May 1^st is National Chocolate Parfait Day, and I can’t think of a more delicious reason to celebrate! My name is Kathey Raskin, and I’d like to welcome you to my Las Vegas kitchen to learn how to whip up this easy dessert. A traditional parfait has a base of sugar syrup, egg, and cream, but you can make an easy version using ice cream, gelatins, instant pudding, whipped cream, or any other number of simple ingredients. You can also make healthy versions of this treat using fresh fruit, but we’re not here for that today, LOL!

Once you’ve tried my Ultimate Easy Chocolate Parfait recipe, you’ll understand why they chose to name this dessert after the word “perfect” in French. It really is perfection!

Ingredients

1 package instant chocolate pudding

2 cups full-fat milk

1 8 o...

Warning: The combination of sweet, spicy, and salty in this cheese ball makes it addictive.

Are you ready to celebrate National Cheese Ball Day with me, Kathey Raskin of Las Vegas? It’s only two days away! The cheese ball is a cocktail party classic, and your guests won’t soon forget this new twist on an old favorite— the Spicy Candied Pecan and Bacon Cheese Ball. The secret here is in the cheese. Combining medium sharp cheddar and cream cheese takes the edge off the hot sauce, while the candied nuts deliciously contrast it.

Ingredients

8-ounce) package room-temperature cream cheese

1 ½ cups shredded medium cheddar cheese

½ cup diced bacon (Don’t skimp here. Go for the good stuff!)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6–10 dashes hot sauce

1 cup candied pecans, crushed into pieces

1/4...

Hello everyone! This is Kathleen Raskin of Las Vegas, and I’d like to welcome you into my kitchen today to make homemade garlic sausage. Not many people make their own sausage these days, when busy schedules have left your average person looking for more convenient alternatives. Sausage-making may be a forgotten art to most, but once you’ve tasted the results for yourself you may be ready to bring it back.

Serve this recipe with pasta for a dish that’ll please all ages. My family’s favorite is homemade ravioli! You can adjust the ingredients of this sausage to make it spicy by using hot paprika or any other seasonings you prefer. This is your chance to get creative. It’s sausage, after all. How can you go wrong with homemade sausage? You can’t!

If you live in an area with ...

Hello from Kathleen Raskin’s Las Vegas kitchen! April 2^nd is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, but for millions of parents across the US, this holiday is observed 365 days per year. Some kids never seem to get tired of PBJ, but adults require more variety. There’s no need for you to get stuck in a PBJ rut when there are so many ways to have fun with it.

Believe it or not, peanut butter was first used by the ancient Aztecs, and the first reference to the PBJ was published in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics by Julia Davis Chandler in 1901. At the time, peanut butter was considered a delicacy, and it was served in the finest tearooms of New York. It is unclear when children hijacked the dish and made it their own.

You may be surprised...