I MOVED!

I moved my blog over to wordpress. I would LOVE it if you visited me there:

http://bakingblonde.wordpress.com/

The Apple of my Eye

Anyone who has read my blog probably realizes really quickly my love for all things chocolate and peanut butter as reflected by the numerous recipes including those ingredients. However, I also have a deep deep love for fruit. I rarely bake with fruit but thought today was a great day to change things up a bit. *In the picture above those are chunks of apples, not white chocolate!

This is a recipe that I copied from a roommate in college. I think it is a Betty Crocker recipe but could not find it. If anyone does, please let me know and I will provide the link.

These cookies are very very good. I had just bought a bag of Kraft Caramel Bits and decided to throw some of those in as well even though the original recipe did not call for them. They are very good warm while the caramel is all gooey but I am afraid it may harden after they cool. Only time will tell. Either way, it is a GREAT addition and these are wonderful with a scoop of cinnamon icecream!

Next time:

I may try Heath bits instead of the Caramel bits to add a toffee/carmel flavor. Nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts would be good as well.

I will also chop the apples into smaller chunks (about 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch). Some of my chunks were pretty big and caused for uneaven spreading while baking and made it difficult for the cookies to hold their shape (do to the low ratio of dough to apples) and are not as sturdy as most cookies.

I may make a cinnamon/creamcheese filling/frosting and turn some into "Carmel Apple Whoopie Pie Cookies" even though they are not the sturdiest, I bet it would be messy but good.

I will be making these again for sure, especially with Spring here it is a nice change of pace.

Apple Jacks

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup apple chopped (I would small dice 1 small-medium apple)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Kraft Carmel bits or Heath Baking bits (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with Parchment or lightly spray with PAM.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

Beat the butter with a mixer and add the sugar, vanilla and egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Fold in the apple pieces (and any other add-ins).

Drop the dough onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these spread a bit).

Bake for 9-12 minutes or until light brown and edges are set. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: *DO NOT store completely covered or they will be very very soft and not hold up well due to the moisture in the apples. I find storing loosely covered in the fridge helps them keep their texture, however then the Caramel Bits get hard. I am thinking Toffee Chips might be a better addition next time. These really are best the day you bake, especially after they have cooled a bit but are still warm!

*These are really good with cinnamon icecream and hot caramel sauce.

Blogging with a Purpose!

Wow! What a wonderful way to celebrate Spring than to receive an award? Bethany at this little piggy went to market bestowed upon me the "Blogging with a Purpose" award. What an honor to receive an award by a fellow blogger! I am just excited fellow bloggers actually read my blog and know it exists. It is my little hobby and there are no bells and whistles but none of my recipes are too "fancy" anyway. I tend to stick to recipes that anyone can whip up in a pinch to satisfy their sweet tooth or the sweet teeth of others!

Time to spread the love and nominate a few of my faves:

1.First up is Beth at Our Sweet Life. I love her blog and can not wait to make her Creme Brulee! It looks wondeful and I have never tried to make one before. Her picture is enough to inspire anyone to give it a go!

2.Anna from Cookie Madness has caused me to go mad over all of her baked goods! My gosh she updates often and almost all updates include a mouth watering photo of the recipe as well as Anna's hints or tips for making the recipe. How great is that??

3.Katie from The HyperHome Maker has really caused me to get my life organized. I am inspired by her amount of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to everything domestic. She is truly a Godess!! You have to check out her blog!!

4.BiscuitPusher from the Biscuit Pusher is one of my favorite blogs. She is constantly updating with great recipes and photos that are drool-worthy! I am totally eyeing her Peanutbutter Banana Bars!

5.Last but not least is Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments, there are so many comforting recipes on her blog that take me right back to my childhood! Fried Chicken anyone?? Love it!

Award-winners, here's what you should do:

1. nominate 5 blogs which haven't had this award before

2. each of the blogs must have a purpose

3. the nominated blogs must make a link back to this page

4. the logo from the award must be put on their blog and it must link back to this blog!

Incognito

Yup, I am at it again with the Peanut Butter. Be honest though, can you ever have too many desserts with Peanut Butter and Chocolate?? I think not.

This recipe comes from my Grandma's recipe box. Deceivingly these were titled Peanut Butter Bars, but as you can see these look more like a brownie than a Peanut Butter bar! In reality these moist little bars are more like a brownie with a slight Peanut Butter undertone than what I think a Peanut Butter bar to be so I am changing their name to Incognito Bars (because the PB flavor is undercover in these chocolatey-looking bars).

These bars are thick, moist and all in all very good. I will be making these again and I really liked the simplicity of the recipe and how quick they came together.

*Next time I might increase the amount of Peanut Butter by 2 TBS and increase the amount of cocoa powder to 3TBS total(decreasing the amount of flour by 1 TBS so the texture and consistency of the bars remains unchanged). I might also add mini chocoalte chips or those mini Reese's PB baking cups or chips to the batter before baking.

As you can see, I have several ideas in mind for these little babies in the near future because these bars were very good and worth a try.

I tasted one of these babies while they were warm and found the flavor of both the chocolate and Peanut Butter to be too subtle for my liking. I felt they needed to be "Jazzed" up a bit. So, I whipped up a simple Chocolate/Peanut Butter 'frosting' and topped with crumbled a Butterfinger bar.

The Result? MMMMM, finger licking good!

I did notice, however, after cooling the flavor of the bars themselves seemed to deepen a bit and you can taste the chocolate and peanut butter a little more than right out of the oven. Because their flavor seems to deepen after they set a few hours/overnight you may want to try these bars after they have cooled and set without the frosting/candy bar topping to see if you feel they need that extra sweetness.
I found them to be great with the additions by my tooth has been known to be pretty sweet!

Incognito Bars
1/3 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 TBS cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (if desired)
Chopped/Crushed Candy bars (if desired, Butterfinger's pictured)

Preheat oven to 325.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
In a medium mixing bowl cream the peanut butter, butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and beat well. Slowly add the flour mixture.
Spread batter in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool.
Frost if desired and sprinkle with crushed Butterfinger bar (as pictured) or Chopped Reese's PB cups.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (Optional)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (creamy)
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 TBS shortening

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, stir toghter Peanut Butter, chips and shortening until smooth. You can add more Peanut Butter or Chocolate chips depending how much frosting you want and to taste.
Gently Spread Evenly over bars. Sprinkle with crushed/chopped candy if desired.

S'more Goodies!

These bars are very good, messy, but good!
I got the recipe out of an old church cookbook and couldn't wait to try them because they combine the goodness of a S'more: graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows in an ooey gooey bar. Another reason these bars caught my eye is that they do not require any bake time! Perfect for summer days when you don't want to use your oven but still want a tastey sweet!

These were a breeze to make and so good that I was eating them out of the pan with a spoon before they were cool. After cooling some they were easier to cut and serve, however, they did crumble a bit but the taste makes up for the mess factor in my opinion!

I am not sure how long these would stay fresh and chewy because I took them to work and they were gone in minutes.

S'mores Bars

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup butter (no substitutions)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

15 crushed graham crackers (I used 9 rectangular crackers)

1 1/2 cups small marshmallows

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Pour mixture in bowl with the graham crackers, marshmallows and chcolate chips. Stir to combine. (Marshmallows and chips will melt a bit).

Fold in remaining marshmallows and chips.

Press mixture into prepared pan.
Cool until set. Remove foil and bars from pan, cut and serve. Store in airtight container either room temp or in fridge (if during warm months).

Ooey Gooey Peanut Buttery!

I have been craving a Peanut Butter sweet lately and had a jar to use up. I went searching for a recipe and found this winner on the Jif website! I did top the bars with some chopped Reese's cups before covering in marshmallows because I had some to use up and really Reese's PB cups make any dessert a little better! These taste fabulous!

I really really liked the taste and texture of these bars. The base has a nice Peanut Butter flavor and is light in texture. It is topped with a layer of melted Peanut Butter and then covered Marshmallows (and chopped PB cups in my version) and then baked again until the Marshmallows puff and bec0me light brown. Do not overbake or the Marshmallows will be hard and crisp.

My one complaint about these bars is that they are VERY difficult to cut and eat. The marshmallows stick to the knife (even after greasing the knife) when cutting making them not look too pretty. Also, the PB/marshmallow topping does not stay on the base while cutting and eating. The topping stuck to the knife and got pulled off of the crust slightly. This happened again while eating. I do admit, that I did not allow these to cool completely before cutting and serving so that may have been the problem. The seperation of the cookie base and toppings did not affect the taste, these were soooooo good!! For flavor I give them a 9! The chopped Reese's PB cups really added that extra Peanut Butter flavor I was craving and will continue to add them when making this recipe. I will definately be making them again very soon. Next time I will cool completely to see if that makes a difference in cutting and serving.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars
adapted from Jif
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 salt
1/2 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
7-8 individual Reese's PB cups chopped (more or less to taste)

Heat oven to 350.
Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish with PAM spray.
In a large bowl combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, peanut butter, sugar and egg.
Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Beat until well blended.
Cover. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Press into prepared dish. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.
Do not over-bake. Cool 2 to 3 minutes.
Place peanut butter in microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Pour over cookie base. Spread to cover.
Cover Peanut Butter layer with chopped Reese's PB cups and marshmallows. Return to oven. Bake 5 minutes or until marshmallows are light brown. Do not over-bake.
Loosen from sides of dish with knife. Remove dish to cooling rack.
Cool completely.

An Oldie but a Goodie!

Once again I made a batch of Blondies. It is a recipe I have made a million times but just haven't taken pictures. I had my camera out tonight so I thought I would snap a couple pictures to share.

I am in love with this recipe and love its versitility. I have tried more combinations of add-ins than I can count and each time they turn out Delish! I added toasted pecans, toffee pieces and white chocolate chunks to this batch. Here are some other variations I have really enjoyed but feel free to mix and match add-ins to meet your tastes!

Cinnamon chips/ Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl/Cinnamon

PB chips/Milk Chocolate Chips/Reese's Pieces

Dried Cranberries/White Chocolate Chunks/ Toasted Walnuts

Toffee pieces/Toasted Pecans/Butterscotch chips
Diced apples/cinnamon/Cinnamon chips

Reese's PB cups, chopped/ Grated Hershey's bar

Toasted Coconut/Macadamian nuts

Blonde Magic

Magic Cookie Bars that is!
I LOVE the famous Magic Cookie bars, also known as 7 layer bars. The first time I had one of these chocolate/butterscotch/coconut goodies was at a church bakesale when I was a little girl. Ah the memories.

As a child I loved the taste, as an adult I also love that these bars are so quick to prepare and the possibilities are endless for the goodies to layer on. I had a bunch of slivered almonds to use up so I created a chocolate-free Magic Cookie bar, as I have named the Blonde Magic Cookie Bar. Ok, it's not chocolate-free as it does use white chocolate, but it is still Blonde! ha ha

I based my recipe off of the one from the Eagle brand website but altered it greatly. These bars turned out great! The toasting of the nuts and coconut before baking really intensify the flavors and the white chocolate melts to creamy goodness with its mild taste pairing beautifully with the almonds, coconut and almond flavored Sweet and Condesed Milk. All of this goodness lies atop a tender and buttery graham cracker crust. This recipe is a definate keeper in this house!


Blonde Magic Cookie Bars
adapted from Eagle Brand
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used 4 whole graham crackers and 1 half)
7 ounces (1/2 can) Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1 cup coarsley chopped white baking chocolate (NOT white chocolate chips, they melt differently)
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (toasted)
1 cup slivered almonds (toasted)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil. Lightly spray with PAM.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Evenly spread coconut on half of baking sheet and the slivered almonds on the other half.
Toast in preheated oven for 10 minutes stirring every 3 minutes for even browning and to prevent burning.

In 8x8 baking pan, melt butter in oven (can be done while coconut and almonds are toasting). Once melted remove from oven. Sprinkle crumbs over melted butter and gently pat to cover bottom of pan.
Combine the 7oz. of Sweetened Condensed Milk and Almond extract, stir to combine.

Once the coconut and nuts are finished toasting remove from oven. Evenly sprinkle almonds over prepared crust, next sprinkled the chopped white chocolate over the almonds.
Evenly sprinkle the toasted coconut over the nuts and chocolate. Gently pour the Sweetened Condensed milk/almond extract mixture evenly over coconut layer.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Want one?

These will Vanish Quickly

Oh how I do love this recipe. I recently blogged about my love for the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. It truly is one of the best oatmeal cookie recipes out there in my opinion. The last time I made the recipe I used raisins that had soaked in some vanilla and warm water (to plump up) and they were great (this coming from someone who doesn't really care for raisins!).

Today I decided to whip up another batch of cookies using the Quaker recipe. This time I omitted the cinnamon, subbed Almond Extract for the vanillla extract and added some coconut. The results are Fabulous! The coconut makes these cookies a little sturdier and heartier. They have a lightly crisp exterior and edged but the interior is moist and bursting with flavor. The almond/coconut flavors play off of each brilliantly. Next time I might throw in some Milk Chocolate chips or chopped pecans/almonds not that these cookies need anything more, I just like to experiment. I suggest you make these sooner rather than later!

Vanishing Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
adapted from Quaker
2 sticks margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) (I used)
2 1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (I used Quick Cooking)

1/2 -1 cup Coconut (more or less to taste and texture: You don't want the dough too dry to stick together to form balls)


Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and almond extract; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add oats and 1/2 cup coconut; mix well. Add more coconut up to 1 full cup until desired consistency (and taste is achieved).

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

TCHO chocolate

I just got mine through Blake. I can't wait to blog about it later this week!! Stay tuned.

A Vanishing Act

I baked something I seldom do, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. As much as I bake oatmeal cookies, I usually add pretty much anything BUT raisins (walnuts, chocolate chips, cranberries, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, M&M's............. not all at once!).

Well, today I was feeling rebelious and thought I would throw caution to the wind and add Raisins to my Oatmeal Cookies! I used a Tried and True recipe from the lid of the Quaker Oatmeal Box!

This recipe produces everything an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie should be, in my opinion, soft, chewy, wholesome (yet not "healthy" tasting) with a hint of cinnamon. The raisins were a welcomed addition to this much loved and altered Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

by Quaker Oats

2 sticks margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) (I used)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) (I used Quick Cooking)

1 cup raisins (I soaked in warm water and vanilla for 10 minutes and drained before using)

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies

I haven't baked forever (stupid work, keeping me busy) and couldn't wait to whip up some goodies this morning. I had half a block of cream cheese that needed to be used up and decided to experiment a bit and add a Cheesecake Swirl to a slight variation of my Basic Blondie recipe.

The results were great, even though the colors of the cheesecake swirl and the blondies blend together so it is hard to distinguish between the two visually. The cinnamon in the Cheesecake swirl was not overpowering and complimented the cinnamon chips and the hint of cinnamon I added to the blondie recipe nicely.

These were really good warm with a scoop of cinnamon icecream and warm carmel sauce drizzled over the top. MMM.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies
6 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Hershey's Brand Cinnamon Chips (optional, white chocolate chips or walnuts would be good as well)

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl
5 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
2 TBS flour
1 tsp pure Vanilla
1 egg yolk

In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and beat just until combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.

Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour baking powder and cinnamon.
Mix in Cinnamon Chips and/or nuts or other chips (if using)

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Dollup cinnamon cream cheese mixture over blondie batter in pan.
Run a knife through the blondie and cheesecake layers to create a pattern or swirls.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 27 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

You made my Day!

I would like to extend a huge "Thank You" to Chelley at Sugar and Spice for making my day! to I love Chelley's blog and visit it often for tride and true savory and sweet recipes. I admire her for the way she is constantly challenging herself with new recipes and techniques while participating in many "recipe challenges" such as the Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie.

Thanks again Chelley for making my Day!

Now, I am to pass along the good will to 10 other people that make my day… Deborah, Katie, Janey, Ally, Ashley, Erin, Jaime, Nikki, Julia, and Emily.

Please pass this along to 10 people that make your day!

Cinnamon Coins

These bite sized cookies are perfect for snacking and fit perfectly in a lunch box for a quick afternoon snack. The great thing about these cookies is that you can make the dough days before baking and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Unlike many of my cookies that are soft, these are cookies that you slice from a preformed chilled dough log that has been rolled in Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw). The sweet, coarse texture of the Turbinado sugar is a nice contrast to the slightly spicy cinnamon flavoring and chips in the cookie. While the original recipe did not call for pecans, I find they add a welcomed flavor addition.

I crushed the left over cookies and used as ice cream topping and added to crushed graham crackers to make a pie crust for a cheesecake. So yummy!

Cinnamon Coins
from Cuisine at Home Holiday Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup coarsley chopped Cinnamon Chips (I used Hershey's brand)**
1/4 cup finely crushed pecans (my addition)
Turbinado Sugar (to roll dough logs)

**Make sure the Cinnamon chips are chopped or you will not be able to slice the chilled dough log into uniform slices. You can leave the cinnamon chips out if desired, just up the amount of cinnamon in the recipe a bit (to taste)

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined. Gently fold in the flour, cinnamon chips and pecan pieces until combined. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Generously sprinkle a smooth countertop with Turbinado sugar.

Roll each dough half in the sugar into a 20 inch long dough rope. Add more sugar as needed to coat and prevent the dough log from sticking. Wrap dough ropes in Seran wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm. The longer chilled the easier to slice.


When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchement paper. Slice dough ropes into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on baking sheet leaving 1 inch between each slice of dough.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes and transfer to rack to cool completely. Store in air-tight container.

Excellent

Wow! What an honor to have your blog be declared "Excellent" by a fellow blogger. A big thanks to Annie for the giving me this award. I love her blog as it has many tried and true favorites that have always been a success whenever I have made them. My blog is mostly sweets and baked goods. I love to cook but baking has captured my heart and I love to blog about my trials and errors. Being recognized for my fun hobby is a true honor that I am happy to pass along to the following bloggers whom I admire and feel are "Excellent"

1. Culinary Infatuation - Ally's blog serves as my "go-to" blog when I want a sure fire hit that I know my friends and family will love. Her creativity with common ingredients is always welcome and have yet to fail me.

2. Good Eats and Sweet Treats- Just as the title of her blog claims, it is full of wonderful recipes. I love love love Jaime's blog. Often times when I have a recipe in mind, she has just blogged about something very simlar. I guess great minds think alike! Her blog is full of wonderful sweets and great savory recipes that will please even the pickiest eaters.

3. Mary Ellen- I can't say enough about this blog. her recipes are winners and she offers new ways to cook and serve everything from chicken to rice. I love that she is always experimenting with recipes and offers suggestions as to how to improve upon one of her recipes ourselves. Her soups are to die for and are great when you are looking for something a little more 'special' than the same old recipe.

4. Sweet Savory Southern - Last but not least is Renea's blog. her blog is a no-nonsense approach to cooking that focuses on flavor and good old home-cooking. I love checking out her blog when I am in the mood for a good old piece of cake or chicken (she has over 25 recipes for chicken alone). This is one blog that offers recipes that make you feel at home!