OK last minute shoppers, we are down to the wire here, and I wanted to give you one final tasty gift idea for the season, something yummy, festive and the perfect gift for a hostess or someone who has everything. Allow me to introduce you to Cheryl&Co, a mid-western based baked goods company, dedicated to providing the finest fresh-baked gifts and desserts flawlessly shipped directly to the consumer.

Earlier this holiday season, I was invited to a lovely Open House hosted by Cheryl’s and held at the Beverly Hills Mrs. Beasley’s location (which is now owned by Cheryl’s.) I had the opportunity to taste some of Cheryl’s and Mrs. Beasley’s yummy holiday treats (can you say buttercream frosting?!), sip an amazing and tasty bubbly cider cocktail and learn all about this brand and what they have to offer. I was especially impressed by all of Cheryl’s affordable, high quality gift sets that ship beautifully, really make a statement and can be shipped anywhere in the US. Following is one my favorite sets of the season, that will surely take care of your gift giving needs through the New Year. Enjoy!

Winter Holidays VIP Tower ($79.99)

I love this stacked blue and white boxed assortment of Cheryl’s treats because its holiday neutral, really festive and classy looking. This gift set includes an assortment of holiday cookies like pecan butternut balls, buttercream frosted snowflake cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, holiday sugar cookies, frosted hot fudge brownies, classic vanilla buttercream brownies, pretzel clusters, and moist cake slices, 67 pieces in total, whew, that’s a whole lotta yuuminess!

And as a little holiday treat for my readers, I am compelled to share the recipe for my new favorite festive drink of the season, the Holiday Cider Sip which was created by Rachel Hollis (party planning guru extraordinaire!) Its the beverage that I sipped all night at Cheryl’s Holiday Open House. It’s a delicious combo of mulled cider with brandy and a splash of bubbly to top it off, sooooo good!

Holiday Cider Sip

2 quarts apple cider

1 tsp. aromatic bitters

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp. whole allspice

3 Cardamum seeds

2 orange studded whole cloves

1/2 bottle of brandy

Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat on medium flame for 1 hour. Reduce flame to warm 2-6 hours. Fill a champagne flute 1/3 of the way full with wassail/spiced cider and top it off with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange twist and fresh cranberries. Cheers!

Greetings My Beauties! Sorry I have be remiss in writing regular posts lately, but as you know I have been traveling for most of the summer, plus I have the little guy home for an extra week (Thank You LAUSD Budget Cuts!) which definitely makes it hard to stay focused and write. In addition, tonight is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and I have been busy cooking and prepping for our yummy dinner. I thought you might enjoy sampling a couple of new tasty holiday recipes, whether you celebrate or not. Below are some new holiday recipes that I am testing out, let me know what you think.

Honey Cake This is a warm brown colored cake sweetened with honey and the perfect hint of spice. It’s yummy, warm and comforting. It is often eaten as dessert during the New Year festivities. FYI-I made this cake this AM and even though I sprayed generously it stuck to my fancy Star of David pan, and my wonderful hubby and son decided to make another one before I got home so I wouldn’t be upset (isn’t that sweet of them ), but low and behold, it stuck again! Well now, we have TWO, not so pretty but super yummy honey cakes, guess its gonna be an extra sweet, but not perfect New Year? 

1   Box Yellow Cake Mix

1/2   Cup Honey

1   Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2   Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/4   Teaspoon Ginger

2   Tablespoons Oil

3   Eggs

1   Cup Coffee

Mix all of the above ingredients together thoroughly, pour into a bundt pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Yummy Apple Noodle Kugel I describe kugel as a the Jewish comfort food akin to the all American Mac ‘n Cheese. A kugel is typically a casserole of noodles, eggs and sometimes sweet and other times savory additions. Below is a recipe for a sweet kugel, that is super easy, tasty and the perfect representation of apples and honey for a sweet new year. Kids love this one. Word of warning: kugels are yummy but dense and filling, so beware

1   Package of Wide Egg Noodles

4   Eggs, beaten

1   Cup Sugar

3/4   Stick Butter, melted/softened

1   Can Comstock Apple Pie Filling, diced into small pieces

1  Tablespoon Cinnamon

2  Teaspoons Vanilla

Raisins, if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Boil noodles per package. Combine drained noodles with the rest of the ingredients and pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy!

And to those of you that celebrate, Here’s to a Sweet, Spectacular, Healthy and Properous New Year!

Being a Hollywood Gal and all (well I do actually live NEAR Hollywood ), I thought I would write a post in honor of the Academy Awards Ceremony this evening (Anyone have any big plans or fun parties they are attending??) I thought I would post a list of some of my all time favorite movies and if you haven’t seen them they are definitely worth checking out.  And as an added bonus, I am sharing a yummy AA worthy recipe to enjoy while you watch the big event. Have Fun!

Romy’s All Time Favorite Movies

• The Wizard of Oz
• Life is Beautiful
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• Cinema Paradisio
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Pulp Fiction
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Schindler’s List
• Sunset Boulevard
• West Side Story
• The Sound of Music
• Something About Mary
• Babel

Caviar Dip
Barefoot Contessa 2001

This is a yummy, elegant easy dip that seems like a perfect fit with the Academy Awards and a nice glass of bubbly. It’s somewhat light, refreshing, tasty dip and great when served with old fashioned potato chips, Enjoy!

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly minced dill, plus sprigs for garnish
1 scallion, minced (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon milk, half-and-half, or cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
100 grams good salmon roe

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer on medium speed, add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, scallion, milk, salt, and pepper. With a rubber spatula, fold in 3/4 of the salmon roe. Spoon the dip into a bowl and garnish with the remaining salmon roe and sprigs of fresh dill.

Serve with chips, toasts, or crackers.

No offense to all of you die hard football fans, but for me the Superbowl is all about the funny commercials and the yummy eats.  So I thought I would share with you one of my all time favorite appetizers that is sure to be a hit at your Superbowl gathering.  Enjoy and please share your special, yummy, fun and easy appetizer recipes with me!

Dip Diana

7 oz.  Pesto
6-8 oz.  Chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
12 oz.  Whipped Cream Cheese
2  Tablespoons of butter
4-7  Cloves of fresh garlic
10-12  Thin slices of provolone
 
Blend garlic, butter and cream cheese in food processor and fold in pesto. Put about 6 slices of provolone cheese on the bottom of a medium dish with sides and spread pesto mixture over cheese slices, put half of the sun dried tomatoes over mixture (some oil is OK).  Cover with provolone and garnish with remaining sun dried tomatoes that have been blotted to remove excess oil. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and serve with a sliced baguette. DEELISH!

Given all the festivities of the season, I thought you might enjoy a delicious and inspired egg brunch dish that I have been making for years and it always gets rave reviews. It is a very tasty Mexican egg casserole that is packed with flavor and easy to prep the night before. Enjoy! 

SALSA JACK BREAKFAST SOUFFLE

Serves 8

 1 pound Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese, cubed

1 cup cottage cheese

1-2 cups of hot/medium chunky salsa (to taste)

3-6 white corn tortillas, cut in small pieces

9 eggs

1 cup reduced fat Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, grease a 9×13 pan, sprinkle half the tortilla pieces in the bottom of the pan (you want to cover most of the bottom). In a bowl, mix cubed cheese, cottage cheese, and salsa until combined and then spread evenly in pan over tortillas.

Beat eggs and buttermilk together and pour evenly over cheese/salsa mixture. Sprinkle with remaining tortillas. Bake between 45 minutes-1 hour or until golden brown. Top with guacamole, avocado slices or sour cream if desired. Yummilicious!

Please post and share your favorite brunch recipes, I am always on the hunt for new inspirations.

I am a foodie to the core and am always on the hunt for seasonal inspirations. I absolutely LOVE persimmons, the lovely bright orange fruit that is available in the late fall and early winter. A friend recently gave me a bunch of Hachiya persimmons (which are best for baking BTW) and my search on the Internet lead me to this divine seasonal treat, James Beard’s Persimmon Bread Recipe–Simply divine Enjoy and let me know what you think by sharing comments in this post.

Persimmon Bread

Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.

3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, Bourbon or Whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)

1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.

5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Note: Using the higher amount of sugar will produce a moister and, of course, sweeter bread.

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too. Makes two 9-inch loaves.

You will be SO glad you came back for my final recipe because it so insanely good! You can serve it as a side dish or even dessert because it’s THAT decadent. But, however you eat it and whenever you eat it, you are going to love it! And it is even good for you too because of the beautiful orange beta carotene in the sweet potatoes, so eat up and know that while you are amusing your palate you are also nourishing your soul. Enjoy and please post and share your fav Thanksgiving recipes too!

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

Cooking Light, November 2002

14 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato/yams (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Add 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper if you want to add a bit of heat to this sweet dish

Preheat oven to 375° Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine the half-and-half and next 4 ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add potato to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over potato mixture.

Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated. Yield: 18 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Notes: Assemble the potato mixture and sprinkle with the streusel, then freeze the casserole up to 2 weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed. Or cook just the potatoes a day ahead, mash and refrigerate and proceed with the recipe as directed (starting with the addition of half-and-half) the day you’re serving the dish.

In honor of all things pumpkin, I wanted to share another yummy Fall recipe that was graciously given to me by one of my loyal readers, Julie S.. Pumpkin is full of good for you things like beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, and fiber, so enjoy this tasty comfort food meal and also know that it has health benefits too! Bon Appetit!

PUMPKIN TURKEY CHILI

You can turn ANY chili recipe into pumpkin chili just by adding a can of pumpkin to it. Here’s Julie S’s Chili recipe:

1 can chili beans (like kidney beans)

1 can pumpkin

1 can diced tomatoes

1 lb ground turkey

Zucchini (Cut in ¼” chunks)

Yellow squash (Cut in ¼” chunks)

3 cloves Garlic

1 whole onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Chili powder

1 tablespoon Cumin

½  teaspoon Cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon Black pepper

½ teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon agave

Directions:

Saute onions and garlic in oil, add ground turkey transfer to big pot, add remainder of ingredients and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add more cayenne and black pepper for spicier chili. Add chipotle chili pepper for a smoky flavor.

Thank you Julie, for sharing this healthy and tasty treat! Please share your favorite pumpkin or fall recipes in the comments section of this post. You can either post a recipe or a link.

Halloween is without a doubt one of my most favorite holidays. I love the chill in the air, the shift in mood, anything and everything that has to do with witches and all things pumpkin. I absolutely adore pumpkin! I love the warm orange autumnal color, I love the way it tastes in food, I love the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon baking together and I love the naturally active antioxidant properties that pumpkin has as a skincare ingredient. Given my affinity for this seasonal fruit, I have decided to dedicate all of my blog posts this week to Pumpkins and Halloween.

Here’s what I have in store for my lovely ghouls this week: Today, I will share some of my favorite pumpkin recipes; On Wednesday, I will rave about some of my favorite pumpkin skincare products; and on Friday, I will post a fabulous Halloween Giveaway contest so that you can have a chance to score some Halloween treats of your very own. I hope you enjoy this week of wicked treats and keep coming back for more!

Below are links to some of my favorite pumpkin recipes, along with a little insight into why I like each of them. I am sharing these recipes because they are delicious, inspired and full of pumpkiny flavor. Give them a try and let me know what you think, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. And as a favor to me, PLEASE share your fab pumpkin recipes in the comments section of this post, I am always looking for new pumpkin recipes to add to my collection.

Pumpkin Dip
from Cooking Light October 2003
This is one of my all time favorite, super easy, delicious and healthy pumpkin snacks. I often serve it as a seasonal appetizer that takes no time to prep and always gets rave reviews. And it is especially delicious with the most insane, knock-your-socks-off with flavor apples of the season: Honey Crisps (the best apple on the planet!!!!!) If you haven’t tried these delicious babies yet, run to your local market and taste the perfect blend of sweet, tart crunchiness for yourself.

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cakes
from Paula Deen, October 2008
This cake is ridiculously good, super indulgent, and a memorable dessert. It kinda reminds me of a molten chocolate cake but made with pumpkin instead. Dee-lish!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
from Southern Living January 1996
I love biscotti! It’s tasty, crunchy, great for dipping in your favorite beverage and relatively healthy because it is made with very little oil. This pumpkin version is super tasty and perfect for the fall season.  I like to add dried cranberries to mine, dip half of the biscotti in melted white chocolate, then wrap a handful in a pretty cellophane bag and tie them up with cranberry colored wire ribbon. I give these tasty morsels to friends as gifts around the holidays and have gotten nothing but compliments.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti
from Paula Deen, October 2008
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it sounds so insanely good (and budget friendly) that I just had to share it! I am making it for my guests who are coming over for Halloween this weekend. This recipe has all the ingredients and flavors that I love to combine with pumpkin, so it is sure to be a hit. Let me know what you think!