Happy Mother’s Day to all Mother’s in the world! Hope your day is wonderful.

A very simple homemade chocolate and vanilla cake with a vanilla cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour 
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ or flax seeds(optional)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cups raisins and 1/2 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips,  add more to your liking.

Mix all ingredients. Scoop onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 degrees  for  12-15 minutes or golden brown around the edge.

This peeps chocolate cake is very cute for  Easter brunch or dinner.

The chocolate cake is from the Hershey Co. recipe which is a very moist and a rich dark chocolate. Hershey’s Chocolate cake recipe

I used mini chocolate chips for the sunflower seeds.  The frosting is also from the Hershey frosting recipe link.

Peeps can also be used as centerpieces. 

I really like a crispy crunchy cookie with my coffee as a snack and this ginger cookie is very crispy!  You do not need to be a baker to bake these cookies,  this is one of the easiest cookie recipe on my blog. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter soften

1/2 cup brown sugar

1  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon ground ginger powder

1  1/2  tablespoon of mince fresh ginger root

sugar crystal for sprinkling (optional) or dust with powder sugar

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees

Direction:

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper

Using a mixer , cream the sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy, all the other  ingredients into the bowl and  blend well . The dough will be soft and will form a ball like dough.

Roll the dough into small balls and place on  the cookie sheet.  Place the crystal sugar in a small dish .  Dip the dough ball into the crystal sugar.   Place the dough ball on the cookie sheet, using a fork press down on the dough ball  flatten slightly placing the cookies  1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a 2 minutes on the cookie sheet than transfer to a wire rack.

This is how you will get a very crispy cookie.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose Flour

1 egg lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lbs. ground lamb, veal or beef

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup dice onions

fresh ground pepper and salt

Sauce:

2 cups Yogurt

minced  garlic

Pepper, butter, sumac and chili flakes according to taste

fresh chopped mint

sprinkle sumac spice (reddish-purple powder used as a spice in Middle eastern cuisine to add a lomony taste to salads or meat.

Directions:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

Dumplings are supposed to be very tiny in size but as always I do not have enough time in the day to make it the traditional way.   Maybe one day when I have a few hours of leisure time.  I will add another photo and make star style dumpling by pinching the ends to form a star.

Chile oil can be found at most markets,  already bottled.  I always buy it at  Asian markets.

finally tiny dumplings,pinch the corners together to form a star.

Finally I learn to make it right with smaller dumplings, mint, sumac,  etc.  I sometimes crave manti, so when I want to eat it it must be perfect,  the Turkish way!

Irish sweet scones: Scone recipe

Irish Lamb Stew a National dish  lamb stew

Irish Soda Bread soda bread recipe

St. Patrick Oreo mint cookies Oreo recipe

Marshmallow Giant pops on a stick  for St. Paddy’s Day Marshmallow pops recipe

St. Patrick Pretzel  rods Pretzel Rods

St. Patrick Green Sugar  crispy and chewy cookies Green Sugar cookies

Shamrock Rice Krispes  Shamrock recipe

Coconut lover will love this recipe with a touch of sweetness from palm dates and toasted coconut.

ingredients:

1/2 cup  unsalted  soft butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons  dark molasses

2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1  1/2 cups coconut shedder

1 teaspoon baking soda

big pinch of salt

1  1/2 cups chopped dates

optional: chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans

Direction:  Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.  Bake until golden brown or about 10-12 minutes

In a large bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, butter and molasses  than combine all dry ingredients and whisk.  Add the coconut and dates.  Mix well.

The cookie dough will be sticky.  On a clean surface place wax paper than place the shredded coconut  on the wax paper.  Using a spoon,  place the dough on the coconut and gently roll the dough on the coconut.  Roll the dough into a ball on place on a  grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper.  Flatten the cookie gently.   Bake until golden brown.

A crispy oatmeal cookie on the outside and the inside is a soft texture with a dates and nuts in every bite.  I love this oatmeal cookie with coffee,  it is very crunchy with lots of flavor.  This is a basic oatmeal cookie recipe,  you can enhance the texture and flavor each time you make oatmeal cookies with your own creativity.

The recipe makes about 30 cookies.  You can freeze half the cookie dough for later or cut the recipe in half for less cookies.

ingredients:

1 cup  unsalted  soft butter

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon honey

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

big pinch of salt

1  1/2 cups old fashion raw oats

1 cup chopped dates

optional: chopped almonds,walnuts,pecans,  raisins, mini chocolate chips, or cranberries, rice kripes cereal(for a crunch)

2 cup raw oats to roll the cookies in before baking

Direction:  Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.  Bake until golden brown or about 10-12 minutes

In a large bowl mix  the eggs, vanilla, butter and honey  than combine all dry ingredients and whisk.  Add your nuts and dates.  Mix well.

The cookie dough will be sticky.  On a clean surface place wax paper than place the dry raw oat on the wax paper.  Using a spoon,  place the dough on the oat and gently roll the dough on the oats.  Roll the dough into a ball on place on a  grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper.  Flatten the cookie gently.  Before baking the cookie,  you can also sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top of the cookie.  Bake until golden brown.

Directions:
In A large salad bowl add the  salad greens, berries, onion.  Set a side. Refrigerate.
In a jar mix the lemon, orange, olive oil and salt.  Shake well. Set a side.

Before serving pour the dressing over the salad and add the cube feta cheese and mint leaves.
Salt & pepper to your liking.  Serves 4

This bran muffin is super moist and a hint of  sweetness., great for a weekend brunch or make them for the week to take to work or pack a snack for lunch or coffee time break. This bran muffin recipe is as close as you get to a Mimis cafe recipe. recipe was adapted by Denise G from Key ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

2 cups bran flake cereal

4 teaspoon dry power milk

pinch of baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons dark molasses

1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil

1 large egg

4 teaspoons orange zest

Topping:

1 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and set a side.  Oil each cup in your muffin pan.   Mix the toppings together and spoon the topping mixture into the each muffin cup (like making an upside down cake).

Spoon the  muffin mixture on top of the topping mixture 2/3 full.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until it comes out clean by inserting a tooth pick.

As soon as the honey bran muffins are bake and out of the over,  flip the muffins try on a large tray, serving plate, parchment paper or wax paper.

Cool the Honey bran muffins  before eating so they will not fall apart.  Enjoy.