My New Blog

I am sure that you are all wondering why I am starting up another blog. Yes, I already write our travel blog (the link is on the blog list) but I have been challenged to use every single one of my cookbooks in the next year. You think that's not a big deal, huh? Well, I just catalogued my collection a couple of days ago and the grand total is 141. This does not include my many food/cooking memoirs that include recipes in them either. I am sure that I'll try to include some of them as time goes on.


After spending years as a very full time student (no less than 17 hours a semester), I noticed that I would rely on the same recipes over and over. Plus we seemed to eat out more than I would like to admit. Since life has calmed down, I have had a lot more time to relax and put my cookbooks to work. As Chris is spending more time working at home, I have been slowly trying out new recipes and incorporating more items from the local Farmer's Market into our diet. I have also been inspired by my friend from high school, Justin, (his blog is lastomach) who shops for the week every Sunday at the Hollywood Farmer's Market with no plan of what to buy. He buys whatever looks the freshest and figures it out from there. I am planner when it comes to food, but I will be giving it a try in the near future.

I am constantly being asked for new recipes or a recipe for something specific from friends (or Annie, my cousin in L.A.), so I figured that this blog will help too.

For now, I am retiring the Gooey Bars recipe from my kitchen (too many of you already have had it), but here it is for all of you that have had it in the past and loved it!

Gooey Bars from Neiman-Marcus cookbook Pigtails and Froglegs

CAKE
1 pkg yellow cake mix, not with pudding
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1 teas. vanilla
2 cups pecans, if desired

ICING:
8 oz softened cream cheese (please don't use low fat! There is no way that it will taste as good)
2 eggs
16 oz powdered sugar, reserve 1/4 cup
1 teas. vanilla

Combine cake mix, butter and 1 egg, mix well and then add vanilla. Fold in pecans, if desired. Pat into buttered 9X13 inch baking pan (a glass one is best). Then beat cream cheese and add 2 eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Add sugar and mix well. Pour on top of first mixture. Sift remaining powdered sugar over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool and cut into small squares.

P.S. Paula Dean has a pumpkin version of the Gooey Bars, which is also yummy!

***These bars are sometimes mistaken for lemon bars. There is no citrus in this baked good! Once I took these to a party, where a lady from St Louis told me that these bars are found in all the grocery stores there. Who knew?