Since we all have so much spare time on our hands between now and the end of the year, here in Kelly’s Kitchen, I thought I’d pass along a few items to impress the guests and save your sanity! Finding a shortcut, or a very simple recipe is one of my favorite things.

   Our friends from Blue Bell Ice Cream were in the house this week, with their new holiday flavors of Banana Nut Bread Ice Cream, and Christmas Cookies Ice Cream. So, we had a little fun with the staff and threw a Blue Bell Ice Cream Party at lunch. Here’s a look at what we came up with to go along with their new flavors to create some simple taste treats. The Banana  Sour Cream Bread is one of my favorites, and I usually have a few loaves in the freezer. Fantastic way to use those bananas that are really, really ripe! Blue Bell also has the holiday favorites of Peppermint Ice Cream and Spice Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream in stores now. Would you like your own free (yes, still a FULL half gallon) Blue Bell holiday ice cream to have on hand? Send your favorite holiday shortcut to me and the first five will win a certificate!

   One of my favorite cookbook authors is Anne Byrn, best known as the Cake Doctor. Her collection of books has the best recipes for using cake mixes to create treats you would swear are made from scratch. Her Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe is one I use a lot. I usually make muffins out of it that freeze beautifully, and can be warmed up in a moment in the microwave for a delicious breakfast or brunch addition, and are a huge favorite here in the office. My secret addition to the recipe is to take about a 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and after using the non-stick spray in the muffin tin or cake pan to swirl about a teaspoon of that mixture around each muffin cup, or into the cake pan, making sure to tap out the excess. It adds a nice crunch to the outside and takes a simple recipe to another level.

   The other shortcut I found was out of sheer frustration with the cost of some spices. I needed pumpkin pie spice, and after checking it out in the store and realizing I could whip that up myself, I found the recipe online. Why pay $5-6 for a small bottle of it, when you can make you own much less expensively with what you already have stocked in the pantry anyway?! www.allrecipes.com is a great website, and you can adjust the serving size, which comes in pretty handy.

   And if you want to have a extremely delicious soup on hand in the freezer, that you can actually whip up in the blender try this recipe from Jessica Black, N.D. that I make quite often from The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe book for Cream of Carrot and Ginger soup. I do make a few changes for my own taste; I use Almond Milk in place of the coconut, and soy milks. And hey, since were talking shortcuts here, I also pick up a few extra bags of the frozen chopped onions to use. I really, really, hate chopping onions and one 12 ounce bag works fine for this recipe. It’s a healthy recipe, and I highly recommend the book.

   We’re always looking for your comments, suggestions and recipes in Kelly’s Kitchen, so send those along and share the love!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
- George Bernard Shaw