How to Make a Baby Carriage Cake!

So far we've had 3 baby showers at my church here in St. Petersburg. I always have very grandiose expectations which prove difficult to meet, given the lack of baby shower props sold here. And doing it all yourself is a nice idea, but very time-consuming!

At the first two baby showers I really wanted to make one of those picture-perfect cakes you see on all the sites, but there are no specially shaped baking pans or cans of fondant to be had!

How to Make Quick Beef (or Chicken) Curry

There is no claim to Indian authenticity here! Just a quick weekday skillet meal in a curry sauce.

How to Make Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken Cutlets

This is more of a tip than a recipe. I love tender slices of chicken breast, which can be used for chicken parmesan and other dishes.

Of course, grocery store chicken breasts can be pretty tough. To get them really tender, I first slice the breasts thinly, then pound, then soak in kefir (buttermilk or regular milk would work, too) for 30 minutes or even leave them overnight.

Before cooking, I usually dip them in egg and milk, then into a plate of bread crumbs or flour mixed with spices (the lighter pieces in the photo were dipped in flour and the orange pieces were dipped in store-bought bread crumbs). See ranch chicken, which is a nice flavor combination.

Could be baked as a healthy alternative.

How to Make Tomato-Avocado Salad

I've been craving fresh salads a lot lately, maybe because of the winter doldrums. I was in the mood for avocado, so I picked some up at the store and came up with this concoction using the ingredients I had on hand.

I'm sure it would be tastier in the summer with local fruits and veggies, but it hit the spot for me anyway. I love the zing of the lemon juice and cumin.

This made one serving for me, so add other veggies or double/triple the ingredients to get more servings.