HERB BUTTER

*Bundle chives with a rubber band and snip off however much you need Herb butter is easy to make and can add a lot of flavor to chicken, steak, fish and sauces. Since herbs go bad pretty quick, I'll make a lot of herb butter and freeze it. To freeze, form the butter into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Whenever you need the butter, just remove from the freezer and cut off a piece from one end. You can experiment with different herbs, but I like parsley and chives because they go pretty well with any type of meat.

DON'T USE MARGARINE, IT IS A POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL BUTTER!!!

Have ready:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter (soft-room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• fresh herbs (about 1 cup chives and 1/2 cup parsley)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

First, make sure the butter is soft (NOT MELTED). In bowl, mix butter, olive oil and fresh herbs. You can use a mixer if you'd like, but I just use a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into logs (using plastic wrap) and freeze or refridgerate.

Dad's birthday cakes

Red velvet cupcakes and a carrot cake I baked for my dad's birthday. Unfortuantely, I am not the world's greatest cake decorator so I had to use coconut to hide the imperfections. The recipe I used to make the red velvet cake required a cup and a half of oil... I think next time I'll try using butter. The cupcakes turned out a little greasy. All in all, pretty happy with the results.