I'm It! Here's My Six-Word Memoir.

Grace of Grace Today tagged me so I'm it and I'm running after you!

This is the very first tag on Joy Of Desserts. Thank you so much Grace! Thank you for also adding me to your blogroll. :-) I so appreciate being on blogrolls and being tagged.

Grace invites you to her blog, saying, “My eyes view the world just a little bit differently. Let's see what we can smile about or ponder while we enjoy our coffee...”

Now here's the official guidelines to the bloggy tag:

• Write your own six-word memoir;
• Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like;
• Link to the person who tagged you in your post;
• Tag five more blogs with links;
• Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

MY SIX-WORD MEMOIR

* Happy *

* Christian *

* Wife *

* Mother *

* Writer *

* Artist *

Here are my five tags. You’re it! I know some people don’t like tags, but I hope you all know why you should appreciate being tagged and should want to be tagged often! ;-)

4urpets: Kathy is my friend in real life and she writes a humorous blog about her three Chihuahuas’ antics;

The Empty Nest: My friend Kathy, whom I’ve known for more than 12 years, is starting a new blog about her own life. It promises to be just as funny as her pet blog;

Tad Cronn: Tad has a serious news blog so he might not participate in tagging, but I highly recommend that you read his blog regularly whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or somewhere in between. Tad is an Editor who speaks out about the news that doesn’t get printed in most of today’s liberal media.

Mrs. W’s Kitchen: I’ve just “met” Mrs. W. through this blog. She is also a foodie blogger. She is from New York and you might enjoy reading her recipes too.

The Journey Back: This Christian blogger loves animals, quilting and sewing, children and teens. She has a varied blog and you must check out the photo of this unbelievable rabbit.

Thirteen Favorite Ingredients For Desserts

In France, thirteen is a very lucky number. People will buy lottery tickets, especially on a Friday the thirteenth!! So, I have no fear or phobia about the carnival. If you don't either, go visit Thursday 13 and their participants.

1. Vanilla; especially the beans. They come from beautiful orchids too. When using extract, these days we need to be careful that there isn't any corn syrup added. I was very upset to find out last time I bought "Pure Vanilla Extract" that it had corn syrup in the fine print and in the bottle. Now what's PURE about that?
2. Honey; I've already posted about some of honey's benefits. Be sure to follow the link if you missed it.
3. Coffee; In France, we love coffee and add it to chocolate to intensify the chocolate flavor. Coffee flavored cakes -- not coffee cake -- are favorites in bakeries.
4. Hazelnuts; Probably my mom's all-time favorite. We don't use it enough here in the States in my opinion;
5. Chestnuts; I remember eating chestnut desserts with whipped cream as a child. They came in little cups like we would buy pudding or yogurt here. Each Christmas, my relatives send me sugar glazed chestnuts: "Marrons Glaces."
6. Almonds; Frangipane is a buttery almond paste and so good. I love Galette des Rois each January. It's a French tradition like the Three Kings Cake in New Orleans and surrounding areas. I also love slivered almonds on cakes and pies, or almonds in chocolate candies and cookies.
7. Maraschino Cherries; On top of ice cream or I'll even take them all by themselves; they are so good. Beware again of the corn syrup.
8. Rum; Rum goes great with desserts. Have you ever had a Baba au Rhum?
9. Pistachios; I love nuts and these little green ones also make great ice cream.
10. Raisins; Raisins in bread, pudding, ice cream, cakes, danishes, the list just goes on and on as these little dried grapes complement so many desserts.
11. Orange extract; It's a great flavor to add to crepes.
12. Lemon juice; Can be added to most fruits and will keep apple and bananas from yellowing.
13. Rose water; Not too many people still use rose water, but it adds a very delicate yet intense flavor. If used in small amounts, you will receive numerous compliments, yet most people will not be able to tell what it is that makes them like your desert so much.

I know I've missed plenty of flavors and ingredients, but there's only room for 13 today, so go ahead and tell me which ones I've missed or which are your favorites. Be sure to leave your link so we can all visit you too. ;-)

H A P P Y
T H U R S D A Y !!!

The Fruit Of Happiness

This is a fruit seller in India. I found the picture in Flickr's public files.
For more participants in Word-Filled Wednesday,
visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods.
God Bless.

Over Ripe Bananas Make Wonderful Jams

Here's the SeCond banana recipe as a gift to those who are honoring this blog with awards. Today, it's an authentic French recipe for Banana Jam. It's for Kathryn at 4urpets and every one else who already loves this new blog after just two short weeks. Just scroll down or click on the link if you missed yesterday's super moist Banana Yogurt Cake with cream cheese icing. It was a yummy recipe and you don't want to miss it.

I'm so glad to have received not just one, but two of these Royal Banana Blog Yumminess Awards! Thank you so very much! And the blog love today goes to Open Grove Claudia who is a beekeeper and to Aged Cat. Let them know I sent you when you go say hello to them ;-) .

And I'd also like to give a warm welcome to all the Sugar High Friday participants. I know it's not Friday ;-), but the deadline for entering a post is today, then the participants visit when the links are published on the last Friday of the month. It's my very first entry with Sugar High Friday and the theme changes each month, but this time the theme just happens to match this post so I'm entering. The theme for March is to "post the recipe for a dessert you made (or want to make) for someone else," and it's titled Sweet Gifts. I look forward to participating in this sweet carnival and getting to know all of you foodie bloggers.

Have you ever had banana jam? You can't find it in most stores and like all jams, of course, the best ones are homemade or at least from your local farmer's market. I have many childhood memories of homemade jams from my aunt. This aunt is a dessert guru. Anything sweet is her forte. And she would make the most amazing jams bursting with flavor. Each year she spends a few days preserving some of the summer's fruit harvest. I remember her putting those jams on a "Petit Suisse" as a snack for me. Petit Suisse is a fresh cheese originally from Normandy, similar to sour cream for its tangy and creamy texture. It is so good with jam or honey, or even plain sugar. Petit Suisse is not available here in the U.S., at least where I live, so sometimes when my taste buds get nostalgic, I'll serve myself a scoop of sour cream with jam. It's not exactly the same, but it's real close. It gives me that sour/tangy/creamy taste with the combination of the sweet jam. It takes me back to my childhood.

This is a recipe I've had for many years. It originally came from a magazine in France from when I was a child, but I've adjusted it over the years to make it my own. It's super easy and you don't need to know how to make jams or preserves. This one is as basic as it gets and it will only take about a half hour of your time. Anybody can succeed so don't be afraid to try it even if you've never made jam before. The rum adds that special gourmet flavor, yet the alcohol just burns off in the cooking. Now you'll have another recipe to use those over ripe bananas and you won't have to throw them out.

Banana Jam
2 lbs ripe bananas
3 3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 1/3 Cup water
juice of 3 limes (or lemons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract (or use real vanilla beans)
1 dash of ginger powder
1/4 Cup of rum

Peel and mash the bananas.
Mix water, lime juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger over moderate heat and stir until syrup thickens. Add the mashed bananas and let cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rum during the last few minutes of cooking to let alcohol burn off. Immediately place in jam jars and seal.

ENJOY!!

Yummy jam, awards, a new carnival, this all works for me. If you like bananas, you'll go bananas over this new recipe too. Don't forget to look at the other banana yogurt cake recipe too. For more participants, go to Rocks In My Dryer.

Banana Yogurt Cake To Celebrate The Royal Banana Blog Yumminess Award

Woo Hoo! I'm going bananas over my first blog award! Mercedes has honored Joy of Desserts with The Royal Banana Blog Yumminess Award and I'm celebrating with a Banana Yogurt Cake and participating in her cake edition of Scrumptious Sunday. I'm so excited to get an award and to get it so quickly. This blog is only a couple of weeks old. Thank you, Mercedes!!

And to pass along the blog love, I am in turn awarding a few blogs. I haven't met too many bloggy friends through this site yet, but I've had a great response with comments (which I L.O.V.E.), so I am giving this award to three very nice bloggers: Beloved Mama, Joyfull and Twinklemom. Be sure to go visit them and tell them I sent you!

I'll give this award to a few more people next time I post too, because 4urpets has also given me this Royal Banana Blog Yumminess Award and I'll have to have another celebration for that award too!! We just can't pass up a good time when there's a good excuse like an award, right?

So, on to the Banana Yogurt Cake recipe. I've never made this recipe before, but it should be super moist because there are four ingredients which add lots of moisture, the bananas, the yogurt, butter and honey. It sounds really good and it's a great way to use those overripe bananas you may have sitting on your kitchen counter. The overripe bananas will give your cake more flavor too. Let me know how it turns out.

Banana Yogurt Cake
Cake Ingredients
* 1 stick of butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 eggs
* 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
* 1 cup plain yogurt (or vanilla or honey yogurt)
* 1 1/3 cups flour
* 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Icing Ingredients
* 8 0z. cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons mashed banana or honey

1. Preheat oven to 355F. (180C.). Grease and flour a spring-form pan. Line the base with baking paper.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar and honey in a bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
4. Add mashed banana and yogurt and fold into mixture.
5. Add flour and baking powder. Fold into the mixture gently until just combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
7. Remove cake from oven and let stand for five to ten minutes before removing from pan. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Icing: Beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and banana together until smooth and creamy. Spread over cake.

BON APPETIT!

Happy Easter To All!!

Wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed Easter!!

France is a Catholic country, so the Bells From Rome scatter the Easter chocolate for the children to go egg hunting. The children wait for the television to broadcast the Bells' arrival and as soon as they hear them ring, they rush out to their Paris balconies or their suburban or country backyards to see what the Bells have brought them. The Easter Hens who lay the eggs are also very popular. The Easter Bunny also makes his appearance.

Simple Sugar Syrup Replaces Corn Syrup

Stop using corn syrup! Your health and weight gain depend on it. I like to use the best, all-natural ingredients which are the least processed as possible. Corn syrup may be made from corn, but it is processed by man so much that it becomes bad for our health.

Research even shows connections to infertility, abnormally high weight gain, anger and even death. It's very difficult to escape corn syrup as it is added to almost everything these days, even deli meats and prepared meats.

One extremely easy way to replace it in your own recipes is using a simple sugar syrup. All you do is gently warm granulated sugar and water on the stove. The more sugar used, the thicker the syrup will be. If you raise the temperature you will make caramel. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before boiling so that it does not crystallize.

Another very healthy substitute as I described last week is honey.

It definitely works for my taste buds and my health. For more participants, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Irish Coffee On St. Patrick's Day!

IRISH COFFEE

Freshly brewed coffee
Irish Whisky
Sugar
Whipped Cream

The exact recipe depends on your taste. Who is anyone to dictate whether it should use one lump of sugar, two or even three? Some people claim true Irish coffee can only be made with Demarara sugar, so if you can get your hands on some, go ahead and give it a try. If not, raw sugar -- which is the unrefined residue from cane sugar after the molasses have been removed -- can substitute, but regular or brown sugar will work just as well if you're not looking to be absolutely authentic.

How much whisky simply depends on how Irish (tipsy) you want to get.

And for the whipped cream? Well, are you on a diet or are you ready to party?

Sweet Honey Tastes Oh So Good

The Bible does not steer us wrong and tells us honey is sweet and good for us too. Take a look below at the amazing benefits of honey and I've also included a recipe for a High Energy Kiwi Honey Breakfast Smoothie.

Be sure to visit Amy Deanne at Word-Filled Wednesday ,
Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer and Thursday Thirteen for more participants.

Look at all the benefits and the yummy goodness and you'll understand why I love honey.

1. Honey is the only food to provide all necessary substances including vitamins and antioxidants to sustain life -- even water;
2. Yet it is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free;
3. The antioxidant pinocembrin is only found in honey;
4. Honey found in King Tut's tomb was still edible because it never spoils;
5. Honey has calming properties and will help you fall asleep. Add it to chamomile or verbena herbal teas and you will be in Morpheus' arms in no time;
6. Honey is also an energy booster, providing two types of sugars -- one fast acting for an immediate boost and the other slowly released for sustained energy;
7. During World War I, honey mixed with cod liver oil was used to dress soldiers' wounds as it speeds healing, fights infection and minimizes scarring;
8. The antimicrobial properties of honey inhibit bacteria, yeast and mold;
9. Honey is 25 percent sweeter than regular sugar;
10. Honey can clear common cold sinus congestion;
11. Honey is an anti-irritant;
12. Honey moisturizes and hydrates skin;
13. Honey is a natural skin exfoliant.

High Energy Kiwi Honey Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients For One Serving
1 kiwi peeled and quartered
1/2 Cup strawberries washed and hulled
1 Cup plain yogurt
3 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons orange juice

Directions
Add all ingredients to your blender and mix until smooth. Serve immediately.

Do You Know How To Flambe? It's Easy!

One of the best restaurant dinners I can recall was when my in-laws took my then-boyfriend and me to La Foret, a top-notch restaurant tucked away amid the trees of New Almaden, California. Many of their dishes were flamed. We had flambed crepes and all eyes were on us. The entire restaurant was looking and while we were the first to order this fire spectacular, we were soon copied all throughout the room. My husband even had flambed coffee!

To flambe or use a flame on a dessert may sound complicated and extravagant, but it is easy and will bring elegance and flare to your dish. A simple fruit like a banana which you might not otherwise consider serving to your guests suddenly becomes something quite special when you call it Banane Flambee and your guests ooh and aah over the flames.

The only trick is to warm both your dessert and your alcohol first. A chaffing dish works great. Then, while you make sure you keep your face at a safe distance (you're not cooking Roasted Chef!) and you stay away from fire alarms too, you light the dessert with a match. The alcohol will burn off and the flames will gradually disappear, leaving only the flavor.

Good alcohols to choose for desserts include: Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Cognac, Rum, Chambord.

No need to save your flambes only for dessert. You can make a grand entrance with your entrees too!

Did You Spring Forward?

Lookie what I found on Flickr! It's a cake clock!
Did you remember to spring forward?
Don't be late for work tomorrow!

Which Ice Cream Sundae Are You?

Yesterday, while I was doing that little cookie quiz and found out I was an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, our son was looking over my shoulder and he saw this other fun quiz to find out what kind of Ice Cream Sunday we were.

And you know what I thought?

Wouldn't it be appropriate for my first SUNDAY of blogging desserts?? No corny syrup about it, our son thought it was hilarious! So, it turns out he's a Banana Split and I'm a Cookie-Brownie-Sundae.

I don't think any of us need a recipe here, but it's fun! I do have recipes for making homemade and deeeelicious ice cream, but as much of the country (and world) is still under snow right now, I'll save those for this summer! It'll give you something to look forward to. ;-)

You Are a Banana Split

Fruity, flavorful, and diverse. Who can beat a true superstar?

What Kind of Sundae Are You?


Here's MINE!!

You Are a Cookie-Brownie-Sundae

Totally sweet, delicious, and comforting. You are a total glutton for... everything! Didn't I tell you I LOVED desserts???!!!

What Kind of Sundae Are You?

Let me know which kind you LOVE!

A Centered, Peaceful, Sweet, But Not Fake, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

I took this fun little quiz to see what they thought my personality is and to share with you. I think it's pretty accurate too, and it is one of my favorite cookies. So, I'm also sharing my own recipe with you. ;-) What's YOUR favorite kind of cookie? I know, I know, it's hard to pick just one, so you can tell me several of your favorites.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup butter
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons milk
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup uncooked quick rolled oats
3/4 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Blend both sugars and cream with butter. Add egg, vanilla, milk and beat until smooth. Sift flour, soda, baking powder, salt and add to previous ingredients, beating until smooth. Add oats, raisins and chocolate chips and mix well. Drop cookie dough about 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet and bake until light brown. This recipe will make about 3 dozen small cookies.

ENJOY!

It's Party Time! Let's Have Dessert!

Welcome to my blog party!

Look I have a new blog all about desserts and it's already party time!

I love to have fun and I love desserts, so please join me at Joy of Desserts. I am French and have lots of great recipes, so Just add me to your feed reader and you won't miss a single delicious dessert recipe.

I've already shared Sprinkles Bakery's Strawberry Cupcakes that everyone is lining up all the way down the street in Beverly Hills to pay $3.25 for each one. Even Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey rave about Sprinkles Cupcakes and they will soon open more bakeries all around the country, so be sure to grab their ONLY RECIPE EVER PUBLISHED!

And just for this party, I want to share a French dessert (oui, oui) with you. The picture shows it in a heart shape and that's very appropriate because I love every single one of you and hope you'll come back to JOY OF DESSERTS often. You can make it for a wedding anniversary, or you can use the puff pastry sheets right out of the box and make it square. A circle would also be very easy and you can use the left over corners for decoration. My bloggy friend, Melanie over at Monday Through Sunday gave me this recipe to make for Valentine's Day, and boy was it good! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! So be sure to jot down that recipe.

And just because today is a special PARTY day, I'm giving you another one;
one of my all-time favorites!!

STRAWBERRY CREAM PIE

4 Egg yolk
1/4 Cup Sugar
A Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon of natural flavoring
such as vanilla, lemon, rum, or
Grand Marnier

1 Pre-baked pie or tart shell
1 Basket of strawberries

Gently beat the yolks, add sugar and salt. Slowly bring to almost a boil while stirring. DO NOT BOIL or it will curdle. Add flavoring and let cool.

While you are waiting for the custard to cool, wash and cut your strawberries in halves. Gently stir in a few teaspoons of sugar to macerate (marinate for fruits). When cool, add the custard to your favorite pre-baked pastry shell. Line the macerated strawberries all around on top of the custard, covering it completely. Pour all sugar syrup over the top. Voila! Simple as Strawberry Pie!

Be Sure To Leave Me A Comment So I Can Visit YOU!
I hope we'll be friends and visit each other often!!


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I've just been invited to post at
Scrumptious Sunday's FRUITY DESSERT EDITION!
Thank you Mercedes!

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe Make A Scruptious Dessert

Sprinkles is a fancy Beverly Hills bakery specializing in cupcakes and nothing but cupcakes. Owner Candace Nelson gave Martha Stewart the recipe for the Strawberry Cupcakes recently and Martha even gave her blessing to spread the news via the Internet. Just click here to be taken to the scrumptious recipe. It’s their only cupcake recipe ever published.

If you haven’t heard, everyone is raving about Sprinkles including Oprah Winfrey, and people are waiting in line all the way down the street to get their $3.25 for each all-natural cupcake. The bakery will have other stores opening soon across the country.

Welcome To My New Blog!

Welcome everyone.

I love desserts. I admit it, I have a sweet tooth and ever since I was a child, desserts (and appetizers) have been my favorite part of every meal. I've collected so many recipes from friends and family, and created so many of my own, that I've decided to share with all of you. And I hope you'll share with me as well.

If you're like me, you also enjoy just reading the recipes, so get yourself a cup of tea, coffee, lemonade or drink of choice, sit back, relax and ENJOY! It's all for YOU and it's going to be FUN.