Dinner Planner – Week of November 14, 2022

Happy Weekend!  I am visiting my mom this weekend on Long Island where we will be attending a conference honoring my father and the work he did on behalf of the Italian community. I’m sure it will be a beautiful tribute to my father, whom we miss very much every day. 

In other news, if you have not finalized your Thanksgiving menu, I am giving you a nudge.  If you need help and you have decision-overload, my 2022 Thanksgiving Ebook is for you.  It’s only $15.  What is your time worth? How many hours will you spend searching for recipes and turkey tips and googling what you can make ahead and freeze?  I did it all for you and put it in one PDF. You can print the whole thing or print out just the recipes and tips you need.  Another tip, if there is a recipe you want to make for Thanksgiving, but you’ve never made it before, this is a good week to try it!

Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Pear Frangipane Tart Recipe

My friend Sarah brought a pear frangipane tart to my house for dinner one day and I initially was not wowed by the look of it. Until I tried it. And then I became obsessed with recreating it at home because it was one of the most delicious desserts I had ever tasted (and you know how much I love chocolate!) I successfully came up with a recipe that was just as tasty, almondy, not too sweet, and a hit with everyone who tasted it!Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of November 7, 2022

Hello friends!  I have a couple of announcements: on Monday, November 7th I am doing a special Instagram Live with Evite, and I’ll be sharing ooodles of entertaining tips.  It should be fun and helpful!

My Thanksgiving 2022 class is available! I am always surprised when people tell me they didn’t know I taught classes.  YES! That’s what I do! I don’t teach in person anymore, but I have been teaching online since well before the pandemic.  Join me this month if you need a little extra inspiration and guidance.  The menu is brand-new, never before published and it’s fabulous!

If you don’t need a class, but you need a Thanksgiving manual, grab my 2022 Thanksgiving ebook. EVERYTHING you need to know is in this PDF!  In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, this is the time to test out new recipes, not on Thanksgiving Day.  Consider adding them into your dinner planner.  Here’s my dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, and Grapes Recipe

We all love roasted vegetables. They taste delicious and they’re easy.  But for the holidays or entertaining, it’s nice to add a little something extra to basic roasted vegetables.  How about grapes??  Trust me on this one. They’re not quite expected, but they’re like sweet little juicy nuggets that enhance bitter vegetables like Brussels sprouts.  I am on a mission to get people to love vegetables and eat more of them.  And this recipe is a winner!Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of October 31, 2022

I know Halloween is on Monday, but THANKSGIVING is 4 weeks from this past Thursday!!!  It’s game on, friends!! My newest Thanksgiving e-book is available and better than ever.  It is basically a Thanksgiving manual with over 100 recipes, troubleshooting tips, prep ahead best practices and every piece of advice I have learned over the last 27 years of cooking Thanksgiving and teaching over 200 Thanksgiving classes.  If there is something I have down pat, it’s Thanksgiving.  Click here to learn more about the e-book and to order.  It will save you hours and hours of searching for recipes and tips!!  Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of October 24, 2022

We had a great visit with my son for family weekend in Pittsburgh last weekend and he is home with us for his fall break.  So so special! It’s actually nice to be cooking family meals again.  In our new empty nest, Hubs and I seem to be pretty content with either soup or a stir-fry most nights. Just a friendly PSA, Thursday, October 27th is exactly 4 weeks from Thanksgiving!! I will have an updated Thanksgiving ebook available for purchase next week, so be on the lookout!

Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Pumpkin Crumble Bars Recipe

Just when I think I can’t come up with another awesome pumpkin dessert recipe, I do!  This is a pumpkin pie meets a crumble meets a gingersnap cookie!  What’s not to love? And it’s so easy, has make-ahead written all over it and can be adaptable.  There are many twists on this recipe including a graham cracker crust or a chocolate cookie crust and you can omit the crumble topping if you want to keep this simple.Continue reading

Spinach-Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Boats Recipe

This is the first spaghetti squash recipe my husband has requested again.  He loves it and he’s not wrong – it’s the best spaghetti squash recipe I have ever eaten.  And it has caused a bit of a stir on Instagram because it was a newsletter-only recipe until now!Continue reading