​My mom wasn’t a lover of baking, but she had a few simple, delicious ‘go-to’ recipes She got this one from her friend Candy when we lived in St. Maarten. It’s a yummy way to use up stale bread - and it couldn't be easier to make!

Ingredients:
1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple – well drained
½ pound (2 sticks) of butter or margarine – melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 well beaten eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 to 10 slices of bread cut into bite sized pieces. My mom used to remove the crusts, but I keep them on. Either way works!

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease or spray (Pam for baking) a 2-quart casserole dish and set it aside.
In a large bowl mix the pineapple, melted butter, sugar and eggs. Fold in the bread. Pour everything into the casserole dish and sprinkle the top with cinnamon.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm. Allow to cool for 15 minutes then serve with vanilla ice cream for the kids or rum sauce and toasted coconut for the grownups!
 
Rum Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon dark rum – or to your taste
Directions:
Combine the heavy cream, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over low heat. Do not let it boil or the mixture will crystallize! When sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the rum. Pour the warm rum sauce over the pineapple pudding and enjoy.

I couldn’t share recipes without including cheesecake. It’s my family’s favorite. Always requested for birthdays and celebrations! This recipe makes a rich, decadent cheesecake... that's worth the calorie splurge!

One important point – it requires chilling overnight, or at least for 12 hours, before serving. 
 
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Ingredients:
Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter

Cheesecake Filling:
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter, cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or lemon or orange, or any flavor you prefer)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
​
Lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan with baking spray. Set aside.

For the graham cracker crust:
In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the ½ cup melted butter. Press crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before adding the cheesecake filling.

For the cheesecake filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in the ‘cooled’ melted butter and vanilla extract (or the flavor extract that you prefer). Pour mixture into spring form pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven while it cools. The center of the cheesecake will still appear a little jiggly. This is okay. Leave the cheesecake in the spring form pan and place in your refrigerator overnight or for at least 12 hours before serving (the cheesecake firms up as it chills).
 
To serve, remove the sides of the spring form pan. Garnish with whipped cream and fruit. Enjoy!!