I've been a Wisconsinite most of my life (am originally from Minnesota) and while I don't proclaim to be a Beer Cheese Soup expert I do know what I like and I do know what tastes good. And this is some good soup! Given some of the reviews I had extra flour on hand in case it was too thin, and Velveeta in case it wasn't creamy enough. This needed neither. I wasn't crazy about the cooking method which I believe wasn't as good as it could have been. I didn't like the idea of boiling the vegetables rather than sweating them, and two different mixtures, a "beer mixture" and a "cheese mixture" was totally unnecessary. I sweated the vegetables in the butter for about 10 minutes, added the flour, then cooked that another couple of minutes. Stirred the half and half in gradually, added the beer, chicken broth, mustards and Worcestershire sauce, brought it to a boil and simmered for about 10 minutes, stirring fairly constantly, until creamy and thickened. I removed it from the heat, then stirred in the cheese a little at a time until combined. I garnished each serving with crisp, crumbled bacon which only gave it an extra flavor punch (I swear bacon makes EVERYTHING taste better!). This is creamy, silky smooth, not too cheesy but cheesy enough, and very pleasantly flavored. Sometimes cheese soups (especially in restaurants) can be gloppy and pasty but this was refreshingly light by comparison. So while the cooking method needed work this still is a solid four star recipe.

The four star rating is only because this is boldly orange flavored, a bit too much for my liking. For those that might appeal to, then this is definitely a five star cake. Given the ratio of sugar, butter and flour, I doubled the number of eggs which resulted in an incredibly moist cake. Obviously the orange syrup, which soaked into the cake, played a big part in that as well! I thought dried cherries would be a nice complement so I used those instead of the raisins. While the walnuts and raisins (or in my case cherries) are certainly a good fit for this cake, this is one occasion, probably because this cake is SO full of flavor, that I'd prefer this cake without either. Were I to make this again I would also cut the amount of orange zest in half for a more subtle orange flavor. I made this in mini Bundtlette cake pans for individual cakes.

Since sizes and amounts of vegetables will vary, the submitter and her recipe cannot be faulted for "too much lemon" or "too much spice" since it's impossible to make the measurements a "one size fits all." That said, I grabbed what was in my fridge, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, baby eggplant, bell peppers, sweet onion and mushrooms, and used the directed seasonings to taste. While the seasonings were quite tasty and a good mix, I did not care for the texture of the roasted vegetables, and I only had them in the oven 35 minutes. I think tender vegetables like this require far less cooking time. While some might call the texture creamy, I would call it mushy. Either I just don't care for roasted vegetables or the cooking time is way off.

Since microwave ovens vary in wattage, the directed cooking time is not necessarily accurate. Saving a few minutes by not having to put a kettle of water on the stove was not worth the guesswork of knowing when the corn was done. I didn't find this method any easier and, frankly, I still prefer cooking the corn for a few minutes in boiling water with a little sugar added.

Unfortunately the strawberry flavor was not really as apparent as I had expected. This definitely is more a banana muffin. A very good, very flavorful banana muffin. I followed the recipe as written only omitting the nutmeg as I'm not a fan. The subtle hint of cinnamon rounded out the flavors and the vegetable oil guaranteed moistness. The chopped walnuts provided interest, texture and crunch. I baked this recipe as muffins, 375 degrees, about 18-20 minutes. When cooled I drizzled then with chocolate ganache I had leftover and I'm telling you, it was decadent and wonderful - just perfect for these perfect muffins.

Just average as written, but a good start to make it your own. Novice cooks will appreciate cooking instructions for the eggs and potatoes, although even that is done differently from cook to cook. I didn't care for the idea of mincing the celery or mashing the eggs - it seemed to me this would make it more like potato salad PASTE. I wanted more texture so I chopped everything, and cut the potatoes into bite-size chunks. I added red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers for extra flavor, color and crunch, as well as green onion. I love the bacon and Dijon mustard, but I don't care for straight mayonnaise in salads like this so I cut it, half and half, with sour cream. Finally, rather than seasoning with just salt and pepper, I used Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt and lemon pepper. Again, a nice foundation but this recipe really needs some embellishment to personal taste. With my additions and changes I ended up with some great potato salad.

This four star rating is more for the relish, which was particularly good. The fish, however, not so good. Hubs, the grill master, believes it was the marinading that took away from how good this COULD have been. Once put on the grill, the olive oil just flowed out of the meat, preventing it from browning nicely. He said the filets should be dry, then rubbed lightly with olive oil just before grilling on a hot grill, which would then also require less than the directed time - and they also need a good squeeze of lemon. The relish, on the other hand, was just delicious. Great fresh flavor and colors, but I think it could be put to better use with something other than this fish. I served this with a seasoned couscous, which we've finally concluded we don't like. I should have made the rice pilaf I had originally planned on.

A good but basic recipe for cooking green beans. More what I'd expect to find in a reference cookbook. Reliable, "can't go wrong" recipe, more about method than style or flair.

Normally I insist on using a good quality chocolate for ganache but today I just threw a doctored up cake mix together quickly and thought this chocolate chip version would be "good enough." To my surprise, it was better than just "good enough" and I was pleased to glaze my cake with it. (And I even forgot to add the vanilla!) I chilled it just long enough to make it of thick pouring consistency so that it adhered to the cake nicely without most of it running off. I had quite a bit left over, so I just refrigerated it for another time. Maybe I'll melt it again and use it as a glaze for cupcakes, or a fudgy topping for cheesecake. Or maybe I'll let it come to room temperature and whip the heck out of it for a fluffier frosting. Or maybe I'll heat it up and pour it over ice cream, or stir some into hot milk, or....

This tried and true doctored up cake mix recipe is reliable and very good, which explains why it's been around for at least a couple of decades, maybe longer! The proportions of ingredients are spot on - some call for way too much oil or sour cream but this one is just right. To enhance the chocolate flavor I replaced the water with coffee and added a teaspoon of chocolate extract. This is also a very versatile recipe - I've used different flavored cake mixes or puddings, replaced all or part of the water with different liqueurs, added chocolate chips - the possibilities are endless. On this occasion I added mini chocolate chips and glazed it with "Pro Ganache," also from this site, which I thought was a better alternative than the Cool Whip ganache directed in the recipe and just as easy. This is a great "go to" cake when you need one quickly!

Very interesting, and very, very good! I chose this recipe in the first place and decided to follow it exactly because I've come across this submitter's name several times either with her recipes or with her reviews and have always found she knows what she's doing! If Michelleca says it, I respect it and I follow it! I used this batter for muffins and baked them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. What the avocado doesn't contribute in flavor is more than made up for by what it contributes in richness and moistness. Because it is a neutral flavor the bread (or muffins in my case) picks up the flavor of whatever additions you make. In this case the orange flavor is prominent with a hint of cinnamon and spice - very pleasant. It is the addition of the orange zest, pecans and raisins that really make this extraordinarily delicious, and I would suggest not to leave any of it out. The bread is not quite green but definitely a different color. It is beautifully flecked with the pecans, nuts, raisins, and specks of orange zest and green avocado. I loved the recipe just as written but the mildness of the avocado lends this to any number of flavor or fruit variations. I topped the muffins with sparkling sugar before they went in the oven, which gave them a sweet, sparkly crunch. Once again, Michelleca, you have come up with something good!

This gorgeous rice side dish is more colorful than flavorful but I'm not complaining - that's exactly what I had in mind. I was after a rice that was subtle and took a back seat to my more robustly flavored meat dish, but didn't want just some boring white rice plopped on the plate. I didn't use the oregano, since the meat I prepared was already seasoned with herbs. I like the subtle flavor of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, which was just perfect here. I did modify the cooking method in that I sauteed a mix of red, green, yellow and orange peppers in some olive oil, added garlic, then tossed the mix with the rice which I had cooked with a little butter added to the broth . I just couldn't see boiling the peppers, which is why I could only give this four stars. While this was delicately flavored, it doesn't mean it was bland or flavorless, and certainly you could play around with any seasonings you like. The presentation was both colorful and beautiful. Loved this, mainly for the way it made a statement on the plate. Move aside, boring white rice!

Spinach, garbanzo beans, garlic, olive oil - all flavors I grew up up with and love. Cumin is relatively new to me, but I love it too. I thought I'd have a winner here with this recipe, but I've learned that just because you love a variety of flavors doesn't mean they all belong together. For me, this was just perfect and excellent until the addition of the cumin, which just didn't seem to work well with the spinach. I found the cumin and spinach an "off" combination. I used fresh baby spinach so I didn't have any problem with the dryness other reviewers noted, but I can easily see where this would be an issue with frozen spinach. Oh, I know I'll make this again, because dishes like this are so familiar and just the way I grew up learning to eat and to cook - but I'll reserve the cumin for another time, in a different dish.

Many of the four or five star ratings for this recipe are only after the reviewer made significant changes. A perfect recipe should be spot on accurate and not need doctoring with amounts of ingredients, the ingredients themselves, pan sizes or baking times. While I agree with a lot of the changes made, they are no longer reviewing THIS recipe. As this recipe stands it is, first, too short on filling for this size pan. Most lemon bar recipes, however, do call for a two egg filling for an 8x8 pan, or a four egg filling for a 9x13 pan. This recipe also calls for powdered sugar in the filling, which I've never seen. I don't think it would be enough given the amount of lemon juice called for. So as written, I believe this recipe has some problems and only merits three stars. I made this in a 9x9 pan, although an 11x7 is fine too. I made the crust as written but made a couple of changes on the filling. I made 1-1/2 times the filling recipe and used regular, granulated sugar instead of the confectioners' sugar called for. I baked the crust 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and then another 15-20 minutes once the filling was added. The tartness and sweetness were just right and there was a better balance of crust to filling. I did observe, however, that I much prefer lemon bar recipes that call for a little flour in the filling as opposed to baking powder. All and all, a nice altered version of this recipe, but I'd much prefer a recipe that required no revision.

I needed just a basic oatmeal cookie so I didn't include the raisins or nuts, and just added the egg to the creamed butter and sugar. To tell you the truth, I was initially unimpressed with and concerned about the dough as it seemed dry and it was kind of difficult to incorporate the oatmeal thoroughly. However... these are probably one of the best oatmeal cookies I've ever tried. First of all, they bake up beautifully, and you'd be proud to put them on your serving plate. I mean, they have a bakery look about them. Secondly, and most important, they're just darn good! Crispy on the edges, soft and chewy on the inside, pleasantly sweet with just a hint of cinnamon. Excellent.

As the first reviewer of this recipe, I feel bad to give it such a mediocre review. The frosting is awesome good, a definite 5 stars once you toy with it, as 2 teaspoons of lemon juice was not nearly enough liquid and I had to add a fair amount of milk. Once I got it the consistency it should be it was fluffy, creamy, and delicately lemon. The bars themselves are pretty and very moist but...I think calling this "spice" cake is misleading as this has a VERY bold molasses flavor which hubs and I weren't fond of, not what I was expecting at all. The bars look beautiful and the frosting ultimately was fabulous, but you have to really, really like molasses to like these "spice" cake bars. (Hubs said it was "like sucking molasses right out of the bottle")

This torte reminds me of so many like this that were wildly popular during the '70s. The formula was always the same - melt marshmallows (add milk chocolate bars for chocolate version), fold in whipped cream, then fold in or add desired flavorings or fruit - canned pineapple, blueberries - and some even blended in a package of cream cheese. We all just used a 9x13 baking dish - not too many of us had springform pans back then! I made half of this recipe in a 7" springform pan and, while it looked pretty, it might just be easier to cut and serve from an 8x8" square Pyrex dish (or 9x13" for full recipe). Because it's in large part whipped cream this is a very light dessert, perfect when you don't want something dense, rich, gooey or overly sweet. Please note that this is pretty much foolproof too, unless you do what I remember a novice baker friend of mine did soooo many years ago. She wondered why hers flopped since she used my recipe - come to find out she didn't let the marshmallow mixture cool enough before adding in her whipped cream! Easy to make, always popular and always delicious.

Nice change from the usual dry or canned soup mix recipes! I used homemade tomato sauce I had put up from my garden, as well as a glug of red wine (Sangiovese), some minced garlic, fresh parsley and fresh oregano. The sauce was thinner than I would have liked after cooking, but rather than thickening it with flour I just transferred it to a saucepan and reduced it on the stovetop. The meat was tender and well-flavored and the reduced sauce was perfect tossed with pasta and grated Parmesan cheese.

Oh, what a wonderful dinner we had tonight, this chicken being the star of the show. I'm sure it woud probably be even better with the bone-in chicken breasts called for but I used the boneless chicken breasts I had on hand, altering the roasting time to 400 degrees, 20-25 minutes. I added minced garlic to the mix and drizzled the leftover butter over the chicken but made no other changes. The aroma as this was baking was so wonderful and just a forecast of what was to come. This was just delicious - I thought the amount of oregano would be overkill, but it wasn't, and the paprika contributed the beautiful, rich color I knew it would. If you do substitute boneless chicken breasts, 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees is perfect - the chicken was very moist and tender. This couldn't be easier, quicker or more delicious. I served this with pasta with garlic and olive oil and "Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese," also from this site. Mmmmm, I wish you could smell my kitchen!

For those of you looking for the perfect side dish to complete your Italian dinner, look no further. I grew up with this stuff, love it, and was interested to try this variation of what I'm used to - the addition of white wine and lemon (the Parmesan being optional). I've always prepared this for the most part just as this submitter directs, occasionally adding bacon, and omitting the olive oil, which I did this time. There's really no need to measure anything, just pop on some Dean Martin or Andrea Bocelli , have a glass of wine, and cook to your heart's content. This was delicious, just as Swiss Chard always is as far as I'm concerned....and I did love the addition of the white wine and lemon!