Chocolate Torte

Saturday, April 26, 2014
 Chocolate Torte  is a cake I made for my own birthday. Every year someone surprises me with a cake I love and this year I wanted to make my own from scratch just because I had time. I was off and on vacation and needed to bake, it's my therapy.

This chocolate torte was the most decadent chocolate filled cake with ganache I ever had!  I just love the chocolate fudge ganache and filling oozing all over this cake .When I made this torte for my birthday, I thought it would be way to rich for me. Instead it was a must make every year and slice of pure chocolate heaven! It was much lighter in texture than I thought it would be for a scratch cake.



 Chocolate Torte  cake with a fudge ganache on top a cherry delicious cream filled chocolate cake on a plate for a birthday party. The cake is light in texture and made from scratch


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Las Vegas Trip Reviews

Thursday, April 24, 2014
Las Vegas Trip Reviews is all about sin city VIVIA Las Vegas, yes sin city, the rightful name in many ways.


Whatever you're looking for it's here.


Artwork, shops, gambling, food, drinks, escorts, sightseeing, recreations of places like New York, Rome Italy, France, Mexico, just to name a few.


The rest of the city has plenty to offer.


Don't miss out on strolling through Fremont Street Experiencing the light show.


The music is bright lights with famous bands above a covered rooftop and concerts throughout the night just by looking up at the ceiling.


I love a little history lesson at the Mob Museum or the Neon Museum, that was a fun stop and great tour.


Also amongst things to do is at Red Rock Canyon.


And if you have the time, plan a quick road trip to the Hoover Dam, which can also be accessed via helicopter tour or a bus tour which is definitely worth the time.


The Grand Canyon is quite further away than we thought as it's a little over 4-hour bus tour, however, if you're staying a while, not a bad idea to visit that historic area.





Las Vegas Trip Reviews


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Easter Peep Cocktail Recipe

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Aren't Peeps fun! I just love how they look and they sure are the perfect decoration for any food.

I love using peeps for decorating my cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and even this cocktail.

Easter is so much fun and not just for kids when having this fun adult beverage. Scroll down for this fun recipe for celebrating Easter.


this is a cocktail made at Easter with Peeps and tequila




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Easy Mock Easter Cassata Cake

Saturday, April 19, 2014
If you love the taste of Italian Easter Cassata, this is a doctored cake mix replica of those flavors using ricotta cheese, marble cake mix, and fruit and chocolate.

I love doctored cake mix recipes and when in a hurry to bring a cake to a dinner party, potluck, or just because the cake is outstanding in flavors, this is my first pick.

The recipe is super easy to prepare, the cheesecake ricotta layer on top is baked right in and it becomes a moist festive cake for Easter time for a quick dessert.

Our doctored marble cake mix bakes perfectly in just about any kind of pan although we use a 13 x 9 sheet and cut it into squares when ready to serve.

Save a few extra maraschino cherries and grated chocolate to sprinkle on top of a dollop of whipped cream and you will turn this ordinary cake into a beautiful addition to any dessert table.

We love making easy cakes with a cake mix and fooling everyone it's not from scratch.

I have made delicious Sour Cream Coffee Cupcakes using a cake mix, cookies, and even a Scrumptious Banana Cake Mix Cake that all taste like they were from scratch!

We even love using cookie mixes for great chocolate chip cheesecake bars!

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for this delicious easy doctored cake mix recipe!



mock cassata cake with ricotta cheese filled marble cake


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Cream of Coconut Cake

Wednesday, April 16, 2014
This fluffy pineapple and coconut combination in a cake is a coconut lover and pineapple dream cake.

A delightful doctored cake mix that will fool everyone it wasn't made from scratch and if you add some rum, it's more like a Pina Colada Cake!

The whipped cream and coconut that covers the cake are just perfect with this tender yellow, white, or even coconut cake mix to start out with.

The cake really has simple store-bought ingredients and the key to the sweet topping is a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut.

Perfect for celebration parties and with the addition of rum you can make this an adult pina colada cake for those who love that popular drink.

If you're looking for a special cake to bake for someone, this is a great choice and addition to your cake-baking recipe collection.

Coconut layer cake is one of our favorites and this one can even be made in a 13 x 9 pan.

You may also like to try our Maraschino Cherry Cake or Hummingbird Cake both delightful cakes.

Just scroll down to the bottom of this page, and click on print for our easy doctored cake mix recipe for Cream of Coconut Cake.


coconut and pineapple cake


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Fun Peep Easter Ideas

Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A childhood favorite and through adulthood, I love my marshmallow peeps.

They're such a festive Easter treat and I love using them to decorate with!

The Easter Holiday tables always bring a smile to everyone's face that sees my peep fest!

You can get as creative as you like.

Cakes, cookies, cupcakes with just a few fun ideas for the kids and young at heart.

I even make a pretty cool adult drink!

You will love these treats and it's easy for the kids to help and a great family Easter project.

Get creative, I love coming up with new ideas every year!





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My Favorite Desserts

Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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Cappellini Spinaci Pomodoro Alla Romana

Saturday, April 5, 2014
Pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, ripe tomatoes, and basil, this pomodoro sauce Cappellini Spinaci Pomodoro Alla Romana is a fabulous easy tasting authentic Italian pasta dish from the area of Rome, Italy.


This is a quick meal that can be made any weeknight and my Grandmother Victoria made me this dish often as a child.


Grandma was from Rome, Italy, and took simple ingredients and turned them into a labor of love plus a deliciously memorable meal each time she cooked.


The sauce was a basic marinara with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, oil, and a little white wine that usually cooked away as it boil.


This was usually served over a hand-cut egg pasta from scratch, a super-thin style with a simple sauce, and always a banquet to us.


this is pasta with marinara sauce authentic Italan recipe with fresh sauce and basil on top


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Julia Child’s Sauteed Mushrooms

Friday, April 4, 2014
This is an adapted recipe for Julia Child's sauteed mushrooms and one of my all time favorites.


Green onion, mushrooms, garlic, wine and of course a buttery coating make these over the top delicious.


I only altered the recipe slightly by adding red wine, Madiera is the wine of choice by Julia, so feel free to add that in it's place.


Her knowledge of French cooking is greatly appreciated and respected and this is just a favorite easy recipe and a go-to mushroom side dish we all love with any meat on the table your serving.
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an adapted mushroom recipe sauteed from the Jula Child Cookbook



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Tropical Grilled Fruit Kabobs

Tuesday, April 1, 2014
These are the best backyard Grilled Fruit Kabobs to free up your time for that next barbecue dessert you can ever make.

Thread any kinds of fruit on skewers and have them ready to grill then pass the fantastic topping bar for them to drizzle their favorite flavors on this warmed grilled delicious fruit kabob.

Our family loves warmed caramel, hot fudge, sprinkles toasted nuts, just to name a few and for the Adults just drizzle some or our recipe for Rum sauce, included below, or a fruit-flavored liqueur like Chambord or even Kahlua for a delicious party skewer.

The kids love the toasted coconut on them and the flavors on these fruit skewers can be plain and simple or they can choose from the many garnishes.

If you want to free up your time for that next backyard barbecue or picnic these are perfect and great for the beach too!

Scroll down for all our great suggestions and enjoy your next party and let your guests dress their own fruits with that super topping bar you set up with all our fun garnishes below!




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