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A little George T. Stagg goes a long way! Unite North and South in your summer BBQ sauce! How, you might ask? Using Moxie- the wonderful, possibly medicinal, oddly bitter yet delicious cola in the bright orange can, and your favorite bourbon- I used George T. Stagg- but only when my husband was out of the house- this stuff is so good that it's nearby heresy to use it in anything
Miss Daisy King- who has earned the title 'Tennessee's First Lady of Southern Cooking,' (and well deserved!) is sharing her kitchen secrets on May 17th in an in home cooking class to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you live in the Nashville / Franklin Tennessee area, you are in luck! Tickets are $100 and can be purchased here: May 17th Miss Daisy Cooking Class Tic
Don't have time to knit a lace baby sweater? Buy this beautiful sweater from our Etsy store! Use discount code JUNE25 until the end of June to receive 25% off! La Dolce Duchessa's Etsy Store Adorn your sweet little girl in this beautiful sweater! Size 9-12 months. The torso and arms of this sweater are knitted with a basket weave stitch and the skirt portion
A good rice pudding is just delicious, isn't it? This one is great- with some delicious accents and enough sweetness to make it a memorable dessert. And super, super easy. And can be made ahead. What is not to like, right? Rice Pudding with Orange Zest, Cardamom Pods and Rose Water 1 1/2 cups of water 1 Tbsp unsalted butter pinch sea salt zest of 1/2 of a
Sour Cherry and Saffron Rice with Lamb and Beef Kebabs Treat yourself to something a little different for dinner this week- why not try some sour cherry and saffron rice with some lovely meat kebabs? I remember the first time I had sour cherry rice- it was from a Persian restaurant in New York City, and before I ordered, every single review I read online talked about the sou
All I can say is, what fun! A special thank you to my sister for all her hard work and preparation to get us there! She had everything we needed and fixed our costumes (my bulging biceps put a little too much pressure on my delicate Snow White sleeves)- you name it, this lady can do it! Believe it or not, I'm considering another one on March 23... although I haven't signed
Ever since I can remember, my mother has joked that her autobiography would be called, 'It seemed like a good idea at the time,' and that is precisely how I'm feeling about the half marathon... To see the genesis of this idea click here: Mama Needs to Get Back in Shape and to see the progress click here: All the Notes on Training It's obviously a genetic quality? Thes
Blood Orange Segments Blood oranges! So beautiful, so delicious... currently in season... Why not celebrate them with this lovely weeknight dinner, a salad with fennel, mache, in a light vinaigrette topped with blood orange segments and a lovely, easy and quick breaded chicken cutlet? I first took notice of blood oranges in Italy in 2008, I remember drinki
Beef with Herbes de Provence with Butter Lettuce and Red Pear Every year my husband says that his new year's resolution is to eat more salads for dinner. But here's the reality, his version of salad is very different from mine, he actually doesn't eat that many vegetables. No cucumbers, no bell peppers, no mushrooms, and no tomatoes, except in sun dried form and in tomato sauc
Risotto with Artichokes, Peas and Lemon Winter is just risotto season, isn't it? I love risotto, so creamy, rich and satisfying! It's like polenta or grits- a blank canvas you can use to show off any of your favorite flavors- in this case, artichoke hearts, peas and lemon, yum! I LOVE artichoke hearts! Making risotto is more about visual cues as opposed to cooking ti
Well, all was going well until I encountered what appeared to be a lovely steak frites at a local bistro with a fellow mom- lovely dinner, dazzling adult conversation, a delectable glass of cremant- and I'm afraid the next morning at 6 am, I was certain that that steak frites had been evil. Food poisoning. Let's leave the detail at that. Well, it's not part of my plan to lose the ba
Pea Soup with Pancetta in a Tea Cup (Woodland Spode) This is some good, good soup. It's delicious because a) you use pancetta, b) you cook pancetta, onion and carrots low and slow and c) you add petite green peas at the end and don't cook them much, so you get the complexity and home-y flavors of the bacon, onion and carrots and the brightness of tender petite green peas... And
I had the funniest conversation with a girlfriend of mine today- it was her birthday and I was calling to wish her a happy birthday and see how her day was going. It sounded like she was having a lovely, lovely day- now she has a little boy that will be two in January, and had a baby girl about 2 1/2 months ago- so- it is still a sleep deprived struggle! I could feel her beaming throug
Straining Cold Brewed Coffee I have three issues with iced coffee- first, it's bitter, and second, because it's cold, sugar is not going to dissolve. It's a rare coffee shop or restaurant that has considered this and readily offers up some simple syrup to help you with this conundrum- rare yes, but not nonexistent (thank you to those establishments that do!). Finally, my third c
Nursing Pajamas... Post Pregnancy Body! Here are words I never thought I would utter- I'm running a half marathon! Did I mention that it is a Disney, princess themed, run through Disney world half marathon?! About a week ago, my sister called me and suggested it- it's in February, she found a training plan for beginners (that is both of us) and the training starts in Octob
Favorite Lasagna This might be my husband's favorite thing that I make- and every new baby meal I have ever taken to a friend, this has been it! This lasagna is great- mostly because of the sauce, and because it uses fresh mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Yes, I have a slight Pecorino Romano obsession- it's just so deliciously salty, can't help it!
Little baby girl is ready for short ribs! I know it's still warm, despite it being September, and I realize I am jumping the gun a little here! But! I LOVE comforting, slowly braised short ribs in a flavorful sauce, and serve it over some polenta- we have a weeknight winner! The very wonderful thing about a dish like this, though, is that it can be made ahead of time and t
Polenta with Pecorino Romano and Oven Roasted Tomatoes Polenta is a wonderful blank canvas, that can be infused with flavor in three ways- first, the cooking liquid you use, second, the addition of cheese and third, a sauce or topping can bring this simple side dish to great new heights! I think it might be even better than mashed potatoes, in terms of being able to take on flavors.
Milk Chocolate Cream Panna Cotta Doesn't that sound delicious? I've been working on a good chocolate panna cotta for a while- and I've been through multiple variations. I made it with dark chocolate and put it through an ice cream maker- (ok, but not great, although my son and I ate it after dinner for about a week!) but what I kept coming back to is that I'd like to have a ch
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Round tray on top of storage pouch Silver and silver plate pieces are so lovely- but require some extra care. However, you may not have the right storage for them! You might have family pieces that didn't come with storage bags or boxes, you may have purchased some at an antique store, or what may have worked previously may have lost its effectiveness. While working on thi
Raspberry Pie What could be more seasonally stunning than a delicious, comforting raspberry pie? With homemade flaky crust, brushed with egg white and dusted with sugar, filled with fresh, sweet raspberries... I see I have your attention! I was reminded of my love for raspberry pie this past July in Maine, where I ordered it every time I ate dinner at The Lobster Pound in
So, my sister has this incredible potato side dish, which she's been making for at least 10 years, maybe more, where you use this Japanese ceramic bladed mandoline to slice the potatoes really thin, then you alternate with layers of gruyere that you grate with a microplane, did I mention there's also freshly grated nutmeg in it? Well, it's divine. It's actually so good, that, thi
Camden, Maine My father was born and raised in Camden, Maine, a small town on Maine's mid coast. It's like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, with red brick buildings along Main Street, a corner grocer, a drugstore slash soda shop, a white painted church in the center of town, and Victorian homes punctuated with lawns bursting to life with day lilies and bachelor buttons. &n
If you have the great fortune of being in Nashville, Tennessee, you are such a lucky duck- Bravo Gelato is having a special during July that every time the temperature is at least 100 degrees their small gelatos are just $1 instead of $3! They also have a give away contest- check out their website for more details and stay cool! http://bravogelatonashville.blogspot.com/2012/07/national-ice-cre
This is incredibly easy and refreshing! With the hot summer weather, I love flavorful non-alcoholic drinks- like mango and mint lemonade, fruit tea, and I thought, why not a mocktail with passion fruit? I love passion fruit and the summer weather is a perfect occasion for it! You may not have worked with passion fruit before, they have a wonderful flavor.
I love a good chicken salad- but a really good one- with high quality fresh chicken and a lot of other wonderful ingredients, including some fresh fruit. I was recently inspired by the beautiful fresh cherries that are in stores right now, not only are they gorgeous, they are absolutely delicious, too! I like chicken salad that has grapes, so I thought, why not cherries?! T
I love grape leaves! But, I don't just love them because they are delicious. I love them because they remind me of my childhood. We're not Greek, but before my sister and I were born, my parents went on several cruises through the Greek isles. The food must have stuck with them, because for as long as I can remember, greek salad in pita bread was a standard weeknight me
These are not only tasty, but you can make them ahead of time! Who doesn't love that? Plus, because the salsa is made in a blender, you don't have to spend time chopping the ingredients. Ditto for the brisket sauce, you use a slow cooker for the brisket and you just throw the seasonings in the crock pot. Very, very low prep time! Then, when it's time to serve th
Although we've recently moved and just had a new baby, I still have hopes and dreams of having a little bit of gardening in our lives this spring and summer. However, my plans are much less grand than last year- for a few reasons. First of all, our little girl is not quite yet 5 weeks old and the 2 1/2 year old is quite a workout! Secondly, we are now renting our house, so doin
I have been LOVING knitting and sewing things lately! Making them in anticipation of our baby girl was so, so much fun. I'd love to share them with you! This is a mint green hooded sweater, my first project. Instead of buttons, I used ribbon ties, which I think look great. The ends of ribbon may be easily finished by melting them ever so gently with a match- a tri
Mmmm... marinated lamb chops... What could be better? Here's a recipe from my Dad, lamb marinated in red wine, onion and garlic, and can you believe it, powdered ginger? We had these for Mother's Day with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and peas, what a treat! My Dad was inspired to create this recipe after seeing a Persian friend of his marinate lamb in shredded raw on
Happy Mother's Day! We welcomed our little girl last weekend, hooray! Everything went well, thankfully. Here are some pictures- she is wearing a bonnet that I knitted for her and a garment called a 'day gown' that I also made for her- it is my first attempt at smocking. If you're unfamiliar with smocking, it's a sewing technique that uses gathers that are then held in p
The Little Black Dress of Chicken... yes. Seriously, this chicken is good hot, good reheated the next day for lunch, good cold, good in a sandwich hot or cold, and good cut up as part of chicken salad. Now what other chicken can say that?! I have mixed feelings about chicken, as most of us probably do. Chicken breasts can be so tasteless, dry, or too thick, and I ofte
Dear friends, I hope you are all having lovely spring seasons, full of beautiful flowering trees, green leaves, and outside play time! We are now about two weeks away from our second baby's due date, and I feel so sorry to have been neglecting you! Truth be told, I have been quite uninspired to cook for the past few weeks, partially because I am so tired of all the things I can't ha
I love this time of year, the flowering trees (red bud is my favorite!), the Easter egg hunts, and the beginnings of being able to entertain outside! We celebrated the lovely weather this past weekend with some friends over for brunch and an early Easter egg hunt! There were 7 little ones, each received a bucket with their name on it and some festive Easter grass, and they were let loose in th
Hello! Here's a pattern for an adorable lace baby sweater I have knitted- I have literally gone knitting CRAZY. I hope you like it! The sweater is a little jacket that has two different patterns, the bottom is an open, lace pattern and the top is a moss stitch pattern. It is finished with three little buttons and a ribbon tie, the ribbon tie is optional, you may also omit the buttons ent
Hello! Thank you for being patient as we made our way from the South to New England. As you may recall, we have a wonderful dog, so we drove up while the movers made their way. I would describe the road trip as 'character building' at times... like the first night when our son was very unhappy and stayed up about 2 1/2 hours past his normal bedtime- one would think screaming for such a long du
So, I may have gone a little crazy knitting baby booties lately...Perhaps you are also expecting, or have a grandbaby on the way, or a dear friend that is going to have a little one? Would you like to make them a special gift? These baby booties are honestly easier than they look! I might not recommend them if you are a very novice knitter, but, if you can already knit and purl, they will be a
This sandwich is outstanding, and, while I recently made it for us for a weekend lunch, it's also wonderful as a weekday lunch if you are having people over, or if you just want to feel a little spoiled! I recently hosted a 'mailing party' for our local Ballet company, where we stuffed invitations and enjoyed lunch together. One of my dearest friends, who is just too cute, always says, 'Is the
Dear friends,Thank you for your patience! We have had a busy, busy fall! We learned we are expecting again, hooray! And also, that we have to move to the North East. Both are exciting, although, we are of course sad to leave our wonderful friends and family that we live near now. This little baby, who is a girl, has been significantly harder on Mommy than the first. I think if I met the first
I will be back in a few weeks with more fun recipes and ideas! Happy fall!xoxo
I am delighted to be posting about this recipe, with the gracious permission of Susan Loomis! This recipe is simply amazing- you will not believe that with these few simple ingredients and a little bit of time stewing in your cupboard, you can make something so special and delicious! This is also perfect timing for the holidays- if you make this now, it has just enough time to be created (44 d
It suddenly seems that Fall has arrived in the mid South! On Saturday, it was 100 degrees, then Sunday it rained, and on Monday it was chilly and overcast with lots of leaves on the ground! Don't get me wrong, I not so secretly LOVE the fall. Why? Well, as a brunette, we look stunning in fall colors (sorry, it's true!) and most importantly, the food is sooooo delicious. The richness of stews,
Mmmm... Those fresh peaches in the supermarket look so good, don't they? I was inspired to make them into a simple and refreshing sorbet! Accented with a hint of mint and a pinch of ginger, it tastes a little more complex than just peach- it's delicious! It is also dairy-free, so if you or your family members have dairy allergies, this is a treat you can all eat! Peach Sorbet 3 cups puree
I apologize for neglecting the blog for the last several weeks- we went to visit friends and family in Connecticut and Maine, which was lovely, but, 'reentry,' as one of my girlfriends calls it, is difficult! There's laundry, unpacking, and just in general getting back into the swing of things. While we were in Maine, I was inspired to take up knitting again! My sweet grandmother, the one I'
The basil in the garden has been looking so inviting that I thought I'd make some pesto! Tonight, we went outside to play in the yard and I brought a little bag and picked some cucumbers, basil and flat leaf parsley from the garden. This pesto is simple and delicious, and even better, you can make it once and then enjoy it over the next few days in different ways! Tonight we had it as a marina
Celebrate summer with this delicious and wildly simple cucumber dish! This is the way my Grandmother would serve us cucumbers fresh from her garden. It is wonderful as a snack, an appetizer, or as a side dish- serve in place of a salad! Simple Summer Cucumbers Cucumber(s) (peeling optional) Apple cider vinegar, Sea salt First, wash your cucumber(s). Peeling is optional, I usually d
It's mid July and the garden is coming along! In early June, the beds were up- we got the dirt delivered- a lovely blend of compost and good soil- my husband's father, aunt and uncle were so sweet- they came over one morning and helped us haul it up to the beds! So kind! The plants have been in there for several weeks and they are definitely coming along. To keep the pests out (rabbits, birds, squ
As a new mom, or even a non-new mom, do you ever feel like there isn't time to do the research you'd like to? Like about baby food, sleep training, crib tents, swim lessons, etc., this list could be endless! I remember feeling like I had to understand how all this equipment worked before I had the baby, and it was so exhausting, figuring out how the diaper genie worked, installing the mobile above
