I grew up in Chicago. I always loved my mom's spicy chili on brrrrrr-cold winter nights. This chili packed with veggies and served with a slice of warm, crusty bread was a family favorite. The winter months always stretched a little longer than I wanted in the Midwest so chili kept our insides warm. My Italian mama spent lots of hours creating [...] Keep Reading
Recipes
Haitian Rice & Beans: Savoring Time Around the Table
This weekend our agenda was to have no agenda. After a harried and hurried month of February – full of Valentine’s Day festivities, Monday holidays, birthday parties, meetings and more – we needed a break. On Saturday, we slept in, made a late brunch of pumpkin pancakes and chicken sausage. We wore our jammies until noon. I can’t remember the last [...] Keep Reading
Soup’s on: Italian sausage & kale soup
This time of year - when colds are plentiful and the air has that memorable chill - all I'm thinking about is SOUP! After perusing many Italian sausage soup recipes, I decided to create my own healthy variety and it was a big hit with my family. The great thing about this recipe is it uses kale, which you can find fresh at the local farmer's [...] Keep Reading
Holiday Mint Trifle: Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Through the years there are some recipes that have become tradition in our home. I have so many memories of baking and cooking with my Italian Mama Maria and Grandma Sara. We would make Italian pizzelle cookies that looked like powdered-sugar-dusted snowflakes. We would wrap them by the dozens and share them with teachers and friends. Our whole [...] Keep Reading
Butternut Squash & Turkey Chili: Thanksgiving leftovers with a twist
Admittedly, my favorite part of Thanksgiving cooking is not day-of cooking. It's actually the leftover challenge. I love thinking up unique and creative ways to use our leftovers. One year we made sweet potato muffins. Another year we turned the leftover turkey and carcass into an awesome lime-infused Tortilla Soup. I love green turkey enchiladas [...] Keep Reading
Move over, pumpkin! A more sophisticated squash has arrived
I am a pumpin lover. Let’s just be clear about that. I live in Central California so our weather is not always the greatest indicator that Fall has arrived. Sometimes it’s way into November before we get to pull out the cozy sweaters and don our boots. When I see pumpkin products at my fave grocery stores and coffee shops, I know it’s time. That [...] Keep Reading
