Today is National Maple Syrup Day, so let’s celebrate with bacon! My name is Kathey Raskin, and like many Americans I’m a bacon addict. There is no occasion too big or too small for this breakfast favorite, and it makes a delicious addition to many dishes. Despite the many varieties of bacon dishes available, my favorite is relatively simple: brown sugar and maple carmelized bacon. If you like your dishes spicy, you’ll love this with a dash of cayenne!

Kathey Jo’s Perfect Maple Cayenne Brown Sugar Bacon

You won’t need many ingredients for this dish! Here’s a list:

• One pound or more high-quality bacon. I love the extra-thick bacon from Whole Foods Market best!
• Dark or light brown sugar
• Pure maple syrup
• Cayenne pepper

It’s really that simple! To make this bacon you’ll need to prehe...

December 12^th is National Popcorn String Day, which makes today the perfect time to make a fun, edible garland for your tree! (If it makes it that far—some of these are so tasty they don’t.) My name is Kathey Raskin, and I’d like to wish you and your family Merry Christmas and happy holidays from my Las Vegas, Nevada kitchen.

Colored Popcorn Garland is a new twist on an old favorite, and your kids and grandkids will love this project from Inspiring Momma!

Want to learn how to make a beautiful Old-Timey Garland? Herban Lifestyle has created this how-to for old-fashioned cranberry and popcorn garlands just like you used to make with mom—or even grandma!

Did you know you can even make Edible Christmas Garland for your Chickens? I know how popular backyard chickens are for serio...

December 4th is National Cookie Day, and you know cookies are what we do best here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen! My name is Kathey Raskin, and I’m a cookie addict. I’ll admit, you will find cookies in the oven in my Las Vegas kitchen at least once a week.

This year is an unusually busy one for my household, and I’m pressed for time. I know most of you are too, so I thought this week I’d share some of my favorite YouTube recipe tutorials for cookies you can make in a hurry.

Do you have a favorite quick and easy cookie recipe? Let us know in the comments!

It’s the perfect time of year for these easy sugar cookies from Chowhound.

This video features THREE three-ingredient cookie recipes. Thanks Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking!

Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies – what could be simp...

It’s been a few days since the holiday passed, and by now if you’re anything like me you are getting bored with turkey and stuffing sandwiches. My name is Kathey Raskin, and I’d like to welcome you to my Las Vegas kitchen. When it comes to creative ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers, the internet is a wonderful source of inspiration. You can use your leftover turkey for everything from nachos to egg rolls. The only limit when it comes to the year’s best leftovers is your imagination. This year I’d like to give thanks for my favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes. From timeless favorites to new and innovative, you’ll find something for everyone in the following recipe collection.

Inspiration from France

Mark Steines and Cristina Ferrare welcome actress Lorraine Toussaint from Fox’...

Ingredients

3 cups of white sugar

2 cups of light brown sugar

1⁄2 a cup of butter

1 12 oz can of evaporated milk

1 jar of marshmallow creme

1 16 oz jar of peanut butter

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Butterscotch chips (adjust to taste)

To make the fudge

Grease a 13 x 9 inch glass pan, then mix the sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, and don’t forget to stir constantly so it doesn’t burn. You’ll want to cook it for approximately seven minutes, then remove from heat and immediately stir in the butterscotch chips and marshmallow crème. Last but not least, mix in the peanut butter and vanilla. After that all that’s left is to pour in a pan, let cool, and cut into squares. It really is that easy!

Whether you are a grandma or you just want to c...

Happy Halloween from my Las Vegas kitchen! My name is Kathey Raskin, and Halloween is one of my favorite times of year to have children around. I love seeing their costumes when they come to my door for treats, but more than that I love serving Halloween-inspired treats to my grandchildren.

When it comes to making food spooky, you are limited only by your imagination. Here are a list of some of my favorite fast and simple Halloween hits:

• Mummy Crescent Rolls – Cut refrigerated crescent rolls into strips and criss-cross them around a hot dog, then bake according to the directions on the package. You can add faces to these with olives, condiments, and more.
• White Chocolate Ghosts – Anything becomes a ghost when you dip it in white chocolate and put candy eyes on it! You can find white cho...

Happy National Nut Day! My name is Kathey Raskin, and I’d like to invite you to my Las Vegas kitchen. My Sugar and Spice Nuts is one of my favorite recipes because you can whip it up in a hurry and serve it for any occasion, whether it’s game night or a PTA meeting. Your guests may ask you what the secret ingredient in this recipe is. It’s paprika! I’ve found when combined with the other spices and kosher salt it gives this mixture just the right amount of kick. Consider serving this dish with a platter of your favorite cheeses and a favorite cold weather drink like hot apple cider or Mexican hot chocolate.

Ingredients

¼ cup packed raw sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp kosher salt

1 cup almonds

1 cup pecans

1 cup dry...

I am Kathey Raskin, and I’d like to welcome you to my Las Vegas kitchen! Today is one of those lucky days when we have two incredible food holidays to celebrate, because it is both National Mushroom Day and National Red Wine day. These are two great tastes that taste great together, and with the weather getting cooler, doesn’t a hearty steak with red wine and mushroom sauce sound great?

One of my favorite things about this sauce is its simplicity. This is a versatile recipe, and many chefs add their own special twist. Personally, I enjoy a cream sauce using rich burgundy with a pinch of herbs du Provence and cremini mushrooms. With so many varieties of wines, mushrooms, and cuts of meat to choose from, you can really have a lot of fun with this recipe.

Some mushrooms you could choose...

Today is National Pulled Pork Day, and I can’t think of a better reason to celebrate! I am Kathey Raskin of Las Vegas, and I think pulled pork sandwiches are reason to throw a get-together any time of the year. This October the weather is all over the place across the US. Some of us are hot, some are cold, and some are drenched. This is a meal you can throw together in any circumstances, and you can adjust the sides to go with your situation. If it’s cold where you are, try serving with garlic mashed potatoes to warm your guests up. If it’s still warm, serve with a simple fruit salad. This is an incredibly versatile and easy meal with only one hard-and-fast rule, and that is this: if you want to get that smoky flavor in the slow cooker, don’t skip the Liquid Smoke!

To make pulled ...

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. Got you, didn’t I? But, doesn’t cooking feel that way sometimes? This classic television show – written and narrated by Rod Serling – aired from 1959-1964, and left an imprint on pop culture for years to come. Today, we’ll be drinking to celebrate the day in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. Do you have a themed drink to enjoy the day? Then let us know in the comments below.

The Twilight Zone

Ingredients

• 1 fluid ounce Bac...