Blueberry Coffee Cake

I made this coffee cake last week when I had girl friends over for tea. It was a big success.



The recipe is quite simple.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch pan. Sift together 4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine 2/3 cup flour and 2/3 cup sugar. Cut in 6 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over top of batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

I'm linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Strawberry Omelet

It’s the strawberry season! So my family and I can now enjoy one of our favorite omelets! I found the recipe online a few years ago, and it’s very delicious. A true special occasion breakfast!

6 eggs
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ cup sliced strawberries
confectioner’s sugar

In a bowl, beat the eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Heat butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; add egg mixture. As the eggs set, lift edges letting uncooked portion flow underneath.

When the eggs are almost set, sprinkle cream cheese, brown sugar and one cup strawberries on one side. Fold omelet in half. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until brown sugar begins to melt.

Top with remaining strawberries and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

I'm linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Black Forest Cake

My family loved this cake! I made it for my husband’s birthday. The original recipe is from allrecipes.com. I couldn’t find sour cherries, so I used two cans of store bought cherry pie filling instead of making my own cherry topping.





2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.

Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pastry brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of the cake.


It's been a while since I participated in Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, so I'm happy to join in today.

And I'm also happy to join Potpourri Friday @ 2805 and Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Linzer Torte Cookies

Back in November, I bought a Linzer torte cookie cutter in hope of using it during the Holiday Season. But even though I did quite a lot of baking during the holidays, I didn’t get to try my new cookie cutter.

A few days ago, I finally got to use it. The cookies came out wonderfully! I loved this recipe, which originally is from Joy of Baking.



1 cup sliced almonds

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

Zest of 1 lemon (outer yellow skin of lemon)

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1/2 cup Raspberry or Black Currant Preserves or Jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place rack in the center of the oven. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes (or until lightly browned and fragrant). Once the nuts have cooled, place in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Beat in the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and shape into two rectangles about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. Wrap the two rectangles of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour and up to several days).

Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter (3/4 - 1 inch) to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)

Reroll any scraps and cut out the cookies. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll and cut out the rest of the cookies. Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the confectioner’s sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the confectioner’s sugar. Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam if needed.

Note: You can store the unassembled cookies in the refrigerator for several days in an airtight container. It is best, though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the cookies crisp.

Makes about 20 - 2 inch sandwiched cookies.

I'm linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for a Cookie Exchange Party

Tomorrow, my husband has a cookie exchange party at work. I planned to make either Scandinavian chess cookies or Linzer Torte cookies, but didn’t have much time for elaborate baking. Instead, I baked these easy to make yet tasty chocolate chip cookies. I use this recipe quite often; it was printed on a flour bag.

I am excited to see what kind of home-made cookies my husband will bring back tomorrow.



1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp soda
1 (12 oz) package chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts

Cream sugars and margarine. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes.

I'm linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Carrot Souffle

2 pounds carrots, chopped
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain and mash. Add melted butter, white sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 8 servings.

I'm linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Cilantro Pesto

This cilantro pesto is just as delicious as the traditional basil one, but its ingredients are a bit less expensive. My family loved it with pasta!



1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil (or a bit less)

In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.

I'm linking this recipe to:
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Potpourri Friday @ 2805.

Eggplant Parmesan

Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post in which I bragged about the eggplants I grew. Some of you asked if I’m going to show them cooked. And I thought I should!

I’ve been using this Eggplant Parmesan recipe for a few years now. It’s quite simple, and my husband says it tastes just the same as at an Italian restaurant.



3 eggplant, peeled and sliced about ¾ inches thick
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes on each side.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

I got to go; the trick-or-treaters are at the door.
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween!

Strawberry and Banana Stuffed French Toast

My munchkin and I had these stuffed French toasts with tea for breakfast today. After each bite of his toast, he would say “Mmmm” and after each sip of his tea he would say “Aahhhh”. That’s how I concluded the recipe is worth sharing.



1 loaf French bread
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup chopped strawberries
¼ cup chopped banana
6 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

Cut French bread into eight 1 ½ inch slices. Make pocket in each slice by cutting slit from top of bread almost to bottom.

Combine jam, cream cheese, strawberries and banana in small bowl to make filling. Place heaping tablespoon of strawberry filling into each pocket. Press back together.

Beat eggs and milk in wide shallow bowl (even though not in the recipe, I added a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, and a bit of ground cinnamon as well). Add bread; let stand to coat, then turn to coat other side.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add as many bread slices as will fit; cook until brown. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices.
Makes 8 slices.

I'm linking this recipe to:
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Potpourri Friday @ 2805.

Spinach and Feta Bake

This bake is one of the favorite spinach recipes in our family. It is best served cold so all the flavors can fully develop.



1 lb spinach
5 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped mint
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
4 ounces feta, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently cook the washed spinach in a saucepan until soft. Put the spinach in a colander to drain off all the excess water. Press the spinach down with the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely.

In a bowl stir the eggs lightly to combine the yolks and white. Add the chopped spinach, mint and cumin. Stir in feta and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit), for 25-30 minutes, or until just set. Leave until cold then cut into wedges or squares to serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Today I'm joining:
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Potpourri Friday @ 2805.

Three-Course Ukrainian Dinner

In my last post, I shared the Ukrainian tablescape that I set to celebrate Ukraine Independence Day.

And today, I want to share what we had for dinner than night.



For the first course we had borscht (a beetroot soup that is popular in many East-European countries). I learned to make borscht a long time ago and I cook it quite often. However, making the same old borsht for a special dinner wouldn’t be any special!
So I searched the web for a new and exciting recipe, and I found it here. At first, I was skeptical about the recipe, but it turned out pretty good and my family liked it.
This is my official special occasion borscht recipe now!



For the second course, we had cabbage rolls and boiled potatoes. Cabbage rolls (another dish common in Ukraine) consist of meat and grain filling (such as beef and rice, or pork and barley) wrapped in cooked cabbage leaves.
My family is vegetarian, so I had to get creative about the filling. I substituted ground beef with vegetarian Morning Star crumbles. I must admit I wasn’t too happy about it, I think next time I will omit meat altogether and add more seasoning. Anyway, you can see the original recipe here.



For the sweet course, we had thin pancakes that are similar to crepes. In Russian they are called blini, and if memory serves me right in Ukrainian they are called nalesniki. I learned to make them when I was a little girl, so I don’t follow a measured recipe and don’t have one to share with you today.

I served my blini with homemade plum jam that I made just the day before. The plums came from my (neighbor’s) garden; they weren’t very big but very sweet. I followed the measuring from this recipe, but I didn’t peel my plums as suggested in the recipe.



I now only have to tell you what we drank during our celebration. My husband suggested Horilka (Ukrainian vodka), but I did not approve. Instead, I made a fruit drink that I remember my mom and grandmother making back in Ukraine. It’s kind of like fruit punch. It’s made by boiling fresh fruits in a big amount of water. When the fruits release their juices and aromas, sugar is added. The drink is strained and chilled, and the fruits are discarded.

And this was our traditional Ukraine Independence Day celebration dinner! It might sound simple, but it actually took me two days to make it!

I’m joining Stone Gable for On the Menu Monday Link Party.

Tuscan Chickpea Soup

My blogging friend Sheila recently returned from a vacation in Italy. On her blog, she shared pictures and cultural notes about the town of Cortona in Tuscany. I’ve never been there, so I really enjoyed Sheila’s photo tour. I even went a step farther and took a “culinary trip” to Tuscany :-)

I found the recipe for Tuscan chickpea soup on My Recipes. The soup is delicious and easy to make.



2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Serve sprinkled with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

I'm contributing this recipe to Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum and sharing it at Home Sweet Home Friday @ The Charm of Home.

I'm also joining Friday Potluck Recipe Hop @ EKat's Kitchen.

Carrot Buns

A few days ago, I was going to visit my mom and I wanted to bring something along. I looked for a simple recipe that wouldn’t require a trip to the grocery store. This recipe seemed easy and didn’t ask for buttermilk or sour cream (as many other baking recipes). So I thought I’ll give it a try.

I was surprised how delicious these carrot buns were. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything this good from carrots. My family loved them too, so I had to make another batch.



¾ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ cups grated carrots
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tray or use paper cases.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and water, then stir in the carrots.

Sift over the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to blend.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tray, filling the cups almost to the top. Bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, about 35 minutes. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes in the muffin tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Today, I am linking to:

Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

This delicious appetizer is easy to make. I make it throughout the summer with tomatoes, garlic, and basil from my garden.



6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I'm sharing this recipe at:

Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum.

Spanakorizo or Greek Spinach Rice

A few days ago, I was surfing one of my favorite cooking blogs Closet Cooking, and I came across this rice recipe. It’s quite simple to prepare and makes a nice side dish or even a light lunch.



1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 bunch spinach (roughly chopped)
1 cup long grained rice
2 1/2 cups broth or water
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup dill (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled, optional)

Heat the oil in a pan.Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts.

Add the rice, broth or water, parsley, dill; season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.

Hit with a splash lemon juice and garnish with feta.

Makes 4 servings.

I am sharing this recipe at:

Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green,
Made from Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro,
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff,
and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ At the Well.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

On Monday I made sour cream scones and they were all gone the same day! However, I had some sour cream left and I felt like baking again, so yesterday I tried this simple recipe for coffee cake.

I wish it didn’t turn out so good! You see I’m trying to lose weight, but I couldn’t resist having couple pieces of this delicious dessert with a cup of cappuccino. And that doesn’t help to lose weight at all.



1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat until combined.

Pour half the batter into a greased (I lined mine with parchment paper) 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle about 3/4 of topping over batter. Add remaining batter and topping.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I am joining:

Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli n Son.

Quick and Easy Eclair Cake

Not long ago, on allrecipes.com I discovered the recipe of a delicious dessert that can be quickly made with only few ingredients. The recipe proved to be very handy in the situations when I didn’t have time to bake a real cake and didn’t feel like going to the store to buy one.

The cake can be made in less than thirty minutes, but it needs to be chilled in the fridge for a few hours.

The recipe suggests making the cake in a baking pan, but I actually make mine on a big dish. And if I have raspberries or strawberries at hand, I decorate the cake with them.



2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package graham cracker squares
1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, whipped topping, and milk.

Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.

Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

I am joining the following link parties:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle,
Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairy Tale,
Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green,
Made from Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro,
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff,
Two Maids a Baking @ Two Maids a Milking,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum.

Cheddar Cheese Puffs

It has been a while since my last kitchen experiment. And even though I spend a lot of time in the kitchen every day, it is only occasionally that I try something new. For me to attempt a completely new recipe, I need to be in a special jolly mood. Only then the recipe will work out for me.

I am in such mood today. And why not to be? The weather is wonderful, the roses are blooming, and my sweet children are sleeping soundly.

So to the kitchen to bake savory cheddar cheese puffs with a hint of rosemary!



½ cup water
¼ cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 eggs
½ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the water and the butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

When boiling and butter has melted, remove from the heat and add all the flour at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add grated cheese, rosemary, and a few grinds of pepper and beat again.

Put dessertspoonfuls of the mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.



I'm joining:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle,
Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairy Tale,
Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green,
Made from Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro,
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum.

Dying Eggs the Old Way

I am not very fond of artificial colorings, so this year I’m dying Easter eggs the way my mom and grandmother did back in Ukraine – with onion skins.



It’s pretty easy to do. You will need lots of onion skins from yellow, red, or both onions. I had been collecting the skins for a few weeks; my guess would be that they were from 8-10 pounds of onions. I collected both yellow and red ones.

Put the onion skins into a pot and cover well with water. Boil the skins for ten minutes, so they will release the color. Put aside and let cool.

Now to the decorative part. The trick here is to make small tight mesh bags from nylons (specifically for this purpose, I bought a new pair of nylons from a Goodwill store for only fifty cents), and insert inside a parsley leaf. The leaf will stick nicely to the egg if you wet it.

When all the eggs are in the mesh bags, put them in the pot with onion skins and boil as you would usually do. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and let cool.

Remove and discard the nylon mesh bags and parsley leaves. Now you have beautiful Easter eggs dyed with nature’s coloring.



I am joining all these link parties:

Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove,
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home,
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Hodgepodge Friday @ It’s a Hodgepodge Life,
Flaunt it Friday @ Chic On a Shoestring Decorating.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter.
Oh wait! One more thing!

I would like to thank you all for your kind comments and best wishes on my previous post. I appreciate your concern about me and my little one. A heart-felt thank you from me and my family.

Candied Orange Peel

Rainy winter days are perfect for kitchen experiments! My latest one was this candied orange peel.

It’s very delicious and so easy to make! I used the recipe from this site, but I decreased the amount of sugar.



3 oranges (washed)
2 cups water (divided)
¾ cup sugar plus more for tossing

Cut off the top and bottom of the oranges. Cut each orange into four or five vertical pieces and carefully remove the peel. Cut peel into thin strips.



Bring one cup of water to boil and cook the peel strips for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them.

In a medium saucepan heat ¾ cups of sugar and one cup of water until boiling. Add the peel strips and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the peels from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and leave them on a paper towel to dry for a few hours.



Toss the orange peel strips in sugar and leave on a wire rack to dry for 1-2 days. Store in an airtight container.



For a festive twist, you can dip the orange peel strips in chocolate.

Today, I'm joining all these parties:
Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairy Tale,
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace,
Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green,
Made from Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro,
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff.

Also, Brittany at Real Sustenance invited me to join her Seasonal Sunday link party.