Scalloped Gorgonzola Potatoes

      Thanksgiving Day is almost here!  I can hardly believe it!  It seems like the kids were just starting back to school and now, here we are, just about to kick off the holiday season!  I'm not complaining, mind you.......this really is my favorite time of year!  

      But, I have to say......."foodies" have it kind of rough. So many recipes and so little time!  There are tons of new recipes I'd love to try out, but honestly, how much food can five people really eat?? That's right.....only 5!  When most of the kids are grown and living all over the country, it's hard to get everyone together.  And that's something I really miss!  

      As for those that will be here......they seem to like to stick with the tried and true, the dishes they've come to expect on such a holiday.  You know....obviously the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes....etc.  I mean, really??  Mashed potatoes?? 

      Now, don't get me wrong.  A lovely mound of mashed potatoes with a pool of butter flowing down its sides or a rich turkey gravy ladled unashamedly over the top is delicious, but couldn't we be a little more imaginative?  Couldn't we add a little something to make those spuds more interesting....maybe even something with an Italian flair....hmmm??

Grilled Swordfish with Lemon and Mint

      O.K......I know we're quickly moving out of grilling season but, this is such a quick and easy recipe, I just had to share it.  Honestly, I had planned on sharing it awhile ago, but life got busy......again....and, so....here we are on the very last day of September, with a grilling recipe.

Peach, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

      O.k......this may not seem like a real recipe to you but, rather, a few ingredients arranged on a plate together.  But, it really is more than that.  It's more like....well.......I think of it like when a few old friends get together.....you know, the friends you're used to seeing together, the friends that always seem to be having a great time, thoroughly enjoying each other's company and bringing out the best in each other. 

       And, then....someone new moves into town.  She seems sweet enough.....friendly enough, although no one's sure if she'll really fit in with the already well-established social circle.  But, it's decided that she should be invited to join the group for a little social gathering......to get to know her  a little better....you know, to kind of test the waters.   

Zucchini Cream Cheese Pound Cake

      So.....in my last post I shared a delicious pasta dish that had the wonderful flavors of lemon and mint, and the "ever-present" summer vegetable....zucchini.  Check that recipe out here.  

      Today....zucchini again!  But, this time, folded into a yummy pound cake with a rich and delicious Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting!!  Everybody needs a little zucchini and spice in their life, don't you think?

Linguine with Zucchini, Lemon, and Mint

      Zucchini here, zucchini there, I've got zucchini everywhere!!  That seems to be the usual cry of gardeners each summer......well, except for this gardener.  I remember one of the first spring seasons, after we had moved into the home we live in presently.  I really wanted to have a garden even though, as I've mentioned before, this Italian hadn't grown up working in one of her own.....sad, but true!  

      So, after hearing my brother-in-law talk about this book he'd been reading on "square foot gardening", I decided to try it out myself.  After all.....the amount of produce one can expect to harvest from this type of garden is really pretty amazing!

      I read and read, planned and planned, had a small area tilled by a friend, set out my 12"x12" markers, bought seeds and some baby plants, and got ready to sow!  I was very excited, thinking about all the wonderful vegetables my family would be eating all summer long...... grown, nurtured, and harvested with my own little hands!

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust

      Well, we're quickly moving through spring, with summer just around the corner.  I love all of the season's fruits and vegetables showing up in the market now!  Something that we seem to wait for, all year, are those wonderful summer tomatoes.  Red, ripe, and juicy "spheres of deliciousness" !  Beefsteak, heirloom, cherry, plum, pear......so many varieties and so many ways to eat them!!   (All delicious, in my opinion)

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Brownies

    Well......the obsession continues!!  The combo of chocolate and peanut butter, especially in the form of "Reeses Peanut Butter Cups", is always a winner around here.  So, when I saw this brownie recipe, containing semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter, milk chocolate, Aaaand peanut butter cups........well, the Valentine's Day treat for this year was obvious!!

Raspberry Tiramisu

    O.K., so, definitely not "berry season" in my neck of the woods, but I think something fresh, sweet, and delicious is always an appropriate thing to serve, right??  (And, besides...... my local grocery store had 1/2 pints of raspberries on sale for $1.00 each!  I couldn't pass them up!!)

    Let me first say, that I love a good Tiramisu.  Surprising, since I'm not a coffee drinker.  But....add coffee to a dessert, especially one containing chocolate, and I'm all over it!!  This version, although not containing coffee or chocolate, is delicious!  A fresh, sweet and fruity version of an Italian classic!!

Winter Minestrone

    When it's cold and snowy outside, a nice, hearty bowl of soup is quite welcome on my table.  And this Winter Minestrone definitely fits into that category!  Loaded with veggies and a rich tasting broth, this soup is the perfect choice to warm you up on a cold, wintry day!  And......this soup has a little secret!

Meat-Stuffed Eggplant

    It's eggplant again, friends!  We've already established that it's one of my favorite vegetables, so I thought I'd share another recipe.....this time stuffing it with all sorts of "yumminess"!  And I love these baby eggplant........so cute!!  This is great for dinner with a salad and some good bread on the side.  It would also make a nice addition to a buffet table.

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!