Best Whip Cream for Cakes

I love making cakes but don't usually like the icings that are sugary and too sweet. This whip cream is light and fluffy and very easy to make. The picture below is a cake my fiance made for my 28th birthday. He made pineapple flavored cake, used this whipped cream recipe for the icing, and sprinkled rose petals on top. It came out SO beautiful.



1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod (optional)

Split vanilla bean pod open and scrap out vanilla bean seeds. They are black and very tiny; they will give the cream these wonderful little black dots like those you see in vanilla bean ice cream. Remember to keep the pod which can be used in other recipes.

Place whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds into a mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, start mixing on low and gradually increase to medium high. The liquid will start to thicken and you know when you have mixed enough when it has become the consistency of think whipped cream. This usually takes about 7 - 10 minutes.

Now you can spread the cream on top of your cakes for a delicious dessert! For two layer cakes, try adding fruit to the middle layer after you've spread on the cream; great for strawberry shortcakes!

Thoughts and Tips on Parmesan Cheese

I love Parmesan cheese and like to keep it in the house at all times. It's so easy to make some pasta, toss it with butter, salt, and pepper, and then add some Parmesan and you've got a great dish! (I have to confess I did not think of this concoction myself but was introduced to it by my friend Michelle!) I have since made some tweaks to this original recipe and added sauteed garlic and red pepper flakes for a kick. Remember the dish is only as good as its ingredients. I like to buy my Parmesan in wedges so I can grate it myself. Then you can really get that fresh taste. Look for wedges that are light colored and still somewhat soft to the touch. The harder Parmesan is the darker color it will be and the harder to grate. When you can see wedges with darker edges, that means that portion has lost some moisture and is harder than the lighter portion. Remember you can also use Parmesan in sauces or just cut a chuck and nibble on it with crackers. Yum!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love baking cookies but feel so guilty when I eat them! So I took the traditional Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe you find on the chocolate chips bag and substituted whole wheat flour. The cookies come out delicious. They're probably just as sinfully delicious as the all purpose flour ones but somehow I feel a bit healthier. The first couple of times I made these they came out too soft but I baked them a little longer (15 minutes) so they were firmer and kept their shape. Remember the secret to getting the cookies soft and the correct consistency is the order you blend the ingredients. Many people like to blend all the ingredients at once which can save you some minutes but will likely get you a harder or cake-ish cookie. The directions on the bag are point on. One of the biggest things is blending the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla into softened butter. I remember melting butter to save time and this doesn't get you the soft cookies you want. To soften butter, let the butter sit for about an hour outside the fridge till it is creamy. These have become one of my favorite cookies to have around the house when family comes to visit.

Red Enchiladas

You can replace many of the ingredients listed below with whatever substitutes you may have handy at home already. The above picture is with shredded cheddar cheese instead of monterrey and for garnish I just sprinkled some parsley flakes for color.

28 ounce can of Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
1 pound ground turkey meat
10 corn tortillas
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces of shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
cooking spray for baking dish
Cholula hot sauce

1. Heat oil in pan, add garlic and half the chopped onions, and saute till golden
2. Add ground turkey and season with fajita seasoning
3. Cook meat till done and add half the can of enchilada sauce
4. Let simmer for 5 minutes then take off stove
5. Spray baking dish with cooking spray
6. Roll 2-3 tablespoons of meat filling into each tortilla and place in baking dish; to help keep enchiladas closed place them in dish with open side down
7. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce
8. Cover dish with cheese
9. Place dish in 375 degrees oven for 20 minutes
10. Sprinkle remaining onions on top of enchiladas and place in oven for another 5 minutes
11. Serve with hot sauce