Although we haven’t been writing much, January has been very busy for us and we have collected some interesting things to bring to you in the coming weeks. As our regular readers know, we love lemon—just check out our Lemon LoveFest Library for lemon recipes from us and our readers. And we love our Meyer lemon tree and have made our own homemade limoncello and crema di limoncello. So, we don’t rave about things lemon unless we really like them.

Flash back to Italy’s Piemonte region, where Rich visited in 2009 and toured the Francoli distillery, with a focus on their grappa production—an interesting process with a rich history that Francoli has adapted in an environmentally–responsible manner. Francoli’s distillery is nestled at the Alpine foothills in the town of Ghemme, next to Read on…

I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before. How about you? No, I’m not talking about the ones from the chubby little doughboy tube. That’s cheating. I used to make those when I was a mere tot. The skill set required for making them was on par with what was needed to create things out of my Easy Bake Oven. No comment on the similar quality of the final product (though, they did manage to fill Mom’s kitchen with such an irresistible aroma of cinnamon that I’m instantly transported back to my childhood baking days every time I walk past a Cinnabon store). Read on…

So, are you sick of making Christmas cookies yet? I am. I’m tired of making them, thinking about them and reading about them (particularly when all I seem to get in my inbox these days is The Twelve Days of Holiday Cookies). Uninspired much?! I got so bored with making the usual cookie spread years ago that I switched to making only candy. It also happened to coincide with the birth of our first spawn and made it more of a convenience thing than anything else (melt chocolate, stir in mix–ins, drop on baking sheets, chill, repeat). No brain cells excessively taxed here. Read on…

It’s the fifth and final day of our holiday appetizer/hors d’oeuvres abbondanza. Today’s recipe is a versatile little number, offering various presentations that will suit all your guests’ needs. It’s very easy to vary the ingredients to create all sorts of savory or sweet nibbles with these little pancakes. But for today’s post, I’m going to focus on the savory variations that have become perennial favorites in our home at past New Year’s celebrations.

I’ve made other versions of these mini pancakes before, but find this recipe produces a much more appealing texture that is more adaptable for pairing with either sweet or savory toppings. The blini I’ve made turn out thinner than these pancakes, which are much puffier and lighter in texture. Read on…

Round four of the five days of appies is for the kids (or kids at heart). They’re extremely easy to make and irresistible to anyone who loves the flavors of pizza (but in a fluffy–puffy form!). And lest I forget, dipping is involved. Is there a kid on earth that doesn’t think dipping food into some kind of sauce makes it taste a hundred times better? I know of none; and speaking as an adult, I rather enjoy the process myself. (I’m guessing it has to do with some kind of control issue.)

I suppose one could consider pizza to be an hors d’oeuvre since it doesn’t require eating utensils (though I’ve witnessed a few kooks before, Read on…

Okay…so it’s Wednesday, which could only mean one thing—day three of Wine Imbiber’s little appie–fest! Today I’m revealing the third hors d’oeuvre recipe I make every single year for our Christmas Eve grazing. Did you know that the informal definition of grazing by the Free Online Dictionary is “to eat a variety of appetizers as a full meal”? Well, as I mentioned previously, that’s exactly what we do when we return from church. Here’s how it all goes down.

We always attend the late afternoon Christmas Eve service, which is the more family oriented one that caters to and involves children. When our four kids were younger, Read on…

It’s day two of the five days of appies I promised. I’ve been making this one for over 35 years. How do I know this? Well, when I was a mere babe (age–wise) back in high school, I worked once as a server at a friend’s neighbor’s small yet elegant in–home wedding. And this past September was my 35th high school reunion, so that means it was at least 35 years ago that I had my first experience with these delectable bites. I remember eating at least one for every two that I placed on my serving tray that day. I didn’t even care about getting paid at the end of the event. All I wanted was the recipe so I could recreate them for myself and my family over the holidays (it was an early December wedding). Read on…