I love this time of the year but there's one thing that makes me just a teeny bit sad .................... .......... it's that soup season has slipped way for another four or five months. I love everything about soup from it's simplicity and versatility to the fact that it's a wonderful, delicious way to get loads of great veggies into your daily intake. I also love that, with many soups, ...
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Mixed Green Salad w/ Strawberries, Mango, Edamame & Honey-Lime Dressing
Don't you just love it when the first local strawberries start appearing?..............
To me, these vibrant, red-to-the-core berries triumphantly herald in the season of delicious, abundant and fabulously fresh summer produce. Here in North Carolina, spring arrived quite early this year and the berries are almost a month ahead of schedule! My husband tends to laugh a bit and shake ...
Roast Chicken Focaccia Sandwich
Are you looking for something fun, fabulous and unique for a special lunch, brunch or picnic coming up? Have you thought of "sandwiches in the round"? I've been making sandwiches like this one for years for celebration events and parties. I've made the focaccia rounds in varying sizes from small to medium to very large. They can be prepared ahead and warmed slightly before serving, ...
Read More →Focaccia with Dried Cherries, Rosemary and Toasted Pecans
I decided to do something crazy. I know, I know, if you're a regular reader or a friend, you might be thinking, "what else is new?"or "what in the world is she up to now?" I decided to take my favorite focaccia bread recipe and give it a new twist. One evening last week we planned an early evening bike ride with my son and his wife, with a picnic dinner along the way. A delicious sandwich ...
Read More →Blackberry-Studded Lemon Pound Cake w/ Lemony Drizzle
Are you in a pinch for time but need a delicious, beautiful, maybe even an impressive dessert? .............
.................. bundt cake to the rescue!!!! I'm honestly not much of a cake decorator .......... I think the prettiest cake I ever made was this one - but even this one, had to be dolled up a bit with flowers to make it extra special. And I have to tell you, ...
Spicy Basil Shrimp with Coconut Lime Jasmine Rice and Mango Salsa
It's "show-and-tell" day at The Café .................
............ do you remember show-and-tell days? Special, set-aside days when you got to bring something wonderful to school and then tell all your friends about it ?........... Call it a "mama's pride", but that's what I always feel like when I get to feature my daughter or daughter-in-law as guest bloggers at The Café! Lindsay ...
Pesto Pizza w/ Italian Sausage, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes & Spring Herb Gremolata
Grem-a-what-a? ...........
Gremolata (greməˈlätə)!............. Gremolata is just a funny, fancy Italian name for a delicious mixture, usually made up of fresh parsley, lemon zest and garlic. I had some fun with my gremolata; adding fresh basil, cilantro and chives, in addition to the parsley. Gremolata is traditionally served over slow-cooked braised meats, but I've found ...
Mini Coconut Impossible Pies
Surprise!.................... Yes, I have a lovely surprise for you today! My daughter-in-law, Lindsay served us a delicious dessert a few weeks ago - as soon as I took the first bite, I knew I would be begging her to share it with you................. I think for most people coconut is a love or hate type thing. Up until a couple years ago, I could take it or leave it but I ...
Read More →Italian Slow Roasted Tomatoes
I used to avoid tomatoes like the plaque all winter long. If I couldn't have ripe, juicy, red (as in really red) tomatoes, fresh from the garden or farm stand, well, I just didn't want them at all. Enter the world of slow-roasted tomatoes! I first started hearing about SRT's about 10 years ago. The first time I ever tasted one, I was sold; intense, velvety, caramelized tomatoes - what's not ...
Read More →A Wonderful Recipe: Fresh Basil Plants 12 for $2.50!!!
This post has been updated here. ...
Read More →Crinkly, Crackly Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Do you ever get something in your head and you just can't get it out till you've got it figured out? This may be what compelled Columbus to cross the ocean blue ....... or what drove old Thomas Edison to keep tinkering until his wires finally crossed correctly ........ perhaps even Einstein burned the midnight oil for many moons determined to perfect his formula - E=mc². Me? Not ...
Read More →Sticky Citrus-Ginger Honey Ribs
So what else can you do with the Citrus-Ginger Honey from Monday's post? Funny you should ask> Along with drizzling it on the Seeded Oat Bread, I could probably think of at least twenty more ways to use this magical elixir, but you'll have to settle for just two more.......... these Sticky Citrus-Ginger Honey Ribs and tomorrow's Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Citrus-Ginger Honey Glazed ...
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