The holidays are here, and you know what that means? It’s time to get your game face on. The game is called Protect Your Spouse, and the objective is simple: try your best to watch out for your significant other, especially when it comes to family-related issues. You’re on the same team, whether it’s finding a positive, non-blamey way to explain why you can’t make it to the third family get-together, fielding phone calls from your mom, or pulling it together after having a difficult conversation on the car ride to dinner. The goal is to get through the holidays with your marriage not only intact, but stronger despite all the demands that are associated with holidays and family get-togethers.
To be clear: the opponents aren’t your family. They love you and just want to enjoy quality family time together– don’t we all? In our game analogy, think Pandemic
Gateau Au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie Recipe
It was 4:55 and I was expecting my family over at 5:30 for my mom’s birthday dinner. Thirty-five minutes. I bit my lip and skimmed the recipe again. It looked totally doable, but my own “mommy-brain” had also been causing me to make a number of mishaps in the kitchen lately, and I couldn’t afford that with just 35 minutes on the clock. I deliberated for about ten more seconds, then remembered how much we always enjoyed chocolate cakes for Mom’s birthday in years past. Today needed that little bit of birthday special, and I would bring it. So I set to action, taking every shortcut I could think to take (on an already-simple recipe) and hoped for the best.
Fruit tarts seem to be the one dessert that everyone can agree on– even self-proclaimed “not a dessert person”-people, so it’s always a safe bet. The beautiful fruit patterns also make a bright splash on the dining table, so I like to think it adds to the festivity and decor of the celebration as well.
There are a gazillion recipes for fruit tart out there, which basically consist of a crust, filling, fruit, and glaze. My main gripe with most fruit tart recipes has always been the bother of chilling, then rolling out a crust. I have finally found a crust that skips those finicky steps and gets right to business. Below is my version of this much-loved dessert!
Two Christmases ago, my mother in law gave us a huge tin of Starbucks Hot Cocoa Mix
Our daughter was born on a Friday. One week later, we brought this delicious cheesecake to share with friends as we enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast together. That should give you some idea of just how doable this cake really is; a first-time nursing mother with a 1-week old was able to throw this together and bring it to a dinner!
It started with a big can of LIBBY’S® Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix. I saw it at the grocery store thinking it was a big can of pure pumpkin, and was miffed when I realized my mistake at home. I’m not a big pumpkin pie fan, so I went online in search of another way to use up this can of mix, and came across this recipe. The recipe looked very doable and the photo convinced me it couldn’t taste terrible, and I was right. The pumpkin and cheesecake melded perfectly with the taste of Thanksgiving, and the pecan praline topping added a sweet crunchy touch.
Meet JoEllen
Subscribe via Email
Top Posts & Pages
Categories
