Spring came early in Minnesota this year so grills have been fired up since as early as March.  Hamburgers and hot dogs are the usual fare.  With Memorial weekend right around the corner I thought it would be fun to blog about a bratwurst recipe.

My kids' school recently had a work day before a big fundraising event, and I decided to surprise all the volunteers with a fun afternoon treat. I needed something casual enough to eat off a napkin, and, of course, it needed to be irresistible enough to get people to take a break! Since I'm working on the event non-stop, too, I needed something quick to make.

If I haven’t made myself clear in past blogs let me be sure to set the record straight – I love chocolate, dark chocolate especially. I think it must be genetic since my dad and sister have the same passion about this simple yet luxurious treat.    My dad has an official “candy drawer” in their kitchen. He has had this treasure trove of goodies since I was a small child. Everyone in the family knows where to go if they want a little treat to tide them over until a meal is served, to satisfy a craving mid-day or to add a special ending to the day. There is always (yes always) chocolate of some kind in that drawer.

It's graduation time!  It is hard to believe Zach, my neighbor boy or rather young man, is graduating in a couple of weeks.  Where did that time go?  It was just yesterday,  it seems, Zach was 10 years old.  But, whatever … let’s celebrate!  A special cookie recipe I made for his sister, Ashley’s, graduation party a couple of years ago is Diploma Cookies. Baking these cookies is one small way for me to be part of Zach’s celebration and bake a little something of what I love…cookies.

I love being part of a large extended family! Growing up, family events were always a whirlwind of kids, activities and love. Since my siblings and I are on the younger end of our generation, we loved to spend time with our "cool" older cousins - shadowing them, trying to adopt their catchphrases and generally looking up to them (whether they liked it or not). Years later, we are grown and many of those cousins have children of their own. So, I find it to be a real blessing that the roles have come full-circle. Now we get to be the fun cousins that make the little ones feel special! One of those super kids is my cousin Jody's daughter, Ella. Once or twice a year, Ella comes to my parents' house for a "special trip". While she's here, we siblings take Ella out to eat, go swimming, bowling and of course, we have movie nights. And what's a movie without great snacks? That's why these Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies are the perfect solution. The recipe is easy (so your little buddy can help) and quick (which is great for short attention spans!).

When I was growing up, one of our great aunts used to bake coffee cakes to give as gifts to friends and relatives. I have always loved the combination of cinnamon-sugar flavoring, but my youngest sister, Michelle, adored coffee cake even more than most! When she was in grade school, the gifted coffee cake was disappearing too fast for her, so she begged my mom to help her learn how to make her very own. She tried a few different recipes to get it just right - and we got to enjoy the fruits of her pint-sized labors. Now nearing the end of high school, Michelle's memory of the coffee cake baking days has faded - but to this day just mention this sweet treat, and I see visions of my kid sister standing on a chair, diligently attending to her batter.

You, my dear Buzz Blog friends, may recall that last summer I tested the Grilled Tomatoes & Basil Pita Bread recipe and fell in LOVE with fresh basil. It has a sweet scent and vibrant taste - there is no substitute for the real thing! So I set out to grow my own basil this summer in order to keep the delicious herb on hand for quick cooking the whole season. Of course, that little packet of seeds turned into more sprouts than I bargained for. So,  I am now on the hunt for other recipes that incorporate basil - before my bumper crop goes wild.

  Margaret, one of our Consumer Affairs’ team members makes the most wonderful dinner rolls you have ever eaten.  She has been making them for about 60 years.  I think it’s fair to call her the expert!