Destinations Diva

    My Nola mother in law had a few gems in her recipe file and this recipe is the star!  The genius use of meringue, when baked, becomes a crunchy,  chocolatey base for the whipped, creamy chocolate filling.  Janie's Cocoa Fluff Pie Ingredients:   Pie Crust: 4 egg whites 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa   1 cup chopped pecans Creamy Topping: 1/2 pint (8 oz) of whipped cream or whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) 3 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. cocoa powder Garnish: chocolate sprinkles or shavings Directions: To make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Whip 4 egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.  Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar. In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup cocoa, and 1 cup chopped pecans.  Fold into egg white mixture.   Spread on the bottom and sides of a buttered pie pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow the crust to cool. To Make the Topping:   Whip the whipping cream until ...

Granny's Shrimp (or Crawfish) Mold     Don't be put off by the name.  This is a "molded" appetizer, hence the name.  If the process of molding is a little daunting, you can certainly eliminate the gelatin and serve as a dip instead.    Ingredients: 1 can condensed tomato soup 2 packets Knox Gelatine dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water 6 ounces packages cream cheese at room temperature 3 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise 3/4 cup finely minced celery 1 teaspoon finely chopped green onion 1-2 teaspoons minced parsley  1 pound cooked shrimp or crawfish, chopped Ritz crackers Directions: Heat tomato soup and add the dissolved gelatine.   Remove from heat and add cream cheese and mayonnaise.  Whisk to blend.   Add shrimp and vegetables and pour into a wet mold.   Refrigerate until set.   Serve with Ritz crackers. Mary deSilva is a travel guide author, YouTube Vlogger, and artist. Buy Me a Coffee!   Use the link to support continuin...

This recipe is a great way to use boneless chicken thighs.     Chicken with Mango Barbecue Sauce This delicious recipe includes a spice rub for seasoning the chicken thighs.  The chicken is then browned and cooked in the sauce. For more asian flavor, add a little extra soy sauce and sriracha to taste. Ingredients: 6 boneless chicken thighs, skin removed.  Serve whole pieces or cut into large chunks 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil Spice Rub Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon brown sugar Mango BBQ Sauce Ingredients:  4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil 1 small onion, chopped  1 fresh large or 2 small mango, peeled and diced 1 or 2 fresh jalapeño peppers or Serrano peppers, chopped and seeds removed 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup...

The Easiest Filipino Pancit Noodles    Asian noodles are one of my favorite foods so when I recently came across Pancit, it sounded like a dish that is right up my alley.  I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand (more or less) and I decided that Saturday lunch was a great time to try it.  I had been craving Asian food but just hadn't had a chance to get out to a restaurant.  I also hate delivery.  It is never as good when it is delayed.     As far as the recipe, I read a recipe which used Italian vermicelli noodles and this tipped me off that it probably wasn't a very authentic recipe (not that mine in either).  As usual, I did my research on Youtube Shorts, I found lots of recipes, many which are their grandmother's recipe which spells out "Comfort Food!" I found out that Pancit is available in many forms, with many recipes using bihon noodles.  I had little bundles of thin rice noodles so that is what I used.  Another ma...

     My husband and I recently went on a fantastic trip to northern Italy.  We have been to southern Italy before but couldn't wait to see more of the country.  We traveled to Milan, Lake Como, Florence and back to Milan with a side trip on the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, Switzerland. Day One     We began our journey with a flight through the Chicago Midway airport where we ordered a  Chicago pizza before boarding the transatlantic flight.  Consider this "pre-gaming" for our Italy trip. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza     We flew into Milan's Malpensa  airport and into a private transfer to Cernobbio   (cher-no-bee-oh) , which is close to Lake Como's largest city, Como City.  We stayed at the Sheraton Lake Como which is a great hotel for American travelers who want an "American style" r oom with a king sized bed.  We were walking distance to the Tavernola ferry stop and when we arrived we settled into our room an...