skipper

Potluck Panic

skipper — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:54:11 GMT

The invitation to a big end-of-summer potluck said people with last names starting with J-P should bring a salad—that's me, Kaiser. I'd done my grocery shopping with salad in mind. But the night before the event, my sister-in-law, Cathy (on the committee), called to say the responses showed a salad overload—and the dessert table would be lean. Could I switch at this late date? she asked.

No problem, I said. But I didn't want to run back to the store. I remembered delicious Devil's Food Sheet Cake and found I had plenty of cocoa and the other ingredients for the recipe in the house. There were a few mini chocolate chips in my pantry, too, that I could sprinkle over the frosting for good measure. This is a great recipe to have on hand when you need a dessert that goes a long way—and you need it quick!

Taste of Home Cooking School Fall Show

skipper — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:37:50 GMT

This week, the Taste of Home Cooking School put on their fall show here at our headquarters for employees and their friends and family. It was exciting, fun, informative and delicious! Every one of the 200-plus attending came away with a beautiful new recipe collection and a goody bag. There were tons of door prizes. They even give away the nine recipes prepared during the show—the delicious food AND the beautiful casserole or serving plate it is presented on! I invited my mom to attend with me, and we had a great evening. Mom (Nettie Gohlke), is a former food editor of Country Woman magazine. She's been retired for some time now, but still loves to cook and entertain.

We loved the opportunity to see what's in store for all of you who attend Taste of Home Cooking School shows this fall. The culinary professionals who put them on were all here in Greendale for week-long meeting of training and rehearsal before they go on the road in September.

Be sure to check the Cooking School schedule to find a show near you. It's a great evening!

A Taste of Italy

skipper — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:13:44 GMT

I love Italian food, so being part of the judging panel for Taste of Home’s “Italian Favorites” recipe contest was a real pleasure! The outstanding winners are in our Aug/Sept issue, which you should have in hand by now. Among them is the Meaty Pasta Casserole on the cover. It makes my mouth water! The recipe is budget-friendly, too, at only about $1.48 a serving.

In “Menu Savers” this time (page 20), we’ve pointed out more recipes in the issue—including some contest winners—that will help you eat well on the cheap.

Did you know that mangia!, scripted on the cover, is a hearty invitation to “eat!” I’ve adopted the expression at home when I call my hubby “Luigi” (aka Louie) to dinner.

Taste of Home's Fabulous Food Photos

skipper — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:51:47 GMT

We get many compliments on the mouth-watering food photos in Taste of Home, often with comments about the lovely dinnerware and serving pieces used in the pictures. Some of these items are provided by manufacturers, others are purchased by our set stylists at stores, antique shops and even yard sales.

They’re all stored in the Prop Loft above our photo studio (below). We keep adding things, and the loft was bursting at the seams! So recently, our stylists gave it a cleaning and had a “rummage” sale for company employees. There were plenty of odds and ends (we often have only one or two settings of a pattern), holiday items and more at bargain prices. Our Prop Loft Sale raised more than $1,000—and we donated the proceeds to the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee.

It’s Time to Tailgate! Coming up in Taste of Home Aug/Sept issue is a terrific selection of reader’s best recipes for tailgate parties—including great burgers, a crowd-size sandwich, grilled brats and more. Also, watch for Blue-Ribbon Recipes…money-saving dishes to help stretch your food dollar…and other surprises!

Slice of California tour

skipper — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:26:32 GMT

A delicious bite of Almond Chicken with Apricot Sauce (Taste of Home Apr/May 08, p. 32) brought back a flood of delicious memories from the Taste of Home Slice of California Tour that I took last fall! One of the fascinating stops on this tour is Mari and Jim Rossi's apricot farm. I brought home several jars of their flavorful preservesand used some in preparing the fruity sauce for this easy, healthy chicken dish. It was wonderful, and so is this special tour set up especially for Taste of Home readers.

Delicious Tour Itinerary

Read more about Taste of Home's Slice of California Tour and see a slide show from my trip last year on the World Wide Country Tours site. Hope you'll consider joining us this summer or fall. Our friendly group included moms and daughters, sisters, friends, couples from 20 states. We had a ball!

June/July TOH Updates from Ann

skipper — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:07:01 GMT

Great grilling…sweet corn at its best…frosty ice cream treats…and more summer delights are on the menu in Taste of Home June/July. Hope you’ve received your fresh, new issue by now.

My hubby, Louie, has flagged the Baby Back Ribs (page 16) and Family Favorite Kabobs (p. 18) to cook out first thing. Don’t those kabobs look mouth-watering on the cover?

Think We Chose the Right Cover?
For the last few issues, we’ve photographed two potential covers for the magazine. Then we invite employees to vote on which they think would be most appealing. It was a close race between the kabobs and the Star-Spangled Fruit Tart on page 51. Both are best bets for a memorable summer meal!

Food-Budget Friendly
Like you, our Taste of Home staff is concerned with rising prices of gas and food! But we’re convinced that the recipes shared by readers in the magazine can help you eat well economically.

It goes without saying that eating at home saves money. And, the practical recipes in TOH use readily available ingredients and take advantage of fresh produce in season. Next issue, we’ll focus on even more cost-conscious “Menu Savers.”

Cook with Your Kids!
Check out the new “Kids in the Kitchen” feature on page 30. I know many of you think it’s fun and important to get your children involved in preparing meals and snacks. I love it when my five grandchildren come over to cook with “Grannie Annie.”

Card Group Munchies

skipper — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:02:30 GMT

My husband, Louie, and I play in a couples card group once a month. Everyone expects—and enjoys—munchies on the tables. So I love easy recipes like Texas Snack Mix (p. 10 in Taste of Home Apr/May issue). The No-Bones Chicken Wing Dip (p. 8) is another one to consider. Everyone loves hot wings, but they get pretty messy. So try this recipe instead if you don’t want the cards getting sticky.

Ice Cream Dreams
We’re hard at work on TOH June/July, which opens with a mouth-watering “ice cream social” feature. Get ready for cool and creamy ice creams, refreshing gelato and terrific toppings among the recipes. All shared by readers, they were tried out in our Test Kitchen…and what a great tasting session that was! Coming up, too, are great grilling recipes and other summertime favorites.

Slow-Cooker Spurt

skipper — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:06:49 GMT

Hi, cooking friends!

I seem to use my slow cooker in spurts. The latest one has been really fun thanks to the “Slow Cooker Favorites” contest recipes in Taste of Home Apr/May.

First, I made mouth-watering Tasty Pork Ribs. It was a snap to get them going, because you don’t even have to brown the ribs before putting them in the slow cooker with a dressed-up barbecue sauce. They are so tender and tasty. We had the kids and grandkids for Sunday supper, and the verdict was “Great recipe. Make these again!”

I kept things simmering, making Forgotten Jambalaya (left) the next weekend. Our Wisconsin winter has been a roller coaster of snow storms and subzero temps, so this hearty main dish was yummy and comforting. The jambalaya is so colorful and flavorful. It features chicken, shrimp and smoked sausage. This would be nice to serve at a party…we’ll have to invite a few friends over for a chase-the-chill dinner.

Last week, I noticed boneless pork roast on sale and remembered the Bavarian Pork Loin. It’s made in the slow cooker with sauerkraut, carrots, onion and apples. An easy and hearty meal with leftovers for another meal.

So I’m on a roll…and this spurt is long-lasting because I have more outstanding contest winners to try.

In the meantime, our staff is working on Taste of Home June/July—and the weather is improving. Our special opening feature next issue is an Ice Cream Social! We’ll also have a sizzling selection of grilling recipes including kabobs, ribs, a veggie medley and more.

Think spring!

Fabulous Cheesecake on the Cover

skipper — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:23:24 GMT

My mouth kept watering over the luscious Layered Mocha Cheesecake on Taste of Home’s Feb/Mar cover. I saw it many times a day, since I keep a copy of our current issue here on my desk for ready reference.

So when we invited friends for brunch last Sunday, I just had to make it. It turned out beautifully and was as delicious as I remember from the day we taste-tested the recipe!

Although I’ve made a lot of cheesecakes, this is the first one I’ve baked in a water bath. But like you TOH readers, I knew I could trust the recipe and directions. The water bath prevents the top of the cheesecake from cracking.

Couldn’t find chocolate-covered coffee beans in my local supermarket to decorate it, so I substituted chocolate-covered raisins, which worked out just fine.

The chocolate glaze for Layered Mocha Cheesecake gets quite hard in the refrig. So it’s a good idea to let the cake warm up for a half-hour or so at room temperature before serving. And, I remembered that our Test Kitchen cooks always wet the knife with warm water to slice a cheesecake—that’s a good tip.

Sue Gronholz, one of our Taste of Home field editors, shared this outstanding dessert recipe. I was excited to see Sue and her cheesecake featured in a recent TV spot on FOX 6 Milwaukee, along with TOH Food Director Diane Werner.

Hope you’ll try the recipe for a special occasion. My guests loved it, and yours will, too!

(Subscribers--click here to see this month's Taste of Home Plus bonus!)

Flavors of Florida

skipper — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:25:39 GMT

Yes, I cook on vacation! My husband, Louie, and I just returned from a week’s visit with our “snowbird” moms in Florida. While in Cocoa Beach, I cooked a “Florida dinner” that we all enjoyed, using recipes from Taste of Home and sister magazine, Country Woman.

Halibut and scallops star in Seafood Au Gratin (Taste of Home Oct/Nov ’07). I sautéed the mushrooms and made the sauce earlier in the day, reheating it slightly in the microwave before adding it to the casserole later. It’s a great “company dish” that I will make again! Served it with a rice pilaf.

In a state famous for citrus, Mediterranean Orange Salad (Country Woman Feb/Mar ’08) was delightful—and it couldn’t be simpler.

Frosty Key Lime Pie (Taste of Home Feb/Mar’07) just melts in your mouth. It’s sweet-tart and so refreshing. This menu fit the trip!

Oh yes, I also baked a Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake—Louie’s mom Rosie’s favorite. It was a contest winner and is always a treat.

If you want to try these recipes, use the handy Recipe Search feature at the top of the page.

Cookie Exchange Luncheon

skipper — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:46:53 GMT

A highlight of my Christmas season is a cookie exchange luncheon with a group of seven good friends. Hostess Linda served delicious Festive Salad from Taste of Home, adding grilled chicken on top. It was yummy and so pretty on the plate. She also used a small snowflake cookie cutter to cut sliced cheese for a garnish. If you are looking for a special salad for a holiday gathering, check out Festive Salad by using the Recipe Search at the top of the page.

The last couple of years we have become more flexible about the "cookie" requirement. We still had six people bake Christmas cookies. The other two did chocolate dipped pretzel rods with sprinkles and spiced mixed nuts.

In the December/January 2008 issue of Country Woman magazine, I ran a photo of our group in my editor's column.

Merry Christmas!

Halloween Cupcakes

skipper — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:16:59 GMT

On the Saturday before Halloween, I invited my two oldest grandkids—Ryan and Ellie, ages 7 and 5—to come over and make some Halloween cupcakes. We did Black Cat Cupcakes (it's on the Recipe Finder with a cute photo). They turned out so cute and we had a great time! It was especially fun to see the kids make the first cats just like the picture, then go on to create some of their own designs using the frosting, candies and trims on hand. Nibbling along the way was part of the fun.