Chicken Enchiladas...and Vegetarian Burritos!

I have not made chicken enchiladas in such a long time that I have almost forgotten about it...not really how to make it, just not thinking about making it. There are so many choices to make for dinner, but I really like to try new and healthy dishes out, instead of the "humdrum" basic things.
Now that I'm feeling a lot better and get the full use of my arm back, I feel so relieved that I can go about my daily routine.
We were worrying about hurricane Irene coming to us in South Florida, but it decided to go towards the East Coast which does not look too good. Reaching all the way up to New York, and Maine.
We are experiencing the heavy winds, and storm, but nothing compared to what tha Bahamas is going through, and now the Carolinas.

Just peeking through my balcony to check the pouring rain on Thursday afternoon, in a matter of minutes you would thing the hurricane was coming through. This poor palm tree lost a few branches from the heavy wind, and for an hour we were getting pummeled with the heavy rainstorm. I was not about to go outside to venture out anywhere! Now it's calm again, but it will start up all over.

Electrolux, and Kelly Ripa Confidential Tea Party Event

Electrolux, and Kelly Ripa are hosting a tea party, and I as a proud Featured Publisher would like to host my own tea party the the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Electrolux will donate $1. to the Ovarian Research Fund when I host my tea party outfit. Foodbuzz in return, will donate $50. to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for every tea party recipe created by a Featured Publisher.
Visit the website of Kelly, @ Kelly Confidential for more information, of how you can donate to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
For me, personally, it's an honor to participate in the memory of my own mother Ana-(aka) Anushka, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer, a long time ago.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread
adapted from Family Circle, Dec, 2008


Start out with the Basic Sugar Cookie Dough, 
and add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


! 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bow, beat butter, and sugar until smooth, about 2 minute. Beat in egg, and vanilla
On low speed, beat in flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Unwrap plastic, and press into a 9 inch round, fluted nonstick tart pan, with a removable bottom.
Score into 16 pie-shaped wedges, (be sure not to cut all the way through.)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

For Glaze:

Melt 3 Tablespoons seedless raspberry (I used boysenberry) preserves and drizzle over top of tart.
Cut into wedges, along the scored lines, and serve.

Holiday Cheesecake, and Christmas Memories

As the year is dwindling down, and Christmas is over, a New Year is awaiting us to start "anew" with a clean slate of resolutions, and promises. Leaving the old year with fond memories, and some sadness...not just what kinds of gifts we got for the holidays, and what parties or events we attended, but thinking ahead for the coming year, of what we can do for each other, to give, and get more BLESSINGS!
After visiting my new and beautiful friend, Jamie's blog @Mangiabella and reading her inspirational posts, and quotes, reminds me, that life is so precious, and that the true joys in our lives are family, and dear friends... let us not forget our faithful pets, and embrace new friends.
I concluded this thought, after leaving Jamie's blog, that:

"Bringing gladness to the hearts of others, and giving of yourself...is the Greatest Gift of All"...(my quote)

So, I will share my most favorite cheesecake of all, that I make, just about for every special occasion...have memorized the ingredients, and method, to the point that this is seriously a "scientific" method, that you must follow, and not sway from it. It's a New York, or should I say New York Style Cheesecake, that can be left simple, without the sour cream topping, which really gives it a more amazing flavor, and dresses it up, but you can do it without it, because you will not see "cracks" on top of the cheesecake...I promise you that. You can dress this cheesecake up for the summer, with a fresh fruit topping, or for the holiday, as I did, with rainbow, holiday sprinkles, and surround them with handmade chocolate pieces that already has sprinkles on it, from your local chocolate shop, as I did. I'm not going into the "song and dance" recipe, to write it down, I will link the recipe back to this summer, when I made it the last time.
I kid you not...this is a "tried and true" recipe, that you will want to follow, to a T! The only important thing is, you should, and must make it the day before, so it will set nicely. Actually, I made this two days before Christmas, and let it chill nicely in my frig.

So, here's the link, and recipe: New York Style Cheesecake

A Beautiful Sunday, "Shout Outs" & Awards

The gorgeous blue color you're looking at, is not a screen background, but the blue sky today, here in Palm Beach...and NO, it's not a "prop" set up...you are actually seeing the Goodyear Blimp. We were sitting on the beach, which by the way, was so rough and wavy, you could not even walk along the sand because the waves were like ten feet high, hitting the beach and knocking little people down i.e. my little 4 year old grandson. More photos, later.
I have a couple of "shout outs", and 15 awards to give out!
My friend Brenda, from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen has a real fun club...of course it's associated with foods, and yummy desserts. It's called Cookbook Sundays. Last Sunday, I linked to it and picked up the widget, and I really wanted to post a nice cake very befitting for the holidays from a nice dessert book of mine. I'm a little embarrassed for not keeping my promise to do this. I joined her club...not sure if it's "exclusively" hers, or somebody else started it, still trying to straighten this out, including my widget which is still "looming" on the bottom of my page, but I did set it up. Just check out her blog, and see the beautiful Rum Cake she has on for this Sunday.
Next-my new friend Kavita, from Kavita's Kitchen awarded me with another award...which I'm overwhelmed with, and I still have 30 bloggers to post, and announce from last time...but I will start with 15, from Kavita's award to pay forward. (By the way, why do we say "pay forward"?...it doesn't sound right in my dictionary, or I may be old fashioned, but I would say "passing it on"...at any rate, please visit Kavita's blog if you want to try out some beautiful traditional Indian cuisine, and yummy desserts. You will surely be glad you did!
Thank you Brenda, for not reminding me what I started out to do, and Thank you Kavita (her name means Poem)...what a lovely name for a lovely lady!

1. Kavita's Kitchen  Kavita is a recent new friend. She is on a Hershey's "baking roll" these days, and who can blame her-check out her latest. Chocolate coconut balls. Yumm!...perfect for the holidays.

2. The Sweet Tooth Chronicles-Is another new recent friend, her blog full of beautiful desserts, and more desserts, that will amaze you. You'll probably ask yourself why you havent't found her blog yet...now you will, and I know you will want to browse through and keep coming back!

3  Greg's World On Plate-Greg is a professional chef by trade-another new friend. He has been blogging for a while now, but needs to get more exposure with his fabulous travels to sea, and his beautiful creative dishes. You must visit his blog, and leave some comments. Don't know where he's been hiding, but I'm glad I found him.

4  Bright Morning Stars Foodie-Mia is a caring and loving lady, when you first open her blog, it's like you've never seen anything like it. So unique...everything with hearts, pink and purple, even the fonts too...once you've settled int, she will tantalize you with her beautiful dishes, her desserts, and step-by-step amazing photos. Check out the latest cookies she made...to "die for"

5  What's Cookin Italian Style-Claudia has a blog that is loaded with family treasured recipes that she is sharing with us. So generous and kind, Check out the beautiful apple cake recipe and photo of the cake, and her beloved grandmother. Once you visit her blog...you're hooked!

6  Welcome to Kimba's Kitchen-Kimba is such a talented young woman, she not only is a fabulous cook, but baker, and her photography just "blows you away"...you're going to "drool" over her beautiful desserts, and dishes...I promise. She is so humble, kind, and gracious, and will comment back each time.

7  Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice-Reeni is a recent new friend...I'm sure no strangers to a lot of you out there. She has more followers than "stars in the skies" on a clear Florida night, which is so often here (once the hurricane season is over) She is a Foodbuzz contestant, and has completed challenge #7. (can't think of the initials of the contest at this moment...short memory) If you need any Thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas, she has them all, along with the beautiful photos. We wish you all the best in continuing on to the next challenge, Reeni!

8  My Kitchen in the Rockies-Kirsten is a fabulous cook and baker. She will share her creations of her German heritage beautiful dessert and dishes, along with the traditional familiar dishes that we all know. Her latest is a beautiul pear and almond muffins with fall spices. Yumm...and so pretty too!

9  The Church Cook-This is a lovely lady-a recent friend, we have a lot in common...she is a profesional caterer, turned church cook/caterer, devoting her precious time to the needs of the church in her community, and cooking up fabulous meals and organizing parties and events. I too have that same thing in common with her, but the only difference was, that I cooked every Weds. evininig suppers for 3yrs for our local church(which I was not a member of)...but it was very rewarding.

10 Jane Deere-Jennifer has a "green thumb" and a beautiful garden where she grows her own vegetables, and is resourceful with them. Do visit her blog, for great recipes, and photos, as well.

11 The Tiny Bento-A must visit blog, especially if you have little children it will amaze you all the wonderful ways to pack their lunch, and make it fun, and pretty too...not to mention appetizing! No kid will turn down their lunch packed into these cut little Bentos. I must recommend this to my daughter!

12 Good Food Week -Shari is a beuatiful young lady, from Australia, she is still new to her blog, I befriended her on Foodbuzz, where most of my friends are from. She made this "killer" curried egg salad sandwhich, which I love, since I love curry powder. No more plain egg salad for me. Do visit her blog, and say "hello"!

13 The Ardent Epicure-Alisha-Magic of Spice-She has the most amazing exotic blog, her latest with the most delicious and hearty mixed bean soup, with such aromatic spices...and don't forget to check out her decadent chocolate fudge cake, just previous to that. I promise you, your chocolate cravings will be cured!

14.Me My Food and I -Michael is a recent new friend, whom I hade the pleasure of befriending through being a guest post on Chef Dennis More than a Mountfull blog. He posted his latest pasta with pesto, potato, and green beans, from "Nigella"...I am not only a potato lover, but also pasta, maybe even more!

15.Mistress-of-Spices-If you want to take a nice tour around the world...let Mistress of Spices be your guide...her latest at this chic Japanese Bistro, in Paris...oh, ...and sigh...if only I could fly there...well, maybe in my "dreams" for now!
 Please do visit her blog, and all the above wonderful friends' blogs, as well!

The white foam you see is a dangerous unpredictable body of water that came rushing out to the shore that it literally knocked you down. The temperature was so perfect at 75 degrees, and the sky a crisp bluest blue. This is your typical South Florida sunshiny day...I guess that's why they call it the "Sunshine State."

There's nothing like a grandfather's hug to his (and my) only grandson...parents in the background.