Family favorites
Last week I told you about our trip to the Natick Mall in Massachusetts. What I did not tell you is that my friend Judy and I went there for a large part to go to the Wegmans Grocery Store. If you have ever been to a Wegmans you understand what I’m saying. If you have not been to a Wegmans it’s worth grabbing a cooler and taking a little road trip.
Wegmans is a family-owned business that opened its headquarters in 1916 in Rochester N.Y. and to this date, they have 101 stores, most of them being in the North East area, although they do have one in North Carolina. I would love to see them in N.H. The first time I went to a Wegmans was about four years ago when we were visiting our daughter and her family in the finger lakes region of N.Y. I was like a ‘kid in a candy store” that day! So much so my family still makes fun of me for it! I have been to three different Wegmans and I can say they are just a little bit different. Some of them have a restaurant in them, some have more than one restaurant and some don’t have the restaurant but offer everything else the larger Wegmans have. Today I am going to tell you about the Wegmans store at the Natick Mall in Massachusetts.
Because we came into Wegmans on the second floor after enjoying our lunch, that’s where we started. The second floor fills all of your senses with all of the sights and incredible smells. They have a huge array of food bars that you can eat in or take out. These include fresh-made pizza, wing bar, salad bar, Asian stir fry to just name a few. Everything looked so fresh and smelled so good, but I have to say I was glad we just had lunch as I think I would have wanted to eat at each one of these food stations! But don’t worry they have much of what they offer in a meal to-go containers for you to have when you get home!
Once we made it past all of the food bars we made our way over to the cheese section. I can just say this is the largest cheese selection I have seen without going to a stand-alone cheese store. The cheese area has everything you would want on a cheese board including a vast array of charcuterie boards and cheese knives. They also have someone there to answer all of your questions and give you information about all of the cheeses. They also have some pre-packed items with cheese, nuts, and meats.
As we made our way around the corner there was a beautiful and very impressive flower area where you can pick out plants and flowers for your own arrangement or choose one already made.
Next to the flower area was a huge array of fresh fruit, they have a large selection of pre-cut fruits to make any meal fast and easy. The fruits and vegetable area were filled with everything you would expect with many exotic fruits as well. This is where I found these sugar cane sticks that can be used in drinks or used to skewer meats for the grill. I’m very excited to try these!
The bakery! Oh my! Some serious sweet goodness here! They had every sweet treat imaginable. Cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, pastries of all kinds and let’s not forget sweet sticky buns. If you are gluten-free, no worries they have you covered! I brought Robby a few treats of his own!
The meat and seafood section is endless. Everything you would expect, but they also offer meat in bulk for larger families or gatherings. I always enjoy the various burgers they offer. The patties are already made up and some of them include cheese and bacon and a number of other options. The marinated meats are also very good and they do tell you if the product is gluten-free. That’s a huge bonus for me as much of the time I make my own marinade to be safe.
This picture below is just a small snapshot of some of the marinated and or take out seafood to go. Lots of breaded fish, lobster mac and cheese, marinated salmon, crab cakes and coconut shrimp. I took home some of the crab cakes and they were excellent. Judy took home some of the coconut shrimp and she too was very pleased.
Next, we had to make our way to the first floor and I have to tell you this is the first time I have been to a grocery store that has an escalator for not only people, but for your grocery carts! Yes! This was awesome!
The first floor is filled with all of your frozen foods, boxed items, canned goods, and even home goods. Lots of gluten-free options here as well. And if you are looking for some spirits as well no need to go to the liquor store as they have a massive array of craft beers, beers, and wine as well as hard liquor. This is an all in one-stop-shop.
There is so much happening at Wegmans I can’t possibly put it into one post. Be sure to check out their website and Facebook pages for more information and information on the closest store to you and what that particular store offers. I should mention that Wegmans works with over 400 farms to bring you fresh and local ingredients. If that is not enough Wegmans, also caters!
When I came upon this recipe on Pinterest from the website Momma Knows Gluten Free, I knew right away Robby would love this dish. I also made this dairy-free using Earth’s Balance butter. I used a gluten-free flour that HAS xanthan gum, so if yours does not be sure to add 3/4 teaspoon to your flour mixture. You and your gluten-free friends will love this dish and your gluten eaters won’t know the difference! It’s a win, win! Robby has already requested this one again and that does not happen often!
INGREDIENTS
For the cake
- 1 cup softened butter. For dairy-free, use Earth’s Balance or Smart Balance
- 2 cups of sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten-free flour
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour does not have it already in it
- 1 teaspoon GF baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup buttermilk for dairy-free. I used Fair Life and added 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to the milk and let stand for 5 minutes.
- 3 cups of apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
For the glaze
- 1/3 cup melted butter, I used Earth’s balance
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- sprinkle with powdered sugar-optional
DIRECTIONS
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together in your mixer. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and wet cake ingredients to your bowl and mix until combined. The batter will be thick. Add your peeled and chopped apples and the pecans and stir by hand to combine. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
For the Glaze
Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Don’t bring it to a boil.
While the cake is still warm and still in the pan, poke holes all over the cake using toothpicks going down as far into the cake as you can without going all the way to the very bottom. Pour the butter glaze all through the cake letting the mixture soak into the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then invert to a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Enjoy!
I always have banana’s around aa my family really enjoys banana bread. I am always looking for something new. This recipe I found on Pinterest and just might be my favorite banana bread or at least a close second to one of the banana loaves of bread from Taste of Home. That one has crushed pineapple in it. I like this one because it adds a nice crunch topping.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BANANA BREAD
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 very ripe banana’s
- 1/2 cup walnuts, optional
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, oats, sugar, and salt. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and mashed banana’s.
Pour dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add walnuts to the batter and mix to combine.
Make your topping in a separate bowl by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Using a fork, incorporate the butter until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Pour half of your banana bread batter into the prepared dish, top with half of the cinnamon mixture. Pour remaining batter into the pan and top with the remaining cinnamon mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
Enjoy!
I love the combination of caramel and apples so when I saw this recipe from Taste of Home, I knew I wanted to make it. I’m so glad I did as this was very good. It did take a little bit of time to make but the outcome was sweet and creamy with a nice crunchy top.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 2 packages cream cheese, softened 8 Oz.
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a well-greased 13×9 baking dish and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile in a large bowl beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low speed just until combined. Spread over the cooled crust.
In a small bowl toss apples with cinnamon nutmeg and remaining sugar. Spoon over the cream cheese layer. In another bowl mix flour, brown sugar, and oats. Cut in butter until crumbly and sprinkle over the apple layer.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!
This cake is a keeper for us! This cake does take a little time but it is well worth it. This is a great dessert to share on Valentine’s Day or any day as it’s sweet and tart and so fresh with the raspberry sauce. It was hard to not just grab a fork and dig in right from the pan. That really might happen sometimes at my house..don’t judge too harshly!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream, can use light
- 1 large lemon zested
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package instant lemon pudding (3.4 ounces)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 Oz)
THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
- 3- 6-ounce containers of fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- zest of one lemon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color. Just a couple of minutes. Scrape the bowl down as needed. Add in the sour cream and lemon zest beat again until combined.
in a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and beat on low speed while pouring in half of the buttermilk and mix until the flour starts to incorporate. Add the remaining dry ingredients mixing on low while adding the other half of the buttermilk beating until all ingredients are combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 28-32 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. While the cake is cooling use a toothpick to poke holes all over the entire cake, not going all the way to the bottom. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake and let it run down into all of the holes. This keeps the cake incredibly moist. Let the cake continue to cool completely.
FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and flour in a medium-size pot. Gently crush the raspberries and add the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat while stirring until it starts to bubble slightly. Once the sauce is bubbling and thick remove it from the stove and allow the sauce to cool until it’s no longer steaming. Pour the raspberry sauce over the top of the cake spreading evenly. Refrigerate the cake until it has completely cooled.
FOR THE TOPPING
Beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed for several minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cake when the cake is completely cooled. Zest lemon over the top if desired.
Enjoy
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