Well, I'm up late getting ready for a party for 26 kids. It's about this time that a mom asks herself, "So, why was it I said yes to a big party again this summer?" The answer, I believe, is that I love that my kids love to entertain and we do have a lot of fun hosting. The party is entirely outside, and the kids play volleyball, throw water balloons, and generally goof around for about 5 hours.

Ah, cheesecake, how we love to eat you!  It doesn't matter what kind or flavor, we're always ready for cheesecake in our home.  From the big to the small, we all like it the same.  As a matter of fact, when I was pregnant with Taylor (our middle child)  my oldest daughter Sydney, and I would frequent the local Cheesecake Factory on Saturday mornings.  It was a regular pig-out fest.  I would order a piece of cheesecake with extra whip cream on the side and a hot chocolate, and she would have a brownie ice cream sundae with a tall glass of milk.  Those were the days!

Strawberry shortcake is always a favorite to serve this time of year. Here in Minnesota “pick-your-own” strawberry fields are ripening and advertising their fresh sweet berries. Grocery stores have plenty of these luscious red delights. This is simply the perfect time to make a dessert that showcases this beloved fruit.

My dad grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota. And though he's spent the last 35 years living in the cities with his wife and four children (most of whom you couldn't pay to go camping) - as the saying goes, you can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man. My dad still loves working with his hands, itches to be outside regardless of the weather and is delighted by fresh produce. So, when I was considering tackling this Rhubarb Cookie Cake recipe - it is the season, after all! - he was the person I wanted to bake it for.

I recently lost my mother-in-law Audrey.  At 86 years old she was still enjoying life.  Hearing her famous giggle was enough to brighten my day.  During the process of sorting through her many things – she loved knick knacks – I came across her recipes.  Although she appreciated good food, she was not much of a cook or baker.  She had a few special recipes scribbled on pieces of paper and bundled together with a rubber band.  No cookbooks, no recipe cards, no on-line recipe box, just random pieces of paper.

When I take a moment to consider my favorite parts of the Holiday season, it's the memories with my family that always rise to the surface. More specifically, I treasure the way we celebrate Christmas Eve together. 

“Wow,” was the first word out of my mouth after I had my first bite of a Star Spangled Shortcake. What an awesome treat! It’s the perfect combination of salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy. If you’ve never eaten shortcakes, you are really missing out.

Now that school is out for the summer, I’m already planning my entertaining. We have a deck on our roof, and the Taste of Minnesota food festival sets off fireworks four nights in a row. It’s pretty spectacular, and a great time for us to have friends over for dessert before the fireworks. The parties usually involve kids, so I like to make a dessert that is kid-friendly but also fabulous for adults. I choose Puff Pastry Stars with Custard Sauce, and I know it will be a hit. The flavors are simple and yet fantastic – creamy custard sauce with a hint of white chocolate, plus puff pastry cut-outs dusted with powdered sugar, and a sprinkling of berries. It’s easy to get everything ready in the morning or the day before, and just assemble before serving. The kids could even add their own berries and stars just for fun!