared to our friends ocean trawler. Lots of great food, good drinks and awesome friends!

Whatever you're doing this weekend, you're most likely gonna need some tasty desserts and salads. Maybe even some cocktails? It's a long weekend for most people, and that means more food and company than you'd anticipated. Here's a list of holiday recipes I've been working on for weeks. Some are Red, White & Blue recipes, all are perfect for cookouts, barbecues, picnics and parades. Mix and match according to the function. Add some sparklers and bottle rockets and make sure to have plenty of fun!

Red White & Blue Flag Cake - What would the 4th of July be without a Red, White & Blue Flag Cake? Blueberry stars, strawberry stripes and sparklers set this Firecracker Cake off quite nicely!

Fresh Blueberry Recipes - Blueberry Muffins, Fresh Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Buckle, Blueberry Smoothie, Blueberry Popsicles, Blueberry Pancakes, Blueberry Crisp, Red White & Blueberry Pizza, Lemon Blueberry Bread and much more!

Fresh Cherry Recipes - Summer dessert recipes scream for fresh cherries! Cherry Pie, Cherry Cheesecake, Cherry Cobbler, Cherry Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Cherry Clafouti, Cherry Almond Scones, Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, Cherry Kisses, Peach & Cherry Galette, and many more.

Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe - Big juicy strawberries chilled in homemade strawberry glaze, nestled in a graham cracker or vanilla cookie crust and topped with fresh whipped cream.

Red, White & Blue Desserts - Cakes, cupcakes, tarts, cobblers, shortcakes, trifles, ice cream cake, cheesecakes, berry pops and so much more!






Stampin' Mama Designs

This Red, White & Blue Flag Cake, Buttercream Frosting and photos, are from Erika at Stampin' Mama.com. Erika's cupcake toppers are a special design from GinaK Stamps. Complete instructions as well as links for stamps, cardstock, etc., can be found at Erika's blog, Stampin' Mama. Thanks Erika!

RECIPE ROUND-UP & FOOD BLOG INTERVIEWS

Spring & Summer Recipes
Summer is here! Yes, I know it's not the official Summer Solstice June 21st date yet, but it feels like summer in my bones. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be cooking and eating outside than slaving away in a hot galley. Plus, if you're like us, we always have LOTS of company in the summer. And there's NO way I want to miss any of the fun stuck inside cooking. So with that in mind, I'm focusing on easy recipes this season. Lots of salads, fruits & veggies, and grillin' & chillin' grub! You'll probably still see some long HOT recipes too, because I love desserts, and just because I can!

My Dad was visiting last week, and it seems all we did was go out and eat. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to go out and eat as much as he does, and we always find the best Rhode Island foodie joints. Add to that all the cribbage and visiting we did, and well, I didn't get much done. But I did have fun with my Dad, especially surprising him with his 80th birthday party!

I also mentioned in my last post, that I'm the new National Food Blog Examiner for Examiner.com. It's taking me a little while to adjust, so I haven't posted a lot anywhere the last week or two. If you're an active food blogger with amazing photos, I'll be looking for an interview from you!

Salads, Cobblers, Pies, Crisps & more!

Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Raspberry Vinaigrette - Just made this last night for supper. I wasn't sure I'd like the flavor combination, but it was awesome! The sweet and sour flavors, totally different textures between the crunchy pecans, juicy strawberries, and the spinach was a refreshing treat in every mouthful! Super easy to throw together too, but looks like you've been arranging the salad all day! 

Red White & Blue Recipes for 4th of July - Not just for the upcoming holiday, this list of Star Spangled recipes from Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcake to Patriotic Bomb Pops, are sure to inspire you any day of the summer!

Fresh Fruit Pie Recipes - A collection of all my favorite spring and summer fruit pies. Choose from Blueberry Pie, Cherry Pie, Peach Pie, Blackberry Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie and Fruit Galettes - the easiest pie of them all! OK, I threw in the Homemade Apple Pie too, because it really is the All-American Pie, perfect for a patriotic holiday!

How to Make a Fresh Fruit Cobbler - Basic mixed fruit cobbler recipe with fresh seasonal peaches, apples, rhubarb, cherries & berries, all nestled under a sweet biscuit topping. Serve with ice cream!

Rhubarb Cobbler with Fresh Peaches & Cherries - How to use fresh rhubarb, what fruits go good with rhubarb, and finally a fantastic Mixed Rhubarb Cobbler recipe to serve with ice cream. Make good use of this abundant, tart but tasty fruit this season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe - Sometimes tart rhubarb needs a little help. Sweet juicy strawberries are all that's needed to tame the tartness, and transform an otherwise boring fruit into a thing of beauty and deliciousness! Easy recipe!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe - Garden fresh rhubarb and sweet ripe strawberries start to ripen in the spring in many locations. By summer, the garden is full of these two complimentary fruits that seem so suited to each other.

Food Blog Interviews

Brown Eyed Baker: Interview with Michelle Norris

Wicked Good Dinner: Interview with Dawn Viola

So, that's it for now. Back to baking, cooking and writing before the weather gets too hot. And just to rub it in a little to all you landlubbers out there...There's nothing quite like sitting in the cockpit with my feet up, sipping on a cold drink and gazing at a million dollar view with my laptop! It's a tough life, but someone has to live it, and it might as well be me! 

MEMORIAL DAY DESSERTS & RECIPES

Dessert Recipes for Memorial Day!
It's Friday, the holiday weekend is upon us, do you have your Memorial Day Dessert menu ready? Since Memorial Day is the traditional kick-off to summer, most people think of strawberry desserts. I know I do, but I also think about chocolate! OK, so I always think about chocolate! Doesn't everyone?

Whether you're having a cookout, going on a picnic, going on a cruise around the bay, or you've been invited to a potluck outing, I'm sure you'll find something in this list that will knock your socks off and make you the hit of the party! I've put together a list of desserts that I think should be on every Memorial Day menu. Whatever you choose, have a blast this holiday weekend!

HOLIDAY DESSERTS

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Fresh Cherry Pie

Key Lime Pie

Homemade Apple Pie

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake

Fresh Strawberry Tart

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bacon Brownies - Don't knock 'em till you try 'em!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

And if desserts aren't your bag, why not try some of these salads or dips!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Zesty Pesto Pasta Salad

Tri-Color Easy Coleslaw Recipe

Easy Ambrosia Salad - Totally Retro!

Colorful Cobb Salad Recipe

Red Bliss Potato Salad

Taco Salad Recipe

Mexican Salad Recipe

7 Layer Mexican Dip

Guacamole Dip Recipe

RECIPES FOR MOTHER'S DAY

 

Mother's Day Recipes & Ideas
Here's a list of all the Mother's Day recipes & ideas posted on the Providence Food Examiner and Suite101. Have fun going through them all! I'm plugging away at a box full of hundreds of recipes, so hopefully I'll get to posting more before the holiday!

Mix & Match these Recipe Ideas!

Cocktails

• Mimosas!
• Fruity Sangrias
• Bloody Mary
• Cosmopolitan
• 3 Pink Pomegranate Cocktails

Muffins & Tea Breads

• Lemon Tea Cake
• Best Blueberry Muffins
• Fresh Strawberry Muffins
• Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

Breakfast & Brunch

• Overnight French Toast 
• Ham & Cheese Overnight Strata
  
• Baked Amish Oatmeal
• Nutella Waffles
• Eggs Benedict
  
• Deviled Eggs
• Monkey Bread Recipe
  
• Herb Roasted Potatoes
• Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese
  
• Honey Raisin & Nut Granola
• Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Quiche & Frittata

• Veggie Quiche
• Zucchini Frittata
  
• Quiche Lorraine
• Chicken & Cheddar Quiche
• Spinach, Garlic & Feta Quiche
• Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche

Salads & Dips

• Guacamole
• Panzanella Salad
• Red Bliss Potato Salad
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• 7 Layer Mexican Dip Recipe

Desserts, Sweets & Cheesecakes

• Cream Puffs
• Apple Pie
  
• Key Lime Pie
• French Silk Pie
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Coconut Custard Pie
• Snickerdoodles
• Coconut Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownies
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

LAST MINUTE KENTUCKY DERBY RECIPES

It's Not Too Late To Celebrate!
The weekend is still young! There's still time to make The Best Kentucky Chocolate Pecan Pie, or a Mint Julep for post race parties! The pie can be whipped up quick and served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Early Times Mint Julep Recipe, Midnight Cowboy, Louisville Cooler and Kentucky B&B recipes can all be found here!

Have A Great Weekend!

RECIPE ROUND-UP & GIVEAWAY REMINDER!

                                           


EASTER is Almost Here!
I can't believe Easter is this coming Sunday. Is it me, or has the time just flown past us? And, Easter is late this year too! I've been real busy trying to get all my Easter & Spring Recipes together for all of you to try. There's lots more for Easter in the sidebars. <<<--- Look on both sides --->>> I've been rearranging and categorizing everything to make my blog more user-friendly.

                                      

Recipes & Articles from Week Ending 4/7

• Pistachios & Salmonella: Food Recall
• Quiche Lorraine Recipe with slideshow
• Cute Easter Cupcake Round-Up!
  
• Hot Cross Buns Recipe - Easter Rolls
• Key Lime Pie Recipe
• Easter Egg Bread
• Strawberry Fool Recipe
• 10 Strawberry Dessert Recipes with slideshow
• Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins
• Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
• Fresh Strawberry Muffins Recipe
• How to Make Chocolate Ganache with slideshow
• How to Cook Perfect Pasta

                                          


Other News
There's nothing from Suite101 this week, as they're going through another major round of copyright theft. This time it's massive. So far, about 700 articles have been scraped from the site without permission, violating copyright laws. So, I've laid low, putting all my efforts into the Examiner for now. All my recipes from Suite are still available to use, email to friends and print off, so don't be shy! The Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting is especially yummy for Easter!

I've put Dorie on the shelf for another week or so while I push through Easter. This is one of my biggest holidays for recipes, so Dorie and I have put our relationship on hold for a few weeks. Nothing personal, we'll start dating again real soon!

The Examiner has extended their Sign-up Promotion until June30th! So, if you're still on the fence about joining, let me know?

AND, don't forget the Garofalo Giveaway!

                                           

ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES Round-up

                                                                        

   


St. Paddy is Irish, Don't You Know?
St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday, only two days away. St. Joseph's Day is Thursday, March 19th. Two holidays, only two days apart! And for all you Rhode Islander's out there, that's BIG news! Can you say Zeppole? So, needless to say, I've been writing like crazy in all different topics too. One thing you will notice is a number of Irish recipes.  I tacked on a few from last week just to keep the list together. I have more links to add, but these will at least get you started on the road to the pot of gold. Just kidding!

                                                  

Irish Recipes!

• Healthy Irish Soda Bread!!!
• Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe 
• Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake Recipe
• Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur Recipe
• White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Mousse Pie Recipe

 

More Random Recipes & Articles - Week Ending 3/14

• Hello, Cupcake! Book Review
• 5 Best Selling Cupcake Cookbooks
• Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownie Recipe
• Lots of Nutella Recipes - World Nutella Day Round-Up
• Congratulations To The Smith's Edge Winners!

 
 

FEEDS & EMAIL ALERTS
Just a note on feeds and email alerts. With a Feed, you get an almost instant message update in your reader of choice. Most people have all their feeds go to their Google reader or iGoogle page. When you get to my main page on The Examiner for instance, you'll see that familiar orange box in the upper right hand header next to "Donna's Articles". If you click that, it'll bring you straight to a page to sign up for instant alerts. Spatulas & Corkscrews on the other hand, doesn't have anything so bright and shiny. It just says, "Subscribe to this blog's feed", in the top right sidebar right under Get Email Updates. It does the same thing - instant updates so you don't miss a thing!

Email Updates work a little different. When you enter your email address, Feedblitz gets the message and sends it to you the next day. If I can get a post in before midnight, you'll have an email waiting for you in the morning. If I don't, and do it anytime during the day, you'll get it the next day. They're only sent out once every 24 hours. Not that that's bad. They both have their own charms and applications. My suggestion would be to do both. Because if you're anything like me? I'll forget to look at my reader, but ALWAYS check my email! Keep in mind though, that it could be a day later. PHEW!!!


Now that I've totally confused you, I'm inviting you to subscribe to my FEEDS and EMAIL UPDATES, not only this blog, but also The Examiner and Suite101 as well. Many of you already have, and for that I'm extremely grateful. You're the reason I cook, grill, bake and drink!