I hope that all of you who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. I, for one, am glad it’s over. I don’t know about you, but for me, the Holidays are a mixed bag. Between all the shopping, prepping and cooking, there is so much work (and stress) leading up to the big day. Then, when you finally do get to sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor, all you can think about is that huge mess left in the kitchen and how many loads in the dishwasher it will take to get it under control. And, God forbid the rest of your dining companions don’t gush and swoon enough over your food after all of the hours and hours you spent slaving over it! You can then feel both inadequate and resentful at the same time. Did I mention that I’m a Type A personality? And, a hopeless perfectionist? In any event, it isn’t until the last pot is scrubbed and the leftovers are safely tucked away in their Tupperware containers that I can take a deep breath and relax. For me, that’s when the fun begins. That’s when I start thinking about what I’m going to conjure up with all the leftovers. read more >>
Monday, November 29, 2010 • 7 Comments
Ack! I’ve done it again. With all of the craziness of Thanksgiving and my life in general, I completely forgot that Saturday was the reveal date for the November Daring Bakers challenge. It wasn’t until I opened my reader last night and saw all of the DB posts that …
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 • 59 Comments
Sometimes my life feels like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. It’s like I live in Bizzaroland! Seriously. I seem to have a knack of getting myself into situations where sometimes all I can do is thwack myself on the head in disbelief at the lunacy that surrounds …
Sunday, November 21, 2010 • 11 Comments
As a little girl, I perceived my mother’s kitchen as a mysterious and intriguing place where sights and smells and sounds converged to become yummy things for me to eat. Of course, I understood nothing about the art and science of cooking. I only knew that after the swooshing …
Thursday, November 18, 2010 • 29 Comments
Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is barely one short, little week away. How did this happen? I know that time marches on, but lately it feels like it’s been stampeding by! I’ve been trying to plan my Thanksgiving menu, and it hasn’t been easy. My problem isn’t deciding what …
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 • 8 Comments
Wowie, wow, wow, WOW!!! Dorie’s Cranberry Lime Galette packs a huge wallop! To be honest, I didn’t expect such a bold, “in your face” punch of flavor – but I got one. This galette is the simplest thing in the world to make, but make no mistake, there’s nothing …
Friday, November 12, 2010 • 49 Comments
The tide has definitely started to turn, weather-wise, for us down here in the Sunshine State. The temperatures this past week have actually dipped down into the 50’s a few times. From April through October, I long for this respite from our oppressive heat and grueling humidity, however short-lived …
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 • 21 Comments
In the three years that I have owned Dorie’s Baking: From My Home to Yours, her Cranberry Shortbread Cake flew completely under my radar. I probably never would have noticed it, much less baked it, if it hadn’t been this weeks TWD pick. Why? Well, first of all, because …
Thursday, November 4, 2010 • 19 Comments
This little pasta dish was so darn easy to make that I’m almost embarrassed to tell you about it. Seriously. It took hardly any time, much less skill, at all. But then I realized that it is precisely because of the dish’s simplicity that I had to share it …
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 • 85 Comments
I’ve eaten a lot of flan in my day – maybe hundreds of pounds. I’ve eaten it in Mexico, Puerto Rico and in numerous other Caribbean locales. I’ve also eaten it Cuban-style, thanks to an old college roommate whose family was from Cuba. I’ve ordered it in every Latin …