Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

RED, WHITE and BLUE DESSERT RECIPES: Patriotic 4th of July Desserts

Have a Star Spangled Banner holiday with these red, white and blue patriotic dessert recipes! Red, White and Blue Flag Cake; Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Pie; Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes; Red, White and Blueberry Dessert Pizza; Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler; Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad. See a recurring theme? All but a few of these are my own tried-and-true recipes that I've posted over the years with Examiner and Suite101. My family enjoyed every last bite! Have a safe, happy and delicious 4th of July holiday!

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

 

 

Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler: Fresh Cherries, blueberries and raspberries found their way into a deep dish stoneware pie pan, sprinkled with some cinnamon and a bit of freshly grated lemon zest all topped with a buttery sweet cobbler dough and a dollop of whipped cream.

 

 

Red, White and Blue Dessert Pizza: Striking grilled pizza with raspberries, blueberries and pineapple all nestled in a sweet cheese topping on top of cinnamon dough. Perfect for a 4th of July cookout!

 

Red, White and Blue Strawberry Blueberry Tart: This strawberry tart is made with a sweet shortbread crust, filled with strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and blueberries. Top it all off with fresh whipped cream, or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 

 

Red White and Blue Fruit Salad Recipe: It doesn't have to be cake or pastry to qualify as dessert, so why not make it a healthy dessert with his patriotic fruit salad with the colors of the flag! Red strawberries and raspberries, almost white bananas and pineapple, and as blue as you can get blueberries make one beautiful fruit salad!

 

 

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe: Take this Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe and add blueberries to the topping along with the strawberries. Fresh tastes best, but canned strawberry and blueberry pie filling work just fine too.

 

 

Red Velvet Cake with Blueberries: Traditional Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting topped with fresh blueberries. Can't get much better than this!

 

 

Strawberry Cream Cake with Blueberries: Yellow cake filled and frosted with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries. Very refreshing and perfect for a summer party.

 

Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcakes: Take the traditional Strawberry Shortcake recipe, split some homemade Buttermilk Biscuits in half, sprinkle with fresh blueberries, and add plenty of whipped cream to these delightful berry shortcakes!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe: Fresh strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is a summer favorite. Classic fruit pie with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb mixed with sugar and spices, and baked in a double crust. Add some blueberries or blackberries for the holiday!

Blueberry Pie Recipe Made with Fresh Blueberries: Plump blueberries picked fresh from the blueberry bush, mixed with sugar and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg and baked in a flaky doubled crusted pie crust. Serve with a side of fresh raspberries or strawberries for a red, white and blue dessert!

Fresh Strawberry Muffins: Made with my favorite blueberry muffin recipe, these strawberry muffins are chock full of fresh strawberries and topped with brown sugar streusel for an easy summer picnic or brunch. Add fresh blueberries or blackberries to your muffin batter for a red, white and blue treat!

VEGAN Baking Recipes: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking

You don't have to be on a vegan diet to enjoy these vegan baking recipes. Vegan Red Velvet Cake and Cupcakes Recipe and Vegan Cheesecake are just a few of the delicious vegan recipes in this brand new cookbook.

Save $5.90 by pre-ordering from Amazon, and Barnes & Noble now for only $11.05.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking is due to hit the book store shelves on April 5th, and Amazon will send the books the day it's released. It's also available in the Kindle edition for $9.99.

I received my two author's copies in the mail last week from the publisher and have been totally excited ever since. I still can't believe I'm holding the book in my hands after 14 months. It seems like yesterday!

Order from Amazon here
Order from Borders here
Order from Barnes & Noble here

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER PIE

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Cookies, Cupcake Recipes

 
  

Heart Shaped Valentine's Day Cakes, Valentine's Day Cookies, Red Desserts, Valentine Cupcakes and lots more to say "I LOVE YOU" on Valentine's Day! Red Velvet Cupcakes and New York Style Strawberry Cheesecake recipes are sure to win someone's heart this Valentine's Day.

Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

Read my Valentine's Heart Shaped Cake story from last year. It'll give you an idea of how we made hundreds of these babies every Valentine's Day. Ahhhh, memories! 

 

 

 

How to Make Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Cakes  

 

 

 

Heart Shaped Cookies: Coconut Lime and Chocolate Madeleines

 

 

 

Cherry Meringue Cookies Recipe

  

Cherry Hershey's Kiss Cookies

 

 

 

Most Popular Red Valentine's Day Desserts

• Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe with Graham Craker Crust
• Cherry Cheesecake Recipe with Graham Cracker Crust
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Crust
• Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
• Strawberry Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
• Red Velvet Cake & Cupcakes
• Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake
• Strawberry Mousse Pie & Parfaits
• Cherry Pie made with Fresh Cherries
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
• Cherry Kisses Cookies with Hershey's Chocolate Kiss
• Soft Sugar Cookies with Valentine Sprinkles
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Fresh Raspberry Pie Recipe
• Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
• Strawberry Daiquiri Frozen Pie
• Fresh Strawberry Tart with Shortbread Crust
• Heart Shaped Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Jam
• Cherry Meringue Kiss Cookies
• Cherry Almond Scones

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!

SUMMER SALAD RECIPES

Salad Recipes for Summer
Hot summer weather calls for cool summer salads, and I have plenty to share! Panzanella Salad, Waldorf Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, Strawberry & Spinach Salad, Red Bliss Potato Salad, and lots, lots more! Check out all the recipes here and on Examiner.com.

I don't know about you, but I'm planning on lots of cookouts this summer! We bought a grill last year for all the Grilled Pizzas we were making. That turned out to be a very good decision! We don't eat a lot of meat, but when we do have steak, burgers or grilled salmon, there's nothing I like better than a delicious Potato Salad or Pesto Pasta Salad.

I didn't include a green salad in this list because you all know how to throw a bunch of veggies together. I have lots more where these came from, so I'll be adding to this list over the next weeks and months. Also, check out my sidebars on each side. I've tried to tidy them up and categorize recipes. There's literally hundreds of recipes here, so start clicking and enjoy your summer!

Red White & Blue Fruit Salad Recipe - Everyone loves fresh fruit salad, so why not make it a patriotic one with the colors of the flag! Red strawberries and raspberries, almost white bananas and pineapple, and as blue as you can get blueberries make one beautiful fruit salad!

 

Waldorf Salad Recipe with Fawlty Towers Video - Remember John Cleese in Fawlty Towers? The chef had the night off, and Basil accepted dinner guests, took the money and decided to make the dinner himself. As most Fawlty Towers episodes go, Basil made a mess of everything! Watch Basil's hilarious Waldorf Salad video, and laugh all the way to the kitchen! Just as good as the original Waldorf Salad served by the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Apples, walnuts, raisins, celery and grapes, tossed together in a simple mayonnaise dressing. Perfect for a summer day!

Tri-color Coleslaw Recipe - No 4th of July cookout is complete without coleslaw! This green, purple & orange coleslaw is super easy, very colorful and wicked tasty. And it's great for a raw side dish, no cooking! You can save even more time by buying the pre-packaged coleslaw mix at the market and adding your own dressing!

Panzanella Italian Bread Salad Recipe - Unbelievably quick & easy bread salad that's so filling, it can be used for a main dish meal. Homemade Italian bread seasoned croutons, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh basil and an awesome balsamic vinegar dressing, gives this bread salad just the right zing!

Easy Ambrosia Recipe - A retro favorite of families everywhere, this easy ambrosia is not only colorful, but delicious too! Sweet pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini colored marshmallows and coconut, all mixed with sour cream. Ambrosia - it'll bring back sweet memories!

Spinach Salad with Strawberries - Fresh baby spinach, ripe juicy strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Lightly toasted pecans give it some crunch, and sharp cheddar cheese complements the salad with pizazz!

Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe - Another great pot luck or picnic favorite - Avocados, salsa, cilantro, black beans, tomatoes and then some. All the awesome ingredients you want in a 7 layer Mexican dip!

Red Bliss Potato Salad Recipe - Potato Salad for Sunday brunch, outdoor BBQ's, summer picnics, Father's Day, graduations, 4th of July or afternoon tea! Red potatoes, mayo, red onions, green relish and hard boiled eggs, make this Red Bliss potato salad a classic!

Taco Salad Recipe - THE EASY WAY to eat a taco! Vegetarians & meat lovers alike will love this easy Taco Salad. Just throw everything together and serve. Perfect for summer cookouts!





Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe - 4th of July wouldn't be the same without this Zesty Pasta Salad! Fresh basil pesto, spiral pasta, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onions and salad dressing make a great summer pasta salad for your holiday cookout!

The Best Guacamole Dip Recipe - This ultra-smooth guacamole is made chunky with onions, celery, cucumber and tomatoes. Add mayo and Italian dressing to make a pourable homemade guacamole salad dressing! Watch the funky YouTube video at the end. You'll remember this every time you eat Guacamole!





Cobb Salad - An Edible Landscape - Classic Cobb Salad with bacon, chicken, hard boiled eggs & lettuce, all arranged in neat & tidy colorful rows. Perfect make-ahead salad for picnics, cookouts and lazy summer suppers!

Mexican Salad Recipe - Colorful Mexican salad isn't just for Cinco de Mayo! Yellow corn, red peppers, green cucumbers and black beans give this delicious and refreshing salad lots of contrast, color and texture! Spicy tomato dressing makes this salad POP for 4th of July! Serve this salad with a side of homemade cornbread.

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

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!