Plugged Into Cooking :: The Electrified Cooks HomepagePlugged Into Cooking :: The Electrified Cooks

Marscapone Carrot Cake

Posted by on

Carrot Cake #1

It is a rare day when my extended family can all be together at the dinner table. We are scattered near and far, so get togethers outside of Christmas very seldom occur. Big news arrived a few months ago and we were all jumping with joy to learn that my nephew, his adorable wife and their even more adorable 16-month-old would be returning to Kansas City. I truly never thought we would ever have the treat of this happening. My nephew adores the water, oceans are better than lakes and he surfs everyday– and well, let’s just say for him life doesn’t get much better than that. It was time to celebrate! My niece and her amazing son were able to attend, my brother and his wife were able to coordinate a trip, and not to mention my mom and dad are always game for a family get together so voila….dinner! [Read more…]

Basil Pesto

Posted by on

Basil Pesto

Summer evokes food rituals and traditions. Once such memory that always surfaces is the abundance of fresh basil and fresh mint from the garden or from the farmers’ market. If you do need to purchase basil or mint the price is reasonable and can’t be beat during the summer months. Now is the time to make pesto and make pesto again and make pesto again! Yes, think back to the icy, cold winter. Nothing says warmth on a cold February day like pesto from the freezer. So get out the food processor and start making batch after batch of pesto. Stock your freezer with natures’ bounty.

Read the article that I wrote for the Kansas City Star’s Chow Town Blog for inspiration on ways to incorporate more basil and mint into your menu. [Read more…]

Strawberry Shortbread Bars

Posted by on

Strawberry Jam Bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promise me that I am not the only one who makes baking decisions based on not wanting to go to the grocery store. A game that I often play with myself is, “What Can I Bake With What I Have?” Now granted, since cooking is my business, I have to fess up that my pantry and stockpile could last for days and days before I would “have” to go to the market, but never-the-less, I enjoy the challenge of creating recipes with what is on hand.

I needed to bake a sweet treat for a friend in need and wanted to use some of those 45 jars of strawberry jam that I had processed earlier in the season and I did not want to make a trip to the grocery story for additional ingredients. Thus began the creation of Strawberry Shortbread Bars. [Read more…]

Strawberry Fields Forever

Posted by on

Strawberries

It has been a strawberry filled summer and summer hasn’t even arrived. Every year I promise myself that I will find a luscious strawberry patch, pick berries and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Sadly, years have raced by and either I couldn’t locate a strawberry picking farm or I was out of town during the peak picking time. This year the stars aligned and blessings were bountiful. My family and I picked berries two weekends in a row. Read the blog on KC Chowtown for a description and location of the berry farm. [Read more…]