My mouth is watering today because for #FoodieFriday I thought we could talk about compound butters. Oh me, oh my.  First of all I love butter. Everyone always gives Paula Deen grief for all the butter she uses, I cheer her on. And let me clarify - butter not margarine. People, margarine is fake, it's not butter. It's awful for you - AWFUL. Life is too short, eat real butter.     Butter is wonderful. And then it can be taken to the next level by creating a compound butter. Compound butters can be made at home or purchased commercially. A compound butter can be made by whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. The butter is then reformed, usually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or used to finish various sauces. ( source ) And they can be savory or sweet.  The...

I think some of the fun of cooking is the gadgets! And I am pretty sure I am not the only foodie who loves the kitchen gadgets too. I am a kitchen gadget freak. It may or may not be a problem. *wink*  There's no way I could pick *a* favorite gadget but here are a few that I constantly use: garlic press, zester, Kitchen Aid, Crock Pot, my good set of knives, my Pampered Chef pots and pans set, Pyrex measuring cups, cookie scoops that I use for so much more than the perfect sized cookie...well I could add a few more to the list but that's sufficient. So what are the essentials? Each of us will have ones that are essential to us but here's a list of the ones everyone needs . Because of my slight obsession with kitchen gadgets going into stores such as Williams Sonoma  or Bed Bath & Beyond , or hanging around too many Pampered Chef parties is a wee bit dangerous for me. I can ALWAYS find some gadget I *need.* So how about you? What do you use to coo...

#FoodieFriday is about common cooking mistakes and how to fix them. Mistakes must be made in order to learn and create. Cooking Light pinpointed the most common cooking and baking mistakes made and gave advice on how to correct them next time. So helpful! The Most Common Cooking Mistakes Common Baking Mistakes

Sauces are part of the #FoodieFriday journey today. Sauces make me weak in the knees. I confess there are times I order or make something because of the sauce, not because of the food the sauce is on top of or mixed in to. Like Eggs Benedict - sometimes I dream about the Hollandaise.  Sauces take some patience but they are worth it. Oh so worth it.  24 Delicious DIY Sauces You'll Want To Put On Everything Sauces - so many sauces Here's a few sauces that make my mouth water immediately once I think of them, smell them, or hear them mentioned: Tzatziki Chimichurri Peanut  Hollandaise Vodka Any sweet fruit sauce Oh man, there are more but the drool is running out of my closed mouth so I'm just gonna end the list there.  Listen, sauces rock. They can elevate any dish - meat, vegetables, desserts. YUM.  One last sauce story - when my youngest was in elementary she was asked to create a recipe. When she brought home her ide...

Wine is a great ingredient to add to your savory and sweet dishes. And, get this, it has health benefits - just like chocolate! *grin* I found this article on WebMD that gave all of us 6 reasons to cook and bake with wine - yippee!  I mean, I know we don't need reasons - but excuses we might. It's doctor recommended to cook with wine. NICE.  But in all seriousness, wine is a great way to add flavor to your dishes. If you haven't tried it, you should. But there's a few rules of thumb for cooking with wine that will make you want to keep doing it.   “If you do not have a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one.” - Julia Child (1912-2004), American chef, author, and television personality So the first rule is do NOT use a cheap wine. Use good ones and ones you like to drink. That's the first rule but there's more rules and tips, get them by clicking here .     ...