Sweets To Impress

17/09/2026

Is fall your favorite flavor? It’s mine. 🍁

So when I was invited to an exchange of homemade gifts celebrating the season, pumpkin spice and maple immediately came to mind. 🍂

I made fragrant, buttery pumpkin-spice cookies and maple fudge pumpkins decorated with fondant leaves brushed with gold. Tucked between the sweets were packets of mulling spices, each with a handmade tag: “A little something to mull over.”

A gift from your kitchen needn’t be this elaborate. A small cellophane bag of your favorite autumn treats, with a packet of mulling spices on the side, would be a lovely way to celebrate a friendship and the cozy season ahead. 🎃

23/08/2026

The Matadors were back for year XXVII—because after 51 years of friendship and 27 annual golf weekends, everyone deserves his own cake.

Individual chocolate cakes topped with swirls of chocolate buttercream, edible gold stars and a custom XXVII medallion, then wrapped in a little San Gabriel High School pride. ❤️💙⭐️

Go, Matadors!

11/08/2026

You’re going to want to save this post. 😎

Here’s how to make your own dipped ice cream bars—or, as we call them in Southern California, particularly here in Orange County, Balboa Bars. The local classic was made famous on tiny Balboa Island.

The printable recipe card is the final slide for you to save, screenshot or print.

Dipping your own ice cream bar or frozen banana bite into the chocolate of your choice and then adding toppings is a fun, interactive dessert. Making plain vanilla ice cream bars required a little more experimenting than I expected—but I’ve nailed it for you!

Here’s what worked:

Spoon slightly softened vanilla ice cream into silicone bar molds, insert the sticks and smooth the tops. I used the two-pack of half-gallon vanilla ice cream containers from Costco; the molds and sticks came from Amazon.

Freeze for more than 24 hours. The bars need to be completely solid before dipping.

Make the shell dips:

For the chocolate, I highly recommend Guittard wafers. The flavor was excellent and they melted beautifully.

• Milk chocolate: 24 ounces Guittard milk chocolate wafers + 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Dark chocolate: 24 ounces Guittard 66% semisweet wafers + 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Butterscotch: 11 ounces butterscotch morsels + ¼ cup refined coconut oil to start

Melt each dip separately and gently until completely smooth, then allow it to cool to room temperature. If it thickens as it sits, warm it briefly and stir. You don’t want the chocolate too warm or it will begin melting the ice cream.
Pour the dips into tall, narrow containers. I used glass Weck canning jars. Their shape provided enough depth to cover the bars without requiring an enormous amount of chocolate.
Dip the frozen bars—or frozen banana bites—and immediately add the toppings. The shell begins setting within about 20–30 seconds, so this is not the time to contemplate whether you are more of a crushed-Oreo or rainbow-jimmies person.

The finished dipped and sprinkled bars can also be returned to the freezer until you’re ready to serve them.

11/08/2026

You’re going to want to save this post for how to make your own ice cream bars, or as we call them in Southern California particularity in Orange County - Balboa bars, as they originated on the tiny enclave Balboa Island.

The ‘recipe’ is listed at the end of the scroll for you to print.

Dipping your on ice cream bar and frozen banana bites in the chocolate of your choice and then into topping or sprinkles is a fun and interactive. They were—but making plain vanilla ice cream bars required a little more experimenting than I expected but I’ve nailed it for you!

Here’s what worked:

Spoon slightly softened vanilla ice cream (Costco sells vanilla 2- 1/2 gallons packs that taste great) into silicone bar molds (Amazon), insert the sticks (Amazon) and smooth the tops. Freeze for more than 24 hours. The bars need to be completely solid before dipping.
Make the shell dips:

Chocolate - Guittard (I highly recommend. The flavor and melting point was both excellent.)

• Milk chocolate: 24 ounces Guittard milk chocolate wafers + 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Dark chocolate: 24 ounces Guittard 66% semisweet wafers + 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Butterscotch: 11 ounces butterscotch morsels + ¼ cup refined coconut oil to start

Melt each dip separately and gently until completely smooth, then allow it to cool to room temperature. If it solidifies slightly you can heat it up but you don’t want the chocolate too warm or it will melt the ice cream.
Pour the dips into tall, narrow containers. I used the glass Wreck canning jars. This provides enough depth to cover the bars without requiring an enormous amount of chocolate.
Dip the frozen bars—or frozen banana bites—and immediately add the toppings. The shell begins to set within about 20–30 seconds, so this is not the time to contemplate whether you are more of a crushed-Oreo or rainbow-jimmies person.

You can also keep ready-made dipped and sprinkled bars in the freezer.

21/07/2026

19/07/2026

Who says the best pasta sauce has to be red?

This one begins with handfuls of fresh Sun Gold tomatoes picked straight from the garden. Simmered with garlic until they collapse into a silky, intensely flavored, naturally sweet sauce, then tossed with pasta and Parmesan. A leaf or two of basil for that final touch, and of course, a slice of freshly baked sourdough—now a staple in our home.

Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the most memorable meals. 💛✨

Wondering where these little beauties came from? Head over to Marilyn | The Marimac Almanac for the garden story behind today’s harvest. Just look for the photo of five Sun Gold tomatoes on the vine. 🌿 You just might find yourself wanting a dab of tomato plant perfume by the time you’re done reading.

14/06/2026

Fairway fuel.
Because nobody putts well when they’re hungry. ⛳️

Chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies sprinkled with honey roasted peanuts and fleur de sel.

26/05/2026

It’s smooth sailing toward summer… and I can’t wait. ⛵️☀️💙

04/05/2026

Celebrating two very special people in my life. 💖
I brought the lunchables. 😎

03/04/2026

Good morning! I salute you with a 21 bun salute.
(Actually I made 61… but let’s not split hares.) 🐰

Question: grass or no grass for these little 2” bunnies?
They’re headed for a basket where everyone picks their favorite.

However today finds you, I wish you a very Good Friday. 🌸 💛





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