Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My mom made this cake often when I was growing up and it’s perfect for just about any occasion – birthdays, holidays or just for a nice dessert after a meal. I will admit – it doesn’t really taste much like pineapple. Weird, I know. Instead, the pineapple acts in place of butter or oil in this recipe and makes the cake very dense and moist – more like carrot cake in texture. It’s very easy to make, as is the frosting! Continue reading

Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Frosting

One of the lovely ladies I work with was having a birthday and so I planned to make treats. This woman had an amazing year – she’s lost a lot of weight, and eats healthfully. I wanted to make something that would be good, but still fit her lifestyle. I found a recipe for pumpkin donuts on Prevention RD and decided that, at about 150 calories per donut, these would be perfect. Continue reading

Making (Not Buying) Holiday Gifts for 2012

Throughout the year, I’ve strived to buy less and make more (and learned a TON along the way). This started in the late spring with my first-ever herb and vegetable garden on my balcony, and has grown into a full-on love affair with cooking and baking for all occasions – using quality, local, and healthful ingredients wherever possible. So many people don’t cook or bake and the delight they have in getting something homemade makes me feel so wonderful.

 It’s no surprise then that I would decide to give baked goods as holiday gifts to all my friends this year. I found some yummy cookie recipes to try, and got little treat boxes and tins to package the finished products. The results were delicious, low-cost, homemade, and so much fun to make! Continue reading

Sriracha Turkey Meatballs

Another fantastic recipe found on Pinterest, I made these Sriracha Turkey Meatballs for the Thanksgiving potluck at my office. I think they were the first dish to be completely gone – wow! Sriracha is definitely a popular food condiment here, and I think it added to the appeal for my coworkers. 😉 Either way, these were a crowd-pleaser and would be great for any upcoming holiday parties. Continue reading