Category: Desserts

King of Sour

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When Mr. N was less than one year’s old, he tried his first taste of lemon. He put a lemon wedge up to his lips. His first reaction was much as you’d suspect. He cringed, shivered and sat wide-eyed staring at the little yellow wedge. Then, he put it right back up to his lips and went to town. From that day on, Mr. N has loved all things sour and even crowned himself “king of sour” when he was about three (and still sucking on lemons!).

Well, even though Mr. N is a far cry from three years old, he’s still our “king of sour.” That’s why it didn’t come as a huge surprise that he picked the Lemon, Lime and Orange Tart for his “blue ribbon” Illinois State Fair recipe. Continue reading →

A Special Treat

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Today we have a special treat for you.  Our good friend Charles at Five Euro Food asked us to guest post on his delicious blog which has everything from roasted chickpeas (one of our favorites) to the Swedish Sockerkaka, and all for around five euros. The reason for the guest post? Charles is a proud new papa to one of the most adorable baby boys I have ever seen! And knowing how special these early moments are, we were more than happy to help.

Now most of you regulars know that I don’t eat chocolate. I’ve just never been a big fan. I was allergic as a child and even though the allergy disappeared, I just never grew to really like it. However…there is one, and only one, exception to this rule. No bake cookies!  Continue reading →

Tiny Dancer

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I was feeling reflective this past weekend. Perhaps it’s the start of the new school year, or my approaching birthday, or just the song in the background.

Whatever the reason I was reflecting on the kids. When you have children, you know it’s your job to teach them – right from wrong, common sense, values, etc., but the one thing I don’t think they tell soon-to-be or new parents is how much your children teach you. It is amazing how much my children have transformed me, how much better they have made me and how much more I appreciate everything about my life. Children shift priorities and they show you the world through different lenses.

From the time Mr. N and Miss A were born they have each had a definite and distinct presence. Mr. N, well, he’s my old, sage soul. His ability to ask big questions, to see the world beyond his own and to have such a confidence in his place – well, it’s simply beyond his years. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still an eight-year old boy who whines, fights with his sister, gets lost in his video games and forgets to put on at least one article of clothing every morning, but deep inside lies this wonderfully empathetic soul that ponders deep questions, understands complicated concepts and loves beyond measure. tracing Continue reading →

Good Things in Small Packages

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This is our final birthday post of the summer. We’ve been finished celebrating for a few weeks now and are just about ready to get back to our international and stateside cooking…just in time for school to start. Where did this summer go?! (Well, maybe we have some idea where this summer went.)

Miss A’s swim lessons.

Anyway, as many of you may remember, the kids get to request a special birthday meal and dessert as part of their birthday celebrations. Mr. N requested Sesame Chicken and his rather elaborate homemade birthday cake. Well, Miss A took it a little easier on me this year. She wanted pasta in a cheesy sauce and a cherry crisp. Pasta sauce and pies/crisps are totally in my wheel house. They are the two food groups that I LOVE to cook and often do without a recipe. They are totally in my comfort zone. Continue reading →

Kicking Off Birthday Week

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Today we have a special post on behalf of a very talented food blogger, Raymund, at Ang Sarap. We were so excited and honored when Raymund asked us to write a guest post. I’ve often told Raymund that Mr. N, who as you know has a serious passion for Asian food, would love to eat dinner with his family every night. 

We’ve made several of Raymund’s recipes (and drooled over many others) and each one has been a huge hit. In fact several are on Mr. N’s “favorites” list, including Raymund’s sticky garlic chicken which Mr. N requested I make for dinner every day. Continue reading →

I think I can! I think I can!

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And I did! I am nothing if not determined. Okay, perhaps I’m a recovering perfectionist, but let’s just say determined. It sounds nicer. I am in the business of PR after all. We know how to spin. Take Miss A’s over-tired meltdown last night for instance. She was being assertive and independent, not bossy and stubborn. It’s just a matter of looking at the bright side (and helps keep us sane after 20 minutes of screaming).

Now the bright side to my failed Romanian recipe, as many of you noted in your comments last time, is that the prep pictures for that flubbed dessert were already done. All that was left to do was to cook. So this afternoon when Mike took the kids to the library, I took advantage of the empty house. It was time to rock this recipe – Crema de Zahar Ars, or Caramelized Sugar Cream. Continue reading →