tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54670921428775909472012-01-31T05:09:36.356-05:00vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.comBlogger2761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-79348119008892727252012-01-29T10:40:00.006-05:002012-01-29T12:29:58.406-05:00

Raspberry coulis, blackberry coulis---I could drink with a straw. Something about that tangy, not too sweet taste that makes me crave a small glass of it with a touch of tonic water. The uses of coulis are endless: ice cream, cakes, muffins, sorbets, gelato, and crumb cakes. Normally I crave coulis every other day in the summertime; lately I've been craving it in the cold winter months. Might

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-26153379086106444622012-01-26T10:54:00.008-05:002012-01-29T11:22:51.574-05:00

Ever get offered to do a giveaway with something you really love? And just can't wait to post about it? I have been so excited to do this giveaway for the longest time. Plus I have one to giveaway to you.The AreoPress is quite the remarkable little machine. It's absolutely perfect for one cup espresso. Makes more than just one cup too, but since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house it's

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-11174519640307013902012-01-21T19:18:00.007-05:002012-01-23T18:24:30.152-05:00

Those ginger chews made by The Ginger People are good. I buy them every time I go to trader joe's or whole foods. As much as I love them, they burn a hole in my pocket. Had to find a much cheaper way to devour them. So, why not try and make my own. Granted they don't taste exactly like them--they taste BETTER! If you are a ginger lover them you will love these. Everything turned out great

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-60896456549701013992012-01-19T12:18:00.006-05:002012-01-19T17:32:09.734-05:00

Being that we're all foodies here, I'm so sure that you, like me, are very guilty of over-buying groceries, knowing that when you buy them you are MOST certainly going to use them straight away. You get home with all your groceries, happily and proudly placing them in their respective compartments; feeling good about placing them there and then order a pizza. Yes? Happen a few times to me too

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-51541462190586358712012-01-15T18:12:00.006-05:002012-01-15T20:23:20.066-05:00

I finally found a very good, I mean really good, cheddar hand pie crust. For years I've always made my own UNTIL the talented folks at King Arthur Flour bestowed upon me their own recipe. Wow. It's really that good. Originally King Arthur used it for breakfast hand pies, which is a fabulous idea, but I used mine for a cheddar hand pie filled with jam. I love the idea of cheddar and fruit.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-17715158869277659122012-01-12T08:57:00.004-05:002012-01-12T10:12:49.386-05:00

I was delighted to have the creative genius Joanne of the wildly creative with healthy edge to it blog called 'eats well with others'. I am drawn to Joanne and her baking & cooking ways because she, unlike me, has a healthy edge (I need to get my baking-healthy edge on) . When this girl isn't creating amazing healthy yet definitely delish recipes in her nyc kitchen, you can find her

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-2424952325674569552012-01-08T12:24:00.006-05:002012-01-08T17:50:38.664-05:00

Extra crunchy apple fritters mind you. Just have to have my apple fritters done extra crunchy. It's that crunch mixed with that sweet sugary glaze--the perfect bite. A bite that gets the saliva, in the back of your mouth running full time because it knows whats coming and it is so ready! That first bite of warm, crisp, apple fritter covered in a sugary sweet almost hardened glaze? Oh yeah

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-84525308752668045652012-01-05T18:27:00.002-05:002012-01-06T12:36:53.648-05:00

Do you have a favorite homemade candy shop? I do. It's gross really how much money I dropped at the last visit. And the people that work there 'almost' know me by name. Sad. Let's blame it on winter and winter time makes people eat more carbs. Sounds right. Stage Stop Candy in Dennisport, MA makes the best peanut butter logs and coconut clusters--oh of course many other things, but those

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-37278497416870078892012-01-02T18:38:00.004-05:002012-01-03T11:24:13.487-05:00

As in very quick and easy. As in the fastest quick bread I've ever made 'quick & easy'.I probably should have posted this a while back for the holiday season. And I think Trader Joe's will stop carrying this for the season soon.But saw these photos sitting in the archives and said "why not post it--someone out there will dig it".Remember what I did with the gingerbread mix last year? The

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-41955608995510804802011-12-29T17:29:00.009-05:002012-01-06T12:36:32.307-05:00

Let's just get to the good stuff. There's lots of good stuff we need to click on.Is this not the coolest clock?I'm a leggings junkie no doubt about that. Have you seen these "Leggings in a Bag"?Or how about these leggings from Billabong. LOVE!Super cute dress for summer.Crazy brownie combo that totally works. Bacon-bourbon brownies. I am so trying that one. I just love this new 'chalk board

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-65438415778768763522011-12-27T11:01:00.006-05:002011-12-27T17:45:49.292-05:00

If you're like me you hate waiting for the butter to come to room temp to make chocolate chip cookies. You want them now, not in a few hours because by then the craving for the cookies will be gone--well, maybe for some of you.So you turn to the melted butter version of chocolate chip cookies and turns out they always turn out to be flat: thin and crispy. Which is fine, but I don't always like

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-48337723751327009622011-12-24T16:22:00.003-05:002011-12-24T17:50:54.561-05:00

I'm very blessed to have friends like you. It truly is all of you that keep me going creating new recipes. Your positive comments and admiration are a blessing to me. Thank you all so very much. Merry Christmas! Lately the sunsets (and warm weather) here on cape cod have been amazing. This is Corporation Beach in Dennis, MA. Hard to believe it's winter, but I'll take this weather.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-17694574439458250282011-12-21T10:27:00.007-05:002011-12-21T17:34:35.795-05:00

Cheez It's. Just say those two words to me and I swoon. I know they are filled with crap and salt, but I love them. I remember reading an article about a local Boston area chef on how she opened her restaurant, how she did it, where did she get her culinary training from, you know all the usual questions, then at the end they asked her "what are your favorite-can't live without comfort foods?"

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-65992901461043207032011-12-18T18:00:00.001-05:002011-12-18T18:02:36.367-05:00

Do I like blondies?I do. They're ok. I mean I like the dough better than the cooked version really. Blondies (cooked) remind me of an over-floured chocolate chip cookie. And they are a bit boring. I try to jazz em up a bit from time to time. Truly I think the best way to dress up a butter-vanilla dough is with fruit and some sort of chocolate background. As it is raspberry and chocolate are

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-55494680446466697442011-12-15T11:20:00.001-05:002011-12-15T11:55:41.605-05:00

Lots of holiday parties this time of year. And while at these holiday parties do you ever find yourself sizing up the all the dishes and trying to figure out which one belongs to which person? Do you see the same old dishes year after year and think "jeez, did that person bring that crappy dish again?". Are you as bad as I am? And put a face to each and every dish and then wait to see which

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-47098018168809281932011-12-12T19:59:00.006-05:002011-12-13T11:33:36.476-05:00

Jokingly on facebook I stated to my friends that years ago I created a Christmas bark that can easily be given as a gift and double as a PMS bark. The agreement was overwhelming by all my female friends; a bark made of salty, sweet, sticky, chewy and a hint of crispy--how could anyone, let alone a female disagree? I mean it covers all the four food groups that females tend to crave while going

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-61570704298122008172011-12-09T07:30:00.001-05:002011-12-09T19:59:53.240-05:00

Ever get that impulse when visiting the "larger" grocery stores to stock up? Like stock up on stuff you really don't need and shouldn't buy? But you buy it anyways because IT'S ON SALE?Yeah, me too. And then those things you bought sit in your cupboards and you haven't a clue what to do with them? Well, I found something to do with the 'instant' sugar cookie packs! And they don't taste that

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-79527312201146909562011-12-06T17:06:00.008-05:002011-12-07T17:32:58.824-05:00

The wonderful folks over at Nescafe are giving away one of their fabulous line of coffee/espresso makers. The Piccolo. It's a little powerhouse for single cup coffee and espresso making. I have one and I love it. I am an espresso junkie, but what I love most is the ease of use of the machine--literally plug and play. So easy. And they have a huge assortment of various flavored and

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com205tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-62459763918903165892011-12-03T18:29:00.012-05:002011-12-06T19:35:58.191-05:00

It's that time of year again where we all start making those delish homemade goodies to give away to friends, coworkers and family for the upcoming holiday.Every year I get the same requests from the same people wanting my sweet & salty Cheez It bark. I beg them to let me give them something new and different and they always say NO. They explain to me that they patiently wait the entire year

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-44992078827065526552011-11-30T10:28:00.009-05:002011-12-03T12:29:32.244-05:00

Normally I do not believe in this stuff, but I gotta be honest it's so spot on. Now that I'm older and a tad bit wiser (we hope) I'm reading it more thoroughly.About 10 years ago I got this book: The Secret Language of Birthdays. Sure I got it for the surprise, the wow factor, the 'let's see what celebrities have my birthday' (Jim Henson and F. Scott Fitzgerald). Neat right? The book breaks

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-72965224332310568752011-11-27T17:38:00.006-05:002011-11-28T12:21:56.575-05:00

I wonder if I should even write up a post for these. Will anyone read it? Or will they just go straight to the recipe to read the ingredients, look at the photos again and then print the recipe?Do I even have to tell you how amazing these were? My stars. When they were fresh from the oven and just filled with that filling? Blisssss.You. Must. Make. These.Inspiration came from the ever

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-44154065026444438802011-11-21T11:24:00.006-05:002011-11-22T10:57:31.432-05:00

Well it's Thanksgiving week. That was fast. Are you ready? Are you stressed? Last year I did the HUGE mistake of going to Whole Foods on Thanksgiving eve. There wasn't a parking spot to be had for miles. It was INSANE there. As much as I love Whole Foods I will never ever do that again. I swear everyone was there buying turkeys and side foods as well as pies. I mean I know people do last

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-78955196516681630842011-11-15T18:00:00.007-05:002011-11-15T19:53:00.280-05:00

On my fridge sits many a recipe paper cut outs attached to various magnets. These are recipes that I need to try and also kick up. Some recipes have been there for years, some even longer. And with each new place we move to they come with only to get placed back up on the fridge to sit there.....forever. Well the other day I finally was able to take one down. One that came from a cut out

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-27061273471482830892011-11-11T10:03:00.005-05:002011-11-11T18:15:47.069-05:00

Cake balls, cake pops, cake thingees-- I am now ok with them. Before I hated them. Remember when I made these midori cape pops? Yeah, those were hard to make! Hard to make the first time around, and even the second time around. Patience grasshopper; that was what my mind was telling me--have patience. First time around I did not have any patience and maybe got 4 to 6 good cake balls

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-44036672350257502242011-11-06T18:51:00.008-05:002011-11-07T14:29:02.446-05:00

It's amazing the amount of emails I receive, thanking me for the Trader Joe creations. To be honest, I wasn't sure if they might go over well, but glad to hear most of you enjoy them. I know most of them are semi-homemade, but in this tough economy saving money when making meals is a top priority of mine; you can imagine the amount of money I spend on food for creating recipes. Thank goodness

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-71612010873647202392011-11-03T19:18:00.004-04:002011-11-03T19:38:11.834-04:00

I do love a good kicked up blondie. A blondie is the perfect vessel for housing different flavor combo's. The blondie base is the perfect ratio of butter, sugar, flour and eggs, leaving you to fill in the flavor gaps. And I did just that with sauteed apples and pecans. And the best part? It's easy peasy to throw together. What add in's would you use?Head over to Nescafe Dolce Gusto Facebook

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-81395416798874885492011-10-31T16:49:00.003-04:002011-10-31T17:46:20.720-04:00

I had started out wanting to make pumpkin cookies with no chocolate, but thought you gotta have chocolate chips/chunks when you make pumpkin cookies--I mean they just go so well together. Then I wanted to do butterscotch chips in pumpkin, and then finally I settled on bars. My mind changes so fast. To be honest, I'm not that into pumpkin. Butternut squash I love, just not pumpkin. The only

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-44467628481163415982011-10-27T09:17:00.008-04:002011-11-11T09:06:36.408-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATS TO #76 @SPIFFYCOOKIE!The kind folks over at Harvard Common Press has donated a free set of the Baker's Filed Guide by Dede Wilson. Four books total including: bakers' field guide to chocolate chip cookies, baker's field guide to holiday candy & confections, baker's field guide to cupcakes (my favorite), and baker's field guide to christmas cookies. I was over the moon

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com208tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-10577501225089151732011-10-24T16:12:00.005-04:002011-10-24T17:21:12.732-04:00

I have to admit, I've never been a big fan of cake mixes, bread mixes for fear of crappy taste. But hands down this instant pumpkin bread mix from Trader Joe's is really good. Has really good pumpkin flavor and definitely not too sweet. It rises perfectly and holds up well to add in's. I've experimented with this bread mix before, adding in chips, spices, nuts and now cream cheese swirl.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-56649136505695390272011-10-21T09:04:00.006-04:002011-10-24T14:23:56.356-04:00

Do you remember that show "DoorKnock Dinners" with Gordan Elliot? Almost 11- 12 years ago on food network? Back when food network was just starting out? I do. And I remember the episode when Gordan went knocking on Paula Deen's door. This was waaaay before she was famous. Oh she had such a warm, inviting personality when she answered the door. Surely that was what Gordan was drawn too, her

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-39878563052249482782011-10-16T10:05:00.006-04:002011-10-18T11:38:45.660-04:00

There hasn't been a lot of sun here on cape cod lately, it's as if our winter (which is mostly rain and snow) is starting too early for me. I'm missing the summer sun and all its brightness. We did have a couple stellar days where it was high 70's, low humidity and bright sun. The sunset for those couple of days were amazing; a spectacular sunset that brought people out of their houses and

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-4316696341766054512011-10-10T10:25:00.006-04:002011-11-11T16:52:35.651-05:00

Wouldn't this be a fabulous gift for the upcoming holidays? Imagine the look on their faces when they bite into one of these? Priceless. They'd say "oh my gosh there's cake inside my peanut butter cup!" That's reason enough to make them.I mean who doesn't love a little cake with their peanut butter? And why not throw them into a nice cute little milk chocolate cup?Ever since I made my first

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-57612465714828897322011-10-06T11:28:00.010-04:002011-10-06T20:55:10.998-04:00

Ohhh these were good. I marinated the beef strips for about 3 days and they turned into little pieces of sweet candy after grilling them.Incredibly easy to throw together. The sauce for the slaw I got from whole foods. As soon as I saw it I knew exactly what to do with it--make a nice crunchy slaw for a beef teriyaki taco. Don't you love how you find one special food item and instantly you

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-1250510570216756392011-09-30T16:40:00.006-04:002011-10-01T22:37:42.669-04:00

Do you like buckwheat pancakes? Waffles? Me, not so much. But then I had them this way and I liked them.I don't know, maybe it's the over-grainy taste that's in there? I feel as though buckwheat belongs in a bread: a honey-molasses bread. That sounds good doesn't it? I'll have to work on that one.I found a good mix for buckwheat waffles. I added in some light brown sugar, butter, oil,

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-2488743542932223512011-09-27T16:21:00.007-04:002011-09-28T09:34:57.956-04:00

My love for homemade doughnuts runs deep and long. There are so many ways to make them and so many ways to dress them up.If you're not into making them I guess you could go to one of those trendy new fashionable doughnut places that seem to be popping up everywhere in the major cities. My favorites, and the ones that have been around for a while are Doughnut Plant in NYC and Top Pot in Seattle,

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com144tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-74132401950503993252011-09-23T09:04:00.005-04:002011-10-07T17:53:48.002-04:00

That title sounds like an infomercial. "New improved, now with panko!" And it is just that, improved. Improved for those that want a little "crunch".This summer I was shocked how many of you loved, downloaded, raved about my tomato pie. So glad you all loved it. I got so many emails on this pie, thanking me for posting it, sharing it, how easy it is to throw together, etc.... Thank you!I

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-63573998842865442542011-09-01T20:04:00.011-04:002011-09-23T10:11:28.868-04:00

Summer is almost over. I really hated just typing that. I was just getting into summer, loving the heat and loving the sun. It feels like we just got done with our 9 months of winter and now fall is right around the corner. Well that does mean pumpkin will soon be in the baking air. Love coming up with new pumpkin recipes that's for sure.But for now I need to take a little break from

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-10386936085111311812011-08-24T17:28:00.003-04:002011-08-24T18:33:11.534-04:00

Yep ketchup. Do not click away. I wanted to grab your attention with that title.Let me explain. Judging from the overwhelming response I've gotten on the tomato pie AND the tomato & cheddar hand pies, I can clearly see there are a lot of tomato fans out there like me. You have good palettes.And here is another tomato filled, tasty recipe. It's really quite simple you see, it's just two

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-35920338311607541842011-08-18T17:41:00.013-04:002011-09-21T17:21:57.846-04:00

One of my big ice cream idols.....OK the man I worship and would repeat over and over "I'm not worthy" if I met them face to face are the geniuses behind the ice cream joint Humphry Slocombe. They literally have taken ice cream and kicked them up to notches unknown--and yeah that would be notches even Emeril himself would not recognize but be very proud of! They dub themselves as 'ice cream

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-69175738996851083842011-08-16T11:54:00.006-04:002011-08-16T13:23:42.301-04:00

One of the great passions of mine besides baking & cooking is exploring new or old cook shops. Going to places like chinatown in Boston is a weeks worth of day trips. Literally I could spend days there roaming about, learning about new gadgets, and exploring useful ways for old gadgets for the kitchen. The vast array of cook shops, hard to find spices, varieties of fish sauces, oversized

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-90955520262192573232011-08-11T17:13:00.005-04:002011-08-15T20:15:10.132-04:00

A peanut butter cream pie for mikey. In the check out line at the grocery store where i was getting all the ingredients for this special pie, the chatty but friendly grocery clerk asked me what I was making. "Hmm?" I said after trying to come out of a grocery shopping funk. The chatty clerk asked me again, "what are you making" while staring-pointing at all the pie-like ingredients. I said to

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-61292774774342795812011-08-10T10:20:00.005-04:002011-08-10T16:06:22.651-04:00

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-46283488271034212572011-08-06T17:17:00.008-04:002011-08-08T20:43:20.233-04:00

This has to be the fastest meal I've ever made. How these came about? We all know the familiar sad pre-dinner scene: look into fridge, see nothing but condiments, beverages, and something rotting in the vegetable drawer. Closing the fridge door in frustration I see all the tomatoes on the counter, then realize I did just see cheese in the fridge. Plus the fact that my fridge/freezer does

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-23287977519267602842011-08-02T17:39:00.008-04:002011-08-03T10:14:18.973-04:00

So we all know that infamous (expensive) uber-tasty broccoli salad from Whole Foods right? Man that stuff is good! Almost worth it's weight in goodness. I, of course, do love it, but have always wanted to jazz it up (no brainer there). What I created is good. No no, I mean it's good. I did not foresee myself eating this for breakfast, lunch and then for dinner with some roasted chicken.I

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-9494959406110438562011-07-29T18:12:00.005-04:002011-07-29T20:40:13.935-04:00

Living on cape cod has it pro's and con's. Pro's: summertime on the beach, endless supply of fresh seafood, close to both islands, provincetown, ice cream stands everywhere. Con's: long winters, limited sun, endless supply of tourists, limited supply of restaurants, limited supply of farmers markets, and no whole foods, BUT we do have a Trader Joe's. And when I say limited I do mean limited

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-87599452370488375162011-07-24T17:59:00.004-04:002011-07-24T19:53:01.675-04:00

Haven't been baking much. Since we had almost 9 months of winter, I promised myself during those 9 months of torture I would take more time out in the summer to enjoy as much as I can. I dearly love cape cod, as much as I complain I don't (in the winter) I do love it here and would miss it dearly when we finally move back to cali. This post is some of the things I've been up to this summer,

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-48436293365184046442011-07-19T18:53:00.008-04:002011-07-23T21:15:36.193-04:00

Yes, peanut ice cream with Oreo cookie chunks. Can you believe it? I owe all the inspiration for this to Emack & Bolio's ice cream. We have an Emack & Bolio's on the cape, and every spring I wait patiently for them to open, to see what new flavors they have created. When I first saw peanut butter oreo I knew I was not only in heaven, but had to give props to Emack & Bolios' for such a genius

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-63042102191574030722011-07-11T17:41:00.005-04:002011-07-11T18:55:55.960-04:00

Literally cocada is the ultimate in coconut bark. It's a Mexican/Latin America candy/cookie that is bark-like--just like what I've made. It's very sweet, very coco-nutty, and I've always wanted to add a nut to it for texture and crunch. I've also wanted to add a tiny bit of heat to it as well, hence the spicy pecan. It is an oven baked goodie that is supposed to be served at room temp for

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-63664326985225808022011-07-06T19:05:00.004-04:002011-07-07T09:46:05.250-04:00

Is that a title or what? Is there another dish I've made with a longer title? No, I think this is the longest. Oh the flavors abound in this lovely cheesecake. Everything paired together so perfectly--I was happy. Truly fabulous. This was my first lemon cheesecake and it won't be my last. When I saw those lemon wafers at whole foods, I knew exactly what to do with them; tasting them on the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-9259648415534504482011-07-02T10:11:00.008-04:002011-07-19T20:06:32.909-04:00

Let's have a good eats flashback of sorts shall we? Here is a small collection of some of my most famous, downloaded, web-searched for recipes ever. Oh heck, let's just call em the best of the best. My own tomato pie. Very rich. Leftovers are even better (served cold too!). Perfect served at room temp with an ice cold glass of your favorite white wine.The infamous espresso bars with milky

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-31885559124379965372011-06-29T10:13:00.007-04:002011-06-29T18:38:00.688-04:00

Steamy. That best describes the weather these days. And the sun isn't even out AND it's not even July! When the sun does come out on steamy days it gets brutal. This extreme hot and cold varying weather caused by global warming? I don't know, I'm on the fence about it. Something is causing it, be just plain old weather trends every 50 or 100 years or pollution. Who knows I need more data/

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-8940026373541218182011-06-26T17:30:00.001-04:002011-07-05T20:07:01.801-04:00

CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATS TO HOLLY OF ELLENSBURG, WAThere is a wonderful homemade soap company that I am in LOVE with. And I mean love. I am very fussy when it comes to homemade soaps. Some are just too harsh and too granny smelling for me. And others, the scent just fades away. But this company, Funky Chunks makes amazing soaps. With scents that are just right, not too strong or too

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com306tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-5509285035529538192011-06-23T12:43:00.005-04:002011-06-23T18:40:19.095-04:00

Can we make another food "holy trinity"? A fruit themed one? Blueberries, lemon zest, and creme fraiche? Those three in a loaf are just so luxurious--so perfect together. No spring or summer is complete without making a few batches of blueberry loaves with these ingredients in them. Of course you could use sour cream or yogurt. I love to indulge in creme fraiche once in a while--it just

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-22677495032726215182011-06-19T17:31:00.008-04:002011-06-20T11:03:08.757-04:00

Food law #2583: all sliders should come with layers of food. A slider is NOT a mini bun and a couple slices of meat--this does not make a slider. From now on if a restaurant is going to serve sliders they cannot serve just a bun with meat. That's not a happy slider. A happy slider is a buttered TOASTED bun with flavored hot meat, (or vegan meat substitute is cool too), a couple of flavored

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-1166748279339251442011-06-14T08:04:00.019-04:002011-06-23T18:09:18.630-04:00

I thought I would switch things around and give you some photos of what's happening over here in my world. It's finally spring, soon to be summer on cape cod, which means things are coming back to life. No more snow! Typically spring on cape cod means lots of rain and clouds with short surprises of 70 degrees sunny days.I could easily live here....have my morning coffee sitting right there

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-59585730603593938092011-06-09T13:35:00.003-04:002011-06-09T14:22:29.241-04:00

(Let's pretend I got an email from a fan asking me what to do with leftover BBQ chicken? OK? Cool. )The other day I got an email from a fan asking me if I had any great ideas for leftover BBQ chicken. Oh I sure do! Leftover BBQ chicken makes the best buffalo chicken salad--perfect for those nights when you do not want to cook during the 1000 degree heat waves. And if you're like me, and love

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-37440921620987794432011-06-05T18:33:00.005-04:002011-06-06T16:23:15.580-04:00

I literally just made this for sunday dinner. Never would have thought to post it and share with you. Why? It's one of those dishes you make a lot and never think to post. But my cheerleading/peanut gallery/support team at home thinks otherwise and encouraged me to post this one. It sure is tasty, that sweet sticky glaze that forms on the tender beef while it's being grilled.... Oh yeah.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-41168817318863227842011-05-31T16:48:00.006-04:002011-09-02T09:49:18.476-04:00

Summer is here. And wow was it hot and humid in the northeast. Here on cape cod we were slammed with extreme weather very fast. Our spring meant we literally went from electric blankets to A/C in a matter of days. Wild. When it gets too hot to cook inside I like to go outside and grill. Did anyone cook this weekend? Lately we've been eating a lot of ice cream for lunch and dinner;

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-35488197244198070142011-05-26T12:43:00.004-04:002011-05-26T13:35:13.609-04:00

One of the great joys of blogging is the down time I have with scoping out new favorite bloggers. Granted I don't get a lot of down time, but when I do my ideal situation: 6pm or 7pm, dishes are done, everyone is fed, jazz on the internet radio--time to look at other food blogs and food writing websites. I get great inspiration from other food blogs; love seeing new photos, new techniques,

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-35976069389140376252011-05-23T18:03:00.005-04:002011-05-23T18:58:17.529-04:00

Quick and easy coming right up! And let me just say this was super tasty too. I know we all love our Trader Joes, but what I love more is a bargain AND something super-tasty. This bread when I first baked it was ok, just a little dry, and a little bland. They do put a lot of cranberries in the mix, thankfully. I decided to jazz it up a bit, with white chocolate chips since they, when melted

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-26599056252907359072011-05-18T18:23:00.007-04:002011-05-20T11:07:51.202-04:00

Is anyone going to read this post if I type one up? Or will you just glance on by and get right to the photos? I mean when I served this to my hubby and started talking he didn't hear a word I said. He was gone--transfixed to another foodie planet......OK, I'll make it quick. Living on cape cod there is an abundance of scallops and lobster. One can get quite sick of it. Yes, it does happen

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-31968737386968999832011-05-16T10:59:00.009-04:002011-05-16T17:05:05.595-04:00

Cherries soaked in rum are one of my favorite treats. I love to use them in homemade ice creams, use as a topping on ice cream, pour over warm pancakes, and have even thought about making them into a jam. Wouldn't that taste good? A rum-cherry jam? Maybe not kid friendly, but definitely adult friendly. The dark rum marinating fresh tart, ripe cherries...heavenly. Instead of making a cherry

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-36347084118084622992011-05-14T10:23:00.009-04:002011-05-23T12:42:36.558-04:00

CONTEST CLOSED! CONGRATS TO THE WINNERAnyone in the mood for a really good giveaway?As many of you know I don't do a lot of 3rd party giveaways unless the prize is something big and good. I LOVE to give my fans really good gifts. I'm just not into small little gifts that make you go thru hoops of posts, tweeting, and facebooking--I hate that.The wonderful folks at Guylian Chocolates contacted

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com419tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-51032442470643810992011-05-05T17:12:00.008-04:002011-05-08T14:45:48.308-04:00

Burgers. Kicked up burgers in this house are a staple. Never used to be that way though. Hubby (who is not yet a foodie I might add) used love McGross burgers. Imagine my shock when I found that out. Here he is thinking the big mac sauce is the bomb. The what? No no. Took me a few years to get him to like burgers with layers of flavors and textures. The first one I gave him he

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-64015499651081956392011-04-29T21:28:00.008-04:002011-05-03T17:02:54.347-04:00

I haven't made a cake in a while. It was time. This cake was so good. It was the kind of cake that when you take your first bite you pound your fist on the table and say "damn! that's a good cake!"Yep.I need to get back to making cakes. This one was fun. Cake making is fun. Cakes are not fun with fondant...I have a fear of fondant. I also have a fear of homemade croissants :::shudder::: I

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-1385804683448953932011-04-27T13:05:00.004-04:002011-04-27T13:41:14.616-04:00

:-xprint recipe

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-80704344876340683622011-04-24T17:30:00.005-04:002011-04-24T18:07:03.194-04:00

Isn't this the best spring/summer treat? I mean besides fried clams, greasy hamburgers, and ice cream? OK, they're all the best really. Who doesn't love a good chocolate covered strawberry? And with spring here that means the jumbo sized strawberries are in abundance! They are truly perfect for dipping in chocolate. Every year I dip strawberries in high quality dark chocolate and then

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-33911627678443380212011-04-17T12:06:00.008-04:002011-11-07T14:29:52.295-05:00

Love finding creative ways to kick up even the most simplest of ingredients/products at Trader Joe's. It seems every time I go there there is always some new product. For those that follow me on Twitter, you know that when I do go there I'm always sharing photos of the latest finds. One of the latest finds that I had to finally give a try was the cinnamon rolls. They are next to the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-25760723729066618882011-04-12T18:34:00.009-04:002011-04-23T15:04:36.183-04:00

This idea came about one sleepless night when I woke up at 2am, turned on my iphone, wrote down in my 'to make recipes': a really good crispy pb egg for Easter. Knowing I was going to use the same theory/recipe I used when I made the chocolate-pb cups, AND I wanted to factor in a more powerful crunch than what I originally used in the cups. So after much mulling I thought why not panko crumbs?

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-60704182974633124022011-04-11T12:16:00.012-04:002011-10-29T15:44:36.952-04:00

Do you like fudge? I don't, really. I find it too sweet. Those fudge shops that you see in the malls and outlets, I cringe when I get near one because of that overwhelming smell of corn syrup. It's just so strong for my nosebuds. And here comes the second part: I do like a lighter fudge, a less sweeter fudge. Let me explain. For me, I think the whole purpose of a good fudge should be a

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-25680416352701109242011-04-08T17:08:00.008-04:002011-04-23T14:44:04.826-04:00

OK not the most glamorous dish I know. Don't click away. At least think of this dish as meal that you can create/customize to your own liking. If you don't like what I put on it, think about putting your own types of proteins on it. This can easily be a meal; a tasty and creative meal when you break it down and think about the endless toppings that go with sweet potatoes: be it sweet or

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-57014318232213481292011-04-02T15:47:00.008-04:002011-10-29T15:52:10.894-04:00

The perfect sugar cookie, a good sugar cookie--hard to find isn't it? Hard to recreate too since we all have different likes, wants & needs in a sugar cookie. For me I love a light airy cookie with real buttery taste, crisp edges and just a hint of chewiness (a hint!). Plus I love the right sugar sprinkles on my sugar cookies for texture and eye appeal.Some sprinkles really stink--too corn

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-63667439094010784062011-03-30T17:36:00.006-04:002011-04-23T15:05:35.124-04:00

I must be the only person on the planet that did not know this. Cake mixes make wonderful last minute muffins. You all know this already right? I feel like an idiot. Rarely do I buy cake mixes, but when I made the cake pops I got an extra box just in case (don't all the foodies always get an extra this or that to store/hoard?). So when the cake mix box meets the 3 pounds of blueberries I have

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-18960717113850212682011-03-25T09:47:00.012-04:002011-04-23T15:05:56.416-04:00

Love my weekly homemade pizza nights. It's a time for me to get creative and think of new (quick & easy) ways to kick up my pizza. So while staring blindly into the freezer for 15 minutes I couldn't think of anything to top my pizza. But staring back at me the whole time was a bag of sweet potato fries. Well, yeah, duh. Why not? And it worked fabulously. You really need to try this. It's so

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-18577748278978783202011-03-22T17:58:00.007-04:002011-04-23T14:49:16.630-04:00

Do you like my cake pop french man in the middle with his white chocolate beret? I kind of dig him. He has great eyebrows don't you think? No one has eaten him--I don't want to lose him, I like him, kind of like Tom Hanks loved his volleyball turned best friend in the movie "Cast Away". I tried making a surfer dude with gnarly hair using the coconut (behind french man), but it didn't work so

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-14779974285927521862011-03-18T18:36:00.011-04:002012-01-17T18:33:15.503-05:00

Remember when I first made the infamous root beer cake from Baked? Seems like years ago. Today it's still one of my favorites. No it really is. It's simple to make and packs a powerhouse of flavor. It's easily one of those cakes you can bring to a function/party to wow friends because it is so unique and tasty. Did you know that the bundt pan was actually invented by a person? I didn't.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-87433961823725769882011-03-13T13:39:00.006-04:002011-04-23T14:50:02.830-04:00

Thought I'd change things up a bit with some photos of winter here on cape cod, what I've been up to, foods that made me fat this winter, fun stuff, neat stuff, etc... Photos taken with my iphone, so they aren't the best. Enjoy.First up, the infamous Nauset Beach from cape cod national seashore. A stunning place to go to in the winter because it's so remote, quiet, raging, unpredictable, fierce

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-12468704553585015422011-03-09T20:14:00.008-05:002011-04-23T14:50:46.012-04:00

When I saw that the NYT did an article about Thomas Keller's chocolate shell ice cream topping. I knew instantly I had to use it on a donut. This magic shell coating is really intended for ice cream. But who am I to resist a little kitchen culinary experiment?For a great little ditty and tutorial on using it for ice cream go see my friend Irvin at eat the love . Oh what fun it would be to use

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-43542401109765768782011-03-08T11:49:00.004-05:002011-04-23T14:56:59.672-04:00

On one of those rare occasions I had leftover sweet potato hash. I know weird indeed. But look here, it went to good use: a burrito. A tasty lil critter of a burrito might I add. And as I type this I am thinking "I should have deep fried it!" That would have been heavenly. The add in possibilities to this burrito are endless. Be creative or be "clean out the fridge'ish".One of the great

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-56086241241616741422011-03-03T18:04:00.009-05:002011-08-05T17:43:39.082-04:00

Why wait for summer to have blueberry pie? And why have boring pie? Let's add something in there this time. What goes with blueberry? Well on a recent research quest to find the perfect croissant on cape cod (and it's hard let me tell you). I had a fairly decent almond croissant and though wow, there should be blueberries in here. That almond, crunchy, sugary paste is so good and a tart

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-77092320222183352082011-02-27T11:46:00.006-05:002011-04-23T15:02:15.523-04:00

When I go to diners I love to see what people are eating. Curious to see if they are like me: do they love their bacon or sausage dripping in maple syrup? Do they love cheesy grits with maple syrup? Do they have to take a bite of pancake with a bite of maple dripping bacon? And you know its great when I see there are others out there like me who think of breakfast as the absolute best time for

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-58428308123986818032011-02-20T17:12:00.004-05:002011-04-23T15:03:54.161-04:00

Yep another one. I'm on a mission people. A mission to make as many varieties of quarter pound cookies as I can. Yes, I am Levain Bakery obsessed. One of my close friends Esi says I need an intervention. Is there a rehab place for those obsessed with Levain Bakery cookies? In Malibu or something? As I type this up I am eating one and having a very hard time concentrating.You know I made the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-1317537264372230832011-02-14T12:20:00.003-05:002011-04-23T15:07:54.744-04:00

Remember my obsession with Levain Bakery cookies? How I made the chocolate chip cookies and the double chocolate cookies? Both quarter pound cookies? Well, I made an oatmeal-raisin version.I know this is isn't very valentine's day'ish. But I didn't make anything for VD. Shame shame. But I know there are a lot of you out there that love Levain Cookies as much as I do so this is just like a

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-85903807432408544922011-02-08T18:03:00.010-05:002012-01-18T13:24:52.667-05:00

So you've heard this story before....love those almond joys BUT they need to be 'kicked up'. Me and my endless task(s) of making candies, cookies, cakes, muffins, etc... better is a never ending journey people. But have no fear I will prevail and continue on--just for you. :-) This was on the 'to create' list for some time now: "kick up the infamous almond joy". I can now cross that off the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-23577036266679073052011-02-04T19:03:00.007-05:002011-04-23T15:15:46.634-04:00

Who is having a superbowl party? Tell me your address so I can show up and eat. I will bring whatever you want. I want to watch football this year. No I don't do I? I'm just there for the food man. It's all about the food. I just want to eat, and Superbowl day is a darn good excuse to pig out silly. Get your stretchy pants on and eat baby.Well, if you still need some ideas on what to make AND

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-39112124824178412672011-02-01T13:10:00.008-05:002012-01-27T12:24:06.019-05:00

I like soda bread, I do, but not as much as the average person might? I find it a little bland, I know it's supposed to be bland by nature; a perfect vehicle rather for warm salty butter, jam or even ham. I just kicked up this soda bread up by adding in a bit of sugar and some browned butter to the top of it halfway thru baking. One could easily argue that I took the classic white soda bread

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-76817559415239607742011-01-27T13:44:00.007-05:002011-02-17T15:15:12.506-05:00

No I haven't lost my mind...yet. Yes, I have cabin fever; a bad case of it actually. And yes, these taste friggin amazing. Does it sound gross? Of course it does! If it didn't then why on earth would I make it? Ha! Kidding.I used those Snyder-that-can-crack-your-teeth-pretzels. Hubby asked me to buy them for him, I did, they sat there for a couple days. Afraid I would eat them in one sitting

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-83709864973305055032011-01-23T10:25:00.009-05:002012-01-14T20:02:22.468-05:00

I'd like to say congrats to Lauren at Keep it Sweet for winning the two cookbooks by warren brown. Lauren had said her favorite cake was "I think my favorite cake is a classic moist chocolate cake with perfect buttercream frosting". Well Lauren you're going to love these cookbooks; awesome, informative instructions on how to make really good show-worthy cakes. Enjoy. And please share with us what

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-66114139878803705842011-01-18T17:37:00.006-05:002011-02-17T15:44:30.182-05:00

There's really no point in writing a lengthy post...no one's going to read it--the photos are way too distracting. The photo gods were with me on the day I made these incredibly delicious donuts. Enjoy. We did. I HIGHLY recommended making them (duh). I lend inspiration for these from the infamous doughnut plant in nyc; a place where I should be working and creating (check out the pb & jelly

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-3329341277241840212011-01-15T17:30:00.004-05:002011-02-17T16:01:20.942-05:00

Ok so peanut brittle, where are the photos of that? What is this brownie crap? I know. There are none. These are all I have. And normally I would NOT want to share this recipe with you because of the lack of photos, BUT (are you listening?) BUT I had to because the spicy peanut brittle was so good, so very good. The sweet & spicy melded perfectly AND the fact that the vultures in my house ate it

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-48999721057668520792011-01-12T11:55:00.009-05:002011-01-23T11:18:51.361-05:00

****Contest Closed**** :-( You know what? I have cabin fever and I'm cranky because we have WAY too many snowstorms already and it's only the beginning of January people. Of course to make myself feel even worse I read the Farmers Almanac and it said we are going to get a ton of storms. Yay! Wonderful. Isn't that great?So to cheer myself up, I want to make you happy by having a giveaway. See if

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com223tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-86180770119196078762011-01-08T11:33:00.004-05:002011-02-17T16:12:50.548-05:00

MmmHmm, this dish has layers of flavors. This is a sunday kind of roast dinner dish. Seriously good. The kind of dish where hubby pops in the kitchen every two hours asking "is it ready yet?". Yep, one of those kinds of dinners, where you can smell it all through the house and even outside. Remember those as a kid? Playing outside all day in the crisp fall air, coming inside for the first time

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-27845208250572575592011-01-01T13:47:00.009-05:002011-01-02T19:05:01.534-05:00

Never been one to have a long list of new year's resolutions since they become hard to keep because the list is too long thus overwhelming. This year, like last, my list will be small, but powerful. Want to work on: my recipe creations (do more, make more), my health and getting back to california. My baking has grown, orders are coming in; so I hope to keep focused and grow that even more.

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-40295647333459223292010-12-29T17:35:00.006-05:002011-02-17T16:20:52.821-05:00

Here's another quick & easy recipe for you; nothing glamorous or fancy here. Or we could call it cleaning out the cupboards? Ever make something, and on the first taste you think "holy crap this is so good" and then turn around dying to have someone around you to taste it and revel in your joy, but there is no one there? Yeah. That happened to me when I made this soup. Not a single human being

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-47139296484997390402010-12-22T11:32:00.007-05:002011-02-19T10:42:37.271-05:00

So I set out to make caramels. Truly not knowing what I wanted when I first poured the sugar and milk into the pot what was going to come of it. (I love making new recipes that way--going in totally blind when the thermometer gauge is ticking away). I did have a little bit of inspiration from an article in the NYT article about a famous chocolate-caramel recipe from 1881? Wild, from 1881. So the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-45648542901883523542010-12-19T12:39:00.006-05:002011-09-11T12:36:13.397-04:00

Years ago when I lived in Washington, DC for a stint there was this place called Bread & Chocolate. When I first saw the sign I thought now there's a great concept: bread and chocolate, how fabulous is that? And I literally thought they sold bread with chocolate in some sort of manner; curious of course to see how and which way they did it; also thinking this is a great fondue idea too. But no

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-67704153426351259902010-12-14T17:09:00.006-05:002011-12-11T19:59:08.802-05:00

Let's call this PMS Christmas bark shall we? :-)Whoa. I mean whoa dude. This stuff is crazy good. Very addicting. I have a bunch of leftovers at my house. Please come get it? It's free to a good home?I swear I can hear you all now saying "where in the world does this crazy woman come up with this stuff?" My cravings for sweet & salty run high and deep. I am on a never-ending quest to find the

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-52041200473670419142010-12-09T16:53:00.005-05:002011-02-19T12:11:38.885-05:00

Ready for another foodie christmas gift idea? And boy is this one super easy too. Tasty lil nuggets too. One could easily eat a cookie sheet portion of these with an ice cold glass of milk and call it a good day. These got rave reviews from my clients and friends.And yeah, I am loving Top Chef All Stars. Did you see last nights episode at the museum? Hilarious! So funny when Dale said he was

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-15233867385894590652010-12-05T11:29:00.005-05:002011-02-19T12:31:34.039-05:00

Holiday gift? Quick and easy? Yes and yes. Or done and done! I know I've told you I've gotten a lot of emails asking me to please write up more quick & easy recipes. And lately I've been giving them out. I'm a proud to show you yet another one that happened as a matter of quick thinking. AND this is a fabulous holiday treat to give to friends, family, co-workers. My hubby brought these into work

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467092142877590947.post-73221872514488518422010-12-01T10:14:00.005-05:002011-02-19T13:03:14.404-05:00

More quick and easy recipes? You got it. Here is one of my favorites when I have zero time and ZERO willpower to create a meal. This one might come in handy for everyone during this busy holiday season? It's a snap to make, literally minutes to make. And if you layer the ingredients as I did, it is very appealing to the eyes. It's not so appealing when it's mixed--tasty though. So if you have

vanillasugarbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04326351678882055985noreply@blogger.com35