A Year of Yumminess on La Bella Vita

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2010 brought a lot of 'growth' to this little ol' blog, "la bella vita" in both content and presentation.  My family and friends log on and read it quite often for not only traditional family recipes, but new recipes as well.  My readership grew from 100 followers in 2009 to over 700 in 2010, both through google, email subscriptions, and other blog groups.  I am just amazed at these wonderful people and how they have written about enjoying my recipes, whether my own or adapted from other sources.


So for this annual review, I'm going to start right there:  with some of my best recipe posts.  Here goes!

The most popular recipes of the year that were logged on by both followers and passing-by-visitors were:

Garden Fresh Marinara Sauce

Strawberry Layer Cake with Strawberry Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting 

Sweet Cherry Tomato - Basil Pesto Sauce on Farfalle Pasta

In January, I made several lifestyle changes to live more healthfully, including what foods to include in my nutrition.  I lost 20 pounds from those changes.  Here was one of my favorite healthy recipes:

Terrific Tabouli:  Wheat and Herb Salad

In February, I was thrilled to have my Guacamole recognized as one of the top 2 guacamole recipes on FOODISTA.  Since I'm not much of a self-promoting blogger, I didn't ask others to vote for my recipe, and was pleased to rank as the second best guacamole without a single vote!

Roz's Awesome Guacamole

Also in February, I began to overcome my fear of preparing authentic risotto.  By so doing, this has become one of my Italian cooking pride and joys.  This is food from the foodie gods!

Creamy Risotto with Lemon, Asiago Cheese, and Rosemary

Finally, in February, I was introduced to Nigella Lawson's cooking style and philosophy through the "I Heart Cooking Club" group.  Since I adore trifles, this Italian-Anglo trifle by Nigella was perfect for Valentine's Day!

Very Berry Romantic Anglo-Italian Trifle

In June, I welcomed my new best friend into my life:  my new Canon EOS Rebel Tli camera.  My sister, Kelly, and daughter, Lauren, both have one and highly recommended this camera brand and model, as well as other professional photography bloggers that I follow.  What an incredible camera it has been that has enhanced my photography and inspired me to continue to learn more about beautiful photography, both for my blog and my family's life overall.

My gardens began to bear fruit and vegetables in June as well, including bushels of both green and red tomatoes.  Here was one of our favorite Italian/Southern recipes that impressed everyone:

Fried Green Tomatoes with Fresh Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella

Crusted ‘Ahi Tuna Katsu Pupus, Yellow Curry Sauce and Fresh Mango SalsaIn July, it was off to our annual trip to Hawaii where we always try and dine at one new restaurant that receives rave reviews.  This year we enjoyed Thai cuisine at Singha Thai in Honolulu from which this outstanding appetizer recipe was shared by the chef due to its popularity among fans:

In the grueling heat of August, the "Cake Slice Bakers" group chose to bake a sweet and cool, chilled cake. The traditional Latin cake, Tres Leches Cake, was perfect and delightful, which we will make over and over again! I have always wanted to make this cake and am so glad that this foodie blog group chose it!


Tres Leches Cake

Returning to my Italian favorites, this pasta was simply to die for! Even with a new focus on healthy eating (more often anyway), once in a while one must give in to temptation.  This was my downfall and was worth every calorie and feelings of guilt:

Pasta with Three Cheeses, Prosciutto and Peas

In September, another fabulous cake was selected by the "Cake Slice Bakers" group.  This was simply superb and was baked by several of my blog readers who unanimously agreed on it's sweet perfection for autumn when apples are in season!

Apple Caramel Cake

Because I love Thai food only second to Italian cuisine and continued to try to incorporate more healthy, yet delicious recipes into my lifestyle, I created this magnificently yummy Thai cucumber salad that I could literally eat the entire bowlful!


Roz's Thai Cucumber Salad That Tops Them All

October and autumn compelled me to prepare several traditional Italian recipes with fresh figs and prosciutto.  They were delightful!

Gorgonzola Stuffed Fresh Figs with Honey Drizzle

The chilly days of November inspired my mother, who along with my father are staying with us, to cook up huge pots of our years-old family recipe, of the famous Tuscan soup, Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) Soup. I never tire of this classic.October and autumn compelled me to prepare several traditional Italian recipes with fresh figs and prosciutto. They were delightful!

Minestra di Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup)

.To end the year, I shared my family's recipe for Italian Contucci cookies (biscotti) for Christmas.  Just wonderful dipped in your favorite coffee flavor!

Italian Contucci (Biscotti)

For 2011, I know that I'll continue to post with the same theme that I've focused on for the last two years, that being all of the various ways in which we can be inspired to live life more beautifully, whether that be from my cucina (kitchen) to yours, through trips and traveling, or through fresh vegetables and flowers in my gardens!

Felice Anno Nuovo!

(Happy New Year!)

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SC Snowfall, Christmas 2010 ~ ~ Wordless Wednesday (well, not completely wordless)

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The front pasture covered with a perfect white snow under a clear blue winter sky.

Mr. Cardinal entertaining us outside my kitchen window (through a window screen, so a bit blurry).

Snowfall at night brings a completely different photo theme, the white dots are snowflakes.

An old, abandoned, but beautiful cabin just down the road from us.  I just love it!

Front step arrangements dusted with snow (red dogwood branches, berries, and assortment of greenery).

One of the gardens under the blanket of soft, white snow.

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Prime Rib with Au Jus

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It's not every day that we indulge in a prime rib dinner, so this extravagance is reserved once a year for our Christmas day dinner only.  With that said, you can tell that neither my husband or myself are pros at preparing prime rib.  However, my mother has a recipe in our family cookbook that's right on par for the perfect P.R.  It involves several hours of slow cooking on low oven heat, and then standing for an hour or so, all depending upon the size/weight of the rib roast.  Secondly, a rich 'au jus' is a must to pour over (or dip into) the meat.

We enjoy prime rib more on the rare side and others in the family like it cooked a bit more medium-rare. So cut the outer slices for those who want their meat medium-rare, and cut more towards the center for those more rare slices.  This should make everyone happy, happy!

As traditionalists, we always ladle large bowls of homemade tortellini in brodo first before anything else is ever served.  Holidays would never be complete without this pasta soup!  For a side dish beside the prime rib, we kept it simple with baked potatoes (with butter and/or sour cream) alongside a fabulous spinach salad and fresh bread.  Dinner was just perfect, not too much and not too skimpy . . . just right with room left over in our tummies for some sweet desserts!

Prime Rib with Au Jus

Place the prime rib in a large, deep roasting pan with 1/2" of water poured into the pan.
Do not season the meat at all.
Cook for 17 minutes per pound on 350 degrees.
Keep adding water throughout the cooking time.
Let the prime rib sit outside the oven for one hour prior to slicing.
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Au Jus

Boil 1 pound ground beef in hot water (the two combined should equal 3 quarts) for 10 minutes.
Add 4 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet
Add 4 Tbsp. beef bouillion (try not to use the cubes, but rather use the moist jarred version).
Add 4 Tbsp. salt and 1/2/ tsp. black pepper
Strain and keep all the liquid.
Add this mixture to 3 quarts of cold water.
Refrigerate.
After chilling, remove all of the fat from the top surface of the au jus.
Bring back to a super HOT temperature on the stove and serve at this very hot temperature over the prime rib.

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.A nice-sized bowl of Tortellini in Brodo with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese sprinkled on the top.

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Lighting the candles on the table (before dinner).

My niece waiting patiently for everyone to come to the table to enjoy!

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An Italian Cheese Log Plus A Chicken Cheese Log

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My mother bought a sweet little Christmas cookbook in the hospital gift shop where my father had surgery a few weeks ago (Simply Christmas Cookbook, 2009).  So many of the recipes sound delicious, yet extremely easy and simple.  So my mother, with the help of Ashleigh (my niece) chose to prepare a few cheese logs for all of us to nibble on.  I haven't seen cheese balls or logs as appetizers or snack options in several years, so it was nice to have them again.  These are truly very good and much better than your average everyday cheese ball or log, so if you're watching your calories, then just have a slice or two, and no more!  Sounds difficult, but if I can do it, so can anyone.  Plus these make great gifts!
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Pepperoni Cheese Log
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4 (3 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 (8 oz) package pepperoni, chopped
Chopped pimento-stuffed green olives (for garnish and color)
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In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and pepperoni; mix well.
Form the mixture into a log.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours for the flavors to marry and blend.
Garnish with chopped green olives.
Serve cold with crackers.
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Chicken Cheese Log

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 oz) package ranch dressing mix
1 (5 oz) can of chunk white chicken, drained OR use the same amount of leftover chicken from making chicken broth (shredded).  We make chicken broth (brodo) every holiday for the Tortellini in Brodo and have a lot of left over cooked chicken.
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and chicken.
Form the mixture into a log.
On a piece of wax paper, spread out the chopped pecans.
Roll the log in the pecans until it is completely coated.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

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In the kitchen cooking up some love:  my daughter, Lauren, Ashleigh (standing on a step stool), my sister, Kelly, and my mother, Retha.  Each of them is spreading more holiday cheer with their Christmas hats!  Kelly has a mistletoe hanging over her forehead on her little hat!

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Traditional Italian Almond Contucci (Biscotti)

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When all of the families in my Midwestern hometown were baking and enjoying sugar cookies for Christmas, my mother would be baking traditional Italian contucci (biscotti) cookies.  She also made Amaretto balls and Spritz cookies (which I loved).  But as a child, I didn't care for contucci very much because the cookies were not as sweet and moist as other Christmas cookies, plus they weren't cut into cute Christmas shapes, nor did they have a sweet icing or have any colorful, festive decorations on top!
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Oh, but on the contrary, how the adults loved those twice-baked, semi-sweet biscuits, which they dipped into their coffee or wine after dinner!  When I grew up and developed more mature tastes in food, I finally fell in love with contucci or biscotti, as they are more familiarly known as in the U.S.  And so did everyone else in America, it seemed, as little biscotti and espresso bars popped up around the country, as well as being sold in grocery stores including Wal-Mart.  That's a long way from the days in the 60's growing up in the U.S. when no one had ever heard of contucci or biscotti outside of an Italian home!
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Here is our family's Christmas story of contucci at Christmastime that I'd like to share with you:  My mother and her sister would always stay overnight on Christmas Eve at my great-grandmother Martina's house in Iowa in order to go to 5:00 AM Mass on Christmas morning.  My mother's mother had died many years earlier in childbirth, and my grandfather was not a practicing Catholic at the time.  So my mother and aunt would go to my great-grandparents' home to go to church on Christmas morning when they were little girls.  In those old days Catholics were required to fast from food after midnight on Christmas Eve until after Mass was over on Christmas morning.  So my great-grandfather would always have contucci in his pockets to surprise my mother and my aunt after church on Christmas day.

Today, before rushing off to visit my dad who is now in rehabilitation, my mother made these traditional Italian cookies for our holiday celebrations.  I'm so glad that she did, because these cookies are really a special part of our family's Christmas traditions.  I've read many recipes for contucci, but here is my family's version that makes a LOT of cookies to give away as gifts!

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Italian Almond Contucci (Biscotti)

1 pound of butter
4 pounds of flour
12 tsp. baking powder
2 pounds of sugar
pinch of salt
2 lemons, juice AND rind
2 cups slivered almonds
12 eggs, beaten
4 tsp. anise seed or 1-1/2 tsp. oil of anise
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Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, sugar, salt.
Mix in the lemon juice and rind, and almonds.
Add the melted butter, beaten eggs (one at a time), and anise to this mixture.
Blend all ingredients together well.
Divide the dough into 3 to 4 batches.
Roll each batch of dough into long strips/logs about 3 inches wide by 12 inches long.
Place the strips/logs on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly colored, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Cut diagonally into slices about 1" thick.
If desired, bake again with the slices placed on their sides, for another 5 - 10 minutes.  (My family likes contucci prepared both ways, so we bake half a second time for the drier (dipping) version, and leave the other half baked only once for the more moist version). Pin It

Cinnamon Pudding Cake

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Last month the Cake Slice Baker's group selected another yummy, caramel-y, cinnamon-y, gooey cake appropriately named "Cinnamon Pudding Cake" from Lauren Chattman's 'Cake Keeper Cakes'.  I realize that I've posted this in December, but that's not such a bad thing since I haven't posted many recipes in December due to all the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  This is a very good cake, but more like a spice cake with a caramel topping.  I did not double the topping, but I definitely believe that it is a must for the next time that I make it to either pool on a plate or to pass around to guests who would like more topping.  This cake is best served warm with vanilla ice cream on the side!


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Cinnamon Pudding Cake
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Caramel Topping

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
Combine the brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally.
Then set aside to cool.

For the cake:

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl.
Add half of the milk and the vanilla.
Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full).
Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Invert it (turn it upside down) onto a large rimmed serving platter.
Serve.
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AND NOW I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT - OUT to PATRICE over on her AWESOME blog, "Everyday Rurality" who was inspired by this post to bake the Cinnamon Pudding Cake. Patrice had PERFECT results; even better than mine, I believe.  You've got to go over and visit her and read her thoughts about this cake's yumminess!  Here's the link:


Everyday Rurality by Patrice.  Pssst:  Tell her that Roz sent you!  :-)
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A Pink Christmas for My God Daughter Visiting For Christmas!

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Just like most of you, I've been swamped with getting ready for Christmas, plus my 90-year old father was sent into emergency surgery this week and has been miraculously recovering since Monday.  He was moved from the hospital today, one week later, into a rehab facility to help him recover completely.  So life has just been a tad bit different lately and as a result, I haven't been blogging very much at all.  I miss visiting your blogs and commenting and hope to be back on track soon.

But every year or so, I'll take the time to decorate our parlor / living room in pink and white trimmings which amplify the rose, coral, cream, and light green colors of the room.  It really is a very feminine touch to the holidays, I know, but the rest of the house is in the traditional reds, greens, and creams, so hubby doesn't feel like he's gone to a beauty salon!  But this year is extra-special because both of my parents are here, and along with our kids from Illinois and Tennessee, my God-daughter is coming for Christmas with her mother and father (my sister and her husband) from Iowa this week and so I wanted to make certain that this year the 'pink' Christmas room would be ready and waiting for her to "ooh and ah" over.  You're only a little girl for such a short time, right?  There are so many precious little girl ornaments, from dolls, to miniature furniture, baby carriages, angels, little purses, ballerinas, butterflies, and more!  Accents of pink satin bows, lace and glitter embellish what would otherwise be simple ball ornaments.

This is truly a little girl's fantasy Christmas setting, but even we adults can sit and sip some wine or tea in here and just enjoy it as well!  I know that my mother and I do!

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Some of you have asked me where I found all of the ornaments.  I started collecting pink ornaments when I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee during my years on the faculty of the University of TN.  One year, The Home Depot featured pink for the color of one of it's tree themes.  So I bought several strings of pink 'pine cone' and 'rose' tree lights and one of each ornament.  Over the years Dillard's offered some of the most beautiful pink ornaments too, from I which I bought all of the pink satin ornaments.  Some of the ornaments are also from Waterford's annual collections.  The little furniture and glass decorations are from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The Biltmore's old Livery Stable is full of shops in which one shop is full of nostalgic, old-fashioned Christmas ornaments.  There are simple inexpensive, frosted ball ornaments that I found at K-Mart as well.

I haven't seen many pink-themed ornaments lately, but that also may be because I've stopped shopping for them since this is a fairly small tree.
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Wordless Wednesday

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Baby, It's COLD Outside: Wordless Wednesday

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Jack Frost nipping at your nose (and the windows) under a perfect Carolina blue sky!

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Seasonal Saturday & Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday

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This Linky is staying open all week long since we're all crazy-busy and can't devote time to one specific day to share our posts.  So just share your post of anything related to the season when you have a breather in your schedule!

 

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Wordless Wednesday

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A thanksgiving in chilly Iowa, plus a surprise 90th birthday celebration for my father!

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.90 candles to blow out . . . 

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.90 balloons to pop . . . 

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.to surprise my father, Bud, the birthday boy!

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.and then to gather around my sister Kelly's gorgeous table

 for thanksgiving for all of our blessings!

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I couldn't be totally 'wordless' this week!  :-)

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