I’m so excited that warm Spring weather!

Also, we are all ready to taste all the fresh flavors that come with the sun.

Brightly colored berries and delicate cream go so well together.

This can be so easy to throw together on short notice.

You can use ready made pound cake, instant vanilla pudding and whip up fresh heavy whipping cream for an elegant and so delicious dessert that looks great and extravagant.

Fresh berries make any dessert special and fancy.

The other thing to remember is that you can make this extra special by baking all the ingredients from scratch.

Use your favorite cake recipe, maybe something with a little lemon zest to enhance the flavor of the fresh berries, as well as your favorite vanilla custard.

Be creative or keep it simple, either way, you will have a special treat for you and your guests.

I love pancakes! I love the idea of pancakes, the variety of pancakes, the dessert/breakfast quality of pancakes. I always order pancakes when I’m out for brunch or breakfast.

What I don’t like is making pancakes. How do you keep them warm when you have a large crowd over for brunch?

How do you get lots of variety without a lot of work?

What I do know for sure is that I love to have people over for breakfast and brunch and I would like to be able to visit with my guests when they are around, so, pancakes are out of the question.
They turn you into a slave to the stove.

This brunch casserole has solved many of my issues. Plus it is a hardy, yummy and filling dish that works great for a lazy Sunday.

I can make it in the morning and have it around all day for noshing.

I always include potatoes, onions, eggs and cheese but I vary the vegetables based on what I have on hand.

This time I added, red pepper and corn.

I start by sautéing the onion, red pepper and potatoes in a frying skillet then beating eggs and cheese together to pour over all of the ingredients in a casserole dish.

I’ll bake this at 350 for about 20-30 minutes in a buttered casserole dish.

It is easy and delicious and relatively healthy.

The best thing about it is that it is forgiving and will accommodate almost any combination of ingredients.

Experiment with your favorites and always have a hassle-free dish on hand that makes everyone happy and leaves you hands free!

Halloumi, red pepper and pineapple skewers are too easy not to make for a tasty appetizer on the fly!

Halloumi is a Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goats’ and sheep milk, and sometimes also cows’ milk.

It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled and has a salty, chewy, rich flavor that makes it a great compliment to sweet and tangy flavors.

Warm the Halloumi in the oven at 250 degrees fahrenheit for about 15 minutes then just chop and skewer the ingredients.

I kept mine small; about 1/2 inch square makes petite and tasty little bites.

These work great with cocktails as hardy appetizers.

Try a cilantro, olive oil dipping sauce for a little added flavor.

Colorful skewers make these festive for entertaining and I could even see putting this together like a salad or as a side for rice and beans; almost like a salsa.

Try this for early Easter snacks and the perfect way to usher in the bright and sunny flavors of Spring!

Even the most talented chefs had to first learn to boil an egg. Cooking is an arduous and tough-to-master craft, as is becoming a top-tier poker player. Everyone has to start out somewhere. Luckily, there are aids that offer assistance in the development of your respective craft. Online poker is a huge sector of the online community and it can be intimidating stepping onto the platform as a beginner. You will be faced with the decision of where to start. Sportsbook.com is a beginner-friendly site that eases the transition into the online poker world.
1. It’s User-Friendly

Sportsbook poker is extremely user-friendly. Whereas other poker interfaces are like attempting to operate an airplane, Sportsbook’s poker interface is like settling behind the wheel of an automatic-transmission car. Beginners don’t have to spend hours attempting to learn how to utilize the platform because everything is self-explanatory. Even seasoned players appreciate the simplicity of the platform.

2. No Deposit Required

Users don’t have to make a deposit before being able to play through Sportsbook. With many other sites, deposits are required and those deposits have to be used within a short period of time. With Sportsbook, individuals can simply start playing. It takes just a few minutes to download sportsbook.com, and then you’re ready to play.

3. Realistic Graphics

Sportsbook’s poker rooms feature realistic graphics with players that have mannerisms and demeanors similar to those you’d find in your local casino. The game play is much more realistic than some of the other sites, making the overall experience more enjoyable for beginners and experts alike. The richly textured backgrounds and high quality graphics make playing at Sportsbook fun and interesting.

4. Competitive Promotions

Sportsbook is competitive with their promotions, offering huge bonuses for first deposits. In fact, the current promotion offers up to 200% of the first deposit, up to $2000. They also have the Ace High VIP Program, which allows you to get all kinds of rewards and cash back as you move through the levels. This keeps things interesting and keeps the stakes high for all players.

5. Tournaments

Sportsbook has a healthy amount of tournaments, with more than $100,000 in payouts each week in addition to the $250,000 tournament each month. The website offers different tournament formats so you can choose your favorites. Just a few options include the Lightning and Kamikaze tournaments.

Sportsbook.com has a service comparable to even the biggest names in the online poker industry. They’re the best option for beginners and remain the favorite option among more seasoned players, making them a serious force in online poker.

The vegetables above all look beautiful, but do we know if they’re genetically modified. Do you know when you’re picking fruit and vegetables at the local grocery store? The answer is no, but that might start to change of the voters of California approve Proposition 37. The proposed law would require that food manufacturers appropriately label all food, whether raw or processed, that contain ingredients made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). That term refers to scientific procedures that have altered the genetic material in various organisms.

The idea is the consumers have a right to know what kinds of food they are buying and eating, while opponents argue that it would be too burdensome or costly. These initiatives have failed many times in other states, but California often leads the nation on these issues.

Tons of money is being spent by opponents of the law. Both sides are running commercials and spending money on brochure printing for mailers, but the food companies and their allies are spending like crazy. They can afford massive custom printing costs and slick commercials. Yet the proponents have passionate supporters of these regulations. It will be interesting to see what happens.

We’ve been in a very long rut regarding home sales, as home values plummeted with the recession and the mortgage crisis. In some parts of the country home values and sales are increasing, while other areas like Las Vegas remain stagnant.

There is a boom, however, in home improvement spending as sales from stores like Home Depot, hardware stores and furniture stores are going through the roof. This probably reflects the fact that many families have given up on the idea of trading up for a bigger house, as that’s much more difficult in this part of the cycle. Also, with mortgage rates so ridiculously low, more people are refinancing, and often that also frees up cash for home improvement purchases.

So if you’re looking to finally upgrade that kitchen or redecorate some rooms, now might be a great time. You can do big things like putting in new cabinets or new counters, or you can make more modest changes by picking out a new piece of furniture or hanging art on the walls with new picture frames.

Everyone loves a refreshed home, so think about what works best for you!

Carmelina’s in Boston’s North End was an absolute treat after spending a sunny Saturday afternoon moving my “little Freshman” into her college dorm!

Checking out the menu in silence!

Little Italy in Boston’s North End

Ready for lunch.

Thanks Dad!

Mussels in White Wine

Wild Mushroom Rissotto.

More Rissotto

Japanese Eggplant

Warm Crusty Bread.

Table of food.

Catch of the day on Broccoli Rabe.

Rissotto with Seafood.

More “fruits of the sea”

Angel Hair Pasta

Arugula with shaved Parmesan.

Gorgeous Salad!

Tuna with Fusilli.

Yummy 1

Yummy 2

Yummy3!

Every Last….

Bite!

This meal was delicious and it was the perfect time of day to consume copious calories.

Believe it or not, not long after this meal we walked down the street to the Caffe Paradiso for the world’s best ( no hyperbole ) tiramisu and coffee.

As close to an authentic Italian experience as one could find on this side of the Atlantic.

An emotional weekend fueled by olive oil and mascarpone cheese, you can be sure that I will be visiting often for many reasons!

I don’t know how much more we need to know about this crudely genetically modified grain before we all stop consuming it.

It is linked to a myriad of health problems and is addictive to boot.

From Type 2 Diabetes to metabolic syndrome, this dwarf wheat has been blamed for many of the chronic ills of society.

This is not the wheat of your grandmother.

Created 50 years ago this new wheat has double the genetic information as the original Einkorn variety eaten for millennia without problems.

My eldest daughter isn’t leaving for college for another 5 weeks and already she is teaching me things.

She made these incredibly moist and delicious muffins and gave me the recipe.

She substituted raspberries for blackberries and I would switch out the wheat flour for coconut flour.

just a few ideas.

In any case, these were delicious!

She has taught me about Chia seeds which are wonderful; Extremely healthy and a great ingredient for vegan chefs to add texture, heft and “egg white” qualities to baked goods.

Blackberry Mango Muffins

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. Chia seed
1 1/4 Cup Warm Water
2 Cups Mango, No Skin/seed and Mashed
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
2/3 Cup Organic Sugar
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Ground Allspice
1 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Fresh Blackberries
1 Cup Salted, Shelled Pistachios

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and get 24 cupcake liners ready in a baking sheet.

Stir the chia seed and warm water together and set aside for a few minutes until it is gelatinous.

In a small bowl, stir together the coconut oil, mango, sugar, ACV, vanilla extract and the chia seed mixture.

Using a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, Allspice, and salt.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir together until there are not dry chunks and it is smooth.

Fold the blackberries and salted pistachios into the batter. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until it almost reaches the top.
Bake for 23-27 minutes, check to see if they are done baking with a toothpick to see if it draws clear. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Enjoy and Share!

I apologize for the photos but I certainly hope that these BEAUTIFUL figs make your mouth water like they did mine!

Figs are great snacks and can set the stage for fancy appetizers like goat cheese stuffed figs with pistachios.

Fresh figs are seriously underrated in my opinion and everyone should eat as many as they can.

Dried figs are nutritious and delicious but fresh figs are a real treat.

Figs are a great source of fiber and are low in calories.

For vegans concerned about calcium, consider this:

Figs are a fruit source of calcium (79 milligrams in an 8 oz-wt serving), a mineral that has many functions including promoting bone density. Additionally, figs’ potassium may also counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the high-salt diets typical of most Americans, thus helping to further prevent bones from thinning out at a fast rate.

Not much needs to be done to prepare figs for your favorite recipes or impromptu creations.

Lightly clean the skin with with water, cut in half and scoop out the flesh, if desired.

Eat the tender skin to benefit from fig’s high fiber content.

You don’t need to add sugar.

You can use the meaty flesh as a fruit spread, in baked goods or with savory cheeses and artisan breads.

Enjoy and Share!