Just~One~Donna

  An Easy, Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Appetizer When the holidays roll around, I love having a few go-to appetizers that look impressive but don’t require hours in the kitchen. This festive cranberry topping for baked brie is exactly that kind of recipe. It brings together tart, jewel-toned cranberries, bright orange, and a touch of warm ginger to create a sweet-tangy topping that turns a simple brie wheel into a showstopper. This post contains affiliate links.  I may receive asmall  compensation if you shop with these links. What's not to love about a recipe that comes together with a single saucepan, a handful of ingredients, and about ten minutes of stirring-and you’re done. It’s the kind of recipe you can make ahead, tuck in the fridge, and pull out whenever guests arrive. You Will Need 1 cup granulated sugar 1 navel orange, zested and juiced.  A citrus juicer will come in handy for this step. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 4 cups fresh cranberries wa...

There’s something undeniably magical about a dish that layers flavors, textures, and pure comfort. This Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Lasagna isn’t your typical lasagna—it’s a tasty surprise where earthy mushrooms, sweet caramelized onions, and creamy béchamel come together in perfect harmony. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply indulging in a cozy night at home, this recipe is guaranteed to steal the spotlight.  The Ultimate Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Lasagna: Step-by-Step Recipe Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Lasagna Add this mushroom lasagna to your repertoire and standby for the raves.  You will be a lasagna hero.  It freezes well, so you can make the mushroom lasagna ahead of time to dazzle your family and friends with mushroom yumminess.

Let's face it: Thanksgiving dinner is a marathon, not a sprint. Between the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, and all the other delicious dishes, it can be overwhelming to think about what to make.  But don't worry, if you are looking for easy green vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving, I've got you covered. In this blog post, you'll find three easy and delicious green vegetable side dishes that will be a hit at your Thanksgiving table. Three Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes These recipes are simple to follow and require minimal prep time, so you can spend more time enjoying your holiday with loved ones. Plus, they're packed with flavor and nutrients, so you can feel good about serving them to your guests. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by these simple and delicious Thanksgiving side dish recipes.

Jam-filled Thumbprint cookies have always been a big favorite on holiday cookie trays.  I think a good thumbprint cookie is buttery, with a touch of sweetness that pairs well with a not-too-sweet jam.  Some favorite jam flavors for thumbprint cookies include apricot, raspberry, or currant.   The best jam flavor to use is whatever your family and friends love. It is nice to use a variety of jams in a batch of cookies.  Using a variety of jams will look attractive on your Christmas cookie tray. Jam Thumbprints with Walnuts I receive a small compensation that helps support publishing this blog w hen you shop using the affiliate links. Thumbprint Cookies This thumbprint cookie recipe includes ground walnuts in the batter.  You'll find other recipes that roll the cookie in ground nuts before ba...

The holidays are a time for celebration with family and friends, but they can also be a stressful time for home cooks. However, there are a few simple tips that home cooks can use to relieve stress and make holiday food preparation more enjoyable. I’ve been writing this blog since 2011 and over the years I have gathered the best tips busy home cooks swear by. These tips will help you breeze through the holiday madness and savor precious moments with loved ones. Stress-Free Holiday Dinner Tips  This post includes affiliate links. Here are the top ten hacks that home cooks rely on to relieve holiday dinner stress:

This Carrot Loaf Cake recipe is not just your ordinary dessert; it delivers all the sweet, moist, and tender memories of your favorite carrot cake with the easy preparation of a loaf cake.  You'll love its easy preparation when planning your holiday dessert table. Imagine the smiles and satisfaction that will follow when you serve up a slice of this homemade goodness. Moist and Delicious Carrot Loaf Cake (I use affiliate links in this blog post.) Let's preheat the oven, and get baking this perfectly moist Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. You'll find it's a breeze for you to replicate at home. If you're ready to bring a slice of homemade happiness to your holiday table, keep reading. 

 A simple pumpkin pie is a quintessential fall dessert.  Most of us only think of pumpkin pie during those few months of the year reserved for all things fall.   Nowadays, you can make pumpkin pie any time of year now that canned pumpkin is readily available all year.   Easy Pumpkin Pie for Fall The spices used in the pumpkin pie filling create a flavor that is for me, uniquely fall. Just gather some cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and allspice from your pantry.  You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by following this recipe.   

This recipe for red velvet cupcakes has been my favorite cupcake recipe for years.   Red velvet cupcakes are my go-to cupcakes for parties and potlucks because everyone seems to love them.   I love this recipe because it produces a classic red velvet cake that is moist and tender with a not-too-red cake color.  Of course, the cream cheese frosting is a must-have frosting with the contrast of sweetness and tang.  In my mind, you can’t have a red velvet cupcake without a huge dollop of cream cheese frosting. Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Purchases made through these links help support this blog.) The Best Red Velvet Cupcakes What You'll love about This Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe The cupcakes are moist and tender. These cupcakes are made with oil instead of butter, resulting in a moister cake texture.   Buttermilk adds fluffiness, tang, and adds the dairy flav...

If you love cheesecake this Salted Caramel Cheesecake recipe will soon be your favorite.  I love cheesecake of all kinds.  I like a plain New York-style cheesecake, unadorned and magnificent in its sweet, cheesy simplicity.  I love chocolate cheesecake.  Pairing the smooth texture of cheesecake with a deep chocolate flavoring is like heaven on earth.  Add a chocolate ganache icing and happiness abounds.  And then there's pumpkin cheesecake... Yes, I could go on and on, but truth be told, this Salted Caramel Cheesecake is my favorite of them all. The Best Salted Caramel Cheesecake This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.    Salted Caramel Cheesecake I've been making this  cheesecake for our family Christmas dinner for several years but don't think this c...