Latest from my blog
Hi Everyone! Well, I must confess…..my husband and I are on a mission to use the most healthiest ingredients possible when cooking. Due to a family member’s current battle with cancer, we started educating ourselves regarding how food is formulated, processed, and sold as well as how it how affects our body. A lot of[...]
Sewing Tricks: Turn a Toddler Dress into a Bubble Top
September 20, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! As we enter fall, I was going through my 18 month old’s clothes to see what she has for the next season here in Sicily. My parents will be arriving next month for a visit (can’t wait!) and will be bringing Rebecca a luggage full of clothes (the beauty of being grandparents!) So[...]
Rustic Bread
September 8, 2015 | 3 Comments
Ciao Everyone! If you know me well, you know I love bread….any and all kinds. My 18 month old is the same….she points to bread wherever she finds it and yells “bau! bau!” (….we speak English at home so she responds in English although she fully understands both English and Italian, including the Sicilian dialect!)[...]
Champagne Baked Fish
August 28, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Yesterday morning, while at the local “mercato”, we picked up some small sized whole fish to cook for lunch. Being short on time, I needed something quick, yet tasty. Since I love to cook all naturally, especially since the birth of our daughter, I decided to throw together some of my favorite ingredients[...]
How to Add Glitter to Silk Flowers
August 22, 2015 | One Comment
Hi Everyone! We have some upcoming weddings and so I started early on some beautiful home made gifts. Unfortunately, I can’t show you what I made for now since I’m afraid the bride or groom might see this post….don’t want to spoil the surprise! After the wedding, I’ll show you what I made =). For[...]
Eye on Sicily – Local Businesses Tried and True for Travellers: Agriturismo “Borgo San Nicolao”
July 29, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Now I have to confess, we have been so busy these last couple of months that my husband and I decided to skip town for a week for our 8 year anniversary with our 15 month old daughter….it was wonderful! We rented a cabin near Catania, Sicily in a town called Randazzo. It’s[...]
Hi Everyone! We are now entering summer here in Sicily. And in our home, this means more salad nights! My husband loves salads, so it makes making dinner so much easier….how can you go wrong with a salad right? Well, here’s my delicious recipe for a grilled eggplant salad. It’s the grilled eggplant mixed with[...]
Pumpkin Lasagna (Lasagna alla Zucca)
May 29, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! As pumpkin season has ended for us here in Sicily, I was still able to find a late bloomer sitting so beautifully at the vegetable and fruit stand where I shop near my home. I was excited to see it because I wanted to make a pumpkin lasagna but had feared there for[...]
Easy DIY Chair Cushions
May 15, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Ever since I made my first dining room chair cushions for my wrought iron table, I was thinking they weren’t exactly what I wanted. To be honest, I didn’t have a sewing machine at the time (….I didn’t even know how to sew?…) and did everything by hand (….yeah, believe it or not,[...]
Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share a delicious recipe that’s worth calling an omelette! I actually made it for dinner because I was tired of my boring old omelette which was one of those “what’s for dinner, dear?…an omelette….oh, uh, could we have something else?” type husband to wife question and answer. So now,[...]
Mussels in Wine, Garlic, Lemon, and Olive Oil
April 27, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! If you are looking for an easy fish recipe and can get your hands on some fresh mussels, here’s a dish you can make in minutes! It’s so delicious and easy, I’m sure it will be on your list of favorites! Let’s begin…. Maestro, the ingredients please!…. – 1 kilo (2 pounds) of[...]
Vegetarian Lasagna using Pita Bread
April 21, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Today I got lazy….I admit it….I had a terrible headache last night that lasted into the morning and so I didn’t really feel like making a lengthy lasagna. Instead, I had some pita bread (….yes, here in Sicily there is a grocery chain that actually carries Pita bread….and I’m very grateful because my[...]
Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share another pork chop recipe which is so simple and takes only minutes =) Everything bakes together and there are only 5 easy ingredients in the sauce….simple, healthy, all natural, and not to mention fast and furious! Maestro, the ingredients please!….. -Cubed potatoes, rinsed under cold running water[...]
Pizza with Sausage and Smoked Cheese Filled Crusts
March 25, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! I have to tell you, I just discovered how to successfully stuff pizza crusts and I’m sure you are going to love this! For those of you who don’t eat your crusts (yes, even in Italy there are those who don’t), you may think twice before leaving them off to the side for[...]
Baked Fish in Wine, Garlic and Parsley
March 12, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! A while ago, my husband and I were complaining that we don’t eat enough fish, although we both love it. Yeah, you would think living in Sicily we’d be eating fish every other day, wouldn’t you? So we got ourselves dressed and out we went (in the horrid rainy weather we’ve been having[...]
Torta al Cioccolato Fondente (Dark Chocolate Cake)
February 18, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! A few days ago, I was craving something sweet. And chocolaty. So what’s a girl to do? Maybe it’s because I need energy to run after my walking 11 month old? No, sorry, my little one doesn’t walk….she runs! Now that she learned how to walk at 9 1\2 months, she’s become fast[...]
Decorating with Wood Letters
February 10, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Today I want to show you how you can decorate wood letters to add to any child’s bedroom wall. About a year ago, I made these to hang in our daughter’s nursery. I couldn’t find any big enough letters here in Sicily, so I ordered them online….they are about 6 inches each. They[...]
Creamy Roasted Vegetable Bean Soup
January 21, 2015 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Brrr….it’s so cold! In cold weather, I can hardly get enough soup. I just love the warmth of hot soup along fresh baked bread! So here is my latest soup…..creamy roasted vegetable bean soup you can make in just minutes with any and all veggies you have on hand! This is so good[...]
The Perfect Pagnotte Bread
December 6, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Do you remember my delicious pagnotte bread recipe I posted a while back? Well, I experimented some and wanted to give you another terrific version for those of you who love garlic and oregano like I do =) It’s super simple….just follow the above recipe while adding these new tips below! You can[...]
Puff Pastry Broccoli Tart
November 14, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! As you all know, I LOVE puff pastry. It’s so versatile and delicious both savory and sweet. Here in Sicily, it’s quite common to find puff pastry used in savory dishes. So one morning as I was thinking about something quick for dinner….remember, I fear the wrath of my 8 month old’s strong[...]
Lentil Soup
October 31, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! As chilly autumn days settle here in Sicily, I’m starting to cook more soups. On cold days, soup just feels good, doesn’t it? Second, our 7 month old LOVES this soup, so I purée a cup or two for her and we eat the rest. It’s so easy, delicious, and healthy. Come[...]
Baby Sleep Sack
October 30, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Well, this is another post on baby sleep sacks since our 7 month old continues to kick restlessly! I had to go for a version that she can ctually wear because my other pull off version wasn’t cutting it. Rebecca moves and kicks around so much she can produce energy! So thinking as[...]
Dish Towel Apron
October 27, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Well, I must confess….I wash too many dishes. No, really, I wash way too many dishes. You know what that means? It means I DRY too many dishes! I am one of those people that grab a new “anything” (knife, spoon, bowl, etc….) when cooking. Unlike my mom who can cook an entire[...]
How to Clean Bristles Naturally
October 24, 2014 | No Comments
Hi Everyone! Just look at it…my embarrassing toothbrush I use for cleaning tile grout in my kitchen….all those grease stains that get caught between the tiles above the stove….embarrassing, I tell you. And I clean the back splash every time I cook! So now, what am I going to do with this awful stickiness on[...]
Pizza Margherita
October 11, 2015 | No Comments