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   ~  Hello Dear Friends! We are finally getting settled in Seattle Washington!  It's really green and beautiful here in the Northwest.  We are enjoying Seattle, and looking forward to new adventures on the West Coast.  I've been working more on the cookbook, which I'm getting really excited about!  I will keep you updated as it moves along!  So stay tuned for details!      ~  I know we are all enjoying every minute of peony season...so I thought it the perfect time to share this favorite cake of mine!  Isn't it gorgeous?  It's perfect for birthdays and special occasions this time of year!  If you haven't already planted a peony bush...now is the time!  Peonys are perennial, so they come back every spring and early summer.  They are very hardy and love the sun!  You'll love the amazing blooms in your yard as well as in arrangements and as decoration for this delicious cake!  You can use o...

I admit, I have been making a lot of cakes lately.  I promise "Let them eat cake!" isn't exactly the motto I live by, but a festive carrot cake seemed like a perfect fit for Easter dinner.  This is a version of carrot cake, even your kids will enjoy!  I was thinking about decorating the cake with little carrots made of bright orange and green frosting, but the idea of whipping up even more frosting for this cake seemed ridiculous.  So, I made a little carrot garnish out of a shaving of carrot and a tiny piece of parsley instead.  I loved how it turned out!  This cake is baked in a13x18 inch rimmed baking sheet, the rim is about 1 inch high.  By cutting it into three equal parts you can make a beautiful layer cake.  However, if you need something fast and easy, leave the cake in the pan, frost it for a sheet cake, served "family style!"   You can even make this cake a day in advance, which is huge time saver!   Th...

Mile High Strawberry Shortcake L ast year for Spring Break we visited Assateague and Chincoteague barrier Islands, off the coast of Maryland and Virginia.  Ever heard of the wild ponies of Chincoteague?  Remember the children's novels, Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind, and others by Marguerite Henry?  Well, here is where these stories take place.  And yes, there are real herds of wild ponies running around the island of Chincoteague!  How they came to the islands is still a bit of a mystery, although one legend theorizes is that a Spanish ship carrying horses and treasure sunk off shore and the ponies found their way to the island.  It was so fun, especially for my daughter who had read these books, to see the real thing!  We took a few bike rides and a boat ride around the island giving us a nice sense of the simple way of life on these little islands.  We saw how oysters are "grown" out on mounds in the bay and enjoyed seve...

The Brownie Cheesecake I know you know how much I love cheesecake!  After a recent lunch date at the Cheesecake Factory with my daughter, I am feeling inspired to create a bunch of new cheesecake recipes this spring!  I can't believe the amount of different kinds of cheesecake they have.  They are all so gorgeous and fun to admire!  I am going to be creating some recipes that will give you a beautiful and delicious cheesecake that you can make easily at home for only a fraction of the price!    Here's the most recent cake creation...The Brownie Cheesecake!  Serve with or without fresh berries or the Fresh Berry Puree.   Brownie Crust 3/4 cup softened butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking POWDER 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the pan.  Trace the bottom of a 9-10 inch spring form pan onto parchment paper. Cut it out.  Cut a strip of parchmen...

White Chocolate  Ribbon  Ice Cream Cake I had a lot of fun creating this cake a few years ago for my daughter, Claire's 10th birthday.  Seeing the look of sheer delight on her face when she saw it was priceless!  One of her friend�s at the party asked where I bought the cake and when I told her I made it she said � Wow! Did you take a cooking class?� I had to laugh!  I love this cake because it never ceases to amaze children. They love the height of the cake and of course the ribbon stripes are so fun and festive. I made this cake again this year for my daughter's birthday party and once again the kids all loved it. And I know you'll love making it too!  It may look complicated but it's a really easy cake to make and is much more economical than purchasing an ice cream cake from a favorite ice cream shop. You can use a cake mix in place of the homemade cake of you are short on time and choose your favorite flavors of ice cream.  I used a cake batter ic...

Coconut Cream Cupcakes This is my daughter's signature birthday cake!   I have been making these cupcakes every March for her birthday since she was 1 year old!  Love these cupcakes! This is my grandmother�s recipe, originally called an Italian Cream Cake.  Much of my culinary skills I can attribute to my grandmother�s informal lessons when I was growing up. She studied foods and home economics at the University of Utah and later taught Foods and Nutrition at Skyline High for many years.  The original recipe, made a three- layer cake.  However, I�ve always loved the look of little individual cakes served on a desert plate. Simply remove the paper cup before serving and the desert looks elegant served with a small scoop of ice cream or sorbet on the side.  I love to serve and eat these with my European style mini spoons.  (Mine are from Finland, of course!) Cupcakes 1 cup butter, at room temperature 2 cups sugar 5 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon baking soda ...

31 Double Chocolate Cupcakes Wow, are the yummiest things ever, or what?  They are even better when eaten the next day, so go ahead and make them the day before the event.   2 cups flour 2 � cups sugar 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream 1 � cups buttermilk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla Prepare 30 muffin cups with paper liners.  In bowl of electric mixer add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together with a hand held whisk.  Add all of the wet ingredients and beat on medium with electric mixer until thoroughly combined, for about 3 minutes.  Pour � cup of batter into each muffin cup.  You may be able to get 31 cupcakes from the batter if you scrape your bowl really well.  Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Remove cupcakes from pans.  Frost with Chocolate Butter Cream frosting. Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting ...

Lemon Bundt Cake This cake is positively scrumptious.  My mother made this wonderful cake for birthdays and special occasions while I was growing up.  It remains a favorite today.  My 14 year old son Thomas, says �Mom, this is probably my favorite cake,� every time he eats it.  This cake turns out perfect every time and tastes even better served the following day, because the glaze has had a chance to really seep into the cake.  For a Lemon Poppy Seed Cake stir 1/4 cup poppy seeds into the batter.  This cake is a hit with or without ice cream. 2 � cups flour 1 � cups sugar 2 � teaspoons baking powder � teaspoons salt � cup orange juice � cup cooking oil 2 teaspoons lemon extract 4 eggs Grease and flour bundt cake pan.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.   Stir dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to the dry and beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or u...

Filled Peanut Butter Cupcakes           I created these cupcakes for my son Thomas' birthday.  He is in high school, and of course didn't want a party!  But I wanted to do a little something for him and his friends on his birthday.  So I delivered a big box of these cupcakes to him at his lunch table on his birthday. They were all so surprised,especially Thomas, and of course loved getting a homemade gourmet cupcake while wishing Thomas a "Happy Birthday!"          31 Cupcakes: 2 cups flour 2 � cups sugar 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream 1 � cups buttermilk � cup creamy peanut butter 2 eggs 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla Prepare 30 muffin cups with paper liners.  In bowl of electric mixer add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together with a hand held whisk.  Add all of the wet ingredients, including peanut butter.  ...