Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe (No Bake Chocolate Pie)

Do you want to serve an elegant dessert for your next party, but you have very little time? Try these blackberry and chocolate cream pies. I created these no bake chocolate cream pies in almost no time for my little sis-in-law Lya's pool party. The girls helped me crush some Oreo cookies for the pie crust; we used instant Jell-O chocolate pudding and topped the mini pies with fresh berries. The mini pies were assembled in record time and they were gone just as fast.

After making the desserts, I had plenty of time to relax with the girls, which is exactly what I wanted. It’s no fun if everyone enjoys themselves at your party but you!

Grilled Vegetable Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

After the pool party we recently hosted, we had lots of leftover grilled vegetables. Pasta salads are a great way to make use of leftover veggies, so today I prepared some for the family. It was really easy; all I needed to do was boil some pasta and add some salad dressing to it.

This time around I made a spicy salad dressing that I drizzled over fusilli pasta, roasted bell peppers, grilled eggplant, grilled Portobello mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. This meal met everyone's diet, except for my father-in-law who's allergic to mushrooms (no meat, not nuts, no eggs), so I placed the grilled mushrooms on the side.

Cantaloupe and Cherry Fruit Salad with Maple Ginger Syrup

We're hitting the very end of cherry season in California. I made a fruit salad combining cherries and sweet cantaloupe. Once pitted and sliced, I let the fruits macerate in cardamom and ginger-flavored maple syrup until the juices begin to flow. I also spiced the fruit salad with thinly sliced candied ginger to accentuate the flavor.

This is a quick and easy dessert recipe that celebrates the end of the summer. There's probably a week or two left to enjoy cherries; otherwise you'll have to wait till next year or hit the frozen aisle of your market. 

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches are the most delicious, easiest finger foods to make. All you need is sliced white bread, butter and of course, cucumbers. To enhance the flavor, I also spread a thin layer of parsley and garlic chive cream cheese spread.

We hosted a pool party today for Lya (my 13-year-old sis-in-law) and her classmates. I think everyone had fun, splashing in the water, chatting and reuniting right before school starts. They all seemed very hungry after swimming and the little cucumber sandwiches and other finger foods went fast!

Mulberry Juice

Lulu's dad is absolutely crazy about mulberries. They are probably his favorite fruit. Yesterday, he asked me if we could make mulberry juice instead of mulberry jam this year, and I was happy to oblige. I picked a handful of the blackest, ripest mulberries I could find on the tree. If you’ve never had a mulberry before, they have a wonderfully complex sweet / tart flavor with hints of pepper when fully ripe. The flavor is almost indescribable. When they get really ripe, the juice thickens to a syrup-like consistency. It’s so thick and intense tasting that I had to dilute it with water to make juice.

A dozen or so mulberries makes about a cup of juice, which is an excellent yield. Daddy is going to be enjoying his freshly squeezed pomegranate juice soon, but for now I’ll be treating him to a daily cup of mulberry juice.