Well, I made a batch of  marmalade and it turned out way to thick. Couldn’t even spread it on my bagels! So, I decided I’d make a rum glaze and add the marmalade to it.  Thus, the orange marmalade rum cake was born! lol’s

Directions: One box of yellow cake mix with pudding. (substitute with orange cake mix if you like) Bake in a bundt pan 30 to 35 minutes. Mix 1/2 cup of rum (if you can handle it) otherwise, 1 tablespoon of rum, 1/4 cup of orange juice to 1/4 cup  of marmalade (add a little more if you want), stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Glaze the cake asap and dig in!

This is a cake for grown ups! So go ahead, use 1/2 cup of rum. You know you can handle it!

Why buy Ricotta when you can make it penny’s to the dollar!

 Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or lemon juice

1. Line colander with four layers of cheesecloth or 2 layers of food-safe paper towels and set over large bowl. Combine milk, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice in microwave-safe glass 1-quart liquid measure. Microwave on high heat until lightly bubbling around edges, 2 to 4 minutes (milk should register about 165°F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from microwave, and stir gently for 5 seconds. Milk should separate into solid white curds and translucent liquid whey. If not, microwave for 30 seconds longer. Repeat until fully separated.

2. Using slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer curds to prepared colander, cover exposed top with plastic wrap, and allow to drain until desired texture is reached. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Homemade Crème Fraiche (pronounced crim fresh) is so easy to make! It’s a French term for fresh cream and is very versatile.

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons cultured buttermilk.

Combine I pint of heavy whipping cream and 3 tbs of buttermilk. Cover with cheese cloth (to allow breathing of mixture to culture) and let stand at room temp for up to 24 hours or until thickened. Use as baked potato topping, on spicy hot foods or deserts. The longer it sits at room temp the sour and thicker it gets and the flavor improves dramatically. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  Feel free to experiment with different flavors by adding a little touch of different spices such as mustard seed, celery seed, pumpkin spice if you’re serving on a pumpkin pie, etc. You can also serve it on fresh strawberries and soups. Enjoy!