My sister-in-law gave me this wonderful magazine called The Best of Fine Cooking. This particular issue consists of baking tips from the pros and several holiday baking recipes.

When I browsed through the magazine the first time, I was really only looking at the recipes, not the baking tips. As I sit here now and look for the second time, I see how much helpful information is packed into this magazine. It’s definitely a must-read if you’re into baking. This issue is only available until January 31st.

Last Saturday we were having a Christmas potluck at our house for about 35 people. One of the things I decided to make were these cute pumpkin cheesecakes I found in the magazine. They were very easy to make, but I did make one mistake. Below it says to make sure you don’t overbeat once the eggs are added or the cheesecakes will puff and crack during baking. That’s exactly what mine did.

Regardless of my error, they still tasted yummy.

These cheesecakes are great for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so hurry up and give them a try!

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch table salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup pure solid-pack canned pumpkin
2-1/4 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Line 12 standard muffin tins (approximately 23/4 inches in diameter) with foil liners and coat lightly with cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held electric mixer) beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until very smooth and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt, and continue beating until well blended and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, about 1 minute; there should be no lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just blended. (Don’t overbeat once the eggs are added or the cheesecakes will puff and crack during baking.)

Transfer 2/3 cup of the batter to a small bowl. Add the pumpkin, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to the small bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Divide the plain batter among the muffin cups (about 2 generous Tbs. in each). Then divide the pumpkin batter evenly among the cups (about 1 generous Tbs. in each). Drag the tip of a wooden skewer, toothpick, or paring knife through the two batters in a random, swirly pattern to create a marbled look

Bake until the centers of the cheesecakes barely jiggle when nudged, 15 to 18 minutes. Set the muffin tins on a rack and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

Make ahead tips…

The baked cheesecakes can be refrigerated, covered for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. Freeze the cooled cheesecakes in the tins in heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags, or remove them from the tins and arrange in airtight containers.

The other day I had lemon cake mix in my pantry. I didn’t want to make a typical boxed cake, so I decided to change it up a bit. This cake was super easy to make, plus we didn’t have to wait long to indulge! That’s the important part.

This is definitely a great summer dessert you’ll want to share with all your friends. Uh, kind of like I’m doing!

Ingredients:

Lemon cake mix (plus the ingredients listed on the box)

Jar of Red Raspberry preserves (I used most of the jar)

Small container of Cool Whip – Whipped Topping

Directions:

1. Make cake mix according to the instructions on the box. I used two 9″ pans, but you could also use 8″ pans. Make sure you cool thoroughly before assembling.

2. Place the bottom layer on a plate or cake platter. Usually the cake is raised in the middle so you’ll want to take a serrated knife across the top to make it even or a little concaved for the preserves.

3. Spoon the red raspberry preserves over the top of the cake layer you evened out. You’re going to want to add a lot to make it a nice thick layer.

4. When you think you’ve added enough of the preserves, add the second layer of cake on top of the preserves.

5. With a regular knife, begin “frosting” your cake with the whipped topping. Make sure to get it evenly around the top and sides of the entire cake.

6. Place the finished cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or more to help the Cool Whip set. Enjoy!

This cake tasted even better the next day!

Since the holidays are here, I thought it would be appropriate to offer a cookie recipe you can use to take to all of your winter parties. These cookies have a 5-star rating (out of 5) from 777 reviewers! Must be some darn good cookies!

I’m going to bake these next week, but I thought the recipe looked too good not to share right away. The recipe is from Paula Deen and the Food Network. How can you go wrong?

Also, I love cookies made from cake mix. They just seem to have a better texture to me. If you choose to bake these, come back and leave me a comment and let us know how you liked them!

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and “gooey.” Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Here’s a traditional meal you can make for your family. I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing like a big bowl of pasta and a salad for dinner. It’s also great if you make extra to enjoy as leftovers.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1/3 cup flavored bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Other Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

28 oz. can tomato puree

1 cup water

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 pkg (16 oz.) spaghetti

Directions:

1. Combine meatball ingredients and shape into balls.

2. Brown in oil in large skillet. Pour off excess fat.

3. Add onion and garlic; saute 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add tomato puree, water, tomato paste, salt, oregano, basil and pepper; simmer 15-20 minutes.

5. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve with sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Photo provided by myrecipes.com

Recipe provided by cooks.com

Are you looking for a dessert to serve this Thanksgiving holiday? I found this cheesecake recipe from Paula Deen on the Food Network. I’m looking forward to trying it out myself, but I wanted to share this easy recipe with all of you. Happy Thanksgiving and happy eating!

Ingredients

• 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
• 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup caramel topping
• 12 pecan halves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions

I must first confess that I haven’t tried this recipe yet. My hubby is on a low-carb diet right now so this recipe isn’t even an option for us. But that’s ok, I forgive him. He’s trying to get all hot and in shape for me so I’ll let it slide. For now.

This Taco Fiesta Chicken Lasagna looks easy to make (just what I like) and yummy. It also combines the wonderful flavors of Mexican food, with my other favorite food – Italian. I love me some noodles!

Just as a warning to you all, you need to chill this in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight. You can’t make this dish at the last minute!

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Spray 15×12-inch sheet of foil and 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine tomatoes and taco sauce; mix well. Stir in chicken. In medium bowl, combine refried beans and sour cream; mix well.
2. Spread about 1 cup chicken mixture in bottom of sprayed baking dish. Top with 4 uncooked noodles, breaking to fit if necessary. Spread with half of bean mixture and 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese, half of the onions and half of the olives.
3. Layer 4 more noodles, remaining bean mixture, 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining 4 noodles, chicken mixture, onions, olives and cheese. (Be sure top noodles are covered.) Cover with foil, sprayed side down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
4. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered lasagna for 50 minutes. Uncover baking dish; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro. If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream, chopped tomato and shredded lettuce. (This adds a fresh look to your lasagna)

Photo courtesy of BettyCrocker.com

Photo credit: Jan Smith of Cooking Light

I found this recipe in the August 2010 edition of my Cooking Light magazine. If you are looking for a healthy muffin recipe, this one’s for you!

The recipe calls for you to put the oats in a food processor, but if you use the quick oats, it really isn’t necessary as they are already tiny.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place oats in a food processor; pulse 5 to 6 times until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to oats in bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine buttermilk, oil, rind, and eggs in small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Toss berries with 2 tablespoons flour, and gently fold them into the batter.

Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle batter with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 170 (26% from fat)

Fat: 5g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.4g)

Protein: 4g

Carbohydrate: 28.6g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 27mg

Iron: 1.2mg

Sodium: 256mg

Calcium: 65mg

Welcome to the first edition of Tasty Tuesdays! I am hoping to post a recipe every Tuesday to help y’all get your creative cooking juices flowing.

I was browsing the Internet the other day trying to find some new recipes to sneak in some fruit or vegetables for my toddler…and the rest of the family. Shh…don’t tell them! I had been wanting to make some bread and I found this recipe for banana nut bread from a website called Kitchen Daily.

I had never seen this site before and I thought it had a more “updated” sort of look compared to a lot of other websites I use to find recipes. There didn’t seem to be a lot of photos, but sometimes that isn’t really necessary anyway. Check it out when you have time. Until then, check out this super easy recipe…

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 slightly beaten egg whites

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl stir together egg whites, banana, sugar, and oil. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until moistened.

3. Spray an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

4. Cool bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. For easier slicing, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and store overnight.

Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).

This dessert is a family favorite. I came across this sweet and rich fudge by browsing the Internet for recipes. I think I actually like it better than traditional fudge. Sorry all you chocolate lovers out there! You should definitely take a look at the Jif Peanut Butter website when you get a chance. Like many of my other recipes, this one is quick and easy. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

18 oz. container Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. LINE 13 X 9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray with no-stick cooking spray.

2. COMBINE sugar, butter and milk in large saucepan, stirring constantly on medium heat, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

3. ADD peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Spread in prepared pan. Cool. Cut into candy-sized pieces.

Yields: 3 pounds

Yes, that’s right! Cookies made with boxed cake mix! These cookies are so delicious you won’t want to stop eating them. Best of all, they are super easy to make. This recipe is foolproof!

Ingredients:

1 (18.5 oz.) package yellow cake mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add peanut butter, oil, eggs, and water. Mix until well blended. Mix in chocolate chips thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies set on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before carefully removing from the cookie sheet to cool on wire racks.