about me:
I grew up in a loving Italian home and cooking is the soul of every Italian. I remember watching my mother make traditional recipes that I have had the blessing to teach my own children. Cooking is my passion and I am thrilled to be able to share my recipes with you on my blog, Living the Gourmet.
Perfect Strawberry Lemonade
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After searching for a recipe that had more than just slices of strawberries, I decided to create my own to ensure a strong strawberry flavor.
Stardust Chocolate Pancakes
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Heavenly, not only because the angels would decend to earth for them but also because they fall into the ”sin free” variety of chocolate pleasures. Maybe your honey will make them for you as a special breakfast in bed? Could this be where the sin comes in? *Update, the cocoa has been added at the end of the ingredients list. That was rather a serious omission. Thanks for the heads up Sugarpies.
Wasabi Cheesecake
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Wasabi cheesecake is probably the first you've ever heard of! Interestingly, this experiment of mine turned out better than I thought - like another fusion food! I added lemon initially but I felt that the wasabi did not seems to go well with it, so I left the lemon (and also gelatine) out in the recipe here. (I used fresh Shizuoka Wasabi from a Japanese Supermarket but because it is seasonal, you may want to try the recipe with packaged wasabi in bottles instead) Side Note: 'd like you to know that because of the nature of wasabi, I did not make a baked-cheesecake. I personally believe that a baked cheesecake will taste better especially in terms of its texture =)
Smoky Sweet Pickled Red Onions
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In any Cajun home, you'll find an assortment of pickled vegetables around the dinner table. Most often, those vegetables include banana peppers, okra, and onions. These sweet and smoky red onions are the perfect compliment to any bean dish, po'boy, or burger.
Pink Lychee Slush
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Pair lychee liqueur with that maraschino cherry juice that's hanging out in your fridge.
Fried Apple ORZO with Bacon
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Lately, I have fallen in love with ORZO. I have been experimenting with it and today I came up with this delicious style that you will simply adore. Fried apple on top of orzo, drizzled with olive oil and topped with bacon.
Cherry Cheesecake
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This is the best cheesecake recipe you will ever have. It is also the easiest recipe and so versatile! You can make all different kinds of cheesecakes just by adding to this recipe.
Macaroni & Cheese
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A great dish for potluck dinners. One of the terrific aspects to this dish is you can change it to suit your preferences. To make it more of an entree mix in meats of your choice. Add vegetables such as broccoli and onions to give it more texture.
Carbonara Pizza
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Rachael Ray makes this amazing carbonara pizza recipe that is quick and delicious. Whenever you are in the mood for pizza, but you want something a little more refined than just pepperoni, try this simple recipe. Serve it with a side salad and voila, you have a complete meal in 30 minutes!
Hot Ham and Cheese Mini Sandwiches
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These little sandwiches are quick and easy to put together, and go over well with kids and adults. For an added kick, try spreading some additional Dijon mustard on the rolls before adding the ham and cheese. These can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, but you may need to bake them a few extra minutes. These can also be made ahead and stored in the freezer. Just defrost in the refrigerator and then bake as directed.
Lemon Curd
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Lemon Curd is a paste which resembles a hot marmalade. It can be made into a mousse by folding it into freshly whipped cream. It is used in tarts and tartletts and may be eaten alone. It is also used on top of shortbread cookies dough before baking.
Crostini
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Thinly sliced bread painted with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, garlic powder and salt. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh.
Monkey Bread
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My Sister makes this for breakfast and it is almost addicting. It is super easy to prepare, but is extremely decadent tasting. You can make a cream cheese frosting to top it off if you really want to indulge. Your kids will definitely love it! (I think she may have named it for her little monkey...ok, child, Sam)
Chicken Pot Pie
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You will love this super easy, creamy pot pie recipe! Talk about a great way to get your family to eat their vegetables. You can change it up by using ham or turkey instead of chicken, also add fresh vegetables and herbs to give it a homemade touch.
Oatmeal Cookies
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These are my boyfriend's favorite cookies. He has never been a big chocolate fan (I know, unthinkable) but these fulfill his sweet tooth. This recipe came from Mary Butler Ringhand, who I believe is my Mother's great aunt. She knows how to make some great cookies. Try these with a tall glass of milk and just relax.
Bridadeiros - Brazilian Chocolate Truffles
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This recipe is LOVED by kids. I no longer do it. My tween daughter is the one that takes care of this one. She not only loves making them as of course loves to eat them and same with her friends.
Wacky Cake
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This is the best chocolate cake I've ever had; moist, flavorful and frugal! It's also vegan and costs less than $3 including the icing! We make this often here and the kids adore it.
Lemon Orzo
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Bright with the flavor of lemon, this side dish made with Orzo, a classic Greek pasta, is very simple to make.
Idle Hand Bars
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These sinfully delicious peanut butter and chocolate dessert bars are out of this world. As a "sweet" fanatic married to a "salty" fanatic, it's always a struggle coming up with desserts that can be shared and devoured with equal gusto. These bars are the solution.
Biker's Sloppy Joes
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One of my family's dinner staples, the sloppy joe, is easy to make and tasty enough that even your kids will love them! These have a little spice to them, so you may want to omit the hot stuff if your mouth can't handle it. Serve these up with some tater tots,and some beans, and you have a simple meal that is done in minutes!
Fried Lemon Catfish
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Here's an old southern catfish recipe. My husband's aunt gave me this delicious recipe for fish. He enjoys this dish.
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ShoutBox all shouts
Are you back home?
Thank you Catherine, it was so so good. Special thanks to you and Tammy and Michael !! Hugs!
Catherine, Tammy and Michael! Surprise! I received my Birthday Card this morning, on my birthday. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
