FriendlyIam

Every Friday I bake a cake. The weekends are when I always have friends and family stop by, so having a freshly baked cake is always a must. Also, my kids love waking up on Saturday morning and enjoying a good piece of cake- I love it too. Growing up, my mom always baked at least one cake for Shabbat. So, I've followed in her footsteps. Usually, I like to keep it simple- like an orange sponge cake or chocolate and vanilla marble cake, or an apple spice cake...It all depends on my mood and of course what I have in the house. Last Friday I woke up with Nutella on my mind (perhaps it had to do with the fact that I am 9 months pregnant?) You have to understand. Nutella has played the role of peanut butter in my life. In fact, I actually never tasted peanut butter until I was 18 years old. We never had it in the house growing up. In place of PB&J sandwiches, my mom gave us Nutella. It wasn't a treat, it was a staple in our household, and it continues to be. But, Nutella cake? I ...

I, like most people, am always looking for a shortcut in the kitchen. In the winter, I love cooking with butternut squash. But, let's be honest, it's a pain in the butt. Just peeling that huge thing often makes me reconsider, and then cutting it up, if you don't have the right knife on hand, it's not gonna be pretty! I've seen butternut squash that comes peeled and cut into chunks sold at the supermarket, but often it looks dry and pasty, and after a day or two in your fridge, it's sure to go rotten. So, I must say I was so pleasantly surprised when I bumped into this (see picture above and below) at Fairway supermarket this week. A perfectly peeled, halved and scooped butternut squash- like music to my ears! You would have thought I ran into Matt Damon or something- these sort of things make me blush with excitement. Sad, but true. In any case, I sincerely hope you can find this beauty in your local supermarket- and if you do, here is a simple, delicious recipe...

A few years ago my niece was in town during someone's birthday and she offered to make the world's best ice cream cake ... UM...YEAH! Go right ahead. Turns out she was right . This cake rivals Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone any day. Now this cake has become our family's tradition for birthdays. There just aren't enough birthdays in the year though. I could eat this every day! The part that is the most fun is coming up with your favorite combination . Ours is mint chocolate chip ice cream with oreos . But you could also use Grasshopper cookies...they are good, too. You can also do a chocolate-based ice cream and use Nutter Butters. The possibilities are endless with this cake! You'll need: 1 box family size brownie mix 1/2 gallon ice cream 1 package oreos 1 bottle hot fudge (premium thick stuff) Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, and pour batter into a greased springform pan. Bake for about 20 minutes (you'll want to underbake these a bit ...

I must admit, it does get exhausting. Night after night, trying to come up with an original dinner menu- especially in New York City, where ordering-in is just so easy! But, at the end of the day, no matter how good the restaurant, there's nothing like home-cooking. And that's the truth, even when it's something as simple as homemade burgers. Everyone loves a moist, flavorful burger....serve with my colorful antipasti salad (which always gets rave reviews), couscous or fries- and a delicious dinner is ready in no time. This simple burger recipe requires just a few staple ingredients: tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. No eggs or breadcrumbs needed. This way, the burgers turn out juicy and moist each and every time. As for the antipasti salad, this one has become a favorite of mine. I throw together marinated store bought olives, sundried tomatoes, grilled artichokes (all from the antipasti counter at my supermarket...