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I have one of the easiest appetizers ever for you today, an Olive & Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Ball!! You guys, I made this for Christmas and everyone loved it! There are a whopping 4 ingredients and it takes minutes to make. Cream cheese is mixed with chopped olives and sun dried tomatoes; formed into a ball. Once chilled a bit simply roll the cheese ball in snipped chives. Serve it up with crostini or crackers and thats it! Everyone will love the fabulous flavors in this easy appetizer! …
A few fresh and flavorful ingredients really brighten up plain jarred olives. This Tuscan Olive Salad takes just a few minutes to put together and tastes amazing! Olives are salty and perfectly paired with sweet red bell peppers, crisp celery, fresh garlic and those gorgeous strands on meyer lemon zest. Great colors, textures and flavors… this covers it all! …
This past weekend the family was visiting NC for a little exploration on the possibility of moving in the next year or two. We had a great time but always, its great to be back home and back in the kitchen! As much as I love a break from cooking now and then I am always eager to get back to it. Today I made these beautiful Chickpea Fritters {aka panelle}. They are light, crispy and so flavorful! This is a great example of simplistic Italian cooking; very inexpensive, easy to make but absolutely delicious!…
Good evening!!! Did you all catch this afternoons post, my Pecan Cornmeal Biscotti? Well its been a busy and delicious day so I have yet another recipe for you tonight! I’ve got an incredibly simple and wonderfully flavorful hors d’oeuvre for you, my Brie & Pear Crostini with Honey and Hazelnuts. …
The weekends have been absolutely crazy lately. There seems to be something nearly every Saturday and Sunday, mostly fun stuff so i’m not complaining. All this running around has made our tradition of family football Sundays with my parents and brothers a bit tough. Weeks into the season and it was just this past Sunday that we finally got together with a delicious spread of snacks, a friendly game of football in the yard with all the boys and some pudding pie to end the night. On the menu, these crisp, sticky delicious baked Teriyaki Pineapple Wings! …
Before there were kids I really loved doing a “cutting board dinner” once a week. After work I’d stop by our local Italian specialty store and pick up a variety of cheeses, meats, olives, bread and whatever else looked good. Something about the rustic-ness of a big wooden cutting board filled with some of my favorites, some music playing in the background and of course a delicious bottle of wine! It had been so long since i’ve put together a “cutting board dinner” but then along came Uncorked Wine Ventures and I thought what better way to enjoy great wine then with this rustic meal. …
I love crostini! Whats not to love about a beautifully crisp slice of baguette topped with something sweet or savory? If you are hosting a hors d’oeuvre party, a small dinner or heck just looking for a tasty snack crostini are always a great option in my book! The combination possibilities are endless and with a little creativity you could probably come up with a handful of ideas with things already in your fridge and pantry. These Caramelized Onions, Thyme & Fontina Crostini are a great go to! The onions are so tender and sweet, they pair perfectly with the fresh earthy thyme and the fontina cheese. …
Polenta, in my opinion is absolutely under used. Polenta is simply an Italian cornmeal dish. It can be made creamy, like this Chicken Meatball Marsala over Creamy Polenta or as I did here where it is baked after a quick cook on the stovetop. These Polenta Squares with Ricotta & Basil Pesto have a little bit of everything. The polenta squares are creamy on the inside with a slightly crunchy exterior topped with creamy ricotta and fresh garlicky basil pesto. Whether serving these as an hors d’oeuvre or a side dish, these will be a hit! …
Good afternoon friends! How was everyones weekend? We had another busy weekend; a fun packed family wedding, more house packing and then we celebrated our little guys 3rd birthday with the family. These bite sized appetizers were a big hit and they take no time to come together! Brie, Apple & and Almond Phyllo Cups with a drizzle of honey hit on not only a great combo of flavors but of textures too! Creamy brie paired with sweet apple, crunch of the almonds and that drizzle of honey at the end just puts it over the top delicious!! …
Hey hey its the weekend!!! What a run around week its been here and I am so ready to slow things down a bit for a couple days! Whats on the menu for today? Swedish Meatballs {lightened up} my way. This may sound crazy and all but I’ve been to Ikea but never had Swedish Meatballs {wink wink} but it was one of their commercials that made me think to try making them! Traditionally they are made with a combination of beef and pork but I lightened it up using chicken and pork instead. I also switched out the beef broth, replacing it with chicken broth and rather then finishing with heavy cream, I used light sour cream. …
