Falzone Family Thanksgiving 2012

I was so grateful that family came to visit for Thanksgiving. I was super sick, but Liam definitely needed some distraction and play time with cousins. My brother-in-law Thomas came with his wife, Cheryl, and their two kids Daniela (7) and Joseph (4.) What a big help everyone was the entire week. I felt like the worst host in the universe, but Thanksgiving went off without a hitch thanks to Cheryl! It was the perfect way to spend the holiday.

 

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

charleston family photography

Ice Cream Sunday

Hey there! What do you put on your ice cream? I found this recipe and it had my name written all over it: vanilla ice cream with sea salt, lemon zest, and olive oil… ! Yes, olive oil. I was reading the comments below the recipe on The Kitchn and people were adding their two cents about strange and amazing things to put on their ice cream: scotch and ground black pepper (amazing…), balsamic vinegar and nuts… I know, it’s almost too much to handle. I love this kind of unexpected food combination.

Full recipe:

Olive Oil, Lemon & Sea Salt Sundaes
serves 4

 

1 pint vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
zest from 1 organic lemon
1/4 teaspoon coarse, flakey sea salt

Place one scoop of ice cream in the bottom of a jar, or ice cream dish. Tamp down the ice cream gently with a cocktail muddler or the back of a spoon. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil on top. Add a few pinches lemon zest and a tiny pinch of salt. Repeat these layers two more times. Serve immediately, or freeze until ready to serve.

 

Recipe Sunday brings you: Mexican Street Corn

I’m deviating from my usual trinity of chocolate, cheese, and bacon. But I have to honor the little Latina girl that lives inside me. She’s taking Latin ballroom dancing, too… No joke:) This Mexican Street Corn recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. What could be better than cilantro, lime juice, and chili powder?

Brought to you by Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. Click HERE for a link to the recipe.

Mexican Street Corn:

Ingredients

4 large ears corn

butter

sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 + 1/2 cups Queso Fresco, crumbled or Cotija or Parmesan cheese, grated

4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

4 teaspoons chile powder

1 lime, cut into four wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush corn lightly with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes. Alternately you can grill or boil it.
2. Working with one ear of corn at time brush with mayonnaise, sprinkle with cheese, cilantro and chile powder, pressing it onto the corn to help it stick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

Happy Sunday! Let’s eat bacon.

Is it crazy how quickly a week goes by?! Judging by my past Sunday posts you can pretty much bet on my recipes containing and one of the following: bacon, cheese, or chocolate.

These little bacon and egg cups make me happy. There are a few too many recipe steps for my liking, but when bacon is involved I’ll do it.

Recipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

 

Bacon and Egg Toast Cups:

Ingredients:
6 slices of bacon, uncooked or precooked
6 slices of bread
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray large muffin pan with cooking spray. \
In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3-5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy (if using precooked bacon skip this step). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut out circles (about 3 1/2 inches) in each piece of bread using a cookie cutter or a drinking glass turned upside down.

Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep it in position. This can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each piece of bread. Crack one egg over each piece of bread being careful not to break the yolks. You may not want to use all of the egg white. If you do you may need to adjust the cooking time to a little longer.

Once all the bread pieces have been topped with eggs, bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 15 minutes for me) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe Sunday brings you: Four Cheese Baked Rigatoni

So I guess it’s safe to say I like all things cheese, bacon, and chocolate. I hope I never have a heart condition…

Anyway, this recipe from How Sweet It Is looks to DIE for and I cannot wait to try it. If you were looking for something amazing to bake this Sunday, this is your recipe! Have a wonderful day!

Sunday’s are super awesome, aren’t they?

Click HERE for recipe.

It’s recipe Sunday! Bacon and gruyere stuffed french toast… oh boy

Happy Happy Sunday! I love Sundays and I love to cook big meals on Sundays. This recipe from Authentic Suburban Gourmet looks absolutely heavenly and I cannot wait to try it. Nothing says good morning like French toast and bacon. I’d love to hear if any of you try this!

Here’s a link to the full recipe: Bacon and Gruyere Stuffed French Toast

It’s recipe Sunday! Fresh baked cinnamon rolls:)

Hi there!

I love Sundays and I love to cook a big meal on Sundays. Usually I roast a chicken, make mashed potatoes, roast some vegetables, and make some kind of fruit tart. Yes, I spend most of the day in the kitchen, but I think it’s a great tradition to start with a family. I would love for my son to grow up looking forward to big Sunday dinners.

From this Sunday on I will be sharing a recipe with you to enjoy. It could be something I’ve made on my own, or something I’d love to try in the future. Let’s make Sundays special:)

This Sunday’s recipe is for fresh baked cinnamon rolls from A Dash of Sass. What is better in the morning than fresh cinnamon rolls with frosting?! Really… Enjoy!

Click HERE for the full recipe.

boone hall plantation. charleston, sc

Liam and I are really taking advantage of the beautiful days, beautiful culture, and amazing historic architecture  this town has to offer. We took a trip to Boone Hall Plantation a few weeks ago and I let him run around this delightfully overgrown garden. It was a little tough to take great pictures because it was almost high noon, but I could not resist with all the amazing colors and scenery. The garden smelled of chamomile and roses and I wondered how long those same scents had hung in the air.

The long, oak- covered drive is truly spectacular and I read that it took 200 years for those oaks to grow to meet in the middle.  Liam, of course, ran around the whole grounds, wanted to pick up old cannon balls, and had more fun climbing on the gardener’s golf cart than anything else, but it was still great to be outside.

Across the street from the plantation is a pick-your-own strawberry field and a farmer’s market, which to me is probably the same high as a kid on a roller coaster. I LOVE farmer’s markets and this one had Boone Hall BACON. Enough said.

Enjoy!

pumpkin pie yogurt! mmm

I had forgotten how good this little recipe is! Pumpkin pie has to be one of the easiest things to make in the world, and the most fun because you get eat the extra sweetened condensed milk right out of the can... or at least I do, shamelessly. But sometimes you don't feel like turning on the oven, especially when it's 75 degrees outside. I came up with this recipe when I had an extra can of organic pumpkin puree after the holidays. Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Heaven: Spoon a few scoops of Greek yogurt into a bowl (any plain or vanilla yogurt will do,) add a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree, drizzle with agave nectar and dust with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Garnish with roasted/raw/salted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

healthy macaroni and cheese

My version of healthy Mac n Cheese! I made this for my 2-year-old who loves all things cheese! I made the Creative Grains boxed rice/wheat mix, leaving about a tablespoon of extra water. Finely chop 1 head of broccoli, 1-2 carrots, and any other vegetable you like. Sautee in a separate pan then add to the rice. It's a great way to sneak vegetables in for kids, and also to indulge in a classic favorite.