THE Red Velvet Cake for Christmas

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Did you have a nice Christmas? How were all of the wonderful dishes that you served to your lucky guests? Were you snowed in or warmer than normal? Was 'Santa' good to you and your loved ones (lol).

Here in the Carolina's, it was unseasonably warm with temps between the 60's and mid-70's, while some of my relatives in the Northwest and the Midwest had the extreme levels of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. It was cold only for one night here and we were so busy with wrapping gifts, cooking, going to Mass, and so forth and so on, that we totally forgot to roast the chestnuts that my mother brought on her visit!



But we did make homemade Tortellini en Brodo, a very traditional Northern Italian holiday recipe for my family. We also found the little mountain town of Magrinana, Italy on the satellite Google maps . . . it is a teeny, tiny village that appears to have about 7 - 10 houses! God willing, I will be able to visit there someday. My family is the ONLY family from both maternal and paternal sides that came and stayed in America. The rest either never came over or did come to America and then returned to Italy. It is very strange to know that so many of my relatives are in Italy and I don't know but just one of them! I need to do some serious visiting, don't I?



Well here are the photos of the incredible Red Velvet Cake that I promised to share with you. Again, this lady is nationally recognized for her cakes and this Southern traditional cake was simply superb once again. She never fails to disappoint her loyal clientele! The day I called to order this, her husband and she baked 4 wedding cakes and 500 smaller cakes! Unbelievable! She doesn't even advertise and her bakery doesn't even have a sign in front! That's how great of a baker this lady is!

Now, how's this for a marzipan Poinsetta on the top of the cake?

M-m-m-m-m! It's all gone now, and I'm just wishing we had ordered two! But then, Valentine's Day is only a few months away and this would be just perfect again!

Well, I'm in sunny Florida and it's off to the beach with a bubbly glass of champagne Mimosa to walk in the sand, hand in hand with my W.D., and toast the New Year!

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Felice Nuovo Anno! . . . (Happy New Year!)

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Mia Famiglia e Natale'

Images of Christmas on La Bella Vita Farm

Papa counting the number of hand-made tortellini for Christmas dinner!

Tortellini en Brodo (in broth - also homemade) almost al dente and ready to serve!

The Tennessee couple after Mass

A table set for Christmas dinner.

My first Christmas quilt finally hanging on the wall to enjoy . . .

Time to roast chestnuts on an open fire . . .

Even the "big boys" are nearby and at the gate ready to eat . . .

Mama and Papa ready to mangia (eat) too (Christmas Eve)! 

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My Mama Mia is Here for Christmas - The Kitchen is in Overdrive!

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My parents have been here at the acreage for about 2 days now and my mother and I have already made a pot of Italian soup so dog gone large that I don't have enough space to store the stuff in the frig/freezers.
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After the soup, Mama started on her Italian meatloaf, full of garlic! We bake about 15 meatloaves and freeze 'em and pull them out of the freezer whenever we get home from work and don't have anything planned for dinner. They are a life saver!
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Tomorrow Mama is going to make an army's batch of spaghetti sauce (Bolognese style with meat).
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I don't know what she's got up her sleeve to cook after that . . . maybe we'll get around to Christmas baking. Who knows? I just know that this elderly woman wears me completely out!
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I hope that you are all enjoying this wonderful Christmas season.

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In the Christmas Spirit!

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Fall semester of teaching at my university is finally over and I was able to put up my Christmas tree this weekend! For the first time this year, I played some lovely retro Christmas music from the classics sung by Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, and more! I refuse, simply and absolutely refuse to listen to Christmas songs on the radio until it is truly time for Christmas. The first day of December is my absolute first day to listen to some Christmas tunes. Enough of this secularization and commercialization of our Lord's birth, already people! Enough, I say! Turn the commercialization off and/or turn the dial of your radio or satellite TV radio stations!

So this weekend, with all my students' grades posted, with Christmas carols playing, and eggnog with rum or "whatever on hand", I am SO-o-o-o-o-o in the spirit of Christmas now! Our family nativity scene has been centrally placed next to the Christmas tree, the stockings have all been hung on the fireplace mantel with care (you know the words, don't ya?), and all that jazz that is considered to be traditional has been done today! Oh how fabulous! I am just so jazzed guys!



How about each of you? What are some of the ways that you begin to celebrate this season of love and goodwill and recognition of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ's birth?



Today, for you foodies out there in foodie blogland, I also ordered from one of the most recognized top bakers in the U.S., a fantastic, very Southern traditional red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting to be picked up FRESH on December 23rd (it's best if it sits for at least one day to marry the flavors together!). This woman in our tiny little, nowhere of a town in South Carolina, has been awarded one of the most coveted awards in cake baking and decorating and is now considered to be one of the seven masters of cake baking and decorating after the last 2008 competition at the Las Vegas Bake-Off Competition. She was featured in the news and truthfully is one of seven that has won this honor in the entire U.S.!



What a fluke that this talent should live in this middle-of-nowhere land where we reside in the countryside of the South! We were so fortunate to have this unpretentious little lady bake the wedding cakes for our daughter and son-in-law several years ago for their wedding . . . . a red velvet cake of course!  I'll post a photo of her outrageous cake for you in a few weeks when I pick it up.
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Favorite Holiday Cherry Pie

How many of you enjoy a pie for your holidays? My family loves them! And since I don't like pumpkin pie, and I LOVE cherry pie, my mother started a holiday tradition when I was a little girl in which we always have a cherry pie for every holiday now. Now it is expected that this cherry pie make an appearance at every holiday. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

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Cherry Pie with Fool Proof Pie Crust

Pie Crust

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Dry ingredients:

4 cups flour

6 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cup shortening

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Wet ingredients:

1 jumbo egg

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup water

Cherry Pie Filling:

Combine in another large mixing bowl:

5 - 6 cans of thick cherry pie filling, drained of the juice (set aside for another use)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. almond extract

Procedure:

Combine all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
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Using a pastry cutter/blender, mix all the dry ingredients well.

The mixture will look lumpy as you continue to blend the dry ingredients together.
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Add the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl.
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Blend the wet ingredients well with a fork or whisk.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients thoroughly....add just a little bit of flour if necessary, but NOT TOO MUCH or the pie dough will be too dry!

Form the pie dough into a nice shaped ball and refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes.
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After chilling, cut the ball of dough in half. Technically, this is enough to make 2 double-crusted pies......BUT, for us it is enough to make one double-crusted pie and one single-crusted pie (so 3 crusts). It all depends on how thin or thick that you like your pie crusts......which we like ours on the thicker side.

Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface (we use a large wooden cutting board).

Carefully lift and place the bottom layer of pie dough into a well-greased pie pan. Pour in the cherry mixture.

Cover the cherries with the top layer of dough. Crimp and decorate the way you prefer. Brush the top of the pie with melted butter (about 1-1/2 Tbsp. )

Sprinkle a nice layer of sugar on top of the buttered pie dough.

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Bake for 30 - 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven......constantly keeping an eye on the pie so that the edges of the crust do not burn.....about half way through the baking, I crimp aluminum foil around the egdes to prevent burning.

Enjoy with a wonderful heaping of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you prefer!
Mangia!

Beautiful sliced piece of yummy cherry pie!

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Beautiful Christmas Trimmings on La Bella Vita Farm!

Here's the brave hubby getting out on the roof on a cloudy Carolina December day to lovingly hang some of the Christmas wreaths! What a trooper!

Good job, eh?

It's beginning to look a lot like a "Southern" Christmas (no snow)!

More deco!

And lastly, our 88 year old Italian Papa in the Christmas mood!

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Essential Cooking Utensils & Equipment

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You know it's funny that we often forget to think about the little things in life that matter, don't we? These little things could be, well, just about anything! Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was so blessed to be able to visit my daughter and her husband for their first big bash holiday dinner. I am so glad that she trusts me and my husband to join her in the kitchen to help her along the way.



However, come to find out that my foodie-to-be, Bon Appetit reader, future gourmand daughter of mine does not have a very well-equipped kitchen!! H-m-m-m-m! She's still more interested in finding her money-saving fashion finds...... how I remember those days!

So I decided that I needed to give her a little assistance in preparing her kitchen. I am going to start this list and hope that you or anyone will add to it. I'll keep editing this list as time goes on. But here's a nice start (beginning with what my daughter does not have in her kitchen)!

• Dry measuring cups
• Liquid measuring cups (she has)
• Several sets of measuring spoons (she only had one set)
• High quality pots and pans (I use LeCreuset)
• Set of 8-sized mixing bowls (clear if possible) 2 sets if possible
• Rubber spatulas of many sizes
• Long-handled mixing spoons
• Rolling pin with sleeve (she has)
• Micro graters
• Cutting blocks of assorted sizes
• Immersion hand-held blender
• High quality hand-held mixer
• KitchenAid counter top mixer
• Food processor (she has)
• Pasta machine
• Baking sheets
• Cake pans of various sizes
• Pie pans " "
• Muffin pans
• Bundt cake pans
• Cooling racks
• Strainers and colanders
• Vegetable steamer
• Butter/sauce brush
• Funnels
• Whisks
• Garlic press
• Kitchen shears
• Good quality cutlery (knives)
• Blender
• Scales to weigh things
• Cookie cutters
• Can opener
• Potato peeler
• Lettuce knives
• Thermometers
• Nut crackers
• Tongs

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A Thanksgiving to be Thankful For!!

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Smokey Bacon Biscuit Stuffing

We're back from our family road trip to Tennessee for Thanksgiving. Our daughter and hubbie hosted their first BIG holiday dinner and it was a huge success! The food was incredible! We deep-fried the turkey (Southern style) and there wasn't a morsel of that bird left!

The newest recipe to add to my recipe box is straight from Williams-Sonoma. If you haven't already seen it, here it is for you. My daughter served it for the holiday dinner and I highly recommend it!

Smokey Bacon Biscuit Dressing


Twelve 4-inch cream biscuits, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb. sliced smoky bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, diced
5 celery stalks, diced
8 oz. white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 cups chicken stock
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Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F.
Spread the biscuits out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.
In a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 3 Tbs. of the fat from the pan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, mushrooms, parsley, sage and thyme and cook until the celery is soft, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the bacon to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the biscuits and stock and stir to combine.
Transfer the dressing to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the dressing is lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.

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Italian Turkey Stuffing

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I am sure that everyone is also busy readying for the holidays. Last year we were fortunate enough to serve the needy in our community in our local soup kitchen. Then we simply ate out at an inexpensive buffet restaurant because all of our family members were visiting their other family (of their spouses, etc.). So we just did not fix that great big meal and did not have all the clean up that goes along with it afterwards.



Serving others was a very soul-satisfying experience for us and we hope that you will participate in helping others in their need for food as well. You'll know when it is right for you to do this.

Anyhow, here is a fantastic Italian recipe that I found in Gourmet magazine YEARS AGO! I have adjusted the spices "down" to a level more satisfying to my family. The original recipe was far too spicy to eat.

Turkey Stuffing Italiano

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20 oz. loaf of home-made bread, sliced, toasted, buttered, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.....(you can also buy and bake frozen bread dough for this)

1 Tbsp. crumbled dried thyme

1 tsp. crumbled dried sage

1 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary (or less since it is so strong)

salt & pepper to taste

3 chopped onions

1 1/2 cups chopped celery & leaves

1 stick plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

one turkey liver, gizzard, and heart -- all chopped

1 pound pork sausage . . . plus 1 tsp. garlic powder

8 oz. whole milk mozzarella cheese (fresh if possible), cut into 1/4" cubes

2 oz. pepperoni, cut into 1/8" tiny, tiny bits

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In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the thyme, sage, rosemary . . . salt and pepper to taste.

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In a skillet, cook the onions, celery, AND celery leaves in 9 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat until softened and tender (about 8 to 10 minutes) stirring occasionally and then add this to the bowl of bread cubes.

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In the skillet, cook the giblets in 2 Tbsp. of butter over moderate heat, stirring for 4 minutes or until they are browned . . . adding salt & pepper to taste. Add this mixture to the bread cube mixture.

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In the skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it into pieces, over moderate heat until it is cooked through. Add 1 tsp. garlic and some salt. Add this to the bread cube mixture.

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Add the mozzarella, pepperoni to the bread mixture....toss completely and let cool completely.

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CAN BE MADE THE NIGHT BEFORE! Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to stuff the turkey or bake separately (or both). The aroma will simply amaze you when you open your refrigerator!

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I hope that you enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday recipe gift . . . and that you thank God for your many blessings, no matter how large or small !

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Mixed Lettuce Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese; Dijon Vinaigrette

With apples and cranberries in season right now, here is a delicious salad for your holiday menus. It's easy and delicious and very colorful!

Mixed Lettuce Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese and Dijon Vinaigrette

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8 cups lettuce blend of:

spinach, red leaf, Bibb, romaine,

radicchio, Belgian endive, iceburg

1 medium red onion, sliced

2 crisp RED apples

pecan halves

crumbled blue cheese

dried cranberries

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Vinaigrette

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3/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

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In a screw top jar or lidded container,combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Chill until serving time.

Arrange the greens on salad plates. Top with onions, apples, pecans, blue cheese and cranberries.

Pass the dressing.

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Cranberry Nut Bread

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It's Cranberry Time!!

Here is one of my family's most treasured holiday recipes: Cranberry Nut Bread. I share it with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we do. P.S. Get those cranberries now out in the market (October, November, and December) while you can because once they are sold out for the year, you won't be able to find them again until next year. And these little breads freeze wonderfully!

Cranberry Nut Bread

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup very warm, not hot, water

1/3 cup non-fat dry milk

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup fresh whole cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream the buter and sugar in a bowl with a hand-mixer.

Add the eggs and vanilla, beating thoroughly.

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and stir until dissolved.

Stir in the dry milk.

Blend yeast mixture, flour and baking soda into the egg mixture.

Beat at highest speed of mixer for 6 minutes.

Stir in the cranberries and nuts.

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate batter overnight

Then, stir the batter down and put into SMALL greased loaf pans.

Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Cool and dust with powdered sugar or top with your favorite powdered sugar icing.

WE LOVE THIS BREAD WITHOUT ANYTHING! But the choice is yours.

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ADDICTING, Oh So Good (and SWEET) Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Here is a recipe that I found on the 'All Recipes' web-site. I do not claim this recipe to be my own creation. My husband and I are the pickiest cookie foodies. So when we were researching the best oatmeal (raisin) cookie recipe, I found this. If you log on to All Recipes for this recipe you will see that there are over 600 5-star reader reviews for this cookie recipe . . . honestly, this recipe is that good!

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We bake half a batch with raisins and half a batch without raisins because our family is split on this little tiny ingredient (in fact, I double the raisins for my batch, since I love raisins).

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If you nibble on these when they are warm, you will become addicted to them!

Soft Oatmeal (Raisin) Cookies

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1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon!

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup or your preferred amount of dark raisins

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In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together and then stir these into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats.

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Cover and chill the cookie dough for at least one hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the cookie dough into walnut-size balls and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large spoon dipped in sugar.

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Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

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Dauphinois Potato Gratin. Very elegant!

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I've been outside enjoying this last bit of 70+ degree weather. It is so beautiful outside in the fall, don't you think? Plus, turning back the clock an hour has really helped me catch up on some z-z-z's from my sleep deprivation!


I am going to give you a very special, elegant recipe that I found in "The Vegetarian Gourmet", a cookbook printed in the '70's. This is a classic dish filled with wonderfully familiar ingredients such as garlic, cheese and cream. I am not a vegetarian, but the cookbook has many good ways to fix veggies, which we all need more of.


Now in no way is this a healthy side dish! This very French gratin recipe is rather rich and high in fat . . . it is a warm, creamy, cheesey, soul-satisfying dish that is perfect for autumn meals! Anyway every now and then we can enjoy something like this, right? Isn't the saying that "everything in moderation?"

If you prepare the pork roast recipe that I gave you a few days ago, this potato side dish is lovely combined with it. Pairing the two dishes together make a delicious Sunday afternoon dinner after church or for an elegant evening also. For a pretty plate, I'd serve some freshly steamed broccoli or asparagus alongside. The creamy-cheese sauce from the potatoes is very good to soak up into a green vegetable.


Here is this classic potato gratin recipe for you:

Dauphinois Potatoes

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 - 6 medium Idaho potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)

1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper

Butter a 9" baking dish.

Gently heat the milk and cream in a saucepan, add the butter, salt and pepper.

Rub the inside of the baking dish with the garlic or sprinkle the bottom with garlic powder.

Arrange the potatoes in overlapping layers in the baking dish.

Pour the milk/cream sauce over the potatoes.

Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked and well-golden browned on top and the milk has become a creamy sauce.

M-m-m-m-m-m, this is just heavenly!

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Gnocchi Verdi in Tomato Cream Sauce

On this crisp October autumn day, I have a wonderful Italian comfort food to share that is sure to fill you with warmth and goodness!

Italians love a pasta shape called "gnocchi" (pronounced NYOW-kee, emphasis on the NYOW)...the 'g' is silent and the 'o' is pronounced as in the word 'no'. These little dumplings are eaten as a "primi" or "first course" of a meal. I also love them as a pass-around side dish which several Italian restaurants also serve them (either way).

Gnocchi Verdi in Creamy Tomato Sauce

3 10-oz. packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 jumbo eggs and 1 egg yolk

1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiana Regiano cheese

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese

1-1/3 cup unbleached flour (begin with 2/3 cup and add until desired result)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

Tomato Cream Sauce

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1 15 oz. can tomatoes (preferably imported Italian)

1 14 oz. can tomato sauce

4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 cup half and half

Chicken or vegetable broth for boiling

Gnocchi:

Mix the first five ingredients together well.

Add lemon zest and spices.

Mix in flour slowly, adding a little more if it is too sticky-wet.

Spread some flour in a shallow pan.

Scoop gnocchi out by Tablespoon-size blobs and shape into ovals.

Lay them down in the flour-laden pan and roll the to coat them evenly with flour.

Discard excess flour after rolling gnocchi.

Cook uncovered in boiling broth (preferably, but you can also use water) for approximately 5 minutes or until fairly firm to the touch.

Transfer to a shallow baking dish and drizzle with either: melted butter with some shredded Parmigiana cheese and broil ... or Tomato Cream Sauce and serve.

Tomato Cream Sauce:

Slightly heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook ten minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, heat thoroughly and serve with extra Parmigiana cheese on the side.

I hope that you enjoy this special recipe; there are many versions of spinach gnocchi in Italian cookbooks and on-line. But this is the recipe that I learned, first served, and am still serving today. I only cook and share recipes that work and that people love and enjoy.....the rest are discarded, since time and money is precious!

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Roast Pork with Garlic and Thyme

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Well the Carolina's have felt the cold wave that has been blowing through the last few days. My summer flowers are now shriveled up and ready to sleep for the winter. I'll rake them up this weekend and place them in the compost pile for mother nature to 're-use'.

I have not posted in about one week due to my parents' visit to the acreage and sadly, my mother's inability to prepare ravioli as promised (she even brought the filling all prepared and ready to go). She is a bit under the weather, and at age 85, we decided that it would be best to put this off until another visit when she is feeling better.

However, that won't stop me from sharing an AWESOME, delicious, EASY, impressive recipe with you. It is from the New York Times Cookbook (way back in the '70s) by the late Craig Claiborne, but it has a few of my adaptations (more garlic for instance!). This was my first American cookbook and this recipe never disappoints anyone. I hope that you enjoy it.

Roast Pork with Garlic and Thyme

1 4-lb. pork loin

Combine the following in a small bowl:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 - 4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp. thyme

salt and fresh pepper to taste

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Sprinkle on the pork roast: Mrs. Dash, Nature's Seasons, and/or Accent

Rub the olive oil/garlic/thyme mixture onto (and into if it opens) the 4 lb. pork loin.

Place the fat side up on a flat rack placed in an uncovered roasting pan.

Roast for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees

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for 45 minutes per pound.

With a meat thermometer, it should be 185 degrees inside when done.

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Making RAVIOLI this week!

Ciao Amici,

My mother is coming to stay for one week and she is planning on making some home-made, entirely from scratch RAVIOLI!! I've already got the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese purchased and grated in the food processor. And I've already got the semolina flour for the pasta. I need to get out my pasta maker and dust it off, since I only make pasta 3 times a year (Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) due to the lack of time.

I am going to introduce my mother to all of you through blogging and posting photos of the step-by-step process of making the ravioli.

Now, I'm not sure what else my mother is planning on making, because she usually makes enough food to feed an army of people and I just don't eat that fast to empty enough space in my two freezers. This is the way that I cook......large amounts and freeze. Because of my work and my extremely long commute to the city, this method of preparation really works for me.....otherwise, I'd give in to eating out all the time, which is WAY too expensive and fattening!

I bought my first upright freezer, that is STILL in use today, back in 1979!!!! Then my mother gave me one of those little halvsey, short freezer. That's where I keep frozen pizzas and other quick frozen stuff that we can pop into the oven/microwave.

So I'll be posting this special cooking blog this week. My parents arrive on Wednesday, so you know what I'll be doing until then? CLEANING!!! A woman that wears many hats!

Amore' and blessings to you,

~ Bella

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