This is seriously one of the easiest side dishes I’ve ever made. If you like brussels sprouts then you’ll love the extra flavor that roasting brings out in them. If you don’t like brussels sprouts then maybe it’s time to try them. C’mon, I dare you! These pint-sized cabbages are loaded with Vitamins A and • Read More »
Tags: brussel sprouts, brussels, brussels sprouts, Christmas, holidays, roasted brussels sprouts, Side Dish, sprouts, Thanksgiving
With Valentine’s Day just days away, I thought I’d post one of my favorite chocolate desserts: Bourbon Chocolate Cake. This fantastic dessert is dense, rich and worth every luscious bite! Even if you don’t enjoy sipping the barrel-aged spirit on it’s own, I’m confident you’ll love this cake. The bourbon (I prefer Jim Beam for this recipe) adds a • Read More »
Tags: bourbon, bourbon chocolate cake, bourbon desserts, Callebaut, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate desserts, Christmas desserts, dense chocolate cake, holiday, Jim Beam bourbon, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's Pound Plus Chocolate, Valentine's Day desserts
Offer up a toast this New Year’s Eve with a pretty glass of bubbly splashed with pomegranate juice for a bit of color and a hint of sweetness. While the pomegranate seeds are a nice touch, I usually don’t bother with them. These days you can get good bubblies from Spain (cava) or the States (California, Washington) for under • Read More »
Tags: brut, cava, Champagne, cocktail party, cocktails, festive drinks, New Year's Eve, sparkling wine
Here’s a quick and very delicious appetizer to serve this New Year’s Eve…or anytime, for that matter. Basically, it’s a bite-sized version of prosciutto-wrapped (pronounced proh-shoo-toh) caprese salad. Prosciutto is an Italian salt-cured ham that can be found in many supermarkets and gourmet food stores. I found mine at Trader Joe’s. Actually, I got everything for this recipe • Read More »
Tags: Appetizer, basil, caprese salad bites, holiday appetizer, Hors d'Oeuvre, hors d'oeuvres, mozzarella, New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve appetizer, prosciutto
If you’re still working on your Christmas morning menu, this recipe for Cranberry Streusel Cake would be a good one to consider. The moist, festive cake is both easy to make and delicious. The sweet, brown sugar streusel is a nice balance to the tart cranberries. To simplify things the morning of, have your cranberries chopped and measured, and • Read More »
Tags: Breakfast, brunch, cake, Christmas, Christmas baking, coffee cake, cranberries, cranberry, cranberry coffee cake, Dessert, holiday baking, holiday breakfast, holiday brunch, holidays
Next time you need cranberry sauce, I urge you to make your own. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but you can jazz it up and make it more exciting than the humdrum store-bought variety. In this recipe, I love the addition of fragrant orange zest and orange liqueur…very tasty! Cranberry-Orange Sauce -recipe from • Read More »
Tags: Christmas, cranberries, cranberry orange sauce, cranberry sauce, holidays, orange zest, Thanksgiving, triple sec
These pretty, jewel-like muffins are easy-to-make, lightly sweetened muffins are delicious, loaded with plumped-up dried fruit and are perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch. They’re inspired by Panettone, an Italian sweet bread that is popular at Christmas. For the muffins, I used dried apricots, golden raisins, dried pineapple, chopped dates, and dried cranberries…all soaked in a little • Read More »
Tags: Christmas breads, Christmas muffins, Fiori di Sicilia, Grand Marnier, holiday breads, holiday muffins, King Arthur Flour, Muffins, panettone, panettone muffins
This sandwich rocks! And, it’s another great way to use up leftover turkey! The combination of green onion mayo (yum!), tangy aged white cheddar, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, roasted turkey, and rustic Italian bread is a winner!! The recipe says it will feed 6-8 but you’d need to serve with other dishes (soup, salad, etc.) to feed • Read More »
Tags: holiday leftovers, Italian loaf, panini, Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey, turkey leftovers, turkey sandwich
While searching for recipes the other day, I came across a Holiday Helpers Hotline list (say that 3 times fast) from the fine folks at Saveur Magazine. So if you find yourself in a pickle while making the holiday meal, don’t panic…just call one of the hotlines or visit one of the websites. Also, for • Read More »
Tags: Butterball hotline, Crisco hotline, helpline, Holiday meal help, hotline, Kentucky Legend Ham hotline, Ocean Spray hotline, Saveur Magazine, Thanksgiving meal, Thanksgiving meal crisis, Thanksgiving meal help
Since Thanksgiving is next week, it’s time to get your Turkey Day game plan in order. This recipe for Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Sage Stuffing is fantastic! Loaded with savory and earthy ingredients, it may just upstage the turkey! For the bread, I used some homemade rustic bread that I’d baked earlier in the week. The hearty bread • Read More »
Tags: Christmas, dressing, holiday side dish, holidays, italian sausage, mushroom, sage, stuffing, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving side dish, Thanksgiving stuffing, turkey stuffing