tartlicious tuesday: chocolate caramel tart

With the passing of Thanksgiving (barely) we enter the time of the year known as “The Season”. One could argue that it is “The Season” of overindulgence and it began, for many, in the wee hours of the morning, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, which oozed into Small Business Saturday and then Cyber Monday. Whew! If you were shopping on these days you certainly need a break. Even if you didn’t go shopping you might be exhausted by the onslaught of circulars, flyers and catalogs clogging your mailbox and cluttering your doorstep. The only plus side to all these publications is that your children will have a plethora of material for future collage projects at school. Shopping, wrapping, parties, more shopping, cooking, baking and decorating can take its toll no matter how joyous. If, after hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sung ad nauseam at your... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: napoleon (meet camille)

The two creators of myFudo, one of the most fun and informative food community sites in the Internet, are great friends who have not yet seen each other in “real” life. If asked what they would do if they did get to meet, these would be their answers: My dear friend Marie and also my partner in MyFudo™ is faced with a dilemma far from anything I’ve ever experienced. She resides a world away from her childhood home. I admire her strength for as I found myself whining about the lack of diverse foods she had to learn a foreign language and adjust to a culture completely outside of anything she had known. It was through sheer luck that Marie and I stumbled upon each other’s individual blogs. We became friends, launched a blog together and still have never met in person. The power of the World Wide Web astounds... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: napoleon (meet camille)

The two creators of myFudo, one of the most fun and informative food community sites in the Internet, are great friends who have not yet seen each other in “real” life. If asked what they would do if they did get to meet, these would be their answers: My dear friend Marie and also my partner in MyFudo™ is faced with a dilemma far from anything I’ve ever experienced. She resides a world away from her childhood home. I admire her strength for as I found myself whining about the lack of diverse foods she had to learn a foreign language and adjust to a culture completely outside of anything she had known. It was through sheer luck that Marie and I stumbled upon each other’s individual blogs. We became friends, launched a blog together and still have never met in person. The power of the World Wide Web astounds... Read the Rest →

 

fudofinds: creative chics sassy aprons

After Thanksgiving you might recognize the need for an apron. If you have one and it looks like a crazy quilt of food stains then it might be time to pick up a new apron. We found the most adorable, sassy aprons at Creative Chics. These aprons aren’t for those who are shy about wearing an apron. They are bold, gorgeous hand created apron. Creative Chics offers a selection of over 200 bold and beautiful hand sewn aprons. They are so fabulous that we only wish there was more fabric in each apron so that we could wear them as dress! Creative Chics describes themselves in this way: “Creative Chics was “born” when Mom made my childhood clothing, 40+ years ago. A few years ago we dusted off our machines and started sewing together, enjoying a past time we had long set aside but never forgotten. And with that we... Read the Rest →

 

worldly wednesday: antigua and barbuda introducing a ducana recipe

The independent nation of Antigua and Barbuda is formed by Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda, located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Antigua and Barbuda is a part of the Leeward Islands in the West Indies. And, as we learned when we “traveled” to Anguilla, these islands were first populated by Amerindian tribes. Christopher Columbus “discovered” Antigua and Barbuda in 1493, naming the island after the Church of Santa Maria de la Antigua in Seville There were settlements by the Spanish and French and eventually the English, who formed a colony in 1667. Sugar plantations were the main source of income. With the English colonial plantation system came slavery. Before slavery was abolished (in 1834) the sugar industry in British colonies was beginning to wane. These islands did not fare well and struggled to prosper. It wasn’t until tourism became a significant part of the economy that Antiguans prospered. With a strong... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: coconut cream tart (pie) recipe & winner for cutting board announced

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“. For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion. There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor. You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard.... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: coconut cream tart (pie) recipe & winner for cutting board announced

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“. For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion. There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor. You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard.... Read the Rest →

 

stew & soup recipes: peanut butter pumpkin soup

Remember our recent post that discussed cooking down and pureeing a pumpkin for future use? If you haven’t had a chance to read it, please take a peek, then get that nearly frost bitten pumpkin that is sitting on your porch and get busy making your own pumpkin puree. You will need it for another of our recently posted recipes: pumpkin tartlets as well as this next pumpkin recipe that we’d like to share with you. This recipe will both surprise and delight you. It was given to us by a relative who declared that is would become a Thanksgiving tradition. And, as predicted, it has been ever present on our Thanksgiving table. We would never think of omitting this from our celebration, not that our families would let us, always asking on Thanksgiving morning, “Are you making that pumpkin soup?” Of course we are and so will you once... Read the Rest →

 

stew & soup recipes: peanut butter pumpkin soup

Remember our recent post that discussed cooking down and pureeing a pumpkin for future use? If you haven’t had a chance to read it, please take a peek, then get that nearly frost bitten pumpkin that is sitting on your porch and get busy making your own pumpkin puree. You will need it for another of our recently posted recipes: pumpkin tartlets as well as this next pumpkin recipe that we’d like to share with you. This recipe will both surprise and delight you. It was given to us by a relative who declared that is would become a Thanksgiving tradition. And, as predicted, it has been ever present on our Thanksgiving table. We would never think of omitting this from our celebration, not that our families would let us, always asking on Thanksgiving morning, “Are you making that pumpkin soup?” Of course we are and so will you once... Read the Rest →

 

fudo finds friday: blackbird pie company

Our last post featured a giveaway. If you haven’t commented and added your name please click here and do so. We are giving away a lovely hand carved cutting board. We found the cutting board at the farmers market, a hub for artesian products and fresh produce. These days you may find some of the same produce from the farmers markets on the tables of your local restaurants. It is wonderful to see that more and more restaurants are keeping the food seasonal and local. One such restaurant is called Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen. From the folks at Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen comes Blackbird Pie Company. “Scott Mahar is an acclaimed executive chef who brings his dedication to whole foods and local sourcing with him to Blackbird Pie Company. He is currently the Executive Chef at Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Under Chef Scott’s direction, Poppy Hill was... Read the Rest →

 

giveaway: hand carved cherry wood cutting board by walnut hollow workshop

As we near the end of November those of us who live in climates with four seasons begin to say farewell to the farmers markets. Over the warmer months we’ve met many vendors selling wide varieties of fresh produce. But, of course, produce is not the only thing that you will find; honey, beeswax candles, soaps, alpaca wool and that is just that start of it. It is at the farmers market in Fredericksburg, Virginia that we met the folks who are Walnut Hollow Workshop. Their booth was the epitome of what a farmers market mean. “Walnut Hollow is a small, family run farm located in Caroline County, VA. At their booth you will find a variety of products, including eggs, honey, beeswax, and handmade wooden bowls, spoons, cutting boards, and rolling pins, all made from natural and locally grown materials and wood. All unique hand carved pieces are carved... Read the Rest →

 

holidays: a turkey run

As you know, today is Wednesday, a day of the week we dedicate to a different country and its cuisine.  This week we have landed in Antarctica.  Because the fare of those living in Antarctica tends to be unappealing to us humans we have decided to dedicate this post to Thanksgiving preparation, namely, cooking a turkey.  But, before we launch into our sage advice about turkey preparation we would like to direct you to two websites:  Cool Antarctica and World Wildlife Fund. At Cool Antarctica you can read some interesting facts, look at beautiful pictures and contemplate putting this destination on your bucket list.   At World Wildlife Fund you can read about their mission to protect nature and the beautiful creatures that are in danger, which includes one of our favorites, the Polar Bear. OK folks, let’s talk turkey. Making a turkey is not as daunting a task as you may think. There is... Read the Rest →

 

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