Category Archives: Spotlight

ice cream cupcakes from The Little Teochew
Ice cream cone Cupcakes

Take a look at these adorable faux ice cream cupcakes.  I’ve seen this done before, but I love the sweet look of these, especially the perfect little raspberry on top.  Classy and classic! Check out the recipe at The Little Teochew. Have a recipe that would be perfect for Foodwhirl? Suggest it to us! Have […]

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu, and tips for weeknight dinners

Love this great post from Can You Stay For Dinner — Not only does the easy lemon chicken cordon bleu recipe look very tasty, but I really like her thoughts about how she comes up with dinners for the week… go see! “Truth: I cook all of the meals that I eat during the week […]

cauliflower faux mashed potatoes
How to make cauliflower taste good like mashed potatoes

The Novice Chef makes an attempt I have tried before and failed at.  (yes, I ended that sentence in a preposition, sue me.)  How to use cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes and have it taste actually tasty.  Unlike Jessica, I actually like cauliflower, but although it has been claimed that you can make […]

Easy Egg Nog Ice Cream

The ground is covered in snow?  What’s up with that? I live in the South for a reason… So, that reminds me of ice cream! Here’s Coco Cake’s easy take on making eggnog icecream, using the store bought dairy eggnog.  Go check it out.

new years cake pops
Champagne Cake Pops – how cute!

It’s a little late for New Years Eve, but file this away for next year… or maybe a champagne oriented wedding shower? Check these out at Mega-crafty…  Cake pops are so much fun to do, and impressive little treats for a party. Go get the how to on how to make them…

Best Bread Pudding Ever

Wendy at Wisdom of the Moon claims this is the best bread pudding ever… And who are we to disagree–Although we’d like to point you to one of ours, too: Irish Car Bomb Bread Pudding from Niki! (Got one you think is just as good?  Leave a comment!) I do have to admit, this looks […]

Homemade Twix Bars!

I spotted these lovelies at Can You Stay For Dinner, and had to share!  Wouldn’t they be great holiday cookies, too? These bars begin with a crust of buttery, rich shortbread, and then a thick, chewy caramel layer above that, followed by a coating of intense dark chocolate. In other words, we’re sinking our teeth […]

Boursin Mushrooms

Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious sends us this tip via her friend, Jean-Michel Cousteau … These Boursin Mushrooms would make a fabulous vegetarian dish! Jean-Michel makes the mushrooms on special occasions or when the team is on expedition in a location where he can get the ingredients. The Ocean Futures staff always begs him for his […]

Chorizo & Chickpea Soup

The weather is cold here today, and that gets me in the mood for soup!  I love this one from Manhattan Food Project..  Quick and hearty.  Maybe good with Cornbread? Go read the whole thing and get the recipe! More soups on Foodwhirl: 30 Minute Vegetable Soup, Tortellini Pesto Soup, Tuscan Beef Stew, Chicken White […]

Brussels Sprouts & Toasted Pumpkin Seed Salad

Check out this unusual brussels sprouts recipe from The Taste Traveller …  Brussels sprouts, Parmesan cheese, and roasted nuts make this sound just lovely. Are you thinking about your menu for Christmas? Well, here’s a fresh idea for those poor, often unloved brussels sprouts and a different way to serve them with any meal this […]

Holiday Treat: Sugared Cranberries

We’ve been asking for Holiday Recipes, and reader Jill sends us this great recipe from Bon Appegeek (love the name!) — a lovely holiday food idea: Sugared Cranberries! More good info from Jill: They are really, really good. And addictive. I found that recipe last year, and i make a lot of them during the […]

Pumpkin Crepes with Gingered Pears and Spiced Mascarpone

Over at Perry’s Plate.. .Check out this tasty looking –and fancy!–breakfast or dessert!  Even though thanksgiving is over, I’m sure we still have uses for a few pumpkin dishes this fall! Go read: Pumpkin Crepes with Gingered Pears and Spiced Mascarpone

A Waffled Croque Madame

The Novice Chef  is one of my fave food blogs!  Check out this idea: What is the difference between a Croque Madame and a Croque Monsieur? Eggs. It’s how I always tell them apart…and the easiest way to remember. A Croque Monsieur is basically a type of bread, a type of swiss cheese, and ham. […]

Southwest Stuffing

Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious sends us her award winning (literally–she just won a contest with it!) recipe for Southwest Stuffing… Now as a Southern girl, I do cornbread dressing, not stuffing with my holiday meals, but I do confess that I do have a place in my heart for stuffing as well. Dorothy says: For me, […]

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

If I’m ever in need of something to put in the Spotlight, it’s a pretty safe bet I’ll find something awesome at Foodwhirl friend Talk of Tomatoes.  I spotted these over there and thought “What a fabulous idea!”…  I love the idea of combining these flavors. Janelle writes: You can make a whole cheesecake, individual […]

6 ways to season Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This past weekend I was down in Hilton Head for a wedding, and my brother-in-law was cooking up a big batch of roasted pumpkin seeds. We were all discussing the best way to season roast pumpkin seeds–If only we’d had these great ideas from Sydney, over at The Drinkwater Kitchen! Sydney was nice enough to […]

Make homemade Snack bars

Just Jenn has a great looking recipe for homemade snack bars, perfect for sticking in the kids’ lunches.  I love how she wraps them all up with a note–I’m pretty sure I’m not that good a mom ;) ! Jenn says: The kids get two snack breaks at school, two! Which means I need to […]

curry wrap with chicken, raisins and nuts recipe
Make-ahead Lunch: Curry Chicken Wrap

Yummy lunch idea from Janelle @ Talk of Tomatoes.. Why haven’t I done this all along? Made a big batch of chicken salad or chicken curry salad ahead of time, for a quick-and-easy insert into tortillas/pita pockets for ‘lunch this week’? I sometimes buy the little raisin and nut packets to put in my sons’ […]

raspberry, orange and basil champagne
A sparkling champagne raspberry cocktail

Reader Karen over at Tasty Trials shares this deliciously different champagne cocktail with us today!    What a fun combination, Raspberry, Orange and Basil… Karen writes: “As we lounged around on the couch watching the game, I was thinking about the raspberries that I needed to use, and soon. I wasn’t in the mood to bake […]

How to Make Temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi)

Foodwhirl fave La Fuji Mama has a how-to on making temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi). I’ve never tried this, but it looks like a great appetizer idea! I made temakizushi (cone-shaped hand rolls) to order and salmon temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi). I love temarizushi. Not only are they fun and easy to make (especially with my handy-dandy little […]

Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Tips for Shopping on a Budget, and 5 Dinner Ideas

Love this post from Can You Stay For Dinner… Not only does it have 5 yummy looking healthy dinners to add to your repertoire (like the Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers, shown) but some really great tips for staying within your budget while shopping, but not skimping on what is important to you.  Excellent advice! […]

RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT & GINGER GRANITA - yummy supper
Ruby Red Grapefruit & Ginger Granita

Over at Yummy Supper, check out this delightfully refreshing granita recipe… and be inspired as they travel around the Pacific! Darwin is damned hot – over 100 degrees every day we were there, and this wasn’t even the hot time of year. I needed the satisfaction of making a refreshing treat for my travelin’ clan. […]

Easy Fall Treats – Pumpkin Pies and Apple Pie Cupcakes

Sometimes we just need a sweet treat.  Here’s a couple of quick and easy recipes from reader Celeste at Cooking Creations to get you in the sweet Fall mood…Personal Pumpkin Pies and Apple Pie Cupcakes! I have been searching the internet and cookbooks for some autumn treats a lot recently. I have come across so […]

Pumpkin Soup - copyright The Novice Chef
Pumpkin Thai Soup (and a whole Fall Dinner Party)

Over at The Novice Chef Blog, Jessica shares a fabulous looking fall themed dinner party, complete with menus, recipes, and organizational tips. Love it! Check out one of the menu items… Pumpkin Thai Soup–isn’t it gorgeous! Throwing dinner parties can be a lot to take on…especially when they have multiple courses. No one wants to […]

Ancho Swordfish with Ginger-Sweet Potato Mash

Check out this gorgeous dinner from the lovely Janelle at Talk of Tomatoes!  This truly looks like something you’d pay a fortune for at the fancy foodie restaurant of your choice.  So how about treating yourself and making it at home?  A romantic dinner, perhaps? Janelle writes… “I started thumbing through some of those cookbooks […]