Weekend review!

Ah, Sunday! A day to relax! After spending time with God at Church and with family over lunch I am going to post some recipes for my blogger friends and then take a nap!
Enjoy the recipes today!

Weekend review: Easy snacks and desserts!

Chocolate crunch snack recipe

Easy snack recipes

Monkey bread recipe

Classic dessert recipes

Nutter butter cookie trifle recipe

Wet walnut ice cream topping recipe

Tropical dessert cup recipe

No bake cream cheese pie recipe

Cupcakes!

On Super Bowl Sunday my husband asked me to make cupcakes for him to take to the Super Bowl party at our church. So, I did. I did not have much time though, so I used a boxed cake mix (I know, how terrible) and doctored it up a bit.

I made 24 cupcake, vanilla with chocolate icing. I used a piping bag to make the icing look pretty. My husband asked me if they were homemade. Keep in mind, I will NOT lie! I thought about it for a few seconds and answered him... "I made them myself." That was the truth! Right? I did not purchase them, I made them...with love :-)

My guess is everyone liked them. I told my husband to take one as soon as he put the tray down or he may not get one at all. He said he did what I suggested and when he went back a few minutes later, they were all gone! Yey!

Lesson learned: Sometimes people just want something sweet...even if it is not made from scratch.

Still writing...now for firehow.com too!

Happy Thursday!
Last year I signed up to write for ehow.com. It was before I got hired with Examiner.com. Basically, you write how to articles and get paid per click. I was not really generating much income from those articles. A lady I met on there is writing for firehow.com so I asked her about it. She likes it better than ehow and encouraged me to sign up. So, I looked into it today and I did.

I transferred my articles from ehow.com to firehow.com. So, here are a couple of links to my new articles. I have not quite figured out the layout yet, so please look beyond that into the content. Thanks!

How to start running

How to come up with children's Birthday party ideas

I have to cut hair now...I will post more later!

My latest recipes!

Hello, all! Today I am going to list all of my most recent recipes/articles into this post. I have 2 reasons for this:
1, to give you new recipe ideas for you and your family
2, so when someone does a search on my blog for a specific recipe they can find it!

Stuffed onion recipe
Bobby Flay's chicken wings recipe
New Jersey coffee cake recipe
Pancake recipes
Polenta
Italian meatball recipe
Pasta sauce recipe
Earth Fare grocery store
Easy bean dip recipe
Valentines Day recipes
Filipino fruit salad recipe
Easy no-bake Oreo dessert recipe
Chocolate recipes
Easy salsa dip recipe
Super Bowl party ideas
Valentines Day recipes from Woman's Day
Black bean soup recipe
Easy chicken teriyaki recipe
Super Bowl party: Food ideas
Red Velvet cupcakes recipe
Super Bowl recipes
Pampered Chef: Raleigh consultant
Pochettes recipe
Healthy banana oat bar recipe
Soho bakery: Wake Forest, NC
Healthy recipes by Woman's Day
No-bake walnut cookies recipe
Cucumber lime water recipe
Cheeseburger pie recipe
Yogurt: Uses for yogurt
Turkey sausage and pasta recipe
Salami appetizer recipe
Pad Thai pork satay recipe
Tomatoes
Crockpot pork chops and potatoes recipe
Roasted chicken and vegetables recipe
Easy vanilla cake recipe
Easy blueberry coffee cake recipe
Easy cake bar recipe
Recipes for leftovers
Steakums and eggs recipe
Turkey curry recipe
Easy clam chowder soup recipe

Wow! That was a lot of articles! You should NEVER run out of ideas on what to make for dinner now!

Something funny...

We went to lunch today at Milton's Pizza in Raleigh. My hubby took me there because he knew I have been wanting to go.(Wasn't that so sweet?) We had a nice relaxing lunch, the three of us and then decided to go for a ride to look at some houses.
I asked my hubby if he would stop at Starbucks so I could get a coffee before we went on our ride. He did. I decided I wanted a tall, skinny vanilla latte. He was driving so he had to order it for me (we went through the drive through). Now, keep in mind, my husband lifts weights 5 days a week. With his arms he lifts about 400 pounds of weight. My point is, he is a pretty big guy. So, to hear him order, "I will have a tall, skinny vanilla latte", made me laugh out loud! One would think he would order a White chocolate mocha with no whip. (That is what he would normally order for himself)
I got a good chuckle out of it and thought you might as well :-)

Ever see a man in the grocery or pharmacy carrying around a box of womans sanitary products? Looks kind of funny doesn't it? Even though you KNOW they are not for him, it is still funny :P
That is how I felt today. Here is this big, brute of a man ordering a skinny latte!

Big brute of a husband who is really a big teddy bear, featured above!

Pancakes and coffee cake!

Happy Monday!
For those of you who keep up with my blog, you may remember my post about New Jersey coffee cake...
You know, the coffee cake with more crumb than cake? (Doesn't that sound so fabulous?) I have published the recipe! Yes, it is available for you to view and then to bake...today! New Jersey Coffee Cake recipe

Then...just in case you were not aware... February is National Pancake Month! Tomorrow is National Pancake Day! You can get your free short stack from IHOP or make your own! Here is more info on National Pancake Day and 3 great recipes for you to try!

Talk about a carb overload...coffee cake AND pancakes! Remember to eat your fruits and veggies too...stuff some inside your crepes...hee hee =D

Celebrity Chef Tours and Paula Deen

Well, well, well... it appears Mrs. Paula Deen will NOT be appearing in Durham NC as she was supposed to this Sunday! I had my ticket purchased and ready to go!
An email was sent out from the Durham Performing Arts Center that stated the show has been postponed. That was it. No more information was given.

A WRAL reporter reports that it is due to lack of funds from the company running the program, Celebrity Chef Tours, LLC that the show can not go on as planned. Makes you say, hhhmmmm...

I have written an article about it if you would like to take a look and check out the link to the report on Raleigh news station, WRAL.

Paula Deen show: postponed

My thoughts: Get it together people! How can you with a good conscience take money from people when you do not have the money to put on the show? Now, I do not know all the specifics so I really can not pass judgement on the company. However, this is the way it looks right now.

Then, to top things off, on the back of the ticket it states NO REFUNDS! Shouldn't that be something they tell you BEFORE you purchase the ticket and not something written on the back AFTER you have paid?

To be quite honest with you, I am OK with it either way. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't and I lose my $80, that is OK too. I'm sure there are hundreds of other people though, who may not have $80 to lose. My heart goes out to them :)

Bobby Flay's Adobo Seasoned Baked Chicken Wings

Happy Thursday!
Remember my post on Bobby Flay's chicken wings where I posted his recipe? Well, I made them last night! I have to say, they were fairly easy to make. It took me the longest to peel, cut and puree the mango. (aside from cooking the chicken, of course)
I should have gotten about 3 mango's to add to the glaze, but I only had one so I made it work! Plus, I did not have 40 wings, I only had about 18.

My husband and my son ate them all up! They said they were very good. However, my husband seemed disappointed they were baked and not fried. Health people...health!

Have a happy Thursday...remember...try a new recipe this week, you may find a new family favorite!

Other great chicken recipes:
Chicken Parmesan Casserole recipe
Chicken Meatball recipe
Chicken and Dumplings recipe

Click here for more great chicken recipes!

Pasta sauce recipe is here!

Did I get your taste buds moving when I posted the pictures of my homemade pasta sauce and meatballs the other day? If so, I have good news for you! I have the recipe!!!!! (The crowd goes wild)

This is a family recipe passed down to me from my parents. When they were visiting from NJ last weekend, we made the sauce. The flavor is just as I remember mom making as a child. It is not too sweet and not too acidic. It is juuust right!
I rarely EVER order red sauce when we go out to eat Italian. Nothing compares to homemade sauce...so keep this recipe in your collection for when you crave a good, Italian gravy!

Homemade pasta sauce

Here are some other Italian dishes I make: (We make these for Christmas)

Scallop kabobs recipe
Clam ball recipe (formerly stuffed clams)
Easy seafood lasagna recipe


Lesson learned: Often times, with a rare exception, nothing compares to homemade!

New Jersey coffee cake!

In case you do not know, I am from New Jersey! Up there we have a bakery or diner on every corner! However, here in North Carolina, things are a bit different. Yes, I would like to open a bakery here one day...it is a dream of mine :-) I would serve, pastries, bagels, breads and desserts! We would have coffee and deli meats for sandwiches as well. I have it all planned out...down to my staff and the hours they would work!

For the past several days I have been thinking about New Jersey coffee cakes. They have a yellow cake on the bottom (a thin layer) and tons of cinnamon crumb topping on the top. When I say tons, that is what I mean! There is more crumb than yellow cake! But, Oh, they are soooooo stinkin' good!

Last night I came up with a recipe for one. And I have to say, it is right on! It tasted like I went to a bakery in New Jersey and bought it! I was a happy girl last night...and today too for that matter.
Enjoy the pictures of the cake...the recipe will be coming soon!

Lesson learned: If you live far away from home and are craving a food that you can only get there, make it yourself! The satisfaction from it is so rewarding! Then, go and sell it to everyone else who is from your home area! Ha ha :-)

Making gravy (sauce to the rest of the world)

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a relaxing and sweet Valentines weekend :) I did enjoy some nap time and dining out myself!

Over the weekend, my parents were visiting from New Jersey. On Saturday we made homemade gravy (pasta sauce to those who are not Italian), meatballs, Italian sausage, polenta and pasta! I have to say it was some of the BEST gravy I have had in many years! We fried up the polenta. It was my first try ever making polenta and I have to say it is good! The crisp outside works perfectly with the tender center. The sauce is what makes it though...polenta has no definite flavor on its own. And yes, I will be posting the recipe for the sauce very soon! In the mean time enjoy the pictures I took...

The first photo is of a meatball in the gravy.

The second is of the meatballs and the sausage browning before they entered into gravy heaven.

And the third is a picture of polenta frying in a pan of olive oil and butter! Yes, I got to smell my browned butter this weekend...aaahhhh what a heavenly aroma! (see the beautiful white bubbles????) =D

Have a wonderful night...try making something new...you will be glad you did!

What a day...have some juice!

Well, we played in the snow today and it wore us all out! I am the only one who did not take a nap...I account that to my green tea...I thought it was decaf...but it may not be :(

I just made myself a cup of orange, strawberry, pineapple and blueberry juice with my wonderful juicer! I like to put a few ice cubes in to give it a bit of a chill. It was soooo good! I just bought a fresh pineapple and am looking forward to cutting it up for more great juice! How about a Pina Colada juice with pineapple and coconut? Yum!!!

Oh, let me not forget to mention the Olympics! I watched the opening ceremony last night and enjoyed it so much! I allowed my son to stay up and watch so that he could learn about all of the countries and their populations...what a great learning experience and time well spent together!

We are off to have dinner...not really hungry, but I will go :-)

Have a great night all :-)

Valentines Day!

Happy Friday! This week has been a productive one for me! I have gotten a lot of things accomplished as far as my classes and writing are concerned. I have been so consumed by them that I have neglected my time online.

We are all aware that Valentines Day is Sunday :-) My husband and I do not do much for Valentines Day. We rather celebrate our wedding anniversary in November, when not every couple in the universe is trying to go out for dinner :-P

I would like to make something special for him though...he is still my Valentine :-) My husbands favorite desserts are: yellow cake and banana pudding. Either option will make him a happy man!

I hope you have a great weekend too. If you would like to do something special for the love of your life, check out the article on Valentines Day on a budget...maybe it will inspire you :-)
Woman's Day has some great ideas to offer as well! You can make the cake featured in the blog post today: Strawberry Valentines Cake! Yum!

I hope your weekend is full of love, laughter and peace :-)

Making chili...

I have a chili recipe I came up with several years ago. Let me say that my Dad is a chef. I made the chili for him and he truly liked it! He said it was one of the best chili recipes he had ever eaten! I used ground turkey instead of beef and he NEVER knew! Can you believe that?! I tricked him....ha ha ha

So, on Monday I decided to make us a batch. I really need a picture of it so I can post my recipe on Examiner.com. This time, I left out the meat. I did however, brown some hamburger meat on the stove so my carnivore husband could add some to his dish (aren't I so sweet).

The chili came out fabulous! We ate it for two days! But guess what?!
I forgot to take a picture!!!! Yes I did. I guess I will just have to make it again :-)

Short and Sweet!

Hello everyone!
Todays post is going to be short and sweet! I have been working on another online writing class and it is coming along nicely :-) I have to say I am learning a lot!

Valentines Day is coming up you know! I have published several articles to help us prepare for it...hence the sweet in todays blog title :-)

Valentines Day on a budget (read all the way through for some good tips)
Valentines Day: from Womans Day Magazine
Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe

Lesson learned today: Taking on: homeschool, running a business, writing a novel, trying to find an agent, publishing articles, taking online classes and blogging is a lot for one woman to do! Call me: Super Woman!... Now I am off to basketball practice :-)

Super Bowl party!

Happy Monday!
Did your team win the Super Bowl last night? The Saints pulled it off, huh?
As I wrote earlier, our Church had a big party last night. Usually we all go: my husband, myself and our son. However, this year I decided to go over to a friends house instead. So, my son and I went over there. My son played with her sons and myself, my friend (the Cuban one I spoke of in the Sopapilla post), her sister and another friend of ours had a girls night!

It was so much fun! We laughed and laughed for hours! We ate and then laughed some more. It is just what we all needed to start our week off right.

We were eating chili and my friend brought out the hot sauce. The hot sauce is called: Tapatio. So, once again, I asked her how to pronounce it and her sister told me it was ta-pa-tee-yo...so I repeated it and my friend glared over at me (as if to say: remember the Sopapilla incident), and then I said, ooohhhh....to-pa-tee-YO (emphasizing the Y in yo) and we busted out laughing!
If you have not read the Sopapilla post, you should go and read it so you understand :-)

All in all we had a great time last night :-)

What did I learn? Girls night is much more fun that watching the Super Bowl!

Bobby Flays: Adobo seasoned baked chicken wings recipe

Usually I do not read the "Parade" section of the Sunday paper. However, I saw Chef Bobby Flay on the cover last week so I decided to take a look. He had two great recipes in there that seem easy enough to make.
My husband enjoys chicken wings, so I decided I am going to try his Adobo-Seasoned Baked Chicken Wings!
These would be great to make for the Super Bowl too!
Here is the recipe that was in the paper:

Adobo-Seasoned Baked Chicken Wings

• 1/2 cups mango nectar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 to 2 tsp red hot sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ts[ garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp ground tumeric
• 40 chicken wings, rinsed well and patted dry
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp good dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425*.
Stir together mango nectar, honey and hot sauce in a bowl: season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Mix garlic powder, onion powder and tumeric in a small bowl for adobo seasoning. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Toss wings in bowl with the oil.
Transfer wings onto a large baking sheet (or 2 small ones) in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn wings over, continue baking for 20 minutes.
Remove wings from oven, generously brush with glaze then continue baking for 10 minutes more until cooked through.
Remove to a platter and sprinkle with oregano.

Doesn't that sound good? It did to me!
I have some chicken wings in the freezer and plan to try it soon :-)
As I read on, I see that Bobby Flay will be the new monthly food columnist for Parade magazine. I am looking forward to seeing what he gives us next month!

What is your favorite food smell?

Seems like a silly question, right?
I just completed an online creative writing course and I was asked to write a poem and a short story about my favorite smell. At first I though it was the smell of coffee brewing. Then it hit me what my favorite smell really is....dum, dum, dum, duuuuummmmm...
Browned Butter!
Oh, the smell of butter browning in a pan has to be the best smell on the face of the earth!
Here is the corny poem I came up with for the exercise:

The comforting smell of browned butter,
Is there any smell that is better?
To see it bubble in the pan,
Oh, browned butter I am your biggest fan!
Your aroma is perfume to my nose,
Please stay, don't go!
You are so simple, yet so complex,
A joy to my senses none the less.
Oh yes, you are a favorite of mine,
You are a classic till the end of time.

Keep in mind I had to use certain words and it had to be a certain length... I think it is silly, but you get the point, right? I enjoy the smell of browned butter :-)

If you have never really smelled browned butter, make this Bruschetta recipe and you will get to experience it for yourself :-)

Tofurky anyone?

Last night I went to Earth Fare with my "Eat for Health" group. It was the first time I have ever been to an Earth Fare store. I am planning to write an article about the store on Examiner.com so I do not want to give away too many details before I do.

However, there is something I would like to share with you today! As we perused the isles looking at all of the wonderful goods offered, I came across an item entitled, "Tofurky". Now try to say it it out loud, I will wait.......
Isn't that funny? It is a turkey flavored piece of tofu!

Do you watch or have you watched, "Everybody Loves Raymond?" There is an episode where Marie (the mom) decides to make a "healthy" Thanksgiving meal for the family. Marie made a "tofurky"!



I have never tried a "tofurky" so by no means am I saying it is good or bad. I just remembered this episode when I saw the item in the store! Funny stuff!

This totally off the subject, but when I was searching for the tofu turkey episode last night on YouTube, I found another extremely hilarious episode clip from Everybody Loves Raymond. This is when Frank and Marie announce they are moving to a retirement home 85 minutes away in New Jersey. Take a look:



Doesn't it feel great to laugh? Go ahead, watch it again...
And again...

Blogger award...Honesty

I got an email today that contained this new blogger award. According to the directions, I need to post 10 honest things about myself and pass it on to 10 more people. So, here it goes:

1. I love God!
2. I enjoy writing.
3. I like the smell and taste of coffee.
4. I enjoy attending Church...my Church...Living Word Family Church!
5. I have enjoyed baking for years, but I am just getting into cooking... over the past few years.
6. I would like to take some type of culinary class.
7. My interview with Chef Duff Goldman was one of the most exciting phone conversations I have ever had!
8. I often wonder why certain people are so strange.
9. I like to sing.
10. I pray every day :-)

There you have it folks... there are 10 things about me that are honest and you may or may not have known.

Have a wonderful day...go cook up something good for yourself and/or your family today =D

I would like to pass this award on to:

Kendra Browning
Kelly Maddox
Jennifer Tobler
Lisa Neal
Brenda Walker
Baking Mama
Farmersgirl Kitchen (Janice)
Mommy's Kitchen
My Little Space
Just Shakin My BonBons

If you would like to accept this award, please pick it up and paste it on your blog and in a blog post, list 10 honest things about yourself and pass it on to 10 more deserving people. Thanks for following Tastenc.com blog!

Super Bowl plans...

What are your plans for the Super Bowl this year? Are you having a party or going to one? Will you have a quiet evening at home just you and your sweetie watching the big game?

We will be going to our Church! They show the game on the HUGE screen at the front of the sanctuary! In addition to the big screen for the big game...we have some big food too! Can you say chili and hot wing contest????

Over the past few days I have published 2 articles on Super Bowl food and parties. Hopefully you will find something you like to try out for the big game this year:
Super Bowl Food ideas and Recipes
Super Bowl Recipes

Want to see where we spend a lot of our time? Living Word Family Church

Like the cake in the picture above? Find out how I made it in the Super Bowl Food ideas and Recipes article!

You should sell this bread...

Well, it's Monday! I hope you are having a great beginning to the week!
If you recall, my parents were here visiting from NJ on their way to FL. While they were here, I made the homemade whole wheat bread...remember? And then part two?
My dad really enjoyed the homemade bread. I made toast with it for breakfast and then for lunch that day, I served sandwiches, pasta salad and homemade clam chowder soup. I decided to use the Sara Lee wheat bread to make the sandwiches.

As my dad took his second bite of his sandwich, he said, "This bread is so good, you could sell it!" Thinking he was giving me a great compliment, he looked at me as I burst out with laughter.
Once I calmed down I said, "Oh, good. I'm glad you think that because it is Sara Lee bread you are eating!" Everyone at the table started laughing!

I guess Sara Lee is on to something, huh?