Just~One~Donna

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 baking, but I like to mix my walnuts right into the batter.  

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 it's 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...

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can sure bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe.   An Old-Fashioned Date Cookies Recipe This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932 so this recipe has been around for quite a while. 

This time of year I'm always struggling with gift ideas for the foodie adults on my gift list.  I thought you might be, too.   I've pulled together a list of the best kitchen essential gift ideas for home cooks. These ideas are based on my own experience.  They represent the kitchen essentials I reach for day after day and have gifted to family and friends. They will be appreciated by any home cook on your gift list. Perfect for Gift Giving Kitchen Essentials This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  I receive compensation that supports publishing this blog when you shop using these links. Potholders may seem mundane and boring, but there is nothing more important in the kitchen than potholders you will use.  I especially love thick, colorful, terry potholders because they are so flexible and easy to use.  I've had a variety of potholders over the years but my favorites are these terry potholders.

It’s time to get busy baking memorable holiday treats.  Holiday baking often requires baking tools you don't use frequently throughout the year and some of your tools may need a refresh. This is the time of year to take inventory of your kitchen tools as you prepare for your holiday baking.  Having the right tools on hand makes baking easier and less frustrating when you have a lot to do.  Some of these would make nice gifts or stocking stuffers for the bakers on your list, too. Prepare for Holiday Baking with the Right Tools  I’ve made it easier for you to think through what you might need by assembling a list of highly-rated kitchen tools essential for your holiday baking. Use these affiliate links and you’ll be baking holiday treats in a few short days.

Does the weather inspire your cooking? I woke up yesterday at the crack of dawn to a beautiful morning.  The air was still, the sun was rising, and sunlight was breaking through the leaves on the trees in a way that takes your breath away.   Yes, it was a glorious morning, and since I was up I decided to make a batch of Morning Glory Muffins.  I was inspired by the day. Morning Glory Muffins to Start Your Day This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. When you shop using these links I receive compensation that helps support the publishing of this blog. Morning Glory Muffins What are Morning Glory Muffins? Morning Glory muffins are chock full of goodness with dried cranberries. carrots, grated apple, coconut, and walnuts.  They are hearty muffins that will remind you of carrot cake. Yum! The Reasons You Will Love Morning Glory Muffins This recipe makes twelve hearty muffins , full of "good for you" ingredients.  You'll find them to ...