Very vanilla cupcakes 🧁

Have you been searching for that seemingly elusive, delicate, yet very delicious vanilla cupcake? I certainly have, until now! It’s my brother-in-law’s birthday tomorrow, and I decided to bake a few treats to celebrate how wonderful, kind and generous he is. Happy birthday, Tom! 1 3/4 c AP flour 1 c raw sugar 1/3 tsp…

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The Necessary Work

Not all aspects of life in Sicily are easy. In the USA, a lot of people have a certain notion of being well-off. Here, a small plot of land (or 6) in the “country” carries a lot of significance. It used to be that families would work the land to sustain themselves and possibly others…

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We bought some cheese…

Well folks, the time has finally arrived! Tony and I have begun the sometimes arduous, but always incredible adventure that we’ve talked and dreamed of for more than 30 years: the Sicily house renovations have begun! I will chronicle our journey as we go, but will start off with a few pictures. First off, Sicily…

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Spanakopita Triangles

This quick and easy appetizer is delicious and can be modified to fit your taste: add cubed, roasted chicken, crumbled italian sausage, use roasted peppers, add spice, even use prepared phyllo shells or even puff pastry! 4 T olive oil 1 sweet or red onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb spinach, rinsed and…

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Walnut Shortbread and Reflections

For so many reasons, I have been very reflective in my days… appreciating the beloved people who I have had in my life and with such profound heartbreak, missing those few who, for one reason or another, are absent from it. Never give up the chance to say, “I love you” and maybe more importantly,…

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Lemon Cream Pie🍋

If you’re looking for a perfect, creamy, tart dessert for your summer cookout, this tart lemon cream pie is not only delicious, but fast and simple, too! Lemon Cream Pie 🥧 2 – 8 oz blocks of cream cheese 1 – 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk 4 T fresh lemon juice 1/2 c…

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a day in the desert

My New Mexico childhood was magical… kivas, Zozobra (the burning man), Kearney Elementary Bilingual School, Blake’s Lota Burger, Blue Birds, my Santa Fe best friend, Mary Ann Varela and her lovely Mom’s delicious pots of beans, posole, green chile stew and plenty of tortillas to scoop up any remains, crawdad hunting and ghost stories, Wolfman…

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A Very Different Kind of Christmas

What a year this has been… for the world. Hurt, loss, grief, change – I believe most have experienced at least one of these things this year. For the ever dwindling Lombardo household, change was the BIG one. Loss of a kind of life we’ve been living for more than 30 years has been the…

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