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DeeDee
 
Home Town: Marshall, Minnesota, USA
Member Since: Sep. 2009
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Slow Cooking, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Dessert, Quick & Easy
Hobbies: Camping, Walking, Music
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About this Cook
I'm a dental assistant of almost 16 years now. I love to play pc games and have a lot of fun in Second Life. If you like to socialize, look me up (www.secondlife.com), my name is DeeV8.
My favorite things to cook
I love to bake yummy deserts...even though I don't need them. They are comforting for me and I must do fairly well because my coworkers always compliment me. Allrecipes has just made it that much easier for me and I rely a lot on the reviews so I don't make mistakes.
My favorite family cooking traditions
I eat when I'm hungry, no specific time, I listen to my body. I like to use as many organic and natural ingredients as I can, but I wouldn't say I'm a fanatic about it. I try not to eat out often and cook at home as much as possible. Costco is my friend!
My cooking triumphs
One year I made the most perfect turkey with two different kinds of stuffing (family preferences)plus all the fixings and desert and it all turned out perfect and was perfectly timed! This was the first time I cooked for the whole family and I was only 20 something at the time! I was very proud of myself.
My cooking tragedies
I seem to burn myself all the time....hate that. I can't say I've totally screwed anything up since I was 6 years old. The first few attempts at making no-bake cookies, I boiled the oatmeal, well actually all the ingredients, instead of making the sauce then adding to the rest. A simple fix was to put the steps and ingredients listed on one half of the card, keeping them separated so I remembered. heh
Recipe Reviews 3 reviews
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Fresh Pear Cake
I read ALL the reviews before making and took a few things into account. I'm not known for being an excellent baker or cook but for the first time in my life, I received RAVE reviews from friends and coworkers on this! First, as for the spices, if you generally like spice cake, leave the amount of spices alone as it's perfect! I used 2 whole eggs and it was just fine. I also used half unbleached white flour and half wheat flour. I used half organic sugar and half brown sugar. I love vanilla so I added 1 tsp. Please DO let the sugar and pears sit for one hour as it lets them “sugar” and soften, especially if you are using slightly unripe pears. I've made this with both ripe and harder pears and both turned out great. As for preparing the pears, it was awkward cutting them as I have never done it before. I did not skin them, I just cut out the core. I found this easiest by first cutting the top part including the stem off, slice in half lengthwise, cut the bottom “flower” end out of each half, then cut both halves in half again. You now have 4 pieces, each with a part of the core. Simply run the knife down the spine starting at the smaller end working to the larger end. The core cuts out very quick and easy this way. I used a bunt pan and buttered and sugared it instead of flour, came out nicely with a slightly hardened sweet outside. Perfect!

4 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Oct. 10, 2009
Allspice Cream Cheese Frosting
Wonderful and easy frosting! Yes, one 8 oz. package of cream cheese. I didn't have allspice so I used some pupmpkin pie spice I had. Allspice is a mixture of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg so I think you could add a little of each depending on your taste also. I didn't have any powdered sugar on hand either so I just took regular sugar and placed in my Vitamix, added 1 T. of corn starch and blended into powder. It turned out perfect! I used only 3 cups of the sugar and it was just right. I also did not need to use any milk. When chilled, it does harden, just take out a few minutes before you want to use it and whip it with a fork and it will be spreadable again. I keep it in a bowl in the fridge rather than frosting a whole cake or loaf...that way everyone can add as much as they like. I'll be making this again to use with many other deserts!

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Oct. 10, 2009
Fruit Leather
If you do not have a Vitamix...I HIGHLY suggest it as it is perfect for this, as well as many other recipes. I did not have to peel or core the apples, just remove the stem. This way you have much less prep time and you get even more nutrition with all the skins, core, and seeds. No you do not notice or taste any difference because they process well. This recipe did make a very full blender of mixture. I suggest possibly cutting it in half. You could also use this mix as just applesauce as well. Find the biggest cookie sheet you can fit on a single rack as using 2 racks doesn't work well. It did take over 8 hours to get it to a peelable consistency. Try to spread it as thin as possible without getting bare spots. I think that should cut down on the dry time also. I do believe the recipe meant to use waxed paper, not plastic. Another tip, do not let the leather cool before removing from the paper or it will be very hard to peel. I tore the leather into strips then rolled it up in plastic wrap to keep it from sticking to itself and to keep it fresh and from drying out. The flavor was wonderful! I did use organic Blue Agave in place of sugar. It's a gluten free, low glycemic organic sweetener I found at Costco. I gave it 4 stars due to the trial and error with the paper and the correct pour thickness but with practice, you'll have it down in no time!

2 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Oct. 10, 2009
 
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