Stracciatella Tortoni Cake w/ Espresso Fudge Sauce

    So.........what's a girl to do with her time, when the temperatures  have been struggling to rise above single digits, and outdoor activities are "less than appealing"??  Get in the kitchen and make a frozen dessert, of course!  No....really!  Now, I admit, freezing temperatures usually launch me into a full-blown "baking mood".  Don the apron, crank up the oven, and get to baking! But, coming across this recipe, from an old issue of Gourmet Magazine, sent me in a whole new direction!  I just couldn't resist!

Celery and Chickpea Salad w/ Dried Cranberries, Roasted Almonds, and Parmesan Dressing

    O.k....so summer is gone, the kids are back in school, and fall is just about upon us.  Let's enjoy a light and delicious salad before we start to think about all those warm and comforting, cold weather dishes, shall we?

     I really do love salads. I mean.....a salad can be anything you want it to be!   There are soooo many options!  

Fig and Pine Nut Tart

    Well, how has your summer been, friends?  Mine has felt like a whirlwind!  I mean, didn't school just end??  Didn't I just plant my garden with hopes of plenty of delicious tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant?? Where did the time go??  I had plans of sharing some great recipes with you throughout July and August, but..... things got a little overwhelming around here.....just life in general, I guess.  

Panforte di Siena

    Well, Christmas is almost upon us!  I can hardly believe it!!  In just shy of two weeks it will be here!!!  Every year I tell myself  I'm going to get all my baking, etc. done early, but......somehow that never seems to happen.  We usually take our vacation toward the end of October and, when we get back, it's time to start thinking about the holidays.  Well, we have several birthdays in October and November, then there's Thanksgiving, and then Christmas is....well....HERE!  (And this year we didn't get back until two days before Thanksgiving!!)

    O.K., now that I've vented a little about my lack of time to prepare for  this WONDERFUL HOLIDAY, let me say that  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! 

White Chocolate and Cranberry Swirl Cookie Pie

    O.k.....so what's a girl to do with that last little bit of cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving??  That was my question.  Well, how about swirl it into a cookie dough, add white chocolate chips and slivered almonds, and bake it in a pie dish?  Sounded good to me.

    I had copied down a recipe that originally came from Cassie over at Bake Your Day.  It was for a cookie pie with white chocolate chips and sprinkles and it looked yummy!  I decided to use the basic recipe, but leave out the sprinkles and add cranberry sauce and almonds.  The result....DELICIOUS!!  Try it out and see what you think.  But....don't wait until next Thanksgiving.  

One Little Tree.....Two recipes

    When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time with my Italian grandparents (my dad's parents).  They had a small house but a yard and garden area that seemed to go on forever....at least that's what it seemed like at the time.  They grew all sorts of vegetables and had several fruit trees like cherry, pear, fig, and mulberry.  My grandmother would sell flowers that she had grown.  I remember sitting outside with her, waiting for people to come and buy the plants.  They had a long, narrow hallway at one side of the house that I always thought of as a sun porch because it was lined with windows and was filled with african violets and various other plants.  My grandmother had the greenest thumb I've ever seen.  She even had a miniature orange tree in the dining room!

Rigatoni with Red Peppers, Almonds, and Breadcrumbs

     When it's rainy and cold outside I want to stay in my house, wear soft and comfy clothes, and eat comfort food.  Yes, fall has arrived and brought with it the usual cooler temperatures and a few overcast and rainy days.  I've definitely been in the mood for some homey, comforting dishes.  This recipe really does say "comfort" to me.  I mean, what's better than a big bowl of pasta? (o.k., so we're not doing the low-carb thing right now.  Everything in moderation, I always say.)  Add a nice salad and you've got a great family meal.