Chai Tea

This delectable drink will have you begging for more cool evenings.

Photography and kitchen assistance by Lauren Farello

The Good: Finally! A positive to those frigid winter nights and this recipe makes plenty to share.
The Bad: There are so many spices in this recipe and some of them are not very common.
The Ugly: Cardmom runs approximately $10-$13 dollars per small container!

Suggestions before starting:
The measurements do not need to be overly precise.  If there is a particular ingredient you like a lot, you can add a little bit more.  This recipe is not rocket science and can be altered to your liking easily.
This recipe makes for a great gift!

Pumpkin Dutch Apple Pie

A common holiday favorite with a not-so-common twist!

The Good: If you are tired of the same old pumpkin pie, this is a delicious twist that is easy and quick to prepare.
The Bad: Although it is quick to prepare, this is not good for time constraints because it has to bake for 50 minutes.
The Ugly:  Typical pumpkin pies will turn green with envy when this is the new holiday favorite!

Suggestions before starting:
Be careful not to cut the apples too early in advance because they will begin to brown up.  If it is necessary, cover with the lemon juice the recipe calls for to keep from browning.
Set ingredients from the fridge on the counter before starting the recipe so they will be approximately room temperature when you make the recipe.  This will help the ingredients mix more easily.
If you are like me, you do not like nuts in your pies. Do not worry, just leave them out!  This is true for most pie recipes (with the exception of pecan pie).

Potato Casserole- Family Favorite

Another devine family favorite

A dish that is craved at all family gatherings and is always the first to run out

This is an 8x8, the recipe makes 9x13

The Good:  This recipe is simple, delicious and great for children wanting to help in the kitchen.  It is another recipe you can make ahead of time and freeze if needed.
The Bad: You shouldn't eat it the second it comes out of the oven... it will burn you.
The Ugly: I'm serious, let it cool down first or it will burn you!

Suggestions before starting:
My mother always leaves the butter out of the mixture but puts butter with extra corn flakes to spread on top.
Don't forget to buy cornflakes and account for the butter in the topping.
An interesting twist, make with french fried onions on top instead of the cornflakes.
My sister has used the frozen hashbrowns with peppers and veggies already in it and it was incredible!

Recipe # 1 - Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

If you like delicious... this is your dish. Dave and I made these for a Halloween party.  We could barely get them to the party without drooling on them ourselves.  The people brave enough to try them said, "These are better than pumpkin pie!"

The Good: The recipe is easy to make, delicious, festive and definitely unique.
The Bad: The recipe takes a lot of preparation time. It is difficult to pour the water into the roasting pan without it spilling into the pumpkins.
The Ugly: If you don't already have all of the spices it can become a bit costly to make this recipe.