Milky Way Midnight Cake

Hi everyone!! Earlier today we received a call from some friends to say that they were stopping to visit us later.  I am so  prepared!!!!

I love Milky Way Midnight candy bars and I always have a few as back up for when I want something sweet. Fortunately I had one nice size bar to grate on top of the cake.  You also could cut one up in small pieces and fold into pudding if you really want lots of candy but one grated  was fine for this cake.  I didn't want to give them a death by chocolate experience. LOL



Luckily I had everything to make a quick dessert, including a 8" layer cake in the freezer so I made this now famous "Milky Way Midnight Cake"and by 11:30 a.m . it was ready to eat.  Of course no time is too early for me to taste so I did and it's yummy! 

FYI: You make. 2- 8 "or 9" inch round cakes according to directions(box mix is fine). When cooled wrap and freeze for use when you are in a pinch.   They are so handy.  Any vanilla or chocolate cake is a safe bake.

I also had real whipped cream and a Milky Way midnight candy bar to grate on top for something different.

Ingredients:

1 small pkg. Vanilla instant pudding made with 1 1/2 cups milk. Whisk and Set aside to thicken while you are beating the whipped cream.

1- pint Heavy cream whipped firm (add a few tablespoons confectioners sugar and I tsp. Vanilla (you can use cool whip)if it's easier . When whipped to firm consistency whisk a few heaping tablespoons into pudding and then save the rest for the top.

Sprinkle with grated Milky Way Midnight candy bar. Frozen is best because it is easier to grate.

Note : you can use any dry topping like trail mix , toasted coconut or chopped peanuts or pecans if you like.  

I'm all set!! You can do it too. It's so darn easy! 

Especially if you like cream cakes or pie.  Enjoy!

From my happy kitchen to yours,

Sweet Potato Gnocchi from my kitchen to yours,

A wonderful re-post of a delicious meal.


It's fall so why not try your hands at making Sweet Potato Gnocci.  This recipe is super easy and you don't have to be a chef to create it.  Take an hour and make some.  Everyone in your family will love you and it too!

I love any potato.  It is a huge weakness of mine.  Healthy to eat (without added butter or sour cream) unfortunately but still when you are a true potato lover adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper is all you need!

Today I wanted to try my hand at making sweet potato gnocchi.  There are several varieties of Sweet Potatoes and there are Yams!   One is slightly yellow inside and one is orange.   I refer to the orange potato as a sweet potato but is it a yam?? Hope I'm not confusing you because I am a little confused about varieties.  Hopefully the article below will clarify it to both of us courtesy of About. com.

Happy Baking and Cooking!
 M.J

This photo reflects my delicious orange in color and sweet in taste Gnocchi!

I browned some butter and topped the gnocchi.  Adding a touch of cinnamon , sage, or nutmeg for flavor

Mine is a Sweet Potato if I'm interpreting the information correctly.

Yam or Sweet Potato?


Yam or sweet potato, what in the world is it? Many people use these terms interchangeably both in conversation and in cooking, but they are really two different vegetables.

Sweet Potatoes

Popular in the American South, these yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point and are of two dominant types. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

Current popular sweet potato varieties include Goldrush, Georgia Red, Centennial, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Velvet.

Yams

The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.

Slowly becoming more common in US markets, the yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide.

Generally sweeter than than the sweet potato, this tuber can grow over seven feet in length.

The word yam comes from African words njam, nyami, or djambi, meaning "to eat," and was first recorded in America in 1676.

The yam tuber has a brown or black skin which resembles the bark of a tree and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety. They are at home growing in tropical climates, primarily in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes and have a higher moisture content. They are also marketed by their Spanish names, boniato and ñame.



You can double this recipe or triple if you like.  This was enough for two servings.

1- extra large sweet potato  (microwaved until very soft) and cooled, peeled and put through ricer or you can mash them with your electric mixer for convenience.
1 egg beaten
2+ cups flour
pinch salt

Work potato, egg, salt and flour until it forms a ball.

Place on cutting board with some flour.  Roll dough into long strips (like a tootsie roll)

Cut in small pieces.  In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water place gnocchi.  Stir.  When gnocchi rise to top.  Let cook for a few minutes.  Drain and season with browned butter. Yummy!!! Yummy!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

11/9/12 
10/1/13
2/26/14

A Blessed Day

A Blessed Day to everyone.

I hope your day is filled with peace, love, health and all the necessities for a good life. It seems every day I am more grateful for even the smallest gift that life brings. 

Today this message is for me as well as you.  Sunday seems like my day to reflect and share hope.

As I look out my window and see life through whispering winds sometimes so silent you don't realize how that so silent calmness can change in a second . It makes me stop

if only for a moment to take a deep breath, look around and feel enormous gratitude. 

Whatever comes in our path we can handle it. We are alive.  We have purpose. We are important.  We are good.

We all have our up and down days. That is quite normal. It's how we muster the strength in those dark days to see that our life has meaning and we have a purpose to keep going.

Appreciate life. Really appreciate the gift of life.

Love,

M.j.

The Ultimate White Pizza!

 We call it White Pizza, you may call it stuffed pizza.  This has to be one of our families favorite "oh so good" hometown pizza.

  I think I have mentioned a zillion times there is no place on earth(I know I am very partial) that has the best red, white, broccoli or shrimp pizza as where my hubby and I grew up, Northeastern PA.

   There is a pizza restaurant on almost every corner and some day we plan on hitting each one for a pizza run.  I think it is a challenge that is being put to the test back in our hometown area recently.  Honestly you may move to another area but you can't wait to come to visit because you must hit one of the pizza havens. 

 Honestly it is called the "pizza capital of the world".  I speak the truth.

After

  Check the link below!

If you doubt me Google Old Forge Pizza and it'll confirm it.  Here is the link: 


 Old Forge Style Pizza! I call it the Ultimate White Pizza
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/03/old-forge-pennsylvania-the-pizza-capital-of-the-world.html


l-lb. American cheese grated
1/2 lb. Brick cheese grated
1-8 oz. Sargento chef's blend (6 different cheeses)  or 8 oz. of Cooper sharp cheese grated.  
1-pre- baked pizza shell
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1/4 tsp. crushed rosemary
pinch salt and lots of pepper

In a small container place olive oil, onion, rosemary, pinch of salt and pepper.  Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Brick cheese may be hard to find.  Check out the deli dept at your grocery store.  It is sometimes soft so freeze the piece for 15 minutes before grating.

Before being baked

1- pre-baked pizza shell slice across lengthwise

Fill center with cheese. Place top on cheese and spread olive oil mixture on top.  Bake 400 degrees approx. 15 minutes or until you see cheese oozing out the sides...Yum ** Note:  Wait several minutes before slicing.

From my kitchen to yours,

 

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6/15/13

Baked Honey Lime Salmon

                                                                                                                                                                                                        This recipe caught my eye on facebook so today I'm making it for our dinner.

I am determined to like SALMON!!!!



It sure looks easy enough!!

Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS

• 1 large salmon fillet (see note)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 
  
• ½ cup butter, melted (see note)
• juice of 2 limes (plus one lime, thinly sliced)
• 
  
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 
  
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 
  
• ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line and grease a large baking sheet with foil. Lay salmon on foil and season with salt and pepper on both sides to taste. Slip lime slices underneath the salmon.
2. Stir together butter, lime juice, honey, and garlic. Pour mixture over salmon. Fold sides of foil up over the salmon (don't worry if it doesn't cover the salmon completely).
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Switch oven to broil and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

NOTES

Don't stress about the size of your salmon fillet. This recipe is very forgiving and works for one very large salmon, a couple of medium-sized fillets, or even several small individual fillets. 

For an even lighter version, you can cut back the butter to 4 tablespoons instead of a half cup (8 tablespoons). Keep in mind though that for a very large salmon fillet like the one I used, 8 tablespoons is not a terribly huge amount when divided between 4-6 servings.


From my kitchen to yours,

adapted from creme de la crumb