Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake: From Denny:  This is the perfect holiday table dessert!  It's so showy it's sure to impress.  Three layers of tasty goodness are the gingersnap cookie crust as it's sturdy foundation to hold the spiced pumpkin cheese layer that is marbled with a vanilla layer.

Like most big cheesecakes, this one should be baked in a springform pan, where the cake cools in the pan for several hours before you remove the sides of the pan.  If you have never used a springform pan, it's so easy it will make you laugh, definitely nothing to be intimidated about at all.

Like any tasty cheesecake, this one is rich in calories too, so a small serving would be welcomed by most.  At a dinner party I like to cut a normal to small sized slice, placing it on one plate and then encourage couples to share so people don't have to feel guilty about busting their diet plan.  After all, the whole point of entertaining is for people to enjoy their tasty treats!...

Geaux Wear Pink! Apron

Help support women on their journey to wellness and hope for a cure!

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

Also, please remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, keeping these women in your thoughts and prayers.  Here's my latest Denny Lyon Gifts design (at Cafe Press) to honor all the fabulous women and their supporters fighting this disease.

This design first started off as one of my photos of those favorite hot pink azalea blooms, in addition to many other filters, employing a kaleidoscope filter to create this abstract medallion effect. This design reminds me of how our beauty is always there, no matter what form it takes.  Of course, here in Louisiana, we take creative "French" license with English spellings. :)  The thought bubble is to remind others to support these women on their journey to wellness.  Lots of other styles of t-shirts and other products to enjoy too.  The link takes you to the page of all the products featuring this design.  Thanks for visiting!

Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?

Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?:
From Denny:  Roasted my Thanksgiving turkey a day early.  Sure beats stressing on the Big Day.  Also, my husband, affectionately known as "Satan" misses out on trying to micro-manage the cooking, driving me absolutely crazy.  He never did learn to cook but thinks he knows how to tell you all about how to do it anyway.  Getting the Big Bird done a day early is a win-win for everyone as he was less stressed just as much as me!

Though he did try only twice this season to be ever so irritating:  once, when taste testing the fabulous gravy he made The Yuck! Face but could not keep his composure for long, laughed, and then raved about it as one of the best yet.  Later he decided he just had to tell me how to cut the French bread for sandwiches his way rather than the normal slices I was doing for hot garlic bread, his favorite.  Since I'm basically The Spatial Engineer in this house (just ask me to pack a car for travel and I am The Expert on finding every nook and cranny to fill) I explained to him how his way made no sense but cut a few slices for him anyway.  He was so disappointed to realize I was right after all.  "Satan" lost that round.  Never a dull moment at our house, that's for sure!

Hey, we should all be challenging the White House chef to a Roast Turkey Cook Off.  Bet mine is one of  The Best!  We love spices at our house and every year I create something different.  This year's wet rub spices were swimming in clarified butter:  sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smokey paprika, cumin, curry powder, marjoram leaves, lite sodium soy sauce, Moscato wine and Remy Martin cognac...

Santa Jingle Kid's All Over Print T-Shirt

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

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Romancing The Chocolate: Christmas Gift Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge

Romancing The Chocolate: 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.

Santa Rejoices Music Round Ornament

Santa loves the music of the season!

Dennys Food and Recipes: Chef Recipe: Simple Tasty Coleslaw For Your BBQ

Dennys Food and Recipes: Chef Recipe: Simple Tasty Coleslaw For Your BBQ: From Denny:  Looking for a new coleslaw recipe to impress the family and friends at your next barbecue?  This one is tasty as it includes both red and green cabbage which play off each other well both for color and taste.  The red cabbage is not as bitter as the green.  Carrots, red and yellow bell peppers help to sweeten the cabbage along with the mayonnaise.  The 1/4 cup sugar used looks like a lot but not in relationship to the 16 cups of cabbage.

Spices?  Lots of fresh herbs like Italian flat parsley, thyme, cilantro and basil.  Dry spices added are small amounts of cayenne pepper and cumin.  If you want to kick it up another notch to the salad dressing you could add some garlic powder and smokey paprika to your taste.

Louisiana Seafood Apron

Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

* * *  Check out more fun products and please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -   - see what's new!

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Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart

Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart: From Denny: This easy tart combines two of my favorite flavors - chocolate and pecans. Louisiana Bergeron pecans are wonderful if you can get them where you live. If not, just look for the freshest ones, even asking your grocer when a new shipment is due.

Pecans exude such a wonderful aroma when roasting in the oven that is hard to resist. Make sure you slightly warm the dessert when you serve it for the holidays. That's how we like it at our house! :)

Romancing The Chocolate: Decadent Chocolate Cake

Romancing The Chocolate: Decadent Chocolate Cake: This chocolate cake uses high end chocolate, just perfect for the discriminating tastes for the holidays.

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Bourbon Cornish Hens, Mushroom Stuffing

Image via Wikipedia

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Bourbon Cornish Hens, Mushroom Stuffing: Here, in the South, bourbon is part of the holiday festivities. Why not try using it for the hens?

Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy and Simple: How To Make The Best Key Lime Pie

Flounder's Key Lime Pie, in Pensacola, Florida, a stacked key lime pie

Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy and Simple: How To Make The Best Key Lime Pie: "From Denny: Making your own key lime pie is so simple - and rewarding! It's definitely one of my favorite desserts, especially in the heat of the summer. The tartness really cools you off. FYI, any tart food cools down your liver, which, in turn, cools off your body in hot weather. So, think apples, limes, grapefruit and blackberries if you want to cool off the healthy way.

Florida is known for their key lime pie and there are fans of it all over the country now. The real secret to making this simple and easy famous pie is to purchase real key limes for the recipe. Key limes are very small, very tart and thin-skinned. When ripe they turn from green to yellow.

Most limes in our American grocery stores are those large beautiful, neon green and thicker-skinned Persian limes. Persian limes are also much less tart so they don't deliver that full flavor to the pie cooks, and tasters alike, desire.

How simple is this pie recipe? Really simple: 100 percent key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and a good graham cracker crust with a little melted butter, brown sugar and chopped nuts. At our house we make the chocolate graham cracker crust while others choose to use traditional pastry crust. It's your preference."

L. A. Westside Tavern Restaurant: Warm Toffee Cake

Check out how a Los Angeles restaurant has updated the dessert comfort food for a heavenly taste experience.

From Denny:  This rich amazing dessert is a favorite with diners at the Westside Tavern in West Los Angeles, California, located inside the Westside Pavilion. At 534 calories, this is a diet buster but well worth the indulgence! Warm toffee cake is a dessert comfort food from decades past - and still popular today.  A little scoop on the side of whipped mascarpone cream, cream or ice cream makes for a  heavenly taste experience.

Check out the Westside Tavern

Their concept description: An expansive, social and urban-minded restaurant, Westside Tavern features chef-driven yet affordable interpretations of California Tavern Cuisine alongside a complementary selection of fresh cocktails, craftsman beers and thoughtful wines. Encompassing 10,400 square feet and 300 seats, Westside Tavern is open for dinner daily and is designed to be used as a casually upscale gathering place by a broad cross section of Los Angeles professionals.




Warm Sticky Toffee Cake

From: Westside Tavern, West Los Angeles, California (inside the Westside Pavilion)

Total time: About 2 hours

Servings: 6 to 12



Warm Sticky Toffee Cake

Ingredients:


English toffee sauce

Ingredients:

1 1-2 cups heavy cream

3-4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1 1-2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon) butter, cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1 1-2 cups dark brown sugar

3-4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the cream, butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking frequently. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat. Blend the mixture using an immersion blender until thickened and emulsified. Alternatively, the mixture can be blended in batches using a standard blender (be careful as the mixture is very hot). This makes 4 cups sauce.



Toffee Cake and Assembly

2 tablespoons (1-4 stick) butter, plus extra for buttering the ramekins

Sugar for dusting the ramekins

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

3/4 cup plus 2 1-2 teaspoons (3.4 ounces) flour

Pinch salt

3/8 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plus 1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup coarsely chopped dates

Hot prepared toffee sauce

Whipped mascarpone cream, cream or ice cream

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6 (6-ounce) ramekins with butter, and dust with sugar. In a saucepan, whisk the baking soda into the boiling water.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fully incorporated.

4. To the butter mixture, add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Over low speed, slowly and gently add the dry ingredients, scraping the bowl to make sure the batter is fully mixed.

6. Over low speed, slowly stream the hot water into the batter. Add the dates and continue mixing over low speed until the batter thickens. This makes about 2 cups batter.

7. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Bake until the cakes are a dark, caramel color, about 45 minutes.

8. Remove the ramekins and cool the cakes for 5 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot toffee sauce onto the cakes until they seem saturated (extra sauce will pool at the bottom, this can be gathered for additional glazing and serving), then glaze the cakes a second time with the sauce.

9. Set the cakes aside for about 30 minutes to set up and cool. The cakes can be made a few hours in advance and held on a baking sheet, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature.

10. To serve, cover each cake with one-fourth cup warm toffee sauce. Serve with a generous quenelle or dollop of mascarpone cream or whipped cream, or scoop of ice cream.


Each serving: 534 calories; 2 grams protein; 73 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 102 mg cholesterol; 63 grams sugar; 115 mg sodium.




*** Photo by Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times



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Dennys Food and Recipes - all kinds of food
Comfort Food From Louisiana - Cajun and more comfort food
Romancing The Chocolate - chocolate recipes and more food
The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd - more crazy humor
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Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 17 Nov 2010

Check out news, opinion, silly political humor and funny cartoons, jokes, recipes, poetry, photography, science, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.

From Denny:   The year just marches on, doesn't it?  This is a roundup of the past three weeks of various posts.  Oh, how I wish I had the time to write more science posts as I do enjoy being curious about my world.  If it were not for the tense political times requiring constant attention I'd be off writing about art, science, poetry, lots of food,  photography and total humor.

With all the tough economic times it seems like we all have to stay on top of our politicians to get the very best from them.  These days with so much in flux economically, politically, rogue countries struggling to become nuclear states and the last gasps of terrorist organizations still rearing their ugly little heads, I'm focused on writing mostly news.  Like you, I long for a time when Life is easier and a lot more enjoyable.  Those times will come again.  Try to be patient.  And while you are being patient, keep your foot in the backs of your politicians, making them crystal clear aware of what you voted for is what you expect to be delivered.  Game on! :)

The Social Poets:

House Democrats Reshuffle, Rangel Found Guilty - Find out the latest of who is heading up the Democratic leadership to battle the Republicans for the next two years.

Rising Rage Over Airport Scanners and Pat Downs - Dont Touch My Junk Video and how airport scanners pose a serious public health risk to millions.

American and World Politics Humor - 13 Nov 2010 - Midterm election shellacking, President Bush, G-20 summit, new orange House Speaker and crazy Tea Party cartoons and a cute dancing political cat.

Friday Lite: Latest Late Nite Jokes and Videos - 12 Nov 2010 - Latest jokes about the midterm election shellacking, funny videos, a Cee Lo Green music video from Colbert.

The Heart Remembers: Veterans Day poem Libations Friday On A Thursday - 11 Nov 2010 - Honoring the life of others as well as our own.

Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss Talks About Midterm Shellacking - Check out the interesting stories from history of how other Presidents responded when handed their heads by the voters in a midterm election.

Late Nite Jokes and Funny Videos - 2 Nov 2010 - Comics have fun lampooning the campaign process. Get Dennys Predictions for what happens next into the 2010 election.

Women, And Their Civil Rights, Abused By Tea Party Activists - A conservative Tea Party Rand Paul supporter attacks a MoveOn protester by stomping on her head. What the Democratic Party needs to do to get back the female vote.

American Midterms and World Politics Cartoons - 30 Oct 2010 - Negative campaign ads were never so much fun to lampoon as cartoonists are enjoying this political season.

Jon Stewart Interviews Obama Economic Advisor - Check out the latest from the Obama economic advisor about the state of the American economy.

Americans Lose Jobs Twice As Fast As Immigrants Gain Jobs - In the 2009 jobs report, immigrants gained 656,000 jobs while native-born Americans lost 1.2 million.

Prez Obama Interviews At The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Check out the class act of the President talking with Jon Stewart.

Why Women Are Not Inspired to Vote Right Now - Find out what is bothering women voters about this midterm election season.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 25 Oct 2010 - Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, science, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.

American and World Economy Cartoons - 24 Oct 2010 - Check out the national mind and opinions of our economy through the eyes of cartoonists.

American Political Season - 23 Oct 2010 - This sure is a mean - and more competitive than usual - political season.

Friday Lite: Funny Elvira Spoofs I Am Not A Witch Ad - Where Halloween humor meets political humor in America.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 21 Oct 2010

Roundup of Late Nite Jokes and Videos - 18 Oct 2010 - Check out this week's late night jokes, latest cartoons, funniest video clips from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

American Economy and Crazy World Politics - 16 Oct 2010 - To our politicians: the nation's cartoonists are watching you... Check out their latest opinions about the state of the economy, the current election season and world politics.

Chilean Miners Video: All 33 Miners As They Emerged From Mine and More - Listen to rescued miner Mario talk about getting out more Love in the world.

Monday Lite: Roundup of Late Night Jokes and Videos - 11 Oct 2010

American Economy and Crazy Politics - 9 Oct 2010 - Check out this week's latest political humor from the nation's cartoonists. The Tea Party wins hands down on the most talked about this election season.

Poem From God - Libations Friday 8 Oct 2010 - Even God has a sense of humor about how to handle repeated rejection. Take a look.

Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

A Poem Of Remembrance - Honoring the life of others as well as our own. A love poem for Veterans Day, a memorial poem.

Numerology: Whats So Unusual About The Date 10-10-2010? - Check out some fun facts about the numberology of special dates and the month of October.

How Do You Fit Into The Universe? - A simple spiritual technique to help train the ego effortlessly.

Inspiring Quotes About Dealing With Rejection - Some great advice from famous people about handling rejection.

11 Inspiring Quotes and Poem About Dealing With Rejection - Check out this mind food when you need to pick yourself back up from rejection.

17 Short Beautiful Love Poems - Enjoy some beautiful short poems about our favorite subject: Love - from classic poets of the past as well as today. Many are perfect for use in a greeting card.

What Do You Feel About Love? - Do you have your own personal definition of Love?

Meditative Moon Photos - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers.

7 Thoughtful Quotes About The Future - Enjoy these reflections upon how we think about our future.

A Healing Spiritual Poem: Waking The Day - Spiritual symbolism is all around us in our daily life, ready to help heal and balance.

Ancient Healing Oil: Sandalwood - Modern technology life can be stressful and counter productive to spiritual growth. Try this essential oil to bring balance into your life.

Dennys Funny Quotes:

Life Is Funny Cartoons - 13 Nov 2010 - Enjoy the cracked minds of these cartoonists today as they explore the lives and thoughts of everyone around them.

Funny Video: Colbert Mocks Bush Memoir Decision Points - Colbert enjoys the presidential memoir - a real page-turner.

Funny Video: Potty Training Your Sloth - Check out real life humor of how to potty train a very slow sloth.

Video: 10 Funniest and Seriously Trippy Cereal Ads - Check out some funny demented cereal ads over the decades - and how your mind has been secretly brainwashed to buy their products as adults.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Mocks Really Negative Campaign Ads - Lots of voter anger aimed at both political parties, especially from these negative campaign ads choking the air waves every election.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart - How Republicans Prepare to Take Back Power - Stewart supporters oppose Republican takeover of our government.

Funny God Versus Satan Joke: Its All In The Creation - Come get a grin as God and Satan duke it out over who helps or hurts humanity.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 25 Oct 2010

Funny Work Cartoons - 25 Oct 2010 - When your life does not seem to be quite all together - get a grin to make your day good again.

Funny Video: Scientists Study Drugged Spiders - Check out the crazy antics of these drugged spiders.

Funny Photos: Voraciously Hungry Birds - Check out some startling photos of birds as they catch some unusual finds for their dinner tables - complete with irreverent commentary.

Visual Insights:

Music Video: Cee Lo Green Performs On Colbert Report - Colbert has some fun with popular musician Cee Lo Greene.

Best Of Funny Halloween Cartoons - 26 Oct 2010 - Get a laugh at the cracked minds of some funny cartoonists this Halloween season.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 25 Oct 2010

Art and Music Videos: Chinese Painting Demo and The Misty Rain of Jiangnan in China - This music video is great for meditation.

Music Video: From Enya - The First of Autumn - Enya pairs some beautiful autumnal photos with music.

Music Video: Classic Happy Song from Belle Stars - Iko Iko - This catchy song will have you dancing in no time, looking silly to the neighborhood - and you won't care 'cause you will feel so good.

The Soul Calendar:

Is That A UFO In The Sky Or A Planet? - Check out the unusual night sky this month.

How Northern Lights Are Created By Sun Flares - Check out 3 video clips of the solar flares and magnetic filament in action as they create the Northern Lights on Earth.

Giant Asteroid Threatens Earth In 170 Years - Crank up the planet asteroid defense system because Earth is expecting an asteroid impact soon - by astronomical time.

Funny Tech Cartoons - 22 Oct 2010 - Get a grin as cartoonists entertain us with their take on the technology of the day and the influence upon society.

Rare: Super Harvest Moon Occurs On Fall Solstice - Check out rare summer-autumn twilight glow that only happens about every 20 years.

Mapping Our Complex Brains: Human Connectome Project - Fascinating new project mapping the complex circuitry of our brains.

Dennys Food and Recipes:

Easy Holiday Pasta From Chef Michael Chiarello - Check out some easy holiday ideas using pasta to make a spectacular and tasty meal sure to impress everyone - 3 recipes.

Fall Comfort Food NYC Chef Style: Braised Osso Buco, Risotto, Salad - Check out how to make Italian comfort food in an hour, all done in the oven - 3 recipes.

Healthy Recipes: Chef Menu Goes Vegan, 3 Recipes - Check out some healthy vegan substitutes from funny chef author of Skinny Bitch Cookbook.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Poems From A Spiritual Heart:

A Man In Love - A true story of just how far a man will go to survive when he is in love during war time - a poem story about the struggle for love reunited. A Thanksgiving holiday poem.

The Heart Remembers - Honoring the life of others as well as our own. A Veterans Day or Remembrance memorial poem.

Loving You - How Love heals, nurtures, comforts, and builds trust so a person can blossom into great strength, and, in turn, give to others in their time of need.

The Understanding - We build Peace in our lives a moment at a time - and this is a poem story of how it can start early in childhood as it did for me.

Walk The World - A poem about sharing our life with others - when we are both in need - to receive the greatest gift.

The Mystics Arrive - Who are the true mystics in this generation? How does a person develop into a mystic?

The Interesting Man - Enjoy a little humor with your romance poetry. Men who love women are always working all the angles.

Honoring Ourselves - Are you honoring yourself every moment of your life?

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor