How to Make Mischievous Meringue Ghosts These fun spooky little guys are surprisingly fast, easy and so totally inexpensive you’ll never buy meringues at the bakery again.   This is easiest with a stand mixer but I’ve used a hand mixer with no trouble. …read more

  What a cool looking creation! Amber Sugar Glass is so versatile and once you know this easy, impressive (but totally cheap!) technique you’ll find all kinds of ways to use it.   Sugar glass is a simple mixture of sugar, water and corn syrup …read more

    Introducing – Slithericious Snake – A snake shaped calzone for Halloween!   Who doesn’t want a colorful snake on the table? This snake shaped pepperoni calzone for Halloween is a delightfully creepy entrée to serve your Halloween guests, because when you cut into …read more

  It’s time for Pumpkin Chili and Cornbread Waffles As soon as the chill of autumn hits the air I feel compelled to make soups. I drag “the big pot” out of the back of the cupboard and it stays handy until the end of …read more

  Easy elegance on a budget, Salmon Soufflé.    How do you serve a salmon entrée to four people for under $5 total?  You make salmon soufflé.   Soufflé makes for a tastefully classy lunch, or dinner, even a lovely late night supper. Imagine fluffy, …read more

  The Holiday Season is fast approaching and with it comes all the gift giving, the parties, travel hither and yon, decorating the inside and out of your house, and other assorted hoopla just waiting to derail your finances.    As tempting as may be …read more

What’s an elegant, sophisticated dessert you can easily make for under $12?       If you guessed Baked Alaska, you’d be right. Of course the photo and title might have given the answer away. This really is the queen of desserts. All the other …read more

    Mixed Berry Pavlova Just look at this dessert!  It’s made of melt-in-your-mouth meringue blanketed with lightly sweetened whipped cream and topped with luscious ripe berries. This is a Mixed Berry Pavlova and it’s wonderful!   It’s a Pavlova, named after the legendary Russian …read more

    Limoncello on the Isle of Capri The first time I had Limoncello was many years ago during my cruise ship days. To this day with each sip, the flavor takes me right back to Italy in my memory.   We were in Italy …read more

5 Entertaining Alternatives To The Dinner Party     What? You don’t want to have a big dinner party? It’s okay, neither do I.   Here’s the dilemma: Having a dinner party is such a “big deal” and the cost can easily spiral out of …read more

  We all know how much work goes into planning a party. If you’re fortunate enough to be invited to a soiree show your gratitude by endeavoring to be the best party guest. Ever. Most people would file this under “Duh” but here’s a refresher …read more

  Being invited to a party is such a special gesture; bringing a hostess gift is always appreciated. Here are some classy ways to say ‘thank you” to the host. Find a thoughtful gift that’s meant for the host/hostess as a personal thank you and …read more