Cooking with Val

This summer was full of change, challenges and more importantly, blessings in abundance. Our daughter graduated from college, our son was an ROTC Field Training selectee, we drove through 4 states (love Arches Nat’l Park in Utah!) to our 11th assignment, we spent some amazing quality time together and with friends and family. Arches National…

Risotto ~ unravelled

It always amazes me how many lovers of risotto who won’t attempt making the delectable, versatile, creamy dish… I hope you’ll take 20 minutes to make it for your family ~ to make it for yourself! History of Risotto The history of risotto is naturally tied to the history of rice in Italy. While there…

luscious apples ~

stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love. the Song of Solomon, 2:5 There is such a flood of emotion that comes from apples ~ from the beginning, sweet blossoms, to the fragrant baked dessert it ends up in, and every crisp bite in between… it speaks of home,…

A Mouthful of Summer

“Everything in moderation…including moderation.” ~ Julia Child The most requested recipe? Fruit Pizza!! Aside from my pizza dough, this tasty gem of a dessert has even the biggest skeptic (what? fruit pizza?) asking for more and eventually asking for the recipe. For my “gluten-free” friends, using a combination of gluten-free and coconut flours and coconut…

Breaking Bread

  All sorrows are less with bread. – Miguel de Cervantes     There is something so gratifyingly innate about making bread. I love the entire process!  Grinding flour, kneading the dough with my hands, the rise or two my loaves get and then the best part: the baking!  My kitchen is nice and toasty…

The Bull and Lettuce

“Never mind love, have a cup of tea.” favorite British saying Ok, The Bull and Lettuce may only be what we had for dinner last night (steak salad with horseradish cream), but it would be a GREAT pub name!  If the Brits can have The Butt & Oyster (what?!?), why not the Bull and Lettuce?    …

Summer in a spoonful ~

  Here in good old San Antonio,  it is going to be a sultry 94 degrees today!  (Mind you, it is 18 March; not May, June, July, August; but, March)  Today definitely is NOT soup weather… so, as I drink my HOT coffee in my 83 degree house this morning, I am thinking lemons.  Anything…

Colors of the Rainbow ~ and my kitchen

The “canned food” section of my kitchen!  I have cans of Hatch Green Chile, Coconut Milk, Water Chestnuts and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my pantry, but that is it.  For most meals, our plates look like a color bomb exploded!  Fresh this, fresh that ~ You can’t help feeling healthy with every bite!…

Go Nuts!!

        “I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.” ― John Steinbeck I love pistachio ~ I go through about 48 oz every four days… by myself! Hey! When I was in the hospital last month,…

hoppy, fluffy, marshmallow

If you have ever received a Christmas platter from me, you’ll have discovered my toasted coconut marshmallows nestled in with the fudge, thumb print cookies and sunflower-pumpkin seed brittle ~  but marshmallows for Easter?!?  I am so excited to give these lemon jewels a try!  I hope you enjoy these variations from Epicurious.com ~ and…

love affair

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien For me, it started about 15 years ago ~ my love affair with food (come on, what did you think this was about?) When I was a little girl, my Grandma Margaret would often…

Tiramisu

 “It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate – you know someone’s fingers have been all over it.” ~ Julia Child If this is your first visit to my blog, come along while I take you on a little taste of Italy (for my few faithful followers, come along ~ perhaps you’ll be inspired)! Those…