We have a wonderful Fresh Market nearby that I love to visit, finding some excuse to buy even the smallest item just to browse through the store. It’s a special place, with sample hot coffees, a nice produce section and beautiful fresh flowers at a surprisingly reasonable price. They  also have a great meat and seafood section as well as lots of rows with different fresh breads and goodies. Unfortunately I have quite a big sweet tooth so I mostly find myself visiting the candy aisle where they have big glass containers filled with all sorts of sinful loose candies.

My personal favorites are the chocolate covered almonds and the chocolate malted balls. Oh, and perhaps the licorice and jelly beans. Then there are the chocolate covered pretzels and layered mints. Of course when I like to pretend I’m eating well, I’ll buy some of the dried fruits and some of the healthier snack alternatives. But the truth is I almost always want to grab a small bag of malted milk balls on nearly every visit, just like a kid in the candy store!

Suddenly the trees in our area are bursting with color - beautiful shades of red, orange, browns, and greens. Even the sky looks different, more blue/gray rather than bright blue. And everywhere you look are pumpkins and decorations on display. I love making homemade goodies for our kids and their friends and am always on the lookout for new recipe ideas. I recently was visiting the Food Network site and came across some great new recipes that looked like they’d be fun to make. And delicious too!

There are some great new treats that you might want to try as well as twists on the classic favorites like ghouly frosted cupcakes and home roasted pumpkin seeds,y. I like their  witch’s hat cake and cheese ball goblin, which is perfect for anyone hosting a grown-up party at their home. And young and old alike are sure to enjoy a batch of homemade pumpkin caramels - something I’m going to bake myself this year!

Like many people, I tend to make a lot of our favorite family recipes most often. Apple or peach cobbler, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, layered German chocolate cake, ice cream pies, custard pastries, and good old-fashioned pound cake. But it’s also nice to mix things up a bit to keep things interesting. Not only is it fun to try new desserts, but you also discover new favorites that you might not have tried before. While I have a lot of cookbooks in the kitchen, I also refer to All Recipes online for many of my dessert recipe ideas.

You’ll find a list of the top desserts along with thousands of other reader favorites. There are plenty of photos and tips that help even the novice baker create perfect treats. Readers also submit variations that you can try and all of the recipes have been rated which can help you decide whether it’s something you’d like to try making for your family or an upcoming event. And the price for the recipes? Free. And you can’t beat that!

It’s probably one of the simplest treats to make- s’mores. A deliciously gooey dessert made with just a few basic ingredients that is sure to put a smile on any kid’s face. Actually, it’s even a favorite sweet for adults too. While it can be modified by using different kinds of chocolates and crackers to change the flavor and textures, the common recipe calls for just three ingredients - graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate.   Most people use honey graham crackers, but you can easily substitute chocolate or honey grahams too for a change in taste. You can browse allrecipes for variations and ideas for other simple desserts as well.

Back to making s’mores. For the tastiest flavor, the best way to make them is over a camp fire or outdoor pit if you have one. Others have tried stove top using a gas stove, but you’ll want to be careful not to drip the marshmallow all over your stove. You take a marshmallow and melt it over the fire (or in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if you don’t have an open flame). Break a graham cracker in half and place the melted marshmallow on one side. Then, place a small layer of chocolate on top of the warm marshmallow and close the sandwich with the remaining graham cracker half. Many say that good old-fashioned milk chocolate still produces the best taste, but you can experiment with any flavor you’d like, including chocolate frosting and enjoy!

One of the things our children love most for dessert is ice cream. I guess that’s not a surprise for anyone! But it’s the most fun when they get together with their cousins and we set out all of the goodies for making ice cream sundaes. We buy some varieties of favorite ice creams along with whipped cream (homemade if you can!), candies, sprinkles, fudge, syrups - the works. It’s actually fun for young and old alike. Grown-ups can enjoy their sundaes in these beautiful individual size ceramic pasta bowls too.

There are so many simple ways to liven up any gathering really and having colorful ceramic serving dishes is an easy way to create a beautiful table. You might want to keep some fun non-breakables in supply too for the kiddies - no sense in worrying about broken dishes when you should be enjoying yourself.

Oh, what to make for dessert for Easter? Or maybe you’re buying, there are always beautiful big apple pies and scrumptious pastries on display at the local store. If you are making your own family favorites for dessert, be sure and make it easy on yourself by making them a day or two ahead of time. They’ll still be plenty fresh and you’ll have a much less stressful holiday if you’re not trying to juggle too much in the kitchen at once.

One of our favorites for Easter is a big carrot cake. This is a rich and delicious dessert that tastes even better with a hot cup of fresh roasted coffee. It’s the perfect ending to a celebratory dinner. Of course for the kids we like to make a batch of cute bunny cupcakes or hidden surprise cupcakes with a chocolate baked inside. They’re always a big hit!

There is no special treat quite as simple and fun as dipping a fresh strawberry into dark chocolate or a piece of warm bread into melted cheddar cheese. Add a glass of wine or a brew or any drink of your choice and you’ve got the makings for a party or easy gathering with friends. That’s why we love the Rachael Ray Enamel Cast Iron Fondue Set - especially in the bright orange finish.

This is a great set from a quality product line. And fondue is not just for grown-ups, since you’ll find kids love dipping fruits and other goodies into all sorts of wonderful dips. It just makes for a fun time for all. There are lots of wonderful unique serving dishes that you can own in this world, but I think a fondue set is sure to be one of that will give you the most fun for your money!

It’s hard to believe it, but Halloween is just 10 days away. I’m showing my age by saying this, but I can still remember when we were children, many of our neighbors gave us homemade treats like candied apples, chocolate sweets, and popcorn balls. Of course, that was before all of the bizarre and dangerous behavior of a few individuals that caused us all to switch strictly to pre-wrapped candies and treats.

But if you’re having a Halloween party at your home or just want to make some fun treats for your family, it’s a perfect excuse to break out the classics and make some wonderful caramel apples, decorated sugar cookies, homemade chocolates, and fun Halloween theme cupcakes. And don’t forget the fun of dunking for apples - young and old alike will get a big kick out of it.

Fondue, which was a big hit in the 70’s and early 80’s, seems to have made a comeback. If you’ve never tried fondue, you really should. It’s a fun treat for any chocolate lover. Or if you don’t want to go the sweet route, you can always go with a cheese dip.  Gourmet Standard makes a beautiful stainless fondue set that is sure to be a hit at your next dinner party.

This is a unique and stylish fondue set, perfect for entertaining at any gathering .  And it’s not just beautiful, but it’s sturdy and built to last. And the parts can be placed in the dishwasher to easy clean-up after your party. It certainly is not your average serving dish!

Smoothies are a great anytime of year, but they’re an especially perfect treat when the summer heat arrives.  Delicious and nutritious, a refreshing smoothie makes a great snack for young and old alike.

Simple to make, they require just a few ingredients- which you can play with and modify to your personal liking.  There are lots of great recipes to be found featuring any fruit you can imagine like berry, banana, kiwi, rasberry, strawberry, cantelope- or substitute  your personal favorite. A great tip is to freeze your fruit before making your smoothie instead of using ice. 

Don’t own a smoothie maker? No need to run and and buy one, if you own a quality blender, it will do the trick nicely.

When it comes time to bake one of our favorite desserts we’ve always found our jobs go so much smoother when we have a good supply of our baking tools right within reach.   And we make sure it’s quality bakeware that we can withstand our countless baking experiments!

Now for a really simple dessert like flan, you can’t go wrong using the Perfect Flan from Reco. It makes creating your favorite velvety flan a breeze.

“I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process…. It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?”

There are legions of chocoholics and chocolate fanatics among us and the truthfully, how many of us can turn down an offer of chocolate? Its use dates back thousands of years when it was first used as a drink  prior the Maya civilization. Now, whether it’s dark, milk or white- chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. Some say that part of the pleasure of enjoying chocolate is due to its melting point being lower than ours, causing it to “melt in our mouth.” And to think it all begins with the football-sized fruit of the cacao tree.  

Now we’ve all had chocolate in many forms, and some does taste so much better than others. So what is it that makes them different? Are there “chocolate-tasting” events held much like “wine-tasting” events? Yes, there are! Many people plan home parties with a chocolate tasting theme – some even bringing in a resident “expert” stocked with a variety of quality chocolates for the guests to savor. Here are some simple ways to experience chocolate and learn to taste the difference. These are things you’ll want to keep in mind if you plan on using chocolate in your baking and want the best results. Here are some features to look for:

Want to learn more? Here’s some more great chocolate information!