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!

Holiday Peppermint Fudge

        Remember when you were in grade school and time went by so slowly? Christmas break and summer vacation seemed to go on forever!  Well, not anymore, folks!  Christmas is almost here!!!  I can hardly believe there's only about a week left until the big day!

    The tree is up and the house is decorated, but the real baking has yet to begin.  I've just started with a couple of candy treats.  My well-loved, Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls, have already made their way back home with our oldest son, visiting from Seattle.  More are to be made and, hopefully, sent off to another son in Sarasota.

    Now, I've shared with you my family's love of anything containing peanut butter and chocolate, but ........have I mentioned that I also have a bit of "a thing" for the combination of chocolate and mint??  So, you'll understand my desire to share this rich and yummy Holiday Peppermint Fudge!!