Herbal Iced Teas

 ~ Chilled Wild Berry Zinger ~

One of my favorite herbal teas to drink cold!

I love to make herbal teas to keep in the fridge in the Spring and Summer months it makes me feel like kid being able to cool off with a chilled flavored beverage! And the best part is that herbal teas are virtually calorie free, all natural, full of flavor, and  are good for you : )
For a nice presentation I store it in old Italian soda bottles.
Recipe: It's not really a recipe all you do is brew 1 tea bag per 8 ounce cup in boiling hot water for 5 minutes. Then remove tea bags and chill.

Mini Valrhona Chocolate Bars (Trader Joes)

Mini Valrhona chocolate bars from Trader Joes are my new treat for grocery shopping day and because of their size rather then lack of yummy ingredients like real sugar and cocoa butter they not only taste like they come from a high end French Chocolaterie, uhh....maybe that's because they are, but are only 150 calories! I have already tried the milk chocolate and next I plan on trying the dark chocolate. You see recently I started back on watching my portion control as it had slowly but surely grown back to big hearty American size as well as myself....... I gained close to 15 pounds in the past year and a half : (  When I was in Italy I noticed how my Zia, a very trim lady her whole life, kept her chocolate in the fridge and offered me one little square each  night, I swear I was there 2 weeks before the bar was finished.I found myslef eating chocolate every day as well as pasta, gelato, cheese, prosciutto, wine, etc..... and ending up losing 10 pounds! It really is all about portion control so I have to say these Mimi Valrhona chocolate bars  are the perfect portion size and they only cost 99 cents so I can treat my self whenever I go grocery shopping : )

Learn more about Valrhona chocolates!

Neapolitan Risotto Balls (Palle di Riso)

Pall'e Riso or balls of rice are a classic street food sold all over Naples, Italy. They are essentially Rice croquettes made from left over risotto. I can not wait to return to Naples in May I love love the down to earth people and food and  believe they are simply the best in Italy : )
Ingredients (For about a dozen or so balls)
left over risotto (2 cups) I make a double batch for dinner and set half aside the night before )
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan (If the risotto already has Parmesan than add only a tablespoon or so)
1/4 cup grated or preferably diced mozzarella
2-3 few slices of salami or ham diced (This dish is already very rich so just a little bit of meat goes a long way)
2-3 tablespoons chopped very fine parsley
optional: 1 teaspoon truffle oil (This makes them heavenly!)
For coating: 2 eggs beaten, 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs, and 1/2 cup flour
olive oil for frying
Directions
Mix the risotto (If you are cooking the risotto just for this recipe first refrigerate allowing it to cool and set) along with the egg, cheeses, parsley, optional truffle oil, and meat.
Set up the dipping station by placing 3 shallow bowls in this order: Flour, Egg, Bread Crumbs
Heat up 3 inches of oil in a frying pan and set up a paper towel lined plate near by.
Now take enough risotto to make a golf ball sized ball and roll gently, this mixture is very tender.
Dip in flour shake off, egg shake off, and finally bread crumbs. If working alone I like to set up a piece of wax paper and dip all the eggs first in flour and set aside n wax paper, then dip all in egg setting up on wax paper etc... this is best when working alone but if you have  helper it goes much smoother and quicker : )
Now fry on each side until very very golden golden brown.  Drain on towels and they are ready to mangia!
Note : These can be made ahead and kept in a lowest setting oven on a rack lined pan until ready to serve. In Italy they are eaten alone but sometimes in the states they are served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

Easter Lunch!

The highlight of the meal!

Baked ricotto gnocchi!

Bread sticks and bubbly pink moscato as a simple antipasto.

Bread sticks are simple but good.

My granddaughter gets her first taste of moscato... just kidding, it's Italian soda : ) along with daughter Danielle and son in law George.

Jessica (A fun, beautiful, godly, young lady) and her brother Jimmy (A kind hearted hard working young man with  friend Jessie a strong godly new Christian young lady. Our dear friends!

Ajay a cute, godly, servant hearted  man, we LOVE him!

My Beautiful granddaughter and sexy strong man of God!

 Me and Granddaughter : )

Danny & Nikki a sweet godly couple full of God's grace and joy in the midst of trials.

Bentley a precious young man!

Jimmy hugging my son in law : )

Marseille, Bentley, and Margaux: Future buddies : )

Jessica's GF Coconut cake!

Nikki's French Meringue Cake!

Jessica and Nikki chatting around the tavola!

My grandbaby girl and youngest son Ryan : )

baci baci

My lovely daughter Danielle and son Ryan

The tavola!

Table settings Easter style

My hubby's place setting : )

Mangia mangia!

Casatiello (Italian Savory Easter Bread)

 My Dad made this Neapolitan Easter bread Casatiello every Easter and it is just not Easter without it!It is a rich bread that celebrates the end of lent, and each bite tells of the celebration of the rebirth of Christ. Here is my Dad's recipe:
Ingredients
1 Master Hearth Bread Dough Recipe OR use 1 frozen/defrosted bread dough OR use bread dough you purchase from a bakery such as Publix)
4 ounces provolone cheese
2 ounces mozzarella
1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces salami, crispy bacon, ham, but please, NO pepperoni!
4 ounces cold butter diced 
2 hard boiled eggs diced
olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
For the top: 3-6 eggs raw and dyed
egg wash: 1 egg white and a tablespoon water whisked together
Directions
Chop the salami and provolone into bit size pieces, chunks work best if you can get thick pieces of cheese and salami. Grate the Parmesan and mozzarella. Mix the meat, eggs, butter and cheeses together along with lot's of fresh black pepper.
Make the Italian bread dough and after the first rising spread the bread dough on lightly floured surface to three long strips and flatten out.
Place the filling onto each strip and seal up tight letting out any air pockets.
Place on parchment lined pan (one with edges is good as there may be some leakage) and gather 3 tips together pressing to seal and tucking under, now braid and seal bottom edges tucking under loaf.
Place the raw eggs in crevices of your choice.
Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 420.
Brush top of bread (not eggs) with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 375 and bake another 15-20 minutes golden brown.
Allow to cool  and serve at room temp.
Note: I make mine the day before Easter and then cool completely at room temp. Than I cover with plastic and keep in fridge over night. The next morning I take it out to come back to room temp several hours before meal.

Marinated Artichoke Hearts & Capers (Carciofi Marinati)

 You know those jars of Italian marinated vegetables you get at gourmet stores that cost quite a bit? Well I have had fun making my own over the years at a fraction of the cost.My latest recipe uses a bag of frozen artichoke hearts (Trader Joes) and every time I open a bag and dump out all  those wonderfully perfect little hearts I think of all those hours I wasted cutting away at all those artichokes before Trader Joes : )
Ingredients
One 12 ounce bag frozen artichoke hearts (Trader Joes)
a few teaspoons capers
1/2 cup olive oil

a few pinches of Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove

salt to taste
red pepper flakes
juice of half a lemon
Directions
Rinse off the artichokes, bring to a simmer in some water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain off all the water.
In the same pot add them back with all the ingredients except the capers and lemon juice. Simmer on low for 3-4 minutes .
Remove the garlic, add the lemon juice and capers (I like to allow some of the caper juice to get in as well) and stir.

Serve these with some crostini or other small slices of bread as an antipasto or snack.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

I like to make these a few hours ahead and leave at room temp covered for the flavors to meld.

These will keep in fridge for a week.