Cooking

The first steak I was able to cook completely without burning. Those are garlic cloves on top. Thanks go to Chef Jean-Pierre for his video on how to cook the perfect steak.

Every year I make pumpkin pies. We like them spicy so I use the Libby’s recipe and double the spices. I also put spices in the crust. YUM!

Cinnamon rolls a favorite around the holidays. These are a bit overdone. But with frosting and some time in a container with some bread, and they soften right up. I use a recipe from Lorinda Narcisso who is a master baker of them.

I made my youngest daughter’s wedding cake with vanilla and chocolate layers using recipes from Yolanda’s HowToCakeIt website. She suggests using her Simple Syrup to keep the cake moist. I did that on 2 of the 3 layers and could really tell the difference.

Tried to make really small versions of pumpkin pies in mini loaf pans. They tasted good, but it was a ton of work. So I’m not doing this any more.

Image When I Find It

For our Halloween 2023 chili and dessert bake-off at church, I decided to try my hand at a cheesecake. It had to be different though, and my favorite cooking show was becoming Chef Jean-Pierre. He has an Eggnog Cheesecake recipe that won me first place. I hadn’t even had a chance to taste it before it was judged. The video does such a good job at explaining everything and the cake turned out well though I had a few mistakes in there being my first time.

Found a recipe about cowboy cookies where Laura Bush won a back-off against Hillary Clinton. They are great and easy to experiment with. I’ve tried all kinds of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, and other add-ins. The cookie is easy to make without a mixer, and they have been delicious every time.