Jam Hands

I can't quite decide if this sherbet punch is pretty or scary. The melted sherbet takes on a bit of a disconcerting look to it, if I'm being honest. The punch was tasty, if a bit tart. I would have liked it a bit sweeter, to be honest. That is probably just my taste preferences though.

Going forward, I think I am going to take a break from tart punches. The go to classic punch is a tart juice + pineapple juice + a clear soda, which I am getting a little weary of. That is not to say this recipe was bad at all, it was good, but I am just craving something new. So I will be on the look out for a better variety of punch recipe for the blog.

I love pistachio fluff salads. This recipe took the classic watergate style marshmallow salad and added in chopped cherries. Deliciousness. This is best served the first day or two so it stays creamy. Enjoy!

Another tasty side dish this Easter was this recipe from Crunchy Pea Salad with Bacon & Cashews. There was one ingredient we skipped, craisins, which I wish we would have added for the extra flavor. All in all, a great side dish, especially for the warm Summer coming up. Enjoy!

Pasta salads are one of my favorite side dishes. As we head into warmer weather, it's good to have a few options for side dishes to go along with your grilled brats and burgers.


This pasta salad uses a special ingredient, a spicy pickle relish we picked up at our local Walmart. If you aren't able to find this, I would suggest a traditional sweet pickle relish instead. Enjoy!

This Easter we made our best ham to date. The glaze for this delicious ham uses traditional ingredients, like cloves, brown sugar and spicy brown mustard but adds in a can of Dr. Pepper for an interesting and tasty flavor. Enjoy!

This cheesecake is a beautiful and delicious labor of love. It is as much work as you might guess, but it is even more delicious than it looks.


Yes, the recipe has a long list of ingredients and an equally long list of steps, but it is worth it for a special occasion.


Notes:
-I would not suggest using any other size pan but a 9-inch. We used an 8-inch pan in the past and the filling did not set up properly.
-For high altitude bakers, I would suggest using our substitution of 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of heavy cream in place of the 3/4 cup of heavy cream. We had more success with the cheesecake setting up this way. This would also be a good substitution if you enjoy the flavor of sour cream, which is quite good in cheesecakes.

The most popular recipe this Easter was this very retro appetizer, a Cheddar and Bacon Pecan Ring with Strawberry Preserves. It is basically a cheese ring, but with no cream cheese, so the texture is much lighter. I wasn't sure if anyone would want to try it, as it is a bit non traditional, but the guys in our house planted themselves in front of this for most of the evening.


I've actually seen this recipe in some very retro cookbooks. It is a classic and deserves to be so. It is so delicious. Enjoy!

Note: You must use freshly grated cheddar for this recipe. It just will not work with pre-shredded cheese.

Recipes will be posted soon. I hope everyone had a great Easter!