Folks, it is official, I'm a blogcrastinator. Not by choice mind you, so I hope you will let me slide again this month. I just didn't realise how busy life has gotten lately, I can't say I have had much time for myself, let alone for B and the pup. Quite sad actually and I feel sooooo drained. I don't know how working mothers do it. Props to them because all I have is a husband and a pup. Oh! Back to the challenge for the DB's this month is held by none other than Mary and Sara . I present to you...FRENCH BREAD!!!!!!!  read more »

What is there for me to not love in Chincoteague? There is the pristine beach of Assateague, the abundant and beautiful wildlife, the talented artists, and the friendly people. It's a paradise for me.

I have just one problem with Chincoteague - the food!

Chincoteague is hardly known for five-star cuisine even among the seafood lovers, but if you're not a seafood lover, eating can be tricky. Chincoteague is famous for its oysters and its proximity to Maryland means plenty of good crab as well. When I see big steaming pots of shellfish coming to someone's table, I really wish I did like the stuff, but I don't.  read more »

I know, I know. WORST. BLOGGER. EVER. But you have to understand, since my last post, I've been slowly going a bit insane. I finished renovating my house. I sold my house. I went to Cuba. I bought another house. I got a new job. and I'm having a GIRL! So yeah, it's been a little busy!  read more »

Yep, you read that correctly. Once printed, this recipe was 18 pages long! It had 13 steps and took 12 hours for me to produce the two lovely loaves you see above. At first, I thought our hostesses (hostessi?), Mary and Sara, had lost their minds. However, what's not to like about trying something challenging on for size - particularly if it's a Julia Child recipe!! I didn't join the Daring Bakers for nothin'!  read more »

They're popping, they're popping! (Let me preface by saying that I'm a raging nerd for just linking to this song . What it's doing on my ipod is a mystery. I was trying to come up with a title to this entry, and I couldn't shake the lyrics. Hey, it's catchy!) Welcome to the April Daring Bakers Challenge - Cheesecake Pops! Elle and Deborah are our hostesses, and I could reach through the computer and hug them!  read more »

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amoreee. Wouldn't this cake be perfect to make for your sweetie on Valentine's Day?  read more »

Today's vegetable recipe: Thin slices of eggplant in a creamy-cheesy custard. Good hot or at room temperature. Low carb. A few weeks ago, I swore off new cookbooks. 101 Cookbooks ? Ha! That's nothing! With all the will power of a limp noodle, I lasted ... um, well, would you believe, all of two days?  read more »

Again, I should REALLY be in bed. My preggo butt will be T-I-R-E-D tomorrow.

Especially considering I'm in a new job and should really be trying my utmost to impress all and sundry.

But I can't sleep without sharing this cake.

So here it is....from the Best of the Best of Bridge, this is what I craved. I was all set to make a much healthier dessert (a very good one!) from Self magazine. It's a lovely apple caramel strudel in phyllo, done with a creamy caramel sauce. As long as you eschew the cooking spray for butter, it's a GREAT dessert.

But then I saw this one. And it was like the helpless moth, fluttering blindly, yet oh so lovingly, toward the flame.  read more »

Franois Payard's Chocolate Meringue Tarts in miniature; photo courtesy of Deep Media. When I was little, I took piano lessons to little success. Even though I could manage to replicate notes on the page, I never had the 'sense' for the keys that makes one feel in ownership of the music. Nonetheless, I would spend the requisite time practicing on the keyboard at home, repeating the disjointed notes over and over until I hoped I had mastered them. It was during these practices that my father would sometimes wander into the room and take over the keys; though wholly self-taught, he had such an ear for music that he could easily reproduce my melodies in their entirety.  read more »

I have had a fascination for anything sweet, and especially cakes right from when I was a kid! And I had this extra-special affection for swiss rolls, those colorful, spiral cakes that tasted like heaven, and even with the minimal frosting and decoration, they always attracted the attention of dessert-lovers, including me!!  read more »