Banana Souffles

Last month Mr. DD and I went on a trip to Las Vegas, with an organization he's involved with.  It was my first time to visit Las Vegas and I was pretty excited.  I'm not much of a gambler, but I am a foodie, and Las Vegas has about as many restaurants as it does slot machines.  Just about every celebrity chef you can think of has at least one restaurant in Las Vegas, so you can imagine how hard it was for me to choose where we'd eat dinner.  I selected Scarpetta, which is Chef Scott Conant's Italian restaurant.  So excited.  Until I woke up the morning of our flight not feeling well.  To make a long story short, Mr. DD went to Scarpetta and I went to bed.  My first night in fabulous Las Vegas was spent in my pajamas, shivering under the hotel sheets watching Travel Channel.  When Mr. DD returned from dinner I asked, "How was dinner?  But just say if it was good or not.  I don't want to hear details about what I missed."  His reply was, "Good."  Followed by a half hour of describing how decadent the banana souffle was for dessert.  I may have been the first person in history to visit Las Vegas and lose more weight than money, so when we returned home I was determined to try a banana souffle. We prepared these for a Valentine dessert and WOW.  They were so delicious, they almost made up for spending my Las Vegas vacation staring out the window of the hotel!

Check out that height!
A very impressive dessert.
(So impressive they
serve stuff like this in Vegas.)

You can serve the souffles topped with
a little confectioner's sugar.
Whipped cream would be even better!

How to Clean Your Iron

So the other day Mr. Devilish Dish went to iron a shirt.  And something yucky and brown jumped out of the iron and onto his collar.  And he was not a happy camper.  Not because he had to iron his own shirt, but because something yucky and brown jumped out of the iron and onto his collar  Yes I know how to iron.  But it's amazing what you can do with Downy Wrinkle Releaser and the dryer.  Most of my ironing is reserved for crafting.  And while it would be a genius idea to have an iron for crafting and a separate iron for clothing, I guess we aren't that smart.  After he put on a different shirt and left, I decided it would be a good idea to try and clean the iron.  Or go buy another one.  Surprisingly it came clean really easily without a lot of elbow grease.  Because if there is anything I dislike more than ironing, it's using elbow grease. 

Gross.

Yet another use for vinegar and baking soda.
Very handy to have around.

No wonder my husband was upset
about his shirt.  Why didn't I try to clean
this gross thing a long time ago?

Valentine's White Hot Chocolate

My sweet Devilish Dish Assistant Emily came over for dinner the other night.  She is your typical 13 year-old girl.  She loves anything cute, pink, heart-shaped or sweet.  You know with whipped cream and sprinkles on top?  So we had a "Make Your Own Calzone Bar" with all of the traditional pizza toppings.  Only to be cheesy, girly, Valentine-y and nontraditional, we made them heart-shaped.  There was only about a tablespoon of filling in each one, and the pizza dough wasn't really made for the heart-shaped pie maker, and we didn't get enough to eat.  But we won't go there.  We'll talk about how fun and cute and heart-themed our meal was.  Thankfully since we were still hungry, we made Valentine's White Hot Chocolate for dessert.  It was rich.  Super rich.  Like serve in a demi-tasse cup and not a jumbo mug rich.  I told Emily's mom the menu and she replied, "You are going to be her hero."  And I was.  We had so much fun making and CONSUMING our Valentine's Hot Chocolate.  And YES, we topped it with whipped cream, pink sprinkles and pink heart-shaped marshmallows because we're cool like that.  OH yeah.  And a few cookies on the side.

What's better than a mug of warm white hot chocolate?
A mug of warm white hot chocolate
topped with whipped cream and sprinkles and...

Pink heart-shaped marshmallows...

Here's our heart-shaped calzones.
It was a theme-dinner.

Garnish with a cookie and
enjoy with someone you love!

Raspberry Souffles

I love making souffles.  They seem sophisticated and complicated.  But they are not.  This recipe only has 4 ingredients.  Quite simple to make.  Souffles have been around since the 1700s, making them a classic dessert.  I've shared my EASY CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES with you before and they are certainly delicious, but with Valentine's Day approaching, a Raspberry Souffle seemed appropriate.  Delicate pink in color and not too sweet.  Top with off with some fresh whipped cream and some tangy raspberries.  Your Valentine will love you forever!

Raspberry Souffle:
The SUPREME Valentine's Day Dessert

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form
and they are glossy.

Puree raspberries in a food processor or blender
and then strain through a sieve to remove seeds.

Fold egg whites into puree until
no white streaks remain.

Fill ramekins to the rim and level off.
Place on baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream and
fresh raspberries.  Enjoy with someone you love!

String Cheese Valentines

I love Valentine's Day.  It's my favorite holiday.  After Halloween and the Fourth of July.  The part that I adore most is the Valentine messages themselves.  Usually the vintage kind that employ silly puns.  I even made a wreath for my front door encorporating some fun, old Valentines.  I was sorting through them and reading their campy messages and I thought about making some punny Valentines of my own.  These are a great alternative to candy, especially to hand out at school.  But don't think they are just for kids.  Whip up a few for your neighbors or co-workers.  They'll appreciate both your wit AND a healthy snack.  I've included the free printables for you to make your Valentine-creating easier.  Enjoy and Don't STRING me along, have a happy Valentine's Day!

Don't STRING me along...
Be My Valentine!

A cheesy, healthy alternative to candy.

Aren't they "Punny" ???

No strings attached...
Get It???

Here's the wreath I created for my front door
featuring Vintage Valentines.
I love their silly old sentiments.

Don't STRING Me Along...
Be My Valentine

Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock.

Be My Valentine
No STRINGS Attached...

These images are my exclusive artwork.
Please be courteous when using these printables
and remember they are for personal use only.

Don't be afraid to be CHEESY this Valentine's Day!

Port Wine Caramel Sauce

When Mr. DD and I were dating I made him a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.  I borrowed my mom's ruby red Cape Cod dishes and made Chicken Marsala.  Granted it was the Campbell's Soup version using Cream of Mushroom Soup, but hey...I was only 21, it's the thought that counts.  A way to a man's heart must really be through his stomach because the following September I got a ring on my finger.  Whether you're a master chef or a novice cook, I truly think there is no better way to express your love for someone than cooking.  This Port Wine Caramel Sauce is the ultimate Valentine's Day dessert.  It's luscious, rich and sounds fancy  But it's actually pretty simple and only uses a few ingredients.  I served it over vanilla ice cream, but I think it would be even yummier over a slice of pound cake.  Try some out on your Valentine.  If he likes it, maybe he'll put a ring on it!

The ultimate Valentine's Day dessert...

Only 5 ingredients

Cook granulated sugar until it melts completely.

Add brown sugar and port wine.

Add heavy cream and vanilla.

Serve warm over ice cream or cake.

Hopefully you'll get a ring on it!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Classic Chocolate Cake

So the other day was National Chocolate Cake Day.  As usual I'm a day late and a dollar short.  I didn't know it was National Chocolate Cake Day in time to make a cake and post it on the blog, but I did manage to make an AWESOME cake that evening for dessert.  I used a dark chocolate cocoa powder for the cake part and a regular cocoa for the frosting.  The result was superb.  That cake part isn't too sweet, but the sweet frosting balances everything out.  AND it goes together quickly in one bowl.  If you're looking for a perfect piece of Classic Chocolate Cake, this is it!

The perfectly, classic chocolate cake...

Frosted and ready to celebrate...

Enjoy with a big glass of cold milk!

OR, like my husband a glass of Coffee Stout.
He said the coffee beer paired great with the
cake.  I took his word for it and had a Diet Coke!