Chocolate Chip Cake

 

A  dessert that blends one's love of chocolate chip cookies and yellow cake. It's the perfect summer treat with your favorite cup of coffee or tea. 

The recipe was adapted from inspiredbycharm.com

This Chocolate Chip Cake is a classic homemade yellow cake that’s extra moist thanks to a special ingredient: yogurt, though sour cream works too.  
Why you will love it

• Uncomplicated ingredients. Everything you need is probably already in your pantry or fridge. It’s the perfect recipe for when you want to whip up something delightful without a trip to the store.
• It’s loaded with chocolate chips. Go big or go home. The amount of chocolate chips in this cake is perfection.
• Serve it any time of the day. It’s wonderful as a breakfast or brunch sweet, perfect with afternoon coffee/tea. 

Cake Ingredients: 

• 2-1/2 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs 
• 1- 1/2 cups yogurt plain (5%fat) or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 package 10 oz. dark or milk chocolate chips

Topping 

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup crushed walnuts

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with baking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. (This will take about three minutes.) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream or yogurt and vanilla. Beat to combine. Fold in chips. 
• Add the prepared dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat to combine. (Usually, this takes about 2 minutes at medium speed.)
• Spread in an even layer with a spatula.
• In a small bowl, prepare the topping by whisking together the sugar and cinnamon, adding in crushed nuts. Sprinkle the batter with the cinnamon-sugar nut mixture.
  
• Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
• Allow the cake to cool before serving. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Summer in a Bowl

Garden Fresh Tortellini Salad 

One of the joys of summer is having garden produce readily available in your yard or found at a local Farmer's Market. This pasta salad takes advantage of garden-fresh, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and fresh herbs. It adds loads of flavor with a light herb dressing and texture with creamy avocado, corn, al dente cheese tortellini, and salty Parmesan cheese. It's a healthy vegetarian salad you can make early in the day and refrigerate in an airtight container. I used both spinach cheese tortellini and spiral pasta for contrast. Add crumbled Parmesan Cheese Crisps right before serving. Adapted from averiecooks.com; serves 4-6.

This salad is customizable and perfect for potlucks and summer gatherings.  

Salad Ingredients:

• One 10-ounce package spinach cheese tortellini
• 1 cup dry spiral pasta
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup corn (fresh if possible or frozen that's been thawed may be used)
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced (cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half, may be substituted)
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced or zucchini
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, laid loosely in measuring cup and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more if desired (feta, blue cheese, or your favorite shredded or crumbled cheese may be substituted)

Dressing Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil or lemon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

Directions:

• Cook tortellini and spiral pasta according to package directions, al dente. Drain, and set aside. While tortellini and pasta cook, prep and chop the remaining ingredients.
• To a large bowl, add the avocado, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
• In a blender, add olive oil, lemon juice (zest the lemon before juicing), honey, Italian seasoning, parsley flakes, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and blend to combine. Taste and check for seasoning balance, making any necessary adjustments.
• Add the tortellini and spinach cheese tortellini; toss gently with dressing to combine. Taste and check for seasoning balance, making any necessary adjustments. Chill the salad for 45 minutes. Add more dressing if needed. 
• Top with crumbled cheese crisps to serve.

Northwoods Art and Book Festival

31st Annual Northwoods Art and Book Festival 2026

It was a picture-perfect day for the festival with record-breaking crowd attendance in Hackensack, MN 

With so many books and so many choices, book lovers found a little bit of heaven at the 2026 Northwoods Art and Book Festival. 
Cook's Notes: Take the talents of 36 Minnesota authors, mix them with assorted titles and genres, spice it up with visitors of all ages, combine with animated literary conversations and book signings, add in a tantalizing program on the importance of sharing and documenting family stories, and you have a recipe for success. 

What a stellar line-up of authors who trekked to Hackensack to share their literary talents. Their creativity knows no bounds with their table settings and banners. Their smiles radiate happiness as they shared books with festival visitors. 

MEET THE 2026 FESTIVAL AUTHORS  

Rich Sherry

Jan Payne

Brenda Lyne

Julie Jo Larson

Darrell Pedersen

Scott Welvaert

Julie Guth

Jan Belanger

Brenda Massman

Bill Durbin

Ron Elcombe

Jeff Krogstad

Jonathan Sweet

Marge Mathison Hance

Margaret Blenkush (right) and twin sister Mary Lundquist (left)

CA Lewis

Niomi Phillips (left) Sharon Harris (right)

Mike Lein

Joe Egan

Mary Perrine

Nathan Jorgenson 

Bruce Carlson 

Jodie Leigh Murray 

Candace & Keith Simar 

Laura Hern 

William Burleson 

Christine Husom 

Jason Willis 

Rhonda Buerkle 

Chris Norbury 

Justin Delzer 

David Bruns-Olson 

Mary Seifert 

William Andersen

SAVE THE DATE: Next year's festival is August 14, 2027

Peach Salsa

A Fresh Peach

There is nothing in the world

That is as juicy or as sweet

As a freshly picked peach

Oh, what a luscious treat

Picked right from the tree

Soft but still quite firm

Pristine fresh it is

Free from scars or worms

Fuzzy on the surface

But very succulent inside

Oh, how delicious the taste

Such a moist, flavorful ride

To find the perfect fruit

Is not beyond your reach

One of Mother Nature’s best

The delicious fresh peach!

by Marilyn Lott

 PEACH SALSA

Cook's notes: What a delicious sauce that can be served with grilled chicken or pork chops. I had some extra fruit, so I added in blueberries, strawberries, and chopped fresh basil. The salsa is enough for 4 pork chops or 2-3 large pieces of chicken. Adapted from Southern Living July 2012

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup diced sweet onions 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 of a yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2-3 large peaches, cut in chunks
• 2 tablespoons good quality dark or white balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Salt to taste
• Optional: add-ins: blueberries and strawberries and 1 tablespoon peach schnapps

Directions:

• In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté onions, peppers, and minced garlic until onions and garlic are limp.
• Whisk in ketchup, peach preserves, basil, brown sugar, and ginger.
• Cook on low heat uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Add in fruit and balsamic vinegar; cook 1-2 minutes more, and add salt to taste.
• Remove from heat and add in peach schnapps if using.
• Divide sauce in half and use half of the sauce to baste meat while grilling. Serve the remaining sauce with the meal. 
• Note: If using sauce on grilling, place meat on foil to avoid the sauce overflowing onto the grates.