Ingredients:

6 peaches
3 eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Slice the peaches and discard the pits.  Put the peach slices on the bottom of non-stick 9-inch baking pan in a single layer.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add sugar and butter and stir until combined.  Add flour and baking powder and stir until combined.

Pour the batter over the peach slices, so it covers the peach slices.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Invert the cake before serving so the peaches are on top - either invert the whole cake onto a plate, or slice it first, and invert the individual slices.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken parts (cut-up whole chicken, drumsticks or wings)
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a cup, make the marinade - mix honey, vinegar and mustard.

Put the chicken parts in a dish and pour marinade over it, so all chicken is coated.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or you can also marinate overnight in a refrigerator).

Line the baking sheet with foil.  Put the chicken on a baking sheet.  Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. 

One morning I was about to make my usual blueberry pancakes.  Then as I was getting the ingredients out, I realized that I was out of blueberries!  I didn’t have any frozen or fresh ones… the only berries I had were the frozen sliced STRAWBERRIES in my freezer :)  Since everyone was already expecting the pancake breakfast, I figured I’ll give the strawberries a shot.  The result was outstanding - we all loved the new strawberry pancakes!

These have tons of large strawberry pieces with intense strawberry flavor!

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 package (12 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries (you can also use fresh strawberries)
1 tbsp oil

Directions:

Whisk the egg, then add yogurt, vanilla and sugar and stir until combined.  Add flour, baking powder and baking soda, and stir until combined.   

Add the strawberries and stir until combined.  It will seem like there are way too many strawberries, but it’s OK the way it is :)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat (I always use 2 pans on 2 burners to speed things up).  Use a large spoon to laddle pancake batter on the frying pan.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Flip the pancakes, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until done.  Because the strawberries are frozen and there are a lot of them, it will take longer then usual for these pancakes to cook through.  If you are using fresh strawberries, then the pancakes will cook much quicker.

Enjoy with maple syrup!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until combined and smooth.

Add flour, baking powder and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop the cookie batter by tablespoons on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1-inch space between the cookies. 

Bake for 10 minutes.  Do not overbake!  Remove the cookies for the oven even if they look undercooked. 

Enjoy this classic chocolate chip cookie loaded with chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

8 plums
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) of butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Slice the plums and discard the pits.  Put the plums on the bottom of the non-stick 9-inch baking dish.

 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add sugar and mix.  Add butter and mix.   Add the flour and baking powder and stir until combined.

Pour the batter on top of the plums.

Put the baking dish in the oven.  Bake for 35 minutes.

 When slicing the cake, invert the slices upside down, so the plums are on top.  Alternatively, you can invert the whole cake first on the plate and then slice it.  I prefer inverting individual slices with a spatula as opposed to maneuvering the whole cake.

Note: the plums have sour notes, and I like it this way :)  If you’d rather have it sweet, you can sprinkle the layer of plums with an extra 1/4 cup of sugar before pouring the batter on top.

Ever wondered why the coffee you make is a far cry from Starbucks®? ;)  Here’s how to make great coffee at your own home:

Start With Whole Coffee Beans

Using packaged pre-ground coffee (or even worse, instant coffee) will not give you good results - you’ll get stale-tasting brown water :)  Grinding the beans is extremely easy!  Just buy a cheap coffee grinder, and then all you need to do is put the beans there and press the button.  30 seconds and you are done!

Coffee Beans Must Be Fresh

Look at the expiration date at the store when you buy your coffee - make sure the expiration date is far away.  Once the package is opened, use it as soon as possible - their flavor noticebly deteriorates even as fast as after a week.  Store in the air-tight container.  If you still have some left a month after you opened it, throw it out.

I store my coffee in the original packages (assuming they are resealable) - I force out as much air as I can, then seal the package.  I store opened packages in the refrigerator door - I found that they stay fresh longer in the refrigerator then in the pantry.

Grind Coffee Beans Right Before Using

Studies found that the ground coffee loses most of its aroma 20 minutes after grinding.  So grind the beans right before brewing your cofee.

Use Bottled Or Filtered Water

If your tap water doesn’t taste good right out of the faucet, if won’t taste good in your coffee!  Remember, your coffee will taste as good as the ingredients that go in it :)

Use Enough Coffee

Most people don’t put enough COFFEE into their coffee :)  If there is not enough coffee beans, your coffee will taste blah.  I use 3 tbsp of coffee beans per every 8 oz of water.

Light, Medium or Dark Roast?

Unless you already know your preference, I recommend starting with the light roast.  I personally like the Starbucks® Light Roast Breakfast Blend coffee beans.   Then try the medium.   Dark roast is quite bitter, it’s definately not for everybody :)

If Not Drinking Coffee Right Away, Use Thermal Coffeemaker

If you drink your coffee right after brewing, it doesn’t really matter what coffeemaker you use (thermal or glass carafe).  But if you let the coffee sit in the carafe before you drink it, you must use thermal.

Glass carafe coffeemakers keep the coffee hot by letting it sit on a heated element.  When the coffee is constantly heated, it gets this yucky burned taste.

Thermal coffeemakers keep the coffee hot by insulated thermal carafe.  Once the coffee is brewed, it’s not longer heated, so the taste doesn’t get altered.

Don’t Forget To Clean Your Coffeemaker

When you are done with your coffee, don’t forget to clean your coffeemaker!  If you don’t usually eat from dirty plates, don’t make your coffee in a dirty coffemaker :) Discard the coffee filter and wash the carafe after each use. 

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice (best if cooked at least the day before)
4 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 eggs
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, chopped
2 cups chopped vegetables
3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the vegetables and cook, stirring periodically, for 5 minutes or until tender.  Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/4 tsp salt. Remove the vegetables from a frying pan into a bowl.

Add another 1/2 tbsp of oil to that frying pan.  Add chichen pieces and cook, stirring periodically, until no longer pink in center when pieces are cut (approximately 7 minutes).  Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 tsp of salt. Remove chicken from a frying pan into a bowl.

Add the remaining 3 tbsp of oil to the frying pan.  Add the rice and stir until all rice is coated with oil. 

Expose the center of the frying pan by pushing the rice to the sides.  Crack the eggs into the center of the pan.  Stir until all rice is coated with egg.  Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

Drizzle the rice with soy sauce.  Add cooked chicken and vegetables.  Stir until everying is mixed. 

Note: using leftover white rice (from at least the day before) makes better fried rice then using freshly boiled rice.

Ingredients:

7 medium potatoes
2 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel the potatoes.  Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then slice into very thin slices (as thin as you can).

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes.  Don’t stir them for 4 minutes, or until the brown crust develops on the bottom.

Flip the potatoes with the spatula, so the brown side is on top and the light side is on the bottom.  Cook for 4 minutes. 

Stir the potatoes to break them up.   Reduce heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Taste the potatoes to make sure they are not raw.  If they taste undercooked, cook them some more.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients:

1 lb turkey breast cutlets
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil

Directions:

If the turkey cutlets are too big, cut them into smaller pieces.  Sprinkle turkey cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides.

Whisk the egg in a bowl.  Put the flour on a large plate.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat (I like to use 2 frying pans at once to save time).

Dip each turkey cutlet in the egg, then dip into flour on each side, then put on a frying pan.

Cook turkey cutlets for 4 minutes on 1 side, then flip them and cook for 4 minutes on the other side (or until no longer pink inside).

These turkey cutlets go great with cranberry sauce! 

Perfect refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

3 lemons
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Squeeze all the juice out of the lemons.  I cut each lemon into 8 parts, then squeeze each piece - this way it yields the most juice :)

Combine water with sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for several minutes, until the water is hot.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Pour the sugar water and lemon juice into a 9-inch baking dish, and stir to combine.  Put it in the freezer.

After 1 hour, rake it with fork to break up the ice crystals.  Repeat raking with fork every hour until the desired consistency is reached (usually around 3-4 hours from the time you first put it in the freezer).