Category Archives: recipes

Confession time: I grew up eating these delicious yummy waffles but this was the first time that I had actually made them myself.  My mom made these a lot for us, just like my grandma made for her.  It is my Grandma’s recipe and one that has definitely deserved to stay around all these years.  They are yummy!  In fact, they are my older brother’s all time favorite meal and they are pretty much a staple in his house.  Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it doesn’t matter.  And while I have made Belgian waffles before for some reason I had never used this recipe.  And now that I have made them I don’t think I’ll ever use anything but this one from now on!

There are two different ways to make these waffles, the lazy man way and the real way.  The real way involves separating the egg whites from the yolks and beating the whites until they are fluffy before adding them into the batter.  The lazy man way means you just add in the eggs whole and skip the step of separating the eggs.   And they really will still taste pretty yummy.  My mom made them that way plenty of times as well. But if you want to make them the real way then follow these steps:

You’ll need 3 Cups of Flour, 4 tsp Baking Powder, 2 tsp Sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 3/4 Cup Melted Butter, 4 Eggs (yolks & whites separated), 2 Cups Milk.

The first thing you want to do is melt the butter and set it aside so it can be completely cooled before you add it in.  After that sift together the dry ingredients- the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites.  Set aside the whites, you’ll beat them (sounds so violent) in just a second.

Add the milk and the yolks into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and the egg whites are thick and fluffy.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  Don’t over mix!  The egg whites are full of air after they have been beaten…uh, whipped?  Is there any other word that doesn’t sound so harsh!?  Anyway, that air is what makes the batter so fluffy.  If you over mix it the air will escape.  Who can blame it for trying to escape?  We just beat and whipped it.

After the batter is all mixed spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and pour in your batter and bake according to the iron settings.  If you follow these steps I’ll go out on a limb and say that these might just be some of the fluffiest waffles you’ll ever have.

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My husband is a total carnivore,  and me not so much.  Since we’ve been married I will say that I have improved a lot in the meat eating department but it still isn’t my very favorite food.  Poor Sam, he probably doesn’t get to eat meat as much as he would like.  However, I don’t think he minds the meatless meals when they taste as delicious as this creamy ravioli.   Seriously this is one tasty dish and it is very filling as a main course, especially when paired with a side salad.  And also as a side note writing this post has taught me that I cannot spell the word ravioli.  Because every time I type it, no matter how slowly I sound it out, that dang little wavy ride line appears.  Sigh…my spelling hasn’t had a chance since that time I got a nosebleed in the first round of the fourth grade spelling bee.

Anyway, back to this yummy dish!  You’ll start with a package of frozen ravioli and simply cook according to the package directions.

The real fun starts with cooking some minced garlic in melted butter, which as we all know is how all the great recipes start.

After the delicious smell of garlic has filled your kitchen add in some light cream and milk.

Heat through and season with salt and pepper.

Next slowly add in cheese from your favorite Italian blend and stir it all up until the cheese is fully melted.  Throw in a little bit of parsley and basil, just because you can.

Yum-o.  Look at that thick and creamy sauce.  Toss your ravioli with the sauce and top with a sprinkle of pine nuts.  This dinner comes together in a matter of minutes making it perfect for busy weeknights.  Some steamed veggies or a salad are great sides and what more could you want from this meal?

Download the PDF recipe

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Are you on Pinterest?  I am, (you can follow me here) and I crack up every time someone pins a recipe for Double Chocolate Donut Cookie Dough Filled Creme Puff Cupcakes followed immediately by the Top 10 Tips for a Flatter Stomach.  Here’s one of those tips: Stop pinning recipes for D.C.D.C.D.F.C.P. Cupcakes.

I realize it sounds like I’m about to share some very healthy recipe that does go with tips for a flatter stomach, but let me reassure you…I definitely am not.  No, this is a ridiculous cake. And by ridiculous I mean completely awesome and amazing.  This cake could unite rival countries.

The list of ingredients is surprisingly short, thanks to starting off with a box of chocolate cake mix.  You’ll need the mix and whatever ingredients the mix calls for (oil, water, eggs, etc ) and a bottle of caramel ice cream topping, a can of sweetened condensed milk, mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, and cool whip (not pictured because it was in the fridge and I completely forgot all about it.)

This cake can be made using two round pans, two square pans, or one rectangle pan and then you can cut the cake in half.  Basically, you just need two layers.  Because two is better than one.

Mix up the cake and bake according to the directions.

While the cake is baking things get serious.  Seriously yummy.

I used my blender to crush up the peanut butter cups and then broke up some larger pieces by just cutting them up with my knife.  This is all heading in a very good direction.

After the cake has baked poke holes into the top using the end of a wooden spoon and let the cake cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled and poked and the candy has been crushed pour some sweetened condensed milk all over the top.  I placed my cake on top of a piece of wax paper because I know me, and I’m prone to making messes in the kitchen.

Follow with some caramel topping.  The milk and caramel will run into all those little holes you made and you’ll know that all is right with the world.

Spread on a layer of cool whip.  Don’t be shy.

And then sprinkle on some of those crushed up candy pieces.

When you put the second layer of cake on you will have made the most delicious cake burger ever.  Is there such a thing as a cake burger?  Move over cupcakes, I think I’ve just invented the new trendy food.  Restaurants will be opening soon near you.

Repeat the steps you just did on the first layer.  Holes, milk, caramel, candy.

This time spread the cool whip all around the cake.  Completely cover up the sides and the top.

Once you’re cake is all covered go ahead and drizzle a little more caramel and some more candy pieces on top, just to make it pretty.

Thank goodness we took this cake with us to some friend’s house and left half of it there.  It is delicious.  Sinfully delicious.  And honestly, it couldn’t get any easier.  This is a fancy, looks-like-I-spent-all-day-in-the-kitchen-because-I’m-a-professional-chef kind of a dessert, but anyone can make it.  And you’ll love the way it tastes too.

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If you follow me on Facebook then you might have seen a little glimpse into our weekend.  If you missed the picture then here are a few more of images of our very snowy and chilly weekend here in New England.

We got hit by a major snow storm and were pretty much snowed in.  Sam didn’t have to work Friday through today (which was good since there was an executive order banning all driving)  so we had a lot of time to cuddle up in blankets, watch movies, and enjoy being warm and toasty inside while the weather raged outside.

This soup is delicious and absolutely perfect for a chilly winter day like the last few ones we’ve been having.  It is easy and yet so tasty and full of flavor.   One small bowl completely fills me up, which is too bad because I always want to eat seconds of this soup.  It also stores and freezes really well so it is a great make-ahead meal.  I can definitely say this is one of my very favorite soup recipes!

The ingredients: Chicken Broth, Cannelloni Beans, Balsamic Vinegar, Black Pepper, Basil, Frozen Tortellini, and Roma Tomatoes

The first step is to rinse and drain the beans.  Then in a large pot mix together all the ingredients except for the tomatoes.

Put the pot on a back burner and simmer on low for one hour.  Every time you walk by give the soup a little stir, nothing you really have to worry about but stirring occasionally is recommended.  After the soup has been simmering for one hour chop up the tomatoes and add them in.

Simmer the soup for another 30 minutes on low.  And then enjoy a hot bowl of this right away.  It is delicious with a thick slice of bread or served with crackers.  This recipe makes a ton of soup too, so it really is a great one to add into your rotation.  Especially if you’re going to be buried under three feet of snow.  :)

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