Oatmeal Raisin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pies are big here in Pennsylvania. These little cakes that include yummy cream are indulgent yet homey. The generally accepted notion of the name “Whoopie Pie” is thought to come from the exclamation of Amish children who would open their lunch boxes to find these cakes and then yell “Whoopie!” Getting the Whoopie Pie shape perfect can be a pain if you don’t have a Whoopie Pie mold, but who needs another tin to store? Likewise, they can be a little labor intensive, since the cake and the cream are made separately. Try this version instead, which has oatmeal … Continue reading →

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Who could resist Hostess Cupcakes with their curly swirls of bitable icing over rich chocolate frosting that covers the deep chocolate cake that hides the gooey creamy filling? Don’t you want to just take a bite out of them right now? Sigh. Let’s take away both the guilt (well, a little of the guilt) and the expensive prices on eBay and make some homemade Hostess Cupcakes. You’ll eliminate the preservatives and be known as the best baker on the block. I have to tell you that this post required a lot of hard research. I had to make sure that … Continue reading →

Natural Banana Cherry Yogurt Popsicles

Oh my children love their homemade popsicles. Oh yes they do. The natural frozen treats are going so fast that we had to go out and get a second set of popsicle molds, BPA free of course. Even with a double set of molds, I usually have a little left over, or I sacrifice one pop, so the kids can drink the “smoothie” before it is frozen. They just can’t wait the four to five hours that it typically takes before the popsicles are solid. Here is my latest creation. I made it today in order to use up some … Continue reading →

Healthy Homemade Ice Pops Recipes

Homemade ice pops or homemade popsicles are super easy to make, economical and can be healthy. Forget simply pouring orange juice into a pop mold. With these recipes, you can make your own gourmet pops that would comparatively sell for $2 or more at the store. All of these homemade popsicles recipes are free of food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives and other nasties. Banana Berry Vegan Pop This homemade popsicle is so nutritious that you could eat it for breakfast if you wanted to. Just don’t tell the kids. 2 cups vanilla soy milk  1 cup apple … Continue reading →

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Oat Crumble Topping

Our CSA farm provided us with 12 ounces of rhubarb this week, so I turned it into this wonderful pie. You can serve this pie warm or cold with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It was my first time making this type of pie from scratch, and it got rave reviews. Take this basic recipe and make it your own. Ingredients Pie: 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Use your favorite recipe or a prepared refrigerated one from the store. 12 ounces rhubarb stalks 12 ounces frozen strawberries slightly thawed and sliced 1/3 cup water … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Chocolate Cups

Making this gourmet treat is easier than you might think. You can make a real impression with these delicate little chocolate cups that are well worth the very little bit of effort they require. They will look really lovely on your table or given as gifts. A small white paper cup that accommodates four to six filled chocolate cups makes a very elegant present. The cups look expensive but actually cost very little to make. Once you have your chocolate cups, you can add all sorts of fillings to them, from fruit or whipped creme. Or, turn them into yummy … Continue reading →

How to Make Jar Cakes

These perfect little cakes in a jar are just right for gifting. This clever idea makes a pretty present. Of course, we won’t tell if you keep one or two for yourself. The idea of a jar cake is to bake a little cake inside a jar. I admit that these aren’t the easiest to eat, since you have to sort of dig at the cake, but they are very pretty and will keep well on a shelf for a long time. This makes them ideal for gifts, especially ones that you mail, provided that you pad the glass jars … Continue reading →

Summer Christmas Desserts

Christmas pudding has never been on the radar at Christmas in our family, mainly because my dear husband won’t eat it. Instead Christmas dessert is more likely to be Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Delicious Dessert or Pineapple Coconut Pie. All of these recipes are up on the food blog. Pavlova is another favorite Aussie Christmas dessert, though not is much in our house as it is a bit too sweet for my liking. I’m actually just as happy with fresh fruit salad and frozen yoghurt. But this year I might just try something different for Christmas dessert, a recipe a … Continue reading →

Lemon Seed Cake

Angela started me thinking about lemon recipes, especially given my post on the home blog today. Like Angela I am a big fan of lemons in just about anything, so I thought I’d share with you another favorite lemon recipe. This cake has a slightly unusual combination but it’s one I’ve found people really like, mainly because it’s something a bit different. It doesn’t need icing or frosting, as it has syrup poured over it. Of course as usual, this is a gluten free version. So if you are not gluten free, then simply substitute the self raising gluten free … Continue reading →

Tangy Lemon Meringue Pie

Ever since I discovered the gluten free frozen pastry, I’ve been finding it a great help in the kitchen. Thanks to friends I have a lovely supply of fresh lemons at present. Our lemon tree is still in its early stages of producing, so the most we get is a couple. Last night when we were having guests for dinner I made lemon meringue pie which is my husband’s favorite dessert. HINT I’ve already given you one recipe for lemon meringue pie but this one could be even nicer. It is very tangy, which I love. The sweetness of the … Continue reading →