Love My Philly

These bars are bright and creamy.  when sprinkled with a touch of dried lavendar, they’re fragrant, floral and just lovely.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

Crust:

1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. milk

Combine first 5 ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into bottom of pan, 8 or 9 inch square. Combine remaining ingredients; beat until smooth and creamy. Pour over crust. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Cut into bars and store in refrigerator.  Sprinkle with dried lavender if desired.

These banana squares are amazing for two reasons. They’re full of creamy banana flavor and they’re low in fat! If you’re a fan of banana, this might just be the dessert of your dreams!

Banana Pudding Squares

Let’s face it.  Even though Thanksgiving is weeks away, we still have loads of things to do to prepare the house and kitchen for all those family and friends.  Maybe you’ve already started preparing with these handy tips, but there’s still loads of work to do.  Don’t worry, it’ll all pay off when you’re relaxing with a cocktail on Thanksgiving day, instead of running around the house looking for the silver polish!

Clean the China-  Are you planning on busting out that fine china that you never use for Thanksgiving day?  Let me tell you know, those plates and soup bowls are probably a little dusty.  Drag them out of the china cabinet now and get them all cleaned up.  You’ll save yourself lots of grief when it comes to setting the table of Thanksgiving day!

Pot Luck It? Are you making all the side dishes yourself or are you going to have your friends and family come with warm dishes?  Start thinking about your menu now and ask Aunt Judy to make her famous Cornbread Stuffing.  It’ll save you loads of work and bring extra love and smiles to the table.  I guarantee.

Do You Have All the Pots You Need? How about that giant roasting pan?  Nothing is worse than getting into high cooking mode and finding that you don’t have all the gear you need.  Check now!  Make sure you have that roasting pan, casserole dish and gravy boat ready to go!

These white chocolate cheesecake bars, topped with ruby red raspberry jam are just too good to be true.  The beautifully layered bars look like something straight out of a fancy bakery.  Just imagine that these treats could come out of your kitchen this holiday season!  They’re perfectly festive, and beyond easy to throw together.  You simply must bake these Cheesecake bars this season!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Yes friends, it’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Sure, Turkey Day is still weeks away, but there are loads of things you can do now to make your Thanksgiving more about friends and family than who’s going to make the yams and where the heck your gravy boat is.

Here are some great tips to keep you calm and collected in the kitchen this Thanksgiving day. Trust me, you’ll be glad you started thinking about the big meal weeks ahead!

Clean out that fridge! If you’re anything like me, you’ve got all sorts of buried treasures in your refrigerator. Dedicate a few hours tonight to going through that madness. Throw out anything that is expired or you don’t see yourself eating in the next week. Be honest! With the food you decide to keep in the fridge, try to plan meals around what you already have on your fridge shelves to empty out the ice box. You’ll need to make room for all that turkey and cranberry sauce!

Time to think Turkey! Are you going frozen turkey or fresh turkey this year? If you’re thinking of going frozen, you’ll need to get that bird in your fridge to thaw about a week before you’re going to cook it up. Those things are no joke when they’re frozen solid!

Plan Your Menu! If you start to write out and plan your menu now, you might find items that you can start preparing well before Turkey Day. Maybe you can dice up the celery and carrots for the stuffing three days before Thanksgiving. Make pie crust a week in advance! Roll the dough out into the pie plate and freeze it until you’re ready to use it. There are lots of little things you can do well before the big day.

Get started on these tips, there are more to come!

This holiday dessert is as delicious as it is easy to make.  Throw together six simple ingredients, place the mixture in the freezer while your guests arrive.  Enjoy dinner, and by the end of the evening, you’ll have a gorgeous dessert to show off.  No ovens, no mess, no hassle, just a deliciously festive pumpkin dessert!

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse

It’s always important to have a few recipes on stand by for when those surprise holiday guests come knocking. It seems like all through November and December people are dropping by to say hello and celebrate the season. Sure, these surprise guests can leave you in a panic, but with these simple and quick recipes you can turn the crackers in your pantry and chicken in your fridge into one heck of a dinner in no time flat!

Pesto and Roasted Pepper Dip- Make the pesto dip, the roasted pepper dip, or both! It all depends on

Chicken Alfredo Pasta- Creamy and delicious! A sure crowd pleaser.

Quick and Creamy Company Cake- Whip up a cake in a jiff!

Most days I choke down breakfast in my car while rushing to work. It feels like such a treat anytime I can sit down at my kitchen table and savor a simple breakfast. That’s the plan this weekend- sit a savor a delicious breakfast. You should too!

Fruity Bagel Breakfast

If you’re anything like me, than the time change and the change in weather makes me want to hibernate in my living when I get home from a long day.  On the weekend, sometimes there’s nothing better than staying in, busting open the Netflix, cooking up a snack, and watching a few movies nestled on the couch.  On those nights when intense coziness is your goal, a simple bowl of popcorn just won’t be enough for your movie snack. You’ll need something much more substantial.  How about  Creamy Spinach and Artichoke dip?  Perfect?  I thought so!

Philly Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Now you can have your pie and eat it too.  It’s amazing what happens when you combine Philadelphia Cream Cheese, coffee, pudding and whipped cream.  Tiramisu Pie.  It’s not too good to be true.

Easy Tiramisu Pie