Bee Mine Cake

I sent this cake home to my Dad (who already belongs to another woman, but whatever) in honor of his new set of bees - 11,000 of them, to be exact. I am afraid of all those bees but it's nice that there will be fresh honey in the future!

Sauteed Sea Scallops

Sea Scallops are easy, healthy, and quick to thaw - making them an idea weeknight dinner.

2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Chop garlic and sautee in olive oil. Add in 2 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup of white wine. Add in 1 lb sea scallops (the small ones, not large bay scallops). Sautee until firm and opaque and until liquid reduces. Season with cracked pepper, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Creamy Chicken with Veggies

This is a comfort food for sure, with a thick cream sauce that soothes the tummy (and probably sits on the arteries). You can put all sorts of fresh and frozen veggies in, my favorites are peas, pimentos, and water chestnuts. But your mileage may vary.

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut/ripped into small pieces
1 onion, diced finely
2 small square packages frozen veggies of your choice
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups cream or half and half (or whole milk, but it won't be as thick)

Melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan. Add the flour and work to a paste. Salt and pepper generously, and add the broth. Bring to a boil. Add lemon juice.

Turn heat down to low, add in the cream, stirring continuously. Add in the cut chicken and frozen vegetables. Add one can of water chestnuts, drained. Heat through till thickened, taking care not to boil the cream.

Serve over biscuits or brown rice.

This freezes and reheats very well. When cooking to stock a freezer for a friend, I always include some version of this. It is an excellent recipe to make in large batches and it goes well from freezer to table.

Shower Cake for Junia

I made a cake this week for my good friend's baby shower - Junia is the baby on the way! The shower had a garden theme with bees and ladybugs, so that's what I piped. This is a white cake with sliced strawberry filling and buttercream icing. Fresh strawberries are great in cake and in between layers they act as a natural soak.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas are my favorite snack or quick dinner. They are healthy and pack a good protein punch, and I use wheat tortillas.

1 can black beans, drained
1 cup salsa or picante
1 chopped garlic clove
1 chopped jalapeño
6 burrito size tortillas
4 oz shredded cheddar

Pulse the beans, picante, garlic and japapeño in the food processor to form a chunky paste. Smooth the paste over 1/2 of each tortilla, fold the other half over to form a semicircle. On top of the bean paste sprinkle the shredded cheddar and a squeeze of lime juice.

Bake the semicircles on a flat baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350, or until brown. Cut each into 3 triangles and serve with sour cream or salsa. This is a 20 minute dinner!

Office Cupcakes

These are some cupcakes for my husband to take to work, bearing his company logo. I believe baked goods are great for morale!