Simple No-Bake Summer Cheesecake Treats

We've been having a scorcher of a summer here in East Tennessee. With temperatures in the 90s, my poor air conditioner desperately needs a break. So the thought of turning on the oven to bake up some summer sweets is not appealing. The good thing is, there are plenty of great no-bake summer treats to make for your family this season.

I don't know about you, but I like to have a little something sweet after dinner. I know desserts should be a sometimes food, but I just can't help it. I always seem to want some sort of sweet treat.

These great no-bake summer desserts are perfect because they are individually sized and you can make them in whatever size containers you like. The other thing I love about this treat is that you can completely customize it, depending on what flavors you're in the mood for.

Basically, it's a crust + a filling + a topping (and each one can be your choice!). Totally, DIY, totally delicious.

To start, you'll want to make a basic no-bake cheesecake. I based mine on a great recipe found here. Combine two 8oz packages of softened cream cheese with one and a half cups of powdered sugar. I used my electric hand mixer, but if you don't have one you can probably still do this with a little (or a lot) of elbow grease.

1) Start with Your Crust

First, you want to choose your crust. Graham crackers are the most popular option for traditional cheesecake, but there's really no cookie that won't work here. I made a couple different versions of this, some with graham crackers and some with chocolate sandwich cookies.

If you're using a dry cookie like a graham cracker you will need some melted butter or coconut oil to hold the crumbs together. For sandwich cookies or anything creme filled, there's no real need.

I used my food processor to pulse the cookies into crumbs.

2) Choose Your Filling

Next comes the filling. The base filling is the cream cheese + powdered sugar mixture, but here's where your creativity can go wild. Any and all sorts of delicious combinations are possible with this recipe.

One version I suggest you try is to add in some Cookie Butter cream cheese (a Trader Joe's product). It has a hint of ginger, plus a little cinnamon that almost makes me long for cooler temperatures of fall. This flavor would go great with a gingersnap crust by the way. 

Then, I also experimented with a chocolate no-bake cheesecake by adding in a few scoops of Belgian Chocolate Pudding (another great product from Trader Joe's). I'm sorry I don't have exact measurements, because I don't like to follow actual recipes...for this I went by taste. 

For my third option, I left the filling plain but you could incorporate anything you like....peanut butter, lemon curd, butterscotch syrup, salted caramel topping, chocolate fudge....the list could go on and on. 

3) Finally, Add Your Toppings

This is probably my favorite part of any dessert: the toppings. Again, there's no limit to what you can create here. 

From fresh fruit like strawberries, peaches or blueberries to something simple like cherry pie filling, your no-bake cheesecakes are just waiting for you to dress them up. 

Here are some combinations I recommend...

Chocolate cookie crumb crust + Chocolate pudding cheesecake filling + Marshmallows

Graham cracker crumb crust + Lemon curd cheesecake filling + fresh strawberries 

Mint cookie crumb crust + Pistachio pudding cheesecake filling + chocolate shavings

Peanut butter sandwich cookie crumb crust + Peanut butter cheesecake filling + blueberry compote

I hope this simple no-bake cheesecake treat helps you (and your kitchen!) stay cool this summer.

Happy sweet eating y'all! 

Celebrate National Donut Day with Simple Treats to Make at Home

Friday is National Donut Day, and around here it's a time for celebration. Actually, I don't need a special occasion to eat donuts, but it's nice to have one anyway. 

In honor of National Donut Day, I've got three simple treats you can make at home for your family. And don't worry....they don't involve baking. Now, if you are a baker, each of these could be made from scratch. 

It's just that I'm not much of a baker, so I take the easy route. But I love taking something store-bought and giving it a little extra oomph. Case in point, turning chocolate cake donuts into whoopie pies with the addition of some basic whipped vanilla frosting. 

Chocolate Donut Whoopie Pies

via Gluten Free Canteen

These great looking donut whoopie pies were featured on the blog, Gluten Free Canteen. Don't they look tasty? If you want to make that recipe, check it out!

My version is much simpler. First, I picked up a half dozen chocolate cake donuts from a local donut shop. Then, I sliced them down the center. Next, I filled them with a fluffy vanilla frosting (also store-bought, but you could make your own). Put them back together as sandwiches and, voila! Donut whoopie pies.

Banana Pudding Filled Donuts

via Lauren's Latest - plus check out the other great donut ideas!

Next I set out to jazz up a simple bakery pudding filled donut. What's a more quintessential summertime southern dessert than banana pudding? I can't think of one. To turn boring old pudding filleds into banana pudding masterpieces, you need cream cheese frosting, bananas and Nilla wafers.

Start by frosting the tops of the donuts with the cream cheese frosting. Then apply a layer of banana slices. Finally, add your nilla wafers. Feel free to top it off with a squirt of whipped cream. Simple and delish, am I right?

Easy Chocolate Sauce for Mexican Cinnamon Shortbread Donuts

Finally, while exploring my neighborhood, I stumbled upon a Mexican bakery with some amazing wares. While they are different from what you might think of as a donut, these crunchy, flaky treats are perfect to enjoy for National Donut Day!

Based on my research, they are called Rosquitas de canela, which I believe translates to cinnamon shortbread. Similar in taste and texture to cinnamon Churros, I have seen these served with a chocolate dipping sauce, so I whipped up an easy version to drizzle on my bakery treats. Melt some chocolate chips on low in a saucepan, without letting it burn. Drizzle as much or as little as you like, and eat up!

Don't forget to celebrate this Friday, June 3rd. Hope your National Donut Day is good and sweet!

How to Host a Casual Fall Party on a Budget

Fall is finally here! And all the frizzy haired girls like myself heaved a collective sigh of relief. Less humidity means my coiffure might actually behave for some of the time. Of course might is the operative word.

But we love fall in the south. It's a respite from summer's sweltering heat and it also means football, pumpkin patches and everything apple and pumpkin flavored. I'm not wasting any time. Fall may have just begun, but I'm kicking it off with a casual fall party here on the blog.

I'm also visiting with my pals over at Mornings with Foxville 43 to share some ideas! There's no shortage of great pumpkin and apple products in stores right now. All you have to do is get creative!

And we're going to start with something delicious to drink!

1) Caramel Apple Sangria

I can't take credit for this incredible idea (or that gorgeous photo), but the Internet is a friendly place where we share and share alike, right? I stumbled across this recipe on a great blog and couldn't wait to recreate it!

All you need is:

• Apple Cider
• Sparkling wine (or sparkling water/ginger ale if you want to go the non-alcoholic route)
• Caramel sauce
• Sliced Apples

I guess it's really not Sangria if you don't use the wine, but I like to have options for folks who don't imbibe. Plus, I don't always feel like drinking wine (say what?). 

2) DIY Sweet Potato Bar

My southern beau and I have been enjoying sweet potatoes long before fall started, but they are perfect for the season and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon. 

I found a recipe for baked sweet potatoes in some magazine I read and they were topped with sauteed spinach, black beans and feta. We've made some variations of this a couple different times. But I always save half of my baked sweet potato and eat it with butter and cinnamon. What can I say, I like variety. 

To solve this problem, I'm setting up a DIY sweet potato station for my next gathering. I'll put out all sorts of various toppings and let my guests go wild creating their own unique combinations. 

Here are just a few that you might want to try:

Black beans + Salsa + Greek yogurt 

Steamed broccoli + almonds + Parmesan cheese

Salted butter + cinnamon + honey + pecans

Rice + soy sauce + snow peas 

Sun dried tomatoes + sauteed spinach + mozzarella 

I would probably also serve the usual baked potato toppings (sour cream, chives, black olives, and bacon bits). Setting up a baked sweet potato bar is such an easy way to feed your guests something hearty and delicious for fall. 

3) Pumpkin Parfaits 

This recipe for Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits comes from that doyenne of deliciousness herself, none other than Ina Garten. You just can't go wrong with Ina. 

Fall means bring on pumpkins. Pumpkin everything as far as I'm concerned. And there's nothing so great as pumpkin dessert. 

This one's easy to make, light and fluffy and served in small individual cups, which always makes for an extra special presentation.

-------------------------

These are just a few simple ideas you can try for a casual fall gathering at your house. If your friends are worth their salt, they won't care if it's perfect or not. Usually, folks just want to be together. And what better excuse to gather than the new season.

Happy Fall Y'all! 

Sweet September - Celebrate National Honey Month

September is National Honey Month and I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes that incorporate this wonderful natural product. Who grew up with the little bear-shaped honey bottles as a pantry staple like I did? My granny saved them once the honey was gone and used the empty containers as make-shift sippy cups for us kids. 

Honey is a most versatile food. In fact, it's one of the only things I can think of that really works for any meal. Honey on a buttered biscuit for breakfast, or in your morning tea, followed by a peanut butter and honey sandwich for lunch and some kind of delicious salad with homemade honey dressing for dinner. What's not to love? 

I'm visiting those fabulous folks at Knoxville's Fox43 to share more of my favorite honey recipes! I hope you enjoy them. And if you have any favorites of your own, share them on social media with the hashtag #NationalHoneyMonth during September. I'll be pinning some more great ones on my National Honey Month Pinterest Board. Check it out! 

Sweet & Salty Goat Cheese Appetizer

For this simple crowd-pleaser of an appetizer, start with a log of goat cheese. Roll it in 1/2 cup of roasted, salted sunflower seeds (You could also use cracked black pepper). Drizzle with 1/3 cup of honey and garnish with nuts or fresh berries. Serve with your favorite crackers for delicious nibbles pre-meal. 

Quinoa Honey Breakfast Bake 

This recipe has been adapted from one that I ran across on the website of the National Honey Board. There are lots of great honey recipes there to check out! 

It appealed to me because you don't have to cook the quinoa first. Plus, I figured you could use whatever fresh or frozen fruits you had on hand. I happened to have peaches and blueberries, which make for a tasty combo. For the full recipe, click here. Also, I don't see why you couldn't substitute oats for the quinoa. There are lots of great baked oatmeal dishes with honey out there. 

Bee-Tini Cocktail 

This delicious cocktail recipe is one I've shared before, but it's just so good I figured it warranted another post! I tried it first at the Fairmont Hotel in Georgetown. They actually have their own rooftop bees, which made it even more special! 

For more great honey info, check out the Honey Board website. Did you know that you can bring your honey back to life even if it crystallizes? Here are more fun facts and honey tips.

And don't forget to check out my Pinterest board for more honey fun! Happy National Honey Month y'all!

How to Host a Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating Party

Baking has never been my area of giftedness. I love to cook, and feel like I'm pretty good at it (mostly), but practically every recipe I've ever attempted that involved baking was a disaster. I think it has to do with the fact that baking is more of a science and I don't like to follow recipes.

But I do enjoy the creative aspect of baking. I think it stems from my great-grandmother who baked and decorated beautiful celebration cakes for many years. Once she let me decorate a doll cake (where the doll's dress was the cake) and I was mesmerized by the piping bags and how the perfect streams of icing flowed out them, creating little squiggly lines and flowers.

Today I'm joining my friends at Knoxville's WTNZ-Fox43 to talk about Valentine's Day. But since baking up beautiful and delicious treats isn't my specialty, I had another idea. What if you could take the pressure off yourself, avoid the baking and just get to do the fun part: decorating!

I'm sharing my idea for hosting a Valentine's Day cookie decorating party using your favorite store-bought cookies. It might seem like cheating and if you're a baker extraordinaire, this might not appeal to you. But I think it combines my favorite things: an easy project + getting to be creative.

To host a Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating Party of your own, you might need:

- Cookies (of course!)
- Frosting (white)
- Food coloring (to tint the icing)
- Chocolate chips (for melting or decorating)
- Sprinkles, nonpareils, jimmies, colored sugar, etc.
- Candy (whatever you want)

It's really all about letting your creativity run wild. And with the cookies as your canvas, how can you go wrong?

For this cookie creation, I started with some chocolate chip cookies (from the grocery store bakery). I found some neon pink frosting (or you could get white and do a custom tint with food coloring) and spread it thickly between two cookies. Then I rolled the edges in sprinkles. Pop it on a skewer for a cute cookie pop or into a cellophane bag. Tie it up with ribbon and it's an instant Valentine's Day treat.

For something a little bit more fancy, you might want to create tuxedo cookies. I started with the grocery store equivalent of Thin Mints (grasshopper cookies?), and piped a line of white frosting down the center. The sugar bows were found in the cake decorating section of my grocery store. See how the white frosting makes the shirt and the cookie is the jacket? Too cute! 

Another easy cookie to decorate is the humble Oreo. I dipped some in white chocolate (tinted pink) and gave them a sprinkling of gold sugar. I think it has an elegant look, don't you? 

This was such a fun project because it let me get creative, but I didn't feel any pressure to actually bake anything. I think I'm onto something. 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it's such a fun holiday because it lets us celebrate love! Don't get stuck in a rut of boring candy or feel like you have to spend a ton of money to make someone feel special. DIY some decorated cookies as gifts or even invites a few friends over to decorate cookies together! 

Southern Christmas Traditions - Southern Living Sweets to Eat & Read

I have such a sweet tooth and when Christmas rolls around, I just can't resist indulging in some holiday sweets. There are so many great recipes out there for holiday goodies, but I'm running a bit behind this year, plus it would be impossible to try them all.

Since I've had some baking fails in my life, I try to stick with recipes that are tried-and-true and you don't get any better than the Southern Living test kitchen.

These culinary wizards work all through the year on confectionery creations, testing and making sure that they can share the recipes in good faith. Thank goodness for them is all I can say!

Here's a wonderful recipe that would be fun to recreate with your family this year and who knows, maybe you should make a few extra to leave out for the man in the red suit.

Minted White Chocolate Balls

Makes 32 cookies • Hands-on 30 min. • Total 1 Hour
(Coat in chocolate two at a time)

• 56 vanilla wafers, crushed (less than 1 [11-oz.] box)
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 4 ½ tsp. light corn syrup
• 6 Tbsp. peppermint schnapps
• 3 cups white chocolate morsels
• Crushed peppermint candies for coating

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients; shape into 32 balls.
2. Microwave chocolate in a bowl at HIGH 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 20 more seconds or until smooth, stirring once.
3. Coat balls in white chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed hard peppermint candies immediately afterwards.
4. Place in parchment paper-lined pan. Chill for 30 minutes or until set.

Yum! For more great recipes like this, pick up the December issue of Southern Living Magazine, on newsstands now. And if you want even more great southern Christmas fun, consider the wonderful new book Southern Living Christmas All Through The South: Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions. It is a gorgeous sight to behold and would make a wonderful gift for your favorite southerner or yourself!

**This post contains an Amazon affiliate link, but please don't feel any pressure to click on it**

Simple Store-Bought Dessert with a Homemade Twist

Decadent, homemade desserts are a wonderful treat. But we don't always have the time (or in my case, the expertise) to create them. Today I'm appearing on Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 to share some simple ways to take store bought dessert mixes and give them a homemade twist.

1. Refrigerator Coconut Cake

This recipe is such a southern staple and you'll most definitely find it in your favorite church and community cookbooks.

All you need is a boxed white cake mix, prepared according to the directions on the package.

When the cake is still warm, poke holes in it and pour 3/4 of a can of sweetened condensed milk over it until all is soaked into the cake.

Then, frost the cake with whipped cream (Cool Whip) and sprinkle coconut on top. Easy peasy.

2. Honey Bun Cake 

This cake recipe is one my granny used to make for us all the time when I was growing up. It wasn't until later did I learn it's just a cake mix, doctored up.

You'll need:

1 deluxe yellow cake mix
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T milk
4 tsp vanilla

Combine first four ingredients. Pour half of the batter into a well-greased 9x13-inch pan. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle half of it over the layer of batter. Add the rest of the batter and top with remaining cinnamon/sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Mix last three ingredients to make the frosting. Pour over cake when it's still warm.

**Note - For the segment, I used two 9x9-inch round pans because I wanted to stack them. The frosting turned out so much prettier on the round cake. I adjusted the baking time accordingly.

3. Sweetheart Cherry Chocolate Trifle 

For the final recipe, I wanted to do something chocolate. I decided to go with a standard brownie mix, prepared according to the package directions. Any brownies will do. Then I chopped them into 1-inch cubes.

I whipped up some white chocolate instant pudding and layered this in wine glasses with the brownies and cherry pie filling. It made a pretty dessert that you could serve your sweetheart on Valentine's Day or just enjoy by yourself. My original idea was to make this in a large trifle bowl, but it's always fun to get your own special serving of a dessert...especially when it's presented in a fancy way.

[image credit - coconut cake  by nsdis (contact)]

Simple DIY Butter Mints Shaped like Buttons

If you've ever been to a southern wedding or baby shower, you've probably had butter mints in all their pastel glory. They were super popular back in the day and have made a resurgence lately with all the lovely handmade touches currently popular in the world of event planning. I've been doing some fun DIY videos with The Bride Link and for the most recent one, we made some homemade mints of our own.

 It's so simple to whip these up and you can create all sorts of great shapes and colors. Check it out!

Wish I Were Here: Goo Goo Outpost at Fontanel

Do you ever wish you were someplace else? Sometimes I wish I could magically whisk myself away to a different location...even for just the afternoon. Today, I'm dreaming of the Goo Goo Cluster Outpost at Fontanel in Nashville. Sitting on the porch, sipping an ice-cold Cheerwine and eating a Goo Goo Cluster sounds pretty good right about now.

Only in the south: Moonshine Fudge

I picked up a container of moonshine flavored fudge at a local craft fair for a steal. If you’re wondering why it’s pink, it’s because in addition to having that little kick from the white lightning, it’s also flavored with cherries. The taste wasn’t terrible, but you can probably guess it wasn’t exactly great, based on how little has been eaten.

Are you a fan of spirited sweets? I think I’ll keep my fudge to the peanut butter variety from now on. For those of you who wish to make your own moonshine fudge, I’m still trying to locate a recipe.

Happy Monday!

Good Advice

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.  That's my philosophy.” 

-- Thornton Wilder

Junk Store Treasures

Rummaging around a junk store is one of my favorite pastimes and this weekend the southern beau and I did just that, at a local shop called Nostalgia. Packed to the brim with every sort of collectible or antique item you could dream up, this shop is always uniquely curated with goodies that represent a wide variety of styles and eras.

If I had a bigger house (and wallet), I’d have definitely brought this antique locker cabinet home with me. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful place to store and organize all sorts of household things? It looks straight out of Country Living.



The next thing that caught my eye was this mid-century oyster plate. Since I’m usually scouring the shelves for pieces of ironstone china, the white platter grabbed my attention. Also, I’ve had oysters on the brain because Knoxville has a new-ish oyster bar called Shuck that I’ve been wanting to try.

I always say no southern home is complete without a deviled egg plate…maybe I should add oyster plate to that must-have list as well. If you’d like one of your own, here’s a link to a few ebay options.

Finally, this adorable little cocktail tray would add some pizazz to any bar cart. It feels very Mad Men-esque with the clever drawings and recipes. Now, who wants a Pink Lady?

Believe it or not, none of these items actually made it out of the store with me, but it’s fun to look! I typically stumble across my most treasured finds at estate sales and thrift stores, but I love a good antique shop all the same. Have you added any thrifty treasures to your collection lately?

{Wishing you a Happy May Day}

Anti-Recipe: Halloween Candy Corn Bark

Sweet and salty combinations are just the greatest when it comes to snacking so I decided to whip up a batch of white chocolate bark with candy corn and pretzels. The recipe is so easy and the best part about it is you can make as much or little as you want. This comes in handy for me since I’m trying to eat healthier and I knew if I had made a whole lot of it, I’d also have eaten a whole lot of it.

Ingredients:

• pretzels (I used the small square grid variety of Kroger brand pretzels)
• white chocolate chips
• candy corn
• tiny bit of cooking oil

1. Spread out a layer of pretzels and candy corn on a sheet of waxed paper (on your counter or a clean baking sheet).

2. Add a tiny bit of oil to the white chips and melt them slowly, either over low heat on the stove or in short increments via your microwave.

3. When the white chocolate is smooth and liquefied, pour it over the pretzels and candy corn. A thin coating is plenty for the sweet/salty combo but if you want to use more white chips for thicker pieces of bark you can break, go for it.

**Note: My measurements were about 3 servings of pretzels and candy corn (as specified on the packages) and then 3 tablespoons of chips…so the whole batch could be divided into 3 servings of about 300 calories each. Not the healthiest, but it is a special occasion treat!

{Disclaimer: The above image is not my creation…but it did look very similar}

Sugary Sweetness with Bang Candy Company at the Southern Artisan Cheese Festival

Friday was the first ever Southern Artisan Cheese Festival and I was lucky enough to attend. The event was held at the Nashville Farmer’s Market and the clear fall evening made a perfect setting for foodies to mingle with food creators and taste their wares. In addition to all the delicious cheeses, I sampled many other local artisanal products from local folks.

My favorite beverage from the event would have to be the cocktail made for me by Sarah Souther of the Bang Candy Company. Sarah started her business after concocting a killer batch of homemade marshmallows and decided to run with them. She also makes simple syrups that are delish. Here’s a great little write-up on Sarah from the Tennessean. I didn’t try one of her homemade marshmallows, but the syrup was divine.

For the cocktails, we were asked to select a syrup for Sarah to then mix with prosecco (a sparkling white wine) or fizzy water and other ingredients. I chose the Hibiscus orange flower ginger syrup for mine.

It really didn’t need any extra fixings except an orange wedge and my festive creation was finished. I so enjoyed meeting Sarah and chatting with her about the upcoming opening of her new shop. She’s @Bangcandyco on twitter so send her some love!

Have you ever experimented with simple syrups? I’m sure they would be tasty in ginger ale for a non-alcoholic option as well. If you have a favorite mix, do tell!

Last Hurrah…at the Fair

When I was growing up, the county fair always fell around the time school started back, even though it was still technically summer. I guess this is what makes me think of the fair as summer’s last hurrah. This year I visited the Tennessee Valley Fair, in my adopted hometown as opposed to the smaller county fair where I grew up. Thankfully, this bigger fair still had the same staples I was expecting, and even a bit of small town whimsy.

Upon entering the gate, I ran smack dab into this fellow and he was gracious enough to pose for a photo.

From old time beverages to prize winning vegetables, the fair was a feast for the senses as well as the palate.

I’m so ready for fall and Halloween so seeing these beautiful pumpkins definitely got me excited!

Most of the watermelons we enjoyed this summer were the smaller round variety, but this gigantic beauty is deserving of its blue ribbon.

Fried goodness tempted me at every turn, but I was able to snap this picture without compromising my diet. I don’t know who invented funnel cake, but I’d like to thank him (or her).

The last adventure of the day was a stroll through the goat barn where much cuteness ensued.

If you got a chance to visit the fair this year, what was your favorite part?