Sunshine blogger award!

My dear friend Mari gave me a Sunshine Blogger Award :) The sweetest part about it is what she said about me:

Deanna Tastenc.com: Baking and Cooking with Deanna: for being a tremendous entrepreneurial and writing for various sites in a very joyful and natural style.

Deanna de Tastenc.com: Baking and Cooking with Deanna: por ser una tremenda emprendedora y escribir para varios sites en forma muy jocosa y natural.

Thank you Mari! This has truly touched my heart!

Latest recipe list...

Once again I am posting a list of my latest recipes. I do this so that if a blog search is done for a specific recipe, it can easily be found.
Enjoy the recipes...you may find something to try out for Easter!

Partylite now sells food
Casserole recipes, vegetable recipes, quick recipes and food tips
Food and food related companies going green
Crockpot chili recipe
Carrot cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe
Soup recipes and make ahead dinner recipes
White chocolate Easter bark recipe
Cookie recipes
Peanut butter delight recipe
Sloppy Joes recipe
Sloppy Joe pie recipe
Simple sugar cookie recipe
Special chicken recipe
Irish soda bread recipe
Easy biscuit recipe
Marshmallow frosting recipe
Gluten free dessert recipes, low sodium recipes, kitchen gadgets and more!
Angus Barn chocolate chess pie recipe
Easy chocolate frosting recipe
Bang Bang shrimp recipe
Creamy potato recipe
Easter recipes
Easter story cookie recipe
Pesto sauce recipe

Beach trip update (includes pictures)

Happy Monday!
I have to say I am feeling well rested (even though I did not get much sleep) upon my return from the beach.
I knew in my heart before I left that this weekend away was going to do me a world of good. I missed my hubby and son and my girlfriends say I called home too much :) I only called about 4 or 5 times...is that too much? I just missed them :)

We ate and ate and ate this weekend. One of my favorite places to eat is Captain Georges Seafood Buffet. I have included pictures in this post. More pictures will come later. I plan on writing an article about the establishment.

We laughed and laughed about all kinds of things. I have decided to write a book about this weekend. I will embellish it a little bit but it will make a funny book. I'm thinking a movie deal will soon follow!

We got up really early and went to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was such a beautiful sight. As it rose we read the Bible together and remembered how Jesus rose for us. Then, we played worship music on my iphone as we finished watching the sun peek above the water. What a refreshing time!

So, as I sit an write this post, I hear my son playing in his room, the TV playing in the living room, my husband calling me on the phone, but I feel calm and peaceful inside. I feel like a new woman!

A weekend away...

Hello, blogger friends!
I am actually going on a mini vacation this weekend! I am going to the beach with 3 of my friends. It is a first for me. Never have I been away from my family before. But, I know it will be a refreshing time.
My son has told me he is going to miss me about 127 times over the past 3 days. It touches my heart that he feels that way but it does make it harder to go. I tell him that he will have fun and I will have fun and then when we get back together we will be all funned out. It makes him laugh :)

To hold you over through the weekend, I posted some Easter recipes today. Some are from Woman's Day other from Duncan Hines. Then, you have some from yours truly on there as well.
Easter Recipes

I will be eating at Captain Georges Seafood Buffet this weekend! One can NOT go to Myrtle Beach and not eat there...it is against the law (Deanna's law). I will take pictures of the great food they serve and have them ready for you to see next week!

If you follow me on Facebook, you may get to see them sooner!

Bang Bang shrimp recipe

The Bang Bang shrimp recipe is here! Food Network calls it, spicy shrimp (I'm guessing for copy right purposes).

I found this recipe in the Food Network magazine and nearly fell out of my seat with excitement!
The Bonefish Grill in Raleigh serves this dish and I had it in November for our Anniversary. This is a perfect replica of the dish!

Bang Bang Shrimp recipe

The night I made this, my husband was so happy! That night he worked late and my son and I already ate our dinner. So, I had it warmed for him and ready to eat when he got home. He sat down to eat and I went to take a bath. A few minutes later, he abandoned his food and came in to tell me how good it was!

Let me know what you think if you try it :)

Homemade Pesto sauce

I tried something new today! My friend gave me a book entitled, "365 Days of Pasta". I started reading the recipes and found 2 right off the bat that I wanted to try. One was a recipe for Pesto sauce.
So today I tried it. I have to say it was awesome! The key in my opinion, is to use the fresh basil. It really packs a punch of flavor into the sauce.

I have always liked Pine nuts. As a child my family called them...bin-yalls. My grandma used to put them into her meatballs. They are a fairly expensive nut so she used to hide them from me and my sisters because we loved to eat them.
One day my sister Marlana and I were searching for the nuts. Guess where we found them...in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Grandma hid them in there in a little clear bottle. When we found them, we ate them all! We got in so much trouble! But it was worth it...they are so good!
I remember that story every time I see, buy, use or eat pine nuts :)

Here are pictures of the sauce from today's adventure. The recipe will be coming soon =D

Weekend review: Saving money!

I hope your weekend is going great! My, what fresh air can do for a person!
Here are several articles about making your own household products and various other ways to save:

How to save money around the Holidays

How to make fabric softener

How to make air freshener

How to make glass cleaner

How to make multi-purpose cleaner

How to freeze strawberries

How to give the gift of cookie dough

How to give gifts in a pan

To me, they key to successful gift giving rides on being able to get creative. Whether it be for a Birthday or Christmas, get creative and step out of the box. Most people enjoy homemade gifts that you made specially for them!

Save money...make your own

You may have guessed by the title that this weekend review is about saving money!
I have some great ideas on how to do that today:

Save money on groceries

Make your own freezer jam

Make your own biscuits

Save money on groceries around the Holidays

Save money on wrapping paper

Save money on Christmas gifts

Scrapbook on a budget

Holiday budget tips

Coupon organizing

If you enjoy the articles on how to make your own items... check back over the next day or two and I will post more!
Happy Saving :)

Partylite food items

Remember this article: Partylite now sells food?
Last night I made 2 dishes from Partylite's boxed food items. I made the beer bread (with ginger ale) and I used a box of Snickerdoodle cheese ball mix to make a quick no-bake Snickerdoodle cream cheese pie. I have to say, both were really good!

As much as I enjoy making my desserts from scratch these are both great options for when you just do not have the time or do not feeling like putting forth the effort (both applied to me yesterday) =D

For today I will post some pictures but do not fear...the recipes and articles are soon to follow!
Have a wonderful weekend :)

Happy Saint Patricks Day! (Irish soda bread recipe)

Pinch, pinch if you are not wearing green today!

Remember I wrote about the Irish soda bread I made the other day? Well, today for the occasion itself I am posting the pictures and the recipe.
It is really easy to make! I added a glaze to mine to give it an extra sweet zip. My husband prefers it this way :)

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

I caught a lot of slack for making this bread, since I am Italian and I have a funny story about that to share with you:
When I was in the 4th grade, I lived in New Jersey and went to a Catholic school. I remember it was Saint Patrick's Day and we were allowed to dress down. We wore uniforms so to say we could dress down means that we could wear our regular clothes and leave our uniforms at home.
It was always a big deal!
So this particular day I wore a pair of pants and a pink t-shirt. It was my moms t-shirt. So, off I went to school.
My class was standing in the Church after we had a service and we were all standing in the isle as the priest, Father Pat (who happened to be Irish) came walking down to exit the Church. He looked at me and then read my shirt. Then he looked me in the eye and said, "I can't believe you wore that shirt today."
Not knowing what it said, I looked down and read it! To my shock it said, "Proud to be Italian"! I should have known...it was my moms shirt!

Lesson learned: Read your clothes before leaving the house!

So much food!

It has been quite a productive Monday!
Last night while reading my Food Network magazine, I found a recipe for The Bonefish Grill's, Bang Bang Shrimp! I about jumped out of my seat when I saw it!

We first went to The Bonefish Grill in November for our wedding anniversary. And yes, you guessed it, we ate the Bang Bang Shrimp! It was fabulous...that coming from someone who can not give two squirts about eating shrimp.

Today, I made the recipe. It was just as good as what we ate at the restaurant that cold November night. This time, our son got to eat the dish as he was not with us that night. He told me it was the best dish I ever made (Until tomorrow that is. He is so sweet!) Needless to say there is not one shrimp left for me to offer you!

In addition to the shrimp, I made an Irish Soda bread for the first time! I picked one up at Fresh Market over the weekend. My husband really liked it so I told him I would look for a recipe and make it for him. Then, as I was looking through the "Taste" section of the Sunday paper today...there it was, a recipe just for my hubby!
I made it today with a few minor changes to the recipe and I have to say it came out super!

In addition to these recipes, the other day I made homemade chicken and broccoli hot pockets and I took a picture! So for tonight, the hot pocket recipe and picture will have to hold you over until I get the Bang Bang Shrimp recipe and the Irish Soda Bread recipe published on Examiner.com.

Chicken and Broccoli Hot Pockets Recipe

FYI...what we wound up eating yesterday...

It has been a nice Sunday for us. I'm hoping it has been for you as well :)
Back to yesterday...
After all of that contemplating over where to go and eat lunch after the basketball game, we wound up coming home for sandwiches! I have to say though, they did hit the spot! I had mine on Rye bread with one slice of cheese and one slice of turkey. Then, I loaded it up with vegetables...lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and pickles. I added a touch of mayo and some mustard with a dab of salt and pepper. It was JUST what I wanted! Isn't it funny how things just work out like that?

I am hoping your weekend has been restful and non-eventful.
Be sure to check back to my Examiner site this week. I will be posting some new cake frosting recipes!!!! One can never have too many dessert recipes...can one?

http://www.examiner.com/x-5523-Raleigh-Cooking-Examiner

What do I want to eat today?

Happy Saturday to you!
Doesn't it seem like a great day to go out to eat? Truthfully, I just do not feel like cooking :)
Last night I made beef stew and it came out really good! But today, I'm just not feeling the whole cooking thing :/

So, I'm thinking....what kind of food do I feel like having today? Ever have one of those days where NOTHING sounds good? That is me today. I thought, maybe Mexican...No...maybe Italian...No...maybe Chinese...No. So do you know what I decided to do?

Let my husband choose :)

I will have to let you know where we end up going! Have a wonderful day :)

PS...the door in the photo is that of the Bonefish Grill in Raleigh, NC...where we went for our Anniversary in November!

Family Cookbook...

In 2005, I composed a family cookbook and gave it away for Christmas. I added recipes from family as well as close family friends. I thought it was a special gift. I would like to get one! My friend Chris really seemed to appreciate it, her recipe for Lasagna Bake was included in the book.
Now would be a great time to begin to prepare one to have ready to give for Christmas this year!

Here is what I did:

1. I emailed friends and family and asked them for one of their most special recipes. I did not tell them what it would be for!

2. After I got them all in (Which required making a couple of phone calls and sending 2 or 3 emails. Some never even responded but do not let that discourage you.) I typed them into Word and added a picture of the person who gave it on the page with the recipe. Then, I composed the book in alphabetical order by recipe.

3. Next, I printed out the pages on my printer (4x6 pages), created a cute cover, printed it on a glossy cover stock and then punched them and bound the books with plastic ring binding.
* You can buy a hole punch/binding machine at a local office supply store for about $20. I already had one!

If you have old recipes from your parents/ grandparents, you can also add those with their picture to the book! It truly makes a cookbook that will be treasured for years to come :)

The day after...

I had a wonderful Birthday yesterday! Thank you all for the warm Birthday wishes!
My hubby spoiled me like a baby yesterday! He is such a sweetheart :)
The cards he bought from he and my son made me cry :P (I'm a big baby) Dinner was fabulous! And dessert was even better. I ordered a butterscotch brownie with coffee ice cream AND a piece of peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate crust on the bottom and chocolate ganache on top! Both were decadent! (We are still eating them today)

I have to say, I was blessed with many great gifts on my day but one really touched my heart...my girlfriend Chris lost her mom several years ago. (As I lost mine several years before her) She gave me a great gift set with body wash, lotion, hand cream and a sponge. That was really great (because I needed those items) but not the clencher. She also gave me an old kitchen gadget that you roll over your cookie dough and it cuts the dough into shapes. On the box she added a great note about how it was her moms and she is passing it on to me because her mom was a great baker and so am I! Can you say "crying like a baby?" Isn't that just the most heartfelt gift ever????
She has always been GREAT at choosing the perfect gifts. Oh, to learn from her!

So Chris, thank you from the bottom of this bakers heart!

Lesson learned: Often times the best gifts are not bought in the store, but are given from the heart :-)

Birthday!

Just as Julia Child said in the movie, Julie and Julia: "Happy Birthday to me!"

For my Birthday I asked Tommie for the book: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I now have it in my hands!
This morning after school, Anthony and I went outside on this beautiful day and took a walk. I walked and he scooted. Then we went around to the back yard and shot some hoops and played on the swings for a bit.

Tonight we will be having dinner at the, Twisted Fork. I am looking forward to my free dessert. To be quite honest, even if it wasn't free, I was s till planning on having one (or maybe two)!
I thought about trying a new cheesecake recipe... a Reese's peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate crust. However, I did not have enough cream cheese. It is probably a good thing though because I would have to eat it!!!!

Have a great day on this beautiful Birthday afternoon!

Weekend review: cookies!

Over the years, I have baked thousands and thousands of bars and cookies. Next to cheesecakes, they are my favorite things to bake!

This weeks weekend review is on, you guessed it: Cookies!
You can make these up any day for any occasion or even "just because". Here are a few of my very favorite cookie and bar recipes:

Chocolate, white chocolate and Oreo cookie recipe

Short bread recipe

Chocolate late cookie recipe

Easy chocolate chip cookie recipe

7 layer bar recipe

Nanaimo bar recipe

These are my top favorites as of today! If you ask me tomorrow, you may get a different list! hee hee =D

For more great cookies recipes, click here!

I WANT COOKIE! -Cookie Monster

Thinking of Cheesecake! (again)

Happy Friday! Once again, I have cheesecake on my brain today! This happens WAY to often!
Thank God just thinking about it does not put on the pounds...or I would be in BIG trouble.

Nothing beats an old fashioned, creamy, rich, New York style cheesecake!
My Birthday is coming up on Monday. We are going out to dinner and I plan to get a big slice of cheesecake for dessert. Usually, I make one, but then there is too much left over for me to eat :P

Here are some of the most wonderful cheesecake recipes you will ever see and taste:

Chocolate cheesecake recipe
Mascarpone cheesecake recipe
Butterscotch cheesecake recipe
Apple cinnamon cheesecake recipe
White chocolate cheesecake recipe
Coffee cheesecake recipe
Honey nut cheesecake recipe
Pumpkin cheesecake recipe
Caramel cheesecake recipe

Tips for making the best cheesecake ever!

If you want to make an even MORE decadent treat, make cheesecake bites! All you have to do is bake your cheesecake as usual (any flavor) and then mush it all together with your hands. Roll cheesecake into balls and then drizzle them with chocolate (milk and white) and then top with sprinkles, nuts etc. FABULOUS!

Did you miss me????

Happy Thursday!
Did you miss me yesterday? Probably not :) I totally forgot to post! Can you believe it???? I guess I got involved in so many things that it slipped my mind. No fear...I'm back today!

Yesterday I published my carrot cupcake with white chocolate cream cheese icing recipe! These are so good, you must give them a try!
Today I published Soup recipes, Quick dinner recipes and health tips by Woman's Day!

I posted some articles on FireHow last night too:
How to make rocky road candy
and
How to make chocolate pretzel treats

In addition to all that, I started a new online writing class!

So see, I WAS productive...I'm telling the truth!

My Aunt gave me a really good recipe for a healthy cauliflower soup yesterday! I plan to get the cauliflower and marjoram it calls for and make it soon. All of the other ingredients, I have in my pantry. I will keep you posted on that.
Have a wonderful day :)

Canned food and chili recipe!

I am a member of Twitter Moms, you can find a link to their website to the right of my blog as well. They are having a contest that I have decided to enter! Here is a link to the contest and rules.

I watched a video that taught about the canned food process. It was very informative. I learned the following facts from the video:

• As adults, we should consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day
• There is a 7 step cleaning process to canning beans
• Beans do not spoil
• Beans are fat free and high in fiber
• Canned vegetables are at their peek freshness when they are canned
• Canned pumpkin has 3 times more vitamin A, than a fresh cooked pumpkin does
• Don't forget to recycle your cans! They are used over and over again!
  

For more information, you can go to: www.mealtime.org

One of my favorite recipes that contains canned beans and tomatoes is my chili recipe:
To print this chili recipe, please click here: Chili recipe

Crockpot Chili

• 1-2 pounds of ground meat, beef, turkey or chicken
• 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp each: pepper, salt and garlic powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 shakes of hot sauce
• 1 small package chicken bullion
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1, 6oz can tomato sauce (optional)
• 1 can each: kidney beans, northern white beans, baked beans, black beans and chili beans
• 1 can butter beans (optional)
• Olive oil

Brown onion and garlic in olive oil. (about 4 minutes)

Add meat and brown. (If you are not adding meat add browned onion and garlic into crockpot.)

Add all canned ingredients into crockpot. Add all spices. Stir.

Cook on low for about 6 hours. Or cook on high for 4 hours.

Watch the Field to Table VideoCanned Food Alliance

Sunchips have gone green / Customers Choice DRY capet & upholstery cleaning is a green company out of Raleigh NC

Happy Monday!

Today I would like to talk about companies who are going or have been "green".
I wrote and article about the new Sunchips bag. It is 100% compostable! I thought it was worth writing about because of what they claim about it.
Included in the article I also mentioned, Customer's Choice DRY Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning in Raleigh, NC. It is actually our carpet cleaning company and we have always been "green". Our process is a DRY process so it will not leave mold and mildew beneath the carpet in the padding! In addition to that, our product is organic and non-toxic! Yes, it is safe for your children and pets!

Here is a link to the article I wrote:
Food and food related companies going green

I am all about going green! I like to help save room on our planet where I can. I like to help keep the air we breath fresh and clean. I like to be sure my family is safe from harmful chemicals. It always makes me feel good about myself when I know I have "done my part" in helping our earth!

If you know of a good website that will help teach us how to "go green" please leave a comment to this post with the link. The more knowledge we have the better we will be. The Bible even says: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6. (ASV)