Oh Adele, I'm sorry to hear about your mother, but what a perfect weekend for her and for your family. Hug her once for me too, please. This forum has provided me with some of the best friends I've ever had and I've greatly grown as a cook in my time here. I like Sherry's sign "None of us is as smart as all of us", it's very true. And I'm also happy to see you back, welcome home. Annie

Sharon, that tart looks delicious. Looking forward to the recipe. Beth, Tiramisu birthday cake. What a treat. Jim, this is definitely a keeper recipe. White Beans and Sausage Source: David Leite's - The New Portuguese Table - My Family's White Beans and Sausage 1 pound dried navy, small California white or great northern beans, washed and sorted 1/2 pound bacon 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced Bay leaf olive oil 3/4 pound Chourico, Linguica or Dry-Cured Smoked Spanish Chorizo cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste 1 tablespoon sweet paprika water ( I used chicken broth) Salt Freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste (squeeze tube) Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley Heat a large pot over medium low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the meaty bits are crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Bump up the heat to medium, add the chourico and sear until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chourico to paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Or, if the pot is dry , drizzle in some oil. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning. Add the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Drain the beans and dump them into the pot, along with the chourico and red pepper flakes, and 3 1/2 cups of water (I used chicken broth). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let burble gently. Stiring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Begin checking at 45 minutes, but it may take as long as 1 1/2 hours , depending on your beans' add more water (chicken broth) if needed. Fish out and toss the bay leaf. Stir in the tomato paste and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the beans sit uncovered for 10 minutes to absorb and excess liquid. Serve. Here is a link that might be useful: Thibeault's Table White Beans and Sausage

Mostly I make berry trifle but at Christmas last year I made this recipe. It was in a cooking magazine and on the front cover. It was very yummy! I did make my own lady fingers...couldn't find fresh ones at the bakery. Here is the White Chocolate/Spiced Pear Tiramisu Trifle recipe for you (courtesy of Epicurious, Bon Appetit's wonderful website) Spiced Pears: 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine 2 cups pear juice or pear nectar 1 1/4 cups sugar 12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet 4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick) 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 5 large firm but ripe Anjou pears (3 to 31/4 pounds), peeled White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse: 7 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped 1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy) 1/4 cup water 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese* 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream Trifle Assembly: 3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers,** separated 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger White chocolate curls 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Preparation For spiced pears: Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer. Cool. Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold. For mousse: Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. For trifle assembly: Cut pears lengthwise in half and remove cores and stems; cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers). Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers. Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin). Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely. Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over). Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate trifle and remaining pear syrup separately. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Garnish with chocolate curls. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated. Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.

All these desserts sound scrumptious to me! I can just hear Paula Deen saying it's not yo' mama's banana pudding. I get distracted by her accent when watching her program and often end up missing some of the action, LOL. amck, my dd discovered a Buttermilk Brownie Cake recipe about a year ago, and now all the guys in our family want it on their birthdays. It is very moist, utterly delicious. Here's the recipe, in case you are interested: BUTTERMILK BROWNIE CAKE Cake ingredients: 2 c. sugar 2 c. all-purpose flour (dd gets better results w/bread flour) 1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa 1 c. water 1/2 c. oil 1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 tsp. baking soda 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla extract Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease (we use cooking spray) a 15" x 10" pan. (Dd uses a 9" x 13" glass dish, no problem.) 2. Stir sugar, flour, and cocoa together in a large bowl. 3. In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring water, oil, and butter to a boil. Add to flour mixture and mix well. 4. Add buttermilk, baking soda, beaten eggs, and vanilla, stirring well after each addition. Beat well and pour into prepared pan or dish. 5. Bake 20-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, in pan, on wire rack. Frosting Ingredients: 1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa 1/3 c. buttermilk 4 c. powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Directions: Combine butter, cocoa, and buttermilk in a 3-qt. saucepan with a whisk; and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract with mixer at low speed. Spread over cake. This is very easy to transport because it stays in its baking dish. (I apologize if these directions seem overly simplistic. Dd is still a novice cook, so I specify things for her that experienced cooks would already know.)