Bacon-and-Egg Muffins

Just think; you can make these fabulous muffins for breakfast...bacon, lightly scrambled eggs, and shredded cheddar cheese, all rolled into one!

There's about a dozen version of the Bacon-and-Eggs Muffins recipe online, but I found this to be the best, from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. This is what I call a 'hearty' breakfast, or 'snack'
treat. Here's the recipe, just click to view and print it!

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend! xo
Bacon-and-Egg Muffins

My Food Cravings...and a New Week!

The Big Red Bold Burger

It's been exactly one week, since yesterday that I had to part from my sweet kitty, Prince...things have not been the same. I have been just in a state of "disbelief" that I actually made that decision to have his life ended, feeling guilty...yet relieved!

I am so thankful, and grateful to all of you who have commented, comforted, and shared your heartfelt stories about your beloved pets that you have lost, as well. It is such a sad feeling, an emptiness in your heart, in your home, that you feel for a long time to come...yet, knowing that this is the "cycle of life" that our pets, just like us have to endure. Just as we will be called to pass through those golden gates to heaven...our pets are also called to their final resting homes...this is an assurance that I know, and that we will all be together, someday!

Some of you have noticed that I've been pinning a lot on PINTEREST, working on my board, to add more. I love PINTEREST; did not think that I would get so hooked on it! I do have a board on it, called; Food Cravings, and this amazing burger called...The Big Red Bold Burger from amazing sandwiches, is one of my cravings!

Oven Fried Onion Rings

You can't just have a burger without fries and onion rings...so at least go for the healthier version...Oven Fried Onion Rings, courtesy of Pinterest  I will have to google the recipe for this, as well!

Sweet Potato Fries Baked

If you're going to have fries, might as well choose a healthier version, which is the Sweet Potato Fries, Baked, courtesy of natural noshing...yumm

Honey Almond Ice Cream

Honey Almond Ice cream, courtesy of a sweet simple life and Caramel Espresso Bars?...a match made in heaven!

Finally, I would want to have a piece of the amazing Caramel Espresso Bars from my good friend Lizzy @that skinny chick can bake....now, we are getting closer to home, where you can actually find her recipe!


As you can see, this is not your Weight Watchers foods, or desserts, I have given that up a few months ago since my Prince has become so ill...although, I still know the points that I'm allowed; I also have the little WW calculator to figure the points...actually, did figure out how many points are in an all beef Hebrew National hot dog...4 points; and in a hot dog bun...3 points. Well, that's what I had yesterday...2 hot dogs, and a side of deli coleslaw. I declined my invite for the cookout at my daughter's...stayed at home all day...went downstairs, to check out the ocean, and went for a walk on the beach, and later went swimming in the pool...and read one of my old Bon Appetit cooking magazines from 1999!...So, all in all, it wasn't such a bad day.
Hope you all had a very nice Memorial Day weekend!

...Don't go away, yet... I have some awesome, and important thing to share with you!

Yesterday turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny, (partly cloudy) and breezy day, the high of 86 degrees F. in South Florida! (Palm Beach) I decided to take a little walk...hardly any people on the private beach...(snowbirds gone back north)...no vacationers, at least not around here!

As you can see, there's only one person up ahead in the distance, and this is at 1:00pm in the afternoon; not if like they have all gone to lunch!...just a quiet, and empty beach is what I needed to gather my thoughts and recite some prayers quietly to myself and the universe! 

As I'm watching the gentle waves...of course, not going into the water, in fear of "undercurrents" ...just the other day, they had to pull a few people from the ocean because they were stuck in the undercurrents, and that is very, dangerous where it could pull you under in a "snap of a moment" and ...be gone...washed away in the currents! (it happened in another part of the state)

Finally, as I was walking...I stumbled upon one flip-flop...not just an ordinary flip-flop, but what looks like an expensive brand...a mens' flip-flop that has been washed ashore. With all the time on my hands, I began to wonder? Where did this come from...is it local?...always just one flip-flop!...What happens to all these washed ashore items, as in plastic bottles, containers, and tons, and tons, of debris washed ashore. I know, in our area it get cleaned up...but what about, all the rest?...so; later I decide to google about flip-flops being washed ashore...and this is what I found!

This is an exhibition site of a fabulous art of several discarded debris...such as flip-flops, plastic, to design ART out of it!
Now isn't this so awesome, wonderful?
For more information, check out this website...absolutely, amazing!
Washed Ashore plastics, sea life and art Global Tour 

Blueberry Marshmallow No-Bake Torte...Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and with all the BBQ's planned hopefully all of you will have a beautiful and sunny day as we always have, here in South Florida. With all the preparations going on for this event, why would you want to spend hours in the kitchen baking pies, and cakes, when you can just whip up an "easy-breezy" spring/summer dessert, that will chill in 2 hours, and ready to enjoy!

Now, unless it's your mother's treasured recipes that were marked down in a handwritten book as in Claudia's @What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine from her dear departed mom's... you have got to mention that it's your own creation, or adapted from some source. As for your own creation, that really means you have memorized a recipe and are putting together by your own creativity and jotting the the instructions, and the step-by-step method, just as I have done in my last post about the Roasted peppers, which is a tried and true method from all the other failed ones I have used.

As in my case, I must confess, I steal ideas from glancing at pictures of recipes...being in the culinary profession for so many years have thought me just that...especially with request from my Private Chef experience when I literally had to plan, shop, prep, and throw together a quick gourmet meal from soup to dessert, and presented beautifully to serve for 2-4 persons (hopefully the same main course)...so, when I see a pretty photo of a dessert, I may not follow which is in most cases, the same exact recipe and will also re-name it, and will add to the ingredients, as well. Also, I do feel that most recipes require to be adapted with different spices, or ingredients to make it your way, and you should mention that when you are posting a recipe, that is copied. Adapted-literally means that you have modified, changed, and altered it for new use.

Before I take you to the step-by-step method, and recipe, I must remember to mention, that my granddaughter Gabby, age 9...decorated the entire Torte top, with the fresh blueberries, and the freshly picked mints from their next door neighbor Dr. Eric's yard....notice the bougainvillea in the background at my daughter's house, and the cute decoration by Gabby...also the sweet mint flower, and a tiny sprig of rosemary which also had purple little flowers. The flower on the platter came from Eric's yard of 2 beautiful blooming trees. Happy, Memorial Day weekend, to all!....just don't leave yet!  ...more to come. Click on read more...

Blueberrry  Marshmallow No-Bake Torte
Totally adapted from another recipe called
Blueberry Squares by TASTEOFHOME.COM

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (see photo on right)
5 Tablespoons (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon sugar

In a food processor, crush the vanilla wafers until they resemble fine crumbs. In a medium bowl, add the crumbs and melted butter, and sugar to incorporate using  a fork, until all the butter is mixed in. In a non-stick 9 inch spring form cake pan, press evenly on the bottom. It's not necessary to have it come up on the sides...just on the bottom.
In a preheated 325 degree F. oven, bake for 12-15 minutes. Set aside, and cool.

For the Blueberry Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 - 3/4 cup water (start with 1/2 cup first)
4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
(I used a big container from Costco)
grated lemon peel from 1 lemon
juice of the same lemon, after grating it

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add water, stirring, or whisking it until smooth .(see photo on right)
Add the grated lemon peel, and lemon juice and stir to combine.

Stir in the divided half 2 cups of blueberries...bring to a boil, and stir until thickened, adding the extra 1/4 cup of water if it gets too thick. You can see the thickness of consistency by seeing how the sauce coats the wooden spoon...show in the photo on the right.

Now, you are ready to fold in the remaining 2 cups of blueberries, and give it a good careful stir, and set aside to cool completely, before layering it with the whipped cream and marshmallows.

This is the consistency of the sauce, that will thicken even more as it cools in the fridge, for about 45 minutes before filling, and layering with the marshmallow cream.

For the marshmallow cream filling, and topping:

2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows (Kraft is the best)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken.
Add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. (do not over beat, or you will end up with whipped butter...LOL)
Fold in marshmallows.

Spread half the amount of the cream with the folded marshmallows into the prepared crust.

Top with the entire prepared and cooled blueberry mixture. At this point, you can leave it with the blueberry topping to cool, an set completely in the fridge, or add the last layer of marshmallow cream for the last topping, chill for 2 hours either way, with the blueberry topping, or the final marshmallow cream topping, and decorate as you wish...or as Gabby decorated it.
note: if you don't use the last layer of marshmallow cream for the topping, and wish to leave the blueberry topping...you can use the marshmallow cream to spoon extra cream when you cut the slices.

At any rate, I want to share this with you to enjoy with your family, friends, and party guests as an easy, breezy special dessert!