I have very fond memories of tasting gelato on my trip to Italy way back when, but my first taste of gelato didn’t happen in Italy; it was actually in Bogota, Colombia. Centro Andino was a pretty new shopping center when I lived in Bogota in the early 90s, and they had a gelateria that [...]
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Avocado and Champagne Vinaigrette
June 7, 2009 By 17 Comments
We truly enjoy strawberry season, and every time I start cleaning another batch of berries the boys are at my elbow begging for some of the juicy red fruits. I have to watch Monkey Boy and Top Gun because they will sneak the berries off to a hidden corner and get the sticky juice all [...]
The Daring Bakers Make Strudel
May 27, 2009 By 32 Comments
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of Make Life Sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, by Rick Rodgers. I felt a lot of excitement for this challenge because I adore puff pastry [...]
The Daring Bakers Make Cheesecake: Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake
April 27, 2009 By 43 Comments
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. The infamous cheesecake recipe comes from Jenny’s friend Abbey, and in this challenge we were given lots of room for creativity. We had to use the cheesecake recipe as is, though we could flavor it [...]
Cranberry Apple French Toast
December 21, 2008 By 4 Comments
Inspired by cranberry orange upside down cake, I wanted a good easy hot breakfast for holidays mornings such as Christmas or Thanksgiving when I don’t have much time for a big breakfast. Baking French toast is an easy and delicious way to make it without having to stand over the stove while cooking each slice. [...]
Mocha Toffee Bars – 12 Days of Cookies
December 11, 2008 By 9 Comments
Day 11 of our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and I can’t believe it’s almost over. I had my eye on these mocha toffee bars because I adore chocolate and coffee together, and after making and enjoying them I’ve converted Michael as well. He even asked if we could add these to our annual [...]
Bourbon Balls – 12 Days of Cookies
December 10, 2008 By 7 Comments
Day 10 of our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and I have to say that I almost didn’t make these bourbon balls because they seemed more like a confection than a cookie to me, except for the fact that they start with a whole bag of Oreos. Yes, crushed chocolate Oreos make the base [...]
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti – 12 Days of Cookies
December 9, 2008 By 9 Comments
Day 9 of our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and I was craving biscotti, one of my very favorite cookies. These beauties combine cranberries and pistachios for a red and green festive look and taste. These are like traditional Italian biscotti which don’t use butter and they are not soft and crumbly. They are [...]
Cloudt’s Pecan Treats – 12 Days of Cookies
December 7, 2008 By 7 Comments
Day 7 of our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and the cookie of the day is pecan treats from Cloudt’s in Atlanta. Pecan bars are a Southern delicacy, kind of like eating pecan pie on a shortbread crust, and these are absolutely to die for. Michael kept mumbling “wow” with a mouthful of pecan [...]
Coconut Bars – 12 Days of Cookies
December 6, 2008 By 4 Comments
We are halfway through our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and I chose something familiar, the coconut bars from 1953. I had these many times while growing up, but I’ve never made them myself and I felt it was high time to do so. They made me feel so very retro I wanted to [...]
