Time to Lighten Up!

Gone are all the cookies, cakes and heavy foods, it’s time to snap out of it!
 Now I’m craving all things green, lighter fare, and it feels good. I’ve made this salad three times already, it’s that good! Simple ingredients, but the combination of flavors work so well together.
Roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, toasted pecans, sliced red onion and a generous sprinkling of pomegranate arils all laying on a bed of spinach tossed in white wine vinegar and olive oil. 
I love these little jewels, even though it can be a little messy when de-seeding them. I find that by cutting them in half and whacking the back with a meat mallet or heavy spoon preferably over a bowl does the trick fast and easy and all the arils just fall right out.
Kale is another green I crave and this healthy bowl of soup just makes me feel good.
 No real recipe here just leftover roasted butternut squash and chicken along with some white beans, lots of kale, carrots and leeks bathing in a chicken or vegetable based broth cooked with a parmesan rind.
 It’s all good, lets hope I keep this up!
Buon Appetito!

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Nibbles for New Years

Here’s a few of my favorite things to munch on while bringing in the new year!
Bite size mini meatballs and a salad pizza.
Cold broccoli salad with lemon, garlic and olive oil.
Stuffed baby artichokes, because it wouldn’t be a party with out them!
Sausage stuffed mushrooms, and goat cheese filled peppers with balsamic glaze.
Eggplant slices topped with tomato and fresh mozzarella.
Creamy pasta with prosciutto and peas.
Fennel, orange and olive oil salad as well as a seafood salad of shrimp, lobster and scallops, bathing in fresh lemon and olive oil of course!
Scallop gratin or just plain old lasagne, love it all!
Wishing you all a Very Healthy and Happy 2012!

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Cookie Traditions Old and New

Each holiday season I like to add a few new cookies to my tried and true regulars, this year I wanted to try out these cookie stamps that I saw in my Williams-Sonoma catalog.
Each stamp is embossed with a beautiful design, a wreath, a snowflake and a gift tag.

The dough is a basic sugar cookie dough that has been chilled then rolled into balls, flattened and then stamped.
I was impressed how well the embossed design showed up, but the decorating part was another story! I bought those edible markers and they didn’t work out very well on the bare cookies, next time, (if there is a next time) I’ll use a piping bag with a small tip.

One cookie I can always count on our my Fig and Pistachio Biscotti  I make them every year and they are truly a favorite!
Along with Cucidati of course!
Traditional Italian fig cookies, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without them!
Wishing all my readers a very healthy and happy holiday season filled with family, food and fun!
Thank you for all your support through out the year, I appreciate each and every email and comment!
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