Just~One~Donna

Don't you love buttercream frosting on your cakes?  Chocolate and cream cheese frostings have always been my favorites, but this time of year a fruit-flavored frosting is delicious. Here's how you can make a delicious buttercream frosting with natural fruit flavors.  The secret is to use jam in the frosting. Wouldn't this frosting be perfect on your Valentine's Day cupcakes? This frosting is perfect for Valentine's Day but is especially fabulous for birthdays, baby showers, and bridal showers. Yummy and pretty! Making Strawberry Buttercream Pretty Pink Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting This is a recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream, flavored with strawberry jam.  The key to a fresh fruit flavor in your frosting is to choose a really good quality jam. I used strawberry jam, but you can use any flavor of jam that will enhance the cake you have made.  Be sure to choose a seedless jam to ensure a smooth frosting that can easily be spread.

Do you love risotto and shrimp?  Risotto is a side dish I make often in spring because so many spring vegetables are a perfect addition to risotto. This Spring Risotto with baby spinach and peas is just right paired with Lemon Shrimp. It's quick and easy, too! Spring Risotto with Lemon Shrimp Risotto is such a versatile dish, but the constant stirring can sometimes feel inconvenient.  Today I'm sharing an alternate technique for easy risotto. You'll have this entire meal ready in less than thirty minutes.  That makes it a yummy weeknight menu option for spring.

The calendar says spring has sprung, but you wouldn't know it by the temperatures outside.  This ziti bake recipe is a delicious, hearty main dish perfect for a cold spring evening, or any time of year. It takes just a few minutes to assemble the ingredients and then forty-five minutes in the oven.  You can make it ahead of time, even freeze it ready for the oven. What's not to love? Quick Ziti Bake for Dinner A ziti bake is a perfect make ahead, one pan meal.  The ricotta cheese in this recipe makes the ziti bake creamy and yummy. Do you need a filling option for a family gathering or potluck dinner?  This ziti bake is the answer.  Add a colorful salad and some garlic bread and you'll be good to go.

Shrimp Pesto Alfredo is a decadent, low-carb, dinner option perfect for when you are wanting a special dinner. You don't have to be following a low-carb eating plan to love this dish. Shrimp Pesto Alfredo Shrimp Pesto Alfredo is low carb as long as you swap out the pasta for a low carb option.  Your favorite spiralized vegetables will make a smart choice. For those of you who love traditional Alfredo dishes, serve the Shrimp Pesto Alfredo over your favorite pasta.

Are weekend mornings hectic for you or a time to kick back and take it slow?  These Streusel-Topped Berry Muffins are the perfect breakfast solution for either grab-and-go or slow, relaxed breakfasts.  Streusel Topped Berry Muffins Fresh berries seem to be available almost any time of year, but you can substitute frozen berries with success. I like to keep frozen berries on hand for those mornings when I make a spur-of-the-moment decision to make these yummy muffins.

If you haven't made a quiche in a while it's time to make one.  This fresh asparagus quiche is perfect for the season.  You'll find asparagus in your grocery store's produce section at a reasonable price during the spring months, so now is the time for this fresh asparagus quiche. Fresh Asparagus Quiche Quiche is the perfect dish in my opinion.  It makes a delicious meal any time of day.  The combination of eggs, cheese, and vegetables is satisfying as well as delicious.  You can serve it warm, cold, or at room temperature, too. You can't make a more versatile dish!

You might think that making pudding from scratch is hard.  I'm happy to report that making pudding from scratch is anything but hard. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a delicious, versatile, homemade dessert. Homemade Vanilla Pudding Vanilla is my favorite flavor of pudding.  It is perfection in its simplicity.  You might want to use a vanilla bean to enhance the vanilla flavor, but you can make a delicious vanilla pudding with a good vanilla extract.  That's what we'll do with today's recipe.

Even though it is technically still winter, the fact that the calendar says March makes me start to think spring.  Today I'm sharing a cocktail that will help you celebrate all things spring. Let's start with the color.  This ginger martini has a sunny yellow color that will make you smile.  Float a slice of lemon on top and there is no mistaking that you are ready to celebrate spring. (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you shop with these links I receive compensation.) Ginger Martini Cocktail time at my house is a time for a little fanciness.  I like to put a little extra effort into the presentation. Glassware is important to me.  I want the glasses I use for cocktails to be pretty and elegant.  They must be very thin and I like them to enhance the colors in the cocktails. The martini glasses you see pictured have beveled ridges that reflect the light and colors of the cocktail.  That makes them a f...