This recipe produces some amazing hot wings! The only real change I made was in how I cooked the wings. I'm not a fan of the smell that deep frying makes (or the fact that it tends to linger for DAYS), so I used this technique to ensure the skin got just as crispy, with the meat just as tender and moist: If you've seen Good Eats, Alton Brown does a show on wings, where he explains how to "oven fry" the wings. The night before, you take a 6 to 8 qt pot, and one steamer basket per 10 wings (I usually make about 40 at a time... They go fast, so I have 4 steamer baskets). Stack the baskets one on top of the other, and arrange your wings, 10 on each teir. Add 1 inch of water to the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, then add the wings, and steam them for 10 minutes. Remove the wings and pat them COMPLETELY dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next night, dip each of the wings in buttermilk to dampen them slightly, and follow the recipe, baking at 425 for about 20 mins on each side, or until your wings are cooked through and are a beautiful crispy golden brown. Enjoy! :)

The biggest perk to these stuffed mushrooms were how simple and quick the stuffing was, and how great the end result tasted! I used the 12 biggest baby portobellos I could find, and almost managed to use all of the stuffing. Gary's gotta have HUGE mushrooms, lol. The only major adjustments I made was that I cut WAY back on the butter, and only used one stick, and I used light cream cheese. To make sure that the 'shrooms didn't dry out while cooking, I drizzled a little EV olive oil on them before and after stuffing them. They came out perfect, and a whole lot lighter than the original 2 cups of butter would have been. I would have liked to use real crab, but sadly, here in Denver, even cheap-o, gross canned crab is pricey. :( But even with the imitation crab, these mushrooms were fabulous.

I've been looking for an amazing recipe for fried pickles, and this is definitely one of my top picks. When I made this recipe, I did a couple minor adjustments. First, I omitted the corn meal and combined the wet and dry ingredients to make a batter, rather than dredging the pickles in the flour, for a more even coating. Second, I used pickle spears, because pickle slices tend to get incredibly greasy. If you are going to do a batter, make sure to roll the pickles in a paper towel first to dry them off, to make sure the batter sticks. Also, depending on the moisture in the air, you may want to add additional milk to thin out the batter slightly, so you don't end up with a really thick, rubbery crust. Other than those two changes, I followed the recipe, and the results were out of this world!

This wasn't a bad meatloaf recipe in and of itself, but the glaze just was not my cup of tea. The corn syrup gave the glaze an almost gummy texture, and the sweetness just overpowered the savory flavors of the meat loaf. Also, while the loaf was seasoned pretty well, the crackers would need to be crushed to a virtual powder, as we had several mushy spots that pretty much ruined the texture of the loaf. I would recommend using 1/2 cup of plain ground quick oats (oatmeal, in other words, make sure they're the plain kind, not flavored), as they work just as well as a binder for the loaf, you don't end up with a salt overload, and the oats don't lump together to cause mushy bits. Overall, a solid recipe that, for me, required some tweaking. I also added some freshly ground pepper and would recommend adding a pinch of sea salt if you don't use the saltines as a binder.

This is a solid recipe that says it all in the name - BASIC crepes. It's not original or overly exciting, but it is a perfect starting point. For some zest in the crepe itself, you can add almond or lemon extract, or cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or allspice for a sweeter crepe, or a good, hard cheese like Parmesan, or hot sauce, or any number of spices for a savory crepe. When I want crepes, this is my starting point, and from there, the only limit is my imagination.

I wasn't crazy about this one, but it wasn't awful either. In my opinion, the whole thing was way too sweet, which is something I rarely say. To balance out the tooth achingly sweet taste, I added 1/2 of ricotta cheese to the filling, and added some extra lemon juice and zest to really cut through and make a cleaner flavor. Overall, a good recipe for those wanting cavities, but it was simply too sweet for my taste.

I was actually quite impressed with this pie, it's really very tasty. It's fairly reminiscent of a pumpkin pie, so this is a great alternative to an actual pumpkin pie for those who are allergic. My only recommendation is the same as my recommendation with my fave pumpkin pie recipe - double the spices and add in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of allspice, and enjoy.

Ah, the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water, and I get all sentimental, remembering past Thanksgivings with family and friends, making these wonderful pies. The only tweak I would make to this recipe to step it up from good to amazing and life changing ((not really, but it makes for a darned good pie)), is to double all the spices and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of allspice. You get a fantastically spiced pie, and suddenly people will be requesting your pie over anyone elses!

I've made this particular recipe twice, and both times received rave reviews. It's the first pie to get eaten, and everyone usually wants seconds ((The second time I made this, I made 2 to cover all the "seconds")) It's a delightfully classic pecan pie, and the only reason it didn't get 5 stars is there just wasn't anything in the recipe to make it stand out against the hundreds of other pecan pie recipes out there. That being said, this gets a solid four, bordering on five stars, and is an excellent recipe for both pie veterans and pie beginners alike. I recommend adding 1/8-1/4 t of almond extract into the crust, as it really does give an extra depth of flavor your guests will absolutely love.