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Things might be a little quiet around here for a short time as I settle into my new home at WordPress.Yes, it was time to move on from Blogger. Blogger filled my needs in the beginning but I'm now into my 5th year of blogging and I needed a fresh change, a new look with updated features, more user friendly for my readers and myself, and that's exactly what I got thanks to my very talented and very
I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of my most popular posts of 2012, it's always fun to see what peaks my readers interest.No name for This Salad which I made back in June, I'm a sucker for zucchini ribbons I just think they make every dish look pretty!Faux Spaghetti, I made this last January when the reality of all the holiday eating hit me hard and once again I needed to go lo
If your looking for a quick holiday appetizer to pull together on a moments notice have no fear, these bite size bundles are the perfect thing!Providing you have a box or two of puff pastry tucked away in your freezer. You have some don't you? If not you should!Take it straight out of the freezer, lay it on your counter, in ten or fifteen minutes you'll be able to separate the sheets. Then sprinkl
I made this recently and it was such a big hit I wanted to share! Succulent tiger shrimp with fresh artichoke hearts, sitting on a bed of creamy risotto.The flavor was super enhanced by this fabulous roasted garlic olive oil I received from Colavita. I love their olive oils but I never tried their roasted garlic version, all I can say is you need a bottle of this in your kitchen! I had a few
I don't consider myself a baker, using exact measurements is a difficult thing for me to do, as regular readers of my blog well know, but there are certain things I must bake every holiday season and one thing is Italian fig cookies or Cucidati, they're truly a family favorite.I've posted them a few times before but since my blog chronicles my life in food I thought I'd share some recent pic's of
A few days ago my cousin, sister-in-law and I spent the day together making ravioli for an annual party that we're having. This is a family recipe that my mother and aunt use to make. I have vivid memories of clean white sheets on dining room tables and beds filled with ravioli when I was young, and although I do things a little bit different then they did, I follow their recipe exactly, whi
Are you feeling a little guilty about all the Thanksgiving Day carbs you just had? How about a little detox before you start baking those cookies!This fresh, raw, spicy, sweet salad is the perfect remedy! I had this for lunch recently at Whole Foods, it was so good I copied down all the ingredients so I could make it at home.Chopped kale, shaved brussel sprouts, shredded carrots, sliced cele
I can't believe it's Thursday already and a week from today is Thanksgiving! This year just flew by to me. I'm usually very organized with my menu, but this year not so much. Oh course we'll have the usual, turkey, gravy, stuffing balls, streusel topped sweet potatoes, garlic mashed, green bean casserole (nothing coming from a can), corn casserole ( because my brother likes it
As I sit in the comfort of my home taking heat and electricity for granted, I can't stop thinking about all those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Lives were lost, homes destroyed, total devastation, many still without heat and power, and to make matters worse, snow is now on the ground.I have friends who are affected by this storm, if I were closer I'd make them all a big pot
I have to admit it was the name of this dish that first intrigued me! Sure I like chicken parmesan, so why wouldn't I like it in a meatloaf form? I was convinced to try this after my sister-in-law from Florida gave it rave reviews recently while we were talking on Facebook.What's not to like, it's tender, moist and loaded with so much flavor! You could definitely pin this under
Gnocchi, humble little Italian dumplings, that when made right, taste like soft and fluffy pillows of dough. Tis the season for pumpkins so I got inspired to make Pumpkin Gnocchi!I often make butternut squash gnocchi during the fall season and lately I've been making a huge pan as a pasta side for Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, everyone of them gets eaten up!I made my pumpkin gnocchi exactly t
Here is yet another version of a butternut squash lasagne in mini form, individually portioned. Round slices of butternut squash are layered in with a creamy ricotta mixture and topped off with a sage, garlic and parmesan infused bechamel. You can serve this as a main course along with a pretty fall salad, or as a side, with lets say, a pork roast, yum! I've done it both ways. This reci
Here is yet another version of a butternut squash lasagna in mini form, individually portioned. Round slices of butternut squash are layered in with a creamy ricotta mixture and topped off with a sage, garlic and parmesan infused bechamel. You can serve this as a main course along with a pretty fall salad, or as a side, with lets say, a pork roast, yum! I've done it both ways. This reci
As a child I have vivid memories of my parents, aunts and uncles sitting around a table after a big meal smoking cigarettes, laughing, always having a cup of coffee in their hands. A very close aunt and uncle lived on the next block over from our house and they would often just stop by for coffee, I remember my uncle would always say, "put the coffee on we're coming over!"Comi
The cooler weather is bringing out my urge to cook more comfort foods. When it's damp, rainy and cold outside, like it happens to be today, a salad just isn't going to cut it! I'm sharing with you two of a very long list of dinners that bring me comfort. Neither take too long to cook, so both would be great for a mid week meal as well as for the weekend.Boneless Pork Chops in a Creamy Mustar
The next time you have a pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove take the extra time and whip up a batch of these savory scones, don't they just scream fall?They're crunchy, cheesy, and filled with all things good, like pumpkin, kale and of course... a little bit of butter!Make sure you buy a sweet pumpkin that's for cooking and baking, or better yet, just use a butternut squash, it's a
This is a savory version of a napolean, layers and layers of your favorite vegetables all perched on top of a sturdy portobello base. These pretty bundles are the perfect side dish to any protein you make or a straight up main course served together with a salad.This dish was inspired by something my sister in law ordered while on vacation, her portobello was filled with Yukon gold potat
This is a savory version of a napoleon, layers and layers of your favorite vegetables all perched on top of a sturdy portobello base. These pretty bundles are the perfect side dish to any protein you make or a straight up main course served together with a salad.This dish was inspired by something my sister in law ordered while on vacation, her portobello was filled with Yukon gold potat
I just returned from my Seattle vacation and since I don't have a stitch of food in my house or any desire to cook right now I thought I'd share some highlights of my trip.The weather was beautiful all week, it only rained once for just 15 minutes.We took a cruise all over Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.No wonder why they call Pike Place Market the "soul of Seattle", aisles and aisles of the most bea
We have three different varieties of kale growing in our garden, Cavolo Nero or tuscan kale, the curly and green-gray type and one that is a redish purple color with ruffled leaves, I love them all! Quite honestly I never thought of turning kale into a pesto, I'm such a basil person, until I saw the new Donna Hay magazine and then I got instantly inspired!What a great way to use up all my kal
Champagne Grape Cake, is a moist, not so sweet cake, made with a combination of olive oil and butter with hints of citrus and vanilla, the cake is crowned with tiny, miniature, champagne grapes that burst with intense flavor when you bite into them.These intensely sweet pearl sized grapes are in season for a limited time right now and I was lucky enough to find a package at my local Whol
I'm sure many of you are thinking up different ways to use up your garden tomatoes like I am, I'm not a caner so I try to use them as they start piling up. So far I've made numerous caprese salads, ( a stash of fresh mozzarella is a staple in my fridge lately).Tossed them into pastas, made gratins with them, used them with grilled meats and fish, stuffed them, made quick sauces
It's hard to believe that this is my fifth year of blogging! It seems like only yesterday that I walked out into my garden with my Kodak point and shoot camera and took a picture of my basil plants and came in and wrote my first blog post.Sometimes I cringe at my old food photos that I took with my flash on, (an absolute no no in food photography) but I will always keep them there because it was a
Delicate zucchini blossoms and thin ribbons of squash pressed into cheesey flavored ricotta highlight this summer bounty tart and it's nothing short of perfection!Zucchini blossoms need to be showcased and this is the perfect canvas.Thanks to convenient store bought puff pastry, it makes everything look so elegant when laid upon it and it tastes out of this world.Crunchy, flaky, buttery!Even
The extreme heat we've been having here has called for lighter meals, lots of veggies, salads, and fruit desserts.So if you've gathered up a few eggplant from your garden or farmers market and are still thinking about what to do with them, consider making these eggplant patties.You can eat them like a burger with a bun or without, either way they're chock full of flavor in every bite!They couldn't
Today I'm doing something a little different here. I was invited along with four other bloggers to guest post over at my friend Lori Lynn's beautiful blog in celebration of her 5th anniversary.If you haven't discovered Taste With The Eyes, you're missing out on something extraordinary. Her warm and friendly blog showcases amazing food and photography beyond the norm!Today I'm featuring o
Here's another way to start using up all the zucchini and other veggies and herbs that your garden is producing, just gather everything together and make this Summer Slaw!It's quite easy to do if you have this handy julienne peeler, otherwise a mandoline slicer would work as well.Note: I cut my squash in the middle so that when I used my peeler I wouldn't have long "spaghetti" like strips but rath
I normally use grilling planks for salmon or scallops but this time I thought I would try using vegetables, in particular big "meaty" portobellos!Make sure you buy natural untreated wood that is free of chemicals, strictly sold for cooking, You wouldn't want to use just any old type of wood from a hardware store, it could be very toxic! There are various cooking woods on the market, some of m
Last week when it was unbearably hot I threw this dinner together in minutes.After looking into my fridge for something to make I remembered I had this small container of leftover angel hair pasta with veggies that I had made a couple of days before.Instead of just reheating in my microwave I turned it into a "pizza"!My leftover veggie pasta was made with, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peas,
I want to share with you two of my favorite dips that I often make for parties. The one above is a Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip I found over a year ago from The Healthy Foodie blog, I would give you the link but it keeps saying potential virus so I'm not going to give it to you.Anyway, I just loved the presentation and it tastes really good too. Trust me you'll get a lot of ooohs and aaahs whe
The temperature is rising here in Chicago so lighter meals and salads are now on the menu.This extremely delicious salad just screams summer! It's fresh and bursting with healthy vibrant color, how could you resist?Ribbons of yellow squash and green zucchini take center stage on a bed of mixed greens tossed in a light vinaigrette. The other components are, sliced mini heirloom tomatoes o
About a month ago I went to a restaurant with my girlfriends, we ordered portobello fries for an appetizer and we haven't stopped talking about them ever since! Trust me, if you're a mushroom lover you will go batty over these, they're so addicting you can't stop eating them! Meaty portobellos with the perfect crunch all the way around enhanced even better with the dipping sauce ser
Are you hosting any parties this summer? Here's a few idea's to help you feed the masses! Perfect for Father's Day coming up this Sunday, a casual buffet or a backyard barbecue.My family always enjoys a big pan of sausage with peppers and onions.I buy my favorite Italian sausage and cook it up on the grill, because, lets be honest, grilled sausage has the best flavor!When it cools down I sli
