Dessert in the desert!  Eating dessert is always one of my favorite things.   I admit I have a sweet tooth. It doesn’t matter what time of day, when I get a taste for something sweet  I will go out of my way to fill my desire!  I have kept my sweet tooth under control for the past few months  and even took a break from my brownie a day routine,  but its almost that time of year again when the sugary snacks, candies, and cakes seem flow into the workplace and temptation seems to overtake me!

I myself have a love of chocolate and I think there are lots of kids out there who love chocolate as well!

Let me know what your favorite desserts are with or without chocolate?  Maybe we can put some of your favorite recipes in our next cooking program!  Feel free to drop me a line and remember to sign up for my newsletter.

Here is a simple and Easy Dessert Recipes you can do at home with permission from Mom and Dad!

Zebra Pudding

The ingredients are chocolate, whipped cream and cookies.  Need I say more?

Ingredients:

Double batch of homemade whip cream  (see recipe below)

or you can use a container of store bought cool whip if you are in a hurry no judgement!

1 package of thin chocolate wafer cookies (24 cookies)

Chocolate jimmie sprinkles or grated chocolate

REAL WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients:

1 Cup of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour the cream into a deep bowl. Sprinkle in the powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes.  The cream will stand up in soft peaks like clouds. Don’t beat too long or it will turn into butter!

Remove the beaters and add the vanilla. Stir gently .

Keep in the fridge until you are ready for dessert, perfect for both  Zebra pudding and Hot Fudge Cake!!

Zebra Pudding  Directions:

• 1.  Whip up a double batch of whipped cream or use store bought cool whip

• 2.   Spread the top of each cookie with sdome whipped cream and stackup in piles six cookies high.

• 3.   Lay your stacks on the sides in two rows on a serving plate. Cover the stacks completely with the whipcream.

• 4.  Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies or grated chocolate.

• 5.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to let the cookies soften inside.

Share with your friends and family !

Julie and Julia………..If you enjoy a feel good movie and happen to be a foodie,  this is a must see show.  I went several weeks ago with a couple of girlfriends and was pleasantly surprised.

You see, the movie, it struck a nerve for me.  Its about food and blogging , two of my favorite things.   Julia Child is the inspiration for this young woman in NY who is looking for meaning and passion in her life. She finds an old Julia Cookbook, The Art of French Cooking, and decides she will cook one or more recipes everyday for a year, until she works her way through the book and blogs about her experience along the way.  You have to see the movie to appreciate the transformation that comes from her love affair with food and her commitment to her blog viewers.  One can’t help but admire her dedication and understand her frustration as she struggles to fulfill her promise and keep her personal life alive during the course of that year.

You see my blog really hasn’t gotten off the ground.  I don’t have  a real following.  No one knows who I am. I don’t write everyday nor do I cook everyday, but I used to prior to my move this past year (BW- that is Before the Westside!) .  I mean cooking and writing are my passions,  so why I haven’t done what I love on a daily basis is really confusing to me.

I mean my story isn’t  quite the same as Julie’s, but I get it.  I don’t have a loving partner in my life, but I do have a fabulous, albeit hormonal teenage daughter on my hands!  Maybe my blog could be the single mother spin on Julia…….Called  Miss Loislane. ” The blogging single mother, struggling to raise a teenage daughter on her own and whilst trying to teach Pre K and cooking classes to young people while living in small townhome over the river.  Having moved due to circumstances that transpired over a year ago to a place where wanna be gangstas roam the streets, pigeons have taken over the neighborhood (and my rooftop), ants  and silverfish have decided to move into the kitchen and bathrooms and the gas stove pilot keeps going out. Now I have to break out a lighter before I cook and keep an oven thermometer in the oven at all times.   As for workspace and countertops   ….well there isn’t any.  There you have it, so the cooking amenities aren’t quite what I had hoped for but I guess I have to suck it up and make the best of it.

Okay, so maybe there is a  learning experience in all of this.  Maybe, just maybe, this madness will get me motivated to blog and share with my friends out there, and actually put myself back in the kitchen. Even if its not the kitchen I wish it were,  I can still fill my heart with food and love and then laugh at where I have come from and look forward to where I am going!

So here I am up late at night banging at the keyboard wondering what great commitment I can make for myself this year to highlight my connection to food and teaching . Maybe even create a blog that  someone might check out from time to time and leave an  comment along the way!  Welcome to my life, welcome to my Blog and hey…….check out some of the recipes sometime. You and your kids will have a ball hanging out and cooking together wherever you are today….  Make the most it  !!

Tapas are  small snacks and appetizers that are served throughout  Spain and come in many different forms,  both cold and hot.  I have tried several different recipes  and all are delicious!  Tapas are usually made with local fresh ingredients depending on the region of Spain they are from are a great way to start a meal. I hope you can find a local Tapas restaurant near you and try some tasty treats.  Its a great way to introduce new  flavors to your family and open up the door to a new culinary experience!    Get in the kitchen and be sure and try one of the tapas recipes below.

Interesting Info:   The Origin of Tapas

According to an article from About.com the origin of Tapas is sketchy but interesting. Here are several stories about the origin of tapas, which are a part of the folklore:

It is told that King Alfonso X, el Sabio or “the Wise One,” made sure that Castilian taverns serve wine accompanied by something to eat, so that the wine would not go straight to the clients’ heads.

Another story claims that while on a long trip, King Alfonso had stopped to rest in the town of Ventorillo del Chato in the province of Cádiz, and he ordered a glass of jerez or sherry. There was a gusty wind, so the inn keeper served him his glass of sherry covered by a slice of ham to prevent the sherry from getting dirty. King Alfonso apparently liked it, and when he asked for a second glass, he requested another tapa or “cover” just like the first.

Whatever the true origin of tapas, prepare one or several, then enjoy them like the Spanish do – with a relaxed attitude !

Here are a couple of recipes for some popular tapas that are  easy and delicious ! Youngsters can surely help mom an dad peel and mix the ingredients.

(Papas )PATATAS Alioli

• 3/4 pound potatoes, preferably red potatoes

• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise

• 3  cloves garlic, mashed to a paste or put through a garlic press

• 2 Tablespoons minced Italian parsley

Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water, mixed with a little chicken broth if you wish, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the potatoes in the water, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain and cool the potatoes in a colander.

Cut the potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic and parsley, The mayonnaise should be a little thin to combine smoothly with the potatoes, stir in a  little fresh lemon juice ,1 or 2 tsp to dilute.

Fold in the potatoes gently, season with salt and let sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving. Or make ahead and refrigerate, then return to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!!

Ensalada de Judias Blancas  (White Bean Salad)

• 3/4 pound cooked white beans or chickpeas  (good quality canned beans rinsed work well)

• 1 medium organic tomato, cubed

• 1 hard boiled egg, sliced and cut in half

• 4 pitted cured black olives, each cit in 4 pieces

• 1 tablespoon minced parsley

• 2 tablespoons fruity olive oil

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• salt and 1 clove of garlic mashed

In a bowl gently combine the beans, tomato egg, olives and parsley.  In a separate bowl whisk the oil , vinegar, salt and garlic.

Carefully fold the oil and vinegar dressing  into the bean mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.  Serve with toasted bread and enjoy!

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Funny how quick the summer months seem to pass us by.  Why is it that the warm breeze, and sunny months  always fade so quickly?  I never notice when the other seasons come to an end, but summer always seems too short.

Theres an ad I recently looked at from a local pizza chain : ” Pizza has never been more in Season!  School, Football and Family! “  Yep…..that said it all.  Once school starts, and football begins we know fall is on the way. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall for families all across the nation.   Of course, those of you on the east coast still mark Labor day  as the end of the summer  so we  technically  have a couple weeks left, but for those of us here in the SW……once school starts it feels like summer has died, and we in NM prepare for the colder nights ahead.

I hope all of you out there have had a lovely summer.  Enjoy these last lingering weeks and make sure and check out this easy  recipe for  some yummy PIZZA Sticks that both you and your kids  will surely enjoy!

PS:   My Ebook will soon be available for purchase so keep an eye out for some yummy  new recipes.

Try my recipe for homemade pizza dough when you have time and taste the difference of making dough by scratch!

They are easy for young ones to make on their own using  pre made refrigerated bread sticks!

Pizza Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1 (11 ounce )package of refrigerated bread sticks

• 1 package of presliced pepperoni

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 jar of marinara sauce any brand for dipping

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out bread sticks on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lay pepperoni slices on the end and sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese.

Fold over bread stick and twist.

Mix together parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and sprinkle over top of twisted bread stick.

Add more mozzarella if desired and bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Dip in warmed pizza sauce to eat.