These are a family favorite - even requested in place of birthday cake occasionally!  Also great for a crowd, as they are easy to make ahead, and everyone can customize with their favorite fruit topping, sweetened whipped cream, and fresh fruit. 

Fresh raspberries...fresh buttermilk pancakes - it's a match made in heaven!

Drizzle with some warm raspberry syrup, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, garnish with some more fresh berries - yum!

Add some sunshine, some happy little ones in the morning, and the day starts off perfect - razzleberry perfect!

​What better way to kick off a birthday celebration that with some delicious pancakes, light and fluffy, loaded up with strawberries and sprinkles?

When I went grocery shopping this morning there were stacks and stacks of the biggest and most beautiful strawberries I've seen in a long time!  Last week there wasn't such a great selection for Easter brunch - much smaller berries, but very sweet - no complaints from anyone.

When the Boys are gone, the Girls will play!

The guys in the house had a weekend of camping with scouts this weekend, which means girl time! 

These are fun weekends for us, as we get to do all of our favorites - chick flicks, a glass or two of wine, manicures and pedicures, facials, and bubble baths, even an ice cream party every now and then. 

It's also an opportunity to cook our "girl" favorites and not have to hear grumbling from the boys!  

What to do with that leftover Holiday Ham - if you are lucky enough to have some?  For pure comfort food and a good dose of childhood memories, Scalloped Potatoes with Ham are always a family favorite.

These have a wonderfully creamy and cheesy sauce, rich with flavor and layers of goodness.  I usually use Yukon gold potatoes, but you can also use russets or reds, whatever you have on hand.

​What a wonderful, delightful, warm and sunny day for an Easter celebration!   So many childhood memories, which have evolved into memories of our children when they were little, and now to watching the joy on our grandkids faces! 

Every year it is a challenge - whether to have a brunch before or after church services, early or late dinner, sundresses and pastel shirts & ties, or whether we'll need sweaters or cold weather jackets.  This year the planets aligned, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day with temps in the upper 70's.  The Easter Bunny had an exciting outdoor egg hunt prepared, and the entire family was able to get together to share a relaxing and delicious brunch.  We munched and nibbled all day...and just enjoyed the day and being together. 

Through the years I've discovered that nobody wants me to mess too much with our traditional Easter recipes or meals...it is classic all the way!  Simple and delicious!  Why don't you grab a plate, pick your favorites from below, and enjoy with some fresh orange, grapefruit or apple juice, a fresh mimosa or steaming mug of coffee with us?

This beautiful dip is a holiday tradition for Easter at our house!  How can something so stinkin' easy to make be so absolutely delicious?  My little ones love making this, and more importantly, they love dipping and dunking all kinds of fresh fruit into it!

​I usually use fresh strawberries or raspberries for this wonderful dip, but you can use any of your favorite fresh fruits.

This is our favorite carrot cake – very simple, very moist!  Carrot cake is very much a personal preference – some like it with pineapple, raisins and nuts.  For us, simple is better!  And this old-fashioned cake is simply the best!

This is a great cake for Easter- it always tastes more flavorable and moist a day after baking.  And anything that I can make ahead of time is a win-win for this mama!

When blueberries are sweet and in season, this is a fabulous treat to make – great for holiday breakfasts or lazy brunches.  The cream cheese makes for a delicate smooth custard filling!

And if you time this perfectly, you'll be pulling this from the oven just as those big, plump blueberries are beginning to burst - and when you bite into this, those tender berries will just EXPLODE with wonderful blueberry flavor in your mouth!​

​April Showers are always better than April Snowstorms!  What more can I say?  We keep hoping that winter and snow are in the past, but they keep creeping back in! 

We're ready for Spring, for sunny days, for flowers bursting into bloom, and especially for the delightful hues of Spring.  The pastel pinks, yellows, mint green, robin egg blue and pale lavender...bring it on!

Crazy Mama, Crazy Sketti! 

​For years my kids have thought I was crazy, trying to locate a good place to take photographs of my latest creations in natural light is always a challenge.  It isn't unusual for them to find me perched on a step stool, or high on a chair, trying to capture an elusive shot, and they sure don't want to be snagged when they walk by to hold a bounce board or backdrop.  I'm not quite sure how they explain my crazy antics to their friends when they happen to be over observing, but I do know that they all enjoy the spoils! 

We've got a lot of new neighbors around us this Spring, and I'm sure they are thinking I'm crazy too - carrying food in and out of the house constantly, running around on the deck trying to style food and snap photos has got to be pretty entertaining - and they never see anyone eating anything!  It has been so cold that the food rushes out, I snap my shots, and rush the food back into the house.  I"ll be glad when warm weather is here to stay...it has been a VERY long winter and we are all ready for sunny days enjoying meals together outside! 

No complaints today, everyone loves this crazy Creamy Spaghetti Lasagna.  I usually double or triple batch my Spaghetti Sauce so that I always have a good base sauce on hand to be used in a variety of recipes.  The creamy white sauce is so smooth, cheesy and flavorful that you'll be tempted to eat it with a spoon!  You can also use your favorite jar spaghetti sauce if you are in a hurry.  This dish goes together quickly, and disappears even faster!

Lazy Mornings...

​Today we had such a wonderful, crazy morning - Skipper and the gang getting ready for a fun day at Kalahari Water Park.

We started with two cooks in the kitchen, and before you knew it, we had a roomful!  Bacon sizzling, eggs scrambling, orange juice chilled and poured.

I sliced up a fresh loaf of challah bread, slathered it with a delectable sweet coating of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and almond extract, dipped it into some freshly sliced almonds and popped it into the oven until it was golden and bubbly.  Delicious and not a piece was left!  I even caught a couple of the kids scraping the golden topped almonds from the bottom of the pan!  Luckily I had tucked a piece away to enjoy with a fresh cup of coffee when it got a little quieter.  Guess we'll be making this again soon!

​It's all about the Bunny!

​When you're three years old, there isn't much more exciting than getting ready for the Easter Bunny! 

Today we had to clean for the bunny, decorate for the bunny, and especially make some BUNNY CORN for the bunny!

Sprinkles and Half Birthdays...

​Since I was a little girl, my family always celebrated my half birthday - usually with HALF of a cake, half of a pizza, half of a song...you get the idea!

​We continue the tradition with our own kids and grandkids, and it sure is fun!  Cookie cakes are always a big favorite, and it's nice to have a special occasion to enjoy one!  Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, nuts, M&M's, and a gazillion choices of wonderful, colorful sprinkles - you can never have too much to celebrate!