Make a lot of toast all at once! Great for a crowd

Got a houseful this weekend for the holidays?  Making breakfast for a group and only have 1 toaster?  Even for our family of five with a 4 slot toaster we often make our toast in the oven when we are all having a big breakfast together.

The temperature isn't too picky;  use anything between 350 - 400 degrees.  Place your bread on a baking sheet, pan or stoneware and simply bake!  When it's to the golden brown that your family prefers, flip them over, toast the second side and then butter and serve.  Toast for everyone at the same time.

Red Velvet Cheesecake - Add some blueberries for a "Red, White & Blue" dessert

This morning I was thinking about 'red, white and blue' desserts in honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday in the USA.  I think jello desserts are overdone, simply because they are so easy to work into a patriotic theme.   I took a sip of coffee, asked myself;  "What dessert could be red, white and blue that doesn't include blue jello?"  and immediately I thought of my favorite cake;  Red Velvet. 

I remembered I had a Red Velvet Cheesecake dessert tucked away in my collection of files and it only took me a second to find it.  Bingo!  By removing the green garnish on top and adding washed and dried blueberries, you can incorporate the 'blue' into this red and white dessert.  Viola!  A 4th of July dessert.


 Red Velvet Cheesecake

1 1/2 c chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
1 T granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3T  unsweetened cocoa
1 c sour cream
1/2 c whole buttermilk
2 t vanilla extract
1 t distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract



Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of spring form pan. Garnish, if desired with washed and dried blueberries for a 'red white and blue' presentation.

Patriotic Potatoes! Red, White and Blue for a Fourth of July BBQ

Last night I planned to grill steaks for dinner, served with a side salad and my favorite way to grill potatoes;  lots of olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  It was another busy week night however and It ended up being just 2 of us home for dinner.  I still followed my planned menu, but it explains why there are so few potatoes in my photo!

The Cherry Bundt Cake that Didn't Get Chosen To Be Made This Week

(How is that for a mouth full!?)

The Cherry Nut Bread I made a couple days ago almost didn't get made;  only because I was debating between it and this one - Cherry Bundt Cake.  It sounds incredible and I'm craving it now that I chose to make the bread instead.  The funny thing is that I chose to make either of them this week to use up the cherries leftover from the 50's cupcakes.  However, if I choose to make this Cherry Bundt Cake, now I'll have to go back to the store and buy more cherries! 

Cherry Bundt Cake

1 cup maraschino cherries drained and dried on paper towels for 4-6 hrs.
2/3 c  all-purpose flour
1/3 c  butter
2/3 c  sugar
2 eggs
1 t  vanilla extract
1 c  cake flour
1   baking powder
1/3 c  milk

1 c powdered sugar
1 T butter
2 T water
red food coloring (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour an 8 inch bundt pan.  Cut cherries in half and toss them in the 2/3 c flour.  In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add eggs, then vanilla.  Add dry ingredients that have been previously sifted and fold by hand alternating with milk.

Stir in cherries.  Pour into tin and smooth surface.  Bake for 35 min or until toothpick comes out clean of the center.  Let cool in pan for 10 min before unmolding.  For the glaze, stir all ingredients over a hot water bath or double boiler until smooth.  Pour over cake.

Cherry Nut Bread

Ooops!  I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!!!

This week I wanted to use up an extra jar of cherries I had bought and used when I made the 1950's cupcakes.  Since I love old fashioned 'grandma' recipes, this is one I used.  Some readers will chuckle when they see the measurements;  "butter size of an egg"  and "fill on up with milk".  I LOVE recipes like this!!!  The "fill on up with milk" part of the recipe?  I assumed was a 1 cup measurement, and I was right.  The bread turned out delicious.  Unfortunately I didn't remember to take a picture and it's now gone.

Cherry Nut Bread

1 c. brown sugar
Butter size of an egg
1 egg
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 small bottle of cherries
(Drain cherries and cut in half. Pour juice into a cup and fill on up with milk)
2 c flour
1/2 c walnuts

Mix altogether; put in 9x5 greased pan. Let stand 20 minutes. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

*NOTE:  I found this bread needed to bake almost twice as long as called for.  I baked mine 1 hour and 15 minutes.  TEST YOURS.  When the center test comes out clean you'll know it's done.  If you remove it too early the center will be soupy.