An Engaging Event

I emailing this dumpling soup using the Trader Joe’s Chicken and Cilantro wonton’s. I added fresh garlic, ginger, and caramelized onions with a sliced baby Bella mushrooms. So easy and delicious !!!

Sautéed Brocollini with caramelized onions and garlic, seasoned with Mr. Make It Happen’s AP seasoning

Christmas dinners, seafood casserole with crab meat, lobster, scallops, and shrimp. For the creamy mixture, I used Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs and sprinkled Gruyere cheese and Monterey Jack in between each layer with thin spaghetti and heavy whipping cream. I used Mr. Make it Happen a P seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, original , chicken seasoning, and lots and lots of fresh garlic. It was soooo good!!!! Hardly any left.

Christmas Dinner Duck left is Duck à la Orange and the right is Caribbean duck with a rum and pineapple glaze inspired by . Simply delicious had all of the Caribbean flavors and it was so moist loved using the green seasoning, fresh pineapple, orange, oranges, bell peppers, red onions, and all of the exotic Caribbean seasonings to elevate this Christmas duck to truly and Island inspired duck. Thank you for the inspiration the duck was a hit. Enjoy the leftovers.

Happy National Maple Syrup Day!

There's nothing like warm maple syrup drizzling down on hot pancakes or buttered waffles. Canada is widely considered to have the best maple syrup, as it is the world's largest producer, with a majority coming from the province of Quebec. It produces about 70% of the world's maple syrup, with Quebec alone accounting for 90% of Canadian production. The high quality is due to the strict regulations for grading and labeling its syrup, which ensures purity and quality.
Ideal climate: The country's freeze-thaw cycle is ideal for producing the sweet sap needed for maple syrup. The U.S. is the second largest producer with Vermont and Maine as the highest producers.

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener made by boiling down the sugary sap from maple trees, offering a distinct caramel, vanilla, and woody flavor that varies in intensity by grade (Golden Delicate to Very Dark Strong). It's a popular pancake topping and ingredient, providing minerals and antioxidants but also sugar, so it's best enjoyed in moderation, with newer grades offering different flavor profiles and Indigenous peoples credited with its original production.
Flavor & Grades
Golden & Delicate: Light, buttery, sweet, ideal for drizzling.
Amber & Rich: Full-bodied, classic maple taste, versatile.
Dark & Robust: Stronger maple flavor, great for cooking.
Very Dark & Strong: Intense, bold flavor, best for baking.

Add a little maple syrup in your holiday cocktail or in your Egg Nog. Engjoy!

I enjoyed making this Scallop, Shrimp and Vegetable pasta. Topped with Gruyère cheese, it touched all of the senses! Will be make a version of this dish for Christmas dinner. Photography:©️Donnaentertains

I enjoyed making this dish. It is chicken with roasted vegetables. I roasted sweet potatoes, squash, onions, garlic cloves, dried apricots, golden raisins, dried cranberries with several sprigs of thyme. I drizzled EVOO and Maple syrup and kosher salt. Roasted them for 45 minutes at 450°. In a large mixing bowl, I combined unsweetened coconut milk, chicken bouillon, Ras el hanout North African and Middle Eastern spiced blend and granulated garlic. I mixed it well. In a casserole dish I added sliced rotisserie chicken, the roasted vegetables and poured the coconut milk mixture on top. I covered it with foil and baked for 40 minutes at 345°. I served it over yellow rice. Perfect for an fall day.

Happy Devils Food Day!

This decadent cake was created in the early 1900's. Devil’s food cake is more decadent, more bitter, darker and even a bit fluffier than chocolate cake. It uses Dutch-processed cocoa to impart its dark hue and deep chocolaty flavor, plus it has extra baking soda for a fluffier cake. So, start the week with a little decadence!

Happy World Baking Day!

Who doesn't love the aroma of freshly baked bread? or a chocolate chip cookie just out of the oven? Or that cake the grandma made for you on your birthday? These touch all of the senses that help evoke fond memories! So why not begin creating your own memories, or re-creating family traditions. Better yet, learn how to make a new baked good that you can all your own!
There's nothing like when your husband bakes his version of the Red Lobster Biscuits.
Photo Credit: Donna Hodge Biscuits by: Bob Ross

Happy National Walnut Day

Did you know ? Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, which are better for you than saturated fats. They're also high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Studies show that eating walnuts can help lower your overall cholesterol levels as well as LDL “bad” cholesterol. Cholesterol can form plaque inside your arteries, but regularly eating walnuts can help keep your artery walls healthy.

Walnuts may help ease the type of inflammation that leads to heart disease . They may also help lower your chances of a blood clot that could cause a heart attack. Most of the fats in walnuts and walnut oil contain an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. This “good fat” can reduce your risk of heart disease by 10% when consumed as part of your daily diet. Scientists think this is because the omega-3s can lower cholesterol levels, helping keep your arteries clear and working correctly. So add walnuts to your salad, or keep as a snack for the middle of the day!

Happy World Nutella and National Fondue Day !

What a day to celebrate this dynamic duo!
Fondue is a Swiss culinary invention. Though theirs was primarily cheese, they came up with the concept of fondue in the 1800s — thus paving the way for chocolate fondue to come later. Chocolate Fondue found its way into our hearts in the 1960’s. And, with it also being World Nutella Day, what a beautiful combination, Nutella is a combination of coco and hazelnuts. Founded in Italy, Nutella has become synonymous with the sweet chocolaty taste of pure heaven. So, do not wait until Valentine’s Day to celebrate love, start today with Nutella Fondue!