Enjoyed a delicious lunch at Ruscello at Nordstrom Mayfair after shopping.

Margherita Pizza

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Cakes
9 oz pkg devil's food cake mix
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 Tbsp water
1/4-1/3 cup coffee liqueur

Filling & Topping
1-1/2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping
8 oz mascarpone or cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray cups of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray. For cakes, combine cake mix, sour cream, egg, coffee granules and water in Classic Batter Bowl; mix using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Divide batter evenly among cups of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.
2. Meanwhile, place whipped topping into large resealable plastic bag; secure and set aside. For filling, combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in clean batter bowl; mix until smooth using clean scraper. Place filling into an additional resealable plastic bag; secure and set aside.
3. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Press tops of cakes with lightly floured Mini-Tart Shaper to make slight indentations; cool 2 minutes. Remove cakes from pan to cooling rack. Brush tops with coffee liqueur using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush; cool completely.
4. Trim corners of both bags. Pipe filling over cakes. Pipe whipped topping over filling. Sprinkle with cocoa powder, if desired.

24 servings


Pampered Chef


Calories 120, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 105 mg, Fiber 0 g


If desired, 1-2/3 cups of devil's food cake mix from an 18.25-oz package can be used for this recipe.

To substitute coffee liqueur, combine 1/4 cup (50 mL) water, 1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) instant coffee granules and 1 tsp rum extract in Prep Bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved; cool.

We celebrated New Year's Eve with another couple at Zesti in Hartland. The decor is cozy with a combination of modern and rustic elements. A newer restaurant in the lake country area and off to a good start because it can be quite busy during lunch and you likely need reservations on the weekends. Let's hope it sticks around because we need more restaurants like this in our area.

As for our meal, it too did not disappoint. For starters, I ordered the Cucumber Cosmo, which was quite tasty. We both ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese because of our love of the dish at Il Mito (their sister restaurant). Our friend ordered the evening's special of Lamb Shanks with Roasted Asparagus and Lobster Mashed Potatoes. Needless to say, our friend was the big winner. Although we loved our pasta, we tasted his dish, and it was heavenly.

Spaghetti Bolognese	Lamb Shanks Special
Cucumber Cosmo

12-oz bottle chili sauce
9 oz grape jelly
2-2.5 lbs. frozen meatballs


Add chili sauce and grape jelly to crockpot; stir to combine. Add meatballs to sauce and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours until meatballs heated through.


Friend

A work holiday party took us to Chicago for quick overnight. After the usual networking in the earlier hours, afterward we treated ourselves to a dinner out on the town at Roy's. The cocktails, the food and the service were all outstanding. We would highly recommend!

1988	Roy's Island Mai Tai
Chicken Entree	Roy's Trio (salmon, butterfish & mahi mahi)