White Turkey Chili

A great chili variation! But don’t take my word for it … Give it a try! This is a quick pantry recipe when you want something healthy & hearty but don’t have a lot of time to cook. If you’re a purest (cooking all the beans from scratch) it’s a tasty recipe worth the effort.

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Cheese and Peas Pasta

Yep, I love pasta! When I see a pasta dish that looks this good I’ve got to try it! This pasta dish was inspired by the Pasta Queen as seen in the Fall Recipe Issue of William Sonoma California catalog. I made the recipe as is the first time around but found it a little bland … lacking depth. (Admittedly, I just recovered my taste & sense of smell after a bout of covid.) I’ll stick with my additions. Give this a try if you love pasta and of course peas.

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Chocolate Malted Milk Scones

The perfect scone for the chocolate lover.

Just the right amount of chocolate taste with a hint of malted. A great way to start your morning with that cup of coffee. This recipe is only slightly revised and one of many put out by King Arthur Baking. I’ve enjoyed many of their products and tried several of their recipes. I do recommend trying their catalog for interesting baking ideas.

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Tex Mex Vegetarian Lasagna

Today is Pasta Sunday, and I decided to do a changeup! You know how some vegetarian lasagna recipes are just missing something (like meat!). Well, with this recipe you don’t even go there! This recipe has all the ingredients it needs to be perfectly delicious. My guest was surprised to find the sauce has V-8 … mainly because he doesn’t like V-8, or is it Worcestershire? Actually, I use both in cooking and normally don’t mention it to him. No Worcestershire in this recipe!

Lots of good ingredients. And a very surprising vegetarian lasagna!

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Cooking Secrets from Stresa

Beautiful Day in Stresa Italy with my oldest!

And look what I brought back. Wine has just arrived too!

You too can have these items from Italy. Information to follow but first I’m going to tell you how easy it is to prepare an easy feast on a hot day with my selection of goodies above.

-Add the Bruschetta spices (above) to bread for sandwiches, sprinkle on roasted or mashed potatoes, on meat or fish and of course, on your pasta sauce. This combination of spices is wonderfully fresh. Place a jar on your table for sprinkling on just about everything. To preserve properly add a handful of black peppercorns to the mix.

-The dried mushrooms can be whirled in your food processor until they form a powder to be used as a condiment on just about anything you are cooking.

-The balsamic vinegar here (one is 10 years old and the other 30 years). Use your 10 year balsamic for this recipe below.

Balsamic Pate

1 T cream
8 Ounces cream cheese-room temperature (start with 4 ounces and add to taste)
2 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t Spices (above) optional

Mix and let set for an hour or so.
Serve on toasted bread or crackers.

-What can I say about the Truffle Sauce. 2 T of truffle sauce to a bit of cream in a skillet. Heat through. Add freshly cooked drained pasta to the skillet and sauté. So delicious! Or simply add a bit of truffle sauce to freshly cooked eggs for an extra special breakfast.

All these recipes and products are thanks to this little shop in Stresa Italy. Amazing products and super amazing Italian wines. All is shipped at a reasonable price.

La Cambusa – enoteca Wine shop Stresa

We miss you!


A Repost, It’s That Good!

For Winter Solstice our family will celebrate with Mexican Cuisine. We pretty much do this every year. I usually order out for the appetizers and stick to cooking the main dishes. When these are so easy, why? After making my Shredded Beef these Taquitos were a cinch! And I cheated a little with the Guacamole. It’s my son’s, Ian, and his wife’s recipe. Thank you Ann. Ann received her inspiration for their Guacamole from the California Avocado Commission. Check out this site for great avocado recipes of all kinds.

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Creamed Portabella and Spinach

Sometimes you want something rich and ‘meaty.’ I’ve just come off a cleanse and meat dishes seem too heavy today. I’m over the clear broths with spinach and mushrooms. Yep, I’m into a little richness. What might surprise you … there’s very little fat here but the taste is as rich as those heavily laden cream dishes. For me, this is a main dish but realistically it’s a side for two. Enjoy!

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Blueberry Brioche Pudding

The perfect ending to a summer meal! At this time of year you may have an over-load of berries. Yes, this works with just about all berries. The attraction here is not only the deliciousness but the absolute ease of this recipe. Try it today. You and your family will not be disappointed.

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Tiling Outdoor Steps Made Easy

Yep, you can do it well and save yourself the expense of a professional! Nope, you don’t need a tile cutter or any other expensive piece of equipment. Just patience, a measuring tape, outdoor tiles, adhesive and premixed grout.

Here I’ve taped off the area to avoid excessive oozing of adhesive and then grout. The time spent is truly minimal. Drying time is not shortened and can take some days to cure.

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