~V's Daily Indulgence

Snack Attack | Caramel Corn

2011-06-28T17:07:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't like to eat snacks? My husband and boys love "Crunch'N'Munch" you know that sweet and salty treat we still find and reminisce about from our childhood. What child hasn't squealed of pure excitement when they got their own box of Cracker Jacks. We couldn't possibly share, afterall there was a prize in every box. It seems like the only time you see homemade caramel corn is during

Baking Molds and Hong Kong Trip Goodies Giveaway-- Winner...

2011-06-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a Giveaway on a terrific food blog at uTry.it and just received word I WON! I just wanted to give a shout out to my readers, not only because I get the bragging rights, but to let you know if you haven't visited uTry.it you need to! Not only will you find some wonderful recipes, but there is always great Giveaways! Amy over at uTry.it has a terrific recipe for

Let's Bake Love!

2011-02-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

Everyone in life is blessed with some kind of good fortune. Maybe it's wealthy parents. Maybe it's a dazzling voice. Maybe it's that perfect body or something else. My good fortune is my husband. My husband has beautiful brown eyes and a smart-ass smile. He twirls his wedding band around his finger when he's deep in thought. He has an obsession with all televised sports: when his teams are

Let the Fun Begin! Wilton Decorating Basics

2011-02-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Last week I was in cupcake mode and was wandering the baking isles of my local Michael's craft store in search of cute cupcake liners. While looking at all the gadgets and decorating goodies, I overheard a lady asking where a certain item was that she needed for her class. My ears perked up... class? what kind? Just then I noticed a flyer taped to the end of the isle where I was standing. It read

Game Day Food Fight: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers

2011-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Game Day Food Fight: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers - It's Super Bowl time! That means something almost more important than the big game or half time: the Super Bowl Food. Keeping your guests happy during 4 quarters can be tricky! Whether you're entertaining at home or bringing something to the table I've got the recipe for you. I have my favorites such as Steamed Shrimp

And the Winner of the William Sonoma GiveAway is....#5

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

We have a winner! Ding Ding Ding..... First I want to apologize for the delay in announcing the winner of my 1st Giveaway. Second, I want to thank everyone who participated and shared the love! I appreciate you all very much. I enjoyed each and every comment left. I wanted to make it as fair as possible, so I made a numbered list of each comment in the order they were posted and then entered

Celebrating my new look with German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

2011-01-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

Were celebrating with cake! With the new year upon us, I decided I needed a little change on my blog. I have been working hard this week to bring my blog a new look as I'm sure you've already noticed! I have a new graphic at the top which is more recipe and/or cooking related. I just have to shout out to Lena at Simply Fabulous as she inspired me with her "just like me" blog characters. This one

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-12-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

I recently had a hankering for this old favorite. With the weather cold outside, this is the perfect soup to warm you from the inside out. I love a good spicy and savory soup. I like mine with a dollop of sour cream. You can easily make this in the crockpot, throwing all the ingredients in, or if you're pressed for time, make it stove top. For a nice consistency, throw in some tortilla chips,

Williams-Sonoma $50 Give-Away

2010-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Win a $50 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card! Williams-Sonoma is offering one lucky reader a $50 gift card to help with building your family's kitchen. Like many of you, I find things I want for Christmas when I'm shopping for others! One of my favorite places to shop is Williams-Sonoma. From professional cookware and specialty foods to sophisticated stemware, dinnerware and table linens

Breakfast for Dinner "Brinner"

2010-12-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

With the hustle and bustle in the mornings getting the kids off to school, a "Sunday Breakfast" is mostly out of the question. But who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? There's something so comforting about smelling sausage or bacon waffling (yes, I meant to say that) throughout the house late in the evening. Let's face it, sometimes it's also the only way to get dinner on the table when

Cinna-bites

2010-11-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

No knead to get out the rolling pin for this one yawl! Cinnamon rolls need no introduction; sticky, sweet, sinful and utterly delicious. I wanted them homemade and I wanted them now! I do not know about you but I turn into an unleashed insane woman when I want to bake and don't have everything I need or more importantly time on a Sunday morning. So let me ask you now ... when you sit that

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-08-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

It is official… my life of being a stay AT home mom is now over. Instead, this week began the back to school hustle and bustle, with the boys on totally different school schedules. Running from the time the alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. My job now is to get everyone moving in the morning, get the house in order, plan meals and and be ready for tutors to come to my house almost immediately

Braided Pizza Bread

2010-08-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

I was watching something on TV one night and saw a chef making something very similar to this… and I thought “hmm I can do that” This is so easy you really don’t even need to know how to cook, other than operating your oven. I decided to make it pretty basic the first time I made it, using the ingredients the boys like on their pizza. In my house, the boys would/could eat pizza everyday, so when

Pulled Pork Sammys (Crockpot)

2010-07-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

Another hot day in California today. The perfect time to get out the crockpot and let it do most the cooking while I enjoy the pool with the boys. I decided to make Pulled Pork Sammys and have played with this recipe long enough. Sometimes I don't post recipes because I make them all the time and they seem so basic to me. Recently a friend asked if I would share my technique for my BBQ Pulled

Italian Chicken Sub Sandwiches!

2010-07-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

I am rediculously hooked on sandwiches lately. Could be the heat outside.. the convenience, the time... who knows, all I know is this is one of my creations that is requested all the time in my house! Seriously, to all my foodies out there, do you eat some fast food every now and again, and think to yourself 'omg, I could seriously make this, and make it BETTER' okay, that's what I'm talking

Mexican Standoff Challenge: We Have a Winner!

2010-06-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a competition on Food2.com for a Mexican Standoff! Trying to shoot down the competition I entered my Mexican Lasagna with a Philly Twist Recipe. After battling it out with some very talented cooks, I was pleasantly surprised to have been named "Fan Favorite" The wonderful folks at Food2 are sending me a gift for my recognition! I will be receiving Rick Bayless "Mexican

V's Creamy Biscuits - Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

For Father's day I got up early to make a big ole batch of these big, rich biscuits. They are my go-to recipe and are a real treat, they are crunchy on the outside but on the inside they are tender, creamy, light and fluffy. Get your favorite jam out and make some. Serve with scrambled eggs and bacon. Oh-my what a treat! We will start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F.

Kraft 'Real Women of Philadelphia' Video Contest a Hit With Home Chefs - ClickZ

2010-06-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

The number of women are AMAZING! This has been so much fun! Can't wait until the next phase. Be sure and tune in on June 30th for a live broadcast from Savannah! 5:00 PST You know I'll be watching and cheering on the girls I've come to know and love!Spread the Philly! Kraft 'Real Women of Philadelphia' Video Contest a Hit With Home Chefs - ClickZ

Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner! Eggs!

2010-06-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Looking for a recipe on the internet, I came across One Year Project. This family took on a year-long endeavor to cook every single recipe in the Rachael-Ray-365-No Repeats- and they did it. In order even. Which, as the author writes, included eating mac and cheese four nights in a row because that's the adore they came in the cookbook. I'm not sure if I think they are admirable for taking on

Quick and Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2010-06-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

I reviewed this recipe for a friend of mine ages ago. This brownie is rich, thick and perfect without any frosting! I often make these for the football team on Friday nights or when we go out on the boat. Seems like at the end of the day, everyone wants something sweet! This easy recipe fits the bill everytime. I believe the original recipe comes from Betty Crocker. However, it calls for

Upsy-Downsy

2010-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

This year I've decided to try The Upsy Downsy Tomato Planter. I read it allows tomatoes to grow in their best position- upside down. Just fill the Upsy Downsy with potting soil and your favorite tomato plants. Now I can prune, harvest and fertilize without kneeling or bending. Shouldn't need stakes or cages. And, because it never touches the ground, you won't be troubled by DOGS, cut worms,

V's Tri-Tip Marinade

2010-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

This year is flying by, isn't it? Seems like February was just a week ago and here it is June. Well in spite of the fact that I seem to be living in a time warp, I have been one busy bee! The boys only have a couple more days of school left and then home for the summer! woo hoo.... My oldest, my marine, came home for the long Memorial Day weekend and all he wanted to do was spend a lazy day at

Shrimp With Spicy Bloody Mary Sauce

2010-05-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is no ordinary shrimp dip. the sauce is a zesty blend of diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, paprika and garlic, spiked with a touch of vodka. This recipe was created with the popular Bloody Mary drink in mind. Taking the ingredients I like in the drink, adding some consistency to the blend with the canned diced tomatoes and bottled chili sauce. Although the seasoning and tapatio lend a

Cranberry Pineapple Side Salad

2010-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Real Women of Philadelphia It's Challenge Week 5 We're making side dishes again yawl! SIDE DISH #2 Opens Noon PT Monday, April 26, 2010. Closes 6:00 PM PT Sunday, May 2, 2010. This is my favorite video & Recipe SO FAR! I was really creative, I think with this recipe. I won't tell you how it started, but I kept going and adding ingredients to this bowl of fluff and ended up with this

Philly Peanut Butter Balls

2010-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Real Women of Philadelphia It's Challenge Week 4 We're making DESSERTS yawl! DESSERT #1 Opens Noon PT Monday, April 19, 2010. Closes 6:00 PM PT Sunday, April 25, 2010. I went back and forth on this one. (Desserts spelled backwards STRESSED!) Wow there are some talented women out there I'm competing with. Everyone is so wonderful though and so supportive on the website. I've made a