I love family recipes that have precious memories. My Nana passed away when I was two, so I cherish stories like this that Mia passed along to me. I’ve nibbled on these olive balls all of my life and at some point along the way added the martinis too. I think Nana would be thrilled to know her great granddaughters…
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Grandma’s Oreo Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
I’ve never had a Christmas without this dessert. If you’ve been around the cafe for a while, you can figure out that this will by my 41st Christmas. That’s a lot of Oreo Peppermint Ice Cream Cakes. Who knows how long my grandmother (Popa’s mother) made this treat before I joined the scene?!? All I know is it wouldn’t be…
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Cornbread for Thanksgiving Dressing
I thought I’d get a jump start on making cornbread for Thanksgiving. I intended to freeze a few batches of this delicious treat, but the thing about cornbread is it smells so darned good. And then people know you’ve made a big batch of it. And then those people, even if they are little, eat it. Which means I’ll be…
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Spicy Pecans
Last week my mother-in-law sent me home with pecans from her front yard. You would not believe the amount of pecans the old tree produced this year. She has pecans in buckets, cardboard boxes and grocery sacks. I’m talking a ton of nuts people. Of course I knew immediately what to do with the first batch she gave me. I’ll…
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Heavenly Hash
So the past seven days are really a blur. The details of our week are vague; however I am pretty sure I have not made a meal since last Sunday. A funny concept since I spent the entire week entertaining. Note to self: cooking and entertaining are not mutually exclusive!Suffice it to say, between hosting Easter parties, our church Wednesday…
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Comfort Food
When paired together the words comfort and food conjure up all kinds of possibilities in my culinary imagination. Generally, I think of homey favorites like garlic cheese grits or a warm chicken spaghetti casserole with crunchy garlic toast. Really stick-to-your-ribs kinds of dishes that come from my mother, mother-in-law or lately Paula Deen. We’ve all got our favorite comfort foods….
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