Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake

Photo: Family Features 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake: From Denny:  This is such a fun colorful cheesecake to make that is sure to impress for any special holiday or occasion!  While it looks like watermelon it's really a strawberry flavored cheesecake supported by a delicious coconut and pistachio crumble crust that imitates the watermelon rind.  How clever is that?  And you know it sure tastes better than the rind. :) To imitate the look of the watermelon seeds you garnish the cheesecake with mini chocolate chips.

The beauty of this cheesecake is that you don't have to bake it.  Everything is done on the stove top and then chilled.  Well, I'm sold; ready to start cooking?  ...

Magic Coffee Fonts Woven Throw Pillow

Magic Coffee Fonts celebrate our morning cup of joe! This fun design available on many more products from bedding to t-shirts to mugs and more!  From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Photo: King Arthur Flour

From Denny:  Summer time and the zucchini are multiplying like rabbits in our gardens!  Zucchini bread is always welcome just plain but how about "gilding the lily"?  Add some cocoa, chocolate chips and espresso powder to put it over the top.

Quick breads like this recipe are always welcome for the holidays or when you want something special - but not complicated or too demanding of your time and effort.  Like most quick breads this one is an easy recipe to make.  While this delicious bread bakes just sit down, relax and tour through your favorite collected old cookbooks or breeze through some interesting online recipe databases.  Works for me!

Celebrate Chocolate King Duvet

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday!

Design available in 3 color palettes:  additional bedding sizes, t-shirts, blankets, 

pillows, jewelry, stuffed animals, mugs, ornaments, 3 sizes of laptop sleeves, shower curtains

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Holiday Cake: Chocolate Chip Gingerbread

From Denny:  Would this make a beautiful holiday food gift or what?  Who doesn't like chocolate or gingerbread during the holiday season?  The winter white vanilla glaze gives a strong visual contrast for presentation.  We do eat with our eyes...

This beautiful cake would be great for those holiday gatherings to beautify the dessert table.  Come on; if you are able to slightly warm the servings, melting the chocolate chips, then one whiff of that gingerbread and chocolate and this cake will go fast!

Santa Jingle Picture Ornament

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle! This design also available in teapots, cocktail platters, serving trays, lots of bedding, area rugs, blankets, pajamas, pillows, clocks and so much more; come see!

Healthy Chef Recipe: Yam Chocolate Spice Bars

From Denny:  Here's an interesting twist for the holidays - chocolate chips in your yams!  This is a quick recipe utilizing a spice cake mix, canned sweet potatoes, chocolate chips, real butter and reduced-fat cream cheese to create a delectable but easy to make dessert!

This recipe comes from Holly Clegg who has been a celebrity in Louisiana from some time now.  Why?  She was on the cutting edge of the food trends to reduce calories in our favorite comfort foods while adding nutrition.

Holly's father suffers from arthritis and she has developed a book of recipes to help those with arthritis reduce inflammation through food choices (think watermelon and sweet potatoes).  Holly also has a book on diabetes recipes.  Her mind is always thinking of healthier ways to trim, substitute or re-think our favorite recipes for modern times and health needs.

Louisiana yams and sweet potatoes are quite popular in our state so the local chefs are constantly thinking of new ways to include these vitamin A and vitamin C packed veggies into our everyday diet.  Holly also suggests this recipe is a good way to use up leftover sweet potatoes.

Vintage Bicycle Cookie Jar

Vintage Bicycle, a curious blast from the past, to warmly decorate the present. This design also available in flour and sugar containers, and teapots, cocktail plates, platters, serving trays and bedding, pillows, shower curtain, clocks, area rugs and more!

Holiday Cookie: Chocolate Bon-Bon Drops

From Denny:  These are simple chocolate cookies that your kids could help you make.  You roll the dough into small balls before placing on the cookie sheet.  Little hands love to do fun projects like rolling cookie dough.  The trick is to keep them from stuffing the raw dough into their mouths! :)

These easy cookies are deep-chocolate rich, topped off with a very sweet vanilla glaze.  For the holidays you could top them with a Hershey's chocolate kiss or a bright red cherry or other holiday decoration to dress up the cookie tray.  Better yet, give them away as a holiday food gift and become the favorite friend and relative for life!

Included are reviews of bakers who tried this recipe.  Since I enjoy reading them I thought you might too.

Celebrate Dark Chocolate Queen Duvet

Holiday Recipe: Frozen Grasshopper Pie

From Denny:  This retro recipe is a blast from the past - with updates!  The decade of the 1950's sported the food trend of frozen desserts, especially for entertaining and the holidays.

Historically, it was in the 1950's when freezers were first mass manufactured as separate from refrigerators.  This new appliance trend created some serious creativity in the cooking arena with frozen desserts offered.

This Christmas holiday favorite has survived the test of time, in this decade with a couple of tweaks as options for ingredient substitutions - like frozen yogurt or reduced-fat ice cream for the original full fat ice cream in the filling.  Using canola oil reduces the saturated fat in the original crust that used butter - later in the 1960's and 1970's it was worse, using solid shortening like Crisco for the crust.

Basically, this is a type of frozen mint ice cream pie with a delicious chocolate cookie wafer or chocolate graham cracker crust.  It's a very easy recipe to make which also makes it a big hit.  This recipe is an easy one for beginners.

Celebrate Chocolate Queen Duvet

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday!

Holiday Cookie: Rocky Road Bars

From Denny:  Rocky road is a favorite flavor combination for everything from ice cream to fudge to cake to cookies.  If you like rocky road and shortbread then this bar cookie is for you!  This is a rich little cookie that is just perfect for the holidays or birthday celebrations.

The beauty of this cookie is that you can make ahead and store in the fridge or even freeze it.  A good recipe for taking to holiday gatherings but one you can make at your convenience when you have the time.  Included are some reviews of the recipe from home bakers.  I always like to see what other people think about a recipe and check out any fresh ideas for different twists of ingredients or presentation.  This King Arthur Flour recipe database has been fun to explore!

Calligraphy Bird Thank You Greeting Cards (10 pack)

Elegant calligraphy scroll design decorates this awesome card! Great for sending out those treasured personal snail mail notes people love to receive after the holiday season.

Decadent Chocolate Recipe: Chocolate Brownie Sundae

Photo: Cynthia L. Nobles/The Advocate newspaper, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

From Denny:  Love brownies and vanilla ice cream?  Enjoy this brownie that is so much like a chocolate souffle and serve it warm with melting ice cream, smothered in a homemade chocolate sauce.  There is a lot of chocolate in this recipe, so stock up before the world chocolate prices go up! This is a dessert that would appeal for entertaining during the holidays, making you their favorite relative! 

Merry Christmas Star Earring Circle Charm

Santa hat decks out Merry Christmas greeting on Christmas star

Fast Holiday Candy Recipe: Pecan-Raisin Clusters

Photo by Cynthia L. Nobles

From Denny:  Talk about a simple recipe that is fast to create!  Perfect for holiday entertaining this little gem of a recipe comes from Cynthia L. Nobles and it was featured in our local Louisiana newspaper a couple of months ago.  Of course, I quickly recognized it's worth as a recipe perfect for the holidays, whether it's gift-giving or entertaining the friends and relatives! :) 

Do you have a little leftover morning coffee?  This recipe uses up a few tablespoons of it so no need to throw it out after all.  I mean, really, when you can make a chocolate recipe with some leftover morning coffee who said being frugal couldn't be fun and tasty?...

Santa Music Round Compact Mirror

8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos: From Denny:  Check out the fun facts posted about Easter on my blogs from traditions, origins of the holiday, a photography post of awesome sunrises by many good photographers, a funny Easter Bunny Rap music video, recipes and Spring renewal Easter poems.

May you enjoy your renewal this Spring!

Funny Easter Bunny Abby the Bunny

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Prize Winner: Peppermint-Hot Chocolate Cake, Fudge Filling, Marshmallow Frosting

Note the cookies dressing up the holiday glam, garnishing the cake.

From Denny:  Love hot chocolate?  Thought of making it into a cake?  Britainy Shaw, 25, of Louisiana (before that she lived in Texas and before that in Montana) decided it was a brilliant idea.  She heard of Southern Living magazine's contest and decided to enter just for fun, taking third for this cake recipe.

She said her thoughts immediately went to her favorite Christmas flavors.  “For some reason, all I could think of were drinks.  I love hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in it.”

Her cake consists of three layers of buttermilk chocolate cake that is filled with a fudge-mint filling, frosted with peppermint-tinged marshmallow crème frosting.  

Shaw said the very first time she made the cake it came out perfect; what luck for an experiment!  “I’ve just always been watching my mom and grandma cook.  I would love to open a bakery one day.”  Her cake is featured on Pages 140-141 of the Southern Living December double issue.

Talk about funny; Shaw was sitting outside, reading a Southern Living magazine, when the company called to inform her that her cake had won.  She was awarded $500 for her first time effort.  That should pay for a few Christmas gifts this year. :)

Love Light Large Mug

Let your love light shine! Hot chocolate looks great in this mug... I'm just sayin'

Christmas Gift Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge

From Denny:  This is an easy unique way to cook fudge - in a slow cooker!  What fun, a super simple fast recipe!  It has our name all over it and think how you can make up many batches of this to give as hostess gifts at Christmas parties or other seasonal gift giving.

It's also a kid friendly recipe it's so easy to do.  You cook the fudge on High in the slow cooker for about 20 minutes total and then pour it out into a pan lined with waxed paper.  Place in fridge to cool and harden.

Angels Rejoice Snowflake Ornament

'Tis the season, let the angels Rejoice!

Easy Summer Dessert: Grilled Pound Cake, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Pineapple

From Denny:  This is too easy.  You can grill this entire dessert indoors on a grill pan.  All you do is grill the fresh pineapple until it caramelizes nicely and gets those all important status grill marks.

Brush both sides of the prepared pound cake with butter.  We use clarified butter at our house because it helps your heart by skimming off the artery clogging milk solids and the resulting clear golden oil can also can be used at a higher heat.

Grill the buttered pound cake.  Top with vanilla ice cream and top with your favorite yummy chocolate sauce.  Summer is so easy with winning easy recipes like this classic!

Fast and Easy Dessert: Pound Cake S'mores

Photo from Family Features

From Denny:  Want something fast and easy to serve for a family dessert or unexpected guests that drop by for a visit?  This is a simple one from Sara Lee.  It involves a prepared pound cake of your choice.

FYI, pound cake, even one made from scratch, freezes well so it's easy to have on hand for a last minute dessert.  When I make a pound cake I slice it when cooled and then freeze the slices separately so I'm ready to go for whatever portions are needed.

For the lovely melted gooeyness of the S'mores genre, add some miniature chocolate chips of your choice.  We like the dark 60 percent Ghiradelli chips at our house because it has less sugar and a far superior chocolate taste.

Then add some miniature marshmallows.  I'm not a marshmallow gourmet so you are on your own for a great brand on this one. :)

This recipe calls for chopped peanuts but you can substitute walnuts, pecans, almonds or macadamias to enjoy just as much.  Since we live in Louisiana we prefer the local fresh pecans found at the farmers' markets.  I'm of the opinion that for great taste pecans - or walnuts - and chocolate pair better than peanuts and chocolate.  And you don't have to be concerned about who might have peanut allergies so everyone can enjoy this easy dessert!

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pie

From Denny:  Exploring travel sites sometimes yields some delicious recipes!  This hefty pie enjoys three pounds of ricotta cheese.  A slice of this could be an entire meal considering the protein level.

The pie includes cooked barley which gives it a nutty flavor.  Barley is also great for calming the nervous system since it is chock full of B vitamins.  FYI :)

The whole process is like making a cheesecake because of the spring form pan.  You also lower the baking temperature a couple of times to gently lower the cooling off temperature gradually and prevent the ricotta from drying out.

What's even better is that this is a recipe meant for sitting in the fridge overnight or for a day before serving.  So, it's the perfect make ahead dessert like for a holiday or special occasion.

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos

Isenheim Altarpiece: The Resurrection by Matthias Grünewald, completed 1515 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos: From Denny:  When you blog for a few years you start amassing some interesting posts on a theme.

Check out the fun facts posted about Easter on my blogs from traditions, origins of the holiday, a photography post of awesome sunrises by many good photographers, a funny Easter Bunny Rap music video, recipes and Spring renewal Easter poems.

May you enjoy your renewal this Spring!

Chef Cookies: Cinnnamon-Espresso Chocolate Chip Vegan Style

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies (Photo credit: MomPOM/Jenn)

From Denny:  Raise your hand if you love the combination of coffee, chocolate and cinnamon.  Yeah, I thought so; me too.   This easy recipe is from Chef Chloe Coscarelli, a winner of the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."

Cookies: Almond Nuggets with Chocolate Drizzle

From Denny:  Chocolate and almonds are the ideal combination for a cookie.  This is basically a sugar cookie with sliced almonds that makes for a stiff dough.

It is a simple exercise of dropping the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet - so that makes it easy even for beginner bakers.  The chocolate comes in when you ice the cookie with bittersweet chocolate that has been melted together with real butter and almond extract.

What's amusing is how the recipe creator actually thinks these mere 24 cookies will last long enough to make it into a covered container.  Bring your friends! :)

Beautiful and Easy: Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie

From Denny:  I love searching through the recipe databases of various companies promoting their food products.  You never know what gems you will find to inspire you to try something new or tweak a family favorite.

The recipe database at Spice Islands is a real treasure trove of goodies - and I've only started on the dessert section!  Color me into the Well Impressed Corner. :)

Valentines Day Cookies: Reverse Chocolate Chip

From Denny:  In the mood for a chocolate batter cookie with white chocolate chips?  This version also sports an unusual ingredient:  the heady spice coriander.  Add in the exotic flavorful macadamia nuts and this cookie is a huge hit.  You can always substitute your favorite nut like almonds or walnuts.


When I found this recipe on the ABC Recipe site, they referenced it to "Stew Leonard's."  Of course, I asked the obvious question, "Who is that?"

I live in south Louisiana so had never heard of the Connecticut grocery store chain.  So, I googled them and found a wonderful site worth the visit.  They started out as a dairy farm in Norwalk, Connecticut and branched out from there over the decades into a full blown grocery chain.  Check out this wonderful chocolate recipe.