Blueberry Nectarine Cobbler

This dessert represents a marriage of two other desserts. The first is a Blueberry Nectarine Crisp that I have now decided is a bit too sweet for my taste. I now prefer that dessert in a cobbler form (my husband still prefers the crisp. Perhaps you need to make both and decide for yourself). The second part of this dessert is a cobbler topping that I first found at The Pioneer Woman (long may she rein).

This fruit/biscuit like combo is easy to change according to what is ripe. I often use this topping with blackberries and/or raspberries, but you could use almost any berry or stone fruit. You might also try it with pears or simmered dried fruits like apricots or cherries or cranberries. Really the possibilities are endless because this dessert lets the fruit shine. Continue reading


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Sinfully Seasonal Roasted Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream

Serenity was the word of the weekend when I found myself alone for 48 hours in my newly cleaned air conditioned house. So much time, so little responsibility, what is a mother of two to do? Well after I worked out at the gym at my leisure and ate my favorite lunch, I found myself scouring the cabinets and the fridge for something yummy to make for meeee. Yes, mine mine all mine.

What I found was a big bowl of firm ripe bing cherries and an idea that had been floating around in my head since last summer. Continue reading

Posted in Gluten Free, Ice Cream | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake for Ben

Hello everybody. Remember me? It has been a really long time since my last post. Where have I been? Working more than I have in years. In May, I started selling pies at the Clarendon Farmers Market in Arlington and it has sort of taken over my life. I love making pies and I’m proud of all that we have accomplished in a short time. The dark side of all this success is that both family meals and the blog have taken a backseat to pie baking for the past few weeks.

So this is just a quickie.

I made this cake for a young boy’s birthday party. Ben asked for a “Cookies & Cream” cake, so I pulled this little number together. The cake is my favorite chocolate cake because it is moist and very chocolatey with a nice crumb. Plus it is super easy to make. The frosting is my “go to” vanilla embellished with an unseemly amount of Oreo cookies, both crushed and semi-whole. More Oreos equals more better! Continue reading

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Toasted Quinoa Salad with Almonds, Green Onions & Cilantro

Have I mentioned how much I love quinoa? I first discovered quinoa in the form of flour in my Uncle Bill’s Quinoa Pancakes. Later, I had a quinoa salad at a PTA potluck and I was smitten. I like it’s nutty taste and petite size. Quinoa has a little toothiness, but is also light. It is filling without being heavy.

For months, I have been experimenting with lots of different salads and find that quinoa makes a nice substitute for other grains, particularly rice in everything from soup to Mexican food

I adapted this recipe from one at Kalyn’s Kitchen. I loved the look of it, but I had no idea that these simple ingredients combined together would turn into something so delicious! Continue reading

Posted in Gluten Free, Salad | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Wow This M&M Cake is Easy to Make

Last year, I spent over 2 hours decorating my daughter Ellie’s birthday cake. This year, I did it in 20 minutes.

I was inspired to make this cake by the blog Texas Monkey. Check out her original post because in addition to this cake, she has photos of several similar, but completely different cakes that use the same technique. A cake bordered by a cookie or candy and filled to the top with something delicious and colorful can be used for many occasions for children and adults alike.

More than one of my friends asked me if there was actually any cake in this cake and there was. Continue reading

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