As I review the recipes on my site, I have discovered my favorites, sweet and spicy. Sweet and spicy are delicious on their own but they certainly may be paired together for a succulent bite. The recipe focus today is cheesecake, chocolate and coffee. I have enjoyed learning how to  combine ingredients to blend flavors and sharing them with you. Of course, the best part is eating them.

My dessert marries together addictive ingredients that are hard to say no to chocolate and coffee. The farm fresh eggs add a delicious addition to the addictive pair.  Farm Fresh eggs are healthier for you to eat and taste better. Check the link for further information. If you live near a local farm, pick up fresh eggs. You won’t regret it.

This is an easy cheesecake to make in your home. A cheesecake is a great dessert to make ahead for company. The topping aids the flavor and assists if the cheesecake cracks a bit. The small amount of pecans and ganache are just enough to take this cheesecake to another level. It has just enough chocolate to satisfy without going overboard.

I hope that you enjoy my version of Cafe’ Cheesecake with pecans and chocolate. Each time that I make a cheesecake, they magically disappear. On my site you may also find a St Germain Cheesecake. It is a simpler version of this cheesecake. Both cheesecakes would be a great dessert  choice to serve for your next dinner party , event or St Patrick’s Day party.

In conclusion, this recipe pairs well with a cup of chicory coffee or your version of Cafe au lait. Enjoy!

Shout out to Alexa for Tina Turner.

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Chocolate, strawberries and cream, could there be a better winning combination? Hmmmmm? It is possible but at the moment I am only able to focus on my chocolate, strawberries and cream. I love chocolate in all of its forms milk, dark, bitter or white.  The strawberries and fresh cream partner well on their own.  The dark side of chocolate stands up well next to the fresh innocence of the cream.

On my drive back from Louisiana past the ancient Cypress trees, I passed several roadside markets and drove past all of them. Really? I stopped at the first market, in case it was the only one. The market was loaded with fresh produce, preserved foods, Cajun jerky in various protein options and an assortment of seafood.

I purchased various items to cook with that drew me in. The item that I could not resist was the fresh strawberries from Ponchatoula. I don’t recall ever visiting Ponchatoula but I had certainly tasted my share of its strawberries. The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is the second largest festival in Louisiana. The largest party being Mardi Gras, of course.

The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival certainly looks festive and this year will be the 46th Festival. They have all the required items for a party food, shopping, games, parade and even a Ball with a Strawberry Queen. The Festival schedule covers an entire weekend.

The vendors for the festival are non-profits or service organizations. This puts a unique spin on the shopping aspect. A reason to shop if you happen to need a reason. Shopping with a purpose in addition to the “instant  happy” that you may feel when buying.

I was “instantly happy” with my small flat of strawberries. At least until miles later, I realized that it may have not been the best idea to place them in the passenger seat next to me. The flat of berries had my car smelling like fresh berries.

At this point, I had to ponder the risk of eating strawberries that I had not washed. I really did not want to stop again because I had a drive ahead of me. I did not want to carry my pint into a gas station rest room and wash. EEwwww!  I had only been on the road less than 30 minutes and could not make it past even one roadside market. This did not bode well for a quick trip. Grill Man was not with me to suggest that maybe we should keep driving.

I finally figured out a system that I could tolerate. While driving with my left hand, I managed to pour my bottle of water into a cup. I  grabbed a fresh, red, fat and juicy strawberry. Then I vigorously dunked my prize  into the water. I popped the berry into my mouth. It tasted as delicious as the aroma that had filled my car.

This is probably where I should insert the disclaimer. Do not try this alone in your car. I am happy to report that I did not eat all the strawberries. I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me so it was in the realm of possibility. I did manage to dunk a pint of berries, though. I enjoyed every berry.

With the remaining berries, I knew a dessert would find its way into my brain. After working yesterday, I popped in leftovers for Grill Man and I. Then I started pulling ingredients and decided to introduce my prize to chocolate and cream.  I hope that you enjoy this version of Ponchatoula’s best with chocolate and cream.

Shout out to Alexa for light Jazz.

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This last week has been jam-packed at my house.  Parents, visiting for a spell.  Trying to get ready for a house  filled with company. Lots of cleaning and organizing and putting the clutter away.

During this rush of activity, I decided to try my hand at a different chili.  I pulled the random ingredients and started to work. One important thing to remember when your cooking for you and yours, is to relax. If you don’t like it, toss it and move on.

Some times cooking without a recipe goes well. Some times, it is exquisite. Be prepared, because some times it is, not so good. This is how, my chili turned out. It became peep food, quickly.

In an effort, to redeem myself with my crew, I ventured to dessert land. I had wanted to create a brownie cookie. I pulled the Chocolate Mint Brownie recipe and studied it.  I went through my cook pans to see what my options were for baking.

Shout out to Alexa, for Rolling Stones, starting with Brown sugar.

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