A couple of weeks ago I was visiting my sister in Oklahoma City. We were transferring her massive amount of books from bookshelves in one room to bookshelves in another room. One cookbook that was in her collection was from The Pampered Chef, called Delightful Desserts.

Thumbing through the book I found recipe after recipe after recipe that I wanted to try! The book was full of impressive desserts that were simple in preparation and fun, everyday type desserts that little ones could help put together. I was impressed and a little bummed that I did not have one of these cookbooks to call my own.
That evening, I made a recipe from the cookbook. Cream Puff Squares tasted just like a real cream puff, only in bar form. Delicious!

My sister had pity on me and my measly cookbook collection and sent the Pampered Chef Delightful Desserts cookbook home to Kansas City with me. Her generosity was not  wasted. The past few desserts I have made have been selected from this great cookbook!

Delightful Desserts came in handy this past weekend when my kids had their heart set on making S’Mores over the outside firepit. When the temp spiked, we decided that it was way too warm to be lighting the firepit. Instead, I made these delicious S’more bars . . . no campfire needed! They were a huge hit and quickly turned frowns back into grins.

If you are looking for a cookbook that features delicious recipes sure to impress, then pick up a copy of Delightful Desserts today.  It is well worth adding to your collection!

S’Mores Galore from the Delightful Desserts Pampered Chef Cookbook

10 whole honey graham crackers — (about 5 x 2″), divided
6 bars milk chocolate — (1.55 ounces each), coarsely
chopped
1 package mini marshmallows — (16 ounces), divided
6 tablespoons butter or margarine — divided
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350º.

Arrange a single layer of graham crackers to completely cover bottom of bar
pan, breaking crackers to fit. Toast in oven 2 minutes. Remove pan to
cooling rack.

Coarsely break remaining graham crackers into large bowl. Set aside.

Combine 3 cups of marshmallows, 3 tablespoons of the butter, and milk;
microwave on high 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Add half of the chopped
chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over graham crackers in pan.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Toss with remaining graham crackers.

Add remaining marshmallows and chopped chocolate. Toss lightly.

Spoon mixture evenly in pan.Bake 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into bars.

Serve warm or cool.

This is why I was pleasantly surprised when the 30th Anniversary Issue arrived in my mailbox and the number of recipes that peaked my interest more than made up for the lack of recipes I had bookmarked in recent months. This issue of Food & Wine magazine takes us back to what I consider to be classic Food & Wine style . . . recipes that are elegant and unique, yet not so overwhelmingly complicated that it turns novice cooks away.

Some of the recipes that caught my eye were Chunky Guacamole with Cumin, Watermelon Salad with Feta, Triple-Tomato Penne, Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken, Skillet Apple Charlotte, Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas, Stir Fried Five Spice Pork with Lettuce Cups, and my favorite . . . Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel Filling.

Thank you Food & Wine for bringing classic back and sharing with us some of the trends of the past and the future.  I can only hope that one trend that falls into my mailbox each month is a Food & Wine magazine packed with great recipes that readers like me love.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel Filling

ingredients

I am passionate about family mealtime. I grew up in a house where mealtime was a priority, and we almost always had at least one meal together as a family each day. Sitting around the table as kids was where our most important conversations happened. We had the best laughs, the best debates (aka fights when you and your sister had major sibling rivalry), and where we recapped the events of our day … both the good and the bad. I cannot even imagine all that my parents would have missed out on in our lives had it not been a priority that we sit down to dinner each and every night as a family.

Anytime I have the opportunity to support and acknowledge someone who shares those same important mealtime values, I jump at the chance. Enter the new cookbook by Carol McManus, Table Talk - Food, Family, Love. Carol resides on Martha’s Vineyard, owns her own cafe, and still encourages people to eat at home and enjoy dinner together as a family. She is as passionate about sharing quick-to-the-table, delicious meals in her cookbook as she is about keeping family dinnertime a staple in households everywhere.

When Table Talk arrived in my mailbox on Saturday, I was immediately sucked in the second I opened the cookbook and read Carol’s forward. Then I continued to flip through the book, and you know what? I sat there and read through the entire thing, front to back. The recipes are very appealing, simple, and special … the majority have ingredients I already have on hand. The photography is stunning. Most importantly, the core values of Carol and her family shine through in each little snippet, quote, and story behind life on Martha’s Vineyard and the recipes to accompany such a life.

I do not get anything by encouraging you to purchase Table Talk … there is nothing in it for me. I would not recommend a cookbook to you if I absolutely did not love it. I can tell you that this is one cookbook that you will turn to time and time again. If not for the enticing recipes, for the reminder of the significant importance that sitting down together as a family, whether a family of 2 or 22, can have on your life.

Every day of my menu this week has recipes gathered from Table Talk. For more information, or to purchase Table Talk, visit www.tabletalkcookbook.com or visit your local Barnes and Noble.

Presidential Muffins from the Table Talk cookbook

3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ cup butter, melted

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

¾ cup blueberries

½ cup strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or use paper baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, combine melted butter, cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and eggs. Process until smooth. Pour liquid into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in fruit.
4. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Most sane moms would pick up their child and leave the store with their groceries unpurchased. Me? Nope - I continued to let her make a scene simply because I had these luscious, juicy, aromatic peaches in my cart and I couldn’t bear to walk out of the store without them. Women who apparently have never had children or who were as terribly annoyed as I was kept giving me dirty looks in the checkout lane. But as stubborn as my two-year-old, I refused to leave without my peaches.

And I can honestly say … all the dirty looks, all the built-up frustration, all the cussing at my husband for traveling for work this week, which led me to go to the store with my three kids in the first place … all of that was well worth it when I took my first juicy bite.

In fact, I may even brave the store with the temper-tantrum thrower again tonight. This simple recipe (even though my whipped lemon cream had a meltdown of its own) is worth any embarrassment I may face.

The August 2008 issue of Simple and Delicious magazine is full of great recipes for the season. Pick up a copy today to round out your summer with some great grilling ideas, uses for fresh ingredients, and quick and easy recipes.

Peaches with Lemon Cream, from Simple & Delicious, August 2008

Ingredients

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and lemon peel; beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until serving.  Brush cut sides of peaches with oil; place cut-side down on grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until peaches are tender and begin to caramelize.  Place peaches on dessert plates; fill with lemon cream mixture.  

Yield: 6 servings.

This happened recently when I was flipping through the June/July 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. A photograph for an appetizer called “Sky Blue Potatoes” caught my eye, and I immediately was intrigued. Then, I took a look at the ingredients and noticed that the “Blue” in the recipe title actually came from the fact that blue cheese is one of the prominent ingredients. I have never been a fan of blue cheese. I have always wanted to be, but each and every time I try it, it just does nothing for my tastebuds. I was still being tempted by the photo, so I decided to make this appetizer anyway.

This appetizer was not a huge amount of work, but to do all of that work only to discover that you still do not like blue cheese is a little disappointing.  I don’t know what I was expecting my tastebuds to do … did I really think they were going to make a big whopping change, just like that? Actually, yes … yes I did. I just thought that I’d make the recipe, take my first bite, and suddenly be in love with blue cheese! It didn’t happen, folks. In case you are wondering, I still am not a blue cheese fan.

This appetizer got a thumbs-up from the blue cheese lovers who tried it. If you are of the blue-cheese-loving group, you’ll love this appetizer. If you are not, I’ve done the work for you and can tell you … blue cheese still tastes like blue cheese no matter how tempting the photograph!

Sky Blue Potatoes, from Everyday with Rachael Ray, June/July 2008

I was at the park the other day and one of my son’s friends from school was there. His mom came up to me and said, “You know, there aren’t a lot of genuinely nice kids out there in the world, but your son is always so kind and nice . . . and not just to some kids. To everyone!” That, to me, was just about the best compliment I could hear about my children. My goal as a parent is to make sure they are good contributing members of society. I want them to treat others with respect and to be genuinely kind to people.

I feel the same way about companies that I do business with. I want to work with nice people. I want to do business with nice people. I want to associate with companies that have a heart, give back to their community, and are genuinely kind to their customers.

When I was contacted by the people at Country Bob’s to try out some of their sauces, I couldn’t help but agree to do it. First of all, the communication from Country Bob’s was so sincere . . . they really want to get the word out about how great their products are, but they also want honest feedback and wanted to know how I thought the blogging community could help them with their efforts to get the word out.

The package from Country Bob’s arrived last week on the best day that it could . . . I had chicken thawing for dinner, but I had no idea what I was going to do with it! When I opened the package from Country Bob’s, I pulled out a couple of bottles of their All Purpose Sauce and a copy of The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook. As I flipped through the cookbook, I noticed how clear and concise their message was . . . they seem to have a very strong faith and have built the foundation of their company on a value system that has a humble “do unto others” kind of spirit. I was very impressed, and even more impressed when I used their All Purpose Sauce to try out the recipe for Country Cacciatore Chicken. The All Purpose Sauce honestly seemed very much like a A1/Heinz 57 kind of sauce, but when I tasted it I realized how wrong I was. Similar in nature, the Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce has a very distinct blend of flavors with a little zip added in there for good measure.

To check out this impressive company for yourself, and to print off a coupon for a FREE bottle of Country Bob’s All Purpose sauce, take a look at the Country Bob’s Web site: www.countrybobs.com

Country Cacciatore Chicken, from The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbs minced garlic

1/2 cup butter

1 13-ounce bottle Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 pound boned chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

Saute the green, red, and yellow peppers; mushrooms; onion; and garlic in the butter in a large skillet until lightly browned. Add the Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and brown sugar and mix well. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the chicken. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice.

So each and every week my husband does kind things for me, and how do I return the favor? By continuing to have some version of tacos on our menu. Great for me! I love tacos! Hubby? Not so much. Since the beginning of our marriage, hubby has made it very clear his detest for tacos. He doesn’t like raw tomatoes, he hates just about any kind of bean, sour cream, and guacamole. He is one of the few people in the world who doesn’t go crazy for Mexican food or even Tex-Mex. I, however, love all things Tex-Mex and Mexican and so do my kids. This is why on a weekly basis, some form of taco-type dish hits our dinner table. You really can’t find anything easier that is as filling as tacos.

Every week, hubby sits down to dinner with a sigh and struggles through yet another taco meal. What can I say? He is so much nicer to me than I am to him. As the youngest of five, I have a bit of a selfish streak, and I don’t believe I should eliminate making what I like for dinner just because he doesn’t like it.

If you are on the “I like tacos” side like me, then let me share this quick and easy (plus light!) taco salad recipe from a back issue of Cooking Light magazine. If you don’t like tacos, tough! You can just sit there and pout while the rest of us enjoy.

Three Step Taco Salad

(Cooking Light magazine, July 2003)
1 pound ground sirloin
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2/3 cup bottled salsa
8 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
4 cups (4 ounces) bite-sized baked tortilla chips
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15-ounce) can kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced ripe black olives ( I omit)

Cook the beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl.

Combine the beef mixture, iceberg lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and beans in a large bowl. Drizzle the sour cream mixture over the salad, and toss gently. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and black olives. Serve immediately.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 2 cups)
CALORIES 217 (24% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 16.8g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 171mg; SODIUM 757mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.1g

Yesterday we spent the entire day… from sunup to sundown, outside. The kids played and played and played. We all got our first sunburns of the season (apparently a requirement with fair-haired, fair-skinned kiddos) and came inside at the end of the day absolutely exhausted.

So, on days like this, what does everybody crave for dinner? What is the official meal of carefree spring days? How about a big, steaming bowl of hot chili? No?? Yeah . . . chili in 70-degree weather is just about as much of a perfect match as Star Jones and Al Reynolds . . . which is not a match at all.

Being the rule breakers that we are, our family did enjoy big steaming bowls of chili for dinner. The reason being I have had this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray bookmarked for quite some time and I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting until winter comes along again to give it a try. It won the magazine chili cookoff and for very good reasons. This chili is hearty, robust, and soooooo good. I think it just might be our new go-to beef chili recipe.

If you are happily kissing winter good-bye but want to savor one or two more comforting recipes from the winter months, I say go for it. It just gives you that much more to look forward to trying again when the colder months return.

Tex-Mex Corn Chip Chili
(March 2008 issue of Rachael Ray magazine)

45 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6

One thing I never really thought to use Coastal Living magazine for was the recipes. In fact, I barely even noticed they were there . . . hidden between the last few pages of the magazine, past the classified-type ads, the recipes always seemed like an afterthought.

Last month, I noticed a delicious Crab Cake recipe tucked in the back pages. In the May 2008 issue, it is the mouth watering Curry-Mango Shrimp recipe that has me taking notice. I even picked up my back issues and found several fresh seafood and outdoor living recipes great for the warm months ahead.

When you are browsing through the magazine stand, deciding which cooking magazine to pick up, make sure you don’t discount Coastal Living magazine. A magazine about the lovely coastal lifestyle with some true recipe gems inside.

Curry-Mango Shrimp
from the May 2008 issue of Coastal Living magazine

1/2 cup mango chutney
3 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 10-inch metal skewers

Combine first 5 ingredients; brush half of mixture over shrimp. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Thread shrimp evenly onto skewers.

Grill shrimp, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350-400 degrees) 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink. Brush with remaining chutney mixture and serve over rice. Makes 2-3 servings.

Amy’s Table is a collection of recipes made with easily accessible ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables, make ahead instructions and easy tips to make it all pull together easily. Absolutely one of the most beautifully designed cookbooks I have seen in a long time, Amy’s Table is pleasure to the eye as well as the palate.

Recipes that had my mouth watering at the very sight of the photos were: Baked Cinnamon Apple Pancakes, Tequila-Spiked Fruit Salad with Lime, Rosmary Roast Beef Crostini, Black Bean with Bacon Soup, Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas, Fruit Tart with Gingersnap Cookie Crust, and what I made … Creamy Cheesecake. Exactly as it sounds, this creamy cheesecake is full of calories, but worth every bite!

For a great cookbook experience with lots of eye candy and elegant, yet simple recipes, pick up Amy’s Table.

Creamy Cheesecake

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Position oven racks to bottom and center positions. Place a roasting pan filled with water on the bottom rack. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add remaining ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Set cheesecake on the rack about the roasting pan filled with water. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven, leaving door closed. Do not open oven door. Let cake sit in closed oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool in the pan on a cooling rack. When completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To un-mold, run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Place a plastic wrapped tray over cake and invert. Remove the base, then re-invert.