Archive for Dessert – Page 2

Chocolate Treats for My Kids’ Birthdays

Friday, January 7th, 2011
Death by Chocolate RE Chocolate Treats for My Kids Birthdays

Not only is Mr. Food's Death by Chocolate recipe a fan favorite but it's a family favorite at my house, too!

From Mr. Food Team Member Jodi

It’s January. While most people are breathing a sigh of relief that they made it through the holidays and can now catch their breath, in our family, we’re gearing up for another big month. Both of my kids were born in January. And this year, they’re both celebrating “big” birthdays.

My son will turn 18, and my daughter will be “sweet” 16. I’m excited for both of them, as these birthdays come with exciting rites of passage, like my son being able to vote in the next election, and my daughter getting her driver’s license. (Oh, boy!) I’m just finding it hard to believe how quickly time has passed and that they are actually old enough for these milestones.

Every year, I pick a special dessert to make for each of them, to celebrate their birthdays. Next week, for my son’s birthday, I’m going to make him a Chocolate Chip Dome which I know he loves, as I’ve made it many times before. It’s an easy dessert with only four ingredients, but something about the combination of those four ingredients is just so good! Sometimes, I simplify it even further by making it in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish rather than in a bowl to avoid the step of unmolding it.

I have a couple weeks to decide what to make for my daughter’s birthday, but I’m leaning toward making Mr. Food’s Death by Chocolate recipe. She goes crazy for that dessert, and it’s been a long time since I’ve made it, so it would be extra-special for her. What could be bad when you combine brownies, chocolate pudding, whipped cream and crushed toffee candy bars?!

Oh, well, so much for the New Year’s diet!

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Categories : Dessert

Passing the Entertaining Torch

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

From Mr. Food Head Writer Helayne

I love entertaining for all sorts of occasions. Whether it’s the holidays or for any family event, I really enjoy going all out and coming up with great dishes to serve, and presenting them in interesting ways.

I’ve learned a lot of great presentation tips since working here at Mr. Food, and I’ve come up with lots of my own ideas, too. But time passes, and when I started here many years ago, my daughter was in high school. Now she is married and, between her desire to entertain and many in my son-in-law’s large family also wanting to take a turn at the fun, it’s time for me to pass the entertaining torch.

I will miss hosting the big crowd this year, but everyone deserves a turn at being the host or hostess! And I have to admit that it’s also nice to be a guest and not have all the shopping, cooking and cleanup that comes with hosting holiday feasts. I am always happy to bring something along, and some of my favorite bring-alongs are desserts. I really enjoy making and decorating cupcakes and other baked goods, like that Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cheesecake I told you about a while back. I’m also always called upon to try to replicate my Mom’s famous brisket, and if a main dish is asked for, I have a “from-scratch” Italian-style lasagna recipe that takes a lot of time to make but, believe me, it’s worth it.

All these dishes are pretty portable, so no matter how far we have to drive, they can pretty well get there in one piece. I always use a cooler when necessary, and make sure everything is safely wrapped and packed so I don’t arrive with a mess. This way, no matter the occasion, I still feel like I contributed some of my cooking skills to the festivities…and that makes me happy.

Here at MrFood.com you’ll find lots of super bring-along ideas like Buffalo Wings and a big main-dish casserole like Better Baked Ziti, or a festive quick bread like Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bread so that you, too, can be part of making any holiday gathering personal and from the heart.

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Categories : Holidays, Parties

Changing My Thanksgiving Menu, but Gradually…

Monday, November 22nd, 2010
Holiday Green Beans Non Show Recipe RE Changing My Thanksgiving Menu, but Gradually…

Holiday Green Beans, a lighter veggie side dish I'm serving for my Thanksgiving dinner

 

From Mr. Food Team Member Jodi  

I love Thanksgiving! It’s one of the holidays we host at our house and it’s by far my favorite! We’ve been hosting it for more than 20 years, and over the years I’ve collected special table linens that I like to use, and pretty decorations to make the tables festive. For Thanksgiving, the way the tables look is almost as important to me as the food. ALMOST.  

The food. Mmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the yummy dishes. My menu has been almost the same since the very first year. Many of the dishes we have, I only make for Thanksgiving, so they’re really a treat. They’re our traditions. My guests look forward to the same food they’ve always had.  

A few years ago, I found a new sweet potato recipe that I wanted to try. I had been making a traditional sweet potato casserole, with the mini marshmallows on top, for years. This new recipe was for roasted sweet potato wedges, and sounded much healthier, but still sounded delicious. Well, I thought about just substituting the new recipe for the old one. I even mentioned it, in passing, to a few of my guests. Everyone’s response was “You can’t stop making the casserole!” So, that year, I decided to make both and let them choose which one they liked better. I wasn’t surprised when everyone unanimously picked the new recipe! It’s now a favorite, and a new tradition.  

Last year, I decided we needed a new green vegetable to replace the traditional green bean casserole. As I always do, I turned to the Mr. Food website and found our next new tradition…Holiday Green Beans. This recipe is so quick and easy, and it’s delicious. (Not to mention much lighter and healthier than the green bean casserole I had been making for years!) And none of my guests put up a fight.  

Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes  Changing My Thanksgiving Menu, but Gradually…

Mr. Food's Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes are a favorite at my house!

 

This year, I’m adding a new dessert because there’s a recipe on the Mr. Food website that my kids love. It’s Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes, and they’re to-die-for! I know they’re not a typical Thanksgiving dessert, but I’m making them in addition to the apple pie and pecan pie.  

So, now I know that I can make minor changes to my menu, but gradually! How about you? Have you changed your menu? Let me know, and in the meantime, I wish all of you a happy Turkey Day!

Tricks for your Leftover Halloween Treats

Monday, October 18th, 2010
   
Candy Bar Cooler RE Tricks for your Leftover Halloween Treats

Mr. Food's easy recipe for Candy Bar Cooler is the perfect way to use up leftover Halloween candy!

 

 From Mr. Food Team Member Jodi    

I am always amazed by the amount of candy that changes hands during the Halloween season. Every store you go to has bags and bags of Twix, Snickers, M&M’s and Smarties stocked and ready for the holiday. The displays have been up since the beginning of the month. I don’t know about you, but I don’t buy my candy until the day before, and sometimes not until the 31st. It’s too dangerous to have all that tempting chocolate in the house! I’d like to meet the person who buys their supply early in October and still has some left to hand out on Halloween! (If you’re out there, let me know!)    

With two kids, we always have soooo much candy in the house after the trick-or-treating is over. Some years, we’ve had so much that I’ve donated a portion of the “loot” to a local organization that sends it to troops serving overseas.    

If you wake up on November 1st and realize that you have way too much candy in your house, I have another idea. Mr. Food has actual recipes that use Halloween candy as an ingredient! Last year, I made the Candy Bar Cooler.  It was like a yummy, chunky milkshake! (Is your mouth watering yet?) This year, I’m thinking about trying the Halloween Candy Bars. Don’t be “tricked” by the name…they’re like bar cookies with chopped candy mixed in. Sound like a real “treat”?    

Whatever you decide to do with all that candy you’re going to have left over, be safe, have fun, and have a very Happy Halloween!

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Categories : Dessert, Halloween

Family History through Family Recipes

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Cookies n Cream Cheesecake RE1 Family History through Family Recipes

Popular Cookies 'n' Cream Cheesecake from Mr. Food


From Mr. Food Team Member/Head Writer Helayne

I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to gathering together old family photos and recipes, but I finally got inspired after watching this great show on TV recently. It’s called “Who Do You Think You Are?”. It seems to have had just 7 episodes – but I LOVE IT! I hope it will be back on again but, either way, it got me to go online and check out Ancestry.com.

I found a lot of family history information that I didn’t even realize I could easily access. With most of the senior members of my immediate family gone, there’s no one to ask, and I want to preserve what I can for my daughter and her family.

So, finally, and I mean finally, because I’ve thought of doing it a gazillion times before, I started digging out those handwritten recipes from the back of my kitchen junk drawer. The ones typed on my mother’s old typewriter for her special brisket (that, try though I might, I can never make quite the same as hers) and yes, even a very yellowed newspaper clipping from the New York City paper “The News” for a $5 winning French Cheesecake recipe of my grandmother’s from the 1950s! I have a secret recipe of my own for New York Cheesecake that is my “specialty,” but I adored my grandmother and I really should give this one a shot in her memory.

Anyhow, before I start baking, and before I continue gathering the photos and putting together the family tree (and giving up on the whole thing because I have other stuff to do), I really want to put together a family recipe cookbook and give it to my daughter and a few of my cousins who I know would get a kick out of it. In fact, over the years, we’ve created a couple of Mr. Food shows on family cookbooks and how to make your own. You’d think I would have done my own family cookbook then. Well, I’m doing it now, really I am. I might even be convinced to share the cheesecake recipes (mine and my grandmother’s) with Mr. Food…and maybe one day he’ll share them on the air.

Meanwhile, we have some super cheesecake recipes here at MrFood.com that you can try out. And maybe you’ll want to make a family cookbook and give it to your loved ones for the holidays. It’s a nice tradition to start for the next generation. I’ll let you know if I ever finish mine. Stay tuned!

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Categories : Dessert, Family
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Who takes longer in the makeup chair: me or Tyler Florence?

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Tyler Florence and Art Blog Photo Who takes longer in the makeup chair: me or Tyler Florence?

Tyler Florence and me at QVC. Are we a couple of hunks, or what?!

Just the other day, I was at QVC launching my new “Christmas Made Easy” cookbook and Ultimate Chocolate Fantasy, a new dessert item we’re offering that, I have to say, is really amazing.

As I was waiting in the green room at QVC, I was chatting with chef Tyler Florence. You probably know him from his show on the Food Network, “Tyler’s Ultimate,” or possibly you’ve been to one of his west coast restaurants. Just as I was hearing about his new restaurant opening in Napa in November, I was called into the makeup area.

Almost everyone on TV wears makeup. The bright lights they use can make you look all washed out if you don’t. So, after 15 minutes or so of making me “camera ready,” I went back to the green room to wait for my segment.

Then it was Tyler’s turn. I was thinking, “He looks that good and he doesn’t even have makeup on yet?” I mean, he’s young, great-looking (from what the women who work in my office tell me, he’s a real heartthrob)…plus he can cook.

Well, Tyler was back in just a few minutes and I thought to myself, “Gee, his makeup was done in no time!” Of course, it made perfect sense. It took a lot less time for the makeup artist to make Tyler “camera ready” than it did me! I guess that should be no surprise!

You know, even if my looks don’t get me the oohs and aahs that Tyler gets, I’m glad my recipes still earn lots of “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

Two Couch Potatoes in My House and It’s All My Fault!

Monday, September 20th, 2010
Sweet and Sour Wings OR1 Two Couch Potatoes in My House and It’s All My Fault!

Easy Mr. Food recipe for Sweet-and-Sour Wings, perfect for game-watching parties!

From Mr. Food Team Member Jodi

So, I put my husband’s wants before mine and purchased Direct TV’s “NFL Sunday Ticket” package as a birthday gift for him. I don’t know if you’re familiar with it, but basically he and our son can now watch EVERY NFL game that is broadcast. EVERY GAME. EVERY SUNDAY. Well, for the last two Sundays, both my husband and my son have been glued to the TV for the whole afternoon and night. And, we’ve had various guest “couch potatoes” each week, too.

If you have your own couch potato, you know that they are hungry animals. Something about cheering or booing those teams gives them hearty appetites! I always put out an assortment of chips & salsa, cheese & crackers and hummus, but I also like to give them something more substantial. (That way, they won’t have to order in pizza!)

Last week, I made Mr. Food’s recipe for Sweet-and-Sour Wings and they were a huge hit! (I liked the recipe because there were only 4 ingredients!) They were sweet and tangy, and sticky and crunchy. Yum! I also made a Stuffed Deli Sandwich which was so easy to make ahead and leave for them to devour.

Game Day Cupcakes 01 30 09 RE Two Couch Potatoes in My House and It’s All My Fault!

Everybody loves these fun, chocolaty Game-Day Cupcakes from Mr. Food!

This Sunday, for dessert, I’m going to surprise them with chocolaty Game-Day Cupcakes. I tried them at work when the test kitchen made them and they really do taste as good as they look!

Do you have any tried and true recipes for serving a hungry bunch of couch potatoes? Let me know, because there’s a long football season ahead!