Foodie Wednesday - Week 8

WELCOME..... to Week 8 of Foodie Wednesday @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks.......

Last day of November.....where did the time go?

Seriously.....anybody? I can't believe tomorrow is December and I know I should be getting BAKING fever right about now....,but  it would have to wait few more days....

Slow Cooker Beef In Wine

Slow Cooker Beef In Wine Dinner

I love my slow cooker, but I don't use it as much as I should.....

The reason being......as much as I like the convenience no dishes I LOVE cooking from scratch and using million pots and pans in the process...

Few months ago I decided to re-start an old family tradition......SUNDAY DINNER......since my DH works far away from home most of the Sundays it's only me and the boys.....so......I included in our Sunday Dinners my best friend and her family as well as my sister and her little boys.

I figured all of our kids are growing up and between three of us we have 4 teenagers and Sunday dinner would be nice time to sit down.....slow down.....re-connect......have fun!

Drunken Holiday Fruit Bars

Drunken Holiday Fruit Bars

It wouldn't be holidays in my house without some kind of dried fruit soak in a liqueur and combined with desserts......blame in on my European up-bringing....if you must.

This year holidays won't be any different ....why should they? If ain't broke why fix it.....right?

This year my "liqueur" of choice is ORANGE liqueur......and my "drunken" fruit of choice is mixture of raisins, cranberries and apricots......here come....DRUNKEN HOLIDAY FRUIT BARS.

Pepper, Ricotta & Sausage Casserole

Pepper, Ricotta & Sausage Casserole

Winter cooking in my kitchen is all about.....COMFORT......

I love cooking and baking , but my favorite season for my culinary adventures in my own kitchen is WINTER....

During Winter I do not crave restaurant food (well, maybe on occasion)......during winter I love spending days in my kitchen making comfort food for my family.

One of the ultimate ingredients when comes to comfort food and my kids is PASTA.....closely followed by cheese and of course BACON (this dish doesn't have bacon, but I can see myself trying it one time).

Foodie Wednesday - Week 7

WELCOME..... to Week 7 of Foodie Wednesday @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks.......

First, I would like to apologize for last week MIA.....Flu Bug attacked my house and my poor kids were dropping like flies....there was no way I could post Foodie Wednesday....

.....BUT......kids are back at school and I am back.....

Kickin' Chicken Parmigiana

Kickin' Chicken Parmigiana

Last week my house looked like ER ward.....kids were dropping like flies thanks to the annual visit from FLU BUG....


Since I couldn't leave them alone for few days we had to rely on pantry.....fridge and freezer.I am usually well stocked , but I tell you.....by day 3 the fridge was looking so sad and I actually started seeing the bottom of our freezer.


......perfect time to clean the fridge.....cupboards and freezer.....perfect time to do some FREESTYLE innovative cooking....

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Squares

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Squares

 I don't know about you......,but I can't get enough of PUMPKIN.....especially when it's paired with cream cheese.....


We have only a week left in Pumpkin indulgence so I am trying to get my fix so I can move on to......Christmas treats.....Christmas cookies....fancy appetizers.....and all that party fair.

The other day I had some pumpkin pie filling leftover so I decided to make a big batch of yummy PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SQUARES for my family....

Obviously, what I though of as a big batch was just a tease for my bottomless boys.

Christmas Baking - Christmas Cookie Doilies

Christmas Cookie Doilies

 It's time.....it's time.....it's that time of the year.....

.....time for making the CHRISTMAS BAKING LIST.....what cookies and pastries will return.....what cookies and pastries won't make he cut.....and what are the newcomers?

I feel like a Christmas Baking Scout or Recruiter...choosing the players for my exclusive Christmas Baking List.

I know....I am a strange one....oh, well.....

Every year I try some new recipes as well as my family favorites.

Last year was the first time I made Christmas Cookie Doilies.....they were so delicious and everybody was raving about them.....I had no choice, but to include them in this year Christmas Line-Up....

Baked Basa Fillets with Garlic & Almonds

Baked Basa Fillets with Garlic & Almonds

Recently I was talked into buying Basa Fillets....by a complete stranger in a supermarket....

He went on....and....on.....and.....on about them. Apparently Basa fillets make the most delicious Fish & Chips.

What the heck....I grabbed two bags...

Plum Crumb Cake (Slivkový koláč )

Plum Crumb Cake (Slivkový koláč )

 Summer is gone and so is fresh fruit....well, local fresh fruit that is.

I am a fresh fruit junkie....I truly am.

I don't need ice cream in the summer....I can get along without Iced Coffee (that one is little harder).....just DON'T take my fruit away....

Anyway, few weeks ago I managed to score few pounds of late Italian Prune Plums at local fruit stand so I had to do....one more....just one more....PLUM CRUMB CAKE....

....in my native Slovakia known as Slivkový koláč.

Foodie Wednesday - Week #6

WELCOME..... to Week 6 of Foodie Wednesday @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks.......

Are you counting down to Christmas, yet?

Luckily my kids are not in Christmas spirit yet so there is no Wish Lists.....and re-dos of Wish Lists as of now....., but I suspect it is coming soon.


I don't usually make my own Wish List....maybe this would be a good year to start.....what od you think?


As I mentioned last week.....November is time of soups....casseroles....comfort food and baking....lots and lots of baking.

Breaded Burger With Cream Dill Sauce (Vyprážané Karbonátky & Kôprová Omáčka)

Breaded Burger with Cream Dill Sauce (Vyprážané Karbonátky & Kôprová Omáčka)

....there are so many dishes from my childhood that I consider a COMFORT FOOD....

Growing up in Eastern Europe.......almost everything was comfort food....especially when grandma made it.

We didn't have drive-through....TV dinners.....

The closest we ever came to Fast Food was picking up salads.....rotisserie chicken or fried fish at local deli (I so miss that).

Today I want to share a recipe for one of many comfort meals of my childhood that I still make for make kids.

English Walnut Bars

English Walnut Bars

This recipe for delicious and moist WALNUT BARS was handed down to me by my grandma many....many years ago.

It wouldn't be Christmas at grandmas without her famous English Walnut Bars and sometimes.....if we were lucky enough.....she made them for special occasions.

I don't remember the last time I made these delicious English Walnut Bars .....I was organizing my recipes and making baking list for Christmas....and there they were....so I decided it was time to introduce them to my sweets loving family.

Kickin' Macaroni & Cheese

Kickin' Macaroni & Cheese

 OK, it's confession time......Macaroni & Cheese for dinner in our house meant..... my teenager we lovingly refer to as Hormone Boy opening a box or two Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Why? Simple......I never was macaroni and cheese kinda of gal .....till the other day.

I saw an upscale restaurant menu review  and one of the dishes reviewed .....yes, you guessed it....Gourmet....made from scratch.....with delicious blend of cheeses.....MACARONI & CHEESE.

So I figured....why not.....I will try it.....I will try it my way......

Foodie Wednesday Blog Hop - Week #5

WELCOME..... to Week 5 of Foodie Wednesday @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks.......

November is officially here and we are counting down to Christmas....well, many of you are counting down to Thanksgiving first...if you are Canadian like me then Christmas it is.....

Why does Canada have their Thanksgiving so much earlier? Anybody knows? I think we all should have it at the same time.....it is the same holiday.....celebrating same thing.....we are all part of North America....so what's the beef?

Anyway.....November is time of soups....casseroles....comfort food and baking....lots and lots of baking.