Good Press

I had this amazing fudge last Christmas at a get-together. It was so good I came home and Googled the recipe and went right out and bought the ingredients. I gave a little of it away before it was devoured by my family. Taste of Home "made over" this recipe that tastes like an orange Creamsicle ice cream bar. DREAMSICLE FUDGE Prep: 30 min. + chillin g 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar   2/3 cup evaporated milk   1/2 cup butter, cubed   1 package (10 to 12 ounces) white baking chips   1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme   3 teaspoons orange extract   12 drops yellow food coloring   9 drops red food coloring Line a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with foil and coat with cooking spray; se t a side. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; s tir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.  

I got this recipe from my hairdresser, Dawn, who got it, I think, from her stepmother in Baltimore. When I worked as a newspaper food editor I published it in 2004. The original recipe had no exact measurements. The most recent time I made it, I took note of the amounts I used so I could publish the recipe here. ITALIAN MEATBALLS  1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 package onion soup mix 1/3 cup grated cheese 1 egg (2 if you use lean ground beef) 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 cloves garlic minced 1-2 tablespoons water 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Fry in oil and add to sauce. OR, the way I do it, place on a baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet or in a13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. (Spray foil with cooking spray if it's going to touch the meatballs.) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Then add to sauce. I usually serve these with spaghetti but I have served them in the sauce as a heavy hors d

It doesn't happen often that I search my own blog for one of my family's favorite dinner recipes and not found it. This one, it seems, I haven't posted. We love the flavors of this breakfast-for-dinner recipe. Rachael Ray says it's good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have taken it -- minus the eggs -- to work the next day for lunch. We especially like the addition of Manchego. If we don't have it, grated Parmesan isn't a bad substitute. I usually skip the salsa. CHILI SWEET POTATO HASH WITH FRIED EGGS & FRESH TOMATO SALSA 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan 1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage, such as maple sausage 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed clean, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, thinly sliced into 1/2 moons 1 large red onion thinly sliced, divided 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2/3 palm full 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palm full 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2/3 palm full Salt and pepper 3 yellow vine ri

At the risk of rushing past Thanksgiving to get right to Christmas goodies, I'm posting a gingerbread recipe. I got this from McCormick in a press kit back when I was a newspaper food editor. It comes out moist, scrumptious and flavorful. As the press materials say, "Chocolate pudding, mini chocolate chips, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice transform basic chocolate cake mix into an extraordinary flavor sensation." TRIPLE CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD  1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix  1 package (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix  4 eggs  1 tablespoon McCormick® Ginger, Ground  1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground  1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Allspice, Ground  1/2 cup sour cream  1/2 cup vegetable oil  1/2 cup molasses  1/2 cup water  1 cup miniature chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat o

  These are the easiest doughnuts I've ever made -- you could whip them up on a Sunday morning before church or, if you're really quick, on a weekday before school. My friends were passing this recipe for Betty Crocker's Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts around Facebook last fall. I baked mine in my Pampered Chef Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan . The photos didn't turn  out well enough for you to see the cool designs. BAKED PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS 2 cups Bisquick® Complete pancake & waffle mix 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 1 tablespoon real maple or maple-flavored syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter, melted Heat oven to 425°F. Spray mini do

Growing up, the only way I ever ate pork chips was breaded with Shake 'n Bake. Now that I cook for a family, I'm happy I've learned three other, better ways to prepare pork chops: breaded with a maple-Dijon mustard sauce and in a Crock-Pot with a ranch-chicken gravy . I found this breaded pork chop recipe more than 10 years ago when I was perfecting my home-cooking. I've said before I've learned a lot from Cook's Country magazine. That's where I got this recipe. And for the past few years, I had misplaced my copy of the magazine with this recipe in it. I found it! And before I lose it again, I'm blogging it. Preserving my favorite recipes somewhere I can easily access them is a main reason why I blog. I couldn't find Melba toast the first time I made this so I substituted just-as-crunchy-but-more-flavorful garlic bagel chips. You can cut back on the garlic powder if you make this substitution. QUICK AND CRUNCHY PORK CHOPS 1 (5-ounce) box