Whenever I go to a pot luck there are a couple of things I avoid. One of them is cornbread. Rarely have I find a cornbread that is actually moist and doesn't need a TON of honey butter in order to swallow the mealy square. Honestly, I have never made the stuff because I thought that cornbread is supposed to be dry and awful. Well, last weekend, my in-laws gave us a bunch of fresh corn and, to use some of it up, I thought I would try a fresh corn cornbread. Let me just tell you, all of my preconceived notions of cornbread have been completely dispelled. The Epicurious recipe I found for Fresh Corn and Basil Cornbread is so moist and delicious it is almost cake. No butter or honey butter needed (although it is still good with honey butter). Click on the photo below to link to the recipe. By the way, I baked the bread in the photo using a spring form pan as I don't have a 9" x 9" square pan.

This year and last year my husband's summer office party included a mini cupcake wars. Last year, I made the Fancy Pants Cupcakes, which were amazing! This year I decided I would try my hand at hi hat or chocolate dipped cupcakes. I am proud to say that these cupcakes won first prize! They were gone before my husband and I got to the cupcake table. Try them out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Last march, I shared a recipe for Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries and Caramel Sauce. I decided to see if it would be possible to turn this recipe into cupcakes. It turned out pretty amazing, if I do say so myself...

The inspiration for this AMAZING dessert came from Tarte au Chocolat noir et Caramel on Mon petit bistrot, a French blog. I simplified the original recipe and added a cheesecake top to soften the decadence. I also added coarse salt to the caramel layer, again to balance the flavor.

Last year, around this time, blueberries went on sale and  I just so happened to have picked some rhubarb from my grandmother's garden. The result of these events was the Bluebarb Pie. I wrote the recipe down, but I didn't get any good pictures, so, this year, when blueberries went on sale again I had to make this pie. Luckily, I got some good photos this time around, so here is the recipe for you to bake at home!

Back in may, I shared a recipe for Almond Meringue Kisses dipped in chocolate. They were such a hit, that I thought I would share a strawberry version of the same crispy little cookies. These bite-sized pops of sweetness are great as party favors or even at a wedding - if you are up for a lot of whipping!

Some years ago, I acquired this recipe at a church recipe exchange. I have made a few changes to the original ingredient list to add flavor, but the simplicity of these enchiladas has stayed the same. I share this dish today because it has made its way into my family meal rotation. So quick, easy and tasty, try this recipe tonight and let me know what you think in the comments!

If you have never made an icebox cake before, let today be the day to try something new. It is perhaps the easiest cake ever. Essentially you layer cookies with whipped cream or pudding then place it in the fridge overnight and the cream seeps into the cookies making them soft. It is like cookies that are already dipped in milk. So amazing!

Last week I made some strawberry bars, which use 4 egg yolks and I just couldn't bring myself to throw the whites away. So, I made these meringue kisses and dipped them in chocolate. They are soooo good!

Makes about 48 kisses.

Ingredients:
4 large Egg Whites
1 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a metal bowl, either in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand-held beaters, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add in the cream of tarter and mix until fluffy. Very slowly pour in the sugars while beating the whites then the almond and vanilla extracts. Continue beating until firm, glossy peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, gently spoon the meringue into a pastry bag with a large star tip (Wilton 2D or 1M) or a ziplock bag with the tip cut off one corner. Pipe little kisses onto the prepared baking sheets about 1/2" apart. They can be closer, because they don't rise much, but you don't want them to touch because they will stick to each other.

Carefully place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then, without opening the oven, turn off the heat and let the cookies cool over night in the oven.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Once all of the chips have melted, dip half of each of the kisses in the chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. DO NOT put the kisses in the fridge. Once the chocolate has cooled, store in an air tight container for up to 3 days (although they are best eaten the day they are made).

My husband lived in Italy for a couple of years before we were married and this is a dish he learned to make while he was living there. I have tweaked it a bit to enhance some of the flavors along with adding left over ham. It is easily one of my favorite dishes to make because it is so easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
Pepper
4-5 strips of Bacon, chopped
1 cup Honey Glazed Ham, cut to about 1/2" cubes
2 - 3 teaspoons Dark Brown Sugar (optional, just adds a bit of sweet to the savory)
2 - 3 cloves Garlic, minced
6 Eggs
2 teaspoons Italian Seasonings
1/4 cup Milk
1 pound dry spaghetti
1/2 - 1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Put the spaghetti back into the cooking pot, once drained, along with the reserved cooking liquid.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and sprinkle with pepper. Fry until the onions just start becoming translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the bacon, stirring occasionally until bacon gets crispy, about 8 minutes. Add the ham, brown sugar and garlic. Saute until mixture is well coated with the brown sugar and caramelized a bit.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk and seasonings. Add the egg mixture, bacon mixture and all but about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles and stir until eggs scramble. You may need to turn the burner on depending on how hot your noodles are. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve.