Have you ever added strawberries to muffins and were unhappy with the soggy results?

Strawberries and poison ivy go together for me like strawberries and Valentine’s Day for most people.  Some of my earliest memories include staining my 5-year-old hands with incredibly sweet but tiny berries from the ditches of the tar-covered road in front of my house. I ate organically before it was cool…and expensive.

The price for sampling one of God’s most popular fruits was not entirely free, however. I would itch and scratch for days after.  Now that I’ve learned to avoid “leaves of three” and no longer live on that Indiana farm, I don’t have to endure Calamine lotion whenever I eat strawberries. I don’t even have to wait for summertime anymore between year-round availability and frozen strawberries.

One of my favorite ways to eat strawberries is a Strawberry Balsamic Muffin with Goat Cheese from the Central Market Bakery.  I’m not claiming to have THE recipe.  I don’t know how to get it since I don’t work there or know anybody who does, but I wish I did. Doesn’t that sound like a fun job? Maybe my next career.

A few weeks ago, I shared my super quick and easy method for making strawberry-balsamic sauce using frozen strawberries. It has two ingredients and cooks in only 6 minutes. The result is something similar to strawberry preserves but not as thick or sugary. It’s perfect for these muffins. The strawberries are already cooked, leaving no soggy spots inside after baking.

Goat-cheese crumbles give these muffins a distinctive flavor.  I love it but prefer the lesser amount listed in the recipe below. You could also leave it out or use toasted pecans instead for equally delicious results.

Start the day out right by making these for Valentine’s Day! Serve with strawberry or cherry preserves for maximum strawberry flavor.

Kay's Pot Roast with Gravy

My parents chose not to have a TV in the house when I was growing up.  Evenings were a time of practicing piano, reading, doing homework, and  playing Scrabble with my dad during the winter. Don’t be thinking it was a joyous time of family sharing every night, a la Norman Rockwell. I complained, convinced I would grow up to be a freaky farm girl, out of touch with the real world. However, I did love the Scrabble games.

They were open-dictionary affairs. Dad allowed us to pore over a big, fat Webster’s in search of the perfect word. While some would call it cheating, our vocabulary expanded and we learned to spell. Never mind that our favorite words were only two letters long and not ones we would likely use in real life. The dictionary also made for fewer arguments that started with “That’s not a real word!”

We kept notes about high scores on the inside of the box. Obviously, this is not the box we used at home. That one is even more interesting.

So now you understand why I’m addicted to Words with Friends, just like many of you.  Not only does it remind me of good times with my dad, it’s a challenge with meaningless consequences– the perfect stress-reliever.

My older sister’s pot roast is another good memory from childhood. Many times I  walked into her house after church to the perfume of this recipe cooking in the oven. M-m-m-m. Now that’s what I call aroma-therapy!

Because it’s basic, Kay’s recipe provides plenty of opportunities for customization.

• Add garlic.
• Cut roast into small chunks to make Beef Tips and serve over rice.
• Substitute red wine or burgundy for some of the water.
• Use milk instead of water in the gravy.
• Add thyme, a bay leaf and/or rosemary.
• Add sliced mushrooms, fresh or canned.

Habaneros give this recipe a kick your guests will love.

My friend Tamara was my husband’s friend first. Not in a romantic way, I don’t think, just a friend. They went to church together as kids, so I inherited our friendship.  And I’m glad I did. The amount of blackmail material I’ve squeezed out of her should last for several years.

Seriously, God has used Tamara to teach me a few things about caring for elderly parents, hospitality, and being joyful when life isn’t. She’s a good cook, too. This oft-requested recipe is just one example.

You’ve probably already seen various toppings poured over a block of cream cheese, but this cheese has Gorgonzola added which contributes a certain something special you will be hard-pressed to identify. But the best part is the sauce–Mango Green Apple Habanero Sauce by Cookwell.  Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find, but it’s available online, so I decided to go ahead and share it. In Texas, it is available at some H-E-B stores (found mine in Burleson). I am guessing jalapeno pepper jelly would be a good substitute if you can’t find the mango sauce.

Tamara's Spicy Mango and Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer

This goes together quickly. Seems like a great idea for a Super Bowl party!

P.S. I was not compensated in any way by Cookwell for saying nice things about their product.

A graham cracker party bar makes a festive and unusual dessert for a New Year’s celebration or any gathering of special friends.

Creamed Corn with Maple Bacon

When meeting new people, I like it when they suggest a hook to help me remember their name.  For example, I often say, “My name is Paula, like Paula Abdul on American Idol.” (Outdated, I know.)

But today, I’m saying, “My name is Paula, just like Paula Deen.” (I’m pretty sure I have more in common with Paula D. than Paula A. anyway.) My younger sister sent me Paula Deen’s newest cookbook for Christmas, and one of the recipes inspired me to dress up this family favorite for special meals.

My older sister makes an easy creamed corn dish my husband loves. It’s so simple really– you don’t even need a recipe. After allowing canned creamed corn (pumped up with extra corn) to simmer on low heat for awhile, it becomes thick and slightly caramelized. Paula Deen gave me the idea to top it off with maple bacon. She added it to hominy, but it also takes this creamed corn to new heights.

Feel free to substitute fresh or frozen corn  for the whole-kernel corn depending on your emotional disposition regarding the canned stuff. Although I love fresh corn, canned corn evokes good memories for me, going back to the basement cafeteria of my elementary school years in Lucerne, Indiana, where it was easily the best vegetable on the menu.

p.s. Merry Christmas to all of you, and may God bless you in 2012. Thank-you for your encouragement, support and most of all, coming back to visit again and again.

Crunchy Gingerbread Bites are perfect for Christmas gift-giving or entertaining.

A few years ago, my entry into the Star-Telegram Christmas cookie contest made the first cut.  It was exciting even though the prize was no big deal.

I didn’t win.

These cookies did–I think, or maybe it was second place. I’m not sure. Anyway, I printed the details and stuck it in my someday-I-want-to-try-this file.

When I heard our church needed cookies for the Christmas baskets we give to the older and less mobile members, I dug out this recipe. It was the perfect opportunity to experiment because I would have something to do with them besides stuff my face. Turns out they make excellent gifts for three reasons:

• They don’t crumble.
• They stay fresh and delicious up to 3 weeks or can be frozen.
• No decorating required.

By the way, I made up the name “Crunchy Gingerbread Bites” because who can pronounce their real name unless you speak German?  I won’t even try to explain the translation, pepper nuts, but you can read about it on Wikipedia.

These miniature sweets are some trouble, officially qualifying them as Christmas cookies. I’ve figured out if you want to be labeled a Christmas cookie, you must be either red, green, or labor-intensive.  Not saying these are difficult to make–they couldn’t be easier. It just takes a chunk of time to cut all those little pieces of dough. Don’t worry, the last tray only took about a third of the time of the first tray.

Roll a piece of dough about the size of a pencil. Cut in 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.

Originally, I thought I would roll each little ball by hand.  HA! There must be about a thousand per batch. People eat them by the handfuls, so trying to make them look perfect is wasted energy.

Space far enough apart so you don't end up with any Siamese twins like I did.

To package them, I put about 3/4 cup in each cellophane bag (available at craft stores) and tied with red raffia. A cute Christmas label would have been nice. (Sigh) Maybe next year.

p.s. While “googling” about the Star-Telegram cookie contest, I ran across this post written by Amy of Sing for Your Supper. She is a local food blogger who actually won the cookie contest in 2010.  She published her winning recipe here. I have met Amy and was so excited to find out about this. A belated “Congratulations” to you, Amy.