This Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake is tender, velvety and so chocolatey. Using ricotta for the cheesecake makes it so much softer and more luscious than using just cream cheese.
The chocolate sour cream topping and the fresh raspberries make it extra special and even more delicious. It's looks so elegant and sophisticated, but is really easy to make.
When I'm rarely but suddenly attacked by a chocolate craving, sometimes there's nothing to do but give in. Since cheesecake is my vice, a decadent, creamy Chocolate Cheesecake was the way I decided to go. My cheesecake of choice is a soft and tender sort, so I prefer to add some ricotta cheese to it.
Even though I'm in the mood for baking now and then, it's nice to have options for a cake that takes hardly any effort. You know what? This is probably the easiest cheesecake in the world. You don't even need to use any electrical appliances and will have just a few dishes to deal with. Even though this is a Chocolate Cheesecake, there is no finicky chocolate to deal with. That's right. I have a confession to make. Sometimes I'm too lazy to melt chocolate, so in this case, I'm using cocoa powder. I can promise you that it tastes just as chocolaty and delicious, even without it, and most of all, you can have it in the oven in 20 minutes. That's pretty great in my book.
Most importantly, the velvety and luscious chocolate cheesecake will have you whispering compliments to yourself with every bite. Most likely you already have most of these ingredients on hand, so you can whip this up anytime. [Read more...]
These are my top recommendations - all of these I have personally owned and used, in most cases, for years. 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with bringing something typical, like chocolate, and it's especially appropriate when you don't know someone very well. However, here you will find so many creative and out of the box gift ideas that will set you apart as the most thoughtful guest. 
Whenever I have leftover steak and potatoes, I like to make these burritos. You can assemble them in advance, keep them in your refrigerator or freezer and then just heat them up for a quick and hearty breakfast in the morning. 
Sharlotka brings memories of chilly but sunny autumn days in upstate New York, when we would pick apples at my parents' house. The crisp air filled my senses with the sweetness of the apples. Bees would be buzzing around the apples that had fallen to the ground. We filled up our baskets and pockets with apples of all kinds - yellow, red and green. There's nothing like taking a bite from an apple that you had just picked right off the branches a minute ago. We made Apple Sharlotka so often during the fall. As the days grew cooler, the warm cake-like apple dessert was especially satisfying with a glass of milk or some tea.
The beef brisket that is cured in a salt solution also has so much flavor from all the different spices and then is gently simmered to become so tender that it just melts in your mouth. I love that you can cook this all at the same time with the vegetables and have a stunning entree that complements each other so well. The baby potatoes and carrots are cooked right along with the beef. I roast the cabbage separately to make it extra flavorful; roasted cabbage is amazing. I highly recommend it, if you haven't tried it before. The leftovers are wonderful too, simply reheated or recreated into the most incredible hash. 
With the new year just beginning, this is the best time to start some helpful routines that will make your life easier and give you more time for the things that are important to you. I want to help you with simplifying your cooking routines. If you follow these 10 simple tips, you are on your way to feeling less overwhelmed with never ending kitchen duties. 
Today I am sharing some family gift ideas, gifts I've given in the past, gifts I've received and loved and things we own and highly recommend. Yesterday, I shared a collection of 
With Christmas right around the corner, you might be looking for some gift ideas. Today I will be sharing toddler gift ideas, so if you have your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or children of friends, you may want to give this list a look. My boys are currently 2 and 3. (Nathaniel will be 4 in February.) I also have many nieces and nephews, most of whom are toddlers too:). These are not just ideas, but items that my boys actually own and have been tested by time. They play with them constantly, the items are good quality and can withstand rough toddler play and are entertaining enough to be enjoyed for a long time. 
Christmas is the magical time of year to pull out all the stops and create a bakery in your home. Christmas cookies not only heat up your home with your oven running all the time, but they create such warm memories too. You will forever cherish the memories of baking with your family, the special times shared while measuring flour, rolling out dough and snitching chocolate chips. That is special enough as it is, but then you get to gift your beautiful creations to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and anybody else you choose to bless. I love baking with my boys all year long, and it brings me back to the days when I was a little girl baking with my grandmother, my mother and now I'm baking with my own children.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NESTLE® LA LECHERA®. The opinions and text are all mine.
The month of November has been quite the whirlwind. So many exciting and momentous things happened all in one month, that I feel like I need to catch my breath. I've had so much going on in my personal life, I was completely gone from the blog and social media, so let me fill you in. 
